Sarah Palin Book Hints at 2012 Run
EmailABC News' Teddy Davis reports: Sarah Palin's new book, which was purchased by ABC News at a Washington-area bookstore on Monday, maintains that she wasn't motivated "alone" by an ambition to seek higher office when she stepped down as governor of Alaska. She suggests, however, that her resignation has left her in a strong position to run for president by touting comments to CNN by a well-known Republican strategist who thinks Palin's move was "brilliant." "One of the only commentators who called it right was Mary Matalin, who noted that my strategy would disarm my opponents and free me up to travel and raise money and awareness for worthy causes," writes Palin. The Matalin reference, which comes on page 381 of "Going Rogue: An American Life," is the closest Palin comes in the book to discussing her future electoral plans. The hint at a White House run becomes even clearer if you go back to what Matalin actually told CNN on July 3rd, the day Palin unexpectedly announced that she was resigning part-way through her term. In the interview with CNN, Matalin doesn't make a generic reference to "worthy causes" as Palin paraphrases Matalin as saying. Instead, Matalin explicitly speaks of Palin's decision as being "brilliant" because it will free her up "the way Mitt Romney is to run around, and get political chits." "Unlike the candidates — the potential candidates — in office," said Matalin, "she takes a big, fat target off her back with a good record to launch from." Listen to Matalin's comments HERE. If Palin decides to move forward with a presidential run, she has some major hurdles in front of her. According to the latest ABC News-Washington Post poll, 3 out of 5 Americans think Palin is not qualified to be president. Fifty-two percent of Americans say they view her unfavorably while 43 percent have a favorable opinion. Should Palin decide to run for president in 2012, she would undoubtedly be dogged by questions about whether she is too divisive to win a general election race. Questions about her electability are not just being drummed up by Democrats. Some of her potential Republican rivals are already beginning to raise questions about her. Speaking with ABC News on the condition that his name not be used, one Republican eyeing a presidential run in 2012 recently predicted that Palin, if she were to run, would win the nomination of a party that has grown more "militant." He quickly added, however, that he does not think that she will ultimately go forward with a presidential bid because, in his view, there is no way that she would be able to win a general election race against President Obama. While Palin certainly has her detractors, she is still widely viewed as the biggest star in the Republican Party as evidenced by the large crowds she drew during the 2008 campaign as well as the heavy advance sales of her book, which will be available everywhere on Tuesday. If Palin moves forward with a 2012 bid and is able to put together a political organization, she could do well in the Iowa caucuses thanks to her strong following among socially conservative voters who admire her decision to have Trig even after she learned that he was going to have Down syndrome. But as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) learned in 2008, the Christian conservative base, though highly influential in Iowa's lead-off contest, is not enough to win the nomination. That's why most of the policy content in her book emphasizes economic issues. In particular, she uses her memoir to ingratiate herself with the TEA Party – or Taxed Enough Already – movement which vigorously opposes President Obama's tax and spending policies. Her book is light on policy details but she does call for an "all-of-above" approach to energy development and a slew of new tax cuts. Without ever saying how she would fund her proposals, her tax recommendations include not only standard Republican ideas such as killing the estate tax and cutting capitals gains taxes but also a reduction in payroll taxes. If Palin jumps into a presidential race, one could envision these proposals plus her attacks on Obama's health care and cap-and-trade policies playing a role in her stump speech. For now, however, Palin is hinting at a White House run without making any definitive statements. "My dad’s quote I think, it sums it up better perhaps than I’m summing it up," she told Oprah Winfrey in an interview which aired Monday. "He says, ‘She’s not retreating, she’s reloading.'" ABC News' Lesley Lopez contributed to this report.
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Palin was fantastic on Oprah.
She’s smart, tough, authentic and down to earth.
Just the kind of politician Washington needs. A real outsider, not just someone that pretends to be a different kind of politician.
Palin has my vote–again if she runs.
Posted by: bailey | November 16, 2009, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
Of course she’s going to try to run, unless she gets a cu$hy political pundit job first (a radio show or co-billing on Hannity or something). Barring an unlikely 2010 electoral catastrophe (NY-23 but in races that matter – like the Florida, Illinois, and Delaware Senate Seats), the Republican party is quite done lurching Right.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 16, 2009, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
People accuse Palin of being dumb mainly because of one bad interview.
She isn’t the one that giggled like a school-girl on 60 minutes when asked about the economy.
She did not jump to conclusions and accuse cops of acting stupidly.
She did not give cheery shout outs only hours after a terrorist attack.
She did not appear on Leno making fun of Special olympics.
She is not the one too politically correct to accuse a terrorist of killing 14 people.
She is not the one bowing to world leaders and apologizing for America.
Our so-called brilliant president did all of those things. Palin has more common sense and more courage than Obama will ever have.
Posted by: millie | November 16, 2009, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
She won’t run. This is about making lots of money-very quickly-something she could not have done as AK. governor. Like the “Newster”, she knows that she has to keep teasing the right-wing with the possibility of being a candidate in order to “mine the minority.” However, unlike Gingrich, she is severely “gravitas” challenged.
Posted by: B.Bear | November 16, 2009, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
Watching Oprah right now. Sarah’s really charming. Boy, that Katie interview doesn’t seem like a fair depiction of her.
I bet a lot of editing went on.
I hope she has a wonderful life.
Posted by: wow | November 16, 2009, 7:48 pm 7:48 pm
Then Palin must have been “disingenuous” when she told Oprah she’s not thinking about 2012.
And she had better take a look at today’s poll numbers if she really is running.
Posted by: matt | November 16, 2009, 7:48 pm 7:48 pm
Sarah Palin, for reasons unknown, quit on the people of Alaska. She is currently dragging around a lot of excess baggage which people are going to remember come voting time. My bet is that she will not make it through the Republican primaries.
Posted by: johnnylee | November 16, 2009, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
People accuse Palin of being dumb mainly because of one bad interview.
millie | Nov 16, 2009 7:16:59 PM
No. It is common knowledge how you deal with “one bad interview” – you give so many mediocre to good ones that everyone writes it off as a bad day. Palin avoided unscripted interviews like they were the father of her grandchild and even managed to sound jarringly scripted in the single debate she had. After the experience with Bush Jr, the public is a bit more interested in verifying the actual competence of someone before electing them. Palin could run, but she’ll have to actually prove she can handle the press (as all the presidential candidates did through literally hundreds of unscripted interactions).
Posted by: jhw539 | November 16, 2009, 8:22 pm 8:22 pm
People (mostly republicans) are calling Palin’s version of events lies. This will get interesting.
Posted by: doug | November 16, 2009, 9:14 pm 9:14 pm
“Palin has more common sense and more courage than Obama will ever have.”
A giggling, star-struck Palin didn’t have enough common sense to realize she was being punked by a Canadian comedian speaking in a Pepe Le Pew accent and pretending to be the French President. The phone call might have gone on forever but the faux Sarkozy finally broke the news to Palin after nearly 7 long minutes.
Posted by: WWW | November 16, 2009, 9:21 pm 9:21 pm
Please nominate her GOP!!
Posted by: Jim | November 16, 2009, 9:27 pm 9:27 pm
What a wonderful, informative expose on Keith Olberman’s broadcast this evening re: Sarah Palin.
From snippets of Ms. Palin’s abyssmal interview with the equally abyssmal Oprah Winfrey, to her typical unprofessional & undignified response to questions, Sarah Palin punctuated the great decision voters cast in 2008.
Senator McCain’s former campaign staff have now absolutely body-slammed the content of Ms. Palin’s book, detracting yet from the ultra-thin credibility she’s had.
To punctuate her incredible socio-pathic nature, she now has referenced her former future son-in-laws posing for Playgirl as “pornography.”
How sad we must all feel for Ms. Palin and her morbid disconnection from any sense of reality. She truly is psychopathic, and is deserving of our pity.
Posted by: saftgek | November 16, 2009, 10:04 pm 10:04 pm
The media is not serving this country well.
We have important issues to be talking about and the media for their own liberal agenda wants to keep harping on palin.
We get it Palin hurts republicans and you want her to ruh.
Palin will never run for president because all the polling data shows she would be destroyed in the republican primary.
Palin quit the alaska governor’s race after polling showed she would lose if she ran again.
Palin knows that if she ran and got crushed her cache even with her diehard supporters would be diminished.
This is why the MSM being 85 percent democratic is bad for our country. The media is trying to create news with palin running for president because it fits their agenda to keep democrats as one party rule in this nation. Instead of focusing on the issues of the day the media creates their own charade.
Enough Jake Tapper we get it you are dying for Palin to run but she isn’t running. Enough already, move on. McCain made a mistake. How much longer are you going to be obsessed with palin for. Kerry picked edwards and bush sr picked qualye. She was a bad vp pick enough already. MSM please move on and stop playing partisan games and focus on real issues instead of your own partisan agenda.
Posted by: jason | November 16, 2009, 10:58 pm 10:58 pm
The republican primary is set up with winner take all states in the northeast. Palin has ZERO shot at the nomination that is why she will never run because being humiliated would mean no more big money speeches. That way she can protect her ego.
Posted by: jason | November 16, 2009, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
In the ABC poll only 9 percent said they would definately vote for Palin.
That shows how small her base is. That shows that the media is trying to create a story here.
Palin is only a serious candidate in the media’s play to hurt republicans.
I hope american people are sick of this partisan charade and your ratings hurt.
You are focusing on Palin not because she is viable in politics but because of your partisan agenda. There is no story here. The media is morally bankrupt. With all the issues going on for the media to be playing these partisan games is a joke.
I am also sick and tired of the media thinking rank and file republicans are some neanderthals.
Rank and file republicans didn’t vote for Palin. She was picked by a few loser McCain advisors.
Rank and file republicans helped the republican get 60 percent in virginia.
The media is so out of it if they think she is running or if they think she is actually viable with rank and file republicans. She has an incredibly small but noisy segment which the media is obsessed with to hurt the republicans. Enough already you got obama elected with it and he will now pick 6 supreme court justices and the dems have 60 senate seats and you are still focused on partisan games. Pelosi has 260 house seats and still playing partisan games. Grow up media enough already. You got your man in power now talk about the issues and stop the palin charade for your own partisan goals.
It’s not like nothing else is going on that the media could be focusing on.
This is getting ridiculous already.
Posted by: jason | November 16, 2009, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm
the dems have 60 senate seats
jason | Nov 16, 2009 11:07:09 PM
Still not true. Lieberman is not a Democrat – he beat a Democrat to be elected, he campaigned for McCain, and he is against health care reform. The Democrats have 58 seats in the Senate plus one friendly independent. But that’s just documented reality.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 16, 2009, 11:47 pm 11:47 pm
Big deal if she runs. She is only a contender if she wins the nomination with more than 60% of the electorate. Surely the antagonist don’t have their shorts in a bind because they are afraid that could happen. For the most part the criticism is just a bunch of playground bullies picking on someone that reveals their lack of benevolence.
Posted by: TX_MBell | November 17, 2009, 1:18 am 1:18 am
Run Sarah. Run, run, RUN!!!
Posted by: jks | November 17, 2009, 8:06 am 8:06 am
Go Sara go girl run with poll numbers like yours we would get President Obama for 4 more years I say go for it please!
Posted by: ANGIE IN PA | November 17, 2009, 9:25 am 9:25 am
Some men (women?) seek the Presidency because they feel it will make them relevant and allow them to achieve their political goals..ie, to make their careers “matter”….Obama for example.
Others like Geogre Washignton (who had to be dragged to Washignton to serve as our first President) and Sarah Palin…don;t need the Presidency to “matter” in our current government…With just a few posts on Facebook she was able to change the HC bill making it;s way through Congress..a few more posts..and she took a CPA greenhorn to within an eyelash of winning a seat in Congress and knocked the RINO republican out of the race…Palin MATTERS…whether she;s in office or not..she will continue to have her voice heard and shape the political agenda for the foreseeable future
Posted by: JL | November 17, 2009, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm
Palin could very well be our next president.
Biden, better known as the blundering idiot, was caught plagerizing in college and during his first presidential run in the 80′s.
His interview with couric was FAR WORSE then Palin’s…he proudly told katie “When Roosevelt went on television in 1929 it calmed the country down”.
He enjoyed media protection and Palin was targeted. It is shocking to me that so many lemmings here on this post and in America can’t see through the media’s agenda.
Posted by: Dave | November 17, 2009, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
She should run as the Alaska Independence Party candidate, but I’ll settle for the GOP putting her in the Presidential race. Split those right-wingers down the middle, Sarah.
Posted by: Cassandra | November 17, 2009, 7:15 pm 7:15 pm
“I am also sick and tired of the media thinking rank and file republicans are some neanderthals.” If it walks like a…. Sorry. Couldn’t resist. As long as Republicans are trying to play to the far-right minority in the party by playing along with this gal, you’re all going to look bad. Find a REAL candidate who appeals to moderates in both parties and you have a shot. But if I were you I wouldn’t hold my breath. I liked McCain right up to his choice for VP.
Posted by: Cassandra | November 17, 2009, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
Sarah Palin does not deserve to get free advertisement for her book. No one else gets that much free advertisement. She has ethic issues that she is trying to hide. Alaska is glad she is not the governor now. Alaskans will be glad once the news stops giving her free advertisement.
Posted by: Cecil | November 17, 2009, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
The disasta’ from Alaska is at it again! Oh golly gee – I hope you didn’t actually believe Sarah Palin was stepping out of the limelight for realsies when she bailed on the Land of the Midnight Sun! No, no. And, kudos to you, Sarah Barracuda! Word on the street is that you were “unbelievably conscientious and hands-on at every stage” when you went to write your very own memoir, which is pretty cool – considering it is, in fact, your very own memoir.
http://threestarsandtwobars.blogspot.com
Posted by: Kat | November 17, 2009, 11:55 pm 11:55 pm
It is comical to watch Joy Behar’s reaction each time Sarah Palin’s name is mentioned. Behar just cannot help herself — she goes immediately into a TIZZY HISSY FIT!
Hope that Palin continues to affect liberals the way she does Behar. That is really amusing!
Posted by: PappyHappy | November 18, 2009, 6:03 am 6:03 am
Of course it’s all about the money and ignorant people will run and buy the book, etc. It’s amazing how people think…and it’s no wonder our country is in so much trouble. $$$$$ is everything. Ever see a poor person run for president? Spending millions on campains and tv ads, attacking each other with vicious ads, promising the moon and the starts and it’s been going on for many years. We pay baseball players millions to hit a ball but the average joe gets paid zilch. There are huge parades for the World Series winners and broadcast all over tv but when the Veteran’s Day parade is here how many people show for that? In other words our priorities are all wrong and we wonder why we are in the mess we are in. Perhaps if we didn’t spend like there is no tomorrow and live way beyond our means….people will pay thousands for a baseball game or rock concert but when it comes to helping people who truly need it…..and they attack Pres. Obama and others like it’s all their fault and listen to the likes of Sara Palin and Rush, Newt, etc.
Posted by: Barb | November 18, 2009, 9:32 am 9:32 am
Why does anyone even consider Palin worth talking to. She has proven time and again that she is not qualified to be president or give President Obama a “score”. She held the governership of Alaska and QUIT the job for her own personal agenda.
I can’t imagine anyone with even a small amount of common sense actually voting for her in any election, for any position.
The hate that she caused and supported during the presidential campaign only moved us backwards as a nation and I can’t imagine what would have happened to this country if they had won. Glad to see that the majority of Americans did not vote the ticket of hate.
We have taken a major step forward, let’s pray that we can keep walking in the right direction.
Proud American
Posted by: Mark in VA | November 18, 2009, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
From the way Sarah Palin keeps on about President Obama, I think she just hates the president and hopes he fails, she was judgemental even during elections trying to spread hatred which was finally stopped by Senator Maccain she contributed a lot to his loosing the elections because people generally do not like hate messages, belittling him, it goes beyond politics for this lady I think it goes to who he is she just hates him more so because he stood on her way to be sleep walked into this big office which she clearly did not qualify if I were to give her points for spreading hatred 10/10 but when it comes to positiveness about the president 0/10 so out of the empytiness of heart comes emptiness. I challenge her to debate with me and I will knock some sense to her
Posted by: Noni | November 18, 2009, 2:25 pm 2:25 pm
Christian? Who? Sarah Palin? no way she sounds racist to me and I think she is just annoyed by Obama anyway the bible says if you live by the sword you will die by it, in the world they say what goes around comes around, you reap what you sow girl, sow hatred you reap hatred, sow division you reap division big time no wonder why she divides the nation, she reaps what she sows. President? joke then it means USA has run short of clever and intelligent people because if your best is Sarah tough you better start sending your children to school, seriously
Posted by: Noni | November 18, 2009, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm
With Palin (and people like her) we would get right-wing morality brown-shirts running a oil-intensive, polluted country teeming with have-nots and at war with everybody.
Posted by: prohb | November 18, 2009, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm
I believe she should run for the presidency. And that person is wrong about her. No one knows the future and no one knows who would win. It would not be a corrupt underhanded election like the previous one with Hillary getting schemed out of her delegates. That’s how Obama won nomination. Howard Dean, Pelosi and Reid were the one’s responsible for her loss. Palin is smarter than that and would see thru their scheme. I hope she does run. I will vote for her. Obama never kept his promises. Those promises were faked just to win the election because there is not one change in Washington.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | November 19, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
The Democrats and the media fear her. She will draw thousands of people if she starts to campaign for the presidency outdrawing Obama. He knows it and so does Pelosi and Reid. The media shows her polls low but that is only because they want to downgrade her when all the while her polls are higher than what they state. And going on this book tour will get the public to know her better and will get her more interviews. I believe she is the best contender for the republicans and the best one to beat Obama at his game.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | November 19, 2009, 7:55 am 7:55 am
Promises??? Maybe if the old, rich oil loving Republicans cared and voted what is best for Americans and not for their own, then more could be done. Instead they spread idiotic fear, hate and Freedom suppressive policies that divide us as a nation and Palin is their pin up girl.
What is wrong with democracy in this nation.
And please do not forget that bush had 8 years to damage this nation and it can’t be fixed overnight.
And does anyone remember the comments of Palins husband concerning Anti American views??? After all, they share the same bed don’t they?
Posted by: Mark in VA | November 19, 2009, 9:40 am 9:40 am
Palin hints at 2012 run? All I can say is: “RUN FOREST RUN!” Mrs. “Gump” may appeal to some, but she is not fooling the intelligent people in this country. We don’t need a female George W. Bush in the White House. Eight disasterous years under Dumbya is quite enough!
Posted by: leftyintexas | November 25, 2009, 2:25 pm 2:25 pm
I believe Palin is setting herself up for presidency run. And if she does, she is certain to give Obama a good run for his money and who knows if she can’t win. Its too early to tell and she is just getting started. After all, Obama hasn’t done too much while in office and the deficit is over billions of dollars and Obama will never balance it. We owe China billions of dollars if not trillions soon. Palin would do good as president and get things done, not sit around and have meetings.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | November 25, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
Marianne Pepitone You are absolutely right! I believe at least Sarah would have the backbone enough to not give in to every nation in the world the way Obama does! I hope and I pray that he’s just a one term president and that this country survives until he’s out of office because with all of his “diplomacy”, he’s giving this country away more and more every day!
Posted by: JimVgirl | November 27, 2009, 10:30 pm 10:30 pm
I received my copy of Sarah’s book yesterday. I haven’t read all of it yet but I can tell all of you liberals that it isn’t a children’s book. There are no pop-up pictures and it didn’t come with crayons! It’s a very well written grown up book!
Posted by: JimVgirl | November 28, 2009, 1:53 am 1:53 am
At first I rolled my eyes at the title of Palin’s new book, “Going Rogue.” By recycling the phrase from her failed VP bid, she jumped from its gross over-use right into the arms of the hackneyed. One would think her editor would have glommed to that. People may parlay their “15 minutes of fame” into something more enduring, but hackneyed words or phrases don’t stir up anyone but your band of acolytes, who don’t care that you sound like a parrot. But one can only use phrases like “real America,” “real American,” “patriot,” “Tea Party Patriot” (as opposed to what, exactly? “Tea Party Communist”?), “Main Street America,” and “Joe Six-Pack so many times before they become utterly meaningless, so banal that they put you to sleep. And it shows, if nothing else, a decidedly limited lack of vocabulary and vigor from She Who Would Be President, surprising in someone who supposedly was a journalism major. But listening to her repeatedly trot out stock phrases and other hackneyed terms is as exciting as watching water drip from a leaking faucet. But back to her book title. Though I laughed when I first heard it, I laughed even harder when I thought about the definition of rogue. But the question is, did SHE consider its definition? Before she signed off on the cover and the book went to press, she should have maybe grabbed a dictionary and looked up the word. And though I’m still laughing, I also think she came up with a rather apt title for the book, as it suits her to a “T”. Just from a few standard-use dictionaries:
–Merriam-Webster Dictionary
ROGUE, NOUN USAGE
1: vagrant, tramp
2: a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel
3: a mischievous person : scamp
4: a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave
5: an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation
Examples of ROGUE USAGE
1. a rogue who had nothing but contempt for people who made their living honestly
2. many of the vagabonds were rogues and cheaters of various kinds, and formed a subcommunity on the fringes of official society. -—Charles Barber, Early Modern English, 1976
ROGUE, SYNONYMS
baddie (or baddy), beast, brute, caitiff, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, villain, savage, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, varlet, wretch
–World English Dictionary
NOUN USAGE
1. a dishonest or unprincipled person, esp a man; rascal; scoundrel
2. a jocular often a mischievous or wayward person, often a child; scamp
3. a crop plant which is inferior, diseased, or of a different, unwanted variety
4. a. any inferior or defective specimen
5. archaic a vagrant
6. a. an animal of vicious character that has separated from the main herd and leads a solitary life
So I take back my criticismns of the book title. Palin picked the PERFECT title for her book, describing herself in two short words. (Hemingway would have given her props for her brevity.)
Posted by: Me | November 18, 2010, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm