She's the Regina George of politics.

She's pretty nuts.

“Listen, listen, listen: Why in the world do you imagine Glenn Beck would come to Anchorage on 9/11? You think he might have a special guest? With a special announcement? Oh,” she says, her whole face falling as the implications of a Palin campaign kickoff hit her, “Jesus Christ.”

Okay scared now.

Stupid evil woman is stupid and evil.

She is a serious threat. I don't think she's ever going to attract more than 20% of voters, but that's not a small number.

What astonishes me about her isn't that she's stupid, because I think she's got plenty of native smarts, but that she's energetic without being educated, thoughtful, or even hard working.

She sometimes reminds me of a loud toddler who smashes everything and then has no idea how to put anything back together, or any interest in doing so.

I don't think she's ever going to attract more than 20% of voters, but that's not a small number

If it gets that high (which I think is way high in reality) t's a fantastic number, since they'll all come from the right. Split that vote, babies!

As I said in a previous thread, if she runs in 2012, she'll have to run as an independent, because the Republicans wouldn't have her as a gift. And no way does she have a chance in hell of winning as independent. I'm actually all for it because a) it'll be incredibly entertaining and b) it'll siphon votes from the Republican, ensuring a win for Obama.

Why on earth would she run? The real money is in what she's doing now, and clearly, that's what she cares about. Drink it down, sister! I'd rather have you on TV then in the Oval Office.

Why on earth would she run? The real money is in what she's doing now, and clearly, that's what she cares about.

This.

Sarah is hosting an Alaska show. Bristol is doing Dance With The Stars. They're diversifying the brand.

Any hints of a 2012 run are solely to entice the hopes of the rubes in her audience.

Not Going To Happen.

I don't know, guys. She thinks she's on a divine mission. That comes through clearly in the Vanity Fair piece. Also, she is hardly remote from the GOP. The Tea Party Express, which is strictly Republican controlled, just allied with her to defeat Murkowski.

I'm trying to think who the R nominee will be if not Palin. It will not be Romney the Mormon, and I think Huckabee has no traction. For all the newly emerging right wing Rs, the party does not seem to have anyone else to run.

I'd add that if all Palin does is drive Rs to the right, that is a lot of short term damage. The Ds will then have to deal with much smaller numbers in Congress -- assuming they retain their majorities -- and even more intractable opposition.

I keep thinking that at some point the American public will notice that the Republican Party has transformed itself into the Very Very Silly Party and is largely run by crazy people but so far that hasn't happened.

Behind the curtain, Piper plays with other children, oblivious to the speech. She runs in circles, plays hide-and-seek, poses for snapshots, and generally acts as if she were in another world—until she gets the signal to do her job: march to the podium, pick up Palin’s speech, and allow Palin to make a public display of maternal affection.

On cue, Piper parts the curtain. As the child appears, a loud and doting “Awww” melts through the crowd.

Ok, that's just sick.

As for 2012, she may sit that out and go for 16 after this cycles silliness has died down. She's got the low cunning of LBJ, but not the stamina or the skills to make things happen.

And by "make things happen" I mean "make meaningful things happen".

This is an awful way to put it, but these are strump speeches.

Oh, lookie, she wrote another book.


I'm not having any luck figuring out her schedule, but I think we hear a lot more from her in the summer than the winter. I suspect some Seasonal Affective Disorder going on. She seems more stable this year, but that could be all the time she spent down in the lower 48

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks what I expressed in the Beck/Palin thread. She will never run for political office again; even President will be too much of a pay cut. Of course, she has to act like a candidate to keep her 'base' from turning to the next shiny thing and keep the Lamestream Media giving her free publicity. (I like that term, but to quote Princess Bride, it doesn't mean what her followers think it means)

I think now is too soon to predict what Palin will do in 2012. Seat the next Congress and give them six months. If the House goes Republican and Palin can give the impression of steering them, maybe she has a shot at the nomination. If the House stays Democrat, much will depend on whether Obama finally musters some influence.

The real money is in what she's doing now, and clearly, that's what she cares about

I'm not sure it's actually money she cares about. I think she cares about attention. She's desperate for attention and relishes having eyes on her, relishes being in control of something. Money coming with it isn't a bad thing, but I think she'll take whatever keeps her in front of people the most.

I'm not having any luck figuring out her schedule, but I think we hear a lot more from her in the summer than the winter. I suspect some Seasonal Affective Disorder going on.

interesting - I have done some reading about Iceland and how people's states of activity vary tremendously there with the season. In the dark winter, everybody slows down and spends more time doing interior things. But in summer, people enter a sort of a manic phase - kind of like we do in summer in temperate zones, only highly exacerbated by the extra daylight. People sleep a lot less, like 3-5 hours a night, and do a lot more. I guess if you've lived almost your whole life in Alaska you might adapt similarly? Don't we have at least one Alaskan MetaChatter?

Even if it's not SAD, I do think she has something going on in terms of mental illness. The breathless, disjointed, manic language is enough to make me think so.

I'm trying to think who the R nominee will be if not Palin

They've got no shortage of people to pin hopes on - you hear the names already: Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, and I put strong money right now on Marco Rubio. Here's a list of people that have been mentioned so far.

I regret reading that article. I had several disjointed dreams last night which took place in the Palin family compound.

I resent the extent that she's psychically inserted herself in the national consciousness.

You know who thinks he has a shot at the nomination? Newt Gingrich. I think he's been positioning himself as the Saner Option semi-quietly. I think he's planning to ride to the rescue when the Republicans start panicking. It's been long enough to claim the introduction of the Rupublican Revolution, and avoid the blame for the way it fell apart. And if there's any recent political movement that will appeal to old school Republicans and the Tea Partiers and those dudes who are littering the landscape up here with trailers urging us to vote all/most incumbants out (one even says "We don't need new political parties, we need to get rid of the current politicians"), it is the Republican Revolution.