Gee, Who'da Thunk It - GOP Insiders Don't Like Sarah Palin

I just finished reading Sarah Palin's Going Rogue. All I can say: She's one tough lady.

Many of the episodes Sarah describes that took place during the 2008 Presidential campaign I was already familiar with, though her description of the way she was handled by the McCain campaign staffers filled in a few gaps.

One big reason the McCain-Palin ticket lost the 2008 election: the infighting between the McCain staff and the lack of communications between the McCain campaign 'headquarters' and Sarah Palin's campaign staff. The campaign lost their focus and practically handed the election to Obama. I have a feeling that if John McCain had fired some of the senior staffers and told the rest to “let Sarah be Sarah”, we'd be talking about the McCain Administration and Obama would still be “Senator No-where Man”.

But that's water under the bridge, something that can't be fixed. However, the animosity towards Sarah Palin by the campaign staff has translated itself into a lack of support of Palin from GOP insiders. I have a feeling it's because she refuses to fit into the mold they see as acceptable. But acceptable to whom?

Frankly, I have a feeling the insiders of both the Democrat and Republican parties choose to ignore what a large portion of Americans want, particularly what Americans want to see in their leaders. The growing momentum of the TEA parties has certainly shown anyone paying any kind of attention that the average Americans are tired of being marginalized and ignored, of being looked down upon by those considering themselves out betters. That Sarah Palin appeals to the great unwashed masses out there in Middle America pisses them off to no end.

A poll of GOP insiders suggests that ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has little support among the party's professional class -- and maybe that's just how she wants it.

In a survey of 109 party leaders, political professionals and pundits, Palin finished 5th on the list of candidates most likely to win the party's '12 WH nomination. Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) was the overwhelming choice.

--snip--

And Dems are even less convinced Palin is a serious candidate. Just 3% of Dem insiders said she would be the candidate running against Obama in '12.

Then again, Palin fans can take heart, given just how long candidates have to go until the first nominating contests. In '06, insiders predicted that ex-Sen. George Allen (R-VA) would be the GOP nominee, and that Sec/State Hillary Clinton would easily win the Dem nomination.

Palin had little support from Alaska GOP insiders as well when she ran for governor, but she beat the incumbent Republican governor John Murkowski in the primary, receiving 51% of the vote (in a five way contest), and defeated her Democrat opponent by almost 8 percentage points, receiving over 48% of the votes cast in the six-way general election.

Not bad for someone with little actual support from the GOP insiders.

As one commenter to the post linked above put it:

Governor Palin is exactly right to distance herself from the GOP establishment. These are the same people who thought John McCain was a serious candidate and who hired Michael Steele to run the RNC. If Palin hadn't been running with him, McCain would undoubtedly have lost to Obama by 16 points instead of 6.

Assuming she wants the job, there are very few Republicans out there who can command the type of following among independents she does, and she's positioned herself exactly right if she decides to run.

I think we'll find she'll also garner support from a number of disaffected Democrats as well. Reagan certainly did.

If she decides to run, she'll certainly have my support.