Palin for President? Forget It

The time has come to put any thoughts of Sarah Palin running for President to rest. I say that not because I dislike her; on the contrary, I’m a fan. I think she did an excellent job as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008 and has been an effective spokeswoman for conservative causes in the years since. But there is no way she is ever going to be elected President, and the sooner Republicans get over that idea, the better.
These reflections are prompted by a CNN/Opinion Dynamics poll that came out today. As described by The Hill:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s unfavorable rating reached an all-time low in a poll released Wednesday as President Obama’s job approval rating is on the rise.
Fifty-six percent said in a CNN/Opinion Research poll that they have a unfavorable opinion of the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee while only 38 percent view her favorably. Palin’s unfavorable rating previously peaked at 55 percent in early April 2010, soon after the healthcare reform bill was signed into law. …
Fifty-nine percent of Independents, a crucial voting bloc, rate Palin unfavorably.

No one with a 59 percent unfavorability rating among independents has the chance of a snowball in Hell of being elected President. 2012 will be a vitally important election year; it is no time for a kamikaze Presidential campaign or for a cult of personality. Republicans (and conservatives) need a candidate who has a chance to win against an incumbent who, despite everything, is not particularly unpopular and who won’t be able to do much visible damage between now and then.
One hopes that Governor Palin will see the writing on the wall and devote her energies to helping the conservative movement and other, better-positioned candidates rather than to pursuing a Presidential ambition that can only prove destructive.
UPDATE: At The Examiner, editor Mark Tapscott has kind words and additional thoughts.

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