Sarah Palin

Of all the posts here the one I found most amusing is Premium30 who opines that we have seen enough of inept Government in places like Greece and Italy. It is hard to credit such ignorance. During her three years as Governor, massively streamlined and reduced state expenditures of the Alaskan state both in real and nominal terms. She reduced state debt and liabilities and built massive savings accounts, including funds to forward fund education for three years In a small state she left a budget surplus of $12B. During her governorship, Alaska acquired a AAA credit rating for the first time in its history. What a pity we did not have someone as competent as Sarah Palin running Greece, Italy or even Britain in the last number of year.

As for David Frum. He was part of the NeoCon cabal who high jacked the GOP in the Bush years. They hate Sarah Palin because they know she would have been cleaned out. Surely there is some expectation that writers for the Economist should do at least some elementary research.

The saddest thing about Sarah not entering the race and winning the nomination is that we will miss the hilarious circus act of seeing her debate Obama before a national audience. Just think of the fun we would have had as Obama explains how he lost the AAA credit rating for the US for the first time in history, while Gov Palin patiently explains (slowly due to O's economic illiteracy) how she gained a AAA credit rating for her State. Just imagine the high comedy while Obama explains how he slithered up the greasy pole of the Chicago Democratic Machine without noticing that it was the most corrupt in America, while Gov Palin schools him like a school mistress on how to confront corruption within one's own party as she did forcefully in her state. But the funniest part of all would be the sight of politically experienced executive finally asking the basic questions about Barrack Obama's background, experience ans associations and asking for the first time why any political party ever even considered him to be fit for office.

I find it distasteful that Palin was able to create a PAC to receive political donations, when it was pretty clear she never intended on running for office. How does she see herself as a service woman to the nation when she's accepting money from the struggling public to fund her personal indulgences. At this point, Sarah Palin is one of the several annoying reasons that so many people are agitated with the U.S. political system and those who exploit it.

Palin has always been, and seems doomed to always be, one of the most polarzing members of the Republican Party in recent memory. People tend to forget, however, that she was virtually unknown until she became McCain's running mate. One can argue that she was well aware of the public image risks that come with being a potential vice president but there was no possible way she could foresee the kind of media chaos that would surround her for so long. Yes, she did a reality show but in my opinion that served to change her public image more than anything. Her treatment in the public eye is definitely unfair because she has not made a single policy decision that directly affects the American government.

I agree with this article. Who are the leaders in this political party? With no real political experience and a bunch of fluff, Palin is considered a leader of the GOP. The GOP needs a solid leader to stand up and unite the party and the US and I don't see this happening anytime soon. I honestly have no idea what the future of America's politics is.

First, I see the writer of this did not have the guts to put their name to it.
Second, I laughed when I see this dolt writer telling us that David Frum, the imitation conservative bush boot licker idiot, is their touchstone for intelligent comment. David Frum has about 1,000 or 2,000 people in the world who actually listen to anything he says.
Sarah Palin has over 3.2 million Facebook followers, over 600k people following her on Twitter and probably 10's of millions of Americans who agree with her. So ignore a little twit pretender like Frum.
As for the story, I predict that Sarah Palin will have more influence on American politics than any of the other national political figures now in prominence and that she will alter the direction that the idiot Erkle Obama is taking the country in. She will restore America. And save it from the socialist, marxist black nationalist named Obama.

Many wonder what Big Bad Bill Buckley would think, and write, about today's Republican Party; and those who claim its leadership. He would have a few choice words for them from his immense vocabulary - none flattering I surmise...

flip, doug, hf,

"I like to think George Will is the Republican Party's elder statesman."

Like RR, I'm "Pining for the Buckley", whose column I read religiously before his passing. Where did the insight go? The intelligence? The wit?

I guess Will (George, that is) is the best of what's left on the national stage, although Will (our very own WW) is pretty good, perhaps even better.

It's crazypants out there on the right, nowadays...

Looking back at the amount of shadowy personalities in the politics arena it is clear why we are in the troubled and mirky waters. That the world economy and moral standards have dropped probably to its lowest is very clear to all of us. Ok agreed that the powerful lobbyists (banks,financial instituitions, too big to fail industrialists and so on,,,,)dont want a politician of high esteem to run any country which will spell trouble for all those above stated corrupted ones. But then there is no other way to go as the rebellions are proving each day and I suppose the day of reckoning should be arriving soon. We are in the doldrums if people like Pailin are going to run any country in the world!!!!!! Which they are already doing in many countries like Greece, Italy and so on.... we have to stop these Bunga Bunga people arriving at those important posts...... let them do whatever they want in their private lives but not to drag us all down with them......wake up people before it is too late for all of us.....

She happens to be very easy on the eyes - that, being a woman, in the public eye, her many faux pas(s) and her family dramas are all perfect tabloid fodder, no mystery here.

I love hearing non-republicans talk about Palin as if she represents everyone in the party just because she wants to. It makes for a conservative Jersey-shore style intrigue that gets people's attention on a slow news day and makes rank and file republicans out to conform to the worst stereotypes, which alienates moderates and independents. Unfortunately she is a political tar baby--I have long sinced ceased to read anything where she's referenced, but as the headline didn't say who the candidate was (I thought Ron Paul) I did. And once you're here you get sucked in.

I think we'd see CNBC commentators explode in sheer ecstasy if it was a Perry/Palin or Palin/Perry ticket.

Unfortunately for them most Republicans are pretty sensible, just like most Democrats are. We just get saddled with shoddy choices. If Palin thought she had a snowball's chance in hell of winning she would run. But she doesn't have the support the media would so love for her to have.

Hopefully Herman Cain will continue to build steam and take the nomination. Besides being the best option available, it would be great political theatre. Of course, if Hilary tries to oust Obama that would be even more interesting. Never say never.

I could not agree anymore. In fact I would take it one step further in saying that even referring to her as a possible candidate in the first place is too far fetched. I hope that this will mark the end of any article concerning her in the future because to be honest I am sick of seeing articles, may it even be of criticism, based on her. I will however not be surprised if this only remains as a wish. As a "politician", "reformer" or anything along those lines, Sarah Palin's reign is over and hopefully, should stay that way.

Sarah Palin is a joke and always has been. Her presence on the Republican ticket in '08 may well have won Obama the election. Certainly that alone made me rule McCain out, though I like and admire him otherwise and was considering voting for him up until then. What is not a joke, however, is that she got as far as she did; the phenomenon of "brands," while in politics already long since, is taking over politics and public life in general. Mark me queasy.

Martin, I agree with the Republicans you talk with that the Democrats don't blast sexism, racism, or whatever when it's by their own against their enemies, and that's hypocritical. Of course, it's not easy to stand for your beliefs when they appear to get in the way of your goals, but if the Democrats want the Republicans to do that-- say, to have called Bush a dangerous warmongering fool during his campaign and Presidency-- they have to hew publicly to that value themselves. But I doubt it'll happen on either side, for the same reasons pointing out the efficient marketplace hypothesis doesn't affect the stock market much.

This got me thinking... The conventional narrative is that the GOP is an uncomfortable alliance between libertarians and social conservatives but the fact is most Republicans are both. Ron Paul, who is considered the prototypical libertarian, wants to outlaw abortion and supports DOMA. Sarah Palin brings out the possibly larger chasm between Northeast Chianti Republicans and Bible-Belt NASCAR Republicans. It's playing out in the battle between Romney and Perry. Ideologically, they aren't that different but culturally, they're worlds apart.

Since when is "pisses off" an appropriate phrase for a quality newspaper?

Shame.

Time to focus on the remaining potential Republican candidates and scrutinise their abilities, policies and records.

@jouris, "And neither group is particularly relevant for the generally libertarian, "who are those idiots?" Republicans west of the Mississippi."

It's a small constituency whose standard-bearers are Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, and Will Wilkinson.

What a bonehead article. Just because YOU cannot understand her does not mean she is not making sense. Please stop with the insults and give up writing columns!! (I'll celebrate the death of Mrs Palin's political celebrity if she ever starts making sense or develops the wherewithal to string two coherent sentences together.)

@ jouris

I think you are too charitable. I would say "generally libertarian, 'who are those idiots?' Republicans west of the Rockies". There are quite a few "Bible-belt NASCAR-watching Republicans" between the Mississippi and the Rockies - of whose existence plenty of empirical data is available...

"All those mentioned in this paragraph are Northeast Chianti-sipping Republicans. They don't necessarily speak for Bible-belt NASCAR-watching Republicans."

And neither group is particularly relevant for the generally libertarian, "who are those idiots?" Republicans west of the Mississippi.