Sarah Palin’s Star Power Still Alive

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palinAs a vice presidential hopeful two years ago, Sarah Palin drew passion and loyalty from the Republican base even before there was a Tea Party movement. And though her rhetoric is still red meat, her political tactics have become far more nuanced – more opportunist, say her critics – than fans or foes expected.The former Alaska governor left office 17 months before her term was up to canvass the Lower 48 so she could leverage her book-tour-burnished brand to help selected – and at times unpredictable – Republicans.

Her picks are a somewhat quixotic blend of traditional candidates and rogue, popular conservatives like Kentucky Senate hopeful Rand Paul.

But her endorsements are undoubtedly helpful.

Palin is the party’s biggest star. She draws audiences who pay $50 and $100 to see her speak.

“She has morphed from this very controversial vice presidential candidate who most people thought hurt McCain into this phenom,” said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. “She’s everywhere, doing everything. All the media interviews. The $100,000 speeches.”

In the past several weeks, she also has taken to boosting conservative women to office – a role many observers say the Republican Party desperately needs.

“It’s certainly been the weakness in the Republican Party, they haven’t done that well among women,” said Gary Jacobson, a political-science professor at the University of California, San Diego. “It’s a niche that hasn’t been filled by anyone else.”

Speaking at a lunch last week, Palin touted Carly Fiorina for California’s U.S. Senate seat, Nikki Haley for South Carolina governor and Colorado U.S. Senate hopeful Jane Norton.

Norton says she is proud to be mentioned in a speech but doesn’t expect an official endorsement from Palin.

“I think Sarah Palin plays an indispensable role in the 2010 elections because she challenges the good ol’ boys,” Norton said. “Just like me.”

Palin didn’t go the extra step and endorse Norton on Shabbos during her visit to the University of Denver, when, frankly, Norton could have used the positive headline.

Her primary opponent, Ken Buck, swept the state GOP assembly Saturday, winning 77 percent of the delegate votes. Norton skipped the assembly because she is petitioning onto the primary ballot.

“An endorsement like that would help Norton,” said Sabato. “She clearly needs it right now.”

The Norton camp said an endorsement this weekend was not expected because Palin’s talk was organized by a radio station and “it’s really their event,” said spokeswoman Cinamon Watson.

“We were honored that she (Palin) mentioned Jane at the Susan B. Anthony breakfast,” Watson said.

Tried-and-true conservatives – those who enthusiastically got behind John McCain in 2008 because of Palin’s presence on the ticket – say Palin has a more confused role in Republican politics now.

“In some ways, she seems more party-line than she was before,” said Lu Busse, chair of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition.

“People are scratching their heads; these endorsements don’t seem to match up. . . . She’s an enigma, and she’s inconsistent. When she doesn’t pick the most conservative one in the race, well, then I don’t understand.”

Even Buck, who often says he voted for Palin in 2008 and not McCain, was originally undecided about whether to attend the Palin event Saturday because of her tacit support for his opponent.

“I’m just not sure what her intentions are. I don’t know if she’s doing this to set herself up to run for president, or she’s doing this because she feels strongly about the candidates she’s supporting,” he said. “I think we know more about her now than we did in 2008.”

But after his state-assembly victory – and reassurance that Palin wasn’t going to endorse Norton – Buck said he was going to attend the DU event.

Though Palin’s future may not include presidential politics, political scientists say her star status will be a boon to Republicans for years to come.

“She’s avant-garde. She’s a feminist. She cuts a dashing figure. There aren’t that many leading Republicans that do that,” Sabato said.

“Think Mitch McConnell or John Boehner. When you see them coming on, you know it’s nap time.

“Whether you love her or you hate her, you don’t go to sleep when Sarah Palin comes on,” Sabato said.

{Denver Post/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}


4 COMMENTS

  1. Any article quoting professors of political science as savvy experts, needs to be suspect. And what do they say: She was a liability to McCain BUT now… They probably dn’t even realize that they are backtracking from their (biased) assessments of her draw.
    Far di yidden: Her moral values are important to us, because if she goes on it will hopefully clear some shmutz out of the air our children breathe.

  2. Yeah but
    She’s going to be excoriated (again) for having a daughter who didn’t exercise good judgment, for leaving an infant son with special needs for extended periods of time, and for quitting her first major job in the middle.
    Let her be a voice, but not a candidate.

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