Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A Palin-Perry presidential pairing for 2012? We don't see it.

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The editors of the Longview News-Journal admit that it is early yet to be speculating on the 2012 presidential race, but they just can't resist the temptation:
Sarah Palin seems to have a big advantage on the GOP race with the momentum she picked up as Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008. For Texans, perhaps the bigger question is whether yet another person with deep Lone Star roots may take a lead position on the national stage.

Gov. Rick Perry has a November general election in front of him for a possible third term to retain his office for a third term. That potential roadblock on his way to a change of address to Washington, D.C., has not stopped, nor even slowed, speculation on his presidential aspirations.

When Perry and Palin get together on the same stage, as they have several times in recent months, including Saturday night's East Texas rally at Tyler's Oil Palace, it only adds fuel to the Republican fire to get a winning combination for the next presidential go-round. Whether the ticket might be a Perry-Palin or Palin-Perry combination, the possible leading pair has spurred a lot of excitement among factions of the GOP.

Palin, buoyed by pocket-lining book deals and high dollar speaking engagements, seems to have been in the news nearly as much as our sitting president. In East Texas she blasted Obama and his administration on their energy policies and accused Obama of attempting to use the Gulf oil spill for political gains.

In Texas, her message of attempting to get the nation to a state of energy independence gains a lot of support. Meshed with Perry's ongoing message of distancing himself from the Washington establishment and pushing for less government and lowered taxes, the Palin-Perry option seems to have the potential to carry a lot of weight.
Perhaps the editors in Longview are unaware that Rick Perry made a point of asking that his name be left off the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll ballot a few months ago. The Texas governor told Human Events in an April interview:
“I’m not being coy. I don’t want to go to Washington, D.C. I have great interest in who will be the presidential candidate in 2012, and I’ll be active and I’ll be engaged and I’ll be helpful and do all of the things that a governor of a major state can do and should do, but it won’t be me... I have a great bully pulpit.”
The media tend to close their ears when politicians tell them that they are not interested, which is a shame, because sometimes the pols really mean it. "I don’t want to go to Washington, D.C." sounds pretty clear cut to us. Also, if Gov. Palin does decide to make a run for the White House in 2012, we can think of some potential Palin running mates that make more sense to us than Perry. Governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi are just two of them. Jindal has drawn renewed interest nationally and is very popular locally for his efforts to save his state's coastal region from Gulf Oil Disaster while the Obama administration characteristically dithers.

Should he win his Congressional race in Florida, retired Army Colonel Allen West is another possibility more likely than Perry. And, since he has Gov. Palin's endorsement, we know that Col. West meets with her approval. But the editorial was correct in its first paragraph. It's still too early for serious 2012 presidential race speculation, and much too to be speculating about running mates.

h/t: roy y

- JP

1 comment:

  1. Great commentary, though I must interject my own opinion. (natch)

    I have long though that Perry is exactly who she'll pick. Don't know why. Call it a gut feeling, "woman's intuition", whatever. Those two seem to be genuine friends, and Perry would make a solid Vice President.

    I love the idea of Allen West. That would be an unbeatable ticket. Though I'm not much on people without executive experience, i.e., a Governor, one doesn't reach the rank West did without knowing how things work.

    West is just a solid man.

    Jindal, don't know. Serious policy wonk, and obviously a great Governor. He's proven he is the real deal.

    Haley Barbour is a non-starter though. To old, too white, too southern. Plus he was once a lobbyist, which won't play well. Great leader though, but I don't see it.

    There are others, Nikki Haley might be an interesting pick, depending how she does as Governor.

    A VP Chris Christi would fire up everyone. That guy is awesome. he's said he's not ready, which might come back to bite him if picked, but he'd be an interesting choice.

    I still see Sarah asking Perry. He might turn her down, but those two would make a hell of a team.

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