Chris Field: Will Sarah Run?

"She has substantial executive experience"
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At The Tipsheet blog, Chris Field has a preview of Townhall Magazine's May cover story, "Is She In or Out," written by Elisabeth Meinecke and Katie Pavlich. Among the excerpts:

Despite those who have written Palin off as an unserious politician, she has substantial executive experience. During her time as governor, Palin vetoed millions of dollars in spending and put $1 billion of her state's surplus into a "rainy day" fund for Alaska. She made bidding competitive on the natural gas pipeline in Alaska -- which would reach to the 48 contiguous states -- and opened up the process to any company wanting to get involved rather than cutting sweetheart deals with the big three oil companies, as her Republican colleagues had done for years.

Her strong energy policy also would give America an advantage in national security. Democrats and Republicans both criticize America's dependence on foreign oil, and Palin is actually promoting a policy that works: drill in the United States. With gas near $4 per gallon and the unrest in the Middle East, there is a need to have someone in the Oval Office with a strong track record on energy, as well as a commitment to small-government policies in good times and bad. Palin's record couldn't be more different from the incoherent policy coming out of the Obama administration, which has waffled on recent uprisings in Egypt and Libya and pushed alternative forms of energy that are unproven at the expense of American jobs, economic growth and responsible energy sources that actually do work. ...

On social issues, Palin is a reliable pro-life vote. In Alaska, she signed a law that would require parents be notified if their underage child was considering an abortion and gave parents the authority to veto the decision. And when the Alaska Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional, Palin showed a willingness to fight for the law. ...

Policy aside, it also takes money to win elections, and SarahPAC currently sits on a massive war chest of funds. In the 2010 cycle, the PAC spent almost $4.4 million but took in approximately $5.7 million, leaving more than $1 million cash in hand as of Dec. 31. Nearly three-quarters of donations to Palin's PAC are contributions of less than $200, which is similar to Obama's fundraising strategy and success in 2008.

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- JP