Roger Simon: Hey, told you so (again) about Sarah Palin

"Those who underestimate her do so at their own risk."
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Since 2009, Politico editor and syndicated newspaper columnist Roger Simon has been saying that Sarah Palin can be the GOP presidential nominee. He's still saying it and still warning "progressives" that they mock Gov. Palin at their own peril:

I hate to say I told you so. No, that's a lie. I love to say I told you so. I just don't get to do it very often.

But 50 weeks ago, I wrote a column that was widely reviled. It was attacked both on blogs and in the mainstream media. People demanded that I produce both a birth certificate and proof of sanity.

And all because I wrote in June 2010 a column that began: "Sarah Palin can be the Republican nominee in 2012. I am not saying she will be, but she can be. Those who underestimate her do so at their own risk."

I advised her to do seven things: Dump Alaska, surround yourself with people smarter than you are, pick a handful of issues and stick to them, study up, don't believe you can't do it, don't go changing, and don't worry about failure.

Today, I am not saying that she is following this advice, or that she even knows it exists.

But her recent decision to begin a multi-state bus trip was treated as explosive by the media.

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So according to the polls, the trick for Palin, who leads all potential Republican candidates with a name recognition of 96 percent (Newt Gingrich is second at 84 and Romney is third at 83), is to build positive reaction among Republicans, especially those most focused on government spending and power. Would that really be so difficult?

As some visionary once wrote: Sarah Palin can be the Republican nominee in 2012. I am not saying she will be, but she can be. Those who underestimate her do so at their own risk.

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Will the left listen to what Simon says this time? Don't bet on it. Mocking conservatives is their crack cocaine. They just can't quit it. Remember how they mocked Ronald Reagan? Many of them still do. From Santayana to Simon, leftists can be counted on to ignore good advice and doom themselves to the path of the Mobius strip.

- JP