Thune: Sarah Palin changes 2012 equation

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From Politico, we learn that Sen. John Thune said today that whether or not Sarah Palin decides to run for president will “change the equation” for all other potential GOP contenders, including himself:

“She is someone who has a tremendous following out there, particularly in some of the early states,” the South Dakota Republican said in an interview with CNN that will air later Thursday.

“This is not a campaign where you start out and you run nationally right away,” Thune said. “It's all sequence, and you have to get through certain states. She has a big following.”

Thune told CNN that he will decide early next year whether he will seek his party nomination, but he added that the possibility of a Palin run will be an important factor in his decision:

“I think that if she were to get into the race, it would clearly change the equation for a lot of people,” he said.

Ah, the power of Palin... Keep 'em guessing, Sarah!

- JP

Morris: Sarah Palin 'always had front-runner status'

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Dick Morris tells Newsmax that Sarah Palin is the clear front-runner for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination:



- JP

Hall: Palin At Top of Top 10 GOP Prez List in Iowa

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Des Moines Conservative Examiner Kevin Hall has sized up the top Republican presidential hopefuls for 2010 in Iowa, and Sarah Palin is at the very top of his Top 10 list, ahead of Mike Huckabee, who won the state's GOP caucuses in 2008, amd Mitt Romney, who finished second to the former Arkansas governor there. Here's his evaluation of Sarah Palin:

Strengths: She is immensely popular with a large portion of the GOP base. Palin possesses huge star power and that "it factor" that connects with average Americans. The more the lefties trash her, the more conservatives want to defend her. Palin's book, "Going Rogue" is an enormous success. She has effectively used social media, especially Facebook, to put forth her conservative viewpoints on a range of topics. Palin's infamous "death panels" slam of ObamaCare put a serious dent into the president's top domestic agenda.

Weaknesses: She resigned as governor of Alaska before completing her first term and failed to give a good explanation. That opens her to numerous attacks. Palin still needs to spend significant time studying policy matters, especially foreign relations. Convincing Newt Gingrich or Charles Krauthammer to mentor her would be a very wise decision. A large portion of the electorate still considers her unqualified. The "Saturday Night Live" caricature of Palin is how many view the real Palin.

Read Hall's full analysis of all ten potential contenders here.

- JP