Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Can Palin, the comet that ignited social conservatives but left moderates cold, lead the GOP?
Thursday, November 06, 2008 | 1 comment(s)
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) — Is Sarah Palin the answer for defeated Republicans? After a historic rebuke at the polls, the Republican Party is staggering into an uncertain tomorrow with the White House and Congress in Democratic hands, no certain leader in sight and its membership divided over what it means to be a Republican.
Ever since her selection as John McCain’s running mate in late August, Palin, the 44-year-old Alaska governor, was the star of the GOP ticket, though views of her vary wildly across the political spectrum. With the Republican brand corroded and the hunt on for the next Ronald Reagan, Palin could be one of many people competing to influence Republican ideas in the post-Bush era, maybe even as the party’s leader.
“Conservatives are still looking for Mr. Right. And maybe Mr. Right turns out to be Ms. Right,” said Bill Whalen, a fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution.
Palin “has built-in national stature and she’s beloved by conservative talk radio,” Whalen said. But “does she want to be a stay-at-home mom and a stay-at-home governor, or does she want to be a player on the national stage? She has to make a choice.”
She has done little to discourage speculation — begun even as McCain’s campaign faded — that she could return to the ballot four years from now.
Ever since her selection as John McCain’s running mate in late August, Palin, the 44-year-old Alaska governor, was the star of the GOP ticket, though views of her vary wildly across the political spectrum. With the Republican brand corroded and the hunt on for the next Ronald Reagan, Palin could be one of many people competing to influence Republican ideas in the post-Bush era, maybe even as the party’s leader.
“Conservatives are still looking for Mr. Right. And maybe Mr. Right turns out to be Ms. Right,” said Bill Whalen, a fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution.
Palin “has built-in national stature and she’s beloved by conservative talk radio,” Whalen said. But “does she want to be a stay-at-home mom and a stay-at-home governor, or does she want to be a player on the national stage? She has to make a choice.”
She has done little to discourage speculation — begun even as McCain’s campaign faded — that she could return to the ballot four years from now.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines