A new video about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s recent bus trip that included first in the nation caucus state Iowa, entitled “Iowa Passion,” is fueling speculation that Palin intends to run for president of the United States.
Meanwhile, ABC News is reporting Palin’s husband Todd is urging her to go for it and announce for the presidency. This may take place at a tea party event in Iowa on Sept. 3, which was recently switched to the National Balloon Classic field, east of Indianola, Iowa, to handle security concerns and a larger crowds expected to attend the event.
“Iowa Passion” contains clips of the Palin tour bus rolling through the picturesque Iowa countryside, shots of the Iowa State Fair, Palin herself surrounded by adoring crowds, Palin being spoken well by ordinary people and the media, and some remarks from Palin herself hitting on her themes of small government. The video ends with the mama grizzly bear rampant, with a promise to show up again in Iowa during the Sept. 3 event.
These in turn has caused pundits who had previously thought that Palin would not run to reassess their position. National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez, for example, suggested the video shows that Palin intends to run. Karl Rove has come to a similar conclusion.
How Palin’s presumed late entry into the 2012 race will shake things up is uncertain. She is a polarizing figure, beloved by many, loathed by many more. The Obama campaign, perhaps using a superficial judgment, is said to be eager to run against her. It may be a case, however, of not being careful about one wishes for.
Palin is a formidable campaigner, as the 2008 race proved. The three years hence has shown that she had become even more seasoned and ready from prime time. The hourlong gab fest she had with the media at the Iowa State Fair suggests there will be no more media disasters as what happened in 2008 with Katie Couric. This it will be a lot harder to demonize Palin with the moniker of “bimbo.”
Of course the road to the White House will be long and hard. Before even facing Barack Obama, Palin will have to defeat first Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, but then Mitt Romney for the nomination. Then she would be faced with one of the most formidable attack machines in political history, Obama cannot run on his record. He would therefore have to prove that whoever he is running against, Palin or someone else, would be far worse.
The strategy hardly ever works, though. When people are discontented with a sitting president, whether it is Jimmy Carter in 1980 or George H. W. Bush in 1992, they are usually more than willing to take a chance on a fresh face. It looks like Palin means to provide that fresh face.
Sources: Iowa Passion, Sarah Palin, YouTube, August 19, 2011
Palin Releases Video Highlight in Iowa Trip, ABC News, August 19, 2011
Iowa Politics Insider: Palin event switches site to handle crowd, Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register, August 19, 2011
Doggonit, Sarah Palin May Very Well be Jumping In, Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, August 19, 2011
Rove: Palin Will Run, Byron York, Washington Examiner, August 20, 2011