The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Advancing In A Different Direction

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

earning hemistway — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:27:59 -0000

I'm not sure that Giuliani meant to do as poorly as he did. I do think that his presidential run was great promotion for his consulting company.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:20:43 -0000

Matoko,

I don't hate you, and I appreciate your e-mails. But your obsession with Ross is unproductive. This one is banned too, btw.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

colby — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:01:11 -0000

"they won't go into her most vulnerable areas."

Mitt Romney will go wherever he has to. That guy doesn't know "finesse", he doesn't know "restraint", he's never heard of "backlashes", he's just nothing but hamfisted attacks, usually based on whatever the LAST campaign was about.

Seriously, if you're worried no one's going to be nasty enough to Palin, Mitt Romney is here to ease your worries.

As for Palin's "media manipulation", it's way overstated. The McCain people- who now hate her- may have been able to pull a lot of it off during the campaign, but it was falling apart at the end, with all the leaks, process stories, and interviews with McCain holding her hand. And even when they COULD limit the media to only covering Palin the way they wanted them to, the voters still hated her.

Look how she is now, without the campaign. She's not embarked on some grand media strategy, she's flailing, lurching from one scandal or pity-party to another. No rhyme, no reason, no narrative, no message. She's been okay at putting her name at the top of the newscycle, but that's different from real media manipulation.

If she does try her kind of media blackout thing, it's not gonna hold up for an entire two-year campaign.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Katherine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:32:48 -0000

Also, the lockdown held (barely) for two months. In a media-focused general election campaign. You simply cannot win Iowa or New Hampshire by giving fluffy TV interviews. Primary voters in those states take their "first in the nation, retail politics" role very seriously. Combine the demands of a primary campaign with her inability to take advice with the need to keep the whole show going for nearly two years... she hasn't got a chance.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Marcos El Malo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:32:15 -0000

@Dave,

"I was thinking along the same lines re Palin. Either RNC chair, or creating her own grassroots organization."

Or maybe try to graft herself atop the Tea Party Movement. Why re-invent the wheel when you can appropriate a perfectly good one nobody is using?

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Marcos El Malo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:26:14 -0000

I wonder if Rove and Schmidt still talk.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Marcos El Malo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:24:47 -0000

Hey, matoko. The whole dead fish part of her speech was aimed at Krauthammer and Goldberg, so maybe you have a point.

What's interesting is that so far no 2010 candidates are falling over themselves to ask for her help. You'd thing there's be a stampede for her endorsement and much touted fundraising ability (especially Rubio, who needs the bucks). The only offer she's received is from Steele who really wants to talk to her about how she can help the GOP.

Personally, if I was a candidate that had any chance of winning, I'd be thinking twice about asking for her help. I'd be wondering whether she might upstage me in my own campaign or otherwise damage me. It's unclear if she'd be a manageable ally or a loose cannon.

However, it might be that there is a vast right wing conspiracy out to get Sarah Palin, and they've put the word out to the 2010 candidates.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

eric k — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:51:20 -0000

One of the commentators on Kung Fu Monkey (great blog by the way, guy who wrote the first transformers movie and is a wirter/producer on Leverage, so too busy to post much unfortunately) won the Palin resignation with this gem:

She will be transferring to a couple other governorships until she builds up enough time to finish a term...

Seriously though, why is she on vacation now? When you give your 2 weeks notice to quit a job aren't you kind of expected to finish the 2 weeks? Your about to have plenty of vacation. The people of Alaska should be demanding that she pay back her salary for all the time she has taken off.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Josh Jasper — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:18:35 -0000

Frankie D- except that whole Rove attacking McCain thing.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Josh Jasper — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:16:01 -0000

I don't think she can make it out either, but it'll be a spectacular train wreck watching her try.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

anna perez — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:03:51 -0000

To quote the "Quitta from Wasila", "I know that, I know that, I know that" Sarah Palin will not be running for president in 2012. Two main reasons:

Babygirl just doesn't want to work that hard. Forget what she says, look at what she actually does. Three times a quitter (not counting colleges.) If you are new at the game, unless you are a really serious person, the briefing books alone will kill ya'. And like her former national running mate, Babygirl may want to "become" POTUS, but she will probably be facing some primary opponents who, like Obama, actually want to "BE" POTUS. She does appear to love the limelight and attention but she can get all that and a lot more bucks with considerably less sweat. (BTW, if the economy is still tanking by early 2011, then all bets are off.)

As a former card carrying member of the GOP electoral establishment, I promise you, Babygirl and the First Dude scared the shit out of my former colleagues. Its true they did not know a lot about Gov. Palin when McCain tapped her, but what they learned first was that she could not be controlled or advised or schooled (see most recent Time interview) or honed or polished (shopping spree notwithstanding.) All of the above may endear her to the "base" but If you are not a member in good standing of the GOP electoral establisment, that's a non-starter.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

schism — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:57:48 -0000

If by "held her own" you mean she basically ignored everything Biden said in favor of spouting clearly rehearsed platitudes and blatant lies that people like Sullivan had been covering for weeks prior all while winking like an overacting porn starlet, then yes. Yes, she did.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

sporcupine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:36:47 -0000

71% of the votes of 25% of the voters is 18% of the vote.

I'll cheerfully add in 50% of 20% who call themselves independent the day before the 2012 election. That's 10% more of the total vote.

Obama re-elected by 72%, anyone?

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

sporcupine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:31:23 -0000

Agreed. And he'd have to get ugly to separate himself out for the constituency they share. And displaying that on national television would undermine him for the long haul. Mutual annihilation. Cool!

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Juba — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:50:10 -0000

Intentionally? Why?

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Juba — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:48:25 -0000

Debating is actually one of Palin's few strengths I think.

She held her own against Biden.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

MAJeff — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:39:23 -0000

If the economy is still sucking ass in 2012, people may prefer a guy with Romney's background and expertise to fix it to some faux man of the people.

Having had Romney as a Governoer, all I can say is, Oh. Hell. No.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Juba — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:32:13 -0000

She would probably manage the RNC horribly but raise funds spectacularly.

Three guesses as to which factor decides if she gets the job.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Juba — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:30:32 -0000

Actually Schmidt was a Rove disciple, so yeah, she wouldnt listen.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

rikyrah — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:25:50 -0000

On this, we need to applaud Sullivan. He's been truly on this from the beginning, and thank goodness.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

rikyrah — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:24:53 -0000

I hear ya, frankied. I see where you're coming from about the GOP populace.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

DaveinHackensack — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:16:25 -0000

"It actually sounds like she wants to unseat Michael Steele. Romney, Dave? Now there's an authentic man of the people. Good luck."

I was thinking along the same lines re Palin. Either RNC chair, or creating her own grassroots organization.

If the economy is still sucking ass in 2012, people may prefer a guy with Romney's background and expertise to fix it to some faux man of the people.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

CitizenE — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:59:20 -0000

The biggest issue is what is happening with the economy in 2011-12. If the nation remains in the tank, which is a very real possibility, all bets are off.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

Marcos El Malo — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:57:50 -0000

Bush was disciplined with the media and he had Rove, and he listened to Rove. He was able to follow directions. Palin has no Rove (what, Bill Kristol? I think it's safe to say that Billy is no Karl Rove.) and even if she did, would she follow directions? She caught her main PR person, Meg Stapleton, flat footed with her resignation, blackberries notwithstanding.

But win or lose, if she runs for the nomination, it will be destructive for the GOP. It's not clear if she understands this or that, if she does, that she cares.

Re: Advancing In A Different Direction

CitizenE — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:56:32 -0000

It actually sounds like she wants to unseat Michael Steele. Romney, Dave? Now there's an authentic man of the people. Good luck.