Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign

Alaska Governor Says 2008 Was A "Brutal" Ride, But She May Run For High Office Again

(AP)  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday that a woman would be good for the Republican ticket in 2012, but was coy about whether that woman might be her.

"It would be good for the ticket. It would be good for the party. I would be happy to get to do whatever is asked of me to help progress this nation," Palin told reporters at the Republican Governors Association meeting.

In a series of interviews in the wake of last Tuesday's elections, Palin said she had no problem with Republican presidential nominee John McCain, but that she resents rumors she said were spread about her and her family by the Arizona Republican's aides. She emphatically denied that she was a drag on the GOP ticket.

"I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with the campaign's collapse than me personally," the governor said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show.

Palin also said "There were a lot of times I wanted to shout out, 'Hey, wait a minute, it's not true.' It's pretty brutal."

Nevertheless, the relatively obscure governor of Alaska, whose selection for the ticket by McCain last August brought excitement - and controversy - to the 2008 campaign, said she would be eager to do it all again under the right circumstances.

"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin said in an interview with Fox News on Monday. Palin is indirectly but unmistakably putting her name in play as a potential presidential candidate, saying "if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."

Her running-mate Sen. John McCain on Tuesday dismissed anonymous criticism of Palin.

"I'm so proud of her and I'm very grateful she agreed to run with me. She inspired people, she still does," McCain told Jay Leno Tuesday on the "Tonight Show" - his first interview since conceding the election. "I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin."

McCain never directly addressed the controversy over Palin's expensive campaign wardrobe purchased by the Republican National Committee, or the statements by unidentified aides who reportedly said she was not prepared on foreign policy or other issues.

In the wide-ranging interview, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled, and thought the issue was an odd one at the end of the campaign, considering "what is going on in the world today."

"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."

"It's amazing that we did as well as we did," the governor said of the election in a separate interview with the Anchorage Daily News.

"I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a $10 trillion debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we're talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented and that is to a great degree what the Republican Party at the time had been representing," Palin said in a story published Sunday.

In an interview broadcast on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday, Palin said she would feel comfortable with President-elect Barack Obama as commander in chief if his advisers understood threats against the United States.

"I'm comfortable with Barack Obama as our commander in chief, assuming that he has those around him who recognize .... that terrorists have not changed their minds," she said.

Palin could seek re-election in 2010 or challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Still uncertain is the fate of Sen. Ted Stevens, who is leading in his bid for another term but could be ousted by the Senate for his conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts, mostly renovations on his home.

Palin told CNN she could run for Alaska Senator Ted Stevens' seat if a special election is held, even though as governor she could appoint herself to the post if a Senate seat becomes vacant.

"Now if something shifted dramatically and if it were, if it were acknowledged up there that I could be put to better use for my state in the U.S. Senate, I would certainly consider that but that would take a special election and everything else. I am not one to appoint myself or a member of my family to take the place of any vacancy," she said.

Palin's role at the Republican Governors Association conference highlights her newfound popularity.

She was scheduled to speak about the party's future at Thursday's meeting in Miami, where she will be introduced by the association's chairman, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

She was asked Wednesday about speculation that she is the party's future

"I don't think it's me personally, I think it's what I represent," Palin told reporters. "Everyday hardworking American families - a woman on the ticket perhaps represents that. It would be good for the ticket. It would be good for the party. I would be happy to get to do whatever is asked of me to help progress this nation."

In the short run, she said, she would focus on being the governor of Alaska.

If Palin were to run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination she will likely face tough competition from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who failed in his candidacy this year; Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, among others.

[earache4]

"Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign"

Shut that door! Were you born in a barn? Oh, I guess Sarah was....my bad....

[troutfisher4]

"Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign"


What a huge ego. Palin does not seem to understand that desire alone is not enough. One must have the skill set needed for the job, and she simply does not have that.

[getoffmine1]

I cannot believe how suprised she was that she lost, everyone else in the country knew, then again everyone else in the country knows Africa is a continent not a country. She is trying to back track on that one but the sources are reliable, she did in fact think Africa is a country.
I wonder if that 18 year old kid is rethinking dropping out of school to marry her daughter now that the family is nothing special. for his sake i hope he is.

[rwassel]

I hope she does - that would seal the deal on Obama being in the White House for 2 terms, as he will need that to reverse the damage done from the previous two.

[troutfisher4]

I hope she does - that would seal the deal on Obama being in the White House for 2 terms, as he will need that to reverse the damage done from the previous two.

Posted by rwassel


There was an interesting discussion on radio the other day. The speaker talked about "Low Road/High Road" Republicans.

Low Road are the Rush Limbaugh crowd, ie the walmart conservatives. They love Palin.

High Road are the intellectuals (ie think tanks, etc). They are dismayed and embarrassed by Palin, and hope she vanishes forever up North.

[Gary Kempf]

Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign

The American people on 11/4/08 closed it, nailed it, and sealed it against stupid seeping out. Yes, Palin you would be the stupid seeping out! Be happy that Alaska hasn''t charged you for fraudulent expenses.....

[kittykatty2]

I''ll give her this. Bush''s regime DID contribute more to the vote going liberal, but only a little more, not a "heckuva" lot more as she would like people to believe. She must think most Americans are as ignorant as she is. Palin''s entry sealed the deal. She''s stupid...and she''s just too old to get unstupid. How in the hell did she get to run anything more than a dog kennel in Alaska? Beats me.

[ramos937]

Palin should review tapes of the GOP debates. Once she does, she would not even think of running. She would be hopelessly outclassed.

[Gary Kempf]

She''''s stupid...and she''''s just too old to get unstupid.

kittykatty2

Excellent summation of Palin, I really like that.

[sepa2]

"Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign"
What a huge ego. Palin does not seem to understand that desire alone is not enough. One must have the skill set needed for the job, and she simply does not have that.
Posted by troutfisher4
--------------------
She may be more capable than Bush Jr. Now CBS''s Couric asking Palin what newspapers she read. Have ever such questions been asked from presidential candidates before. It was obvious that so called elite TV figures are out to prove she is clueless

[colt8881]

Sarah Palin needs to take Geography 101-201-301.

Sarah will not even be on the ticket in 4 years. Sarah is just way beyond a STUPID, Overly Happy Hockey Mom to be V.P or President.

I hope she does have her hat in the Republican Arena for President in 2012, I would love to watch her debate some of the OLD School Senators and fall flat on her LIPSTICK ! It will be Priceless Entertainment !

[zorar-2009]

"Palin says she might run for high office again"

"WASILLA, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she wouldn''''t hesitate to run for the presidency in four years if it''''s God''''s will, even though she never thought Campaign 2008 would be "as brutal a ride as it turned out to be."

I talked to God & believe me it''''s not''''s God''''s will for Palin to run for President..God also told me "that she needs to lay off smokin crack!"

[puppetry17]

Will this woman ever SHUT UP ? Does she NOT know that LESS is more sometimes ? The more she opens her mouth, the more she shows her delusional character. Perhaps yes, the campaign aides should let her speak out immediately after the convention, and more often. Then she would have made a bigger fool of herself and the election loss for GOP would have been FAR WORSE !

[kittykatty2]

sepa2, the media asked her very simple questions. Palin paved her own path to idiocy but she continues to berate the media for the stupid things she said. And for the life of me I don''t know why she didn''t just say "I was nervous when I was asked those questions, I screwed up, what I really meant to say was blah, blah, blah" and corrected herself. America loves the every day person. But did she do that? NO. She went on the offensive, blaming everyone but herself and then attacked Barack Obama on a very personal level to try and shift the focus from her blunders to someone else. Sorry all, she put herself right smack dab in the middle of this shi tstorm she''s in now. She''s just egomaniacal enough to try and run in 2012 and that is a scary thought.

[birdyspice7]

Why is she still talking? The majority thought her under-qualified.

The only thing she had going for her was her appeal to older men but she''s getting older and sags, bags, and wrinkles catch up to women quickly.

She could try to study and make it next time based on substance but, I think if she''s already this old and that uneducated, there isn''t much hope for the future.

[zorar-2009]

Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!
Sarah Palin SHUT the F@ck up!

[shanev137]

She''s not even Ivy League.

She''s like "I barely made it through community college league"

[zorar-2009]

If the republican party would not have held Palin back. She would have rallied the American people to run Obama out of politics.


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Posted by mr22587 at 01:56 PM : Nov 11, 2008

you must be smokin the same crack she does!

[zorar-2009]

New defense strategy to rid the Taliban out os Afghanistan? Drop Palin in the border between Packistan & Afghanistan & tell the tribal leaders she''s t b@stard child sister of Bin Laden!

[zorar-2009]

Remember this. 47% of the people voted against Obama.


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Posted by mr22587 at 02:00 PM : Nov 11, 2008
& 56% voted for Obama not that bimbo? do the math you genius

[zorar-2009]

New defense strategy to rid the Taliban out of Afghanistan? Drop Palin in the border between Packistan & Afghanistan & tell the tribal leaders she''s the b@stard child-sister of Bin Laden!

[excoachken]

Dear Sarah, Don''t leave the door open and don''t let it hit you in the butt on you way out, please!

[zorar-2009]

John McCain is probably saying to himself about
Sarah... "Look at the monster the GOP & I found and thawed out in the frozen Artic..."

[random_radar]

After all the money she spent on a wardrobe, I would hope she plans to use it again in 2012. Otherwise, she would be all dressed up with nowhere to go...

[ioweign]

Remember this. 47% of the people voted against Obama.

Posted by mr22587 at 02:00 PM : Nov 11, 2008



Remember this. Obama has MORE political capital than Bush had in 2000 and 2004 combined.

AKA - You are irrelevant...

[briannorwood]

"Palin Leaves Door Open For 2012 Campaign"...ROFLMAO!

[thechooch1]

mr22587

The election is over, it was a landslide, McCain and the republicans lost. It is over. Get a life and quit the hateful posts. Obama is our president elect, how about giving him a chance before all the hate?

[thechooch1]

mr22587

Compare Obama''s landslide to w having less popular votes in 2000, and winning the electoral vote by the smallest amount. It is truly a landslide.

[skyhawk761]

Obama''''s approval rating will be less than 25% before he takes office...


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Posted by mr22587 at 02:35 PM : Nov 11, 2008
+ report abuse


Dam, Obama already has a higher approval rating than W!

[thechooch1]

I''''m just glad Gore was never our president.

Posted by mr22587

He sure couldn''t have screwed it up as much as w!

[bracemic]

The media is trying to force Palin to run in 2012, because it means big bucks for them. Leave her alone and maybe she will run if she''s ready. I would prefer 2016 because Obama will probably spend $1 billion on campaigning in 2012. He''ll just buy out the media all over again.

[earache4]

Palin in 2012 you betcha!

[mtminds]

Palin won''t be running for anything but cover in 2012. According to her beliefs, the rapture will occur that year. She''ll have her suitcase packed with her expensive outfits from her VP run and will be waiting on her church steps for the short bus to take to her promised land.

[earache4]

What''s the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull?

Apparently, brains.....

[beader59]

I could have so much fun with this. But seriously, she is barely qualified to be Governor of one of the lowest populated states in the Union. But she can see Russia from her patio.

[antoniof123]

Bush had a 90% aproval rating before the media started blaming hurricanes on him.

Posted by mr22587 at 02:45 PM : Nov 11, 2008

No you are wrong that was after 9/11 and then he had us attack the wrong country. By the time the hurrican hit his approval rating was less then 40 percent.

Do religious wing nut neo cons really believe the garbage they spew forth?

[thechooch1]

I often ask you people to list some of Obama''''s qualifications.

Posted by mr2258

It is called a landslide victory.

[oleander8]

Give it up, Sarah - you had your 15 minutes of fame.

[yeswedid]

"I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with the campaign''s collapse than me personally,". WTH is this woman talking about? And to think she was a heartbeat away from running our country. I hope the door is closed, bolted shut & no key ever to be found in 2012!

[zorar-2009]

mr22587 must be palin''s husband !

[ccc071]

Did anyone ever believe the door had closed? The barracuda label is on target.

Goodbye Sarah.

[evian_ycnan]

I often ask you people to list some of Obama''s qualifications. -- Posted by mr2258

Let me help you.

The things to remember about Obama are that he is a Harvard Law School graduate, was president and editor of the Law Review, was a Constitutional Law professor. That alone would qualify him for a seat on the Supreme Court. Actual trial experience is not a prerequiste.

Instead, he entered politics in the Chicago wards (a nastier place than Houston by far) and eventually was elected as a US Senator. He just spent the last two years kicking the tar out of both the Clinton Machine (easily one of the most powerful in history) and the Republican Party. He won the primary by gathering delegates in the caucus states rather than go toe-to-toe with Hillary and Bill in open voting. He has organized and run serveral highly successful campaigns and has already begun transition.

Obama is not a starry-eyed liberal, and even if he were, the first person he put onboard was the actual PIT BULL to which Palin like to compared herself, Rahm Emmanuel. I think there is a real surprise in store for anyone who thinks these boys are going to be pushovers. You can bet Obama won''t be so stupid as to say he could "look in Putin''s eyes and see a good soul."

Daniel Shorr was saying this past weekend that Obama is not as stupid (I think he actually used the word "stupid" too) as either Bush or Pelosi in that you can bet he will never push for a floor vote unless he knows he will win.

[willcaine]

Sarah, you should enroll at a good junior college and get a basic adult education.

[yongamerica]

Every dog has their day. Sarah''s day is over. Sit Sarah, Sit!

[pkelly79]

Obama''s qualifications = he''s the President of the United States of American and the leader of the free world. He''s also 10 times the Republican & Conservative Bush ever was. Largest U.S. Government in history was created under George Bush. There is nothing Conservative or small government about setting up secret prisons around the globe, invading any country of choice, breaking the Geneva Convention, torturing prisoners of war, domestic espionage, being the world''s largest supplier of arms, or hiring and paying the world''s largest private militia.

Sarah Palin was always a joke. I feel more sorry for her than anything else - she doesn''t understand the system that was pulling her strings (a trait her supporters share).

Sarah, go take care of your family.

Bush, go back to Texas.

For better or worse the rest of us are behind our President & if he does a good job it won''t matter who runs in 2012 - it will be another rout.

The GOP is dead and the corpse is starting to stink.

[windmaster12]

No More Hockey Mom''s Please
As qualification for Presidential Offices!!!

[grumpas]

Queen of the Ding-A-Lings can''t be gone quick enough for me and a lot I know!!! I find her intelligence insulting to my gender.

[antoniof123]

How about Sarah and Newt that would be a winning ticket it would ensure the the Democrats an easy win.

For crying out loud you Republicans can''t be serious you need someone who is moderate not nut case right wing. Those days are gone of course so is the Republican party all the good Repulbicans have left.

[feedback3-2009]

I think she is kinduva heckuva choiceuva presidential candidate. Can''t wait to feed the Barbiecuda to the sharks.

[feedback3-2009]

Sarah, let''s agree that if God wants you to be President, on that special day you''ll just wake up President. Just leave the rest of us out of it.