McCain Strategist: Palin in 2012 Would Be 'Catastrophic' for GOP

Highlighting the growing disconnect between objective reality and the GOP base is commentary by a McCain strategist on the possibility of Sarah "Bible Spice" Palin running on the GOP ticket in 2012 for president. While Palin remains popular among the birther and teabagger set, I believe most rational, thinking people view her as down right frightening and had McCain made a different VP pick, it is certainly possible that the election result might have been different. Among many GOP leaning people that I know, the prospect of Palin a heart beat from the presidency clinched the deal for Obama. Here are some highlights from a Newsweek piece that reviews the thinking of rational strategists within the GOP:

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Looks like there’s at least one high-profile Republican who won’t be voting for Sarah Palin should she run in 2012. Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s top political strategist in 2008, told a forum in Washington today that nominating Palin as the party’s next presidential nominee would be “catastrophic” for Republicans. “I think that she has talents, but my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate,” Schmidt said. “In fact, were she to be the nominee, we would have a catastrophic election result.” The comments aren’t necessarily surprising—many prominent Republicans privately share Schmidt’s views.

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"In the year since the election has ended, [Palin] has done nothing to expand her appeal beyond the base,” Schmidt said today. “The independent vote is going to be up for grabs in 2012. That middle of the electorate is going to be determinative of the outcome of the elections. I just don't see that if you look at the things she has done over the year . . . that she is going to expand that base in the middle.” It’s not “inconceivable” that she could win the nomination, Schmidt acknowledged. “I do think it's fairly inconceivable that she could be elected president of the United States.”

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The most dangerous people in positions of power are those who do not recognize their own limitations. Bible Spice is one such individual. She may think she's a genius and God's gift to the USA, but in fact she's a mental midget who is a menace. That the GOP base continues to embrace her speaks volumes of what has happened to a once respectable political party.