Sarah Palin's speech at the Iowa Republican Party’s annual Ronald Reagan Dinner has some people wondering what her plans are for 2012. On one hand, it seems like she is working to take Michael Steele's job as the Republican National Committee Chair since she outlined what she would do if she was in charge of the Republican party:
She would tell Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a major player in Tea Party movement as she is, "You're awesome. We need you down south."
She'd tell Mitt Romney to go campaigning in the West, George W. Bush to raise money and Rush Limbaugh to "go deep, go anywhere, everywhere, people are listening."
But on the other hand, if her speech was meant to indicate she has higher aspirations to become the next President of the United States, then Iowans have mixed feelings about that. In fact, the response to her speech was less than enthusiastic:
Republican activists who attended the event said Palin stoked party enthusiasm, but they voiced mixed reaction on whether the speech signals Palin will be a candidate for president.
"I'd say she sounded less like a candidate and more like someone trying to fire up the base prior to a very important mid-term election," said Andrew Dorr, a Des Moines Republican who ran Fred Thompson's 2008 Iowa caucus campaign.
Ann Trimble-Ray, Sac County Republican vice chairwoman, said it sounded as if Palin were leaving the door open.
"It sounded an awful lot like a campaign speech for someone who isn't running for office," said Trimble-Ray, a campaign adviser to Iowa Rep. Steve King.
UPDATE (12.7.10): The leader of the TEA Party Nation thinks Sarah Palin ought to run for the RNC chair. Palin rejects the idea. I think its a clear indication Palin intends to run in 2012.
Who knows? I personally think she is leaving the door open. In the event, she stays out or has to get out, whom ever she endorses has struck gold.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you for certain that Sarah Palin would be a much better RNC chairman than Michael Steele has been.
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