Is Palin eyeing the Senate?
By Brian Kirwin | Sunday, July 5th, 2009 | PolicyI think so. Resigning as Governor in 2009 for a Presidential contest in 2012 didn’t make much sense to anyone. Resigning to run in a 2010 primary? Not so crazy.
Everyone had the White House and 2012 in their sights when Sarah Palin surprisingly announced her resignation days ago, but I guess they didn’t look at Palin’s record.
Sarah Palin became Governor through a primary challenge of a sitting GOP Governor, Frank Murkowski, who appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski to his US Senate seat when he became Governor, before winning election outright in 2004.
And I think there’s another primary against a Murkowski in Palin’s future.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski must think so, too, since she’s already launching attacks on Palin.
“I am deeply disappointed that the Governor has decided to abandon the State and her constituents before her term has concluded,” Murkowski wrote. (Huffington Post)
Why launch an attack on the most popular Republican in Alaska, and perhaps America, who is likely to be campaigning and fundraising gold, who has publicly said she’d support you, unless you anticipate a primary faceoff soon.
Murkowski is pro-abortion, favored filibustering conservative judges, supports government health care, and has been fending off Palin challenge rumors for months in Alaska.
I think Palin, free of the Governor’s title, can blast out a book, go on a speaking tour, raise a bucket of cash in literally a few months. She then can launch her bid for a national spotlight from the US Senate, whether she’s thinking about 2012, 2016 or 2020. And she could start it the same way she became Governor.
A primary against a Murkowski.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
Comments
6 Responses to "Is Palin eyeing the Senate?"
It would be easy to throw that “abandonment” accusation back in Murkowski’s face. Clearly Murkowski doesn’t care that the Governor has had to defend herself against continual charges from the Democrats. Palin’s resignation offers Alaska a full time governor unburdened by such heated and continual attacks.
I kinda like the idea of Palin going after her attacker, though. Except on a personal level, she wouldn’t be as vulnerable to malicious charges as a Senator. The Senate might be a good move strategically. You know she’d get plenty of funding. She’d be less vulnerable to frivilous attacks.
Still, if she decided to operate behind the scenes and not seek office, I’d certainly understand. Most of us are lucky not to have the lives of our daughters under a microscope. Most of us don’t continually need to defend ourselves in front of the courts, state government, and the public against endless chains of allegations.
I guess at this point, the door to a future run for the Presidency is still open. Don’t get your hopes up though. As a former governor and a standing senator, the democrats would still claim she lacks “experience”.
Why would she even want to run for it?
Actually, Lisa Murkowski is more popular than Palin in Alaska.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/polltracker/2009/03/eye-on-the-senate-murkowski-to.html
Running for Senate would also take her out of the running for the 2012 presidential race. Candidates for President will start announcing their candidacies before the Senate class of ’10 is even sworn in. That’s why everyone knows that Crist took himself out of a 2012 run when he announced for the 2010 Senate race in FL.
It also makes zero sense that this would help her in a Senate race. She resigned because you can’t be a candidate for the presidency while in Alaska, it’s too far removed from all the action. That’s why her popularity has been in a nosedive since the Nov. elections. She’s hardly ever around. But now she can travel the country making big money from speaking fees. Running for Senate in Alaska means she’s gonna have to come back again.
Brian’s theory was also the only sense I could make of the resignation: Palin is running for the U.S. Senate.
If it correct that she only make a $125,000 as Gov, she might see the $$$ signs and leave while her profile is marketable. Frankly hanging out as Gov of Alaska seems like a dead end job with little income. Running for Senate seems to be to a unlikely future as she will always be seems as a quiter who couldn’t bother to finishe her elected term serving the citizens of Alaska. It might not be true but she has a better future and earnings potencial outside politics. My guess is she is out of politics except for fringe public appearances that pay her big bucks. If she was going to stay in politics her resignation was simply dumb…
JMO
I’m with WB. Bailing on your commitment to the citizens Alaska seems like bad first move to get them to elect you to the Senate. I’d really like to see Sen. Murkowski ousted form her seat, however.
I’m betting she turns up as Fox New babe.
I can’t see how quitting a little more than half way through your term as governor helps you in seeking ANY future political office. She’s going to cash in.
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