“Give me lucky generals” Napoleon is reported to have said. This clearly applies to the art of politics as well as war. If Sarah Palin had jumped into the GOP presidential race a month ago-as so many of her supporters were urging she would have been caught up in the three ring circus that is the current Republican race.


Her announcement would have been subsumed beneath the Bin Laden death and President Obama’s subsequent bump in the polls and the massive media coverage. Then the Trump “candidacy” with the resultant media frenzy and his brief huge jump in the preferred candidate stakes (at her polling expense to some degree-not because he was necessarily perceived as superior but because she had not indicated she was a candidate) sucked all the oxygen out of the room.


The Huckabee decision not to run created a brief media fire storm, Romney’s ongoing problems with health care reform and now the Gingrich meltdown is reflecting badly on all the current GOP candidates by making the party look split on the key area of healthcare reform. His backtracking and ridiculous statement that anyone who criticises his anti-Ryan statements is a liar because he admits he made a mistake is also reflecting badly on the party.


Palin, by staying out of the race to this point and for not being involved in the Huckabee/Trump/Gingrich/Bin Laden/Romney media frenzy/character assassination/speculation circus is benefiting her immensely as the latest Gallup poll reflects. 


Further, because what Gingrich is enduring within a week of announcing from the media she has endured and survived for over two years-basically when she declares, if she does, there is nothing the media can dredge up about her personal life/past statements/associations etc which has not been thoroughly thrashed out, canvassed, lied about, blown out of proportion so she will be able to campaign without the distractions and sensation that have plagued Trump and Gingrich.


It is no wonder that Daniels is hesitating to declare a candidacy, apparently because of his and his wife’s fears for their marriage under the strain. This is a well founded fear and there is no doubt whatsoever that the moment he,or Cain or Bachman declare, if they do, they will be subject to an initial media blitz of  a somewhat
positive level as the media looks to fill up their speculation quota and then the liberal media/bloggers will jump in boots and all  and they won’t know what hit them.


Palin, by staying above the fray, not indulging in character attacks on other possible candidates and sticking to attacking the administrations policies is showing that luck comes from judgement. This who have been pressing on her to run are understandable in their urging because they have a deep level of commitment to her and what she stands for. However, patience is required, and so far her policy of not committing has seen possible rivals self-destruct one by one without her having to do anything. 


Original post at M.Joseph Sheppard’s “A Point Of View”

]]>