Palin presidential run would be ‘catastrophic,’ ex-McCain campaign chief says

By John Byrne
Friday, October 2nd, 2009 -- 9:37 am
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palinscrunch Palin presidential run would be catastrophic, ex McCain campaign chief saysOuch.

The former campaign manager for the failed presidential bid of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told a crowd Friday that a presidential campaign of ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be "catastrophic."

"I think that she has talents, but my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican candidate in 2012, and in fact, were she to be the nominee, we would have a catastrophic election result," GOP operative Steve Schmidt said.

"In the year since the election has ended, she has done nothing to expand her appeal beyond the base," he added. "Th[e] 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."

The little noted remarks were posted on The Atlantic magazine's live blog for their conference, "First Draft of History" and caught by Eric Kleefield. Fuller remarks were posted by The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder.

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Kleefield notes that Schmidt is said to have been one of those who pushed for Palin's inclusion on the GOP ticket, reportedly saying of criticism from GOP heavyweight Karl Rove: "Karl's wrong. She's an exceptional governor, a reform governor in Alaska."

Schmidt has become more iconoclastic in the past year, and took flak after telling a gay newspaper that the Republican Party should embrace gay marriage.

"I think the Republican Party should not be seen by a broad majority of the electorate as focused with singularity on issues like gay marriage," he said. "The attitudes of voters about gay marriage and about domestic partnership benefits for gay couples are changing very rapidly and for voters under the age of 30, they are completely disconnected from what has been Republican orthodoxy on these issues."

"Any campaign that would go out and try to demonize people on the basis of their sexual orientation," he added, "is abhorrent and I suspect that that campaign would be rejected."

Schmidt was also an aide to former President George W. Bush.

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Story comments are below...
  • nobodyforpresident
    Oh please run, you freaking moron.
  • Michael M
    Sarah Palin: A clown. And clowns always enter the circus first and exit early.
  • philedrifter
    Sarah Palin: "GOP clown." And clowns always enter the circus first and leave early.

    /still waiting for her to do some pr0n
  • buckqjohnson
    Same here, same here.
  • Moonbeams
    I hope John McCain's former campaign manager joins up with Gov. Pawlenty, and does for him what he did for Senator McCain. In which lifetime do these bankrupt politicians who pander to, and exploit dangerous extremists, think they can win elections this way? Do you really count so much on the stupidity of Americans? Do you really think the people will forget who inflicted this miserable economy, and these dangerous threats to our national security? When people are sitting in emergency rooms bcz they have no health insurance and people are losing their homes, and they have to step on their children's dreams instead of encouraging them, do you think they will give a damn about "teabaggers" and the Party of "No!" We have never been weaker, and our citizens have never paid a higher price than they are right now for the venality and incompetency of the Repubilcan "philosophy" as it is currently defined and articulated.
    The Republican Party no longer exists as a national party, a viable political entity. If you want to recapture the Independents, get rational. Start thinking about the people.
  • zentrails
    Steve Schmidt has an amazing grasp of the obvious.
  • okpulot_taha
    Steve Schmidt suffers virtually zero credibility. Schmidt displays behavior of a jealous and vindictive child spreading school yard bully gossip. His handling of internal affairs of the McCain presidential campaign reflect Schmidt is not the brightest color in the crayon box.

    Steve Schmidt, long back I dismissed him as a blowhard rumor mongerer. He is an ignorant git.

    Down in Arizona a grassroots effort is moving forward to have McCain voted out of office for his being a "Republican In Name Only" (RINO) much like Mark Kirk over in Illinois is suffering serious setbacks for his being a RINO.

    Schmidt, McCain, Kirk, those boys remind me of the Three Stooges; right funny boys.

    Sarah Palin is extremely popular, enjoys a large number of dedicated supporters, is expanding her base of power and is emerging as a true and sincere Republican. In comparison to both McCain and Kirk, darling Sarah would whip both their butts easily during any election.

    Rather ironic, the more Schmidt and other failed campaign types rag on Palin, the more our mainstream media rags on Palin, the more popular and powerful she becomes.

    Okpulot Taha
    Choctaw Nation
    Puma Politics
  • texasaggie
    As an OK native, you have a very narrow perspective. One might even say you live in a bubble. The only election that Palin would beat McCain or Kirk in is a primary restricted to registered Republicans. Then the famous base can express itself. But then in the general election, since the famous base is only about 25% of the whole voting population, she would be used to wipe the floor. Can you really see a rational person voting for someone who wasn't even a good mayor of a little, bitty town about the size of Guthrie?
  • thepoliticalcat
    What evidence do you have that this ignorant quitter is "popular" or "powerful"? Please produce it. Also, with whom, exactly, is she popular? Right now, Americans who openly identify as Republicans number less than 25 per cent of the electorate. Clearly, she is NOT popular with Democrats,Liberals, Progressives, and left-leaning folks. Given her emphasis on her fundamentalist Xtian beliefs, she is not going to be popular with those Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, or unaffiliated voters who believe in separation of Church and State. Her complete ignorance of economics, foreign policy, world affairs, current affairs, and world history leads me to believe that she is NOT popular with the business element of the GOP or independent/unaffiliated voters.

    So, with whom exactly IS she popular?
  • philedrifter
    So, with whom exactly IS she popular?

    Brain-dead religitards.
  • icenine
    Hilarious. Schmidt said, "Any campaign that would go out and try to demonize people on the basis of their sexual orientation," he added, "is abhorrent and I suspect that that campaign would be rejected." And yet he and Bush's campaigns just before McCain's, did just that with constant gay bashing in one form or another. So for him to take some moral high road is absurd. He's nothing but last year's model of Karl Rove. The only difference is that the electoral math has changed and he knows it.
  • Nothing will stop that woman, apart from a stake through the heart. Of course she will try to grab the nomination in 2012, but it is doubtful that she will get it. But then, you never know how low those Repubs can go.
  • Richard Catullo
    Keep in mind this: who is Steve Schmidt to comment?

    Granted, he has a point regarding Palin: valid points, because she isn't a true Republican party standard barrer.

    However, Schmidt should resign himself and his comments. Schmidt is a "looser"; he lost the campaign for McCain, of this there is no doubt. Second, Schmidt, like Palin, doesn't have his thumb on the heartbeat of either the GOP or America. Third, Schmidt cannot garner support: he neither has the clout nor the intrinsic appeal to convince, motivate and stimulate Republicans as well as conservative Democrats that the GOP, at this time, not only has a viable Presidential Candidate, but is QUALIFIED to even select and promote one.

    Most tragically, Schmidt doesn't know what it means to be a Republican, a TRUE Republican: he has no ability to clearly and concisely demonstrate his ability or knowledge regarding domestic or foreign policy (never did), and isn't equipped or capable of addressing "requirements" (aka, what Schmidt and other idiots call "issues"). Nothing but hot air comes from Schmidt, and frankly, anyone could get better advice by reading the "STAR."

    I've been a Republican a lot longer than Schmidt has been; and, I understand what it takes to deliver a candidate who can achieve results regarding requirements.

    The GOP needs a good house cleaning, and Schmidt needs to go, because the nation doesn't need change, we need results! You had your chance Schmidt, and you failed: now GO!
  • edwards_com
    The Whigs got a good house cleaning too.
  • philedrifter
    FTFA: "I think that she has talents..."

    I bet she does.
  • eli
    we are not finish with her yet palin go back to alaska where you belong runnig for president you got to be jocking but in usa everything is possible how about running for play boy magezine
  • buckqjohnson
    If she runs for president, it will be the Titanic for the republicans and a massive win for the democrats.
  • tvfreezone
    Oh no, the repo repubs might have finally tumbled to the disastrous consequences of a Palin run. I am highly disappointed. I wanted to watch her stumble and lie her way across America. "Palin Politics." Yeah!
  • disappointed voter
    The real catastrophe would be if she won.
  • Mark-Alan Lynch
    Moose-Frau's presence during what will likely be a 2 year-long election will be counterproductive- to the Republicans. She's just too unhinged, unqualified, and well, possesses far too much of a school-girl, "I'm gonna get ya" mentality to be effective, or taken seriously. Granted, her "base," small though it may be, is quite good at cheering the mentally defective Moose-Frau into thinking she has a chance. If she ever grows up, perhaps she will come to the realization that selecting only friendly audiences, and no press, is not an accurate barometer of how her manically sought after spotlight(s) would play out in the real world. Let's face it; the bimbo is just that, a bimbo- period.
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