It is a biological fact that female governors of Alaska don't age well. There is something in that air that turns a mother of five (or six or seven by 2012), a little frigid to the roving eyes of six pack he-men. Palin will have to compete with the latest Disney pre-teen personality of the month. Not a pleasant prospect for an out of shape beauty pageant runner up.

Based on what? her record?. On what exactly...

What does she know now, or what would she learn in the next four years that would quailfy her as The Commander and Chief of the United States Of America???????????????????????

Based on what? her record?. On what exactly...

What does she know now, or what would she learn in the next four years that would quailfy her as The Commander and Chief of the United States Of America???????????????????????

After Palin was elected to the Wasilla city council, she turned on her supporter--the man who urged her to run and greased the process. When she lost the race for Lt. Gov. the then-governor of Alaska gave her a spot on a commission, but she later turned on him -- accusing him and others or corruption -- in her bid for the top post. Even while on that commission, she turned against the group's head. That's Sarah Barracuda's MO.

Now that it appears the McCain-Palin ticket is losing, she's turning against McCain and his staff. So why is anyone surprised?

When the article states that Palin is loved by the base, it should be kept in mind that the "base" is actually not so much a base as one of the feet, and it's one on some fairly trecherous foundation, based as it is on ignorance. There are conservative Republicans,many of whom I respect, as we see more and more, that are thoroughly dissatisfied with Palin.

Yes, I think that now, since she's been given the spotlight treatment, she will become a fixture in the political landscape, but it will be sorta like the terrible painting purchased while not thinking or bequethed by a family member; pointed to, criticized and used as an example and a warning.

If she runs again, barring some cataclysmic catastrophe sending the world back into the dark ages, she will probably do so as a crusader of a christian-fundamentalis, quasi-libertarian, anti-intellectualism a la' Savanarola while brandishing a firey sword of questionable integrity which will make Pat Buchanan look like a petualant little girl.

The best way to get rid of a wart like that is to freeze it off...and seeing her inate resistance to freezing, we may just have to say "see, it gives us character".

The 2012 race? Already? And here I was complaining about speculation over who was running for offices up in 2010. Ugh. I can't do it right now!

The warddrobe is EXACTLY the issue with Ms Fashionista Pahlin.

Like Cindy she is there as an ornament, eye candy perhaps for McMaverick certainly for us. No one in any capacity in that campaign is even attemting to offer a policy reson for her naming as VP.

Sadly another misstep for the McMaverick team but somewhere Joe Lieberman is laughing

Greetings

The CNN story had the following money quote:

"...Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom." ...

And McMaverick et al oticed her narcissistic and totally selfish rise to power when???

As the party implodes it will be interesting who Ms Moose Fashionista manages to shift blame to

"I think as Americans we should hope the Republicans nominate their best, most qualified candidate, and as Democrats we should hope that ours is still better. The fact is, if Palin is nominated in 2012, and as fun as it might be to watch her fail in her bid for the presidency, she MIGHT win. And that is too terrifying a possibility."

This is a truly patriotic statement, in the best sense of an often misused term. We should always hope that the two people running represent the very best that their party has to offer. It's for this reason, I believe, that we've seen so many prominent conservatives backing Obama, because they believe that he is a thoughtful, capable person who will do his best to meet the needs of all americans, including those who disagree with him.

It would be nice to see the Republicans learn something from this election and nominate someone who doesn't rely on demonizing half the country in order to energize their supporters.

Mr. Schaller,

The wardrobe is not an issue. I can't imagine, though she may be the governor of Alaska, Mrs. Palin is a wealthy woman. Certainly, could anyone expect her to be on the stump dressed in her North-Country finest? Perhaps political foes of the McCain-Palin ticket could do well to stick to real issues? The war, maybe? World-wide jihad. Remember that? And, could we all take a look at Mr. Obama's left-leaning, Supreme Court philosophy? Women's wear as a topic of conversation doesn't cut it.

If she doesn't go down from the House that Todd Built or get a Fox gig (ill-advised, even for Fox, but it wouldn't shock me), I'll be stunned if there aren't a few visits to Iowa and an unofficial "exploratory group". She will have learned a bit about the world outside Alaska by then and how to answer question or two, but I don't think she will get much farther than Dan Quayle did in '96. Even if she does enter the primaries as the evangelical's darling, I doubt she'll will get past New Hampshire. But we can still dream.

If S. Palin decides she's going to run a President in 2012 she'll have to do something she has yet to prove she can: Actually answer questions in national-level press conference and/or candidate debate. I don't think Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, or Mitt Romney will let her get by with that "I'm just gonna talk directly to the Americun peepul" bullshit.

As far as a prime-time commentator job? Don't think that's too likely either. She lacks the education, experience, and simple intellectual curiosity to handle unscripted interviewing, discussion, etc. on her own. The Rush Limbaugh/Bill O'Reilly/Ann Coulters of this world might be pretty disgusting human beings - but at least the b/s they spew has elements of plausible logic in it. Palin's unscripted pronouncements have (so far) run the gamut from naive to absurd.

Lastly, and this is going to strike some of Salon's more feminist readers as perhaps distasteful, but by 2012 Palin is going to be a fifty-something grandmother. A huge part of her appeal to the Republican "dude" demographic is based upon her (perceived) sex appeal. Many women can be sexy long past fifty - but an empty-headed hatemonger like Palin is fast running out of days when she can trade on a wink and a giggle.