Thursday, January 20, 2011

Confirmed: Palin is checking out Iowa

Palin aides have confirmed to Real Clear Politics that the preliminary work necessary to mount a presidential bid has now begun in Iowa. Many have speculated that the week-long smear campaign that Palin endured in the wake of the Tuscon shooting incident would derail a potential run for the GOP nomination. It's likely not a coincidence that her aides have leaked this story now.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has tasked her aides with quietly gauging her level of support for a potential presidential campaign by making inquiries to a select pool of likely allies and grassroots activists in Iowa, RealClearPolitics has learned.

Key Republican officials and operatives in the nation's first voting state had begun to assume that Palin would not run for president in 2012 since most of them have not heard a word from her or from her small circle of aides, even as other likely candidates have begun jockeying more forcefully behind the scenes. But a Palin adviser confirmed that although the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee's footprint has not been as heavy as that of other possible candidates, her political action committee has indeed been taking discreet steps in Iowa that would help her build a credible campaign here if she decided to launch one.

"The idea that we're not in Iowa is inaccurate," SarahPAC adviser Andy Davis told RealClearPolitics.

A top official in the Iowa Tea Party who insisted on anonymity to avoid betraying Palin's trust told RealClearPolitics that a friend of SarahPAC met with him in person in Des Moines late last year and prodded him for suggestions on how Palin might mount a grassroots campaign in the state.

Earlier this month, the same Iowa Tea Party official began preliminary work on scheduling a potential invitation to Palin for a fundraiser in Iowa. RealClearPolitics independently confirmed that the Tea Party official has been in contact with Palin allies.

Even as speculation has ramped up in media and campaign circles that Palin has become increasingly unlikely to mount a presidential campaign, her aides have been strategizing on how they would organize their infrastructure in Iowa and have continued to reach out gently to close confidantes in the state.

"I know of three of four people in Iowa who have had contact with Palin's aides," the Iowa Tea Party official said.

[...]
Read the entire article HERE

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting RW. That is some good news.

jerseyrepublican

Pablo said...

Run, Sarah, Run! Romney needs Palin.

Anonymous said...

Romney needs cover that Palin cannot offer him.

jerseyrepublican

Doug NYC GOP said...

Romney doesn't need Palin.

Right Wingnut said...

Romney doesn't WANT Palin to run. His supporters clearly do not either.

Pablo, What is the reasoning behind your claim the Romney needs palin?

Anonymous said...

RW, I think the theory is that a Palin run will split the field of socons and TP between herself and Huck, giving Romney the cover he needs to catapult him to the nomination.

jerseyrepublican

Right Wingnut said...

JR, But Huck isn't running...

Revolution 2012 said...

If they polled Romney, Palin, Huckabee, and Gingrich ONLY in these polls, Romney would be winning them ALL THE TIME!

He would also be winning with any of the above as the only other competitor.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha. Palin helps Romney, let's put it that way. Doe he need her to win the nom - no.

Heck, we all need Palin to run. We gotta get this lady out of our system, and Romney is a great anti-Palin. Daniels or Pawlenty will do, too.

I do not believe voters are going to go the hockey mom/celebrity/flame-thrower/cotton candy/populist/wanna-have-a beer-with-route. We are going to be serious about defeating Obama. And BTW- I really don't like the way Pawlenty plays the populist.
-Martha

Doug NYC GOP said...

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/article_ed87a420-24ab-11e0-918a-001cc4c03286.html

Looks like Palin has her work cut for her in Iowa. This a caucus goers poll.

Right Wingnut said...

Doug, Not with huckabee out of the race.

Besides, caucus states are notoriously difficult to poll. It will come down to who can get their supporters to show up. Even IF Huck stays in, my money is on Palin.

CraigRandall1 said...

Then you would lose your money.

Anonymous said...

Here's the difference, Huck probably won't run if Palin runs but Palin would run regardless of Huck. If Palin's people were smart, they'd make it look like she was definitely running...even if she wasn't sure yet and try to scare Huck out of the competition...then she wil be both prepared and could pretty easily slide right into the nomination.

jerseyrepublican

BOSMAN said...

I'm sure she could win if she put an organization together there quickly.

Although it might be tough to knock Gingrich out of 3rd place.

That's what we're talking about, right? Winning 3rd place?

ConMan said...

It would be a tough road for Palin to knock Gingrich out of 3rd. Especially with Pawlenty at her heels.

Ann said...

LOL Bosman.

Always the comedian.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure you read the article correctly?

Maybe it was, Palin is checking out OF Iowa.

zeke

Doug NYC GOP said...

RWN - "Besides, caucus states are notoriously difficult to poll. It will come down to who can get their supporters to show up. Even IF Huck stays in, my money is on Palin."

Is anything ever just what it appears to be on Planet Palin? You guys always have some disclaimer regarding a poll or story or assessment regarding this woman and her political career. Circumstances are always swewed, polls are always inaccurate or tainted, opinions are always biased...and so and so on...it gets laughably exhausting after awhile.

Taken at face value, this poll shows Palin, and others, have their work cut out for them. That's all. Plain and simple.

I seriously doubt if Palin is a go, she's banking on a series of "If" bets to payoff, as her central campaign strategy.