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The Republican Machine Backfires
Per the link Josh provided on the front page:
64% of GOP voters support Palin '12
"Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable. Only eight percent (8%) have an unfavorable view of her, including three percent (3%) Very Unfavorable. When asked to choose among some of the GOP's top names for their choice for the party's 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin."
It just hit me like a ton of obvious. The Republicans at the top have worked very hard to cultivate followers. That's the Republican base now: followers. But these followers are not necessarily loyal to the folks who brought them together. They just want to follow. And followers tend to prefer a charismatic leader.
So these folks at the top were right about being able to build a powerful, gullible constituency. But they overestimated their ability to control such a beast. Easily led just means easily led, not easily led BY THEM.
Good luck with that.
64% of GOP voters support Palin '12
"Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable. Only eight percent (8%) have an unfavorable view of her, including three percent (3%) Very Unfavorable. When asked to choose among some of the GOP's top names for their choice for the party's 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin."
It just hit me like a ton of obvious. The Republicans at the top have worked very hard to cultivate followers. That's the Republican base now: followers. But these followers are not necessarily loyal to the folks who brought them together. They just want to follow. And followers tend to prefer a charismatic leader.
So these folks at the top were right about being able to build a powerful, gullible constituency. But they overestimated their ability to control such a beast. Easily led just means easily led, not easily led BY THEM.
Good luck with that.
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Good post. I was also wondering what state that poll was conducted in (as in Alaska). The base will follow Palin wherever she goes, but she will never get moderates of any stripe on her side. I wonder if she will still be calling Obama a terrorist/socialist/general scary person when she runs again. What else does she have?
Frankly, I think Tina Fey would have a better chance in the general election.
November 16, 2008 8:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with Cville, no moderates for Palin. Why does the MSM continue to yak about all this support Palin has from the base but never says the base is not now and never will be big enough to elect any president no matter who it is? I laugh whenever I think about the Republican base because it is a long term problem for them now and they are the ones that called this albatross to them, fed it, tied it around their necks and then said 'My, this is an attractive necklace.' You gotta love it.
November 17, 2008 5:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with your observation.
The potential consequences are quite alarming. The GOP base needs to have a rational pragmatic leader emerge or else the base might become a real danger to the stability of the nation. The Republican base is comprised of a great many zealots. Such people have beliefs, not opinions. They take their positions on faith with little to no self-reflection. Just look at Bush for an example.
What makes them potentially highly dangerous is that because rational though plays no role in the formation of beliefs, rational thought cannot be used to alter their thinking and related actions.
November 17, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink