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Sarah Palin gained international recognition upon her selection
by John McCain as the 2008
Republican vice presidential nominee. In the past year Palin has
become immensely popular among a
large portion of the GOP base. Her new book, 'Going Rogue: An
American Life', sold more than 1
million copies in the first two weeks and has topped the New York
Times best-seller list since late November 2009.
In February 2010, Palin said she would run in 2012 "if I believed
that that is the right thing to
do for our country and for the Palin family." Palin has also
gone on the attack saying that
potential 2012 contender Mike Huckabee made a "horrible decision"
nine years ago when granting
clemency to the man suspected in the killing of four police
officers in Washington State on November 29th, 2009. She is also
weighing in on nearly all Obama initiatives and voicing her
opposition at every opportunity.
While Palin possesses huge star power among Republican
conservatives, a recent ABC News/Washington
Post poll shows that six in 10 Americans view her as unqualified
for the job of President in 2012.
This is a sharp drop from Palin?s 6 in 10 approval rate peak in
November 2008 but has remained
basically unchanged in the past year. Additionally, her July
4th, 2009 'resignation without
explanation' as governor of Alaska before completing her first
term and her stumbles on policy matters, especially foreign
relations, have led to numerous attacks.
Nonetheless, Sarah Palin is a force that the Republican Party
must reckon with. She has
effectively used social media and has tapped into the Republican
base. Unlike her male
counterparts, she faces stereotypical assumptions that she's not
tough enough and dismissive
attitudes about her qualifications and intellect. She is however
going to be the rallying point for conservative Republicans in
the 2012 elections.
Following the major roles of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton in
the 2008 race, the election of our
first female president does not seem too far off.
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Mike Huckabee is the perfect example of what a conservative
republican candidate should stand for and a large portion of
social conservatives still support him. Huckabee is a staunch
opponent of gay marriage, gun control, racism and
antisemitism.
Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas who claimed victory
in the 2008 Iowa Caucus but ultimately finished second to John
McCain in the 2008 republican primaries nomination. He was
ridiculed for his reluctance to bow out of the race even as it
was evident that he could not win. Following the loss he was
quoted as saying "I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but
I'm not making any specific plans".
In late November 2009, Mike Huckabee said that a 2012
presidential bid "is less likely rather than more likely just
because I would have to see that the Republicans would be willing
to unite behind me." He also says it's far too early to say what
he will do and that the November 2010 congressional election
results will affect his decision.
Mike Huckabee has a strong showing in the extremely early 2012
election polls. According to most of the popular network and
cable news polls, Huckabee is leading amongst Republicans and has
the strongest showing when matched against Barack Obama.
Another consideration for his 2012 nomination bid, according to
Huckabee, is the status of his weekly TV show on Fox News Channel
and it seems as though Mike is happy at the moment by spreading
his word through this national platform.
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Compare Mike Huckabee and
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