Run, Sarah, Run

Yesterday in the lobby of a Des Moines, Iowa Marriott Sarah Palin had this to say to the Washington Post about the upcoming presidential race: "You can absolutely say that I'm seriously interested. Who wouldn't be interested? Who wouldn't be interested when they've been blessed with opportunities to speak about what is important to this country and for this country."

Well why not? The republican field is already full of has beens and losers. There is plenty of room in that great muddy pond for Mrs. Palin too.

Let's face it, when you take a long look at the likes of Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, Chris Christie and even Mitt--by God--Romney there must be a huge temptation to think, Buggers, I can't do any worse than these guys. Indeed, given the current list of candidates one can almost imagine Michele Bachmann showing up tomorrow on Meet the Press saying she is considering another run.

The terrible truth is there are huge segments of the GOP who are completely out of touch with reality. Palin is in Iowa in order to attend what is being called the Iowa Freedom Summit. It is being hosted by Representative Steve King, R-IA, who the Post describes as a hard liner against immigration reform.

Right. There is nothing which will attract the elusive Hispanic demographic--you know, the one that sent Mitt Romney into the tank--than an Anglo-Saxon republican who wants to deport everyone who learned English as a second language.

According to the Post, others in attendance were Senator Mike Lee, R-UT--the guy who caddies for Ted Cruz in the upper chamber--the aforementioned Rick Santorum, and even that ghost of primaries past, Newt Gingrich.

No wonder Jeb Bush has donned his running shoes. If abject idiots like Palin are in the mix it simply makes him appear more and more like the only viable candidate in 2016--at least to those in the party who remain ostensibly in control of their full mental capacities.

Unfortunately for Jeb the functionally sane republicans seem to be shrinking in number. The hard right, which includes Palin and people like Lee and Cruz, trend toward an American version of the Japanese code of Bushido. They'd rather go down in flames than make any concessions. Yes, for the true believers it is better to lose with their concept of honor intact rather than compromise. For them it is the whole pie, or none of it at all.

This philosophy and attitude, at least in part, explains the presence of Barack H. Obama in the Oval Office.

Bush knows it far too well. His job is to overcome these suicidal tendencies next spring and summer. Whether he can, or not is the big question.

Palin told the Post she didn't feel rushed to make a final decision about 2016. Ah, as always, she is such a tease. Trust me Governor, I believe I speak for almost everyone on this side of the aisle when I say to you--run, Sarah, run. The idea of you in the presidential primaries is just too delicious to want otherwise. It's probably the only thing Jeb Bush and I will ever agree on.


  

1-24-15