A reader writes:
I agree with everything your reader wrote. Except the conclusion. Of course she doesn't have a grand strategy. Of course potential candidates are more popular than actual candidates. Of course a campaign would be the end of her. But if there's one thing that I can say with confidence about Sarah Palin, it is that when it comes to her decisions the only opinion that matters is her own. If she thinks running with make her more popular and get her more attention, she will run. It doesn't matter whether or not it's realistic; it only matters whether she believes it.
And one more thing, in response to the quote from Marion Berry: Jesse Jackson actually did run for president.
Another questions the Jackson comparison:
As a life long Detroiter, I just have to chime in to disagree with your reader re: the quote about Jesse Jackson. I'm near-certain that wasn't a Marion Barry quip, but instead was a quote from Detroit's late, famously-acid-tongued mayor, Coleman A. Young. (But I do agree that the sentiment applies to Sarah Palin as well. She's not running for President.)
Another speculates about Palin's intentions:
Sarah Palin is certainly delusional, but she's got enough on the ball to realize she's incapable of managing and winning a presidential campaign. However, I think she yearns to be president, partly as payback for the all criticism which appears similar to the motivation which has many conservative Christians yearning for Armageddon to prove they're not wing-nuts, e.g., Sarah Palin. That leaves one avenue: another VP nomination.
Most of what I've observed is her laying the groundwork in becoming the default pick for VP if a so-called moderate like Mitt Romney in '12 wins the nomination or in '16, a Jon Huntsman or Chris Christie – primarily to optimize social conservative turn-out in the general election. There's some behavior which probably argues against my hypothesis, e.g., quitting as governor, some recent and weakly asserted anti-capitalist rhetoric, but the bulk of her behavior appears to have her working to become the default pick if a so-called moderate wins the nomination.
Another:
Your reader says running for president "would be the end of her." I would argue the exact opposite. If she doesn't run it will be the end of her. The loyal supporters would leave her in droves … that would be the end of the attention for her. She would be completely irrelevant, even to hardcore conservatives. If she doesn't run she would just be another talking head on FOX.
I think the question Sarah Palin is asking herself is "What Would Esther Do?"
The Dish 