Saturday, November 10, 2012

Would Palin have done better?

Enough with the post-mortems that think Mitt Romney wasn't inclusive enough.
Go the other direction.
Would Sarah Palin have done better this election?
Obviously, the media portrayal of Palin is a major weight on her chances.
But as a different candidate, it would have made for a different election.
If it was a base election, then Palin would have brought out those voters who cast ballots for her and John McCain in 2008.
Romney's strengths became easy targets for Obama ads - his business record and 1950s demeanor.
It was easier to tie him to George W. Bush than it would have been with Palin.
Would there have been a major "war on women" focus with a woman on top of the other ticket?
Establishment Republicans worry about a negative effect of Palin's candidacy on other races. But they lost Senate races with Romney there.
Republicans spent the fall and winter trying to find a Palin-type candidate to take the nomination. But Romney had the money and organization to get the nod.
When you lose, it helps to look at all possible options.
Not just the ones pushed by the winning side.

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