The topic of a brokered Republican convention has been growing in the last couple of weeks. The chances a brokered or open convention remain slim, but they are growing.
If the brokered convention is to lead to a new Republican candidate, it had better be a rock star that can excite the base and get them into the game in a way they are not right now.
Who could it be?
That remains an open question. But there is one candidate who is at least hinting at the possibilities and may be taking steps to take advantage the current situation.
Who is that?
Sarah Palin.
After a few quiet months, Palin has reemerged on the scene in a powerful way.
She has been all over Fox News in the last week. When interviewed by Eric Bolling of Fox News, she teased about the possibility of a brokered convention. She said, “For one, I think that it could get to that. … If it had to be closed up today, the whole nominating process, then we could be looking at a brokered convention. … Nobody is quite there yet, so I think that months from now, if that is the case, all bets are off as to who it will be, willing to offer up themselves up in their name in service to their country.”
“I would do whatever I could to help.”
Her Fox News appearances follow her speech Saturday night at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington. Palin delivered the keynote address and clearly hit a homerun with the attendees.
Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich all spoke at CPAC. They all were well received, albeit by mostly their followers. Palin showed up and she does have a lot of fans still, but they were not a majority at CPAC.
Regardless, she threw the red meat the conservative audience has been eagerly awaiting.
A brokered convention is still a slim possibility.
For a brokered convention to become a possibility, all four of the Republican candidates still in the race must in fact remain in the race.
The key for a brokered convention at this point is probably Newt Gingrich. If Gingrich’s campaign folds, this basically becomes a two man race. Yes, Ron Paul is there but he is a minor figure at best. The math is brutally simple if Gingrich folds, Romney becomes the nominee.
Why?
Numbers. Romney is on the ballot in every remaining state. Santorum is not. Even some of the states where Santorum is on the ballot, he is on the ballot in name only. In Tennessee for example, Santorum is on the ballot but has no delegates on the ballot. So even if he wins, he wins nothing.
For many in the Republican Party, a brokered convention is starting to look like an attractive option. It could be an attractive option for conservatives, but conservatives are going to have to act to pressure the establishment into accepting a conservative candidate. We need a rock star who can win.
Is that Sarah Palin?
Who knows?
But if we are not ready, and it comes down to a brokered convention, we had better have a plan or we will see another RINO ready to go out and lose one for the establishment.
Tags: Palin, Sarah, brokered, convention, republican
Permalink Reply by David S on I share your sentiments Thomas. I would think a brokered convention lets the party elite pick their candidate. That would be Mittens. Sad state of affairs in my view.
Permalink Reply by Kathy Hamm on I hope for a brokered convention!! With our 4 candidates contiunuing to attack each, when they were warned over and over not to do this, Obama has risen in the polls and if the election were today, Obama would win. Thanks candidates! So I have become very frustrated with our candidates and am now looking/hoping for a brokered convention with a"rock star." That rock star to me is Sarah Palin or Alen West! Palin/West ticket or West/Palin ticket!!
Permalink Reply by Elaine Jex on I actually would love to see Jim DeMint. He has been fighting the conservative fight for a very long time. He helped get Marco Rubio, Allen West, Pat Toomey, Mike Lee and more elected in the last election.
Permalink Reply by Thomas on YES-S-S-S-S! I don't know why it is but I seem to always overlook DeMint when I am thinking through the possibles. In fact, I think a DeMint/Palin ticket would be a ticket that many frustrated centrist, or moderate, Democrats as well as just about all Republicans could get behind.
I sense that there is a dramatic loss of trust in our current certifiably not-President from grass roots members of both parties. But at this point, have the Republicans put forth canditates who would capture their trust? I wonder.
Permalink Reply by Robert L. Milne on What are you smoking? I have heard all of the arguments about Newt Gingrich having too much baggage and turing the presidental race into a race about Newt and not the issues. What in the name of all that's holy do you think a Sarah Palin candidacy would be about?
I love Sarah Palin and I think she could fill some important roles in a cabinet position for a conservative candidate, but I don't think she can beat Obama, the main stream media will focus all of the attention on Sarah Palin and Obama will simply slip by and never have to answer for the failure and damage of his socialist agenda.
Permalink Reply by PhyllisABO2012 on Sarah Palin without question. She can fire up the base like noone else; and I think Americans are sick of the Obama Dictatorship
Permalink Reply by Elaine Jex on Janet Dobbs, I hope there are millions of you out there that were democrats, switched to independents and will not vote for a democrat.
Permalink Reply by Janet Dobbs on Elaine, I have been an Independent (formerly left leaning) for many, many years. But my 9 friends were life-long Democrats who changed to Independents. They will never vote for a Democrat again, not with all the progressives in that party.
Trust me, there are a lot of former Democrats who are now Independents. That's how the GOP won big in 2010 and 2011.
Obama's in for a big surprise!
Permalink Reply by Doug Kolonia on If it goes to a brokered convention the establishment will pick the winner and that will be Mitt Romney. The establishment controls the convention and they want Romney so all of us getting excited about it is fruitless. Same as in 1976 when Ford beat Reagan. I love Palin. I think she is the only one right now that could shake things up in DC and I wish she had run but there is no way a brokered convention would pick her.
Permalink Reply by Ronald Sorrells on Deanie:
When Sarah Palin was just doing sensing sessions about running fopr President in 2012 The Republicans and Democrats and their MSM "turned the dogs of hell on her". THEY THREATENED THE LIFE OF SARAH AND HER FAMILY AND EVEN THREATENED KIDNAPPING HER YOUGEST DAUGHTER AND RAPPING HER.
THE "GOOD OLD BOY REPUBLICANS HAD BEGGED HER TO JOIN JOHN MCCAIN ( THEIR rino) AND TO "PULL HIS OLD ASS OUT OF THE FLAMES AND SHE DID".
But, when she came up and said she wanted to run in 2012....."THEY SAID THAT SARAH IS NOT QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT"! WHAAAAA? SHe was "Qualified" to be Vice President in 2oo8, when they wanted her to save John McCain.......but now in 2012....she is not quslified !!
NO SARAH WANTED TO RUN AND SERVE BUT THE "gop old guard" was afraid of Srah because she will not put up with their BS !
Sarah is the "Brightest Light on the Horizon" and we better hope that she is willing to Lead Us !
Ron
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