Why Is Mitt Romney A Solid Contender, But Sarah Palin A Liability?

Even before Sarah Palin's surprise resignation, Republican elites kept echoing basically the same line that the vile Left was spewing: Sarah Palin is a lightweight. Unable to discount her popularity among the party base, the Beltway Republicans kept telling us how she has potential. If she studies up on the issues she could someday be a player. Look, I am a dude and one is isn't particularly sensitive to the whines of modern feminism. However, the "Sarah needs to study" mantra is nothing but sexism. I have never heard such comments made about any male candidate who aspired to the Presidency, no matter how idiotic and asinine they were. She has accomplished more and has more executive experience than our current President and could read a teleprompter if that is the sign of being informed.

Mitt Romney is the name most often mentioned as the GOP front runner in 2012. Therein lies the disconnect between what Republicans say and what Republicans do. Currently, the GOP is fighting like mad to stop ObamaCare from being passed by the Congress this summer. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out in a Friday editorial, Romney left an absolute mess in Massachusetts with his version of government-run health care which is eerily similar to the plan being pushed by congressional Democrats.

So, we have Palin who was a source of energy for an impotent McCain campaign and who is an inspirational leader in the Conservative tradition. Then, we have Romney who looks like a President and appears to lack sweat glands. He had several conversions "on the road to Des Moisnes," as candidate Mike Huckabee pointed out, which made him palatable to Conservatives. His record as governor does not appear to be impressive and he built a state-run health care fiasco that should petrify potential voters. But, Palin is a Barbie doll who needs to bone up on serious things and Romney is a front runner.

We don't need another country club establishment stuffed shirt taking the party over the cliff. Bush 41 blew a second term by abandoning Reagan. Bob Dole got his turn and no amount of Viagra could have put life into his campaign. Dubya won twice, but embraced much of the Left's Statist ideology and did much damage to the country and to the GOP by giving them what they wanted so that they could run on the right side of the fiscal responsibility debate. Sure, they are phonies, but they could legitimately smack the Republicans with eight years of their own spending foolishness. If the GOP had been fiscally responsible and respected federalism, 2006 and 2008 would not have been so unpleasant. Then, it was John McCain. Or was that Bob Dole redux? A tired old Senator who had no political core. In fact, his lack of a political anchor was his greatest selling point. Mr. Bipartisan. Mitt Romney is an ex-governor, not a Senator, but he is still 100% establishment.

I don't know if Palin is the right candidate for 2012 or not. I do know that many of the arguments used against her would not be used against a man. It is also clear that a charismatic Conservative like Palin is much more likely to energize the party and draw in Conservative Democrats than will a central casting politician like Mitt Romney. If you start thinking Mitt is the guy for 2012, just look at the health care debacle he created in Massachusetts and ask yourself if this is really the guy to lead the resurgence of Conservatism.