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2010-02-02

Clarification about Why I Won't Support Sarah Palin for President

Sarah Palin

A few weeks ago, I did a post on Sarah Palin that was a part of my "Who I Won't Support For President" series, and there was a part that I felt that I was a little vague that I wanted to clarify.

I had mentioned, in the post, that I supported her on the issues (and I still do) which led to some people asking me "Well, if you support her on the issues, why wouldn't you support her for President?" Well, quite honestly, if she were to win the primary and I had a choice between her and President Obama, I would vote for her. I know this is contradictory to Kevin's theory, but it's just what I would do, personally. I just don't think another 4 years of a Democratic administration is sustainable. Now, would her Presidency be successful? In some ways. In other ways, she would harm the chances of keeping Congressional majorities and she would probably usher in another Democratic majority for 2016 (or possibly 2014).

Regardless, my clarification: although I support her on the issues and agree with her rhetoric, I'm not convinced that she KNOWS, truly, WHY she should be in support of conservative ideals.

What makes a good President is his ability to bargain for votes in Congress while retaining conservative/liberal ideals. For example, Obama is trying to pass health care legislation (ANY health care legislation) and is willing to sacrifice parts that he feels are important to get it passed. I disagree with the man on almost every aspect of the health care bill, but the fact is his bargaining powers to attract votes is astounding.

I can't say that I think that Palin would be able to do that. I don't think that she would be able to get something passed without either A)alienating moderate Democrats or B) sacrificing conservative ideals.

What the basic premise of my point boils down to is her lack of understanding as to why conservative principles are the right way to go. Anybody can say "Yes, I'm a conservative!", but when asked why, they need to give off the reasons why conservative principles are better than liberal ones. Sure, she can get in front of a podium and energize a crowd, and that's great! But she has proven that when she is asked the tough questions, one on one, she falters. And that, my friends, is a little clarification when it comes to my support or lack of support for Sarah Palin.