Sarah Palin Gets Cold Reception in Sunshine State GOP Gathering
By Celeste Katz
Daily News Political Correspondent
MIAMI—As Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin arrived in Florida for a Republican governors summit, there was a hint of a chill in the air from her potential rivals for the 2012 White House race.
A week after the GOP, with John McCain and Palin as its standard- bearers, walked into the buzz saw that was now President-elect Barack Obama, the Republican Governors Association's annual conference became a postmortem on what went wrong.
Palin brought the most star power to the gathering—she is by far the front-running Republican in terms of network-TV interview time since Election Day. Palin told CNN Wednesday she was not "ruling out" out a run for the White House four years from now.
"That is based on my philosophy that it's crazy to close a door before you know what's even open in front of you," she said.
Palin is scheduled to speak Thursday on the party's future.
The conference is also a showcase for up-and-coming Republican governors who might want a crack at the Oval Office themselves, including Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty, Florida's Charlie Crist and Louisiana's Bobby Jindal.
And none of them was putting up Palin lawn signs.
When Pawlenty said, "'Drill, baby, drill!' by itself is not an energy policy"—referring to the chant that became a staple of Palin's rallies - the target of his tweak was clear.
Still, Pawlenty also praised Palin as "an extremely talented person" who is "going to be one of the key voices for the party and for Republicans for a long time to come."
When asked if Palin was the best choice McCain could have made for a running mate, no one jumped to answer.
Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who started the race in former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's corner but later worked for McCain, chimed in: "What happened here is the party and John dropped Sarah into the ninth inning of the World Series three runs down."
Crist initially demurred when asked separately if Palin was a legitimate future possibility for the White House.
"I think that's up to her to decide. It's a little early," Crist laughed.
He got perhaps 10 feet away before calling back over his shoulder—without breaking stride: "Of course she's legit."
Reader Comments
Sarah the Duchess of Pork
All I got to say as a Hardcore Anti-Republican is Please By All Means put this Incompetent Airhead in Designer Shoes on the Top of the Republican Ticket!!! This Bubbled Headed Empty Corset will only guarantee Reich Winger Defeats as Far as the Eye can see. Gidget Goes To Washington was a Failed Idea from Day One. LOL!! She cost McGrumpy an election he would have probably won if he had even had a Trained Monkey for his V.P. Pick. It's obvious McSame didn't pick this Whiny Moose Killer for the job. Hell he didn't even know who she was.
The best part about the '08 election is after 8 years of King George "The Deciders" Incompetence and Failed Policies the Reich Wingers have nobody to blame but themselves for President Elect Hussein!!! BBBWWWAAAHHHA-HA-HA-HA!!!! LIFE IS GOOD!!!!
2012!
If there is one thing Obama taught us, it's that you don't need to have any substance to be elected president in our superficial society.
If the Dems can buy the white house for the "arrogant empty suit", the Republicans will have no trouble spending the milllions to spread "Palin Power 2012!"
Palin 2012!
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