Politics

‘Lamestream media’ confusion builds about possible Palin run

Steven Nelson Associate Editor
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Sarah Palin savors an opportunity to ridicule the “lamestream media.” Recent coverage of a possible Palin candidacy presents an opening.

On Thursday, The Washington Post‘s Chris Cillizza wrote that, contrary to front-page speculation in The New York Times this week, the former Alaska governor may not be gearing up for a presidential run.

A South Carolina strategist for Palin informed Cillizza that, “There has been zero outreach, zero effort… Even when she was here for the [Gov. Nikki] Haley endorsement and the book signing, she swooped in [and] swooped out.”

An Iowa source gave Cillizza a similar story. “If [Palin] is doing any outreach at all, it would have to be totally under the radar and not with the traditional activist crowd,” the source said.

Cillizza noted that Palin has not visited Iowa or South Carolina this calendar year, and that she hasn’t visited New Hampshire since 2008. “The reality of the presidential nomination fight is that it is a state by state battle not a national race,” Cillizza wrote.

On Wednesday, The New York Times published an article on the front page of its website, announcing that “Signs grow that Palin may run.”

The Times cited the Palins’ purchase of a house in Arizona, which may serve as a campaign headquarters, and an enlivened speaking schedule.

Quoted in The Times’ coverage was Jeff Jorgensen, the Republican party chairman of Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Jorgensen said, “All indications are that she will be in — her supporters have an intuition about it.”

“Taken together, the moves are at odds with conventional wisdom — if not wishful thinking — among establishment Republicans in Washington that Ms. Palin has decided not to run,” wrote The Times.

The contrasting takes on a possible Palin presidency come as Sarah Palin announced Thursday a nationwide bus tour, ostensibly to visit “historical sites.”