15 Feb, 2011, Tues, Wash. Post The idea of President Palin hits a granite wall

The Washington Post: The idea of President Palin hits a granite wall
By Jonathan Capehart
One too many political tea-leaf readers say that Sarah Palin, with her rock-star personality, loyal following and outsized influence on the Republican Party, could jump into the 2012 presidential race at the last minute and run off with the GOP nomination for president. This is in defiance of consistent and plain evidence that Palin is going nowhere fast.

Now a new poll from the University of New Hampshire only adds to the brief against her running. Among likely Republican voters, the former governor of Alaska garnered just six percent support. Blowing out the field was former next-door Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) with 40 percent. Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who came in fourth during the New Hampshire primary in 2008, came in second with 10 percent.

Now, here's where the news is really bad for Palin. Romney has a net favorability rating among likely Republican primary voters at a solid 57 percent. Palin has a net negative favorability rating of -17 percent. That puts her at the bottom of the list of GOP White House hopefuls. There is one silver lining. At least she beats the publicity-hungry Donald Trump. His net favorability rests in the cellar at -43 percent.

Lots can change between now and when the New Hampshire primary actually happens early next year. And we all know that winning the Granite State doesn't mean the nomination is secured. Just ask my MSNBC colleague Pat Buchanan, who snatched the state from Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) in 1996, or Sen. John McCain, who lost it to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush during the nomination race of 2000.

But this much is clear: At the rate she's going, Palin will get nowhere near the Oval Office, let alone the Republican nomination. She has had two years to show the American people that she is not only worthy of the office but also worthy to be considered for the nomination. Her actions during this time have showed us time and again that she is more interested in playing a leader on television than actually being one.