Sarah Palin Is Not Running For President

Sarah Palin is out for 2012

Doug Mataconis · · 88 comments

As many have long suspected, Sarah Palin officially announced today that she is not running for President in 2012. The news was first reported by talk show host Mark Levin, who apparently received the news first, but it’s now spreading out to the rest of the media.

Via ABC News, here’s a letter that Palin has sent out this afternoon:

October 5, 2011

Wasilla, Alaska

After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order. My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office – from the nation’s governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the “fundamental transformation” of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law. From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have supported me and defended my record throughout the years, and encouraged me to run for President. Know that by working together we can bring this country back – and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it. I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets, including in the race for President where our candidates must embrace immediate action toward energy independence through domestic resource developments of conventional energy sources, along with renewables. We must reduce tax burdens and onerous regulations that kill American industry, and our candidates must always push to minimize government to strengthen the economy and allow the private sector to create jobs. Those will be our priorities so Americans can be confident that a smaller, smarter government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people can better serve this most exceptional nation. In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the President, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House. Thank you again for all your support. Let’s unite to restore this country! God bless America. – Sarah Palin

As I said, this doesn’t really come as a surprise. Palin has done little to form a campaign organization, and has fallen back in the polls as Republican voters have paid attention to the candidates who are actually running.

Palin’s endorsement will be sought after, no doubt, if only because of the loyal following she still seems to maintain among a certain segment of the Republican Party. In the end, though, this pretty much means the end of any idea that Sarah Palin as a major force in American politics. More importantly, though, this confirms once and for all that the 2012 GOP field is set in stone. There may be subtractions to come, in fact there inevitably will be, but there will be no more additions.

From Politico: “Sarah Palin Won’t Run”:

The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee announced the news to conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin on Wednesday evening, “I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.” Palin did not explicitly rule out a third-party run for the White House, though she said, “I would assume that a third party would guarantee” President Barack Obama’s re-election. Asked if she will support the GOP nominee, Palin told Levin: “I have confidence in that. I look forward to supporting our nominee. … The right candidate will be elevated that will be our nominee. We’ll be able to get behind that person and make sure that Barack Obama is replaced.”

The idea of Palin running as an independent was recently floated by a pro-Palin blogger and by Christian Heinze at The Hill. As Ed Morrissey said earlier today before Palin’s announcement, the idea is silly:

The Tea Party didn’t come into existence to back Palin; its main purpose was to defeat Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, and their disastrous policies. Palin is an important leader in that movement, but it’s not a Palin movement. If Palin launches an independent bid, the most likely outcome would be either having no impact at all, or to hand the election to Obama by splitting the vote on the Right. How many Tea Party activists will want that outcome, or would be willing to risk it just to make a point about being anti-establishment? Some might, and the degree to which those activists might be tempted to do so would depend on the outcome of the Republican primary, too. However, when the dust settles next summer, Republicans and conservatives who want to see ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank repealed will know that the only path to that end will be to defeat Obama. If Palin interferes with that, the damage to her standing will be significantly higher than she will suffer by not running at all. She needs to either get into the GOP primary or dedicate herself to activism over the next four years.

Of course, there is another point to think about. Let’s say a Republican wins in 2012. Unless Palin is made part of the Administration, which seems ridiculously improbable, she’s going to be on the outside, constantly criticizing, constantly being a thorn in the side of President Romney, or Perry. That could be interesting.