SarahPAC: Sarah Palin 2012 President Bid Begins as a Political Action Committee

On Tuesday, January 27, Sarah Palin announced the formation and launch of SarahPAC, a political action committee founded on the model of Hillary Clinton's HillPAC (according to NBC's Norah O'Donnell) and designed to raise money to help other Republicans in their political endeavors. According to CNN, the committee was registered with the Federal Election Commission Monday evening and that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was behind the formation of the organization.

SarahPAC is also designed, according to the website, "to build a better, stronger, and safer America in the 21st century." The Virginia-based committee states that it "believes the Republican Party is at the threshold of a historic renaissance that will build a better future for all."

Money raised from donations could also be used to fund Sarah Palin's attempt to run for the presidency in 2012. The Alaska governor can further her political ambitions as she travels and speaks on behalf of local and national candidates.

Sarah Palin has been in great demand since losing the vice presidential bid alongside her presidential running mate, Senator John McCain, in November. A spokesperson for the group told CNN: "The PAC is a smart thing to do because she's getting so many speaking requests still, so if she gets a request from, say, Bob McDonnell in Virginia, she could do that travel out of her PAC money."

The website describes the mission of SarahPAC as being "dedicated to building America's future, supporting fresh ideas and candidates who share our vision for reform and innovation."

Norah O'Donnell reported that Sarah Palin still had a huge political following and cited her 464,000 friends on Facebook as proof. Newsmax magazine labeled it a sign of her "undiminished popularity."

Although it is being reported as a sign of her "undimished popularity," Governor Sarah Palin's Facebook page is hardly a great indicator of how popular she is or has been. It certainly is not a great indicator of her chances of becoming president. A CNN exit poll on Election Day found 60% voters believed Sarah Palin was unqualified to be president.

And therein will lie Sarah Palin's problem come 2010, regardless of whether SarahPAC is successful - finding enough people to support her. Sarah Palin does not seem to be able to find common ground, that much sought-after political convergence were political parties agree. She has avid followers. She has avid detractors. Every time she opens her mouth, the world can expect a deluge of commentary - both pro and con - on each utterance.

But Governor Sarah Palin does not seem to be able to attract much more than the neoconservative evangelical fringe. Although a key faction within the overall Republican Party, it does not account for a great many Republicans who find Sarah Palin not only unqualified but detrimental to the GOP in the long run. Repulbican governors like Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana are poised to run for the presidency against President Barack Obama in 2012 as well, and they have publicly maintained that the Republican Party needs new, fresh ideas and the ability to appeal to a broader electorate.

Sarah Palin does not. Her appeal is to the middle and to the far right-wing members of her party (with some overlap with moderates). SarahPAC may be able to help her change that, give her better political traction among moderate Republicans where she could also pull in some of the Reagan Democrats. Money from SarahPAC can be used to finance speaking tours and forums for Palin to get her message across to a broader public.

Perhaps. But doubtful. Sarah Palin only seems to have the power to polarize to the extreme. Polarization in the United States during an election usually falls to a 50-50 chance of winning, as witness the last several national elections. But these elections were between candidates appealing from the opposite sides towards the voting center.

Sarah Palin does not appeal to the center. Of anything. Ultimately, that will be her downfall within her own party, long before she has the chance to be chosen as the Republican nominee for president. Many Republicans voted for John McCain for president on Election Day - 46% of the vote (over 58 million). The question that the GOP should be asking - and anyone willing to donate money to the Sarah Palin cause and SarahPAC - is: How many of those 58 million would not vote for her for president.

What SarahPAC is not, despite what the website states, is a fundraiser committee for others. Sarah Palin is intent on a run for the presidency. The descriptive words on her website are a façade, a nod to her fellow Republicans that gives her plausible deniability that her sole intention is gathering donations to facilitate her run for president.

But two years or four years still will not give Sarah Palin what she needs most, no matter how much money SarahPAC brings in - credibility. But if she spends the money wisely, she just might get a few more friends on Facebook.

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For more on SarahPAC, go to SarahPAC.com.

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Sources:

MSNBC.msn.com

Newsmax.com

SarahPAC.com

CNN News