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U.S. Senator Sarah Palin

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Politics.
Oct 27th, 2008 | Comments

UPDATED:

Question: What is the Alaska state law regarding special elections to replace a sitting United States Senator? Is it possible for Stevens to resign in the next day or so and Palin to name herself as his replacement BEFORE Election Day?

If so, then read the rest of the post…

You couldn’t write a better script for Sarah Palin’s quest for the White House in 2012. As I wrote previously, Palin will use the national stage to distance herself from the debacle of the McCain campaign while embodying the voice of the loyal opposition to the rise of Senator Barack Obama.

If Palin has any intention to returning to presidential campaigning as a legitimate candidate to win the nomination, today’s verdict on Senator Ted Stevens is the vehicle to take her from a backwoods Governor to become the standard bearer for the party out of power in Washington, D.C.

Three months ago, no one knew Sarah Palin. Three months from now, she will be the most powerful and visible freshman U.S. Senator since Barack Obama.

As much as I hate to say this, it seems that the 2012 presidential campaign is already underway…Obama vs. Palin II.

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JSpencer

If the GOP chooses Palin in 2012 then it will prove they are incapable of learning. Dumbing down, dumbing down, dumbing down...

BJ Bjornson

I think this rather destroys any chance of Palin moving to the Senate, doesn't it? Governors can replace a Senator who fails to fill out his term, but she can't bypass the election for Stevens' seat that going on right now, and I'm pretty sure she can't run for both Senator and VP simultaneously. Had the verdict came after Nov. 4th, and assuming Stevens had managed to win his seat, something that was iffy already and looks highly unlikely now, then Palin could have slipped herself into his place. As it stands, Democrat Mark Begich wins the seat a week from now, and that avenue is closed.

Apt604

I suppose she could appoint herself to the rest of Stevens' term, and run for re-election at the same time she's running for VP. Joe Lieberman did pretty much the same thing in 2000. But I suspect that it would be too late for her to get on the ballot, at this point. With early voting already having started in Alaska, the outcome of a write-in candidacy wouldn't be pretty.

As far as her running for anything in 2012 . . . How many people, after losing a race for President or VP, have been nominated - or much less won - in a subsequent election? Nixon managed to do it, but Mondale's race was such a disaster that I doubt either party would give a losing candidate a second chance again.

justinslot

Apparently she can't appoint herself, Alaska took away the governor's right to appoint Senators after Murkowski appointed his daughter.

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