The Danger Of Smearing Palin

I thought this was an interesting report from Rasmussen (one of the two pollsters who actually got the election right):

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republican voters say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin helped John McCain's bid for the presidency, even as news reports surface that some McCain staffers think she was a liability.

Only 20% of GOP voters say Palin hurt the party's ticket, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Six percent (6%) say she had no impact, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable. Only eight percent (8%) have an unfavorable view of her, including three percent (3%) Very Unfavorable.

When asked to choose among some of the GOP's top names for their choice for the party's 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year -- Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.

In particular, this should be taken as a warning to those bitter McCain staffers and big-government Reps who think that conservatism is dead.  The party has spoken, and they overwhelmingly want people like Palin!  Later in this report, we also see this:

These findings echo a survey earlier this week which found that Republicans were happier with their vice presidential candidate than with their presidential nominee. Seventy-one percent (71%) said McCain made the right choice by picking Palin as his running mate, while only 65% said the party picked the right nominee for president.

Like I said, we'll see more of Palin on the national stage in the future.  I've already seen some bloggers start producing 'Palin 2012' banners and pics, and she's gotten enough exposure through this process that she can -- with continued success as Governor in Alaska -- start preparing the way for a run at the White House herself in the next go-around.  I think that would be an outstanding idea.

Regardless, those inside the GOP who want to relegate conservatives to the garbage heap of history would be wise to get a clue.  The GOP is still the party of conservatives, even if our leaders are too stupid to understand that.

There's my two cents.