One Mans Opinion 2/16/2011
By Dewaine Shoulders

Who else will try to take on Sarah Palin?

We all know that the leftist media and bloggers are on a daily quest to destroy Sarah Palin, come hell or high water; But what about those on the right?

Obviously, since the 2012 presidential race is already starting to get into motion, who will go after Sarah Palin? Probably every GOP candidate will for starts. Sarah Palin is about to get a steady stream of attacks from her own party because they need to make a name for themselves. And by going after her, these candidates are sure to get easy media coverage, thus making themselves seem like a frontrunner.

Case in point: last week, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum accidently (or on purpose?) started a little controversy by suggesting (during an online radio interview) that Sarah Palin might not attend the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) because "she has some demands on her time, and a lot of them have financial benefit attached to them." He then added that Palin had responsibilities as a mother of five children.

Now, according to Sen. Santorum, he was simply saying that Sarah Palin was busy and didn't mean to say anything otherwise. Of course, Sarah Palin read between the lines. Sarah Palin said she wouldn't call Rick Santorum a “knuckle-dragging Neanderthal." She then added, “I'll let his wife call him that instead."

Next up: During his CPAC speech, South Dakota Senator John Thune said, "The closest I've come to being on a reality TV show is C-SPAN's live coverage of the Senate floor." Although he never mentioned Sarah Palin's by name, the audience knew exactly who he was referring to.

Touché, Sen. Thune, but I have doubts that you'll be remembered much past the presidential debates when you can't hang with the big boys (or girls).

So, is it open season on Sarah Palin? Or is this a wise move on the other candidates parts? As for Rick Santorum and John Thune, going after Sarah Palin must make sense, as they wouldn't have done it otherwise, I do believe.

It makes sense that a lesser-known candidate, one who would otherwise remain in the shadows, jabs at a better-known candidate so that they can make a name for themselves in the process. Free press time equals more name exposure, thus it's a win-win for them.

On the other hand, there have been a couple of folks in the GOP that have said kind things about Sarah Palin. So far, that is.

Newt Gingrich has called Sarah Palin a "Formidable person in her own right."
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has said that Sarah Palin was "A heck of a lot smarter than she gets credit for."

And even former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney praised her recently, calling her, "An extraordinarily powerful and effective voice in our party".

I'm sure those folks will have to change their views as the campaign rolls on. So, look for the mud slinging from the other GOP hopefuls to begin the moment Sarah Palin announces her intentions in the coming weeks. Things are sure to be interesting. But as she has taken so much from the left already, I doubt that anyone on the right can top it.

But that's just my opinion, I could be right.