Strange Coincidence

by Deacon Blues

Karl Rove this morning questioned the wisdom of Sarah Palin's "higher calling" exit, calling it a "risky strategy". Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said this morning in essence that if Palin left because of scrutiny and to dodge criticism, she really shouldn't be thinking of running for the presidency at all.

Three questions:

1. Who is Rove working with, or backing for 2012?

2. What are the odds that several potential GOP candidates for 2012 have crashed already?

3. Is the answer to Question #1 whomever is left unscathed at the end of 2009?

For my two cents, I think Rove and Fox News want to control who the 2012 nominee is, and in fact the right wing media machine wants to control that process and eventual nominee. Fox wants its person to be front and center as the standard bearer, as the ultimate example of the media and corporate power controlling the levers of power.

Now, for some true tin foil hattery: Mike Huckabee and Karl Rove work for Fox News. People like Ensign and Sanford, and even Palin represented uncontrollable forces in their way. Rush wanted Bobby Jindal, who received advice that allowed him to seemingly implode in real time on TV.

Update: As phidipides indicated in the comments section, fellow conservatives are throwing all sorts of dirt upon Palin today, with Geroge Will and Lisa Murkowski saying Palin is a quitter who is abandoning her responsibilities. What you're seeing are the Beltway conservative elites trying to bury the rabble before the party gets saddled with her as the face of the party.

Incredibly, Palin's supporters claim she can leave now because she has accomplished more in 2 1/2 years than other governors do in two terms. Seriously. Can someone educate me on what exactly Palin has accomplished that puts her at the head of the class in 2012?

Lastly, Rove using the word "risky" in association with Palin wasn't by accident, knowing how he and Frank Luntz love to label opponents.