(CNN) – Prominent New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg says that Sarah Palin just might have a clearer path to the Republican presidential nomination next year than commonly understood – an event he warns would lead to President Obama's clear reelection.
Gregg, the former senator and governor of the Granite State, says the muddled GOP presidential field means it's more likely than ever there won't be a clear consensus candidate before the party's nominating convention in August of 2012. If that happens, says Gregg, Palin and her army of supporters might have the upper hand when it comes to settling on a presidential candidate.
"A candidate who runs second or third in a great many primaries could go into the convention with a sizable block of delegates," writes Gregg in an Op-Ed in The Hill newspaper Monday. "Who would this favor? Does Sarah Palin come to mind? Although she is not viewed by most as strong enough to win, she is viewed by many as a person worth voting for to make a statement."
While it's unlikely Palin (should she run) would win that many primary contests, placing second or third might be enough - especially this time around when delegates will be awarded a proportionate basis instead of the winner-take-all system that has previously been the rule in Republican primaries.
"Finishing second and third isn't really a big deal – until you get enough delegates to be the nominee," writes Gregg. "And picking a nominee who it seems would be easily defeated by President Obama might not be the best statement."
In 2008, Gregg was a supporter of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is all-but-certain to run again.
From CNN Politics
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Any bets on how long she would last as President before she resigned?
She quits her job half way through her term, shes full of lies, has not contributed one single intelligent solution to any of this countries problems and she's being mentioned as a presidential candidate. I'm tired of scratching my head, it really is pathetic.
Girls are so jealous of Sarah Palin ..she is pretty and smart and sexy.. Guys are afraid of her because she may step on their toes...lol... any men left out there that aren"t afraid of a woman being in command.... hell..look what us men did.. go to war? Waste billions of dollars.... and argue? for what.. I didnt votte for Obama.. but maybe we were ready to have a black president.. MLK would have been a great president... I like Colin Powell ... maybe we need to try a female president..Sarah Palin is my choice... i dont want an ugly female pres..lol...
I don't care witch: Palin or Bachman, I want one of them to win the nomination. I do realize that both have set women back 50 years, I want to see....
PS
I'm a progressive, liberal, Democrat:-)
Something is wrong with America if Palin wins – I will pack my bags in that case
Remember she says she can beat Obama! However, she'd have to answer questions from the evil lamestream media, not just her admirers at fixed news, please run Sarah! We need some new word made up words, to add to your word salad.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We liberals are sooooooo caught up in Sarah. Pretty sad that we can't find enough good stuff to say about Barack otherwise we would be shouting it from the mountain tops. He is great!
Hope she gets the Republican nomination and will do what I can to assure it – as a Democrat. Because then Obama would win all 50 states in a landslide.
We can only hope that Gregg is correct, and Palin is smart enough to pick Bachman as her running mate!
I can't imagine anything more wonderful than watching the vapid Palin attempt to debate Obama. He wouldn't even have to prepare.
For those who don;t like the President.......so bet, however you need to put your thinker cap on. He has done more in 2 years then Bush and any other President has done in 8 years. You just don't like him because you have been watching to much Fox's Blues and believe everthing you hear.................This man is for the people . Palin in for the money.......what a joke.
To "common thinking" ... sorry to burst your bubble, mate, but it was DUBYA and his CLOWNS that created the deficit we now face; by instigating two wars (can you say "Viet Nam"?) and forcing on the beleagured Middle Class the Financial Meltdown. Remember that there was actually a Budget Surplus when Dubya was given the 2000 election, thanks entirely to his lame brother, the Florida Governor at the time, Jeb. Get your facts stright, bub ...
How can any one with a brain look at the last 2 years and vote for Obama Oh that's right he did stop drilling for oil good show
@gsmith are you stupid or are you just a plain imbecile .........as of right now . no republican that's on the presidential list has a snowball's chance of beating our great POTUS........................remember that !!!!
As a lifelong republican and conserative I say "God help us if Sarah Palin gets the nomination and winds" . She is an embarrassment to my party and when she opens her mouth, stupid just flows out of it.
I am 120% sure that Sarah will never step in in the Oval Office. Even if her Party put her in the front burner! The only people who decide the person to win are "independents". These are well educated and very understanding people, thus they will not let a person like Sarah lead them and the rest of the nation, hence the entire world!
According to Sarah Palin the world needs her and if there is no one else to take President Obama on , then she will be more than happy to get the job done. Yeah, only in her wildest dreams!
If McCain had chosen Joe Lieberman for a running mate, it might be a much different country right now.
Palin is a female Charlie Sheen - a train wreck that people just keep cheering on. Go, Sarah, Go!
I can't wait for Sarah Palin to be #45.....
Some lefty loons will commit suicide, the others will leave the country....
either way, works for me:)
Can it be humanly possible to make a statement beyond "I am as dumb as a stump" by voting for the Wasilla Flibbertigibbet?
I admire that republicans are becoming more self aware with the coming election, however the discorse surrounding Palin's possible run for the presidency is just fueling the fire. Republicans need to take a stand and direct their attention to what, when and why and not who. If republicans nominees are serious they need to step up now and present themselves so as to drown out the gibberish, like "is Palin going to run". How about, "republicans are ready to face the continuing job crisis," or "can a conservative bring the middle class out of economic destruction and birth a new resurgence of American economic power in the face of Chinese momentum". I think the days of political talk and no action are coming to an end. And we can either prepare for the future or let it smacks us in the face, then we might wake up.
RUN SARA RUN!! LOL BTW Sara I speak 4 languages, I had traveled the world, I had meet some foreign politicians so REALLY I got more experience that you. Hey I am just a photographer who understands our world and its folks much better than you instead of making each other hating. BTW I had been a photographer for over 20 yrs. YEAP longer than your 1/2 term as Gov from Alaska when you decided to call it NO MAS.
The base of the Republican party is so far right that the nominee will almost certainly be someone with limited appeal to the middle ground – it's going to be very difficult for the Republicans to take the White House in 2012. On the other hand it should be fun watching all of the candidates "out crazy" one another until then.....
We continue to give more credence to this nonentity than she deserves. If she vanished tomorrow, the media would have to go back to covering important matters. The march 14, 2011 issue had it right, and the rest of the press should follow suit. In an article titled, "150 Women Who Shake the World", it's evident that those named were cited for positive accomplishments.
SARAH PALIN IS NOT ON THE LIST!
Some women mentioned are:
Hawa Abdi
Amira al-Sharif
Lynsey Addario
Emma Bonino
Mabel Bianco
Tory Burch
Shoma Chaudhury
Phelicia Dell
Divyi Keshav
Christine Lagarde
etc.
Every one of the 150 women mentioned is managing, in her own way, to make a positive contribution to society. They represent millions of other women who are doing the same thing, and you haven't heard of them either. The ONLY things being done by Palin are running her mouth and increasing her personal fortune.
Follow Newsweek's lead. Make a positive contribution to society by ignoring her!