Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) tomorrow will make two appearances in the Commonwealth for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.
Barbour will stop in Virginia Beach and Richmond, hoping to stir-up publicity — and cash — for McDonnell’s campaign.
The Mississippi governor’s name is among those often tossed out as potential GOP presidential candidates in 2012. And Barbour isn’t the first big-name Republican to stump for McDonnell.
Among those who have either hosted fundraisers or made appearances for McDonnell are:
- Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.), a potential 2012 candidate
- Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.), a 2008 candidate
- Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), a 2008 candidate who’s almost certain to make another run in 2012
- Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), a 2008 candidate
- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a 2008 candidate and potential GOP gubernatorial candidate back in his home state
- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele
You’ll notice one name that’s not on that list — Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska). I know what you’re thinking: makes sense that McDonnell doesn’t want to bring in Palin, whose been at the center of all sorts of controversies since her failed vice-presidential bid.
Hold your horses.
I predict Virginians will hear from Palin, in one way or another, before election day. She still has a huge following among conservatives. More than 20,000 showed up to hear her speak in New York several weeks ago.
What if McDonnell’s folks aren’t shying away from Palin, but are instead saving her, waiting to deploy a valuable asset, especially among women. Just sayin’.
It’s important to note, of course, that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds has a few valuable resourses to deploy himself — namely President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, both of whom are expected in Virginia sometime before November.
The Richmond Report 
I’m willing to bet that you can take the crowds that all these people have drawn, add them together, and not come any where near the crowd that Gov. Palin would draw. My bet is that she will come the Sunday and Monday before election day.
I might show up for “Fred!” but no one else on the first list. Now, if you’re talking Palin, I’ll crawl through broken glass.
Remember Saxby Chambliss’s projected razor-thin victory before Sarah Palin showed up? Her appearance turned that race into a 14-point blowout. If you want to win, BEG her to come to town and make sure you have lots of parking.
It’s pretty sad how everyone thinks Sarah Palin is in the middle of these “controversies.” It’s only a controversy because the media paints it so. She has basically been minding her own business. For example, she gives a speech to a small group of people in Alaska. She reads text from a Newt Gingrich article, and quotes him twice. A lazy reporter claims she plagiarized him (despite the fact she quoted him twice). Of course this article was taken down and “amended” a few hours later, but the damage was done. The national media ran with it and called her a plagiarizer. Nice “controversy.” Or how about her going to NY to raise money for disabled people…. she gets called a slut and her daughter a whore on national TV. She defends her daughter… now it’s a “controversy.”
Notice how no one ever mentions how well run Alaska is? Notice how no one ever mentions that because Sarah Palin put away in savings 5+ billion from excess oil revenue, the State hasn’t had to cut back on services or consider raising taxes?
She will never catch a break. As long as people and the media are allowed to get away with this stuff, good and honest people will shy away from public service. What a shame.
” More than 20,000 showed up to hear her speak in the midwest last month.”
Correction that would be 20,000 in Auburn NY about 2 weeks ago and 5,000 in Evansville IN last month.