A new CNN poll says that seven in 10 Americans believe Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President. I'm not entirely sure what that means. I think Dick Cheney is probably "qualified" to be President but I'd never vote for the guy. I can also imagine a scenario where I vote for someone I think isn't "qualified" to be President just because the alternative seems more dangerous. 47% of Republicans in this poll say she's not qualified but I'll bet some of them would vote for her. In the last election, an awful lot of this country went for the guy with less experience.
Or did most of the respondents in this poll just answer the question as if it was, "Might you vote for her?" That would be my guess. I'd also guess that in hindsight, a pretty high percentage of Americans would say that George W. Bush wasn't qualified to be President…even in his second term.
No matter which interpretation you buy, it reinforces my belief that Ms. Palin will never get much closer to the presidency than I will. What's more, I think she knows it. But I also think she knows that at least for the next few years, she has a small, loyal band of rabid followers who empower her. They'll donate money to an alleged presidential campaign. They'll pay to buy her books or hear her speak. They'll demand for her to receive a certain amount of respect and attention from the media and especially from the Republican Party. Unless she lands a lucrative alternate gig — like, say, a three-year contract from Fox News — she's not going to say "I won't be a candidate" because she won't want to diminish that group's loyalty, hopes, etc. So she ain't going away but she also ain't gonna be the Republican nominee.