Sarah Palin 'not a serious human being' and can't debate worth beans.

Time's Mark Halperin, co-author of the bestseller Game Change, has posted "Beyond Palin: Assessing the Rest of the GOP Presidential Field:"

... Some of the other would-be candidates and their senior advisers have known Palin over the years, primarily from her days as governor, but most have literally never met her or had a substantive talk with her. That is a strange situation to say the least; it forces them to evaluate her without any direct insight into her strengths and weaknesses. But from afar, they increasingly believe she will either become a candidate for president or play a major role in the nominating process.

Still, few express much regard for Palin's ultimate chances. One adviser to Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and, by traditional standards, the putative 2012 frontrunner, says of Palin, "She's not a serious human being." Another Romney intimate warns, "If she's standing up there in a debate and the answers are more than 15 seconds long, she's in trouble."

One of the most experienced Republican national political operatives in the country suggests that while Palin might be envied and sleek, she lacks the endurance required for a protracted nomination fight. "She's like a cheetah. She can run really fast, but not really long." In the end, this school of thought about Palin goes, she is too polarizing to be seen as likely to beat Barack Obama, and Republicans will be too hungry in 2012 to risk nominating someone who could cost the party the White House — maybe even in a landslide. ...

Halperin goes on to describe a potential Romney campaign, then drops a dark-horse surprise:

Romney might be following the old-school candidate handbook, but it is Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels who has attracted the backing of many party elders, including George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Daniels, like Romney, fits the profile that Obama White House advisers and experienced Republicans believe would give the GOP the best chance to beat Obama in 2012. If voters think Washington is broken and spending is out of control, Daniels, like Romney, could effectively run as a Mr. Fix-It, ready to make the hard choices that conservatives believe Obama has dodged.


Rather than address the issue of her potential candidacy, an aide to Palin "unloaded" on Romney's staff by playing victim:

“It shocks me that anyone would try to do that,” the aide said. “You’d think we’d all be working together toward a common goal – that being 2010 – and that should be the focus right now. Those who try to claim the mantle of Reagan would be good to follow one of his most sacred tenets.”...

... Further, the Palin aide criticized Romney’s staff for launching into attacks focused on the 2012 Republican presidential primary rather than focusing on November’s midterm election.

“She’s not focused on promoting herself or disparaging other Republicans,” the aide said. The Republican Party is “not worried about 2012. We should be focused on 2010.”

Is Sarah Palin following Reagan's "most sacred tenets?" One was "never speak ill of another Republican," yet Palin is robo-calling Georgia to tell people that the Republican opponents of the Republican candidate she's endorsed for Governor are, "kind of saying those kinds of crazy things about her. ... Karen's opponents aren't always telling the truth about her views."

And Sarah Palin isn't promoting herself? Can anyone believe that after the book tour, photo shoots, TeaVee appearances, speaking engagements and reality show?

IM's post of this morning has the identity of the Palin aide who went to Politico's Andy Barr to unload.


Update: Vanity Fair reports that Mitt Romney has -- gasp! -- twittered in an attempt to shut-up the dueling anonymous sources. Isn't that leadership?