Daily Herald editorial

Can Sarah Palin please stay out of the presidential race? Minnesota Republicans Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty make much better candidates.

In fact, many of the other candidates make better candidates, but for time’s sake, let’s use Bachmann and Pawlenty.

No matter how many people like Palin, she is not electable. Any opponent Republican or Democrat simply can remind the voting public — over and over again — that she quit her job as governor of Alaska.

Of all campaign promises made, perhaps the most basic is that candidates agree to serve on behalf of the constituents for a set time period. Elected in 2006, Palin was to serve four years as governor of Alaska, but she resigned in July 2009 amid ethics charges and amid speculation she wanted to spend more time in the Lower 48 promoting her book and her public image.

Pawlenty was elected to two terms as governor of Minnesota and fulfilled his promise to voters to serve those eight years. He showed he has experience running a state and getting re-elected to the position. Bachmann was elected in 2002 to the 6th Congressional District of Minnesota and remains in office. While even among Republicans, her opinions stir debate; she nevertheless has fulfilled the promise to do the job.

All any opponent of Palin would need to say to defeat her is to repeat this phrase at every campaign stop: She’s a quitter.

If Palin throws her hat in the ring, it probably would be more of a Donald Trump situation — where the candidate is merely attempting to further his or her own celebrity status than to actually intend to gain office.