Democrats Don't Want Sarah Palin Campaigning For Them...Either

Politico----

Gov. Sarah Palin said last weekend that she’d be willing to campaign for some Democrats when she leaves office later this month.

She may not have many takers.

Interviews with a number of the most conservative Democrats in the House and Senate induced an awkward, stare-at-your-shoes unease when the prospect of appearing with Palin was posed.

Some of the members lunged for elevators, others moved to get into meetings (or at least behind closed doors), and a few just chuckled nervously and replied in a clipped fashion that reflected an immense desire to not discuss the topic at any length.

For these Democrats, many of them part of the right-leaning Blue Dog Coalition, Palin presents a quandary: She’s deeply unpopular within their own party, but in the socially conservative, often rural districts or states they represent, the plain-spoken, wader-wearing Alaska governor has a following.

So Palin’s suggestion, floated in a Washington Times interview, that she’d stump for like-minded independents or Democrats prompted many usually loquacious politicians to respond gingerly — and often with the same talking point they would use to explain why they don’t want high-profile liberals to appear in their red-leaning districts.

“I don’t think so,” said Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, who hails from the conservative far western reaches of North Carolina.

“You know, look,” Shuler continued, clearing his throat, “there may be things we agree on, but there’s a lot of things we disagree on. I’m satisfied by me campaigning for myself in my own district. I don’t need somebody else from, you know — to come into my district.”

So, no help from Alaska?

“I don’t think so,” Shuler said, smiling and glancing over at the friends he was showing around the Capitol.

Rep. John Barrow, who represents a number of rural counties around Augusta and Savannah, Ga., was already walking quickly out of a Democratic Caucus meeting when asked about a Palin visit.

“That’s a new one on me,” Barrow said. “I don’t think she wants to campaign for me.”

Happily getting into an elevator and away from the question, he added: “It’s really not for me to make suggestions to Ms. Palin; she’s got enough to worry about.”

Over in the Senate, Palin didn’t fare much better. But a pair of Democratic senators demonstrated the delicate touch that enables them to win and hold office in red America.

“I don’t know,” Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor said with a good-natured laugh. “I usually don’t ask people to come campaign for me. I hadn’t really thought about that possibility.”

And how would Palin play in Arkansas, a state the GOP ticket carried by 20 points last year?

“I think, like a lot of places, she has some people that really like her and, you know — but overall, I’m not sure how she’d do there,” Pryor said, before ducking into a Democratic Caucus luncheon.

Spoken like the son of a senator and somebody who won with 80 percent of the vote last year.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, perhaps the most conservative Democrat in the upper chamber, might as well have been asked if he wanted self-proclaimed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to bring a bit of Burlington to North Platte.

“I don’t have very many of my colleagues campaign for me,” Nelson responded quickly. “I generally have been out on my own doing it: two terms as governor, now two terms in the Senate.”

So, no Palin appearances in Cornhusker Country?

“Well, I don’t think it’s necessary,” Nelson added. “I don’t look to do that. I’ve had a very limited number of people ever campaign for me, and I’ve never seen the need to expand it.” (One of them was a young, liberal-leaning senator by the name of Barack Obama, whom he asked to come to Omaha in 2006.)

For all the brushoffs, some conservative Democrats did indicate they’d at least have an open mind toward a Palin visit.

“I hadn’t given it a lot of thought,” said Rep. Gene Taylor, a Blue Dog Democrat from Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, adding: “I would not be opposed to it.” But right after opening the door, Taylor quickly closed it. “I generally don’t bring in other folks to campaign for me,” he said.

So how could she be an asset?

“Like I said, I hadn’t given it a lot of thought,” Taylor reminded, allowing only that Palin is “popular” and that “people like her.”

“OK?” he asked, or pleaded, wanting to be done with the subject.

Rep. Jim Marshall, a Democrat who represents a heavily conservative middle and south Georgia seat, sent Palin the warmest signal, if only after a brief filibuster and a bit of prompting.

“That’s an interesting thought,” Marshall said, taking a moment to chat while he took a group of college students around the Capitol. “I’d be happy to talk with her. You know, I think she’s going to have a very interesting career. It’s not surprising to me that she’s decided that she should move from being governor to whatever the next stage of her career is. Wouldn’t surprise me if we didn’t see her with a talk show. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a book, one or two.”

Could she be helpful in Georgia?

“I’m sure that there are many ways that she could be helpful,” Marshall said.

For him?

“Well, I suspect so — I just don’t know what ways those are,” he said with a nervous laugh.

How popular is Palin around Marshall’s Macon-area district?

“Oh, I don’t know,” Marshall responded, seeming to tire of the topic.

Asked if Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) carried his district last year, the congressman made clear just why, besides Southern hospitality, he might have been so warm toward Palin.

“McCain got 57 percent,” Marshall said before catching himself.

“McCain-Palin got 57 percent in my district,” he said, emphasizing the governor’s name and offering a final knowing laugh.

Sources: Politico, Flickr