There’s still time for Sarah Palin

By Bernie Quigley

For The Hill on 10/26/11

Mitt Romney takes support of New Hampshire’s former Governor John Sununu this week while Jeb Bush and Karl Rove publicly attack Rick Perry. Chris Christie is out. Romney is now certified as the Eastern Establishment candidate. But although things can and likely will change, Rick Perry has yet to consolidate the non-establishment (anti-establishment?) or Tea Party sentiment going now to Cain, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich.

The Fox poll out Wednesday night has Herman Cain in the lead with 24%. The CBS/NYT poll out Monday has Herman Cain at 25%, Mitt Romney at 21%, Newt Gingrich at 10%, Ron Paul at 8% and Rick Perry at 6%. Herman Cain persists and advances.

Romney’s “establishment” support seems frozen at around 18%. With Perry’s 7%, the combined total for the non-Establishment, independent conservatives is 65%. But no one in this race has been able to consolidate this scattered Tea Party, “constitutional conservative” (how about counter-culture conservative?) libertarian conservative and independent conservative vote.

Note to Sarah Palin camp: Friday, October 28 is the last day to register for New Hampshire. There is still time.