Monday, August 15, 2011

What to make of waiting...

I've searched through my brain to determine why it is so important to so many that Sarah Palin announces a Presidential bid this month or next. Okay, my brain didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, so I did some research.

What follows is the date that the last 50 years' worth of Presidential candidates announced their intention to pursue their party's nomination (not a complete list):

John F. Kennedy (D-MA) - January 2, 1960
Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) - January 3, 1964
George Romney (R-MI) - November 18, 1967
Richard M. Nixon (R-CA) - January 31, 1968
Robert F. Kennedy (D-MA) - March 16, 1968
Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) - April 27, 1968
Senator George McGovern (D-SD) - January 18, 1971
Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN) - January 10, 1972
Jimmy Carter (D-GA) - December 12, 1974 (a very early bird)
Gerald R. Ford (D-MI) - July 8, 1975
George Bush (R-TX) - May 1, 1979
Bob Dole (R-KS) - May 14, 1979
Howard Baker (R-TN) - November 1, 1979
Ronald Reagan (R-CA) - November 13, 1979
Gary Hart (D-CO) - February 17, 1983
Walter Mondale (D-MN) February 21, 1983
John Glenn (D-OH) - April 21, 1983
Michael Dukakis (D-MA) -
Joe Biden (D-RI) - June 8, 1987
Bob Dole (R-KS) - November 8, 1987
Bob Kerrey (D-NE) - September 30, 1991
Bill Clinton (D-AR) - October 3, 1991
Pat Buchanan (R-DC) - December 10, 1991
Pat Buchanan (R-DC) - March 20, 1995
Bob Dole (R-KS) - April 10, 1995
Richard Lugar (R-IN) - April 19, 1995
Stephen Forbes (R-NY) - September 22, 1995
Steve Forbes (R-NY) - March 16, 1999
George W. Bush (R-TX) - June 12, 1999
Al Gore (R-TN) - June 16, 1999
Howard Dean (D-VT) - June 23, 2003
John Kerry (D-MA) - September 2, 2003
John Edwards (D-NC) - September 16, 2003
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - January 20, 2007 (Exploratory committee announcement)
Barack Obama (D-IL) - February 10, 2007
John McCain (R-AZ) - April 25, 2007

There you have it. A sample of announcement dates. As recently as Bill Clinton's historic run to the Presidency, he didn't announce until October.

I think Sarah Palin can afford to wait.

Cross-posted from Roderic Deane.




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