Roger Simon: Don’t Underestimate Palin

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has made a career out of defying pundits’ expectations. And that trend may continue, Politico columnist Roger Simon writes.

“One should never underestimate the power of a candidate who can make an emotional connection to voters,” he says. “Ronald Reagan said all sorts of outrageous things, both as a candidate and as president. … Did people care? Nah, they loved Ronnie.”

Palin doesn’t match up to the ex-president, Simon says. “She lacks the ideological footing he had, for one thing — but she does know how to connect with people, even if they are not the same people most of the media hang out with.”

The presidential race that Palin might enter hasn’t even started yet, Simon notes. “This is still early, and Palin still has time to both educate herself and grow more skilled at handling the non-adoring media,” he writes. “And if Palin’s whole ‘Mama Grizzly’ image will never gain support among liberals, well, that is not the base she is stalking.”