Running for president? Palin and Trump limber up at Tea Party rallies

Published on Sunday 17 April 2011 17:18

Donald Trump and Sarah Palin both continued their political tease over the weekend, rallying the faithful ahead of a potential - but by no means confirmed - run at the White House.

Both seem reluctant to throw their hat fully into the ring as the Republican Party's search for a credible 2012 candidate gets off to a sluggish start.

It hasn't stopped them wooing the party base. Mr Trump and Ms Palin staged separate rallies on Saturday in which they vied for the attentions of the so-called Tea Party, a conservative grassroots movement. Despite neither confirming that they are to run, the high-profile wild- cards have injected colour - and in Mr Trump's case, controversy - into the race for the Republicans' presidential nod.

While Barack Obama declared his plans to run for re-election a fortnight ago, the Republican opposition appears no closer to narrowing in on a candidate.

Of the early contenders to show their hands, two former governors - Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Massachusetts' Mitt Romney - are being pushed as potential front-runners.

Both are characterised as capable, solid politicians. But neither are inspiring choices, especially amongst those on the party's right who are looking for a tub-thumper to challenge Mr Obama.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann - a Minnesota Congresswoman who matches Ms Palin in her conservative leanings - could fill this role.

It is Ms Palin herself that many on the Right want to see enter the fray. Having cemented her position as a Tea Party favourite since first coming to national attention in 2008, Ms Palin may be preparing to take on her Republican rivals.

If Saturday's rally is anything to go by, the former Alaskan governor is certainly flirting with the idea.

"The 2012 election begins here," she told an enthusiastic crowd in Madison, Wisconsin.Seeking to position herself as a gutsy outsider, she attacked the Republican's "establishment" in Washington.

While Ms Palin was wowing the crowds in Wisconsin, Mr Trump was doing likewise in Florida. The self-promoting business entrepreneur and reality TV star has seen his popularity surge as a result of a busy media schedule of late.

A recent poll of Republican voters puts him as the front-runner, replacing former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee - who likewise has yet to confirm his candidacy - at the top of the pile.

Some have put his rising star down to his high profile, with his boisterous nature and idiosyncratic hair making him instantly recognisable. He has also tapped into the Tea Party's personal dislike and distrust of Mr Obama.

Mr Trump has aligned himself with so-called "birthers" - a fringe movement that believes Mr Obama was born in Kenya and not Hawaii and as such is not eligible for office. The president - backed by official documents - has repeatedly denied the claims.

At Saturday's rally, Mr Trump renewed his call to see Mr Obama's birth certificate. He also continued his strategy of boasting about his own achievements while casting aspersions on the president.

"We have a man that almost certainly will go down as the worst president of the United States," he told a cheering crowd. Mr Trump attacked Mr Obama's stance on foreign and economic policy while the crowd lapped it up.