Dr. Charles W. Dunn is dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. He believes Palin would be strong out of the gate.
"Sarah Palin has the advantage going into Iowa," he opines. "That electorate is dominated by evangelical Christians -- anywhere from a third to a half of the Iowa GOP electorate. She has an organization there."
But Dunn says Palin also has some significant liabilities.
"She's not demonstrated the seriousness of purpose. [And] she's not taken the vocal training that she should," he suggests. "She comes off more like a high school cheerleader rather than a serious aspirant for the Republican presidential nomination."
Dunn says whether Palin or any other GOP candidate can beat Barack Obama will depend in large part on what Obama does over the next two years.
The latest survey data confirm Dr. Dunn's observations about her challenges. The Washington Post reports:
Six in 10 voters say they would not even consider voting for the former Alaska governor if she launches a White House bid, and she loses badly to President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 general election test.
Despite her high profile, amplified this fall by her campaign appearances and endorsements and her new reality TV program, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," Palin has not made demonstrable progress in overcoming opposition to her possible candidacy. If anything, she has slipped over the past year.
A slim 8 percent of all registered voters say they would definitely vote for Palin for president, while 31 percent say they would consider doing so. Fully 60 percent say they definitely would not. Among all Americans, 59 percent say they would not vote for her, up from 53 percent in November 2009
