Sarah Palin's Endorsements Ruffle Locals

A couple of weeks ago, she upset the conservative New Hampshire Union Leader. Now, Sarah Palin's endorsements are shocking many Republicans in states like Georgia and Maryland.

In Georgia, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate endorsed Secretary of State Karen Handel for governor over former Congressman Nathan Deal (the runoff is Aug. 10), prompting Georgia's speaker pro tem to note that Palin is "a nice lady" who has spent less than 24 hours in Georgia.

Wednesday's Palin's endorsement of Brian Murphy for Maryland governor over former Gov. Bob Ehrlich surprised lots of folks. Having been raised in Maryland, I think it's probably safe to say that Ehrlich is as good as it gets. He may not be the perfect conservative, but he is likely the only Republican who can win in November (though in a post-Scott Brown world, who knows???).

Palin's endorsements are somewhat unpredictable, and span the gamut. In some cases, she is giving the nod to serious conservative outsider candidates who can win, but as the Washington Post's Aaron Blake also recently noted,

Palin has backed several other distinct long shots, including [Washington senate candidate, Clint] Didier, Miss., House candidate Angela McGlowan, California House candidate Star Parker and New York House candidate John Gomez.

Interestingly, of late there has been a debate over whether Palin's endorsements even matter. Reinforcing this notion, Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), a Palin-endorsed candidate, lost his Senate primary bid on Tuesday, though it is likely Palin's endorsement helped him gain some points. Still, it wasn't enough to help him win.

As I recently noted when discussing Sen. Jim DeMint's endorsements, there's also the danger that well-intentioned national figures don't fully understand parochial nuances before they endorse. As such, their backing can have unintended consequences.

What is more, in today's environment it's likely that flashy young conservative candidates may benefit from these endorsements at the expense of solid, experienced, elected conservatives --- who have been paying their dues. And in the case of Palin, some believe that female candidates ("Mama Grizzlies") are more likely to get the nod over male candidates.

Regardless of whether a Palin endorsement helps candidates, it is clear she is making enemies -- as well as friends -- around the nation. This, of course, would be a factor if she seeks the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

As one smart operative recently told me, endorsing in primary campaigns can be risky. If you're not careful, you often make more enemies than friends . . .