Palin brand makes its mark in US mid-term elections

WASHINGTON - Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin endorsed 60 candidates this year, but when dust settled Wednesday morning, the biggest beneficiary of the “Sarah Palin effect” was not necessarily the candidates themselves, but the Palin brand.

Of the 34 candidates Palin endorsed for the House, only 15 won, a less-than-stellar average for someone vying to be the difference-maker in Republican politics, Politico reports.

She did endorse one giant killer, Vicky Hartzler, who took down veteran Democrat and House Armed Services Chairman Committee Ike Skelton of Missouri.

Michael Grimm, who took out New York Democrat Michael McMahon, gave Palin another marquee win.

But on the Senate side, only five of her 12 choices were successful - with the most embarrassing stumble potentially being her home-state pick of Joe Miller, who is knotted with Palin foe Lisa Murkowski in a tight battle that could end in a weeks-long recount.

GOP strategists and observers, however, emphasize that Palin didn’t necessarily choose whom to support based on electability - rather, she backed candidates who aligned with her philosophically.

In doing so, she continued to boost the brand that has made her a star among conservatives and raised her name identification with everyone else, regardless of the final scorecard.

Palin has gone beyond just putting herself “out there,” though. Other potential GOP 2012 presidential hopefuls have hit the trail hard, including Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, but none have drawn the sort of attention and media craze as Palin.

Among Republican campaign observers, many believe only Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has done better building goodwill for himself this cycle with an eye toward the next.

And though Tuesday’s tally - 27 victories, 15 losses and eight undecided races in all, following 10 primary losses - did not make a clearer case for a Palin presidential run, her supporters feel excited about what her involvement has done to conservative candidates across the country and what she could do in two years. (ANI)