“She doesn’t have the infrastructure or the funding to launch a campaign....”
If she is undertaking some sort of uber-clever misdirection campaign all leading up to a last minute surprise candidacy, I think shes’ playing it too cute by half. She is losing valuable time, money, and resources with the half in, half out “oh goodness I just can’t decide” routine. Heck, I think Perry just squeaked in at the last realistic moment.
Perry got badly dinged tonight. He was called out on the Gardasil debacle and you can bet commercials deriding this govt over-reach are being cut as we speak. He also looked weak on immigration and weak on foreign policy. Huntsman and Romney (and even Newt tonight) are dinging his job-creation armor.
The point I’m making is that there might indeed be a great strategy in play by Palin. I’m a big supporter, and I’d love for her to have already declared. But, I understand it’s a difficult decision and she does not owe me or anyone outside of her family any say in her decision making process.
But, stepping away, looking at what has happened while she has been “teasing” us supporters...Romney got bumped off by Perry...Bachmann (who was supposed to be the smart, literate Palin) has become essentially superfluous...the other candidates have gotten no traction... and, tonight, Perry’s warts began to become exposed on a national stage (and he’s not a great debater, BTW).
Meanwhile, Palin has essentially driven the narrative via tweets, well-thought out FB postings (covering a wide array of issues) and game-changing speeches like the one in Indianola (that even Newt heaped praise on tonight). The pieces (meaning, no really super strong, invincible candidates now, plus a likely campaign strategy focused around the crony capitalism theme) are falling into place for her. Whether she decides to pull the trigger, who knows? But, her position tonight in mid Sept 2012 is certainly stronger than it was at any time during this early campaign (she even came in 3rd in recent CNN poll). All of this, plus her overall notoriety, the other candidates would kill for and would have to spend untold millions to achieve. She hasn’t had to spend a dime. Finally, if you’ve studied her political career, running completely unconventional, kitchen table-type campaigns has been her hallmark. One should not be surprised if the leopard doesn’t change her spots this time around.
Is this Palin strategery??? Again, who knows??? But look who we’re all talking about and whom the other candidates are praising...