Who, at this early stage, do you consider and why?
Consider for what? If you’re talking about proven conservative leadership—someone who consistently draws thousands to see and hear her—Palin is that person. And she is doing this despite the massive politics of personal destruction attacks mounted aganst her by RINOs and Demrats.
Despite the political heat, Palin did what she thought was right for Alaska and prevailed. Everything she did there has conservative roots. And please spare me the “she quit” nonsense. She did what she had to deny her enemies a platform from which to attack her. The only people who raise this argument are Palin’s enemies. Alaskans, from what I’ve read, have no problem with what she did.
There are no other credible conservatives out there. Romney is a RINO. Huckaby is as a populist opportunist. Paul is a libertarian cult figure. Ditto his son. Jindal says conservstive things, but who knows. And so on.
Not sure what’s up with Palin’s McBipartisan endorsement, but she spends most of her time campaigning for conservative candidates. In the absense of any other coherent explanation for her support of McCain, I think she is marginalizing him as a critic. Sadly, the man continues to wield what ever popularity/power he has on the back of his having been a Vietnam hero. I respect that sacrifice, but he is a completely different person today. Retaining his political relevance—at least as he sees it—is now more important to him than his nation’s security.