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Your post assumes that Palin knew all along that she knew was WASN'T going to run; and also that Perry's sucking oxygen from the room with his own inarticulate, bumbling self, had no effect on her getting early traction and funding.

Incorrect. I think it likely Palin knew she probably wasn't going to run by last spring/early summer when she was doing none of the things a serious candidate would do (and Fox didn't terminate her), however she was absolutely determined to at least appear to keep her options open. You know full well her supporters were CERTAIN she was going to unleash some Sun Tzu like "unconventional" campaign designed to go around the establishment. That she wouldn't need to do the things most candidates do. My post assumes only that her dedicated supporters were sure she was running. Come on now, you must know perfectly well that she has devoted fans that still can't let go and believe she may still be the nominee. I'm bad with user names, and forgive me if I am wrong, but I seem to remember you being chief among these people that were certain Palin was running and unable to accept that she wasn't.

Oh I don't dispute Perry stumbled, bumbled and generally demonstrated a clear lack of ability to communicate on the national state. Other members have reminded me that his back surgery may have had something to do with it - but that is neither here nor there. He clearly could not communicate well enough and I gave up on him because of it it.

But what we are talking about here is the anti-Perry vitriol that struck this website, and others, most notable between Perry's high profile entry into the race and Palin's official decision not to run. Some people have blamed the mods for not putting a stop to it. My point is that the tide of anti-Perry stuff was so enormous (here and elsewhere), as Palin supporters mobilized to eliminate what they perceived as her only serious conservative competitor, that there simply wasn't much forum administrators could bo but let it play out. An effort to stop such a thing would have required more speech limiting action than it would have been worth.

If is hard for me to believe anyone can't see how Palin's dithering about making a decision left huge numbers of core conservative activists sitting on the sidelines. These folks were waiting, unable and/or unwilling to get behind another candidate and otherwise attacking all potential Palin competition and it had a very serious (and negative) impact on this cycles GOP primary process. Whether her motives were noble or just an effort to stay in the spotlight, I don't know. But the impact of her delayed decision did conservatives no favors.