The Big Announcement? Palin to keynote Tea Party rally in Iowa

Real Clear Politics: In the latest indication that her sights are still set on a presidential run, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has accepted an invitation to keynote a Tea Party rally in Waukee, Iowa, on Sept. 3, RealClearPolitics has learned.

The Labor Day weekend visit to the nation's first voting state comes after Palin indicated during an appearance on Fox News earlier this month that she would make her decision about whether to launch a campaign in August or September.

All signs now point to September as the month when Palin would throw her hat into the ring, as logistical concerns ranging from fundraising to getting her name on the ballot in various states would likely preclude further delay. [MORE]

As my regular readers know, I have always believed that Palin would run in 2012. For me the question has always been what would she run for. Will she run to win the White House or will she run just to shape the GOP field? She has the power to do both, so time will actually tell.

I cannot think of a better time or venue for Palin to announce. A TEA Party rally with the theme of "Restoring America" is tailor made for Palin who constantly works in themes or restore, renew and revive. As everyone knows, September 3rd would be cutting it close for throwing in your hat for 2012.

While a Palin announcement would be sure to generate wall to wall coverage on any given day, an announcement on September 3rd would guarantee she would dominate a slow news weekend for three days. Three crucial days when Americans are actually getting together with family and discussing things like politics. This would be a classic Palin media manipulation.

One way or another, Palin will have to make her 2012 intentions clear by Labor Day.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Real Clear Politics
Via: Conservatives 4 Palin

Video: Sarah Palin’s Iowa speech

Sarah Palin’s keynote speech at the Reagan Dinner in Iowa has set off a new round of speculation of whether or not Sarah Palin will run in 2012.  Good grief, is it not terribly obvious by now that Sarah Palin will run in 2012?  Just look at this new Sarah PAC ad.

From its well polish presentation to its overt attempt to connect to the Tea Party movement, the ad reeks of a presidential run.  The real question the pundits should be asking now is not whether Sarah will run, but why is she going to run.

To me I see two possibilities. Palin will either run to outright win the White House or she will run to shape the 2012 elections. Right now, Palin is most capable of the latter.

Think about this, if Palin runs for the GOP nomination, what Republican running to the left of her would stand a snow ball chance in hell of getting the nomination? Palin, for whatever faults you may think of, adheres to one of the purest brands of conservatism the nation has seen since Reagan. Any GOP candidate seeking the nomination is going to have to match or exceed Palin’s conservatism in order to win the nomination in 2012. So win or not, Palin will force a more conservative GOP candidate to emerge (I can already see Mitt Romney twisting himself into a pretzel trying to out-Palin Palin).

Palin running in 2012 will also affect the general election. Palin’s commonsense conservatism will force conservative issues onto the national stage.  Unlike 2008 where the Democrats drove the issues, the right will be driving the issues of 2012.  Palin’s presidential run will no doubt create huge buzz and thus shape those issues.  Even Obama will have to address them.

I am keeping my eye on the political landscape.  By next year, we will have a better idea of whether Palin is going all the way or if she will just act as a gravitational force to shift the 2012 narrative towards conservative ideals.

Video h/t to The Right Scoop