Political Hotsheet
By

Dean Reynolds /

CBS News/ September 23, 2010, 4:11 PM

Sarah Palin Inches Toward Presidential Run

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin.

/ AP
Sarah Palin has now tiptoed a bit closer to a presidential candidacy, telling Fox News' Greta Van Susteren she could indeed see a way to make the race.

"If nobody else wanted to step up I would offer myself in the name of service to the public," she said. The fact that several others are clearly contemplating stepping up has apparently not diminished Palin's interest.

Basically, she is saying that if none of the hopefuls is sufficiently conservative for her, then she would - in the interest of the nation - throw her hat into the ring.

But Palin was quick to back away lest people get the wrong impression. She said she is in a good place now and will decide what's best for her family and the conservative movement.

"I don't need the title," she said in the interview. "I don't need for any kind of self-gratification or for personal power-seeking of my own to run for office."

The questions on Fox were friendly, as they almost always are. Presumably it's one reason Palin told an audience in Kentucky last week, "What would we do without Fox News, America? Gotta love Fox News." Other outlets - those who make up what she calls the "lamestream media" are apparently unfair.

Palin cited the case of Christine O'Donnell, the newly minted GOP senate nominee in Delaware, to prove her point. O'Donnell's past comments about hanging out with witches, opposing masturbation and decrying the "disproportionate" funding that AIDS gets over other diseases, has, along with questions about her finances, landed O'Donnell on the front pages in an unflattering way.

Palin endorsed O'Donnell, who defeated an establishment GOP candidate, Rep. Mike Castle. She says O'Donnell has been victimized by the press.

"We are learning more about Christine O'Donnell and her college years and her teenage years and her financial dealings than anybody ever even bothered to ask about Barack Hussein Obama as a candidate and now as our president," she said.

This means that in Palin's view the countless stories about Obama's real estate dealings in Chicago, his fire-breathing minister, his ancestry, his travels as a youth, his college years and, of course, his citizenship were somehow under-covered by reporters.

Palin has been raising her profile by the week.

A few days ago, she unveiled a new commercial extolling the virtues of the Tea Party movement - a video which featured her prominently but did not contain the word "Republican" anywhere in the narration.

Friday night, it was a big speech to the Iowa GOP in Des Moines. This week, in addition to her interview, it's a new campaign targeting 20 Democratic congressmen she deems vulnerable because they were elected in 2008 from districts the McCain/Palin ticket carried.

As for the Tea Party, she has endorsed a raft of candidates who carry that banner, but not all of them. Two races are instructive.

In Iowa, Palin is supporting Terry Branstad for governor. He was governor for 16 years, left office, and now is running again. He defeated a Tea Party hopeful.

And in New Hampshire, Palin backed Kelly Ayotte for the GOP Senate nomination over a Tea Party rival.

What makes these two endorsements stand out is that Iowa and New Hampshire are the first two contests in the 2012 presidential nominating sweepstakes - contests where who you know - especially in high places - could be very useful to anyone with their eyes on the White House.


Dean Reynolds is a CBS News correspondent based in Chicago.
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  • Dean Reynolds

    Dean Reynolds is a CBS News National Correspondent based in Chicago.

60 Comments Add a Comment
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snorp73 says:
Obama's Bandwagon is/was no match for Palin's Crusade.

Obama started out with the blessing of the MSM, Oprah, and The View. He was lovely, he was a family man, handsome, and spoke nicely. But his stance on the issues have been(and were predicted so by the realists) disastrous for America.

People simply loved Obama in the same way they loved Elvis or Justin Biebar. That kind of "support" is flakey and never lasts, especially when the reality of your positions set in with Americans when they begin to see how it hurts.

PALIN is just the opposite. When she earns a supporter, she keeps them FOREVER. Her rise in popularity has been slow and steady. Obama once rode high, but he's tanked.

What that indicates is the longevity of the types of support both receive, and I hate to tell you liberals, Palin is here for the long haul.
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daffy64 says:
With an approval rating currently at a whopping 29% among the general public, her nomination as the Republican candidate would be the best thing that ever happened to the Democrats.

Run Sarah run!
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Jean5510 replies:
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I don't know where you got that stupid 29%. But the last reliable poll of likely voters had Palin 48/49 Fav/UF. 52% of the general public say their views are the same as Palin's. 40% Obama. 50% of the people will back a Tea Party candidate.

If Sarah Palin runs against Obama she will destroy him in the debates. He can't run on his record because he has none. The corrupt MSM won't be able to lie about the debates because they will be live.
san850 replies:
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You are correct that "the media won't be able to lie about the debates because they will be live" ... they don't have to LIE .... she's perfectly capable of destroying herself! Have you seen her in an interview or debate??? She can't give an intelligent answer to any questions about world affairs, the economy, etc ... all she offers is double-talk about being a "soccer mom, grizzlies, huntin' and fishin', and being "just like us". She's just another moron wanting her 15 minutes of fame.
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BradNoley says:
...uh...duh! As sure as sky is blue, water is wet, Rush is fat, and Glen is insane, of course she is going to run. S.Palin thinks she can use-one liner sayings with no facts or credible proof her way to the White House. And she's got a number of people fooled. She couldn't make it as governor for more than 2 yrs. And now she thinks she's ready for the WH? She is very convicted in her social conservative views. Fine. I believe many people are. Politically she doesn't have a @#$%^&* clue.
She spends too much time trying to get cheers from her followers and not offer any solutions to problems. Have you heard any of her answers to a weak economy, growing deficit, immigration reform, political unrest abroad? No. She has none. She's more in line with nut jobs like Rush, Glen than like Reagan or GH Bush.
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tsigili says:
She should not run, but it is ok for her to encourage others to run, by promoting the possibility she may run.
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RobAla says:
I am sure she is having a blast jerking the media around.
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karlejohn says:
If Sarah Palin gets the nomination in 2012, and if she looses. I think the NAACP should give her the Life Time Achievement Award, she will then be forever known as, "Sister Sarah".
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sean1z says:
I'll vote for Sarah in 2012. A woman with nice boobs should look good in the oval office.
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thadius5 says:
She'll run alright, oh yes indeedy......but then quit half-way thru and write a book.
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sean1z replies:
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thadius5. put away your micropenis. try transsexuality, instead.
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bradkt1 says:
That was a big "IF."

There will be plenty of other aspirants for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

I still don't think she is going to run.
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Dave_P6 says:
I don't know what's more frightening, this pinhead running for President, or the fact that there are enough politically brain dead numb nuts out there who could actually get her nominated.
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larrryshrine replies:
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Look at it this way. If by some fluke she does win, we'll only have her for president for two years before she resigns.
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