Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin finally makes, or at least announces, her decision on the election. She remained quiet on the topic for most of the election season, leaving hope for some of her constituents that she might run, and this late in the game, her silence was announcement enough for most. However, Palin released a statement anyway on Wednesday.

“After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for president of the United States,” said Palin in a statement on her decision.” As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision.

When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.” During a radio interview on the “Mark Levin Show” shortly after she released her statement, the radio host asked if Palin would run as an independent candidate.

In response to the question she said, “I would assume that a third party would just guarantee Obama’s reelection, and that’s the last thing the Republican party can afford. So the consideration for a third party is not there, no.” “My decision is based upon a review of what common sense conservatives and independents have accomplished, especially over the last year,” Palin explained.

“I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office — from the nation’s governors to congressional seats and the presidency.” The former vice presidential nominee added, “Know that by working together we can bring this country back — and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it.”

On the “Mark Levin Show”, she elaborated, “Not being a candidate really you’re unshackled and you’re allowed to be even more active.” Rick Perry, the Texas governor who is still barely holding on to front runner status, released a statement after Palin made her announcement. He said, “Sarah Palin is a good friend, a great American and a true patriot.

I respect her decision and know she will continue to be a strong voice for conservative values and needed change in Washington.” Palin’s announcement comes just days after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated again that he is not going to run for President, despite the constant media speculation to the contrary.

It seems that much to many Republicans’ disappointment, the current field of contenders is who they will have to chose from come January.
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Labor Day was predicted by many as the day Sarah Palin would announce if she would run for president in 2012, but it seems as if Palin is holding back until the right moment, if there is a moment at all.

Sarah Palin, the former Governor of Alaska who also ran for Vice President in the 2008 election, has had a busy few months, that of someone looking to run for election in 2012. But on the other hand, who wouldn’t want to make tons of money from speeches, book signings, and appearances along the political trail.

Jim DeMint, Senator of South Carolina, believes that Palin is simply trying to stay involved in American politics and state her opinions without actually immersing herself completely in the race.

Senator DeMint hosted a political forum on Labor Day, where the leading GOP Presidential candidates all made appearances. DeMint told CBS, “It doesn’t appear that she [Palin] is going to run. She’s done a lot, I think, to engage the American people and stir things up, which we really needed to do, to get American citizens more involved in the process. It made a big difference in the last election. My hope is it’ll make an even bigger difference in the next election, as people take back their government.” Others suppose that Palin’s recent actions are actually preparation for her to enter the race. Karl Rove said,” a scheduled next week that looks like that of a candidate, not a celebrity,” in regards to her tours and speeches she will be making in the next several months.

Palin herself is still unsure about her status in the race but insinuated she may join the race by fall when she made a speech in Iowa this past week, where she stated her five step plan for job creation. But whether Palin is running of not, there have been predictions if she even has any chance of winning the election.

Among her supporters is the Tea Party, which would be happy to see her run, as well as the 600 people who showed up to support her on Labor Day in Concord, New Hampshire. This was twice as many that showed up for Romney, which illustrates that Palin may have a chance against some of the other contenders.

Although Palin is not officially a candidate yet, she is showing to have enough support to place her in third place behind Rick Perry and Romney in a CNN/Opinion Poll taken this week. But according to many polls that are examining a hypothetical race between President Obama vs. Palin, she does not look as if she has a chance to beat the President in a one on one race.

According to a CNN Opinion Research poll, 55% of registered voters would vote for President Obama in 2012, and only 41% for Palin, with 4% undecided. A CNN Opinion Research poll also showed that only 7% of people think Palin could win against the President. President Obama released the American Jobs Act this week, which could change the face of the whole election.

If all things go as promised within the year, the president could look at another reelection. On the other hand if things don’t go as planned, Palin could have an easier time gaining support if she does decide to enter the race and her five-step plan is attractive to voters.

Whether Palin will run or not will most likely surface within the upcoming weeks. Until then, the crowd will remain anxiously waiting.

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Although it is already September and the presidential election is just 14 months away, Sarah Palin has still not announced if she intends to join the Republican field of candidates. The former governor of Alaska and reality TV star spoke to tea party activists on Saturday in Iowa. She did not make any major announcements but did appear to lay some groundwork for a potential campaign bid.

“This is why we must remember the challenge is not simply to replace Obama in 2012. The real change is who and what we will replace him with,” Palin said in a rural area south of Des Moines. “Folks, you know it’s not enough to change the uniform.”

The audience of about 2,000 supporters from all over the country erupted into chants of “Run, Sarah, Run!” Palin gave no response to the chant and did not mention the candidacy in her 40 minute speech.

Palin talked about her experience as the governor of Alaska and stated she confronted powerful corporations, instead of coddling to them like the current administration. Although she did not specifically name any from the GOP field, she did say that Republicans are also to blame for repaying campaign donations with perks. Similar to what Texas Governor Rick Perry has been accused of in recent weeks.

“There is a name for this. It’s corporate, crony capitalism,” she said. Asked later if she was referring to Perry, she said it was to all GOP candidates. “I want all of our GOP candidates to take the opportunity to kill corporate capitalism that is leading to this cronyism that’s destroying our economy,” Palin said, while in a crush of hundreds of supporters asking for autographs and posing for pictures.

Palin also said her remarks should not be construed as a campaign address, telling reporters: “It was a thank-you-tea-party-Americans speech.” Palin reported she would announce any potential political plans late in September. However, her speech in Iowa and another speech in New Hampshire have fueled speculation.

Her speech on Saturday was also different because of instead of criticizing only; Palin actually offered a plan on how she would boost the economy. She proposed expanding oil drilling and loosening regulations on it. She called for pared down business regulations. And she suggested eliminating the corporate income tax.

“It’s not just fear of a double-dip recession, and it’s not the shame of a credit downgrade,” she said. “This is a systemic crisis due to failed policies and incompetent leadership.”

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The war of words continues between Sarah Palin and Karl Rove, leaving the rest of the Republican field gleefully happy. The latest battle between Mama Grizzly and Big Head began last weekend.

Rove mentioned on Fox News that he believed Palin would enter the Republican race for the presidential nomination. After that speculation by Rove, Palin’s camp took offense.

“Three years ago DC pundits predicted with glee the demise of Sarah Palin’s political career,” read a note posted on the SarahPAC website earlier this week. “This past weekend their tune changed, citing false information that she has made a decision and set a date regarding a future campaign.

Any professional pundit claiming to have ‘inside information’ regarding Governor Palin’s personal decision is not only wrong but their comments are specifically intended to mislead the American public.”

On Wednesday night, Rove used Fox News as his platform again to respond to the statement on Palin’s website. “I’m mystified. Look, she is all upset about this, saying I’m somehow trying to sabotage her — sabotage her in some way and that how dare I speculate on her future.

Look, if she doesn’t want to be speculated about as a potential presidential candidate, there’s an easy way to end the speculation. Simply say, ‘I’m not running.’”

Rove went on to say, “I’m just speculating that the kind of schedule she’s keeping leads me to believe that it’s more likely than not that she’s going to be a candidate.” He added, “And I suspect if we didn’t speculate about her, she’d be upset and try and find a way to get us to speculate about her.”

Wow. For once in his life, Rove actually makes sense on something. Palin’s extreme reaction is not only over the top, it makes no sense. She has purposely not made her decision public about a run for the White House for months. She claims she has not made up her mind yet, but most of us know that is not correct.

The entire country, or at least all of those in the media, has speculated on Palin’s political future so why is she super upset at Rove? Did he actually have some sort of inside information?

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As if there is not already too many Republicans cooks in the kitchen, former New York governor George Pataki may be considering entering the fray. Although earlier in the year, Pataki dismissed the idea that he would run for the White House, the Republican just can’t seem to help himself when looking at the crazy field out there.

The New York Daily News reports that close advisors to the former governor expect him to make his announcement but no date has been set. Despite his earlier denial, Pataki has been hinting of a possible run.

In June, Pataki told reporters that he would jump in if no one else with a credible chance of winning comes along. Clearly, televangelist Rick Perry, hypnotic Michele Bachmann and the man with a health care problem Mitt Romney are not credible chances. Pataki has relatively liberal social views which make his chance of winning his party’s nomination a degree above nil.

Meanwhile, Republicans voters are still begging for another candidate to enter the race. However, the name Pataki has never been mentioned. Despite Rep. Paul Ryan’s repeat announcement that he will not run for president, it seems his fan base is still encouraging him. Pressure is also mounting on New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Sarah Palin allegedly has not made up her mind yet.

“Do I think the field is complete yet? I would have thought so, but I’ve got to be honest. I think there could be a few more surprises,” said New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Jack Kimball. According to the Wall Street Journal, former Reagan administration official William Bennett has urged Rep. Ryan to consider a presidential bid.

Christie has stated he has no plans to enter the presidential race either. “The intensity of the recruitment efforts has certainly increased to a new level, but nothing has changed in terms of the governor’s plans,” said Christie adviser Mike Du Haime.

Although many thought Perry would be the lifesaver of the party, it only took days for many party insiders to realize that Perry is not going to beat Obama in the general election.

Many big dollar donors are waiting on the sidelines before backing a candidate. Even with the potential of Sarah Palin jumping in and the former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani considering a run, time is running out.

“To develop a national campaign, you have to have been in a serious planning mode for months by now,” said Phil Musser, a Pawlenty adviser.

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While Sarah Palin is leaving us all guessing about her political future, Texas Governor Rick Perry may be cemented his. After his evolution comments last week, among other controversial remarks, the GOP presidential candidate is not backing down.

Although it often seems that Sarah Palin has no plan to enter the GOP presidential field, Karl Rove believes she will. The former governor of Alaska claims she has not decided whether she is going to run or not and promises to make a decision in September.

Former George W. Bush advisor Karl Rove spoke on Fox News on Saturday morning. He believes that Palin will enter the race, citing her schedule as the reason for his belief. Rove stated her upcoming schedule looks more like that of a ‘candidate’ than a ‘celebrity’.

“This is her last chance,” Rove said on the broadcast. “She either gets in or gets out after this visit next week. I think she gets in.”

Palin released a new video highlighting her Iowa travels just last week. Entitled “Iowa Passion,” the ex-Vice Presidential candidate profiles Iowans who explain why she is “a normal person just like every one of us.”Palin is set to appear in Iowa on September 3, serving as the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America’s “Restoring America” event.

Meanwhile, Rick Perry is busy campaigning on his anti-evolution stance. Last week, during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Perry told a woman and her son that he regarded evolution as “a theory that’s out there” and one that’s “got some gaps in it.”

In South Carolina on Friday, Perry continued to express doubt on the theory of evolution. When a woman in South Carolina congratulated him for his remarks, Perry replied “Well, God is how we got here. God may have done it in the blink of the eye or he may have done it over this long period of time, I don’t know. But I know how it got started.”

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Former governor Sarah Palin continues to stoke the fires of speculation on her possible presidential bid. She reported that she will attend the Iowa State Fair this week, fueling the ‘will Palin run?’ ongoing debate.

Palin is believed to attend the fair on Friday, though a specific date has not been set. She is bringing her “One Nation” bus tour to Iowa, although she is not scheduled to speak at the fair. All the other Republican presidential candidates will debate on Thursday night in Iowa and then participate in the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday. Many are scheduled speakers at the state fair, including likely front runner Mitt Romney.

“We are very happy to jump back on the bus for another leg of our ‘One Nation Tour’! We accept with gratefulness an invitation to meet folks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines this week. The heartland is perfect territory for more of the One Nation Tour as we put forth efforts to revitalize the fundamental restoration of America by highlighting our nation’s heart, history, and founding principles,” Palin wrote in an email to supporters.

In her e-mail, Palin said “prudent Americans” live within their means, including “seeking affordable participation in more community events, local patriotic parades, and traditional all-American venues like state fairs.” She went to say she was “excited to try some of that famous fried butter-on-a-stick, fried cheesecake-on-a-stick, fried twinkies, etc.”

“I’ll enjoy them in honor of those who’d rather make us just ‘eat our peas’!” she said, in a dig at President Obama.

By attending the event, Palin is conveniently ensuring that her name will be in the news this weekend. Texas governor Rick Perry is also closer to announcing his decision. Although he will not be attending the debate, he will be in Iowa on Sunday after trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Palin, who stated she still has not made a decision regarding her political future, is scheduled to return to Iowa over Labor Day weekend. She has indicated she would make a decision by September.

Palin also released a new video on her political action committee’s web site on Wednesday. Palin narrates the 55-second film, titled “Always Proud,” which features footage of corn fields and the Iowa State Fair set to an inspirational soundtrack.  “A writer observed, we grow good people in our small towns with honesty and sincerity and dignity,” Palin says in the video.

“And I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind. I grew up with those people. They’re the ones who do some of the hardest work in America, who grow our food and run our factories and fight our wars. They love our country in good times and bad — and they’re always proud of America.”

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Sarah Palin and GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann are outraged over a comment that vice president Joe Biden made during the excruciating long and dragged out debt ceiling negotiations.  According to Polico, Biden suggested that Tea Party-backed lawmakers “acted like terrorists” during the debate over the debt ceiling. This comment caused Bachmann and Palin to begin huffing and puffing.

Of course, you should note the context of the comment. Of course, Palin and Bachmann should too. Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, who apparently asserted that “[w]e have negotiated with terrorists” during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats about the deal to raise the debt limit. Biden’s response; “They have acted like terrorists.”

Palin appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Tuesday night to showcase the mock outrage. “If we were real domestic terrorists,” Palin explained to host Sean Hannity, “President Obama would be wanting to pal around with us, wouldn’t he? He didn’t have a problem palling around with Bill Ayers back in the day when he kicked off his political career.”

Although Palin has tried to connect Obama to Bill Ayers, a 1960s Weather Underground member, no serious connection exists. Obama did not “pal” around with Ayers, according to the Associated Press.  They worked on community boards and Ayers hosted a political event at the beginning of Obama’s career .

Palin went on to defend the tea party. “I’m not just going to roll over with a sticker plastered on my forehead that says, hit me baby one more time, call me a terrorist again, call me a racist. Those things that Tea Party patriots have been being called over these months. It is unfair, it’s hypocritical of the other side doing that. And enough is enough. And I’m going stand up for those fiscally conservative patriotic independent Americans who wants the best for this country.”

Really, Palin? Being called something is unfair? And while you are complaining about being called something, you are implying that Obama is friends with a terrorist. I am not sure you understand the definition of hypocritical, but look in the mirror and you will get it. Your party brought up the whole calling the other side terrorists. If you want to criticize someone, start with Rep. Doyle.

Bachmann responded to the comments in an e-mail on Monday night, “Only in the bizarro world of Washington is fiscal responsibility sometimes defined as terrorism.” And only in bizarro world is fiscal responsibility linked to a refusal to increase revenue.

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