Hotline reports:
Ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin’s political action committee is no joke, according to new reports filed with the FEC: In the last quarter, Sarah PAC raised $865K and spent $654K, demonstrating new evidence that the former VP contender is seriously considering a WH’12 bid. … Last quarter, Palin spent more than $248K on direct mail fundraising, the bread-and-butter means GOPers have traditionally used to fill their coffers and build lists. … What’s most notable is the number of small contributors Palin has attracted. More than 3/4 of her donations are listed as unitemized, meaning the individuals who wrote checks sent in less than $200. Much of Pres. Obama’s fundraising success in ’08 came from these small-dollar donors, meaning Palin has a grassroots folllowing — one she’s started to build significantly earlier than Obama did.
It’s not certain that she will run in 2012 — or that she will be able to overcome concerns within her own party about her electability. (This is not a “so what if we lose this one” election for the GOP). But it does tell us that she will continue to be a powerful force and a kingmaker, if not a candidate. While Mitt Romney has gone the cautious route — endorsing GOP candidates with little opposition or after their primary opposition was all but eliminated — Palin has been anything but. At times she’s been ahead of the curve: a sharp-eyed talent scout, as with her backing of Nikki Haley. At other times, her fondness for outsider-ness has led her to back a candidate like Rand Paul, who is now struggling to avoid been tagged as a wacko.
But make no mistake: there is a strain of political genius in Palin — the ability to seize the moment and to identify the direction in which the political currents are flowing. Aside from the stark policy contrast on just about every issue, she is, in a real sense, the un-Obama — a visceral politician who has her finger on the pulse of the heartland. That doesn’t mean she can win the nomination or be elected president, but hers is a unique talent, and she is a force that her potential competitors will have to reckon with.
