If Sarah Palin truly isn't planning a presidential run, she is doing an absolutely masterful job of stringing people along and dropping big, misleading hints. If her goal is to generate nonstop buzz and boost her already-stratospheric profile, mission accomplished. If her goal is to test the waters and mend her approval numbers, she might be making some significant progress on that front, too.
Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee, is the best-known and most divisive of the bunch. In the wake of her high-profile role in endorsing candidates all over the country, 46 percent of Americans view her favorably, 49 percent unfavorably, and 5 percent don’t know enough about her (!) to form an opinion…
In terms of winning the 2012 nomination, the question is how Republican-leaning Americans view the contenders. Palin comes out on top. Among adults who identify themselves as Republicans or GOP-leaning independents, 79 percent view her favorably, and 17 percent unfavorably.
Curiouser and curiouser.