From Politico’s Ben Smith:
I’m told Palin’s camp is, at least, holding preliminary talks about how a campaign would look if she decides to run. One early decision, a source says: It would be based in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Bristol Palin recently bought a house in nearby Maricopa.
One lesson of Palin’s sometimes-difficult time in the spotlight has been that Alaska is an extremely difficult base for national politics. From a distant political culture to a daunting time difference, Palin hasn’t been terribly well served by the fact that her state is little-known to reporters in the lower 48, and that email inquiries arrive at 3:00 a.m. needing answers by 5:00 a.m.
If accurate, this is another interesting hint that the Palin camp, despite having made no public overtures in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, is still very seriously considering a run. SarahPAC’s treasurer made it clear to National Review Online yesterday that Palin’s decision to give a talk the same night as the first GOP primary debate should not be interpreted as a sign she wouldn’t run in 2012.
Palin has said that if she does run, it will be an unconventional campaign. But when we assume that her decisions on debates and early states hint at her 2012 plans, we’re making judgments based on thinking about what a traditional campaigner would do.