New Palin Web Site Has Pundits Buzzing

THe New York Times: Politics: The Caucus: New Palin Web Site Has Pundits Buzzing

Just when political conventional wisdom was starting to turn against the likelihood of a Sarah Palin presidential run, the former governor of Alaska has left new clues on the Internet that she is still very much playing with the idea.

Yesterday Ms. Palin used Facebook to post a transcript of the speech she gave in Madison, Wis., over the weekend, and provided a link to a video of her stem-winder.

Today her political action committee, SarahPAC, unveiled a new-look Web site that has far more bells and whistles than the previous version. There’s a new “Setting the Record Straight” section, a list of favored political allies — under the heading “Palin’s Picks’’ — ample video clips, and, of course, an easy way to donate.

It was only about two weeks ago when deteriorating favorability ratings captured in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, among other things, had dampened expectations that Ms. Palin would run. As the NBC morning column “First Read” asked rhetorically then, “Time to write Palin’s 2012 political obituary?”

But her speech in Madison and this latest Web activity seem to have reversed pundits’ suspicions that she was dropping her presidential ambitions, evidenced by the Politico column Playbook declaring Monday “SARAH PALIN RAMPS UP.”

Of course for now, Ms. Palin is not saying what her plans are.

And even her likely primary season opponents have said they believe she has some time yet to decide given how fast they presume she can build an organization and rally her many faithful.

Tim Crawford, treasurer for SarahPAC, said Ms. Palin’s old Web site was basically a place holder and the time had come to offer a more sophisticated site given the huge number of devotees who visit it.

“It gives us a way for people to stay in contact with us,’’ he said. “It has all sorts of things that allow us to interact with Sarah’s supporters.”

Asked about speculation that the new site was an indication of her thinking on the 2012 race Mr. Crawford said, “I think it’s fair to say that the governor is keeping her options open.’’