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Sarah Palin, tea party candidate in 2012?
The Fix - By Chris Cillizza | September 21, 2010; 1:22 PM ET
"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) appears to be making a purposeful play in recent days to be the face of the 'tea party' movement, a strategy that suggests what sort of candidacy she would run if she enters the 2012 presidential contest.
Palin has largely demurred when asked about her 2012 ambitions (or lack thereof) -- choosing to steer the conversation to the importance of electing Republicans this fall.
But, in a speech to the Iowa Republican Party on Friday night and then again in a Web video released by her political action committee today, she seems to be sending clear hints about a national bid -- and laying claim to the mantle of the tea party candidate if she does run.
In the video -- titled "Tea Party" -- Palin praises the movement as a "ground-up call to action that is forcing both parties to change the way they are doing business," adding, "It is so inspiring to see real people, not politicos, not inside-the-Beltway professionals, come out and stand up and speak out for commonsense conservative principles."
Palin sounded similar themes in her speech to the Iowa Republican party's Ronald Reagan dinner on Friday night -- repeatedly praising the candidacy of tea party insurgent Christine O'Donnell (R) in Delaware and castigating many of the GOP poobahs, most notably former Bush White House senior adviser Karl Rove.
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