Palin positioning herself for presidential bid?

Whether she can
parlay that support into a successful presidential bid is hardly the point. She
would only need to win 7 million votes to qualify the Tea Party for federal
money, as well as an automatic place on the ballot in many states. If she
succeeds in doing that, she can credibly threaten the GOP with splintering its
vote while lining her own coffers with federal funds.

In all
likelihood, then, Palin’s inevitable 2012 run will be the equivalent of Steve Forbes’s
in 2000 — an independent campaign that had no chance of succeeding, but which
threatens to take enough votes from the GOP to give her a seat at the
bargaining table.

In 2000, the
Republicans bought off Forbes by changing the tax laws to ensure that he
earned tens of millions in tax breaks. In effect, Forbes’s presidential bid was
not a legitimate run for office, but rather the most successful political
action committee ever.

If Palin can
give either major candidate a scare in the 2012 election, she too will secure
millions of dollars for herself, while placing herself close to center stage — if
only for a few minutes. Something to keep in mind as Palin kicks her
anti-politician routine into high gear.

Williams can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Power 169 from 9 to 10 p.m. and from 5 to 6 a.m.

Visit www.armstrongwilliams.com.