Palin film to debut in Iowa next week

A pro-Sarah Palin documentary film will make its premiere in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa next week, according to sources familiar with the plans. 

The film, titled “The Undefeated,” had been scheduled to debut in key early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada before getting a wider release later next month.

{mosads}A flurry of political activity is expected in Iowa next month as the important Ames Straw Poll in August approaches.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), another Tea Party favorite and potential rival of Palin’s, is scheduled to make her presidential bid official in Waterloo on Monday. The day after, President Obama will headline a manufacturing event at an Alcoa plant in the Hawkeye State.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), another presidential contender, will campaign in Iowa later on Monday as well.

While other GOP candidates have ramped up their political activity, Palin has kept her plans close to the vest.

Speculation abounded that she could enter the race last month, when the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee embarked on a bus tour on the East Coast, stopping in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire. The impending release of “The Undefeated” added fuel to that fire.

{mosads}The documentary paints Palin’s tenure as Alaska’s governor in a positive light and frames the potential presidential candidate as a successor to Ronald Reagan.

Palin did not have a direct editorial role in the film, but her camp first reached out to conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon, the man behind the documentary, about making a series of videos promoting her gubernatorial tenure. 

The ex-governor has been invited to attend the premiere, but it’s
unclear whether she will be there.

Palin has laid low since concluding her tour earlier in June. She shot down reports last week that a campaign announcement was imminent and also had to refute media reports that she is ending her “One Nation” tour, which is supposed to traverse many areas of the country.

Palin said that she was merely taking a break from her tour to attend to family and civic matters in her home state, claiming she had jury duty.

— This post was updated at 10:13 a.m.