According to the Washington Post, recent presidential polls have determined unequivocally that Sarah Palin is “not a top-tier candidate.” In the polls speculating about a possible Palin bid for the White House, she falls somewhere around both Ron Paul and Herman Cain, neither of whom are thought to have much street cred amongst Republican primary and caucus voters. 

A little more than half of those polled believe that she “has the personality and the leadership qualities” to be an effective president. Both Palin and Michele Bachmann seem to be fading away in popularity. The Washington Post speculates that this is as a result of Rick Perry’s popularity with the same voters that Palin and Bachmann are trying to woo with their charm, sweet smiles, and rare words of wisdom. 

The Palin defenders--who can be a ferocious bunch of pitbulls when their lipstick is appropriately applied--claim that Palin’s low numbers are because she is only a hypothetical candidate. Her ardent supporters believe that once she jumps in the race she will have no problem raising large amounts of cash and gaining support and media coverage. 

Whether or not Palin’s fan base will translate into the serious cash needed to get the ball rolling for a presidential bid this late remains to be seen. Also, as the Washington Post observes, it’s really hard to tell if the media circus surrounding Palin will actually change people’s perceptions of her at this point in the game. Unlike some other candidates, name recognition is not her largest problem; being the most mocked woman by one of the best comedy writers in the business is. 

If Sarah Palin enters the race, it will definitely be interesting to see a presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. They both have many of the same supporters, have many of the same positions, and are used to eating their words soon after the words are spoken. 

I would also like to see Katie Couric--hard-nosed reporter that she is--interview Sarah Palin again. One would hope that Sarah Palin would be better at fielding tough questions about magazines from the media, but it’s hard to be certain. 

And, like the Washington Post, I agree that Palin is probably not a first-tier candidate for president. I just haven’t seen very many candidates from the Republicans who do meet the criteria of “personality” coupled with “leadership qualities.”