Sarah Palin is on the brink of deciding to run for the US presidency in two years, and has said she is consulting her family before making up her mind.
However, the final decision could still be months away and may ultimately be influenced by growing evidence that while many on the right of the Republican party like Palin, they consider her unelectable.
Palin, who was John McCain's vice-presidential running mate in 2008, told the New York Times she was in advanced discussions with her family and political colleagues on a bid for the Republican nomination for president.
"I'm engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here," she said.
The New York Times said that Palin went on to say that "her decision would involve evaluating whether she could bring unique qualities to the table".
Palin recognised that she had some influential critics within her own party who have questioned both her limited political experience and seriousness. Karl Rove, George W Bush's chief political strategist, said Palin lacked gravitas after appearing on her own television reality show. Other critics have scorned her as too divisive, even among Republicans, to be electable.
"I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn't have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record. That's the most frustrating thing for me, the warped and perverted description of my record and what I've accomplished over the last two decades.
"It's been much more perplexing to me than where the lamestream media has wanted to go about my personal life. And other candidates haven't faced these criticisms the way I have".
Palin's confirmation that she was discussing her political future with her family may lay to rest speculation that she was merely flirting with the idea to keep her name in the spotlight and promote other interests such as her Fox News show and her reality television programme.
Palin told the paper that her experience as McCain's running mate was for the most part "amazing, wonderful, do it again in a heartbeat".
But she added: "What Todd [Palin's husband] and I learned was that the view inside the bus was much better than underneath it, and we knew we got thrown under it by certain aides who weren't principled‚ and that the experience taught us, yes, to be on guard and be very discerning about who we can and can't trust in the political arena".
The Guardian
