There is much speculation about whether or not Sarah Palin will enter the 2012 GOP presidential race.

Those who admire and respect her believe she wields a tremendous amount of power with regard to the choice of the candidate who will eventually end up facing Barack Obama in what can only be the most important election of our lifetime.

But that candidate should not be Palin. And the reason is blatantly obvious.

She can’t win.

It has nothing to do with any lack of political gravitas. Despite how her critics and detractors have attempted to portray her, Palin is intelligent, articulate and politically astute. She understands the issues facing America under Barack Obama as well as if not better than any of the declared candidates.

On the economic meltdown that has metastasized under the current president’s lack of leadership, Palin’s message of lower taxes, deregulation and free market principles has resonated loud and clear.  She understands that Obama’s Keynesian policies of government intervention and redistribution of wealth will never solve the malaise that has overtaken our nation’s economy. Palin knows government cannot create wealth or permanent employment. Only the private sector can do so. And yes, revenues can be raised by creating more taxpayers, not by raising taxes.

Palin also realizes that our debt problem is out of control. We are passing a tremendous burden on to our children and grandchildren. Eventually the note will come due. She knows that the fiasco our nation just endured with raising the debt ceiling without real spending cuts, will only result in a further erosion of our status as a world economic leader.

On foreign policy, Palin understands that Barack Obama is trying to diminish our role in the world, by apologizing for our wealth, our military strength, and most importantly, our sovereignty.

Sarah Palin also perceives the threat that Sharia law poses to the United States, and is keenly aware of Obama’s attempts to reach out to the Islamic world in such a way that would create an atmosphere in which Sharia might be incorporated into our society and our justice system.

Of course, no one understands energy policy better than Palin. High gasoline prices could soon just be an unpleasant memory if we just used the resources we have in this country. Domestic drilling, coupled with research into alternative energy sources, could easily make us energy independent in just a few years. But Obama’s hard line stance on domestic and offshore drilling has only made us more dependent on foreign oil, and has added to our economic woes.

Yes, Sarah Palin has the knowledge and political savvy to be an effective president. So with all of this going for her, why can’t she win?

Perception.

When Palin was thrust into the limelight in 2008, it was because of a floundering John McCain candidacy. In an act of desperation, she was brought in to do what McCain himself could not or would not do, namely to attack Barack Obama on his associations and his socialist beliefs. She was the barracuda sinking her teeth into every aspect of  a man who fashioned himself a messiah, sent by some higher power (George Soros) to fundamentally transform America into something unrecognizable from what the Founding Fathers intended.

The mainstream media immediately began marginalizing her. Palin found herself facing condescending interviews by the likes of Katie Couric and Charles Gibson.  In the end, it was McCain himself, refusing to go after Obama, that lost the election. Unfortunately, Palin was left holding the bag.

Since that time, Sarah Palin has had the opportunity to bring home the message that everything she talked about during that ill-fated campaign regarding Obama’s character and ideology has proven true. And her down-to-earth, folksy delivery still resonates with a lot of people, mainly but not limited to the Tea Party, who see our nation slipping away from us at an alarming rate under the current regime.

One would think that this would only serve to make Palin a viable candidate for the GOP 2012 race.

So why doesn’t it?

Two things.

The media has a longer memory than most of main street America. No matter how she might like to shake the perception that she is somehow an airhead, Palin cannot escape the scrutiny that has and would be placed not only on her, but also her family during a presidential campaign. She is well aware of this, and it may be the reason that, despite her bus tours, etc., she has yet to throw her hat into the fray, choosing instead to tease her followers about mounting a bid while continuing to chastise Obama from a position from which criticism from the media and the far left is minimal.

Palin’s detractors are not limited to the left, however.

The mainstream wing of the Republican Party also fears a Palin candidacy. They view her as a threat to the status quo. In recent years, Republicans have strayed away from their conservative roots. Palin reflects a return to the core values of limited government, fiscal responsibility and American exceptionalism. This scares many RINOs in the GOP, who prefer more government and compromise.

These elements will do everything in their power to keep her from getting the nomination.

There is another factor to be considered here as well. With Michele Bachmann already in the race, a Palin run might eclipse Bachmann’s candidacy, or at least the two of them might cancel each other out. Bachmann has already been overshadowed in recent days by Rick Perry, and as she struggles to make news above the fold, Palin might only serve to make her more obscure.

If Palin had declared before Bachmann, there might be a different story emerging here. But she may have waited too long.

Sarah Palin would best serve the party and her country by remaining a strong voice for conservative values. Her influence in the 2012 race could be monumental. She could be a kingmaker.

It isn’t clear yet whether Sarah Palin will get into the race. But what is clear is that Obama needs to be defeated in 2012. The country cannot survive four more years of his presidency.

But with all of her strengths, a Palin candidacy is a no win proposition.

Palin’s time has come and gone.

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