This is exciting, if for nothing else than to see the legacy media and the Left go full-bore PDS again. Political powerhouse, cultural icon and former 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has decided to return to the fray, running for Congress to fill the deceased Don Young’s seat.

From Just The News:

Sarah Palin, the Alaskan original who made Momma Grizzly Bears a political term of art as governor and then as the GOP’s first female vice presidential candidate, is officially making a political comeback.

Palin, 58, announced Friday night she will run for the open House seat vacated in Alaska by the death of longtime Rep. Don Young.

I would disagree with this writer. While Palin may have chosen not to stay in the foreground, she has never left the political stage. Left, Right, Center, whether people like it or not, Sarah Palin is a cultural icon who also maintains political force.

A writer at The New Republic, not exactly a bastion of right-leaning sentiment, wrote in 2010 this hat tip to the “genius” of Palin and her political moves.

Like most great women of mystery, Sarah Palin is at once everywhere and nowhere. On any given evening, you might see the former Alaska governor-turned-conservative-icon on Fox News, chatting up like-minded travelers about the political buzz du jour.

Her byline pops up now and again in the opinion pages (supporting McCain, bashing enviros). She periodically hits the campaign trail with favored candidates. She is a prolific and passionate tweeter. Her Facebook page overflows with thoughts on global events both past (DDay, Reagan’s Brandenburg Gate speech) and present (Israel, border security, the need to drill, baby, drill); news of upcoming appearances (a rally at the Lincoln Memorial with Glenn Beck, a possible U.K. jaunt to meet Margaret Thatcher); the latest media atrocities committed against her; and her rolling endorsements of “commonsense conservative” candidates who tickle her fancy. And, any day now, filming is scheduled to start on the docu-travelogue series in which Palin will “bring the wonder and majesty of Alaska” to TLC viewers.

[…]

In the midst of this aggressive visibility, however, Palin keeps a tight grip on her time in the public eye. She rarely sits down with non-conservative interviewers and eschews mix-’em-up formats pitting her viewpoint against that of a more liberal counterpart. More fascinating, she is cautious about her interaction with fellow Republicans. Some of her Facebook endorsements this election cycle have come with telephone outreach to the chosen candidate or, for the fortunate few, even joint appearances.

Her endorsements can be gold. They were for then-candidate Donald J. Trump in 2016. A number of other candidates she has endorsed have gone on to win their races.

Despite being “outside” of public office for 12 years, what Palin has managed to maintain is her charisma and magnetic draw. Legacy and alternative media have lapped up any appearance by Palin after she resigned from the Alaska governor’s office in 2009, along with any news about her children (and there has been much). Of late, Palin has taken on the culture wars surrounding the trans agenda, and has taken fellow lightning rod AOC to task for her ridiculous comments. At every turn, Palin invites, or gets drawn back into the national conversation.

Love her or hate her, she’s never left.

What Palin has also maintained is her grassroots credibility, coupled with her undeniable love for Alaska and America.

Sarah Palin announces she’s running for Congress, reentering national politics after more than a decade hiatus. pic.twitter.com/xEMeMiQH7Y

— Jeremy W. Peters (@jwpetersNYT) April 2, 2022

“Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” Palin said in her announcement. “I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.

“America is at a tipping point. As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight,” she added. “The people of the great State of Alaska, like others all over the country, are struggling with out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world. We need energy security for this country, and Alaska can help provide that – but only if the federal government gets out of the way and lets the free market do what it does best.”

It’s her time again, and it may well be the right time. Palin has been hinting at another political run for the past few years, and RedState has covered these hints here, here, here, and here. The New York Times defamation lawsuit is behind her, she is unencumbered from a husband, and there is also no longer the young children factor. Palin’s last child Trig is now 13; Track, Bristol, Piper, and Willow are now adults with families of their own.

Palin faces a crowded field of 50 other candidates in the special primary election set for June 11. The top four candidates will advance to another special election slated for August 16. Ranked choice voting will be used to decide the winner, in line with a 2020 voter-approved new elections system.

Because of Palin’s name recognition and notoriety, she will undoubtedly cut through the noise that could bury the other candidates. And what hasn’t Palin gone through that has not yet been covered, misconstrued, or speculated upon? What opposition research and ridiculous tropes haven’t been pulled out?

This is politics, so there may yet be more to be unearthed. If the headlines announcing her Congressional run are any indicator, the long knives are already being drawn.

From Sacramento, Calif’s ABC10.

Santa Claus running for Alaska US House seat. Sarah Palin running, too. https://t.co/asA89LUYoV

— ABC10 (@ABC10) April 2, 2022

And this gem of a headline from Newsweek: Controversial Former V.P. Candidate Sarah Palin Is Running for Congress.

To her advantage, Palin has monitored the pulse of the political world and managed to stay relevant and likeable by her base. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who whenever she inserts herself (and that’s always) engenders the response: “You, again?!”

As theTNR writer so fittingly assessed 12 years ago, Palin has judiciously constructed her ingress and egress to and from the national stage at pivotal points. This point could be the one where Palin becomes a regular part of the national conversation.

Let’s hope so. The question is, will Donald J. Trump endorse her?