Opinion: Sarah Palin’s noncampaign campaign-style video ‘Iowa Passion’

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Sarah Palin has a new video out.

President Obama headed to Iowa on a bus tour shortly after the Ames Straw Poll, but it wasn’t a campaign trip, he said. Sarah Palin took her ‘One Nation’ bus tour to Iowa shortly before the Ames Straw Poll, but it wasn’t a campaign trip.

Well, we know at least Obama is actually running for reelection -- and we wouldn’t be a bit surprised if his shiny new buses showed up again then -- but if Palin isn’t....

...running for president, then she should release whomever is making her SarahPAC clips to one of the currently declared GOP candidates, because they’re about as good as a political video gets. On Friday, Palin’s political action committee SarahPAC released ‘Iowa Passion’ (scroll down to watch), another one of its slick, emotionally charged presentations, this time highlighting the casually dressed Palin gripping and grinning with folks at the Iowa State Fair and talking to Fox News host Sean Hannity.

It also points forward to Palin’s Sept. 3 keynote address at the Tea Party of America’s ‘Restoring America’ event, which is free and open to the public. Due no doubt in part to Palin’s popularity and to the no-cost element, the event had to be moved from Hawkeye Antique Acres in Waukee, Iowa, to the National Balloon Classic field, east of Indianola.

Iowa is the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state, followed by the first primary vote in New Hampshire.

Speaking of New Hampshire, back in June, Palin’s bus tour managed to arrive in former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s home state only hours before he made his campaign announcement in New Hampshire (where Palin criticized Romney’s universal healthcare plan for the Commonwealth). Palin’s buses then headed also to the Granite State, sucking up much of the media attention along the way.

Palin didn’t appear to put a dent in Michele Bachmann’s aggressive Iowa campaign, since the Iowa-born Minnesota representative still managed to win the Ames Straw Poll on Aug. 13, although Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s entrance in the race on that Saturday led him to a write-in victory over Romney, who until then had been the purported national front-runner.

But Palin’s coy approach regarding her possible candidacy has kept the media guessing, perhaps putting pressure on rising star Perry to make sure he appeals to her core constituency, either to compete with her in the race or scoop up her supporters -- and perhaps an endorsement -- if she chooses not to run.

Palin is also rejoining Glenn Beck -- after appearing at his ‘Restoring Honor’ rally last summer in Washington, D.C. -- for an Oct. 7 event called ‘Defending the Republic,’ to be held at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

This one isn’t free; tickets range from $20 to $97 (the top price includes a commemorative T-shirt), with parking extra.

But Palin isn’t bedeviling all GOP stalwarts. On Thursday, she appeared on Fox News’ ‘On the Record With Greta Van Susteren’ and defended longtime Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch in response to Van Susteren’s assertion that ‘tea party’ sympathizers were looking to unseat him. Click here for text and video of that exchange.

RELATED:

Ames straw poll: Michele Bachmann beats Ron Paul ... by 152 votes

Rick Perry: Use Predators to track illegal drug traffic on U.S. border

On Day 938 of his presidency, Obama says he’ll have a jobs plan in a month or so

-- Kate O’Hare

Media critic Kate O’Hare is a regular Ticket contributor. She also blogs about TV at Hot Cuppa TV and is a frequent contributor at entertainment news site Zap2it. Also follow O’Hare on Twitter @KateOH.

Speaking of 2012, follow The Ticket via Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or click this: @latimestot. Our Facebook Like page is over here. We’re also available on Kindle. Use the ReTweet buttons above to share any item with family and friends.

Photo/video: Sarah Palin at the Iowa State Fair; SarahPAC YouTube video ‘Iowa Passion.’ Credits: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images; SarahPAC.