What If Sarah Palin Is Smarter Than We Think?

A disturbing thought came to me watching Don Lemon of CNN peppering Sarah Palin with questions in this clip:

What if Palin is not half so dumb as many of us have been assuming all this time?

I did a blog here at Huff Post in September 2008 saying "It's All About Hiding Palin" and have always been solidly in the camp of those who believe Palin possesses a rare genius for half-wit thinking.

I'm not about to amend any of those conclusions. Palin's words speak for themselves. Whenever I hear Vladimir Putin mentioned in the news, I still am inclined to picture his head entering U.S. air space.

Could she actually have learned a little since then? Watching Palin's relaxed use of the English language in her answers to Lemon, I for one had the feeling of someone who thinks she's sitting on a pretty good hand -- and I for one thinks she's getting into this race.

Consider this: Given the economy, any Republican nominee has to feel its his or her race to win. I think that's a false assumption. I am very confident Obama will be reelected. But if you're a Republican running for the White House, you have to think that way.

And consider this: The current Republican field is going to tear itself up. These are individuals who may talk about respecting Ronald Reagan, but really have no idea of what he was about -- they've parted ways with Reagan's famous Eleventh Commandment, Though shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

Coming in late might in fact be a very smart gambit. Or put another way: It might be the only way that someone with Palin's baggage could even hope to be a factor. But given the turbulence in the Republican field (am I the only one getting a strong Mondale vibe from Romney's I-should-win-because-I-should-win candidacy?), what's clear is to expect the unexpected.

We know Palin is still considering entering the race. I predict she will. What do you think? Do you think she'd win any states?