Sarah Palin Mystifies and Annoys the Republican Establishment

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is mystifying and annoying members of the Republican establishment by sending what they consider to be mixed messages about courting conservative groups.

The latest example is her lack of clarity about attending last night's joint fund-raiser in Washington for the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. After several false starts, when it was unclear to the organizers whether or not she would attend or agree to speak, Palin decided to show up at the dinner but wasn't assigned to the head table and wasn't given an opportunity to address the group. She was seated in the first row, however, and drew a big crowd of well-wishers even though, privately, there was a debate about who had snubbed whom in arranging her appearance.

The headliner was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, considered a potential rival for Palin in the 2012 GOP presidential race. Still, Palin can be one of the GOP's biggest draws. The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee helped to attract a crowd of 20,000 last weekend for an appearance and parade in Auburn, N.Y., hometown of William Seward, secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson and the man who arranged for the United States to buy Alaska from Russia.

Prominent GOP strategists don't understand why Palin has avoided appearances at events that could bolster her standing among conservatives who will be instrumental in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, such as gatherings of the National Rifle Association and state parties in California and Texas. "She's getting a reputation for being on-again, off-again," says one conservative activist. "People aren't even sure how to get in touch with her and whether their messages are getting through." Conservatives say their calls to her office in Alaska frequently aren't returned, leading to speculation that she isn't interested in cooperating with the GOP establishment or that her staff isn't competent. "To a certain extent, she needs to be focusing on being a good governor," says a conservative strategist, but he adds that she runs the risk of alienating conservative leaders is she is too aloof. Palin needs to make a basic decision, he says: "Is she running for president surreptitiously or overtly?"