WILL SHE OR WON'T SHE? – AT 10:54 A.M. ET:  With Michele Bachmann now in the race, attention turns to Sarah Palin.  Will she or won't she?  Her daughter, Bristol, said on TV last night that her mother has made her decision, but Bristol didn't give any hints as to what it was.

I don't think Palin has any realistic chance of winning the nomination.  Her brand has been badly damaged.  But she could complicate things for Bachmann, as both women appeal to the same constituency.  From The Hill:

Palin will also create buzz regarding her presidential plans when she travels with her husband, Todd, to Pella, Iowa, on Tuesday to attend the premiere of a documentary film that lauds her political career, titled “The Undefeated.”

“We are very excited to visit historic Pella and its opera house and look forward to seeing the finished film for the first time with fellow Americans from the heartland,” Palin said in a statement released by the film’s producer, the Victory Film Group.

The 2008 vice presidential nominee, who has been opaque about her 2012 intentions, is reportedly going to meet with some Iowa Republican activists during her stop.

COMMENT:  Look, at least the Republican race is getting interesting, in comparison to where it was a month ago, when anti-boredom pills were required.  But let us not forget that the real opponent is Barack Obama, who will be a formidable, skilled opponent doing the one thing at which he's vastly experienced – running for office. 

The president is also coming to Iowa today to discuss the economy and manufacturing.  His political future may well rest on a few points in the unemployment statistics.  If he gets the unemployment number down a few points, he may well be in.  If he doesn't, he's vulnerable.  But don't underestimate his consummate electioneering skills.

June 28, 2011