I hope I'm right about this. Sarah Palin seems to be a good person. Nothing I've seen would lead me to believe that she would string her supporters along this far and not run. If she were dropping out, we will hear that soon. She probably would have already announced if she wasn't running.
I think she'll get in, but it could be later in the year.
Reagan didn't get in until late October in 1980.
Palin is a target whether she announces or not. Also, her core supporters will be there when she announces. They might be helping other campaigns now, but the ones I know have already set aside the maximum they can contibute to Palin before they've started helping anyone else.
A few days before the election? I find that hard to believe. Maybe you mean October 1979.