[Huck]

being an above board human being that she is

She says she still hasn't made up her mind. Is she "above board" when she says that? If she is sending "signs" that she is, then she isn't being above board when she says she's still deciding.

[C210N]

I think I’d want to consider who she is talking to. If its to the enemedia, I discount it. There have been reports from her family members that she has indeed decided, but not making it public yet. To take that stance, she needs to be a bit coy with reporters.

[Springfield Reformer]

She says she still hasn't made up her mind. Is she "above board" when she says that?

Of course she is. As a parent, I may be inclined, even strongly inclined, to buy my child that toy they want so desperately, but I may not be 100% certain that I can do it, due to contingencies, money, availability, etc. So the decision cannot be made final until the last precondition is met. It is an honest way to represent my current state of mind, while I wait for that last condition, to say I am still thinking about it.

[C210N]

"She definitely knows," Bristol Palin said during an appearance on Fox News. The younger Palin said the decision would remain internal to the family in the meantime, though.

[Windflier]

She says she still hasn't made up her mind. Is she "above board" when she says that? If she is sending "signs" that she is, then she isn't being above board when she says she's still deciding.

What would you have her say, Huck? "Yes, I'm going to officially join the race on ________." Surely you realize by now that she's delaying her entry for as long as possible as a strategic move, don't you?

To state the obvious, a potential candidate with 100% name recognition gains nothing by entering a crowded field this early. They would subject themselves to endless analysis and comparisons to the other candidates, and lay themselves open to attack by their opponents (and the press).

Such a candidate would be forced to spend precious campaign monies for zero benefit, not to mention the efforts and hard work of their campaign staff and volunteers.

There does come a point where being an officially declared candidate actually pays dividends for someone of Palin's stature, but we're not there yet. Perhaps around the time of the next debates in September.....we will see.

She is wise to have stayed out of the current demolition derby, and to have kept the opposition guessing about her intentions. By doing so, she is proving that she's got a superior grasp of the dynamics involved here, and has the steadiness and control to actually execute a well-formulated plan.