If this were likely, wouldn’t there be a little more of a groundswell of support for Palin by now?
Apparently you haven't been keeping up. An appearance by Sarah Palin can sell out a multi-thousand person venue with ease and her audiences are always very enthusiastic. Her two books have sold millions of copies and the left goes bananas every time she so much as sends a 'tweet'. That the vicious, 24/7 attacks on the woman by the liberal media, politicians on the left and right as well as Hollywood airheads haven't completely sunk Palin is a testament to her personal resilience and her popularity. That 'groundswell of support' you question is clearly evident on conservative websites such as this and with the general public, who don't share the cynical outlook some have about politics but simply know a leader when they see one. A person who is 'authentic' and won't play the games most politicians play. Sarah Palin is that person - and her support is out there.
The media will run fake polls that conclude she is irrelevant (how convenient) and the leftist pundits will try to laugh her off while the Republican honchos will sniff that she 'can't win'. Yeah, right. That's why the left ignores all the other GOP presidential nomination contenders but goes ballistic over Palin...because she doesn't matter. Who are they kidding? Not many - and even less here on FR. Sure, we have our anti-Palin posters, which is natural on a politically-based message board/website but they, while busy, are a distinct minority. The support is there but until Palin announces and starts a campaign, it won't be that evident outside of conservative venues.