The mainstream press is looking on in horror as each of their “acceptable Republican candidates” (Gingrich, Huckabee, Romney, and even Trump) either declines to run or self destructs.
Deep in their guts they know that Palin is going to be the last one standing and that they have already expended their ammo; yet still she survives. All she has to do now is announce her candidacy and she immediately becomes the front-runner.
That’s how it appears.