“She has a television show, a spot on Fox News, a streaming paid show, three NYT bestsellers, is paid six figures for a half hour talk and is one of the top five most recognized female politicians in the world. Tell me more about how her “teasing” us in 2011 hurt her.”
I would say that it didn’t hurt her and in fact helped her immensely on a personal level. She’s a political celebrity.
However I also think that’s exactly why she won’t run unless she’s pretty confident of a slam dunk.
Her one run at a national office catapulted her to stardom and she was able to deflect the loss because she wasn’t at the top of the ticket, that loss was McCains, but if she runs for the top of the ticket and loses then her position as a conservative oracle is toast. Then she’s just another failed candidate in a sea of failed candidates.
Like losing in 1976 hurt Ronald Reagan? Oh, wait....