With establishment republicans continuing to display all the signs they wake each morning living in the delusional reality they are still in charge, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin having solidified her victory for control of the rank and file took the first step in the long march toward 2012 by establishing a political action committee.

From a pure political perspective, I would have speculated she would aggressively move to place a confirmed loyalist in the RNC chair, but it appears Mike Duncan has already cultivated enough committed votes to keep his job. While it wouldn’t hurt to control the republican party infrastructure, President Obama’s Internet juggernaut pretty much dispelled the illusion you require the support of establishment fat cats to win a party nomination, So stepping to the sideline and not picking a favorite leaves the Alaskan Governor in a position to focus on perfecting her populist brand for the 2010 midterms.

I will even agree with those who credit her for the unexpected victory margin Senator Saxby Chambliss enjoyed in the runoff election in Georgia. Governor Palin’s strategy leaves establishment republicans depending on Rupert Murdoch to save what remains of their grip on GOP power at least in the media, Unless they convince him to focus the resources of his media empire on discrediting the Governor, the 2010 midterms become a trial run for 2012, if Palin power provides an increase in republican seats, her people can begin perfecting it for a national campaign, if the GOP loses more ground it allows them two years to fix what failed.

President Obama has already promised the next couple years will be rough, The only people really in the race at this point are all Governors, How each handle their respective State during the economic storm, will determine who emerges with the strongest resume. While Mitt Romney still has illusions, some say at this point delusions. The recent action of the power brokers seem to signal the old boys are stroking Minnesota’s Jim Pawlenty as their current favorite to recapture some of the ground lost in the last two elections.

From a tactical standpoint, Governor Palin must be tempted to join other high profile conservatives in negative attacks on the new administration, Which is the opposite of what Governor Pawlenty is doing. After all the minority leaders in the house and senate are strictly playing local district politics, while national conservative voices like Limbaugh and Hannity are preaching to an audience rather than a constituency. If Governor Palin is able to demonstrate Alaska can weather the economic crises with her at the helm and flesh out her foreign policy resume, she becomes the candidate to beat for the nomination in 2012.

That the establishment and those republicans left in the congress have decided a fanatic like Rush Limbaugh is the national face and voice of the GOP in the political wilderness is actually a positive for both Pawlenty and Palin who can continue assembling a political army while the pundits focus on Rush.

The fact she is coming to Washington to attend the ultra conservative establishment banquent hosted by the Alfalfa club demonstrates despite her brand as the anti-establishment candidate, she is aware any republican who wants to become President must in the end be able draw all wings and factions into the tent on election day, as well as cultivating a large block of independents and a good share of what use to be called Reagan democrats.

That’s my view yours may be different