Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) – On Friday afternoon, the day after a nationally-televised Republican presidential debate, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty went largely unnoticed as he strolled around the Iowa state fairgrounds with a couple of aides.
It was an entirely different scene just minutes later, when Sarah Palin - former Alaska governor, worldwide celebrity and potential White House hopeful - appeared in the “Hall of Champions” livestock barn on a different side of the park.
Palin had been expected to attend the state fair, which is ground zero for presidential politics ahead of the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday, but her aides remained tight-lipped all week and revealed nothing about her whereabouts.
Her Iowa visit marked the opening of the Midwestern leg of her “One Nation” bus tour, which launched this spring with a tour of historical sites along the East Coast.
When she did show up at the fair, dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans from her favorite Alaska designer, Palin was immediately swarmed by dozens of reporters and television cameras as news of her sudden appearance ricocheted around the fairground.
The press pack tiptoed around prize-winning cattle and errant pitchforks while thrusting microphones toward her face and bombarding her with questions about her national ambitions, the emergence of Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Thursday’s GOP debate.
She welcomed Perry, a friend and political ally, to the presidential field but said she still sees “room in the field” and said it would not impact her decision-making process about the race.
“He is a great guy, I look forward to seeing him in the debates,” she said. “He was adamant that he wasn’t gone to run, so it’s surprising. I am surprised that he changed his position on that. But I am glad that he is going to be in there.”
Palin was escorted through the fairgrounds by a team of advance staffers and an Iowa GOP operative, Becky Beach, who has assisted Palin during past visits to the Hawkeye State. She had more staff on hand Friday than she did during the first leg of her bus tour.
Her husband Todd, who expressed enthusiasm about a potential campaign, was also at her side. He seemed to be enjoying the spotlight.
“After she resigned they said that she was washed up and done right?,” he said with a grin. “And you guys are still here.”
As for her own thinking about the race, both she and Todd said there is plenty of time to make a decision. Palin said she would not be a candidate by the time she returns to the state over Labor Day weekend, when she is slated to address a tea party rally in Waukee.
“There is a still a lot of contemplation that needs to go into such an Earth shattering, life-changing decision,” Palin said.
She engaged with the media for more than an hour, all while signing autographs and posing for pictures with star struck fair-goers.
Palin had nothing but kind words for the candidates who could become her rivals for the GOP nomination.
She praised former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s combative performance in Thursday’s debate, said she would happily support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney if he becomes the nominee and dismissed any idea of a rivalry between herself and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.
“Just because there may happen to be two women in the race, that they would, you know, as Michele had put it once, get in the mud and be cat-fighting,” she said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s kind of even a sexist notion to consider that two women would be kind of be duking it out. If I’m going to duke it out, I’m going to duke it out with a guy or a girl, whoever the opponent is.”
Palin also defended Romney after the GOP frontrunner told an Iowa crowd a day earlier that “corporations are people.” He was accusing President Barack Obama of creating a greater tax burden on businesses.
"The people pay the taxes. It’s not an entity, the corporation itself, that pays the taxes. It’s the people who pay the taxes. So Mitt Romney was right,” Palin said.
After her lengthy walk and talk with the press and supporters, she walked into a private, roped-off function to meet with local Republican activists and munch on corn dogs.
Palin's bus tour is expected to take her into Illinois and Missouri in the coming days.
From CNN Politics
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Palin was likely mistaken for a prize cow by the crowd. Of course, when CNN says she has a crowd, that could be from 5 people to 100 people max....likely around 20 bovine enthusiasts in this case. Too bad it wasn't African honey bees swarming her like stupid on Palin.
Oh yeah, one more thing, I see the democrats have swarmed this article spreading their hate like alway
Didn't know sheep swarmed.
Must be a lot of bored, retarded sheeple in Iowa to want to swarm this media whore!!!!!!
The Sow Grizz in action.
Once again... Thank you John McCain for you short sighted selection of this witch as a running mate. She TANKED your candidacy and we are still suffering!
Please God, save us from this woman.
I'm not a fan of Sarah, by why is what she's wearing relevant? I have never seen a story about a male candidate that mentions what he's wearing. Wtf.
WCinWI.....huh?
can't wait to vote for her...
Look, its the Lady Gaga of politics come to spread her unique brand of wisdom to the live stock in the Hall of Champions barn. And her words, though coming from a pre-written script by handlers via a hand held electronic device resonate with some of the people, as well as the live stock. God bless America, cable television and the 24/7 news cycle.
Oh God.....I hate that woman. She's got to be the STUPIDEST idiot that has ever hit the platform. What is wrong with the American public that they give any credence whatsoever to this woman? Seriously......are you really that dense?
These people who are "swarming" her are as nuts as she is! What's wrong with these people?
Amazing. The stupid hate that flies off the keyboards of liberals who thought they elected a God in 2008, only to discover they put a self-important, blathering teleprompter reader in the White House, whose record of accomplishment is ... pretty close to destroying the United States of America. Palin, out of office, with just a Twitter and Facebook account, can make more political waves than any of the current GOP candidates... or Obama, the Dud of the Western World. If she's so stupid, so shallow ... how come she attracts this all this attention, the crowds?
When Palin becomes President she'll outlaw and put a bounty on liberals and democrates! I bloody can't wait!
I used to be proud of my Iowa birthplace.
First it was the crime that is corn.
Now it is the gullible yahoos that buy all this Republican selfish nonsense.
I no longer trumpet my Iowa heritage.
Republicans .... America's Taliban.
I can't wait to not vote for her. Redonkulous.
Ms Palin is best serving the GOP as the party whip. She will never get elected but she certainly brings attention to party issues.
How many stings???? Is she allergic? we can only hope...
Too bad she was swarmed by idiots rather than a nest of angry hornets.
Ah, and here I thought they were talking about bee's swarming, oh well guess that wasn't very christian like of me now was it.
The hillbilly, uneducated gullible biblethumpers think they have a power base because they can be the most offensive, rude, loud and demeaning of all the rest of the intelligent people put together. God help us from this rabble.
as a foreigner I must say that I have a huge respect for the USA as a whole but if Sarah Palin is taken seriously as a potential presidential candidate, I have to question the mind set of the countryl
"“After she resigned they said that she was washed up and done right?,” he said with a grin. “And you guys are still here.”"
Like carrion birds picking the maggots from a dead circus clown. IDIOT. A family of certified IDIOTS, although they're Obama's best friend right now, driving sane people away from their flirtations with the fascist Republican party.
Wait... did she say two women rolling in mud? Dang I'd like to see that! I think if she were that close to me being "swarmed by the crowd" I try to take advantage of the situation and cop a feel!