On September 3rd the odds are that Sarah Palin, keynote speaker at the Waukee Iowa Tea Party extravaganza will announce that yes, she is a candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. The Chicago Tribune reports Palin as advising “She said that “practically speaking” September would probably be a deadline for her decision.”

After interviewing Palin today at the event Sean Hannity stated that he now believes she is leaning towards running.

On the other hand she may have made such an announcement sometime in August and will use the Waukee event as her first campaign foray in Iowa.

She may, alternatively, announce that she supports the aims and aspirations of the Tea Party with utmost personal commitment, and will endorse one of the declared, or soon to be declared candidates, whose policies best match those of the Tea Party, and of course herself, and thus are, she believes, in the best interests of America.

The “great enigma”  has addressed the issue a number of times at the Iowa State Fair yesterday with each commentator viewing her answer through the prism of their own prejudices, or hopes or best guess. 

Thus Fox News’s Carl Cameron finds Palin’s statement that  “I don’twant to be perceived as stringing people along,” as indicating she won’t run whereas the San Francisco Chronicle takes this statement:

Dozens of journalists swarmed around Palin as she exited the hog barn to hear her say that she … hasn’t decided yet whether she’s going to run for president. But she’s close, she said. Next month. Definitely.

“Practically speaking,” Palin said, “it has to be.” 

to warrant the headline:

“As Sarah Palin wavers, Rick Perry may fill niche 

Which of these scenarios will play out is known to only Sarah and Todd Palin it appears, despite what the various pundits predict, but it is certain that a decision will have been made before, at the event or, in the case of an endorsement, very shortly afterwards.

This has been clearly indicated by Sarah Palin herself, as recently  as last week on the Sean Hannity show where she advised that:

“Well, legally, of course, there are time frames, and that time is coming rapidly in front of all of us. August and September you do have to start laying out a plan if you are to be one to throw your hat in the ring, so that’s basically the time frame.”

After years of watching and waiting, hoping praying, riding the roller coaster of downward despair and then a swift rise to new heights for the legions, 3 million on Facebook alone, of dedicated Palin fans the waiting appears to be nearly over-just three weeks to go!

The home base of some of the most loyal Palinistas is the blog “Conservatives4Palin” which runs, sometimes hourly, updates on all things Palin  and has a lively commentary posting. They have helped organize a meet up of their readers from across America for the big day which is, significantly on the three year anniversary of her earth shaking introductory speech to the nominating convention.

Lately, as sure signs that the end time is approaching, nerves are getting frazzled, older supporters are metaphorically holding the hands of the more nervous newer or younger ones and auguries are being watched which would do justice to ancient Rome.

Sarah appears on television, and a discussion breaks out on her hair style. Is it up or down? Is it  in the “third of her television styles”? Where is the parting? Which, to aficionados, has some sort of coded message about her intentions. 

Then there is the problem of Palin’s pledge to local Alaskan talk show hosts Bob and Mark that she would make the announcement on their program. If she makes the announcement she is running, should she do so, in Iowa on the 3rd, will a live link up be arranged so the pledge can be honored?

One thing is certain in all this conjecture, which grateful for the nerves of all involved (including those of probable the rival candidates and the media) whichever way the decision goes it will shake up the campaign which is, in reality, in a holding pattern until Palin decides. 

With Perry now in the race, Palin’s decision will conclude the candidate list, absent the entering of Giuliani or Bolton, either of whom would be unlikely to gain much traction at this juncture, with the possible exception of Giuliani if there is a deadlock.

For her legions of fans, and one would suspect, for the legions of bloggers, editorial writers, and talking heads, an announcement that she is running will be a moment of joy. 

This too for the left as well as the right, the left will go berserk as they will have a target to take all their frustrations out on the failure of their idol President Obama to live up to their expectations, but certainly, for all involved, it will be an historic moment whichever way the decision goes.