Will Palin Be Forced to Run?

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First it was Mitch Daniels, who refused to run. Then it was Paul Ryan, who also refused. Now it's Chris Christie, who's refused so many times he could write a book called "How to Refuse the Presidency" out of it. Rick Perry is getting dragged down, Herman Cain's appeal is dubiously lasting, and no one seems to like Mitt Romney.

So what's a disenchanted Republican voter searching for the next big thing to do? Turn to the one person who hasn't definitively ruled out a run - who's always been there to provide wish fulfillment fantasies to a certain loving segment of the GOP base - Sarah Palin.

Palin has until October 31st to get in the race, and even her most aggressive defenders (Rush Limbaugh comes to mind) aren't optimistic that she'll decide to do it. The Alaska Governor even said, in a much-mocked segment on Fox News, that she wouldn't get into the race because she thought the Presidency would constrain her. Still, it would probably be over-optimistic to expect Palin to take herself out of the running before October 31st, largely because she can still milk this thing for all the publicity on earth.

But what happens after October 31st? How does Palin take that opportunity to gracefully bow out? Can she surrender the spotlight?

Palin's potential run for the Presidency has been such a constant fixture of conservative media that it's hard to imagine what she could possibly do to silence the rumors that wouldn't come off as anticlimactic. A Chris Christie-style categorical denial would only anger Palin's fans and damage her brand among conservative talkers, who have long seen her as the anti-Obama figure who can sweep in from Alaska and bring back populist America-and-apple pie values.

Given the massive expectations that have been built up for Palin, just out and out declaring she won't run is sure to trigger some blowback, and deprive her of the one remaining weapon she has that allows her to stay relevant.

But if not a Presidential run, then where does Palin go? Her Fox News gig pays dividends for now, but will it continue doing so after she's ceased to represent the great conservative hope? The hype may have placed Palin in a political Catch-22: Run for President and fail due to her limited appeal, or don't run and cease being conservative America's sweetheart, possibly even being supplanted by a fresher face like Kristi Noem or Nikki Haley.