SARAH Palin is definitely considering running for the White House in 2012.Ms Palin confirmed her intentions to run for office in a New York Times Magazine article.
"I'm engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here," the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate said.
Ms Palin also said she does not see any major policy differences among the current group of Republicans considering a 2012 bid.
The article describes Ms Palin's hands-on method of organising her political activities and communications among a tight circle of trusted aides that she has surrounded herself with in the wake of her 2008 election experience.
Any interaction with the press by any member of the circle must be approved by Ms Palin herself, as do any personal appearances.
She also told the Times that the media's unfair treatment of her makes her "fear for our democracy."
The former Alaska governor's skill at communicating outside the mainstream media also gets some attention.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told the Times: "If I would have told you that I could open up a Facebook account or a Twitter account, simply post quotes, and have the White House asked about those, and to have the entire White House press corps focused on your quote of the day on Facebook - that's Sarah Palin."
"I just tweet; that's just the way I roll," Ms Palin says.
Should she decide to run, Ms Palin will face the challenge of convincing the American public - and members of her own party - that she is qualified for the job.
Her unfavourable rating hit a new high at 52 percent according to a Gallup poll released last week.
Longtime political rival Lisa Murkowski, the Republican Senator from Alaska who will likely reclaim her seat after a controversial write-in campaign, told CBS News this week she thought Ms Palin lacked the "leadership qualities" and "intellectual curiosity" to be president.
And in a late October interview with UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Republican strategist Karl Rove suggested Ms Palin does not have the "gravitas" to be president.
While he earlier told CBS's Face the Nation that Palin would be a "formidable" presidential candidate, he told the Telegraph that Palin's appearance in a new reality television series on TLC may not fit "in the American calculus of 'that helps me see you in the Oval Office.'"
The recent premiere of that reality show, Sarah Palin's Alaska, drew 4.96 million viewers, a record for any TLC debut.
"I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn't have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record," Ms Palin told the Times.
"That's the most frustrating thing for me - the warped and perverted description of my record and what I've accomplished over the last two decades.