Palin Returns to National Spotlight at Right-to-Life Dinner

When Sarah Palin takes the stage Thursday night at a pro-life fundraiser in Indiana, she'll have a chance to recast her post-election political narrative -- after recently receiving more attention for her family drama and political mishaps than her place in the Republican party.

The Alaska governor and former GOP vice presidential nominee is headlining the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, Ind. Though she's mostly been out of the national spotlight since the election, the group says the nearly 2,000 tickets for the dinner sold out quickly.

The dinner gives Palin a change of pace from Alaska state policy and politics, but it also keeps her name on the fluid list of potential 2012 presidential candidates, as she hits social conservative themes on turf that is now swing-state territory.

"She's going to be part of the national conversation. I don't think there's any doubt about it," said Republican strategist Terry Holt, calling the Indiana fundraiser a place for her to "shine."

The event comes after a string of distracting media stories, many of which focused on Palin family drama.

Levi Johnston, the ex-fiance of the governor's daughter Bristol, granted a string of television interviews in which he claimed the Palin family is limiting his access to their 4-month-old son, Tripp. The feud most recently drew a retort from Palin's father, Chuck Heath, who claims in a story being published Friday in Us Weekly that Johnston is not financially supporting the child.

Adding to the family turmoil, Palin's sister-in-law was arrested early this month on burglary charges.

Politically, Palin suffered a couple setbacks as well. Last month, Arizona Sen. John McCain wouldn't commit to endorsing his former running mate for president if she ran in 2012. This week, he didn't even include her name in a list of young and dynamic Republican governors.

Then she was dropped from a June speaking engagement for a House-Senate GOP fundraising dinner. The shuffling appeared to be the result of a communications mix-up, but the campaign committees were apparently upset with Palin for not committing to the event outright.

Palin also opted out of speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. In the CPAC straw poll for potential 2012 candidates, Palin tied for third with Texas Rep. Ron Paul. (Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney took first, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal came in second.)

Holt said Romney, as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, are "doing a better job of providing themselves a foundation for a national apparatus" for a potential 2012 run. But he said that doesn't leave Palin out in the cold.

"Sarah Palin, in Alaska running a state, probably isn't doing that much stuff. But she does have a voice, she is an intense fundraiser and that's going to count for something as well," Holt said. "It's just a question of how much organization gets done between now and when the gun goes off."

It's unclear where exactly Palin wants to take her political career. Palin's only announcement about her future is that she won't challenge U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, next year.

University of Alaska-Fairbanks political science professor Gerald McBeath said he can't tell if she's preparing for re-election in 2010, a presidential run in 2012 or something else altogether.

"Her actions don't fit together in a pattern," McBeath said. "So that leaves me to suspect she hasn't figured it out. She hasn't decided. Or alternatively, maybe that's just part of her style and we just haven't gotten used to it yet.

"That would be a charitable interpretation," he added.

David Dittman, Palin's former pollster, said he doesn't think Palin has mapped out her long-term political strategy.

"I think she's just following her heart, and I don't think it's calculated to shore up the right or build the base or any of that," he said. "I don't think she has a plan or an agenda or a timeline where she has to do certain things by certain times."

He said the media reports about her family surely are "troubling her personally," but that they won't in the long run cause her to withdraw from public life.

Palin generally has stuck to Alaska business since the election. The end of the state's legislative session has been marked by a prolonged standoff between Palin and Democrats over filling a vacant Senate seat in Juneau. Lawmakers also are slashing Palin's budget ahead of a Sunday adjournment.

The governor drew criticism from Democrats for heading out to the Indiana fundraiser -- and Dittman said the reason Palin hasn't ventured out much since November is because "she has a state to run."

Palin is sharing the stage Thursday with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.