Sarah Palin Thunder-Stealing Bus Tour: The Sequel Begins in Iowa

COMMENTARY | Remember the national bus tour that Sarah Palin embarked on back in June, when she said her itinerary would be whatever struck her fancy, and she immediately began to make sensationalized headlines wherever she went due to her historical ignorance and daily non-declarations of a 2012 presidential candidacy? The same "One Nation" bus tour that suddenly ended after she stole Mitt Romney's thunder in New Hampshire when he declared?

It would appear that the bus has made its way to Iowa (where most predicted it would go, albeit arriving sooner than it actually did), where Palin and clan have set up camp at the Iowa State Fair -- just days before the Ames Straw Poll.

"The heartland is perfect territory for more of the One Nation Tour as we put forth efforts to revitalize the fundamental restoration of America by highlighting our nation's heart, history, and founding principles," Palin wrote in an email to her followers, according to CNN.

Palin's latest maneuverings are beginning to look like the sequel to a predictably bad road trip movie (which would still be more popular than Palin's own movie, "The Undefeated"), yet it is but the second leg of what has been billed as a "national" bus tour. Expect more sequels --

Like the first installment of the "One Nation" bus tour, Palin has insinuated herself into the Republican political landscape. Not only did she overshadow the former Massachusetts governor (and GOP frontrunner for the presidential nomination) with her presence in New Hampshire the same day that Romney announced his candidacy (June 2), the news of the impending historic sites-seeing tour throughout the Northeast United States dominated the news and weakened the announcements of both businessman Herman Cain (May 21) and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (May 23) as well. Her arrival in the midst of the upswell in interest surrounding the Republican field of 2012 presidential candidates and the Ames Straw Poll, which is to be held on August 17, looks to again be a disruptive force and a second attempt at stealing the thunder of other politicians.

The "One Nation" bus showed up at the Iowa State Fair just the day before a Republican debate between the declared candidates appearing on the Straw Poll ballot. Palin is not on the ballot. However, she and those close to her continue to hint at possibly becoming a candidate for president in August or September.

As sequels go, there are the recurring themes that play out, although Palin and her staff undoubtedly would like to forego a repeat of the ignominious ending to the first leg of the tour, where the former Alaska governor made an historical gaffe about Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere (that he warned the British -- instead of the upstart revolutionaries of which he was a part -- that they themselves were advancing), then proceeded to defend and spin her statement in subsequent interviews.

Thus far, though, just the announcement has been about the only news generated from Palin's arrival in Iowa, her own thunder-stealing seemingly falling prey to another Republican hopeful, Texas governor Rick Perry, who had yet to declare his candidacy. He did so (informally, but confirmed by Perry staffers) Thursday, the day of the debate, with the announcement that he would enter the race on Saturday, August 13.

Although Palin and Perry are not on the official Ames Straw Poll ballot, for the first time in its history, write-ins are allowed.

As with the bus tour, just like with the first installment, nobody is quite certain where Sarah Palin is headed with it.