Palin Putting out Presidential Feelers in Iowa
Palin's taking steps that would help her build a credible campaign.
Jan. 20, 2011— -- Advisers to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have been making calls to activists and supporters in Iowa, and key early primary and caucus states in case she decides to run for President.
"We have supporters in Iowa that we speak with frequently. The governor is honored to have their support," said Andrew Davis, a strategist at SarahPAC, Palin's political action committee.
But the calls and outreach don't represent any major "uptick" in political activity. Palin advisers have been making these types of calls for months.
Since last year, activists have been reaching out to the Palin team to offer support. Palin aides make sure to call back to thank them and maintain the type of contact that would be needed to build a full-scale campaign operation, if needed. As of now, the Palin team is not asking for formal commitments from supporters
Despite the contact, political veterans on the ground in Iowa say they see little sign of the Palin effort.
One senior Iowa Republican told ABC News, "While it is still early, there are no indications on the ground that Governor Palin is taking the organizational steps associated with mounting a full-scale caucus campaign. Directly engaging traditional caucus-going Iowa Republicans is a must for a successful effort, and as of yet, that is not happening."
It should be noted with her extremely high profile, Palin might not need a traditional organization to achieve success in Iowa. And big organizations don't always translate into victory. Mitt Romney came in second in 2008, despite an early and expensive effort there.
RealClearPolitics was the first to report the Palin outreach in Iowa, but the effort is not limited to that caucus state. There are contacts being made in all of the early voting states. While no decision has been made, Palin has made clear that if she does decide to run, she "would be in it to win it."
An ABC News / Washington Post Poll out today shows that nationwide, Palin is the preferred candidate of 19 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents. That puts her just behind former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and just above former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Read the full poll HERE.
For more on Sarah Palin's schedule, including what she will be doing during President Obama's State of the Union Address, CLICK HERE.
ABC's Amy Walter contributed to this report.