RUTHFULLY YOURS

But there was something more significant in this stump outing. It revealed a Sarah Palin still energetic, still capable of drawing impassioned supporters, but one also unsettled and defensive, aggrieved and struggling to extract a hard, clear message out of too many cloudy talking points. A far cry from the happy warrior who took the stage at that Republican Convention.

It was show time on the campaign trail for Sarah Palin last weekend—a special sort, for the not-yet-if-ever-candidate, and it was inevitable. Here was Ms. Palin, in Indianola, Iowa, on Saturday holding forth at a tea party event in a 40-minute speech. They were there, she reminded her audience, to begin the restoration of the nation. She reminded them also that it was on this date that she had delivered her speech after being chosen as the vice presidential candidate on the McCain ticket. . . .

Much was later made of Ms. Palin’s pointed observation in the speech that it wasn’t enough to defeat President Obama—the challenge was, “who and what would replace him.” This was, it took no seer to divine, a jab at the current Republican challengers and a hint that a more skillful challenger is needed—perhaps someone who had not yet entered the race. Who could that be?

But there was something more significant in this stump outing. It revealed a Sarah Palin still energetic, still capable of drawing impassioned supporters, but one also unsettled and defensive, aggrieved and struggling to extract a hard, clear message out of too many cloudy talking points. A far cry from the happy warrior who took the stage at that Republican Convention.