Peter Singleton is on the ground in Iowa and penned this response today to an Iowa radio host, addressing the question of when Governor Palin should make her announcement:

Wednesday, Steve wrote in his “Morning Briefing” that Governor Palin should take advantage of her speech at the Restoring America rally on September 3 to announce her candidacy if she is planning to run. Later that afternoon, Steve and I had a great conversation about the state of play in the presidential race. Steve suggested I share my thoughts here.

I lead the Palin grassroots effort in Iowa.  I’ve been here since late November after an initial scouting expedition in August of last year. Like all the other folks involved in Organize4Palin in Iowa and nationwide, I am doing this as a volunteer and at my own volition.  We are not affiliated with Governor Palin or her political organization.

Those of us in the Palin grassroots base who are actively organizing on the ground do not expect Governor Palin to announce her presidential run on the 3rd in Indianola. We are also not concerned about when and how she will announce her run.

Why? We disagree with the premise, offered by pundits and activists repeatedly for many months, that the window is closing for Governor Palin to get into the race.  Perhaps in a normal cycle, with a traditional establishment candidate, this would be correct. But this is not a normal cycle. And Governor Palin, should she run, will not run as an establishment candidate. All of the other candidates in the race, their rhetoric aside (and except for Ron Paul) are establishment candidates. Governor Palin is not.

From the moment Governor Palin resigned the governorship of Alaska, she has been the voice of opposition to the Obama administration and its agenda of fundamentally transforming the United States of America. She repeatedly has offered serious policy statements on issues such as health care, the Federal Reserve’s money printing in funding our federal deficit, and when it is appropriate for us to commit our military forces overseas. No other national Republican leader has done so as consistently, effectively, and as well.

In Governor Palin’s recent Facebook post “Conquering the Storm” she laid down clear markers where the country must go in 2012. There is no other candidate who is willing to have the sort of “adult conversation” with the American people that Governor Palin understands is necessary for us to face and overcome the significant challenges before us. She stresses that cutting federal spending is a matter of fiscal survival. This is a conclusion that there can be no credible dispute about, but no national Republican or Democratic leader has been forthright in explaining this to the American people. She will.

Governor Palin also aggressively makes the case for domestic energy development–a policy area she knows better than any candidate or potential candidate in this race.  Finally, Governor Palin argues for “a pro-growth agenda that can make American corporations far more competitive on the global stage.”

Governor Palin’s recent writings have been in this vein.  They read like the foundation stones of a campaign platform–one that will address the challenges facing the American people, and inspire us as we rise to our finest moment as a people.

As grassroots supporters of Governor Palin, it is far more important to us as to why she will run, how she will run, and the platform she will run on than when and how she announces.

With respect to Governor Palin’s speech on September 3, we don’t know the specifics she will discuss other than she will address the broad theme of the rally–Restoring America.  We do believe that she will give a major speech, however.  Our best guess is that she will continue the kind of conversation with the American people she has been engaged in in her last 5-6 weeks of Facebook notes.  See, for example:

“Conquering the Storm” August 8, 2011

“Congressional Freshmen – For Such a Time as This,” July 28, 2011

“The Sugar Daddy has Run out of Sugar; Now We Need New Leaders,” July 9, 2011

In her Facebook notes and in her Fox News appearances, Governor Palin has been laying down markers for the kind of debate that we must have on our side in the Republican primary to have a properly vetted candidate who will represent our principles and values in the general election. We believe Governor Palin will be that candidate.  No candidate, or potential candidate, on our side has stepped up to define those terms of debate.  No one has been willing to, and we are not sure anyone else is even capable of doing so.

Sooner or later, Governor Palin will come out with a major speech on these issues. September 3 may be that day.  If so, it will be a day for the ages. Just like people still listen to “A Time for Choosing,” Ronald Reagan’s epic speech at the Republican National Convention in 1964. Almost 50 years later, this could be one of those moments.

I agree with Peter. I’m going to Indianola to hang out with other Palinistas and hear a great speech, not with any expectation of an announcement. One thing I’ve been saying over and over is that we don’t know the plan Governor Palin may be pursuing, nor are we privvy to the details that may be guiding her announcement timing.

We know she has promised an unconventional campaign if she runs. We also know from basic economics that 20% of our efforts produce 80% of the results, also known as the Pareto Principle. It’s a reminder that too often people spending 80% of their time on nearly meaningless action.

It’s quite likely that Gov. Palin wants to shorten the campaign cycle to conserve resources, focus her efforts where they’re going to be most productive, and let the other candidates continue to be intensely vetted by the media, something that may not be happening if she were in the race.

Meanwhile, as Peter points out … she’s leading the debate without wasting resources … just what I want in a reformer and leader.

Patience is a virtue. I trust the Governor’s judgment. And I can’t wait to meet with the C4Peeps in Iowa.