Mama Grizzly, Mama of an upcoming Dancing with the Stars "star," and former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was in Iowa yesterday, speaking at the Iowa Republican Party's Reagan dinner. And Iowa, as we all know, is the first caucus during the election season that helps candidates establish themselves. She made a joke about how she was told not to run outside, or else headlines would say, "Palin, in Iowa, decides to run."

Palin also told Fox News, "If the American people were to be ready for someone who is willing to shake it up, and willing to get back to time-tested truths, and help lead our country towards a more prosperous and safe future and if they happen to think I was the one, if it were best for my family and for our country, of course I would give it a shot."

When asked about Palin's visit to Iowa, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that there's no doubt can that Palin “rally the very conservative elements of the Republican base" (cue this Taiwanese CGI). However he added that if Palin wants to run, she'll have to face a "whole series of questions that each has to go through and answer for the people of Iowa, the people of New Hampshire and throughout this country... I have no doubt that she is a formidable force in the Republican Party and may well be, in all honesty, the most formidable force in the Republican Party right now."

Politico looks at the potential of a Palin 2012 campaign, but has these quotes from some Republicans (who may have other agendas, of course): "'Palin has a lot of curiosity behind her. I’m not sure that translates into support,' said Wes Enos, a former Huckabee aide who serves on the state committee. And when it comes to star power, Iowa Republicans believe they’ve seen this kind of phenomenon before. 'She has the drawing power that Rudy Giuliani had. He filled up every hall,' said Dave Roederer, who was the chairman of Sen. John McCain’s campaign in Iowa in 2008. 'I don’t think that translates.'"

Yeah, remember when everyone was so high on Giuliani back in the fall of 2006? Look where that got him!