Reactions to Sarah Palin's presence at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, where she gave the keynote address, reflected her journey from the center of tea party politics to the "nebulous" pop-culture conservative fringe, says The Washington Post.
Here was Ken Hoagland, chairman of the political action committee Restore America's Voice, which had signed Mike Huckabee and Herman Cain to do TV spots against President Obama's health-care plan. He had not reached out to Palin.
"Palin," he mused, asked about her value in such ads. "I'd love to talk to her. I'd probably sign her up on the right issue - like, I wouldn't put her on TV for foreign policy. On energy? Oh yes."
Here was GOP fundraiser Bruce Eberle: "If you want someone to sign a fundraising letter, it would be hard to beat Sarah Palin and Herman Cain," he said.
Here, signing autographs, was Herman Cain, [who] now appeared to be Palin's competition on the tea party figurehead circuit.
His former campaign manager Mark Block stood nearby. "Sarah who?" he joked.
