Good piece in Politico this morning about how Sarah Palin is breaking the mold in running for president - if she decides to do so.

In this sense, necessity is certainly the Mother of Invention. The conventional route of pressing the flesh in Iowa and other early caucus and primary states not to mention lining up staff and raising gobs of money don't seem to be part of her plan.

Maybe she's playing it by ear, letting events dictate her actions. It certainly seemed that way in Des Moines:

"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."

But Palin's staying power, and her continuing ability to drive the national party, has been a persistent surprise to the Republican establishment in Washington.

Her candidates upended incumbents and party organizations from Alaska to Delaware. Her Iowa path could also be unorthodox. A Republican official suggested she could enter after the major organizational test, the party's straw poll, in August, and ride a wave of momentum and online organization to a record caucus turnout.

Friday night, Palin avoided the question of her own presidential bid by stressing the importance of the midterm elections, and she promised to support candidates very much like herself.

"We need to start now by electing strong leaders who aren't afraid to shake it up- to rein in the federal government," she said. "It's time for no more business as usual. It is time to take our country back."

Consider this: If Palin backed candidates win in November, her role of kingmaker will be solidified and even the party establishment will be somewhat at her feet. She has cleverly left her options completely open so that she could jump either way - as candidate or a force in the party to be reckoned with.

Wherever it leads, the path she is on now is unconventional and will keep people guessing for the next several months until circumstances force her to declare one way or another what her plans will be for 2012.