WASHINGTON: For sheer mastery of celebrity theatre, Sarah Palin cannot be beat.
The former governor of Alaska let the anticipation build for hours on Sunday in the Pentagon's north parking lot, where thousands of bikers
(and their rumbling Harleys) had gathered for the annual Rolling Thunder rally before Memorial Day.
And then, suddenly, there she was: Ms Palin, with her husband, Todd, and the rest of the family.
Wearing black Harley-Davidson helmets, they rode motorcycles towards the front of the procession through a crush of cameramen, photographers, reporters and leather-clad bikers, all jostling for a peek at the woman who might be president.
A traditional political appearance, it was not. She did not make any public remarks or shake hands with dignitaries.
There was no news release accompanying her visit. And after the short ride to the National Mall - she rode on the back of a volunteer's bike - she sped off in a black SUV to points unknown to anyone outside her small circle, even to the reporters covering her.
Ms Palin's visit here - to start her still-mysterious One Nation bus tour along the US east coast - provided no clarity about whether she will run for the Republican presidential nomination this year. But it did reinforce the idea that if she does, her campaign will not be conducted in the usual way.
Indeed, the appearance offered a study in contrasts between Ms Palin and her would-be Republican rivals, who, as she rumbled through Washington clad in black leather, did the things that candidates for president usually do.
The multi-state tour she announced with fanfare on the website of her political action committee last week remains obscure to most. Her aides refused to say where she was going or when, pointing reporters and others to her website, which, as of late Sunday, gave no details about the tour.
Her brief statement about the tour on the site is filled only with gauzy imagery about the ''patriotic sites'' she will visit in the days ahead.
''We encourage you to support the pro-America events we'll be privileged to participate in during these coming weeks,'' she said in a written statement. ''Discover the ties that bind Americans, our history, our traditions, and the exceptional nature of our country!''
Although she made no public statements during the rally, she was effusive in remarks posted on her website afterward.
''There's no better way to see DC than on the back of a Harley!'' she wrote. ''Whether you're riding the open road or the frozen tundra, you're celebrating a free spirit. What could be more American than that?''
The former governor of Alaska let the anticipation build for hours on Sunday in the Pentagon's north parking lot, where thousands of bikers
(and their rumbling Harleys) had gathered for the annual Rolling Thunder rally before Memorial Day.
And then, suddenly, there she was: Ms Palin, with her husband, Todd, and the rest of the family.
Wearing black Harley-Davidson helmets, they rode motorcycles towards the front of the procession through a crush of cameramen, photographers, reporters and leather-clad bikers, all jostling for a peek at the woman who might be president.
A traditional political appearance, it was not. She did not make any public remarks or shake hands with dignitaries.
There was no news release accompanying her visit. And after the short ride to the National Mall - she rode on the back of a volunteer's bike - she sped off in a black SUV to points unknown to anyone outside her small circle, even to the reporters covering her.
Ms Palin's visit here - to start her still-mysterious One Nation bus tour along the US east coast - provided no clarity about whether she will run for the Republican presidential nomination this year. But it did reinforce the idea that if she does, her campaign will not be conducted in the usual way.
Indeed, the appearance offered a study in contrasts between Ms Palin and her would-be Republican rivals, who, as she rumbled through Washington clad in black leather, did the things that candidates for president usually do.
The multi-state tour she announced with fanfare on the website of her political action committee last week remains obscure to most. Her aides refused to say where she was going or when, pointing reporters and others to her website, which, as of late Sunday, gave no details about the tour.
''We encourage you to support the pro-America events we'll be privileged to participate in during these coming weeks,'' she said in a written statement. ''Discover the ties that bind Americans, our history, our traditions, and the exceptional nature of our country!''
Although she made no public statements during the rally, she was effusive in remarks posted on her website afterward.
''There's no better way to see DC than on the back of a Harley!'' she wrote. ''Whether you're riding the open road or the frozen tundra, you're celebrating a free spirit. What could be more American than that?''
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