President 2012 Iowa GOP Poll Watch: Sarah Palin’s Favorability Falls Since November 2009 – So?

Sarah Palin’s popularity has declined among the very voters the former Alaska governor would need to impress first were she to seek the 2012 Republican nomination for president, The Des Moines Register’s new Iowa Poll shows.

Palin’s favorability has ebbed with Iowa Republican likely voters, whose most active members make up the state’s presidential caucus electorate, in the past 15 months, according to the poll taken this month.

While a solid majority of this group still views Palin positively, the intensity has waned as Palin has become a regular national media presence but done little to cultivate a support base in Iowa.

The shift is not dramatic, but it raises questions about whether Palin would have staying power in Iowa as she moves closer to a decision on a White House run, pollsters say.

“One might ask the question: Is she wearing well? And the numbers are not moving in a favorable direction on that,” Iowa Poll director J. Ann Selzer said.

The poll does not mean much since Iowa will NOT mean much in the 2012 GOP Presidential season. New Hampshire immediately follows the Iowa Caucuses and Mitt Romney will be a lock to win that primary election. The real race for the GOP nomination will be in Nevada, South Carolina and Florida – then on to the Super Tuesday states.

Plus, Sarah Palin will make her decision as to whether to run based on President Obama vulnerability in the polls and the state of the economy.

On the other hand, states have NOT locked into a set GOP primary schedule and there may be a few wrinkles with scheduling elections thrown into the mix – for example, if Florida were to move up its primary election to January 2012.

Stay tuned….