Conservatives Plan Future With Palin

A “who’s who of conservative leaders” will meet in Virginia next Wednesday to plot their movement’s future, and the top item on their agenda will be Sarah Palin. Win or lose, many see Palin as the new face of the Republican party, the New York Times reports. Despite all the criticisms, Palin remains a star among conservatives, who are eying her for a 2012 run if McCain loses.

Palin seems to be positioning herself for a post-McCain future, distancing herself from her running mate’s positions and shaking off campaign restrictions. But movement leaders insist they’re not planning for a loss. Should McCain win, Palin would give conservatives a lever within the administration. “She would be the conservative in the White House,” a source told Politico.   (More conservative base stories.)