alternatehistory.com

Despite the fact that various Democratic Senators including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid survived in 2010 simply because they were facing extremist far-right Republican nominees from the Tea Party, the Tea Party did mobilize a lot of Republican voters to come out in 2010.

Palin seemingly could have run in the Republican presidential primaries this year, even though she would have no chance to win. If she somehow wins the GOP nomination, she may very possibly put deep red states like Texas in play and lose her home state of Alaska.

However, after the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, Palin was widely blamed for her infamous "target list". While she was already universally hated by that point, no one cares about Palin after Tuscon shooting. Let's say it did not happen at all. Would Sarah Palin try? Or she would still come to the conclusion that she could not possibly win, so nothing happens, and Romney still gets the nomination and lose as in OTL?
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