Lots of searches here yesterday for Sarah Palin and Ireland. I don’t know if they were looking for this story which is nearly 18 months old. Some searches on twitter showed people planning to move to Ireland if Palin gets elected in 2012. Now if could be people exploring her roots. More on that bit soon!

Following her speech on Saturday night to the Tea Bag Convention, Sarah spoke in her role of analyst on Fox News Sunday. I’d use the word analyst very very loosely. As does the interviewer. (Paddy Power took bets last month on Sarah’s first gaffe in her new role) Speaking of gaffes Sarah had written notes on her hand for the very tame questions and answers session at the end of her speech.

We learn from the interview yesterday that Sarah will run in 2012 if it’s right and she’s getting briefings from advisers each day on domestic and foreign affairs.

Here’s a clip of the interview and some of the transcript below.

WALLACE: You talk about rising to the top. There’s a new poll out this week of Republican voters across the country and it shows someone named Sarah Palin leading the 2012 race by five points over Mitt Romney. Aren’t you the front-runner for the nomination?

PALIN: Nope. Don’t know who conducted that poll and I know that polls are fickle and heck, after this interview, Chris, we may see a plummeting in the poll numbers. Who knows. These are fickle. I can’t comment on what the poll numbers mean today.

WALLACE: Why wouldn’t you run for president?

PALIN: I would. I would if I believe that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family. Certainly, I would do so.

WALLACE: And how do you make that decision over the next three years?

PALIN: It’s going to be thankfully a lot of time to be able to make such a decision. Right now, I’m looking at, as I say, other potential candidates out there who are strong. They’re in a position of having the luxury of having more information at their fingertips right now. So that the current events that we’re talking about today, they —

WALLACE: Wait, wait, wait. Because — you’re basically saying you will consider it.

PALIN: I think that it would be absurd to not consider what it is that I can potentially do to help our country. I don’t know if it’s going to be every seeking a title though. It may be just doing a darn good job as a reporter or covering some of the current events.

WALLACE: But you’re going to consider, you’re go to go through the process of thinking —

PALIN: I won’t close the door that perhaps could be open for me in the future. I don’t want any American to ever close the door in their personal or their professional lives and put themselves in a box and say, heck, yes I’m going to do that. Or, no way I’m not going to do that, when we don’t know what the future holds.

WALLACE: There’s a report this weekend that you are now getting daily e-mail briefings on domestic and foreign policy issues from a group of top advisors in Washington, D.C.
How come?

PALIN: Ever since our PAC was formed, we have had good people contributing. Some — many volunteers, I guess you would call them advisors, yes, firing away e-mails to me every morning saying, this is what’s happened in Washington overnight. You need to be aware of this. Good. It’s great. It’s helpful.

WALLACE: Do you — isn’t that the move of somebody who is thinking about running for president?

PALIN: You mean, conventionally how someone would — I have no idea how conventionally people do this. How they try to open a door that’s cracked, if it’s even open. And if that involves having a group of advisors send them e-mails every morning. I don’t know how any of that stuff works. I don’t know, I’m just appreciative of having some good information at my fingertips right now.

WALLACE: Would you say that you’re more knowledgeable about domestic and foreign affairs now than you were two years ago?
PALIN: Well, I would hope so. Yes, I am.

Two years ago my engagement was on the state of Alaska. Largest, most diverse state in the union. Twenty percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy coming from our state, desiring to and working towards rampage up that domestic energy production. That was my focus.

Now, of course, my focus has been enlarged. So, I sure as heck better be more astute on these current events, national issues than I was two years ago.

Scared yet?