Palin's window closing as Republican race gains steam

US: The clock is ticking for Sarah Palin, and her time is almost up.

With Mitt Romney and Rick Perry taking control of a quickly shifting Republican presidential campaign, Palin may have already missed her best chance for a late entry in the race.

"I think the window for Palin is closed, and every second that ticks off the clock things get more and more difficult for her," said Craig Robinson, a former state party political director who runs the Iowa Republican website.

"People are really ready to say this is our field of candidates, these are the people we have to choose from," he said. "They are growing frustrated with Sarah Palin's game of peekaboo."

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, has kept fans guessing for months about her intentions.

During a surprise visit to the Iowa state fair last month, she promised to announce by the end of September whether she would get in the race. On another visit to Iowa last weekend, she told reporters she was happy with the field of Republican candidates and quickly added: "I always think there is room for more."

While Palin supporters have argued her political rock star status and ability to draw a crowd made her immune to many of those pressures, Perry's candidacy might have robbed her of a rationale for a bid.

For months, Palin had led the list of potential candidates being goaded into the race by Republican activists dissatisfied with the field.

That leaves Palin's decision as the last big unanswered question in the Republican field.

"Perry filled a void in the race for a red-state governor who could campaign as a conservative. I don't think there is a void that Palin fills," Robinson said.

Washington, Friday, Reuters