The Fast Fix: Is Palin failin’?

Does Palin still have what it takes to maintain support of the Republican base?

A box office star Sarah Palin isn't.

A new documentary about her time as governor of Alaska has grossed less than $100,000 since its release earlier this month, including a paltry $24,000 last weekend.

That flop is leading some people to question just how much pull Palin retains within the Republican base, a troubling storyline for the 2008 vice presidential nominee as she mulls a 2012 run.

Palin has largely disappeared from the national scene since her out-of-nowhere Memorial Day bus trip to historic sites that seemed to be party political gambit and part family vacation. While Palin has laid low, the 2012 presidential election has picked up speed with a key straw poll vote set for next month in Iowa.

Out of sight isn't always out of mind when it comes to Palin though. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll showed her running second behind former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in a hypothetical 2012 primary race.

And, Palin has proven that when she wants publicity, she can get enough to blot out the sun in the political world.

Getting publicity of course is different than getting votes. And Palin hasn't shown much interest in doing the basic political blocking and tackling that would allow her to capitalize on her fame.

Whether Palin runs or not remains the biggest unknown in the 2012 race. But what she decides is becoming less and less important with every passing day.

---

Get The Fix in your e-mail inbox! Click here to sign-up for the Morning Fix newsletter. Click here for the Afternoon Fix newsletter. Follow The Fix on Twitter @thefix or @thehyperfix.