She announces a national bus tour that looks like a prelude to a campaign.

Suddenly, after months of playing coy, Sarah Palin is being very straightforward about her presidential ambitions. She and members of her immediate family will embark this Memorial Day weekend on a "One Nation" bus tour, kicking off in Washington, D.C., and heading up through the northeast corridor and then to parts unknown. Just kidding: She'll then go to places with key early primaries—places where a hagiographical full-length movie about Palin will be screened.

According to Real Clear Politics, which broke the news: "In spite of the celebrity profile that she has embraced since 2008, the unorthodox nature of the bus tour indicates that Palin recognizes that she would have to run a grass-roots campaign that removes some of her shine, in order to highlight her blue-collar persona" (because nothing says blue-collar like getting a movie made about you). Still, it appears that Palin is leaning heavily toward a run, and her timing is impeccable: She's stepping on the heels of Tea Party rival Michele Bachmann's own campaign prelude (not to mention ruining reporters' holiday weekends).

The Palin Meter pole-vaults all the way up to 75 percent.

Previous Palin Meter Readings

Friday, May 20, 2011: 50 percent

Tuesday, May 17, 2011: 43 percent

Tuesday, May 10, 2011: 39 percent

Thursday, May 5, 2011: 46 percent

Thursday, April 28, 2011: 44 percent

Monday, April 18, 2011: 44 percent

Thursday, April 14, 2011: 39 percent

Tuesday, April 5, 2011: 43 percent

Monday, March 28, 2011: 49 percent

Wednesday, March 23, 2011: 53 percent

Friday, March 18, 2011: 55 percent

Wednesday, March 16, 2011: 55 percent

Thursday, March 10, 2011: 48 percent

Tuesday, March 8, 2011: 35 percent

Monday, March 7, 2011: 40 percent

Friday, March 3, 2011: 45 percent

Tuesday, March 1, 2011: 51 percent