Is she or isn’t she? Sarah Palin still isn’t saying whether she will jump into the presidential race, but she did give an argument for not doing so to Greta van Susteren on Fox last night. Palin wondered whether a “campaign would be too shackling” for the kind of change she wants, and noted as she often has that one doesn’t need a “title” to have an impact:

Appearing on Fox News’ On the Record, a favorite venue, Palin appeared to be talking herself out of the race in an interview with host Greta Van Susteren.

“Is a campaign too shackling?” she mused. As the GOP’s 2008 vice presidential nominee, Palin said she felt encumbered by “handlers.” Running for office “prohibits the freedom one needs to really make a difference,” said the self-described “rogue” politician.

Added Palin: “You don’t need a title to make a difference.”

That doesn’t sound like someone who has the needed “fire in the belly,” as is said, to embark on what would undoubtedly be a bruising and difficult run late in the campaign for the nomination. This sounds more like a leading activist preparing an explanation for disappointed followers as to why she’s decided to remain an activist rather than make a return to electoral politics.

In this clip from the show, van Susteren makes the obvious point that Presidents have tremendous power to create change, but Palin insists that being outside the system would give her more freedom of action:

That doesn’t sound like someone who wants to endure another season of handling and caricatures. Here’s the entire segment from last night’s interview: