While Palin isn’t the only major political figure to try alternative means of communication to bypass the media, her unique ability to remain in the headlines while avoiding the spotlight suggests she may be the first to pull it off successfully…

With more than 850,000 “friends” following her every statement closely on Facebook, Palin trails only President Barack Obama as the most popular politician on the site. And when Palin ended her Twitter feed after resigning as governor, close to 140,000 people were following her—again, second only to Obama…

“She loves the unfiltered medium because she can make her statement and not be questioned directly about any nuances,” one former Palin staffer told POLITICO. “It speaks to the power of Facebook and social networking in general. Here’s a case where Facebook postings are being picked up by [the Associated Press] and the national media. As politicians—we’re taking note of these media based on how well they’re working for her.”

Another longtime Alaska insider and close observer of Palin called the strategy “brilliant,” but said it was sad to watch her relationship with the press deteriorate to such a point.