Sarah Palin bought a house in Scottsdale?

That intrepid investigator, "Patrick," (of the Political Gates blog) who makes all sorts of claims, has now claimed:

... Arizonians should brace themselves: The Queen of Mean [apparently Sarah Palin] is coming to town, following the footsteps of daughter Bristol! To Scottsdale, Arizona, to be precise - according to a report of news outlet "azcentral" ...

But notice that what he links to asks at the outset, "Has Sarah Palin bought a house in north Scottsdale?" It never once answers the question! Patrick's assertion that Palin has in fact bought a house in Scottsdale is typical of his response to many questions about what Palin is doing, has done, or might do. He believes and asserts as fact that she does or has done whatever he expects she might do. It's known as an expectation bias. Of course, he may be right (about the house in Scottsdale). A stopped clock is right twice a day.

But what if Palin has bought that house in Scottsdale? Does it have any meaning? In Arizona, there are what are known as "snowbirds." Those are people from cold climates who vacation in Arizona during the winter. There are even smart "snowbirds:" They have a summer house in northern Arizona and a winter house in southern Arizona. There is nothing unusual about "snowbirds."

Does anyone begrudge Palin's ability to buy a million-dollar-plus house? She has said that she's operating a public speaking business and, apparently, has had some success doing that. I don't mind if Palin buys a million-dollar house, but do think that Patrick is like a guy in the street asking passers-by to fight with him. I once heard -- didn't read -- that the very definition of a psychopath is someone who fights and fucks too much.

Of course, there will be speculation -- Is that what "Patrick" is looking for? -- that Palin is "moving" to Arizona to grab John Kyl's soon-to-be-vacant senate seat or run for Congress in what may be a new district in -- gasp! -- an area in which Bristol Palin recently bought a house. Isn't something nefarious going on? Probably not. The article at The Arizona Republic's website also stated:

... The Arizona Democratic Party's website asked, "Is Sarah Palin moving to Arizona?" and used the rumors to try to raise money.

The speculation was enough for Public Policy Polling, a Democratic company based in North Carolina, to include some questions about Palin in its most recent automated telephone survey of Arizona voters. One question asked respondents whether they would like for Palin to move to Arizona. Fifty-seven percent said no. Another 27 percent said they would like her to relocate to the state, while 16 percent were not sure. ...

How would she win an election in Arizona, considering those poll numbers?

I should add, if anyone is unfamiliar with how a U.S. President is elected, that Arizona isn't a good choice for a "home state" when considering a presidential bid. It is one of the least populous states and, therefore, isn't allocated as many electoral college votes as the more populous states are. Did being Arizona's "favorite son" win the election for John McCain in 2008?

Update: The Atlantic Wire's Ujala Sehgal writes:

... [T]here are many reasons why Palin might leave Alaska that have nothing to do with a bid for 2012 or a run for a seat in the Senate. Joshua Green described in The Atlantic that Palin's popularity in her home state is rapidly dwindling. A rumored Democratic poll showed her to be less popular in Alaska right now than Barack Obama. Green writes that though Palin, "still lives in Alaska, she has all but withdrawn from its public life, appearing only seldom and then usually to film her reality-television show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska."

If Alaska "has moved on" from Palin, as Green suggests, she may very well be ready to move on from Alaska. As a public figure, no doubt it is difficult for her to fly back and forth from Alaska to appearances around the country, and Arizona would be a more convenient location. There seems to be little keeping here in state. Her son Track is still in Alaska, but he recently married his high school sweetheart, People reports. Palin may also want to keep an eye on Bristol in Maricopa. Or maybe she's just sick of the cold weather. ...

Maybe she's just sick of the cold weater, or wants to be closer to family, or would find it is easier to get to speaking engagements from Phoenix' airport. Then, too, Arizona's real-estate market is depressed at the moment and may seem to be a bargain to some.