Ross imagines an amusing scenario for Palin’s endorsement of one of the presidential candidates:

And if she really wanted to gamble, there’s always Jon Huntsman: His style (and current core constituency) is worlds away from hers, but his positions (anti-big banks, pro-Israel but anti-Libya intervention, more consistent on abortion than Romney, etc.) actually match up rather well with her persona. It could make her look ridiculous, obviously, if he stays stuck at 3 percent in the polls. But if she helped carry him from also-ran to contender status, she would be relevant again in a hurry. One of the (many) reasons I’m bearish on Huntsman — and, yes, still convinced that Romney has it in the bag — is that I don’t see any way for him to reintroduce himself to conservative voters in the next six weeks. But there’s one woman who could change all that…

This scenario may not be quite as far-fetched as it sounds, but there’s one important reason why it won’t happen, and it is the same tribal loyalty that won Palin so many supporters inside the party. Huntsman introduced Palin to a national audience at the 2008 convention, so maybe that earned him a little goodwill. A Palin endorsement would raise some awkward questions. Having gone on record as an enthusiastic supporter of the decision to make Palin McCain’s running mate back in 2008, he would have to explain why her lack of foreign policy experience or knowledge about policy didn’t make her unqualified. Since he is currently running on his experience and expertise, it would be an odd fit.

If Palin were to endorse him, it’s far from guaranteed that she would be able to revive Huntsman’s fortunes with conservatives. Huntsman’s problem with conservatives really began when he became associated with the Obama administration. It didn’t matter what Huntsman’s record was or that he was more qualified than the other candidates. All that mattered for the purposes of political tribalism was that he broke ranks. Palin would run a similar risk by associating herself with Huntsman. Instead of lending him new credibility with conservatives, she would probably be harming her own reputation with them. Remember that Palin’s popularity with conservatives was the function of identity politics, and that is something she can’t transfer to Huntsman. Her endorsement would do him little good, and it would alienate many of her fans. Bearing that in mind, Palin is unlikely to endorse Huntsman.