Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Sarah Palin, on stage in a Columbus, Ohio, airport hangar yesterday, is singing and swinging while country star Gretchen Wilson performs her hit ``Redneck Woman.''

``Let me get a big `Hell, yeah' from the redneck girls like me,'' Wilson sings. The crowd, in a sea of flags and pompons, calls back: ``Hell, yeah.''

It's the kind of enthusiasm that makes many conservative activists, bracing for potential defeat of John McCain tomorrow, hope that Palin can return a Republican to the White House in an election 1,463 days later.

``She has star power,'' said Richard Land, leader of the 16 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, based in Nashville. ``The base identifies with her. That's the harmony. The melody is that she has a gift -- star power.''

Palin will take a red-eye flight to Alaska tonight, making a 4,500-mile round-trip detour to cast her ballot in person in her hometown of Wasilla.

The absentee ballot that has been on her plane for five days would be easier. Palin prefers to make the long trip home, where television footage at a small-town polling place will underscore Palin's appeal as a frontier hockey mom who's revved up Republican conservatives.

``I think she's a major player in 2012,'' Land said.

Palin, a little-known governor of a faraway state three months ago, will become the 47th U.S. vice president if McCain wins tomorrow. As public opinion polls forecast victory for Democrat Barack Obama, Palin would, if her ticket loses, be among the most recognizable figures in a party that will be looking for new leaders.

Republican Force

``She's made some mistakes, and had some mistakes made against her, but she is going to be a force to be reckoned with inside the Republican Party,'' said Jim Pinkerton, a Republican strategist.

Palin, 44, brushes off questions about her interest in a 2012 campaign. ``Maybe in eight years,'' she told two Canadian comedians who tricked her into thinking she was having a telephone conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

While Palin has been the target of jokes on late-night television, supporters by the thousands have flocked to see her. At rallies, audiences routinely, and spontaneously, strike up chants of ``Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.'' The vice presidential nominee herself often has to strike up cheers for McCain, the leader of the ticket.

Outside a Nov. 1 rally in Polk City, Florida, a supporter held a sign reading ``Palin 2012.'' Few McCain signs were seen.

`Bright Future'

``She could have just as easily been born and raised in Polk County as Alaska,'' said Republican U.S. Representative Adam Putnam, who organized the rally. ``She's got a bright future in national politics.''

By stumping across the lower 48 states, Palin has made connections with thousands of Republican activists to tap for future campaigns.

Trick-or-treating on Halloween with her daughters in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, a town of 796 people, Palin won over Mayor Terry Searight. ``It's great to see her out here, just talking to regular folks,'' he said. ``If McCain doesn't win, I'd do what I could for her in 2012.''

If Democrat Barack Obama swamps the Republican ticket, some fingers will point at Palin, whose credentials for national office have been questioned, along with Republican expenditures on designer clothing, hair care, and makeup.

``There will be some who try and blame her for a McCain blowout,'' Land said.

Questions on Qualifications

In less than 10 weeks on the national political stage, Palin has attracted criticism while becoming a household name. Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell, endorsing Obama two weeks ago, cited Palin's lack of preparation for the Oval Office as one reason for crossing party lines. ``I don't believe she's ready for being president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president,'' Powell said. Some conservative pundits and columnists have also questioned her credentials.

The number of voters with doubts about Palin's qualifications has grown during the approach to Election Day, as polls show the Alaska governor is viewed less favorably than McCain, Obama, and Democratic running mate Joe Biden.

A plurality of voters in key battleground states doubted Palin's readiness. Fifty-two percent of Ohio voters and 48 percent of Florida voters say Palin isn't qualified to be president if necessary, according to a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll.

Reshaping Image

Many conservatives blame unfair press coverage for public doubts about Palin. If the Republican ticket loses tomorrow, Palin would face re-election in Alaska and then would have plenty of time to overcome questions before Iowa's caucuses and the New Hampshire primary begin the 2012 presidential battle.

``If she decides to run, she has a long time to reshape her image and broaden her appeal,'' said Dante Scala, a professor at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Palin would have to overcome history: No losing vice presidential candidate since 1920 Democratic running mate Franklin D. Roosevelt has gone on to win the presidency.

She shows no signs of wilting under spotlight, though. At the Columbus rally yesterday she offered advice to Tina Fey, the actress who parodies Palin on ``Saturday Night Live.''

``I just want to make sure she holds onto that Sarah outfit, because she is going to need it the next four years,'' Palin said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols with Palin's campaign at hnichols2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 3, 2008 00:01 EST