( CNN ) -- What 's to become of me ? Eliza Doolittle asks in `` My Fair Lady , '' one of the most successful and popular musicals of all time . That same question is fitting when it comes to Sarah Palin . Because like Doolittle , Palin has and is undergoing quite a transformation before our very eyes . Doolittle 's metamorphosis happens on a Broadway stage . Palin 's on a political one . And as the plot thickens the audience is captive , wondering if either ingÃ©nue will meet the challenge : flower girl or presidential candidate ? But unlike Eliza Doolittle , who was a malleable and willing subject , in the ongoing musical that is Sarah Palin , the student has become the teacher . Instead of ruing her lot as an outsider , she embraced it . And by doing so , in just a few years Palin has outmaneuvered , even leapfrogged her Professor Higgins , John McCain . So , regardless of her decision about a presidential run , Palin has positioned herself as the kingmaker of conservative politics . How did she do it ? Perhaps by sheer shrewdness or sheer luck , Palin spotted an opportunity early on with a growing chorus of other self-proclaimed outsiders , the tea party , and seized on it . Now , while the Republican straw polls , caucuses and debates play out , Palin simply orbits around it all , eclipsing her show 's extras , the supposed front-runners . In fact , it can be argued that some of the front-runners ascended to their current positions because Sarah Palin helped them get there . Because of Palin 's celebrity billing , her raising money and campaigning for Michele Bachmann 's congressional re-election in 2010 helped to elevate Bachmann 's national profile . Just before Palin joined her on the campaign trail last year , Bachmann wrote , `` There is absolutely no one more in tune with the hearts and minds of everyday Americans than Gov . Palin . '' Around that same time , when a politician with barely any name recognition above the Mason Dixon line needed a big name endorsement and some publicity to help get him re-elected , he called on Sarah Palin and she responded . Texas Gov . Rick Perry said then of Palin , `` If there 's a bigger endorsement in the Republican universe , I do n't know who it is than Sarah . '' That same year , in a stunning display of role reversal , when her former presidential running mate , John McCain , faced an unexpectedly tough senatorial re-election bid , Palin once again became his leading lady . After Palin accepted McCain 's invitation , he wrote , `` I 'm looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate . '' He went on to say Palin `` energized our nation and remains a leading voice in the Republican Party . '' Bachmann , Perry and McCain are n't the only current or former presidential hopefuls to lavish praise on the former Alaska governor . In what some call a cringe-worthy moment , in 2008 at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul , Minnesota , Jon Huntsman nominated Palin as his party 's vice-presidential nominee . On the verge of losing his voice from speaking over a crowd yelling , 'Sarah , Sarah , Sarah , ' Huntsman said , `` Hockey moms of the world unite . History will be made tonight and her name is Sarah Palin . '' ( Applause ) `` We are looking for a beacon of light to show us the way . We are looking for an American who represents every one of us , who can relate to the needs of our families and the struggles of our country . We are looking for Sarah . '' That was quite a ringing endorsement . In fact , all of them are . With her accolades caught on video , Palin need n't toil in creating campaign ads against most of the current GOP presidential candidates . `` Just roll the tape , '' could make for another simple yet effective Palin catch phrase -- one of her specialties . And let 's not leave Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich out of this cast . While a bit more muted in his praise of Palin , Romney has supported her in the past . In a 2008 CBS News interview , Romney told Harry Smith , `` She 's been a positive addition to the ticket . I think she 's fired up the base and is drawing out volunteers . '' And that same year Newt Gingrich told NBC News , `` She has a stronger resume than Barack Obama . She 's been a real mayor . He has n't . She 's been a real governor . He has n't . '' That was just the beginning of his supportive monologue about Palin live on cable television . It will be hard for the current field of GOP hopefuls to walk back what came out of their own mouths . They said it but Palin is using it to write her own script and lyrics in just what might turn out to be the presidential campaign of the future . How does it all end ? Will she run ? Only she knows . But one thing is for sure : Palin loves the drama and the spotlight . And they appear to love her , too . So , the finale of this musical depends on none other than the star , the writer , the producer and the director of the show , Sarah Palin . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Don Lemon .
Sarah Palin has transformed from obscure governer to GOP kingmaker . Republican presidential hopefuls often publicly praise Palin . Will Palin use GOP praise to make a play in 2012 ?