The valid basis that Sarah Palin is the leader is that in the last election she was able to dump the preferred GOP candidate and substitute her own. That is a lot of influence. While Rush tries to push his preferred candidate, he generally fails.
If you claim other Republicans have the clout of Palin you are free to name them. I have challenged you to do so throughout this thread and you have ducked the question
So until you do so, it appears you have no credibility or credentials on the matter
Dishonesty from you is not unexpected, but let us go ahead and correct you all the same.
The "last" election was the Mid-Term elections. Sarah "dumped" no "preferred" GOP candidate. Between her voice and the voices of the Tea Party activists, some of the Republican Party's presumably preferred candidates got knocked off or knocked out. Good. That happens when the folks running do not meet with the approval of the voters.
The outcome in, say Delaware, does not make Palin "the" leader of the GOP. The primary outcome for U.S. Senator in Alaska also does not make gov. Palin "the" leader of the GOP.
So far you have offered exactly zero evidence that she as even A leader. She has a voice. She uses it. Her voice may (reasonably) be said to have had SOME influence. Welcome to a Republic.
The "clout" of which you speak is just your wishful thinking and dishonest portrayal. In reality, what you are pointing to is a very broad-based public disaffection with the manner in which government has been doing its thang. Again, that doesn't make Gov. Palin even A leader of the GOP. It does suggest that her views are more in sync with the mood of the Electorate than the views of any modern American liberal, the views of ANY Democrat Parody official and even the views of many backward-thinking members of the GOP.