’Twas two weeks before Iowa and all ’cross the state, the Trump’ters were shrieking, all drawn there by fate. The bunting was hung o’er the stage with care in hopes Sarah Palin soon would be there. Then what to our wond’ring eyes did appear, than a bright poof of red hair to some loud bursts of cheer. He was joined by a woman so bedazzled and thin that I knew in a flash: it must be Palin.

Sorry, readers: between “we’re not going to chill, we’re going to drill, baby, drill” and all of the rest of the many, many rhymes that Governor Palin threw in her lengthy remarks announcing her endorsement of Donald Trump, I might never stop the rhymes in time.

Her new speechwriters – Palin’s rhetorical style has more often been compared to “word salad” than Dr Seuss – were clearly swinging for the fences in the Ames as though it was Palin’s personal Field of Dreams. But they were also clearly loath to abandon her most infamous catch-phrases and circa-2008 anti-Obama talking points.

Besides “drill, baby, drill”, there were references to teleprompters, apologies, organizing in Chicago, how much the media hates her and, in a nod 2012, “he built that”. (She did try to coin “The ABCs: Anybody but Clinton” but every other bad punster beat her to that.)

For his part, Trump looked clearly pained throughout Palin’s spotlight-hogging, fast-talking, quip-filled turn on his stage. Perhaps it was just indigestion but, then again, Trump’s not one for a scene-stealing supporting cast member – be it on The Apprentice or on his political stages.

He might keep her around for the cameras, but one suspects Trump might limit Palin to walk-on roles in the future.