Palin 20 points behind possible candidates in early 2012 GOP poll

Bad news for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: A new poll shows her trailing top Republicans in hypothetical 2012 races.

The very early election snapshot, taken by Rasmussen and published on Monday, predicts Palin would lose to former Govs. Mitt Romney (Mass.) and Mike Huckabee (Ark.) by 15 and 20 points, respectively.

Those numbers are perhaps troubling for Palin, who unexpectedly resigned her office at the end of July. Pundits have long debated whether the former governor-turned-GOP running mate could preserve her media momentum long enough to perform well in 2012, assuming she decided to run again for the White House. But Monday's poll perhaps signals the public's interest in Palin is now waning — even as she prepares to debut her first book, Going Rogue, next month.

At the very least, Rasmussen's data are promising for both Romney and Huckabee, also regarded as front-runners for 2012.