Sarah Palin is hot right now, and considering she's the governor of Alaska, that's not easy to pull off.

    In recent months, the national media have been giving Palin a lot of ink as a potential running mate for John McCain, with conjecture and endorsements coming from such outlets as The New York Times, the American Spectator and USA Today.

    But don't credit the press - or even some shrewd political consultant - with raising the profile of this first-term governor.

    That honor goes to a 21-year-old Peyton man and his blog.

    Meet Adam Brickley, a recent political science graduate of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the voice behind the blog, "Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President" (www.palinforvp.blogspot.com).

    Brickley's blog, which he updates almost daily from home at his mother's Peyton farmhouse, is beginning to take on a national role. He's been interviewed by the Anchorage Daily News and several political talk shows, and his blog has been cited by The Associated Press.

    He said his blog gets up to 5,000 page hits a day, attracting a consistent 1,500 daily visitors, some of whom have started their own blog endorsements for a Palin vice presidency.

    Kristopher Lorelli, a U.S. native who lives in Toronto, started a site, www.palinforvp.com, after reading Brickley's blog, and he attributes most of the publicity surrounding the governor to Brickley's initiative.

    "He was advocating her long before anyone knew who she was, and he saw something in her that was special before anyone else ever saw it," said Lorelli, who works for a manufacturing distributor. "I don't know one person who knew who she was before Adam's blog."

    Brickley launched his blog in February 2007, before primary season had begun, promoting her as a running mate for whoever might win the GOP ticket. With Palin being young, charismatic - and most importantly, female - Brickley saw an opportunity to create a ticket to combat the Obama machine. In fact, he calls Palin "The Republican Obama."

    "We needed youth energy, not one of the same people who've been running the party since 1994," Brickley said. "I love Newt Gingrich, but even he will tell you he's getting a little stale."

    Though largely unknown outside her home state, Palin's supporters know her as a staunch conservative with an independent streak. She is famous for being a whistle-blower against the corruption that surrounded the Alaskan Oil and Gas commission for decades and for unseating not only an incumbent in the primary, but a former governor in the general election. Today, her approval rating sits consistently in the low 90s.

    "She's someone who overturned the state's establishment - someone who needed to be in the national scene and wouldn't get noticed because they were in Alaska," Brickley said.

    Brickley's blogging enthusiasm tracks Palin's every move, at times reading like the political version of a celebrity tabloid.

    "Wizbang: Palin to meet with VP search team!!" reads a May 29 entry, reporting rumors that Palin had made McCain's short list.

    Palin is aware of Brickley's blog, but her press secretary, Sharon Leighow, denies that the governor is considering a national run.

    "She has not ruled out a national office run in the future, but Governor Palin has not been contacted by anybody from the McCain camp," Leighow said.

    Brickley, though, still has high hopes for his cause. He plans to pass the summer spending time with his family, applying for political jobs in Washington D.C., and crafting the future of his favorite politician from his living room sofa.

    He makes it clear, however, that he's not a geek.

    "I'm not the proverbial kid in his mom's basement with a laptop. I live on the second floor," Brickley said.