She might just have fit the bill, but I suspect she has found her gig as a part of the chattering class is easier to deal with given the way the left attacked her and her family. It takes a really strong person to stand up to that.i do not know if I would be willing to put my family through it.
I still maintain that Sarah Palin has it in her to put her foot forward and walk into her destiny. It's a choice that only she can make, though.
Her "gig" isn't to be a commentator among the chattering class, although her writings and expressions about our conservative ideals are a very big part of her role as a leader.
Reagan spent years doing much the same thing before he finally launched his winning bid for President in 1980. He wrote volumes, and crisscrossed the country speaking to a multitude of conservative groups, which helped him build the contacts, and a coalition to help him achieve his goal.
I see Palin doing much the same thing, but in a different time and space, with slightly better tools.
And yes, the media is still very much afraid of her, so they take every opportunity to criticize and belittle her in an attempt to cut her chances off at the knees. Their efforts are only effective with dyed-in-the-wool liberals and wobbly Republicans anyway, so what does it really matter?
The people Sarah's trying to reach are listening, and they still regard her as someone who can lead us out of this mess.