As the governor of Alaska, her hands are tied. She is the focus of a well-funded legal/press smear campaign, but has to maintain the composure of a governor. There was NO way she was going to win the Presidency while she was governor.
As a private citizen, she is free to respond to the press without holding back. She is also free from the lawsuits.
The next couple of weeks will show her intentions. If she actively rebuts the press, she will be more popular than ever. If she shys away, then she is protecting her family.
In either case, I do not view her as a “quitter”.
As a reminder: Ronald Reagan won the Presidency as a private citizen.
As a reminder: Ronald Reagan finished his second term as Governor of California in January, 1975. He ran for the Presidency in 1976. I remember vividly, as I was a Reagan volunteer during his primary run. He did not resign the office of Governor, in his second term, in 1972 because he was going to run for the Presidency in 1976.
Be careful with your Reagan analogies. They aren't always favorable for Palin, no matter how much you wish them to be.