I think some may (at this point) use her public persona as a reason to support another Republican because they may feel that it will be a significant liability in a general election. Sarah will need to show that she is capable of winning a national election, and to do that, she is going to need to demonstrate that she can command a larger base of support beyond the GOP base.
Many states are going to have to tackle tough budget problems (AK, LA, FL, and SC included). How are rising stars (Jindal, Palin, Sanford, or Crist) handle these budget problems will make or break their Presidential aspirations. The problem with the GOP is not that its too conservative or less conservative. Its the image of the GOP being a country club for rural evangelicals who care only about gay marriage. Palin, Crist, Sanford, and Jindal will have opportunites to show the world how competent they are with fiscal matters. If they are successful, then their stock for the GOP Presidential nomination will go up. We need people who are competent, problem solvers.