By the time Dec. 2010 rolled around, when her term was done, Sarah would have been so radioactive that her political career would have been virtually destroyed. All of the people who are now saying she quit and has "no experience" - the liberal media, the DNC/Dems, RINOs, and beltway conservatives - would be running around saying she's "scandal-plagued" after only one term (even after a full term they would still say she has no experience).
Yes, she did quit. Call it what you want but either way her critics will never cut her slack anyway. But using it as a negative doesn't make it so.