I'd like her to retain the qualities that she already has, but then ADD some, like a good knowledge of economics and foreign policy, and to add another "voice" to her repertoire, a more intellectual one, less folksy.
I agree. While she was the only positive reason that I pulled the lever for McCain, there are some things that really concern me. I don't like her occasional populist slants, such as saying that the housing market crash was due to Wall Street greed. I also don't like her comments (as recently as yesterday) that we need to quit being partisan. We see where that has gotten us over the last eight years. She's also all over the board on environmental issues; she's great on energy exploration, but then she courts the hard left on the man-made global warming hoax. The other thing that concerns me is whether she's been forever tainted by the unfair coverage she has received, ala Dan Quayle. Quayle was rushed out too soon and was unfairly savaged in 1988. However, he destroyed Gore in their 1992 debate and he was very polished and articulate on the campaign trail in 2000. However, the damage was done and he was never able to escape the perception as being the guy who couldn't spell potato.
Palin made a lot of “rookie mistakes,” but I too, fear she’s been “Quayled.” However, unlike Quayle, she will have the opportunity to change her perception. Of course, should Obama’s Presidency tank, that too, will open up opportunities for her. But what I see as her biggest problem is appealing to non-whites.
These are reasons that for now, I am firmly in Bobby Jindal’s corner for 2012.