Conventional wisdom dictates that Palin is not well positioned for 2012 because of her decision to resign from her role as a governor, you can think otherwise but it is not based on rational arguments.
Here is my argument for what it is worth.
If she stayed on through 2010, she can not help retake the congress. She will continue to be bled dry of money through more nonsense ethics violations that did not happen.
Her popularity is greater than ever before and she can maintain a more positive media front now.
Her influence in Alaska grew from this .. see http://tiny.pl/33d8
Now she has time to write a book, make some money, start her grass roots campaign and travel making in roads she could never have done from the governors seat. Not to mention that had she campaigned from Alaska, the msm would have badgered her on that issue alone the entire time.
The way Sarah chose to get out will count as merely one strike against her, pitched by those who refuse to listen to her reasons. On the positive side, Sarah now has 3 1/2 years to travel the country, going on the offensive, with the potential of hitting home runs, minus the criticism that she should be performing her tasks as governor.
The left wanted her bogged down in Alaska for the next 17 months doing nothing except defending against made up corruption charges.
And she would have fallen behind Romney and Obama over the next 17 months, a fate worse I think than dropping out 17 months early from a position that in reality would prepare her little to be the next president.
Those are the rational arguments. You can choose to ignore them and instead offer empty conventional wisdom.