Where did you get the "most folks" nonsense from? Have you seen any polls? Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republican voters say former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin shares the values of most GOP voters throughout the nation. By contrast, 74% of Republicans say their party’s representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. Only 18% of Republican voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.
As far as "quitting" is concerned, why should she stay in a position that is personally bankrupting her? She doesn't come from a wealthy family nor does her husband. They have five children including one who is disabled and one who is an unwed teenage mother. It takes judgment as to when to hold them and when to fold them. I would say that she now has the winning hand. Her book sales will go through the roof making her a wealthy woman and someone who has many more choices in life, whether she runs for President or not.
As far as "quitting" is concerned, why should she stay in a position that is personally bankrupting her?
She was elected governor, and she quit. Her stated reason for quitting as governor was essentially that people were picking on her. But if you say she quit because she could get more money elsewhere ... well, then, that's not the sort of person I want as president, either.
Now, I'm sure that nobody would pick on her if she was president..... but if they did, how do you think Sarah Palin would respond to it? I could point to past precedent. What can you point to?