The Republicans have got to stop with the "It's my turn" method of nominating candidates for president. The result of this is often tired out warhorses like John McCain, Bob Dole and Jerry Ford who may have had more time "toiling in the fields" but invariably get crushed in the general election by a younger, less experienced but more dynamic candidate.
We don't need Palin to waste the next 20 years in the senate so she can run for office when she's 68. As great as Reagan was, imagine how much better our country would have turned out if he was elected in 1964 instead of 1980.
I disagree with you that Palin would be wasting her time by toiling in the fields. For all her charisma, Palin is still more of a divider than a uniter; Reagan was a uniter, and it was precisely all the time that he spent toiling in the fields that taught him that skill.
A Palin Presidency right now would be like opening a good bottle of wine before it’s had the chance to age properly.