Unfortunately, I think Palin’s political career potential may have been smashed on the rocks by this very ill-advised decision (not hers, really) to shove her into an extremely high profile role which she was not even remotely prepared for. The giddy adulation that a certain segment of the conservative population continues to pour on her is hardly a firm foundation for a climb up the political ladder. It also seems to have to gone to Palin’s head a bid, causing her to behave in ways that have made top Republican movers and shakers want to put her out with the trash. In the final analysis, just like Alan Keyes, she distracted a fawning subset of conservatives from the task at hand, enabling Obama to cruise to an easy victory.
Personally, I think it's way too soon to be talking of this. Sarah needs to rest up and decide if she wants to take this one.
Maybe, but others have reached and missed, and then later come back. Obama himself ran against that Ex-Black Panther Bobby Whats-His-Name and lost, only to later win.