She was a loser if she had any political aspirations beyond Gov. of Alaska the second she signed on with McCain. Witness the treatment she received from him and the other progressive Republicans ever since. But she did save both him and the Republican party from the well deserved beating they were going to get from rigging McCain as the nominee.
Why on earth do you think he chose her? Because he liked her politics? LOL! She brought him votes from his own party that he could NEVER dream of with anyone else he might have chosen to put on the ticket, not to mention actual crowds of people who came to see her, NOT HIM! Most presidential nominees are careful to choose someone who will not outshine the nominee. McCain, to save himself from the WORST beating in modern times, chose someone with whom he could play 2nd fiddle and it has bruised his very large ego IMO.
McCain was Bob Dole II. Doomed.