Palin will never be in the #2 slot again. Been there, done that. No one would choose her anyway because she’d overshadow the actual nominee. Gingrich was just responding to a callers question and being diplomatic about it.
Besides, isn’t Palin sort of busy shopping another realityTV show? I think it is pretty clear she’s settled on doing that and political commentary for Fox (or some other network in the future) till at least the run up to 2016 or 2020.
Sarah will follow the Gingrich model of someone made radioactive by the press...she will bide her time and repair her image by appearing “moderate” until such a time where her negatives return to normal and she can try for ofice again.