November 5, 2008

Palin on her landslide defeat

Claims not to seek presidency in 2012

After running on one of the dirtiest presidential campaigns in American history, a near-tears Sarah Palin admitted defeat Tuesday night yet refused to concede that she was the reason for John McCain's landslide loss to Barack Obama.

"I don't think anybody should give Sarah Palin that much credit, that I would trump an economic time in this nation that occurred about two months ago, that my presence on the ticket would trump the economic crisis that America found itself in a couple of months ago and attribute John McCain's loss to me," Palin said.

"Now having said that, if I cost John McCain even one vote, I am sorry about that because John McCain, I believe, is the American hero. I had believed it was his time," she added.

On the campaign trial last week she hinted that she was looking forward to a presidential run in 2012, yet Tuesday night claimed otherwise. "Right now I cannot even imagine running for national office in 2012," she said. "When I say that, of course, coming on the heels of an outcome that I did not anticipate and had not hoped for. But this being a chapter now that is closed and realizing that it is a time to unite and all Americans need to get together and help with this new administration being ushered in."

"2012 sounds so far off that can't even imagine what I'd be doing then," Palin added.

From CNN:

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in October showed she had become a bigger drag on McCain than President Bush, with voters citing her qualifications as their primary concern.

A CNN poll released last weekend showed Palin's unfavorable ratings were twice as high as when McCain picked her, and 57 percent of Americans believed she didn't have the personal qualities a president needed.

As for the future, the poll indicated that only four in 10 voters would support Palin if she chooses to run for president in 2012.