After casting vote, Palin discusses her future
Gov. Sarah Palin cast her vote in Wasilla, Alaska and spoke to reporters about her future.(AP PHOTO)
WASILLA, Alaska (CNN) - Sarah Palin appeared calm and confident Tuesday morning during her brief sojourn to Wasilla, Alaska, where she greeted hometown supporters and cast her ballot before departing for Phoenix to join John McCain for an election night rally.
The governor voted shortly after 7 a.m. at her former workplace, Wasilla City Hall. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature at the time was 18 degrees.
Wearing jeans and accompanied by her husband Todd, Palin told reporters who had gathered to watch her vote that she is “very optimistic.”
“Now tomorrow, I hope, I pray, I believe that I'll be able to wake up as Vice President elect, and be able to get to work in a transition mode with the President elect, John McCain,” she said.
Palin refused to say if she had voted to re-elect Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted last week of seven felony corruption charges.
“I am also exercising my right to privacy, and I don't have to tell anybody who I vote for, nobody does, and that’s really cool about America also,” she said.
Savoring her final solo appearance as a vice presidential candidate, Palin lingered for several minutes in front of local and national media, taking question after question despite multiple attempts by her staff to end the press conference.
The campaign entourage made two coffee runs while in Wasilla, stopping first in Kaladi Coffee, where the governor ordered two lattes and five regular coffees for her secret service agents.
Before leaving the shop, Palin noticed Tuesday’s edition of the Anchorage Daily News, which led with the news that Alaska’s Personnel Board had cleared the governor of any wrongdoing in the firing of the state’s public safety commissioner. “Board exonerates Palin,” blared the paper’s front page.
Palin showed it to an aide and called it a “nice headline.”
An hour later, she made another pit stop for caffeine, this time visiting Mocha Moose, one of the town’s many free-standing coffee huts. The store’s owners had hung a red banner reading “Palin Fever” by the drive-thru window.
As she waited for her beverages, a local reporter asked the governor how she envisions her role in national politics if McCain loses the election. Palin did not hesitate to muse about a future that might not include being vice president come January.
“You know, if there is a role in national politics it won’t be so much partisan,” she said. “My efforts have always been here in the state of Alaska to get everybody to unite and work together and progress this state.”
“It would certainly be a uniter type of role,” she added.
Asked if she had any regrets about the campaign, Palin bemoaned “the state of journalism today.”
“The blogosphere, the two, three hour news cycles, where just too much is reported based on gossip and innuendo and things taken out of context,” she explained, adding that she’d like to help improve the profession because she has “great respect for the world of journalism.”
What future for Failin? She needs to take care of her family FIRST!
Just stay where you are,Sarah......And take care of your pitbull with lipstick! There is no future for her after this shameless disaster!
Obama/Biden 08/12
I agree that the right to privacy is "really cool." But doesn't Sarah Palin realize that the Constitutional right to privacy was only established in a Supreme Court decision? The decision was Roe v. Wade, and Sarah Palin says it should be overturned. If she gets her way, there's no recognized "right to privacy" anywhere in U.S. Constitutional law.
Well folks, I couldn't vote for McCain as I don't agree with him. I don't trust Obama. It's been 12 years since I've been able to vote FOR a candidate instead of AGAINST.
So, I wrote Hillary in. Not that I think she'll win but the two parties have way too much control by telling the people who they have to support.
Interesting thoughts. She just as well stay in Alaska as there will be no victory party for the elephant party this evening or years to come. McCain made a poor choice here and it cost him dearly.
Palin is the reason McCain lost this election. McCain's choice of Palin is the reason he lost this election. No doubt.
That this is the last we'll ever see of her.
Look, woman, if you can't deal with people reporting the facts, don't cry about it being innuendo and taken out of context.
The only people who constantly whine about reporters taking thing out of context are celebrities and athletes who get caught saying something they shouldn't. We don't believe them when they say it, we aren't believing you when you say it.
You got 15 minutes of fame you didn't deserve, accept it and go home.
Awwww. She should just stay there...Nobody cares who she voted for (Obama) and no one will care if she stays in Alaska.
I also have a prayer that Sarah Palin will go back to her igloo tomorrow never to be heard from again!
What a dumb cow
I am sure Palin secretly voted for Obama..She has been winking at him the last few weeks..Way to go Palin. Maybe SNL can give you Tina Fey's job since she's moving on to bigger and better things.
I couldn't agree more with Pat C. If that is not the case, we need to pray for God's mercy and grace for the next 4 years because we are going to need it....
Interesting that she's suddenly in the business of uniting people... she's done nothing but the opposite for the duration of the McCain campaign. Thanks, Sarah! Obama08!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy it while you can. Your political life is nearly at it's end. The good people of Alaska won't want you back after hearing you spout hate and division.
The Republican party is going to be taken back by centrists who can't stand you.
Yep, linger a little Sarah, before you're done.
Good riddance
Found guilty by a bipartisan investigative committee, then found not guilty by governor appointed personnel board, hmmm I wonder which one has more of a stake in making sure the person who hired them stays in office?
The last thing Palin could succeed in is uniting people. She has become a lightning rod of division thanks to her sarcastic and caustic attacks on anyone failing to agree with her.
Lets not but say we did.......
Both my husband and I had expected we'd vote for John McCain. That expectation was shaken when he picked Sarah Palin as a running mate. It was destroyed when he ran a dishonest and dishonorable campaign. Sarah Palin has no qualifications for office. She is, purely and simply, an entertainer. She will be very successful on television or radio. That is where she belongs.
She voted for Stevens corruption does not exsit in her mind anyway Stevens helped her politically as well as helped her house be built for free ONE CORUPT KNOWS ANOTHER CORUPT!
Go Away....infact...you mind as well stay up there Gov. Palin. I am sure that Sen. Biden will do a good job "being in charge of the Senate"!
Did Todd Palin vote for his moose shooting wife or did he vote to secede from the 48????
Palin: "I pray I wake up the VP elect, blah blah blah..."
Me: "I pray you don't!"
And I hope I wake up 10 years younger. I think we have the same odds.
To the curb with Katherine Harris......
I HOPE WE AS AMERICAN NEVER HEAR FROM THIS WOAMN AGAIN.
HOW SHE MANAGE TO BECOME GOVERNOR IS THE WYSTERY OF THIS CENTURY.
PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL SHE WILL NEVER BE.STAY AT HOME AND RAISE HER CHILDREN, HER SON WILL NEED HER FULL ATTENTION, NOT SOME NANNY.
Palin did not reveal who she voted for in the Sen. Ted Stevens race because she voted for a crook...I mean her own party...wait, that's the same thing isn't it?
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
And she envisions "a uniter type of role"? You must be joking Sarah – you've been one of the most devisive candidates in history!
I pray that we will never see her in the White House, in ANY role!