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.”
“It would certainly be a uniter type of role,” she added.
Certainly, just like W united us in hating him.
Oh shut up Sarah.
McCain hasn't lost anything yet. I love how Liberals always think they have won before the voting ends. Didnt you learn anything in 2000 and 2004?
I hope she go's home and builds igloos.
She has reached the highest point in a career, outside of president, and she played the sex role instead of showing brain power – of course you need a brain to do that, right?
she did more harm than good for mccain.......lost my vote completly. scary thought to have her a "heartbeat" away!!!
I will miss Tina Fey on SNL. That's about all Sarah Palin was good for- a few laughs. I hope she stays in Alaska.
i also think the party would have been better served by mick romney as vp
Palin the Failin's future is toward the BRIDGE TO NOWHERE! SEEYA!
So just as I get this right...
Palin and her "First dude" FLY back to Alaska just to cast their vote,
then FLY down to the lower 48 just to attend the "Dinner of the Defeated". The more abuse of anything... the better is her stand.
Perhaps no one ever told her about absentee ballots and the instructions on how to fill them out.
We can't wait for her to go back to being the Governor of Alaska. We can't wait for her to leave us "Lower 48ers" alone.
TTFN Sarah...
Palin is, by far, the most terrifying woman in politics today. The sooner she goes back to Alaska, the better. I am personally thankful for all that she has done to harm McCain's campaign. It brought to light just how "off" his judgment is.
I think Palin has a great future – as a comedian. She should give Tina Fey a run for her money. In Politics she would be more dangerous than George Bush.
As a journalist, let me say, thanks but no thanks. We don't need someone who has such a indifference to the truth helping improve our profession.
Why not start with being honest about the Bridge to Nowhere or earmarks. Or, even smaller, how about NOT inciting the crowd with lies like the SF Chron "hid" the Obama coal tape, when it was on their Web site for the last 10 months. Or, if someone asks you what papers you read, just be honest and say, "Zippo. None. Nada. I don't read a thing."
Journalism is fine. It's the readers — and non-readers, like Palin — that are the problem.
Go back to Alaska and stay there. They deserve you, the rest of us don't.
I second that!!!
Check out the video of two black panthers, ONE CARRYING A NIGHT STICK blocking white voters in PA today trying to vote.
The right to privacy things will certainly be on SNL. "I don't have to to tell you who I voted for and I'm not gonna!" (wink)
Bless her heart for having a child-like mind.
lol
Funny, she regrets the state of journalism where too much is reported based on gossip, innuendo and out of context – but she was the queen of keeping that stuff alive!! She should regret her actions- not a very good example for her children.
I'd still like to hear where she stands on the issues- not on her feelings about the competition...
iN YOUR DREAMS LADY!
Palin a uniter? roflmao Nice to know she has a sense of humor at least. A uniter . . . what a hoot!
I really truly hope that this will end her political career. We don't need power hungry glory hounds running this country.
So right to privacy exists for Palin when she wants to vote for a convicted felon, but not to exercise a woman's right to choice? She's bogus and see-through.
after drinking my magic iced tea i predict that palin is going to live in an igloo when all this election is over. and for mccain he'll be a lost sheep in the senate for next 2 years.
peace and go OBAMA-BIDEN 08!!!!!
It's a little late to choose HOPE when you've been bashing it the whole election!