But they sure tried, and still are.

There will be plenty of opportunity to come, as Matthew Continetti’s commentary on CNN speculates.

On July 26, Palin will be a free woman. No longer will
she have to juggle official responsibilities, a national political
following and her children. She can travel freely to the Lower 48
without worrying about how it may affect her standing back home. She
can defend herself and her family against slander without the
controversy distracting from the duties of high office. She can make
money to pay the bills. She can pick her battles without being hemmed
in by the state legislature and bureaucracy.

Palin is impulsive. Her charisma is such that she does not need to
hold an office to command attention or wield influence. She resigned
from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission all of a sudden in
2004, plunged into a Republican gubernatorial primary in October 2005
and joined McCain’s campaign without hesitation…

Whatever she does will be noticed, that’s for sure. Because the
attention lavished on Palin’s decision is further evidence of her
unwitting ability to bring out deep-seated feelings of admiration — and
loathing — in people. We will be hearing from Palin, and from the
Palin-haters, for a long while to come.