But the campaign also exposed her to intense scrutiny. A series of network television interviews, most notably with CBS anchor Katie Couric, raised questions about her grasp of national and foreign policy issues, and those interviews became a recurring point of criticism for the remainder of the race. The McCain-Palin ticket ultimately lost the November election to Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but Palin emerged from the campaign as a nationally known figure with a passionate base of supporters — a level of fame that would define the next chapter of her career far more than her time in Alaska's governor's office had.
RESIGNATION AND LIFE AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
Palin's national profile continued to grow after the 2008 election, even as she returned to her duties in Alaska. She faced a wave of ethics complaints in the aftermath of the campaign, most of which were ultimately dismissed, but the legal costs and distraction associated with fighting them piled up. On July 26, 2009, in a move that surprised even many Alaska Republicans, she announced her resignation as governor, roughly halfway through her first term, handing power to her lieutenant governor. She cited the financial and time burdens of the ethics complaints as a central reason for stepping down.
