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Sarah Palin’s new memoir, “Going Rogue,” is just out and already a bestseller. It’s in the bookstores today. She’s on Oprah. Her tour bus is hitting the road.

The book settles scores with McCain advisers the ex-Alaskan governor sees as having crimped her style on the vice-presidential campaign trail. Payback is the word. A little redemption, a little revenge. And a lot of stage-setting for whatever comes next.

Will she run for President in 2012? She’s not retreating, reports Sarah Palin. She’s reloading.

This hour, On Point: “Going Rogue” and the political future of Sarah Palin.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Joining us today from Washington are:

Todd Purdum, national editor for Vanity Fair. His August article about Sarah Palin was headlined “It Came from Wasilla.”

Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent for CNN. She’s been reporting on the new Palin media blitz.

David Winston, GOP political consultant and president of The Winston Group. He served as director of planning for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He currently consults for the House and Senate Republican leadership.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announces that she is stepping down, in a speech in Wasilla, Alaska, on Friday, July 3, 2009. The former Republican vice presidential candidate said she would step down on July 26, but didn't announce her subsequent plans. (AP)

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There she was. Sarah Palin, in her backyard in Wasilla, on the shores of Lake Lucille, bailing out of the governorship of Alaska.

By the end of this month, she’s gone — eighteen months shy of the end of her first term.

It was a shocker. It’s being interpreted every possible way. Erratic. Ingenious. The end of a flash career. The beginning of a serious Palin drive for the White House. She has been, by her own lights, a candidate like no other.

This hour, On Point: Citizen Palin, and what’s next for the outgoing Alaska governor and the GOP.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Joining us from Anchorage, Alaska, is Michael Carey, columnist for the Anchorage Daily News and host of Anchorage Edition on Alaska Public Broadcasting.

Joining us from New York is Mark Halperin, editor-at-large and senior political analyst at Time magazine. He writes The Page at Time.com.

Joining us from Washington is David Winston. A Republican pollster and strategist, he’s president and founder of The Winston Group. He served as director of planning for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and was chief information officer for the Republican National Committee from 1989-1993.

A newspaper headline is taped to a booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP)

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A gut-wrenching week that started with market meltdown and stumbled into a vice-presidential debate with ever quite finding its feet.

On Monday, the bailout package and the Dow Jones Industrials went down together like Hindenburg. By mid-week, some revival in the markets and a Senate resuscitation for the rescue. But no guarantees on where we’re headed.

And then came Sarah and Joe. Palin versus Biden. The VP pick who stares into the camera and winks at the nation. And the Senate veteran who tried to punch right through to John McCain.

This hour, On Point: Behind the headlines of a big, big week.

You can join the conversation. What did you make of Biden versus Palin? Are you ready for the rescue? The bailout? The path ahead? Let us know your thoughts.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Joining us from Washington is Tony Blankley, columnist for The Washington Times and a visiting senior fellow in national-security communications at the Heritage Foundation.

Also with us from Washington is Margaret Talev, correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers’ Washington bureau. She has been covering the negotiations in Congress over the bailout, and was on the campaign trail with Obama this week in Detroit and Colorado.

And with us from Hanover, New Hampshire, is Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.

Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Columbus, Ohio. (AP)

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Alaska governor Sarah Palin was a gamble for John McCain, and for a good hot stretch, there seemed little question that the gamble was paying off. Big crowds, wild enthusiasm from Republican backers, and a smiling pitbull of a running mate in McCain’s corner.

Now, on the cusp of her big debate with Joe Biden, the Palin payoff looks more uncertain.

The rambling, disjointed interview clips with Katie Couric keep coming. Poll numbers are down. Tina Fey is on her case. But she’s a fighter.

This hour, On Point: Looking at Sarah Palin, on debate day, one month into her national political career.

You can join the conversation. Have you seen her on the stump? On the spot with Katie Couric? How do you judge Sarah Palin?

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Steve Braun, national political reporter at the Los Angeles Times. He recently spent two weeks in Alaska reporting on Governor Palin’s record as a politician and campaigner in the state. His latest piece is “Underestimate Palin at your own risk, former rivals say.”

Mona Charen, conservative syndicated columnist and author of “Do-Gooders: How Liberals Hurt Those They Claim to Help (and the Rest of Us).”

Kathleen Parker, conservative syndicated columnist for Tribune newspapers and author of “Save the Males: Why Men Matter, Why Women Should Care.” Her column on Sept. 26 called for Sarah Palin to bow out.

Ken Vogel, senior reporter at Politico, where his latest piece looks at the McCain campaign “keeping Palin sequestered.” He’s been out on the hustings with Gov. Palin in New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Alaska.

Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, at the end of his acceptance speech to the Party’s convention last night. (AP Photo)

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All week long, once the hurricane cleared, Republicans in St. Paul pounded on Barack Obama.

Last night, the GOP’s nominee for the presidency, John McCain, dialed it back, kicked his own party a little, and promised “change is coming” to Washington. A change called McCain-Palin.

Now, it’s two change themes on the campaign trail, and voters get to choose. Four more years of a Republican White House, with John McCain and Sarah Palin, or a green light for Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

This hour, On Point: Our Friday news roundtable looks at the GOP’s big week and the national choice ahead.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Eleanor Clift, contributing editor at Newsweek magazine, where she writes the Capitol Letter column. Her latest, “Nagging Doubts,” looked at Democrats’ fears about November.

Bill McKenzie, editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News. You can read his recent columns here, including his latest, “What Happened to Bush?”

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.

John McCain joins Sarah Palin at the end of her speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Live from St. Paul, Minnesota, where it is finale time at the Republican National Convention.

It will be hard to top VP nominee Sarah Palin’s big show last night. More than 37 million viewers tuned in — almost as many as watched Barack Obama’s stadium speech in Denver.

But John McCain has a bigger challenge than besting his running mate and Obama at the podium. Tonight, he needs to nail the Republican base — and pull in the millions of independent voters he needs to put him over the top. To be rebel and Republican.

This hour, On Point: John McCain’s big night, and John McCain’s big challenge.

You can join the conversation. What do you expect to hear from John McCain tonight? What do you want to hear? Does he have to knock it out of the park tonight in order to win in November? Tell us what you think.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Joining us here in St. Paul are:

Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican senator from Utah. He has represented the state in the United State Senate since 1977.

Rep. Heather Wilson, Republican Congresswoman from New Mexico. Since 1988, she has represented New Mexico’s first district, which includes Albuquerque. She is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and the only woman veteran in Congress.

Fred Thys, political reporter at WBUR-Boston covering the convention in St. Paul.

Jonathan Kaufman, political editor of The Wall Street Journal. His latest piece, “Palin Candidacy Exposes Divisions Among Women,” looks at how partisan and class lines have been burred in the response to her selection.

David Mark, senior editor at Politico.com.

Stephen Hayes, senior writer at The Weekly Standard. His cover story in the current issue is “How Palin Got Picked.”

And joining us from San Jose, California, is Rep. Mike Honda, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and U.S. Congressman from the California’s 15th District.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shakes hands with supporters at the conclusion of a campaign unity rally in O'Fallon, Mo., Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Live from St. Paul, Minnesota, and Day Three of the Republican National Convention.

Who would’ve thunk it. John McCain’s big week has been nearly overwhelmed by a 44-year-old mother of five, moose-guttin’ governor of Alaska.

Alaska Magazine calls Sarah Palin “America’s Hottest Governor.” John McCain calls her ready to be a heartbeat from the presidency.

Here in St. Paul this week she’s been called Evita, Joan of Arc, heroic reformer, inspired choice, reckless choice, insult to the electorate, and salvation of the GOP ticket. Tonight she speaks.

This hour, On Point: John McCain’s high stakes gamble — Governor Sarah Palin.

You can join the conversation. What do you make of the Alaska governor? Her politics, her record, her family values, her readiness to step in if John McCain checks out? Is this your choice to break the glass ceiling?

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

Peter Wallsten, reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering the conventions. He’s been raising tough questions about how Governor Palin was vetted by the McCain team.

Sen. Lyda Green, Alaska State Senate President. A Republican from Sarah Palin’s hometown district, she and the governor have not seen eye-to-eye on many issues.

Kellyanne Conway, Republican pollster and co-author of “What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live.”

Ruth Marcus, columnist for The Washington Post. You can read her recent columns here, including Sunday’s, “A Heartbeat Away From Cynicism,” in which she argues that McCain’s pick of Palin undermines his maverick credentials.

Beverly Gage, professor of 20th-century political history at Yale University.