Sarah Palin is looking forward to going back to Alaska and getting back into her normal routine after several months of grueling campaigning for the White House.

Palin left Phoenix today to head back to her home state, where she will once again take the helm in the governor’s office.

“It’s been very invigorating and energizing working full-time as a governor while participating in this presidential campaign,” Palin told reporters.

Asked whether she will run for national office in 2012, Palin said that’s the furthest thing from her mind.

“Right now, I cannot even imagine running for national office in 2012,” Palin said. “Two thousand twelve sounds so far off, I can’t even imagine what I’d be doing then.”

She said this is a time to unite the Republican party and America, and to help Barack Obama’s administration with “policies that have got to help this nation, keep us secure. It is a time for all of us to work together.”

Palin was also asked what she thinks about essentially being blamed by some for John McCain’s loss, and charges that she was a drag on the GOP ticket.

“I don’t think anyone should give Sarah Palin that much credit, that I would trump an economic, woeful time in this nation that occurred about two months ago … and attribute John McCain’s loss to me,” she said. But “if I had cost John McCain even one vote, I am sorry about that because John McCain, I think, is the American hero … it was his time.”

She added: “I believe he would have been the best pick but that is not the Americans’ pick at this time.”

Saying it’s time to move forward, Palin – much like her running mate McCain last night in his concession speech – said this is no time to point fingers or “play the blame game.”

“There are good things in store for this nation” but “we need to unite, work together” and put aside the “obsessive partisanship,” she said.

Oh, yeah, and about those reports that Palin was “going rogue” and that she was a “diva” going offscript from her handlers in the waning days of McCain’s campaign:

“Absolutely false,” she said.

Anyone who doubts that should come up to Alaska and check out the total lack of a “diva lifestyle” she has up there.

“There’s absolutely no diva in me.”