Though Tom Brokaw retired after 21 years as the anchor of NBC Nightly News four years ago, he is still among the hardest-working men in television. In the wake of the death of his friend Tim Russert, he has taken on the host duties at “Meet the Press”; he moderated the presidential debate in Oxford, MS, and he has provided some of the best commentary throughout this seemingly endless campaign that comes to an end tomorrow.

“I didn’t think I’d be wearing quite as many uniforms for the home team as it were,” he told me in a recent chat. “I think like the rest of the country, I want this campaign to be over so we can move on to solving the problems that face us.”

Though he laughs about his “UFO theory,” referring to the rollercoaster ride of a campaign season in which “a complete surprise” happened “every eight days,” he does not see a surprise scenario where McCain pulls off a victory. He does, however, predict that no matter what happens, we have not seen the last of Sarah Palin.

“We’ll hear from her again,” he says. “She is not gone with this cycle. I’ll be interested to know how much of a taste she has for this — she seems to enjoy it quite a lot. Having ambition is a big part of being successful in politics and there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s demonstrated she can go out there and fill up the arenas. They haven’t knocked her off her feet completely. She could run for the senate, she could run for president in four years. A lot of people shake their heads at that, but I saw [“Saturday Night Live” producer] Lorne Michaels the other night and he told me that when Tina Fey walks into the studio just dressed up like her the whole place goes nuts. That tells you everything you need to know. Even her impersonator brings down the house.

"There are a lot of women I know in the American West and out in the Great Plains who get her. She’s a product of a male-dominated state and she has done really well for herself there. Does that mean they agree with her politically or want her to be vice president? Not necessarily. But it does mean they want her to be taken seriously. It makes traditional feminists crazy when I say it, but her place on the ticket is a tribute to the whole women’s movement. The movement ought not to look at women through a single prism.”

Still, he adds, “I don’t think she’s equipped to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. I’m just calling balls and strikes here. The fact is that there are a half dozen senators I can name who are a lot dumber. I talked to Bill Clinton a few weeks ago, and he said, ‘You know, Tom, she’s going to do real well in those small towns where you hang out.’ And he’s right; she does connect with hockey moms, she does connect with women who have their own businesses.”

Stay tuned for part two of Julia’s interview with Tom Brokaw.

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