Not the “last press conference” I was referring to. That’s from his farewell address to his staff. I was talking about the press conference at the Hilton in 1962 after the 1962 Calif. gubernatorial defeat. “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.”
OK, still good. You are referring to "the wilderness years" of Nixon, 1962-1968, and I think this period in his life is worth examining. Perhaps Sarah Palin is taking a page from his book?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon
What Nixon did after his failed California gubernatorial candidacy in 1962:
* High-profile kickoff speech you referenced, covered by national media.
* Traveled to Europe, gave press conferences, arranged to meet with the leaders of the countries he visited.
* Moved to New York City and became a partner in a leading law firm.
* Remained largely out of the public eye, but had strong support from the Republican base for his knowledge of politics and international affairs.
* Wrote an acclaimed journal article on foreign policy towards a major national power (China).
* Campaigned for Republican candidates in the 1966 Congressional elections and took an extended trip to South America and parts of the Middle East.
I'm not saying she'll do all of that, but I am sure she'll use it as her template in some ways.