This week’s cover of TIME is an exclusive interview with Sarah Palin by Jay Newton-Small.

In the story, Palin says of President Obama: “Two words: Jimmy Carter.” Palin also notes, “In battleground states, he’s polling at 40% or below.  The country is rejecting his agenda.  My vision of America is diametrically opposed to his.  He sees America as the problem.  I see America as the solution.”

An excerpt:

That a politician of Palin’s stature often wrestles with her schedule is a reflection, aides say, of her being a mother of five without a nanny. The Friday before the elections, for example, 2-year-old Trig had a routine operation related to his Down syndrome, and Palin did not want to commit to any events until she was sure that he was recovering.