Palin resigning as Alaska governor

[Starla]

Sarah Palin plans to resign as governor of Alaska in a few weeks, KTUU-TV reported Friday.

Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, made the announcement at her home Friday morning, the station said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31726640...more_politics/



Why? There has to be more to this than a desire to run for president in three years.

[BringTheNoise]

For now, let's just enjoy the moment. Let us worry about her "master" plan tomorrow.

(Maybe she's going to do a talk show in the same time slot as Letterman?)

[Morgaine]

That does seem like an odd reason to resign. DH & I off the top of our heads could think of 3 Presidents who are former Govs & did just fine (Reagan, Bush 2 & Clinton).

[DawnStorm]

She's a glutton for punishment?

[Sylvanz]

More time to be offended? More opportunity to horn her way into the spotlight? Better able to cross the country getting her face in every T.V. camera she can find?

P&LL, Syl

[MapleLeaf]

Originally Posted by Starla

There has to be more to this than a desire to run for president in three years.

She can see a pension from her house?

[Starla]

Originally Posted by Morgaine

That does seem like an odd reason to resign. DH & I off the top of our heads could think of 3 Presidents who are former Govs & did just fine (Reagan, Bush 2 & Clinton).

It's not just odd, it's irresponsible. You don't show you'd make a good president by quitting your obligation way before real campaigning even starts. Her term is up next year, which would still give her plenty of time to campaign. She could claim she isn't running again because it's not fair to the people of Alaska for her time to be divided, even though many would know it's because she's not as popular there as she once was and she doesn't want to risk losing. But to resign now makes no sense at all.

I don't see how this doesn't mean the end of her political career. If a big scandal isn't about to surface, then she just torpedoed herself by resigning now.

[dfresh]

I imagine that she realized that her daughter having sex outside of marriage indicates that Palin has just not been spending enough quality time on her number one job, raising her family, so she wants to devote more time to that. Her husband, of course, has important man things to do, and gosh darn it, the little woman should stay home and rear those kids.

[Ryda Wong, EBfCo.]

Seriously, I'm thinking something happened. It makes NO sense to quit her office to further her political career. Sure, Palin has made mistakes before, but she's not stupid enough to do this.

There has to be some other issue.

[Starla]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...others’/

“I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,” said Governor Palin after the announcement. “Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional ‘Lame Duck’ status in this particular climate would just be another dose of ‘politics as usual,’ something I campaigned against and will always oppose. It is my duty to always protect our great state. With that in mind, my family and I determined that it is best to make a difference this summer, and I am willing to change things, so that this administration, with its positive agenda, its accomplishments, and its successful road to an incredible future, can continue without interruption and with great administrative and legislative success. "

She's announcing this on a long holiday weekend-- news dump. I still think something else is going on.


ETA: You can watch a bit of her speech here. Usually she delivers prepared speeches pretty well, but here she sounds nervous and out of breath.

[BringTheNoise]

Would anyone really consider her a "lame duck" over a year before she was set to leave office? That smells fishy to me.

[AnglRdr]

This is an interesting quote:

"We've seen a lot of nutty behavior from governors and Republican leaders in the last three months, but this one is at the top of that," said John Weaver, a longtime friend and confidant of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

(from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...070301738.html)

[Starla]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

(from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...070301738.html)

"We know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities," Palin said in a news conference alongside a lake in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska.

She's going to become a community organizer.

[AnglRdr]

Fox "News" is having interesting coverage. Glen Beck, however, is not on. I wonder if he's just too verklempt to go on air.

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Ryda Wong, EBfCo.

There has to be some other issue.

I'm with you on this. This isn't the end of the story. But I'm guessing she hopes it is.

[Arriah]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

Fox "News" is having interesting coverage. Glen Beck, however, is not on. I wonder if he's just too verklempt to go on air.

Probably. I'm sure we'll see some tears later though, bets on whether they're out of sadnes that we've lost such a great leader or emotion that she's made such a brave, personal sacrifice because she loves her country so much. Maybe he'll work in both.

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by BringTheNoise

Would anyone really consider her a "lame duck" over a year before she was set to leave office? That smells fishy to me.

I shouldn't think so, otherwise all politicians would just resign a year before the end of their term for the same "reason". Or they just wouldn't stand in the first place, if it's really somehow easier to effect political change from "outside government", rather than when you're actually governor. It does seem a bit odd.

[Tantei Kid]

Dear god, I do hope she isn't going into secret Scientology training or something like that. I would have laughed at the idea a month ago, but now I'm getting paranoid.

[AnglRdr]

I have watched her news conference about 5 times.

Can anybody translate it for me? The metaphors are so mixed that I cannot follow what they are supposed to mean by the end of it.

[Sylvanz]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

I have watched her news conference about 5 times.

Oh you poor thing. Do you need a Valium? I know I would. I salute your dedication to understanding; you're a far better woman than I am.

Can anybody translate it for me? The metaphors are so mixed that I cannot follow what they are supposed to mean by the end of it.

As hinted above I cannot tolerate listening to her or looking at her. There is something so very repulsive and annoying about her that I just can't bring myself to watch or listen to her. However, what I read of her statements makes no sense at all. Something is definitely rotten in Alaska.

P&LL, Syl