Sarah Palin: What I've Learned

Esquire ^ | February 5, 2009 | Ryan D'Agostino

[Right_in_Virginia]

Thanks for posting and BTTT!

[jla]

if Palin aspires to elected office, then resigning elected office is the wrong idea.

How so? Please expound.

I don’t know how to put it more simply - Sarah Palin asked us to "trust" her; that all was "good". And that, is good enough for me.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Carmex. I’m addicted to Carmex. I don’t go anywhere without Carmex.”

Funny. When I lived in Alaska, Carmex was in my purse, in my desk, in my nightstand, etc., at all times!

[Paleo Conservative]

What she learned? Harry Truman's advice.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Unforturnately, a reputation for "getting our of the kitchen" isn't a qualification for higher office.

[Al B.]

Wonder what happened when she visited the soldiers that helped make the decision?...Any press on it?...Her reception? May help put it all in prospective.

FWIW, an Alaskan who claims knowledge on another forum said that her trip to visit the troops was the tipping point in her decision to resign now and not complete her term. This poster said she was besieged with pleas for her help and that she was "shaken" by the indifference of the Obama administration toward national security.

[Loud Mime]

Sarah’s resignation surely makes me take a hard look at Biden. Talk about impeachment insurance!

[hoosiermama]

The fact that she mention it in the way she did indicates something significant happened....More than just a warm reception.

[hoosiermama]

It also supports that supposition that the “Hell yes” was from her military son.

[painter]

"She will start hitting back and hard"

If you read her speech, she is already taking dead aim at Obama.

[TennesseeProfessor]

you no doubt have won or consulted on many winning campaigns. please regale us with tales of your success.

We are all a flutter awaiting your wisdom

It is true that I am not a political analyst. However, one fact is unassailable: on July 2nd, Sarah Palin was my first choice for Republican candidate for President. On July 4th, she is not.

[TennesseeProfessor]

Here's a post I made earlier that might explain my thougts a little better:

If Sarah Palin is leaving politics, then I offer my best wishes and can deeply sympathise with her decision to leave politics.

If Palin is preparing a 2012 campaign, then she no longer has my support. Yes the media have been overtly hostile to her and her family. Yes the democrats have said mean things about her family and filed frivolous suits against her. But if she IS planning to run, why does she think it will be any better for a presidential candidate than a governor?

If Palin wants to be a politician, then leaving politics is the worst thing she could do.

Put simply, even her supporters are listing the unremitting attacks against her as the reason for her to resign. But if she runs for president, the attacks will be every bit -- or even more -- vicious. Frivolous complaints to the Alaska ethics board will be replaced by frivolous FEC complaints, or lawsuits regarding campaign expenses. And every article written about her will start out "Sarah Palin, who resigned her only elected office, ...". And most of the media will add "After facing over a dozen ethics complaints" to that.

Don't misunderstand me -- if Palin becomes the nominee I'll admit I was wrong and return as a supporter. But she is no longer my first pick for nominee.