A Map-Based Answer to the Palin Question

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 6 July 2009 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Congressman Billybob]

There are two aspects of Governor Palin's decision to resign now, which have not been competently discussed, or discussed at all, in the main stream media. One is based on the map, the other is based in American political history.

Regarding the map: I have two, immediate sources to know how long it takes, with what sort of wearing down from the journey itself, to travel to and from Alaska. One is my cousin who is a leading labor lawyer, and who went from Atlanta to Alaska frequently when the Aleska Pipeline was under construction.

The other is my son-in-law's brother who was until recently the Agent In Charge for the FBI in Alaska. His trips home were often to North Carolina. The bottom line is this. In going to Alaska, or coming from that state to the "lower 48" for any purpose, two days are lost in travel for each trip, and there is recovery time to be sharp and on your toes in addition.

Throw in the fact that at least two of the phony, and dismissed, ethics charges made against Governor Palin were based on the fact that she was "out of the state" in order to appear or speak at events in the lower 48. It is well known that Governors and Senators who habitually run for President are often absent from their states and their constituents (unless they come from Iowa or New Hampshire to begin with).

The travel restraints are far worse for Alaskans and Hawaiians than residents of any other states. The result is that no one can function in a full time government position in Alaska or Hawaii, while playing a significant, permanent role in politics in the rest of the nation.

The political history aspect refers to Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Both built their national base which gave them their respective party nominations for President by traveling the US for years on the rubber chicken circuit. They supported and raised money for hundreds of state and local candidates. They had good results doing that, much better than similar efforts by Bill Clinton, to choose a name not entirely at random.

Bottom line: I think Sarah Palin is planning a similar, grassroots effort to those of Nixon and Humprey. I think she knows that she needs to show immediate results in the 2010 elections for the House and Senate, with candidates she supports usually winning. She has to start now, rather than just wait to run for President or Vice President in 2012.

I think she recognized that it was impossible for her to be a Governor, a mother and a wife, and an active speaker in the lower 48, all at once. So, she left the least important of those three tasks in the hands of her selected Lt. Governor.

The proof of what I posit will come on 12 September, 2009, if Palin is the most important speaker at the Rally on the Mall in Washington. My analysis is correct, if she begins her speech then and there with words like these: "My fellow Americans, I come before you today not as a Republican, not as a Democrat, but as an American who is deeply, deeply concerned about the wrong directions this nation is taking because of failures by politicians in both of those ancient political parties...."

Congressman Billybob

[Roses0508]

Ann Coulter intimated that the best way to decipher Sarah's speech was to take her at her word.

Which makes absolutely perfect sense when you consider the sort of person Sarah Palin is.

[Marine_Uncle]

BB’s explaination sounds reasonable. She never announced that she was dropping out of politics.

[section9]

No, there’s also something else.

As long as she was Governor, the Obama Administration was going to throw roadblocks in front of the AGIA Gasline project. They had no incentive to help her burnish her credentials.

Art Chance, no friend of Palin and a Murkowski ally in Alaska, speculated that Salazar, on Obama’s orders, would do what he could to throw monkey wrenches in the permitting process down the line. He wrote this several months ago, before there was any indication that Palin wouldn’t run again. This is something Palin probably understood, even after securing Exxon’s participation with TransCanada in the project.

With Palin out of the picture, smooth political sailing for her baby, the AGIA line, looks more likely.

Trust me: not only is Congressman Billybob right about her needing to get down to the Lower 48 for two weeks at a time to do the Rubber Chicken circuit, but she needed to fall on her sword to save AGIA from being stalled out by the Obama Administration.

I will bet you that came into her considerations.

Best,

Chris

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good point although they may still see it helpful to block it....

[SevenofNine]

I just can’t wait until she run for president she win if I know her she probably spent her winter vacation up in Alaska that be something check out MSN media realize that hardly no Starbucks or fancy stores like say Wasilla or Fairbanks

Trust me only thing that Alaskan are famous it not Starbuck or Nemius Marcus I want hear b***hing from MSN media than I haven’t hear since Bush 43 got out office going be funniest as hell

You could count on that

[SevenofNine]

When I was come back and forth between SO CAL and Fairbanks AK took whole day I was on plane good nine hours when I visit my parents when I was staying with my uncle early in 1990s yeah it grueling

[PhilDragoo]

I view Sarah as martial-ballet, economy of movement, minimal target profile, all in a shot-in-the-wilderness squeeze.

Congressman Billy Bob, your presentation of the human biogeometry is a sine qua non.

Chris, your positing the safe passage of her AGIA project is masterful insight--and a glimpse of her multidimensional strategerizing prowess.

I cannot escape the choking (not merely chilling) effect of the serial suits.

The attacks on her family and herself have shown all sensient beings the horde of shrieking fairies and carping harpies of the Left she has driven beyond madness.

I see her movement as masterful, a five-axis wheeling to protect her loved ones, State, centerpiece contract, while focusing all fires at the heart of the beast.

I'm pumped, and spent four minutes telling the woman at the RNC today--

Get with this program and do not presume to foist the Vanity Fair, New York mag slime balls on us again.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

You know,....we need her more... than she needs all of the upcoming hassles....and yes,...threats that will come out of the dark side....

[American in Israel]

Wouldn't it be funny if Sarah had the inside track on an Obama scandal, the birth certificate and she is maneuvering to be in place for the next presidential election, in 2010!

[barker]

I’ve got an extra bedroom in Gotham.... ;)

Don't have an extra room here but I'll build one for them.

[Jeff Head]

I believe Palin is flanking the political establishment. Booth the rabid MSM and left, as well as those in the Republican areana who do not want to see her run.

But, I listened to her entire announcement and have read her statement since. It was honorable, it was direct, and it punctuated the insane politics of our day...it also punctuated her personal commitment to fight, and to do so when it would not distract further from her job as Governor and the foundation she has built there.

I am proud of her and support her. She is a great American.

The left, the MSM, and many RINOs hate her precisely because her very life and its achievements refute all of their entitlement and big government arguements...and let's not forget, many hate her as well because she and Todd chose life for their down's syndrome son, Trig. God bless them for that.

I think Sarah has just turned, like a fed-up mama Bear, on her detractors. She has put things in order, she has left them in the hands of capable people, and she has now turned to face her enemies directly.

...and I think they are going to be sorry. We have smelled the fear in them for a long time. Good on her!

Sarah will now get her book out, go on tour, give speeches and promote conservatie principles all over this country in the midst of the Obama administration disaster and gain great political capital in the process. Then she will support conservative candidates in 2010 and help them win, amassing much more political capital. She will then take all of that and make an awesome, stunning run for the Presidency in 2012...and she has my full support.

GO SARAH GO!

MANY MORE STICKER DESIGNS HERE

[CharterOakie]

I believe you’re correct. But without wishing to sound smug, it seemed fairly obvious to me just listening to Sarah’s announcement on Friday. I can’t understand why people are so perplexed about what she’s doing and why.

She heard the clarion call to national service but couldn’t do what needs to be done while trapped in the AK Governor’s office fending off frivolous ethics complaints and waiting for the GOP establishment to support her (till the cows come home).

I don’t pretend to know the details, but the broad strategy seems clear enough.

Toss in my own hunch: wouldn’t be surprised to see Sarah encourage and support military vets willing to run for office. Talk about patriots who understand sacrifice and service to the country! And Sarah can provide instant name recognition and momentum.

Just a hunch.

[Zathras]

There are actually SOME things we can learn from Bill Clinton.
He understood that meeting the PEOPLE face to face is of tremendous value.

If Sarah uses the next year to do this, and bypasses the DC media, she will not only improve her delivery but connect with the American people like no other politician since Reagan.

[NewJerseyJoe]

Lead
Follow
or
Get the HELL out of the way!

[Mozilla]

Smart thinking. I too was wondering if maybe this was done to give time to focus on how to be more active in Republican politics. She won’t have to worry about the job of being governor making her stay at home.

[Rockitz]

Another great point!

Here’s mine. Sometimes it’s better to be an outsider in the political game and this is definitely one of those times. Incumbents will get crushed in the next set of elections.

[mtnwmn]

Palin most certainly thinks outside the box and that has got all the tongues wagging. I flew from Anchorage to B’ham and the trip was brutal....at least 8 hrs plus lay overs.

[Man50D]

No one knows if she will return to politics in the future considering she has not made any comment to that effect but it is hard to imagine a person who has been very active all her life resigned so she can be only a stay at home Mom indefinitely.

She will need to renounce her membership with the Republicrat party if she has any chance of advancing Conservatism should she run for President.

[adorno]

Wouldn't it be funny if Sarah had the inside track on an Obama scandal, the birth certificate and she is maneuvering to be in place for the next presidential election, in 2010!

Well, she does have a friend in very high places in Hawaii, namely the governor of Hawaii.

[redpoll]

Even worse for those us who live in the Bush. Here’s an example of a recent trip to Denver. Leave home at 11 a.m. Get to Fairbanks about 90 minutes later. Get on another plane to Anchorage. Arrive in Anchorage at 6:30 p.m. Wait in Anchorage for the red-eye flight to Denver, which leaves at 1:05 a.m. Arrive in Denver at 7:30 a.m.

When it’s a trip to visit Mom in Orlando, we arrive about 5 p.m. the next day Orlando time after a lovely toe-tapping visit to the Larry Craig Memorial Air Terminal in Minnesota.

The writer is spot-on concerning the jet lag from all that seat time, especially considering many flights south start in the wee hours of the morning out of Anchorage and Fairbanks.

It’s not as bad when you live in Southeast, but just flying out of Juneau is enough of an experience. (You take off at the steepest possible angle and then take a sharp turn right to avoid hitting the mountain.)

Yeah, all of us who live up here immediately thought about the travel time problems campaigning from here to the Lower 48.