[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Sarah Palin already has the power to destroy the GOP, simply by taking her constituency off the field with her. That's why I've always viewed the attacks on her by other GOP politicos to be colossally stupid - especially given the fact that she strictly obeys Reagan's Eleventh Commandment and never herself criticizes another national Republican figure.

Hoo-yah!

[Al B.]

This is the key passage for Alaskans. I hope they hear it:

But Palin can no longer achieve that vision as Alaska's chief executive. I've watched her try heroically since her return from the campaign trail. As she gave only a handful of interviews to the national press, Alaskan critics accused her of seeking the spotlight. As she practically glued herself to Alaska, leaving only for a few short trips, she was excoriated for "abandoning the state." Her admirable work in obtaining charitable assistance for economically suffering Western Alaska villages, and in facilitating employment for their residents, was thrown back in her face by critics who insisted that federal handouts were the only way to really help. And the drumbeat of frivolous complaints continued in the background, eating up the time and resources of her staff and the financial resources of the state - while legislators actually complained in the press that she no longer brought them bagels.

The only choice left to her, if she truly wanted to see her vision for Alaska carried forward, was to pass the ball to a teammate.