Posted on 07/03/2009 5:24:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The news of Sarah Palin’s resignation as governor came during my show this afternoon, where we spent most of an hour discussing it with the chatizens and my co-host Duane Patterson. I’ve had a chance to watch the video of her announcement and read through dozens of Twitter messages back and forth attempting to rationalize this, and still, it simply can’t be rationalized on the basis of what Palin said today. It’s easily the most bizarre resignation I’ve seen, and just about senseless.
The lame-duck explanation was the most incoherent part of the entire statement:
“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.”
Bear in mind that the election isn’t next month but about 16 months from now, in November 2010. Using this logic, Palin should never have run for the first term unless she was willing to run for the second, and not run for either if she wasn’t willing (or legally able) to run for a third. Politicians don’t enter lame-duck status until their successor has already been elected and they’re running out the rest of the term. And all politicians become lame ducks at some point — and none of them quit just to avoid it.
Also, how can Palin quit because she didn’t want to deal with being a lame duck and claim in the same breath that her administration would “continue without interruption”? She just interrupted it! If she thinks that being a “lame duck” would hamper her ability to push her agenda in the state’s capital, how does she think that an unelected Sean Parnell is going to get it done?
If it’s her duty to always “protect” Alaska, then that strongly implies not walking away from the responsibility of governing it — a responsibility she sought, and with which her constituents trusted her to execute. No one leads by quitting. No one leads by quitting. Palin’s abandoning her post, and at least from her own description, doing it because she doesn’t want to deal with the issues of being a “lame duck,” a status all politicians have to handle at some point.
I’ve seen a myriad of excuses on Twitter and e-mail for this bizarre resignation: her legal bills are too high, she’s putting her family first, she doesn’t want to distract Alaskans because of cheap-shot ethics complaints that are distracting everyone. None of those make any sense. If the spotlight was too much, then she shouldn’t have run for office in the first place. If she’s quitting because people are taking potshots at her, then she’s not the kind of political fighter we thought she was. The legal bills might be a rational reason, but thoroughly insufficient for betraying the people who put her in charge of Alaska — and her memoirs would have paid for her legal bills many times over, had she completed her term.
There’s really no excuse, and what Rich Lowry also calls her “terrible,” “rambling,” and “not at all persuasive” statement showed that. Unless there was a serious illness or a serious scandal, the resignation on the grounds Palin gave is simply incomprehensible. She has destroyed her own credibiity in a single day.
I liked Sarah Palin and supported her inclusion on the GOP ticket last fall. I thought she had more toughness than this. It’s a big disappointment, and it’s the end of any hope of Palin getting taken seriously as a politician on the national level in the future.
Update (AP): I was going to tuck this into one of my own posts but it fits better here. Quin Hillyer, senior editor at the Spectator, calls the resignation an “appalling dereliction of duty.”
What Sarah Palin did today was get out before the real challenges of the job (whatever challenges there are for such an easy job) really rear their heads. The going got tough in terms of spurious ethics charges against her, and she took off. That’s cowardly. That’s not sign of staying power. It’s a sign of wanting to get out while the getting is good, in order to become a full-time candidate for a presidential race that won’t culminate for 3 1/2 more years. It’s a little too calculating, by half — or more.
I just listened to her speech announcing her decision, and found it singularly unimpressive. “This was a rambling, bombastic, self-centered, ‘poor me’ kind of speech.” That’s how Mike Carey of the Anchorage Daily News just described her speech on Fox News. I agree. He then said it was, darn, I already can’t remember if he said it was “pitiful” or “pathetic,” but it was some word like that. Again, I agree. It was a speech in which she clearly made a bit for a national audience — not a very effective bid, but a transparent one — but didn’t adequately explain to the people of Alaska why she was relinquishing her duty…
Statesmen hang tough. Sarah Palin is cutting and running. ‘Nuff said.
On the other hand, I wouldn't stay in and let the socialists bankrupt my family.
“You must outrage the enemy. If the liberal you’re arguing with doesn’t become speechless with sputtering, impotent rage, you’re not doing it right. People don’t get angry when lies are told about them; they get angry when the truth is told about them. If you are not being called outrageous by liberals, you’re not being outrageous enough. Start with the maximum assertion about liberals and then push the envelope, because, as we know, their evil is incalculable.”
Sarah is going to use some Alaska strong whup ass on the Obamanitwits and their court of mind numbed robot yes men.
Wait until Sarah shows up at a few Tea Parties. Instead of 1000 people at them, we will see crowds that will make TOTUS toast and the state run media in babble land.
Because no one is writing great speeches for her to practice? :)
Sorry, but running away never solves a problem coming from the left.
...and your pick is....?
I do not feed trolls.
Bye.
My pick is: “There is no balm in Gilead”. The American people are beyond having the freedom to pick.
LOL! Only because I can't fathom a President Biden!
Look, it just doesn't make any real sense for her to quit in the middle of her first term. It gives her enemies yet another stone to throw at her. Reagan served two terms as Governor and then hit the "rubber chicken"/GE factory tour circuit. He published thoughtful op-eds and gave substantive speeches after he left office.
Yeah, I thought the lame duck excuse was pretty pathetic, too.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t stay in and let the socialists bankrupt my family.
Interesting I just was listenning to Mark Levin, who has been around a while and has pretty good conservatie political street cred, and he thinks Palin’s resignation was actaully a pretty good idea—she can spend more time in lower 48 with fundraising, networking with folks who actualy could help her in a 2012 run. She could not do that if she continues on as Governor.
Regarding Lame Duck, Why is it no one said anything about Obama only serving one year of his 6 year term (he was not there more than 141 days and pretty much voted present on most bills when he was). Actually, I appreciate Sarah being direct and leaving office if she did not feel she was effective doing the job==unlike the occupant who campaigned on the state of IL’s expense.
Especially when the problem is a bunch of lowlife, Chicago scumbag thugs bent on the total destruction of anyone who does not kneel and kiss their feet.
All I asked was whether she could be counted on to finish out her first term as President. I think it’s a fair question. If you have so much personal baggage that you can’t handle being governor, how will you handle being POTUS?
Trolls are out in force tonight, I see.
Lots of Romney bots signed up today. Figures...
“She’ll make millions on a speaking tour.”
Thank you for this, and you can bet your sweet bippy that when you said “she will make millions”, you of course mean money and converts to the Conservative Cause.
Mahalo and lets all get out there tomorrow for a great 4th of July Tea Party.
“The American people are beyond having the freedom to pick.”
“Voted for Buchanan in the 1992 and 1996 primaries”
...Theodore R.
I see lol.
Not true. There were 15 cases charged against her and she fought them all and won all of them.
Ding! Ding! I think Dick Morris nails it:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2285261/posts?page=1
Governor C.L. Otter. With a running mate of either Huck or Romney. How do you like me now?
Pretty one-dimensional thinking from Mr. Morrissey. Palin is moving her fight to guerrilla tactics, away from conventional warfare.
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