Sarah Palin has announced not only that she will not seek re-election as Alaska's governor but that she is resigning. Lt. Governor Sean Parnell will be sworn in at the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks on July 25. Alaskans redeclare their independence.UPDATE: Palin, recently alleged to have forced a public health official out of office for being "out of step on social issues", says she wants to leave the government in order to "affect [sic] positive change" from the outside. "We know we can affect [sic] positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference." Politics? For her, it's just a "superficial, wasteful bloodsport."
Alaskans say Palin had gone fishing on the job
Observers cite ‘surprising amount of disinterest in state government’
As surprised fans and critics of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traded guesses behind her decision to resign more than a year before her term ends, the former vice presidential candidate offered few hints at her political future, except to say she'd gone fishing.
Palin has stayed out of the public eye since she made the announcement Friday, but said in a Twitter update Sunday she was looking forward to joining her family as they commercially fish in Bristol Bay. But to many Alaskans, Palin has been off the job for awhile already, acting as a disengaged presence around the state Capitol since she returned from the presidential campaign trail last year.
"She had a surprising amount of disinterest in state government after November," said state Rep. Les Gara, a Democrat from Anchorage. "This state has a lot of problems, and she showed a complete lack of interest in solving them."
As surprised fans and critics of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traded guesses behind her decision to resign more than a year before her term ends, the former vice presidential candidate offered few hints at her political future, except to say she'd gone fishing.
Palin has stayed out of the public eye since she made the announcement Friday, but said in a Twitter update Sunday she was looking forward to joining her family as they commercially fish in Bristol Bay. But to many Alaskans, Palin has been off the job for awhile already, acting as a disengaged presence around the state Capitol since she returned from the presidential campaign trail last year.
"She had a surprising amount of disinterest in state government after November," said state Rep. Les Gara, a Democrat from Anchorage. "This state has a lot of problems, and she showed a complete lack of interest in solving them."
Palin resignation part of ‘risky strategy’
Huckabee says Alaska governor can't evade political scrutiny
One of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's potential presidential rivals said Sunday that her abrupt resignation won't help her dodge scrutiny. President George W. Bush's chief political adviser said her strategy is, at best, unclear.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Palin's announcement that she would not seek a second term — and leave office before finishing her first — simply doesn't make sense in a conventional political setting. Karl Rove, a longtime Bush counselor, said Palin has engaged in a "risky strategy."
Then again, the pair said, Palin has never been a conventional candidate and her stunning announcement on Friday is what they have come to expect from the Republicans' 2008 vice presidential candidate.
"She marches to the beat of her own drum, and it's going to be very interesting to see how she pulls this off," Rove said.
Palin on Friday announced she wouldn't seek re-election in 2010 and surprised fans and critics alike by saying she would leave office on July 26, more than a year before she would have finished her first term as governor.
During a sometimes rambling statement, she cited ongoing ethics complaints and the financial toll they were taking on the state and her personal finances. She also blamed the media for sensational attention and attacks on her family, although she didn't offer details.
Huckabee says Alaska governor can't evade political scrutiny
One of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's potential presidential rivals said Sunday that her abrupt resignation won't help her dodge scrutiny. President George W. Bush's chief political adviser said her strategy is, at best, unclear.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Palin's announcement that she would not seek a second term — and leave office before finishing her first — simply doesn't make sense in a conventional political setting. Karl Rove, a longtime Bush counselor, said Palin has engaged in a "risky strategy."
Then again, the pair said, Palin has never been a conventional candidate and her stunning announcement on Friday is what they have come to expect from the Republicans' 2008 vice presidential candidate.
"She marches to the beat of her own drum, and it's going to be very interesting to see how she pulls this off," Rove said.
Palin on Friday announced she wouldn't seek re-election in 2010 and surprised fans and critics alike by saying she would leave office on July 26, more than a year before she would have finished her first term as governor.
During a sometimes rambling statement, she cited ongoing ethics complaints and the financial toll they were taking on the state and her personal finances. She also blamed the media for sensational attention and attacks on her family, although she didn't offer details.
Sarah Palin Steps Down as Governor of Alaska
You probably have heard but in case you haven't Sarah Palin is stepping down early as Governor of Alaska. Why? No one is 100% sure but Time magazine has 10 theories...
1. Her political standing has slipped enough that she could have lost a re-election bid if she tried to retain her current office.
2. Her political standing has slipped enough that even if she had run and won, she would have likely been bloodied in the race, maybe even in a primary.
3. Even more ethics complaints (many frivolous) would have been filed against her.
4. She's got a book to write.
5. She's got a special needs baby to raise.
6. It is logistically impossible to run for president as the sitting governor of Alaska -- because of flight times. (Not hard: *impossible*)
7. She couldn't truly explore her money-making potential as an incumbent governor.
8. She couldn't truly explore her media potential as an incumbent governor.
9. The legislature has turned so much against her that the job wasn't much fun any more.
10. If she wants to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee in 2012, she needs to spend more time raising money, establishing her international and national expertise, and traveling the Lower 48. And she needs to start now.
2 comments:
When she accepted the VP nomination, she knew she needed to bring her professional game up to another level, she never did. She knew that her family would get attacked as did Hilary and Chelsea before her (by even her twin maverick brother McCain in 1998), let face it she knew her family affairs would come out. But now she plays the victim card again, a card she played after those comical first extended interviews that we all enjoyed and SNL immortalized. But for the icing on the cake, she quits, because she does not want to be a lame duck governor, because the lawsuits keep coming, because it was the media’s fault, because seeing Russia from her house finally got to her, because its not fair that Alaskan’s paid her salary while she was running for the VP position, take your pick. So what does she tells us? Dear Mr. President, when things get tough, quit. Dear military men and women, if you are not having fun, quit. Dear son or daughter, if things are not going your way, quit. Sure, I agree when she first was introduced and gave a descent speech, sure the polls went up, but after the extended interviews, they went where they ended, down. She showed her true character, I really hope the book deal, Radio/ TV shows and the lecture circuits make up for what her party has lost by her actions. She may go down in history as the quitter that twittered.
She cost McCain the election, her folkyness, accent and winking do not ring true, her intellect is below par (our vivid memory of the last one who delegates and follows because of their lack of intellect), but lets face it with the right type of marketing (vote folky, vote god) it can be sold to US, history tends to repeat itself. God help us!
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