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Sarah Palin will resign as Alaska governor

She is expected to prepare a run for 2012 GOP presidential nomination

By: Josh Painter (Diary)  |  July 3rd, 2009 at 03:12 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

From anchorage television station KTUU:

WASILLA, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her home Friday morning.

The governor gave no reason why she will resign, but there has been much speculation that she intends to run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Update: A tweet from the governor:

“We’ll soon attach info on decision to not seek re-election… this is in Alaska’s best interest, my family’s happy… it is good, stay tuned”

- JP

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COMMENTS

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  • djemi
  • red_oakster

    She joins Romney as a one-term wonder. Unless she emerges as a well-versed candidate on big issues like national security, the courts, and taxes, she will find it challenging to build a coalition beyond her core supporters.

    I like Palin a great deal, so I hope I’m wrong.

    • IJB

      She needs to sell undecideds such as myself, and by bailing after one basically uneventful term she doesn’t help with that.

      • djemi

        Hasn’t that been talked about for years?

        • Achance
        • mbecker908
          • djemi

            http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/business/12pipeline.html

          • mbecker908

            It’s not only NOT a pipeline, it’s barely an idea.

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      and if you don’t yet grasp that ANY interview/Press-Conference doesn’t have something to portray negatively and spin negatively and/or out of context you haven’t taken the The “Pretend you’re a Liberal MSM reporter (and Spin the story)” Challenge yet.

      Negative, seems obvious and already pointed out…. Will be portrayed as “abandoning AK” for “selfish reasons.”

      Positive? Will depend on what she does and says in the near Future. The first reaction/thought of most will likely be that she better do something very big very fast in order to “excuse” (they way it will be seen/portrayed) this stepping down.

      HOWEVER, this can be spun to portray Sarah as DOING RIGHT BY ALASKA by saying…. ‘The environment of AK has changed and many have been opposing important needs of AK because of the National focus I have gotten since having been the VP Candidate for the Republican ticket. I step-aside and place AK in the capable hands of the Lt. Gov. in order to allow AK to focus on the work that needs to be done w/o having “Sarah Palin” as the focus of attacking/defending, supporting/opposing, critical Budgetary decisions and/or Legislation, reducing (hopefully) the hyper-Partisan attention being brought from outside AK.’ …. Whether that is percieved as a Positive, only time can/will tell.

      • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

        thought I shouldn’t call it Spin… as we (at least, “I”) do see this as a positive point….

        That AK is not getting the full-time Gov it deserves because of all the hyper-partisan ETHICS complaints (w/o any basis) detracts from AK Govt. business, takes away time/energy that AK can/should focus on important business, etc….

        That is, IMO, the right track!!!! Put the Lt. Gov on track to deal with AK and be on track for Election to the Governorship next time out….

        • antisocial

          I hope she is able to confront her opponents effectively now since she is free from the office of governor.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    1) Politics is all about timing and her window is now.

    2) She become too polarizing for retail Alaskan poltics.

    3) She has a mega-million dollar book deal; lucrative TV offers and other speaking opportunities to indulge.

    4) Even if she does not run in 2012, she serves cause and country better on the national stage in some capacity – talking head, RNC head, TV talk host…

    • GB221

      Your four points are all true.

    • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

      I think it will be disastrous

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      a) She runs for Senate, intending to finish her career there
      b) She never runs for office again

      • Jack_Savage

        I see her in the Senate.

        • pilgrim

          Names of people who resign and never run for another office like former Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Speaker Bob Livingston come to mind. I still think that her and Newt can do a lot of good in promoting and helping to elect others.

      • AKSteveB

        beating Lisa Murkowski in a primary.

    • red_oakster

      Quayle ended his career by not running in 1996. No question she can earn a good living by not running. If that’s what she wants, more power to her. But if she wants to be president, she needs to run next time, she needs a record to run on (at least six years as governor), and she needs to master the national issues.

      This decision will make it harder.

      • Swamp_Yankee

        and if not, the world is her oyster. She has a biography coming out that she supposedly made somewhere near 10 million. She has major networks offering her own show.

        She could a force and an influence every day for the conservative caue. I’m not sure why so mnay people get stuck on POTUS. Poltical activists dont get the culture war much.

        Sarah could be for daytime TV moms, what Rush is to talk radio dads.

        • mom2oneson

          I think she is a great wallet opener too, she should do fundraisers in republican areas or for republicans that are professionals like their groups and stuff.

          • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

            while we hate to make it about the $, but much does come down to that….

            I do think this can/will be able to be justified, see my comments top thread, that she IS putting AK first by resigning and taking hyper-partisan focus off her to allow AK to get its work done.

          • mom2oneson

            and she is a wallet opener. I’ve done all kinds of phone work, I mean everything from sales to non-profit donations, inbound, outbound, true customer service, you name I’ve done it so I am good at picking up on people’s feelings and also when they are willing or reluctant to buy or give! I volunteered with the local gop making vote early calls and lots of people said how gave money when the gop sent them something after they got tickets to see her, believe me she is a wallet opener. This was doing outbound calling too, interrupting people during dinner and they were excited to talk about seeing her. I’m not a professional fund raiser just a warm body on the phone and even I can see it lol! The gop or whatever group should be paying her to do speeches and fundraising for them or other candidates. Even if she does not run in ’12 she should do some fundraising with professional groups or republican areas.

          • mom2oneson

            Also she could do virtual stuff, with webex I have no idea why they don’t do more virtual appearances.

          • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

            as well as for SarahPAC will provide plenty of momentum for a 2012 Presidential run and setting the correct/right narrative on this move…. Raising money and helping Conservative Candidates (the Diary) across the country will build, not hurt, her stock and allow her to build allies along the way with those she helps elevate to DC.

    • djemi

      As Allahpundit Says

      “Update: The more I think about it, the more this portends that she?s running for president rather than going away. If she?s planning on dropping out of politics for a while, there?s no reason to announce that she?s not running again this early. Granted, it helps clear the way for any of her underlings to start campaigning for governor, but she could tell them privately now and let them start organizing quietly. Also, the symbolism of announcing on July 4th weekend suggests grander plans. Or is she just trying to take advantage of the slow news cycle?”

      Here

      http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/03/breaking-palin-to-make-an-announcement-in-wasilla-at-3-pm-et/

    • afvet

      Get her family off the front burner, and use her contacts to restrict access to her family.
      In 2010 we need to change the majorities in congress, and in 2012 we need need to depose a dictator.

    • jazzycmk

      It could very well be that she finally decided that enough is enough with all the pounding and cheap shops she has taken and she said, “To heck with it. I don’t need this.”

      And really, who could blame her. I would have taken that route long ago in her shoes.

      I’m disappointed, not because of Sarah’s actions, but because this will be portrayed as a victory by the left. This will reinforce their belief that if they throw everything they have at someone (true or untrue, it doesn’t matter), and if they say it long enough and loud enough, then they can take that person down. When the next bright star comes along, they will use the Palin model.

      I think this “plays” best for Sarah if she joins the Michael Steele at the RNC and raises money for the party and campaigns for national candidates. She would be a powerhouse.

      If she runs for national office, I suspect that the way she left office will follow her, and opponents will try to label her a quitter.

      Personally, I wish her nothing but the best. She is the first politician that has ever inspired me.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    Waiting seven years (2016) isn?t going to solve anything. That?s assuming that Obama is re-elected. If not, then that Republican has the keys in 2016 so she would have to wait eleven years.

    Star power is a flash-in-the-pan kind of thing. Seven years from, she?ll be a ?has been?. There will be dozens of new stars claiming the limelight.

    All these people who want her to hang out for eleven years probably won?t have her back then anyway. She?ll have new enemies and new allies.

    PLUS, she?s been the veep nominee already. People are acting like she?s a sheep in the woods. She has more experience on the national stage than anyone.

    Plus, maybe she cares too much. Someone needs to stop Obama. Read my last diary. I am so sick of the infatuation with the unknowns. Two weeks ago, Sanford was next great thing. So I have little faith in all these unvetted dark horses. It will come down to people we know like Romney, Huckabee, Newt, etc. And think she may have the best shot at winning

  • azaeroprof

    and I think this is the right move for her. It probably would NOT be the right move for 48 other governors. But it has already been shown how difficult it is for her to build any national momentum from Alaska. Every time she leaves there, even for a single speech, she gets criticism. And not just from opportunistic Alaska Dems, but also Alaska Repubs (and even on Redstate!).

    Being that far from the continental 48, she needs the “free time” to be able to travel freely to and within the lower 48. And like I’ve said here before, frankly, noone outside of Alaska really gives a hoot what she would “accomplish” in another year as Gov. And that’s all it would be, if that, before she would have to be on the national campaign trail full-time.

    • izoneguy

      She knows what Cap & Trade will do if passed.
      She will travel the lower 48 and show Americans what a disaster it is. She could run on that ONE ISSUE alone. She can get wall to wall coverage and start pushing Obama off the stage. it is critical to do this before the 2010 elections. SOME conservative has to be able to take the mantel and run with it. She is the only conservative with balls that will take on Obama. She knows it is a gamble but SOMEONE has to be brave enough to speak out against our imperial president.

      • djemi

        The freedom that this gives her is unmeasurable and in terms of pushing BO of the stage, this could be all the MSM talk about for days, they’ll all be running around asking themselves WHY did she Quit?

      • Josh Painter

        It will certainly give her the freedom to travel outside the state without being criticized by the Alaska media and her political opponents for “neglecting her duties” as governor.

        If you recall, every time she has left the state of Alaska, if she hasn’t been able to justify the trip as legit state business, she gets clobbered in the media.

        This will also put a stop to headlines about “ethics” complaints. Although the great majority of the ones that have been filed against her have been bogus and all have been politically-motivated, just the words “ethics complaints” are negatives which work against even when they are dismissed.

        - JP

      • Scope

        and I want to believe that she sees the major destruction happening to our country by Obama and the Libs. She can be a really big thorn in their side’s. Besides, Romney, Huckabee and Newt have already indicated their intentions to run in 2012. I just heard that Todd Palin said that she is stepping aside as she can do more for Alaskans and “the country” if she is not in office. Very very interesting. I just hope it isn’t anything bad like illness or scandal.

  • mom2oneson
    • Achance

      Nice guy, former State Senator. I worked for him for awhile when he was Chairman of Sen. Finance.

      • djemi
        • Achance

          more than casually on things that interest me. Going back to the grind of being in the office every day and having to be nice to people you hate is a good thing to have put behind me.

          • mom2oneson

            “be nice to people you hate” That is soooo true!!! Thanks for the answer. :)

          • JustLeaveMeAlone

            “Having to be nice to people you hate” — never having to to do that again is the best reason I know for self-employment!

            (Another reason I could never be a politician!)

          • mom2oneson
    • naraht

      The current Lt. Gov. is Sean Parnell

  • JoeG

    then this was a horrible mistake.

    If she’s not running, I wish her the best of luck.

  • Josh Painter

    She’s already taken heavy criticism in AK for not announcing her intentions prior to this announcement.

    It’s clear Dems, media and anti-Palin Republicans won’t allow her to serve out her term and run for president both, without giving her even more grief than she catches from these three groups in general.

    - JP

    • Scope

      n/t

      • Josh Painter

        She needs to be free to travel if she’s going to run for prez. She’s not likely to contest Lisa M. for her Senate seat. I would be very surprised if she would challenge Young (who just announced he’s seeking his zillionth term) for his House seat.

        That leaves either running for Prez.or getting out of politics altogether, which is very unlikely, unless she’s gone and shot Andrew Sullivan with a moose gun or something. j/k

        - JP

        • janis

          Moose gun is giving him way too much manliness. And if Sarah Palin did it, even with a moose gun, she’d have people falling all over themselves to congratulate her for it . Have no idea what she’d do with the skin or the head of that thing as I don’t believe it has any intrinsic decorative value.

    • http://www.scottbomb.com scottbomb

      Bush did and it went just fine.

  • IJB

    OK, this goes from a bad mistake to a disastrous one.

    It’s one thing to not run again. But it’s quite another to *quit* NOW.

    I don’t know the details of AK election law, but if this leads to a special election, I’ll be even less impressed.

    In any case, this puts me heavily into the ‘skeptical’ camp, if it’s true.

    • azaeroprof

      if she were to announce that she was not seeking reelection, the complete remainder of her term could do nothing but hurt her. She would be a lame duck and both AK Dems and Repubs would harp on her incessantly. This frees her up. There is no GOP 2012 prospect who can outraise her, and she can start on this now, as well as take the time to write her book that’s due out next year.

      And best of all, she FINALLY did SOMETHING that Art might be happy about!

  • Joe_Cor

    She’s not running; she’s sick of politics, with the constant lawsuits and Letterman’s attacks.

    It looks terribly irresponsible and unfair to the people of Alaska if she did this just to run for President. It doesn’t look all that good if she resigned just because she’s had her fill of it. But she’s through with national politics, either way. You don’t walk away from a governorship to fill some other ambition, or because it got nastier than you intended. She should have completed her term, either way.

    And another Republican sideshow for the media to dwell on while Obama slips his agenda through Congress. What a shame.

    • janis

      precedent for such. The times we live in are anything but typical. We desperately need a spokesperson front and center to counter every one of Obama’s moves, someone who is not afraid and will speak the plain truth. If Sarah Palin takes on this role, she will have so much goodwill and gratitude from conservatives and independents alike that it will be invaluable in 2012.

      That’s my hope anyway, that she is going to do this. Although after Ensign and Sanford’s behavior, I ‘m prepared for more bad news. Never underestimate the ability of those at the top to do really dumb sh*t.

    • mom2oneson

      it might have not anything to do with politics, she is a married woman with 5 children, one with special needs and a new grandbaby.

  • Achance

    Her numbers are far below their former stratospheric levels and, the Democrats would have moved Heaven and Earth to try to defeat her, and there are lots of Republicans who would be no more than dutiful in supporting her.

    She’d win, but it would be a lot closer than would be comfortable to use as a spring board. Fox is all a’twitter about nobody knew, but I don’t know anybody who thought she was going to run.

    • Josh Painter

      She would breeze to an easy victory., Who would even make it close? Poe? LOL! Certainly not French. He’s about as appealing as a you-know-what burger.

      - JP

      • Achance

        She’d have won, but anything less than a “landslide” would be a defeat. And she would NOT have won in a landslide.

        • Josh Painter

          When someone argues with you, argue back. But don’t make it personal. You always do.

          Of course I don’t know everyone in and everything about Alaska, but I keep up.

          She wouldn’t need a landslide, only a comfortable margin of victory.

          - JP

          • Achance

            today. What I’m going to sit on is my boat and raise a cup to the new Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell. Sarah Palin now belongs to the Nation and isn’t governor of my State any more.

          • azaeroprof

            I knew she’d finally done something to make you happy! Her “Art approval rating” just skyrocketed!!

          • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth

            As far as 2012, the only path for her at this point is for her to be stumping for Republican candidates in the 2010 elections and be viewed as a substantial help to them – and to a Republican resurgence, in order to build up political capital.

            Resigning from the governorship at this point frees her to be out stumping and being the mobilizer that she has exibited talent for.

            On the other hand, in our media obsessed world, she runs a serious risk of overexposure and consequent marginalization.

            But its also possible that something else entirely is going on that we don’t know about yet that may lead her out of politics (ncluding my comment title).

            Too many scenarios at this time – we’ll just have to wait and see.

    • jimmyg

      You have alluded in the past that the emails that are the subject of a FOIA request would eventually be released. Any chance that this problem is now coming to a head? Just a theory, it seems so strange for the Gov. to quit now with only 18 months left in her term.

      • Achance

        released yesterday. They weren’t. Who knows?

        • mom2oneson

          like she resigns and they weren’t released? Maybe it’s stupid to speculate.

          • Achance
  • pilgrim

    form like the announcement Mark Sanford made, Had it been, there would be heads exploding all over the place.

    • azaeroprof

      but this also helps the GOP by getting Sanford off the front pages!

      • janis

        I so hope that Sarah Palin is getting ready to be “Sarah–Unleashed!” Without the handlers and backstabbers in McCain’s camp to hamper her natural ability, it will be quite interesting to see how she does. Just imagine Obama having to contend with someone young, attractive and mouthy every single time he tries another move to destroy this country, every single time he tries to lie and tell us that day is night and the stimulus is working. If she never actually ran for POTUS but just stayed out there in front and slammed him every single time he opened his radical, lying mouth and raised money for the RNC, I’d be a whole lot happier than I am now. If she does what I hope she does and runs for POTUS as well, then great, she’s earned the right as far as I’m concerned.

        Who else is out there slamming Obama every time he pulls his usual crap?

        • azaeroprof

          and I hope that’s what she is going to do!!

  • freetexan

    The Democrats in Alaska are attempting to litigate her to death. By resigning as Governor, she stops what would be another year of expensive and distracting lawsuits.

    For those in the ‘skeptica’l camp, you are about to see Sarah Palin uncensored. She can now move into the national scene on her own terms.

    From this point forward, liberals who continue to attack her do so at their own peril. They should be afraid, very afraid.

    • Achance
      • SteveLA

        Art,

        Is your Alaska worm’s eye view of what’s going on in the state saying that there is another shoe about to drop? I have no clue and think the BS floating around on the Lefty Nut jobs is just that…BS, but this is a darn strange move.

        30 months in office and then gone… Heck I don’t know of any politician that has ever done that, of any party, of any ideology.

        Just strange.

        • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

          Nor even John McCain… Me, me, me… I’m next…. it’s my turn atop the ticket….. Politics as usual…. Whether that will play well, as we play up the Baracklash, remains to be seen. Enough time, obviously, exists between now and then to set the appropriate Positive narrative (as I spoke of up thread) BUT (equally obvious) the Lefty MSM will play up the Negative spin/aspects. Already hearing the “Media feeding R infighting angle” BS [MSM uses snippets out of context to feed Republican in-fighting narrative additional commentary on that here (speaking out against SoSo discussion) and here --- some people out in the great Brain-Dead unwashed haven't grasped the: The "Pretend you're a Liberal MSM reporter (and Spin the story)" Challenge]

          The speech laid out the appropriate ground-work, didn’t flow perfectly but the pieces were there…..

          Whether or not she can ride the NOT POLITICS AS USUAL line to the Presidential nominee – too much time remains to handicap that, but many are open to that “arguement.” She would still seem to be a very TOP pick for the VP spot again….

          • Karina

            in this country. The MSM won’t be able to keep her quiet and the Rebs will have to stand with her or look more weak spined then they already do.

            I thought the unscriptedness was refreshing from Obama and his handy dandy T. She was real like he never is.

            I realize there are many here who aren’t her biggest fans but I’m looking forward to seeing what the future has for her and I’ll be cheering her on, whatever she chooses.

      • Finrod

        Just when 2012 candidates’ campaigns are just starting to get going.

  • Mayhem

    The GOP takes yet another punch to the gut. At this rate, we will be stuck with the exact same cast of clowns we had in 2008. And look how well that turned out for us.

    Stunned. Shocked. Flabbergasted. Confused.

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
      • IJB

        Someone under the horizon right now.

        I’m actually not expecting anyone from 2008 to even be anything more than an also-ran…

        • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

          Basically I don’t think any serious, substantial talk about 2012 can take place before the 2010 elections are finished.

          • randy streu

            C’mon, folks. We have a country to rescue, and the chance to do it is in 2010. Not 2012. Let’s start getting serious.

        • Swamp_Yankee

          … were dark horses last month. Don’t sell out a known asset for a pie-in-the-sky quest for the perfect candidate. They all have flaws and the media will skewer each and every one of them for those flaws.

    • cmack

      I’m optimistic about 2012 for us. I think Romney, Gingrich, and Giuliani are all strong contenders.

  • bs

    If it’s because of the critics, lawsuits and other political pressures, then it just makes her look like a wimp who can’t take the heat. If it’s because she wants to run for POTUS without the “distractions” of state politics, she looks like a selfish, run-of-the-mill pol who only cares about themselves and their own success. If it’s because of family, it says “I can’t successfully lead because my personal life gets in the way”.

    No matter how you slice it, it looks bad.

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      If she doesn’t, well, then it’s just her choice to make I think, and I can’t criticize it.

      • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

        This can be a POSITIVE…

        from FoxNews Palin resings
        “I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,” Palin said after the announcement, according to a press release from her office. “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.”

        • Maggie_in_Indiana

          Isn’t that what everybody wants from their representatives? I think this was a very hard decision for her,she loves her job and her state and decided to do what she thought was best for her state and not cost it more money defending herself and not being able to focus on her gubenortorial duties 100%.

          Finally a public servant who puts their duties above themselves. Now watch her campaign her butt off for those seking office(as she said) in 2010. If she does run for the presidency in2012 this selfless act be will a strong point. Of course the left has already spun it as running out on her state and the people of Alaska. the good thing is when Sarah speaks people actually listen to what she says not try to read between the lines.

          And this babe can bring in the $$$$$$$$$$ .

      • bs
  • Swamp_Yankee

    … I wonder if she wants to take a stab at writing her bio herself w/o a ghost writer. Even though Hillary and JFK and everyone else had one (including Obama unofficially) You know the media is going to dump all over her for not writing it.

    Just speculation. But I’d love to see her retreat for a few months; write her own book; watch it become a best seller; and give mainstream media two big giant birds.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Finally, a sensible ENERGY POLICY advocate we will be getting on the National stage is at least part of what I see we’ll FINALLY be getting….

    related:
    Climate $cam – Climate $cam
    +Cycles/Shift – Climate Cycles/Shifts
    +AccuWeather cool trend – AccuWeather COOL trend
    +Another Liberal Schmuck recognizes, too late, Failed Democrat Enviro-Terrorist policies – Comedian Paul Rodreguiz’s Family Farm dying of Man-Made (read: Dem. Policy imposed) Drought and here
    +Militarized Oil Drilling – using the Military to Drill (Natl. Defense Strategic issue)
    +C&T excuses – How/Why MI Officials spin CAT being “okay”
    +Polar Bear myth – Political Class’ diary: Polar Bear population
    +China projects – China gets the Flood/Drought Cycles preperation right
    +tidal-gen – Tidal power generation (finally)
    +Earth 2100 – Earth 2100 TV special (Liberal propaganda)
    +Mileage Taxes – Vehicle Mileage Tax – Incremental implimentation (Electric cars only FIRST!)

  • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

    Fox News says that Governor Palin is “stepping down”.

    ALL the other news outlets say Sarah Palin quits.

    ‘Nuff said.

    • IJB

      Pretty much the only time the term “stepping down” could be considered an accurate descriptor is when someone has to leave office for health reasons.

      Otherwise, you’re pretty much ‘quitting’ in all other scenarios…

  • Scope

    She is on the radio now, and is making a long speech, I understand with no teleprompter. That means the attention is not on the one right now. He will croak over this, and especially because it is Palin. Yipeeee! I have to go and see her speech hopefully on Fox.

    • djemi
  • ted40

    Everyone seems to be talking about the reasons we’d like to *think* she’s resigning — i.e., that she’s preparing to run for something. But if that’s true, why didn’t she say so? It would have been a more positive message.

    Instead, she seems to be complaining about negative attention from the media. Doesn’t that run the risk of looking weak? After all, if you’re President or Senator, negative attention from the media is just as much of a given.

    • azaeroprof

      She made it VERY clear what her intentions are, at least as clear as she could 3 years before the next election. She said that she will help and campaign for conservative candidates. And read between the lines, raise money for them. She will be building up iou’s from candidates around the country. That is as close to announcing her 2012 candidacy as she could dare do at this time. It would be absolutely the wrong thing to do to announce her candidacy for POTUS after the current occupant (apt description, by the way) has only been in office 5 months! And it is the right thing for her candidacy to travel around and build up goodwill.

      • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

        again…. The “Pretend you’re a Liberal MSM reporter (and Spin the story)” Challenge Fox played a good amount of the speech and it was “reasoned” with the complete CONTEXT!!!!! The other outlets, will of course, be picking out the Negative Narrative that will fit into that SPIN!!! Plenty of time exists to over-come that MSM negative spin with the positive aspects of the reasoning….

        But only time will tell…. It is going to depend alot on the “NOT Politics as usual” plays — and hasn’t alot of America been clamoring for it?!?!?

        from FoxNews online:
        ?I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,? Palin said after the announcement, according to a press release from her office. ?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.?

        but again, the full speech demonstrates the FULL CONTEXT and lays out positive Manifest Destiny, reasonable Energy Policy, Politics as usual, outside forces harming AK (yes, MSM will play up on this as her being wimpish), etc….

    • pilgrim

      She said the lawsuits, 15 to date, that had been lodged against her had all been struck down at a cost of 2 million dollars to the State of Alaska, and a half million dollars cost to her personally. She could have withstood negative attention from the media, but a continuation of draining the coffers to fight every frivolous lawsuit is something else.

      • Raven

        She’s a popular governor. She could have gotten a bill through the legislature changing that ethics law so that those who bring frivolous complaints have to pay for them themselves. It would have been a major victory for her and for Alaska. But instead, she pussed out. Sticking it out through the summer and championing that change in the law is all it would have taken. I am sorely disappointed.

      • ted40

        I stand corrected about the “media” thing; you’re right that she’s focusing more on the lawsuits.

        But I still don’t see how this would be significantly different if she ran for Senate or for the Presidency.

        • janis

          Given that, we have nothing in common with you on the subject of Sarah Palin. You, after all, think that we should be pushing the likes of Rush Limbaugh to the back of the bus if not outright OFF the bus.

          Given that, you are welcome to take your concerns over to the left side of the aisle and pray that Gov. Palin is stepping down for personal reasons of some sort and not because she’s getting ready to kick your side really hard with those nice knee-high boots. Wear a cup just in case.

          • ted40

            I confess that I consider myself more of a centrist, and I can see how this might not be a moment when you really want to hear from centrists. So I’ll bow out of discussion on this topic.

          • Jack_Savage

            I mean, I know you are a good Republican except for that whole fiscal sanity, strong defense and social issues stuff. Please, please tell us what we can do to reach people who have no opinion on anything. We need you so badly…

          • Cheryl

            Thanks for saying it.

    • Jack_Savage

      I’ll tell you what looks weak – people on your side of the political spectrum who are scared to death of a heterosexual, conservative woman who has gotten where she has gotten without hanging on to her husbands pant leg.

      You are a troll, and you need to be concentrating more on what your party is doing to this country instead of a woman who would never give you a second glance. Got it?

  • ColdWarrior

    Fox News cut away from her speech so I haven’t seen all of it.

    Assuming that there is no “Mark Sanford” type thing in the background causing this, and I have no reason to suspect that, I believe this will be a huge positive for her and for conservatives and a huge problem for Obama and his puppet masters.

    She will be free now to become a spokesman for “American Energy Independence.” She will be able to write her book. She will be made all kinds of offers from the energy sector and she’ll be able to pick the best one for her and her family. She will be able to be on Fox News regularly to criticize Obama and his puppet masters and their bone-headed policies. Hell, she may become the new conservative Oprah.

    If she made that speech without a teleprompter, and one of the reporters said she did, what I saw was a tremendous performance.

    A couple of biased reporters said this was move by her was a negative — no surprise there.

    I just don’t see that.

    Now I just hope her husband, after she leaves office, demands a personal meeting with Letterman, alone. In a soundproof, locked room. If I was him, I would. And then beat the crap out of the pencil-necked geek.

    • azaeroprof

      this means she’ll be unemployed and thus free to attend in Atlanta :-)

  • jonreagan

    Gov. Palin’s accomplishments speak for themselves, especially in terms of energy exploration/drilling. She’s been the victim of the worst character assassination I can ever remember in politics—-most from liberals/MSM, some from incompetent McCain advisors playing a game of CYA. She and her family are good, hard-working people, and too good for all this garbage.

    I’d like to see her go to work for Exxon Mobil in a senior management position, making more $$ than she ever imagined. Preferably consulting on offshore drilling projects, everywhere from Alaska to Santa Barbara.

    • Jack_Savage

      “She?s been the victim of the worst character assassination I can ever remember in politics?-most from liberals/MSM, some from incompetent McCain advisors playing a game of CYA.”

      This is my forty-second year of paying close attention to politics, and her treatment has been beyond the pale for quite some time now.

      The first person that comes up to me grinning and cheery about this gets a straight right to the jaw. I have never been to jail, it is on my bucket list, and now would be as good a time as any.

      • Scope

        if so, I hope that Art doesn’t have those same plans. LOL!

        • Jack_Savage

          No, Art would not be a target of my blanket threat because at least his dislike of Palin had some semblance of substance, however inside AK baseball it was. I am talking about the run of the mill, fever swamp liberal who is scared to death of a woman who happens not to look like either Helen Thomas or a twelve year old boy.

          I would love to meet Art – and all of you, for that matter.

  • Raven

    In her speech she basically said that she had been chased out of office by the media and by frivolous ethics complaints.

    She won’t run again because she will expect any new office to be the same way.

    This is not good either for Alaska or for the USA.

    • pilgrim

      I agree that I do not think she is going to run again.
      However, people who won’t run again like her and Newt can still be good for the USA if they help to promote and elect other candidates.

  • toughintn

    Unless she has a skeleton in the closet, she probably had to make this choice — to seize the top of the curve for public recognition. She needs to build momentum, not lose it.

    Interesting she chose the Friday before July 4th to declare her independence from petty politics in Alaska. Was she trying to bury the story a bit, or just show her disdain for that type of consideration? She can “make” the news even on a Friday, that’s for sure.

    It’s fine if she uses some of her new-found freedom to speak and raise funds for conservatives, but this is a perfect chance for her to invest significant time in her career by studying at the Heritage Foundation and other conservative think tanks — to develop her understanding of public policy in all areas.

    The months ahead can give her a more solid foundation for statesman level leadership IF she’s willing to be vocal in her areas of strength, and be teachable in her areas of weakness.

    Regardless of what Palin does, I’d like to see Mike Pence run in 2012.

    • mom2oneson

      That just doesn’t sound right. A president is a politician that is an easy out to say that is petty. I don’t know it just sounds like people that are incompetent that kind of look down on some job they could not do saying they are getting a higher one. Why can’t she study while being govenor? How much day to day work does the govenor do that she can’t study?

      • toughintn

        Right now, they’re practically accusing her of abdicating her duties if she leaves the state to give a speech.

        She has a full-time job right now, and she’ll get Sanfordized (just in the sense that “You owe Alaska money for taking this plane trip and for missing that meeting”) if she keeps trying to juggle everything.

        She should literally study at those think tanks in person for days and weeks, if possible. I’m not joking. She needs to look at it as a short-cut master’s program in public policy.

        And again, I don’t care if she runs for another office. I just want her to grow as a leader of the conservative movement by learning more so she can speak with authority. She needs to be just as comfortable and knowledgeable with other topics as she is with energy policy.

  • eburke

    the whys, wherefores and was this a good move or not because that’s all….speculation.

    But here’s something I know for a fact. The GOP loses the single women’s/simgle mom’s vote in droves. EVERY single single woman in my office *loves* Sarah’s spunk and the fact that she’s authentic and has a man because she wants one not because she *needs* one. And these are the common, ‘lazy’, pay attention to politics about a week before the election (if then) She connects with them in a way that is unreal.

    And, btw, they were universally po’d at the way that the MSM piled on her. My hunch is that the shameful treatment of here reminds them of the way that their ‘ex’ treated them – no respect…always critical.

    I’m not saying she will or should run, or if she does, whether she will win. I just know that in my little corner of the world (which just sent Al Freaking Franken) to the Senate…my female colleagues *love* her.

    • Swamp_Yankee

      I hate to agree because its admitting how important identity politics has become. Its always existed to some extent, but its worse now.

      I dont live in conservative bubble and I hate anecdotal evidence, but I’ve seen it on a wide enough basis to know its true. Even if they dont support her, they are infatuated with her. They are intrigued by her. When she speaks, they stops and listen.

      I would like to think they afraid because she is a fighting conservative, but that’s not it. Dems would love nothing more than to see a Cheney-Gingrich ticket or a Rush-Cheney ticket.

      She’s what they call in the entertainment industry a “cross-over” success. And the women vote is huge. We are always beating ourselves up and compromising vlaues for lure black and hispanic voters. But if we keep our base and Sarah can bring in 5-10% of the women vote without selling out, the landscape would be red, red, red,

  • eburke

    with your ‘crossover’ success comment.

    For *years* women have been told they can have it all but the people who keep telling them that are usually mean, bitter, ‘feminazi’ types. Most women believe that they can ‘make it on their own’ but most of ‘em aren’t into the “angry/bitter” lifestyle. Some of them have been crapped on by boyfriends/husbands, some are just trying to get some respect for having to balance home and kids and job and life.

    Sarah *does* all that and does it with a smile and a chutzpah that rings genuine and true. People who frequent places like this (like you and me) want to examine all facets of a candidate’s resume before we decide what we’re going to do. Unfortunately, that’s *not* how far too many of our fellow American Idol citizens make choices. Witness the current occupant of the White House.

    I’m not saying that I’m a big Sarah fan as far as her policy knowledge or governing ability which is why I’m intrigued by her but do not fawn over her every move. Having said that, folks like us are in a distinct minority in our country today. That may be sad; that may be how we ended up with a left-wing TOTUS, but as a party we’d be idiots to not recognize that Sarah *connects* with average Joe and Jane Six-Pack in a way no politician in our party has for a *long* time.

    Unless there’s another shoe to drop here, we need to find *someway* to use her gift.

    • AKSteveB

      as a Presdiential candidate is more likelty to come from some Perot/Buchananesque type Third Party deal. That is the demographic she appeals to,..and really, what she is is a populist Social Conservative/economic liberal. There are too many knives out for her in the Republican party.

  • mbecker908

    She’ll never hold office again and she’ll get absolutely blown out if she tries to run in ’12. We don’t need a quitter at the top of the ticket, and like it or not that what she became today.

    I hope to see lots of her making appearances for others. She can really work a crowd.

    I also hope we’ve heard the last of people like Gary and, on this subject, Josh.

  • redneck_hippie

    as a terrible thing, probably because I’m a political outsider. One thought recurs, though. Not comparing Sarah to Reagan, mostly because I was AWOL during the Reagan years, but:

    Someone want to tell me how many times people said “he’s toast, he’s done” about the career of Ronald Reagan?

    If I hear it enough times, I just may believe she’s going for it.

  • SirGladiator

    This allows her to travel the Country without anything holding her back anymore. She always has an incredible record to run on, certainly none of her rivals in either party can claim to have been remotely as sucessful, and she did it in less than one term! Certainly if Obama keeps running the economy into the ground, by the time 2012 comes around people will be wishing Obama had resigned early to go do something else :) . The fact that she’s leaving the state of Alaska in the hands of her right hand man, having built an incredible legacy for him to continue, means that the people of Alaska will be well taken care of while she spends her time preparing to help out the other 49 states as well, as President. A great move indeed!

  • Achance

    tell me that there’s another shoe to drop. Not ALL of the ethics complaints have been dismissed; one remains in court. If it comes down the way I think it will, I won’t say, “I told you so” too gleefully. Or at least no more gleefully than I said I told you so about Senator Stevens.

    • DONTREADONME

      we have another Sanford ordeal? God almighty, cynicism will definitely set in now.

      • AKSteveB

        best guess is they are going to force the release of emails related to Troopergate and perhaps some to a local sycophantic talk show host Eddie Burke.

        • DONTREADONME

          none-the-less, all of these politicians that have these issues need to exit stage left or right, depending. Way too much unethical behavior going on in politics these days, and yes that goes for Dems ^4 power.

          I am running out of spirit and drive because of these people if we have to keep going through this. I am running out of that reservoir of passion and spirit. The only reason why I have any is because the Dems are filled with corruption to the core, if the R’s start getting to that point, what’s left to feel good about?

      • Achance

        at least in her adult life.

        No, this would have been nothing if she hadn’t made something of it herself with all her “hold me accountable” and her emphasis on ethics as she defined ethics. Live by that stuff, die by that stuff.

        • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

          I wish more would.

          Might have kept the House in 2006 if we did.

          True, it’s a fine line between that an a form of unilateral disarmament, but voters don’t like odors.

          • Achance

            Granted, a lot of us here really don’t like her over her branding us as the corrupt old boys that she cleaned out. Well, being corrupt came as news to us, and most of us didn’t see Sarah as a saint and Wasilla as a paradise. One of my Party leader friends characterized it pretty well the other day by saying that she corrupted corruption.

            Anyway, I know what happened with Randy Ruedrich, the AK Party Chair that she likes to brag about taking out. Well, he’s still Party Chair. What she says happened simply isn’t what happened. I’m not accusing her of lying; I am convinced that she sincerely believes her version of events. But politically, she saw a meme that she could use and she rode it not only to the governorshp but to National prominence.

            On the ethics piece, Republicans have to learn to either be Caesar’s wife or to be real bad boys living down to their reputations; there’s not much in between. In politics, you’d best have a real good wife or take a vow of celibacy, even though the vow of celibacy will get you branded as a religious fanatic.

    • Doc Holliday

      that is just what this party needs.