I find it interesting that the talking heads on TV are so surprised by this resignation, especially the conservative ones (the ones who were counting on her to run for President in 2012). She said she was a "lame duck" -- after two years? If she is intending to run for President, and I would be very surprised if she is, then she just made a big mistake by not finishing her commitment to Alaska and staying in office before her run. But I think there are other forces at work here...
She has had a string of bad press, from the public infighting with her daughter's baby daddy to the leaking of memos from the McCain campaign that showed how clueless she was. The most recent e-mail leaks concerned the fact that her husband was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party for seven years, which if you look at the front page of their website clearly shows that their members want to have a revote as to whether or not Alaska should be a state. They also believe that the U.S. government has too much control over their lives. Below are three quotes copied and pasted directly from the front page of their website:
"The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four alternatives:
1) Remain a Territory.
2) Become a separate and Independent Nation.
3) Accept Commonwealth status.
4) Become a State."
"There is a commonly held belief across Alaska, that the US Constitution has been set aside, and other then ourselves, there are no protections to the liberty and freedoms we are to have as our continued inheritance since the formation of the Union of the "several States". "
"The US government is far and away outside the bounds placed on it by the 9th and 10th amendments and is operating illegally for all ."
I think that's pretty clear, but Gov. Palin apparently did not understand what the goals of this organization were, if you read her e-mails to McCain's campaign manager.
I think there may also be another, larger reason, though, for Gov. Palin stepping down. Seven million of them, to be exact. As Governor she makes $125,000 a year. She just got a $7 million advance to write her memoirs. Memoirs for a woman who has been Governor for two years (several months of which was spent in an unsuccessful campaign for the Vice Presidency)? Okey dokey. Funny thing is I know this will sell amongst conservatives. At any rate, I think she's taking the $7 mil and running and, according to Andrea Mitchell's reporting, she's not looking to come back to elected office.
It just goes to show what a bullet we dodged when the McCain/Palin ticket failed to get elected.
Well, there's another name crossed off the list of possible 2012 Republican presidential nominees. Looks like it's clear sailing for Mitt Romney.
