In Big Shocker, Palin Resigns As Governor
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), the unsuccessful 2008 nominee of the Republican Party for Vice President, has announced that will resign her office, effective at the end of the month.
Initial reports had been that she simply wasn't going to run for a second term in 2010, seemingly setting up a 2012 campaign for the White House. But this sure is something...
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), the unsuccessful 2008 nominee of the Republican Party for Vice President, has resigned her office, effective at the end of the month.
Initial reports had been that she simply wasn't going to run for a second term in 2010, seemingly setting up a 2012 campaign for the White House. But this sure is something...
Late Update: Reporter Andrew Wellner from the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman just appeared on CNN after attending Palin's press conference. She said, Wellner reported, that she could be more effective outside of government.
And she wholly blamed the national press, saying they were creating national distractions that cost the state money. Palin said: "You are naive if you don't see a full-court press on the national level, picking apart a good point guard."
Late Late Update: Here's the video. Part 1:
And Part 2:
I smell an indictment comming down the pike!
July 3, 2009 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
That or she has enrolled in a community college civics class to prepare her for her run for the presidency. She needs free up all that time because she will, you know, have to read all those books and stuff.
July 3, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
She could start with learning which countries comprise North America. Hint Sarah, you live in one, your state borders one and the other one is Mexico. Once that's mastered, being able to differentiate continents from countries. Hint Sarah, Africe falls in the former.
PEACE
July 3, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, I think I've got this: the three countries that make up North America are Alaska, Mexico and Russia. Right?
July 3, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Close -- you forgot Texas, and "Mexico" is not an actual country, it's a metaphorical threat.
July 3, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is Sarah Palin finished?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=5668
.
July 4, 2009 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, Mexico, Russia and Africa. What's your problem??
July 6, 2009 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe she and First Dude are going to devote all their time and talents to the AIP.
July 3, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely, somethings up.
Or she is running away to go eat worms because that will show us.
Or they drove a truck full of FOX money to her house and in august she will be a news mannequin.
July 3, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
With Palin it could be anything from she or one of her family being sick (and I do hope not) to her running for president and she thinks she's getting a good head start. And Absolutely anything inbetween. Who knows with that nutcake? But I think it would be just fabulous if she did really run away and ate worms!
July 3, 2009 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know what's up.
She just announced she's running for President.
Clear as day.
I just watched the whole thing for a second time, paying more attention, after watching clips and commentary all day.
For the people of Alaska, she's passing the torch, to take away all that expense, all those investigations, to let Alaska get back to its business, AND to work at a higher level for the people of Alaska.
I know she rambles, I know she gets emotional, but when I listened to it this time, I heard just what she was saying. She has to move UP to help Alaska more. (Funny, not much mention about helping America -- yet.)
And the timing is perfect. A busy weekend here in country, with all the city folk coming out for the weekend. NO ONE knows this yet ... just us political junkies. By the time Monday rolls around, everyone will be talking about her taking control (maybe) of the Republican Party by moving down to the Lower 48.
We were just talking about WHERE she'll land down here, and hubby asked "Was't she originally from Wisconsin?" Well, it's better than that.
Sarah Palin is a native of IDAHO !!!
Yes, separatist, gun-loving, all-white Idaho.
She'll return to her native state, where she and Todd will be able to hunt, and run, and flaunt their guns.
See? She's off to take charges of the Republican Party, and to do so, she has to go down to the Lower 48. She has to be able to fly from speech to speech in a few hours. Pack a lunch and a dinner and still be home to tuck in Trig. She'll probably fly her own plane around the West!
And when you think about it, she has a good point as far as Alaska is concerned. She can't spend all the time she needs to "down there" to run for President and still attend to the needs of Alaska.
The time for her is to run now, if she ever wants to run. And do YOU think she wants to run?
She again exhibited the political shrewdness that is "native" to her. AND she'll earn beaucoup money for herself a la Ronnie Reagan.
And when you listen to her again, it's all there. If you listen to it enough, you can hear around the syntax, and the ADHD, and understand her clearly.
July 4, 2009 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you are right. I still think this was a bad move if she is. No matter how popular she is, no one believes she can lead and is prepared to be president
This is not something you take a crash course in.
It is bizarre but she is bizarre and I put noting past her.
July 4, 2009 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps reading between the lines of her speech would help.
I'm no fan of the Witch from Wasilla, but think first about what drives her motives.
Suppose big oil offered her a multi-million dollar position to ramrod the Alaska-Canada-US natural gas pipeline. Think how much money would be flowing from the US government, Canada, and Alaska to fund such a project.
Also, she was governor of Alaska and has some pull into how to get things pushed thru especially on oil and gas issues. Seems to be the only part of State government she took any interest in - didn't anyone else notice that? Makes me wonder if that's the game old Tom was playing while he was privy to State information - remember he was cc: on just about everything and had his own account to boot. She put her friends in places and people owe her favors she can claim the ticket on.
Finally, she was the GOP VP candidate and has a huge national base of support within the Party still. And just for $hits-Grins-and-Giggles, she's the only GOP political leader not tainted by some kind of sex scandal.
I don't think she's in fear of any legal problems. I suspect she found her very own goose that's starting to lay golden eggs.
July 4, 2009 4:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think god is setting us all up for a test, to see if we're stupid enough to elect her president. At this point, I'd give her 55-45.
July 4, 2009 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think god is setting us all up for a test, to see if we're stupid enough to elect her president. I give her 60 - 40 at this point.
July 4, 2009 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now it's late at night and as a junkie, I've been riding high all day.
But I just listened to her full speech (again, I'm sorry to say) and I finally HEARD her clearly.
She just announced she's running for President. And for the sake of the people of Alaska, who deserve a full-time Governor, she's turning the reins over to her very capable Lt. Gov.
She's riding to the rescue of the Republican Party, as so many of them want her to do. Meanwhile, she'll be raking in some dough as she spreads her message of Freedom across the "Lower 48."
Dough she needs because those nasty liberals and their MSM have been trumping up all those phony "ethics" charges against her, when they're not making fun of Trig.
July 4, 2009 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
this woman does nothing unless it furthers her ambition.
resigning here offers her no benefit.
it would not shock me to find out she was ahh sorta pushed out..wink wink....
July 3, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
this woman does nothing unless it furthers her ambition.
amen!
July 3, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 3, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow.
This is weird.
I'm with Larry. Must be an indictment. If there isn't one, she's still getting terrible political advice--walk away from your current job so you can position yourself for a run for President? She won't have completed even one full term as governor!
Weird.
July 3, 2009 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since the big argument against (other than that she was a complete and utter moron and right-wing fruitcake) was that she didn't have enough experience, this seems completely counter-intuitive.
July 3, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
You betcha! And also.
She already has name recognition. Lots and lots and lots of that, so she's not going to have to start from zero. She's already a proven fundraiser, so that wouldn't be an issue, either. She could have finished out her term and started campaigning in January 2011, which was precisely around the same time frame that Obama and Clinton did.
Like I said, weird.
July 3, 2009 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I can't see her resigning unless there's something big coming down the pike (or pipeline in her case I guess).
July 3, 2009 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope for her sake she chooses her criminal attorney better than she has chosen her political advisers.
July 3, 2009 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given how really incompetent she is, this is a brilliant move. The less she does, the less she can be criticized for. Her fans don't seem to care that she is a no-accomplishment quitter.
July 3, 2009 7:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Haven't seen video of the announcement yet...
Was she a whiny baby?
July 3, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure she was.
July 3, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Was there something going on right now?
July 3, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Haven't seen video of the announcement yet...
Was she a whiny baby?
July 3, 2009 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is EXCELLENT news!!!!! for MCCAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 3, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
That needs to be in all caps though... (I miss our dear IDIOTIC)
July 3, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about: THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!!! FOR PALIN!!!
July 3, 2009 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR REPUBLICANS!!!
July 3, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh my FSM! Yer alive! :-)
July 3, 2009 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
During the campaign wasn't there some talk about an affair with a partner of Todd's? Seems like the buzz was around for a few days and then went away. If I'm remembering right!
July 3, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
yup yup.
if her ego is as large as i suspect it might be, she totally had an affair thinking it would springboard her into leadership of the free world.
July 3, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Norm Coleman will want the job.
July 3, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe she's having an affair with Norm Coleman?
July 3, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or maybe she's having an affair with Mark Sanford! Double whammy!
July 4, 2009 12:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I bet she takes her $4-8M (?) book advance, and moves to Orange County. From there, she starts a Rachel Ray type talk show and becomes part of the Media Establishment, just like Mike Huckabee.
This is about being famous for fame's sake, pampered, and feeding her boundless ego.
July 3, 2009 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
God, I hope she doesn't move to Orange County. Property values have dropped enough here, thank you very much.
July 3, 2009 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
You ain't seen nuttin' yet.
July 4, 2009 5:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
The GOP loses it's shining star....
leaving it completely in the dark.
:)
July 3, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
As an Alaskan Atheist and Wasilla resident, all I can say is:
There must be a God.
July 3, 2009 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or else look for her new show on Fox News.
July 3, 2009 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think she really wants to be President, but she does want to be rich and famous.
July 3, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly! (Although her weirdness in the resignation speech betrays that she might be uncomfortable with this decision... As in, maybe it wasn't her choice...) I hope they caught her in some sort of scandal!
July 3, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
WTF?????????????????????????
July 3, 2009 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess completing a single term for the first office that actually required some effort makes her utterly qualified to be President.
I really didn't understand how large a single ego can get, now I know.
July 3, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe it is a pattern she established in college. You know - partial term, move to a new state, become governor, partial term, quit, move to a new state, become governor, repeat ad nauseum or until we get nauseous!
July 3, 2009 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Watching her press conference (just a LEETLE rambling), I cannot imagine this was a long planned event. I didn't catch all of it, but something is up..
Especially to announce this on a holiday..
July 3, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
she's pregnant again. that's my bet - any takers?
July 3, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think that's it too.
July 3, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's having Dave Letterman's baby.
July 3, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apologize right now! (just kidding...)
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Christ, there's snot all over my keyboard! That is so funny. But the horse is right, you better apologize right now!
July 3, 2009 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would just endear her to her fans even more. It wouldn't be a liability at all. Maybe while actually running for president, but certainly not in finishing out her term as governor.
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Evil Genius, the two words I used when I found out about the VP nomination.
Fuck. I live too close to this woman to feel safe anymore. No wonder N. Korea is testing long range missiles that could hit Alaska.
July 3, 2009 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would depend on who the daddy is, wouldn't it?
July 3, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone know if Mark Sanford's taken any trips to Alaska?
July 3, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's inconceivable that she's doing this in order to "free up time" to run for another office, be it Senator or President. Something is rotten in the state of Denali...
July 3, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's freaking out on the video footage... Definitely the most nervous and harried I've ever seen her... She's speaking as fast as a meth addict... WEIRDNESS!!
July 3, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's purely about cashing in on her celebrity.
July 3, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe she'll move to Bristol, CT and fulfill the lifetime dream of sportscaster at ESPN.
July 3, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Faux News pays more.
July 3, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
True... And someone might disagree with her there.
July 3, 2009 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good grief! Bristol DOES look pregnant in the pics of the news conference!
July 3, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's having Dave Letterman's baby, too.
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait a minute. Bristol, Connecticut looks pregnant in Palin's resignation video? How's that going to play out if she's really going to ESPN?
July 3, 2009 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check out the video that Josh posted on the front page - starting at 4.05 minutes!
July 3, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Better still, check out the coot that swims in behind her left shoulder at 5:11 in.
That's a liberal-media top-down-government socialist no-pixie-dust-economics pro-Obama bird if I ever saw one. That bird's behind all this.
BTW, what is it with Sarah and always the birds in the background? Is Hitchcock involved somehow?
July 3, 2009 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I might have gotten the name wrong: Bristol, Willow, Car Park, Unicorn? Which daughter is it?
July 3, 2009 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anything that will break the 24/7 Michael Jackson news loop is welcome.
July 3, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seconded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 3, 2009 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Guess she really didn't like that VF article!
July 3, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's the national press' fault???? She can't govern up in Alaska because Vanity Fair published a brutal takedown of her campaign?
WTF? That's just not credible.
It really isn't.
And if she really believes that, thank God in Heaven she didn't get anywhere near the Oval Office.
What a delusional freak.
July 3, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
And with chattering dolphins in the background? Or whatever those noises are? Makes the whole thing just slightly surreal. Which may be par for the Palin course, now that I think about it even a bit.
July 3, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Courage, Grouch! Try to be strong in this trying time!
July 3, 2009 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Better than turkeys being slaughtered in the background...
July 6, 2009 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think she's getting a job at Faux News, IMHO. Governing is hard work. Being a celeb on Faux News, easy peasy.
July 3, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Almost forgot the most important part...Money!
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Victimology, w/ Sarah Palin" every Sunday morning after Chris Wallace...
July 3, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Girls got needs. That Neiman Marcus habit takes a fair amount of upkeep.
July 3, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not so much to pile on, but I think as a former broadcaster, Fox would love to have her, right wing ninny that she is.
July 3, 2009 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
And she doesn't have to bother with pesky details like fact-checking. Or facts in general.
July 3, 2009 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I never watch Fox and never have except what I see in odd snippets within e.g. Yesterday in 100 minutes on this site. One such odd snippet was one stupid lady, one of their regulars, saying this week how "suspicious" the recount in Minnesota was.
Suspicious? A recount in Minnesota is automatic when the the difference is less than 0.5%. So I take your points about not worrying over facts -- who needs them? Not when you can be "suspicious," e.g., that Obama is "an Arab," not born in USA, etc. Palin will thrive in that environment. Her anti-intellectual followers don't like facts; they create unneeded confusion after all. She might get herself arrested one day, though, if she doesn't know where to stop.
July 4, 2009 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It 's called pure ignorance which has to be the audience for Fox.
July 5, 2009 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
This woman is way too ambitious to resign unless something really bad is coming down the pike.
July 3, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are assuming that she is making some kind of rational decision. What about her history in the public eye leaqds you to believe that this is even a remote possibility?
July 3, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quick network news comments are saying the same thing about the conference.. "Rambling" "Unprepared"
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
And usually she is?
July 3, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't suppose that this will be big enough news to push Michael Jackson off my television, would it?
July 3, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
So far, so good.
July 3, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me, but I have to pick jaw up off the floor.
July 3, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad Sarah, I loved your tan lines - you dirty, dirty MILF.
July 3, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has she been on the Appalachian Trail?
July 3, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you nailed it.
July 3, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't heard that many trite sayings strung together since....since the last time I saw her give a campaign speech!
She could not POSSIBLY be planning a run for president -- her justification for quitting is so that the lieutenant governor can have a smooth transition to be governor? How would she live that down if she was running for Pres? Would she quit the presidency so that the VP would have a smoother transition?
Shheeeessshhh! There is something very big going on, and I want to be the first to fire up the pop-corn popper!
July 3, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin takes ball, goes home
July 3, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
You betcha!
July 3, 2009 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Best theory put forward so far.
July 3, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
You don't resign on July 3rd unless you're trying to keep the news hit low key. She didn't do this with a big national press hit.
I don't think this is just about setting herself up for the White House. I'm looking forward to seeing what's happening.
And this won't knock Michael Jackson off the news, but it could let the Sanford family get a little more peace.
July 3, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I recall it, making a political announcement late on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend without advance notice is called "taking out the trash."
Never more apt.
July 3, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did she think no one would notice? Like it's not BIG news? Maybe she had a powwow with her buddy Mark Sanford and agreed to take some of the heat off him. Oh, wait. He doesn't WANT the heat off him. These two morons just don't know when to shut up!
July 4, 2009 12:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
More seriously, I bet this is about money - book deal, fox news hosting etc... She can't do any of that (and rake in the doe) while being gov. Besides, being Governor of Alaska must be kind of boring, once you've got a taste of the high life on the national stage...
July 3, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
That press conference was as bad as Mark Sanford. Sarah has some terrible sentence construction, and she jumped from subject to subject, it was rambling, without a real point, and no explanation what-so-ever of why she is resigning, this is just very strange, very strange indeed.
July 3, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
With Sanford's recent behavior, is there a trend developing, of GOPers abandoning their posts?
July 3, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe it's the rapture.
July 3, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can't wait for Letterman tonight.
July 3, 2009 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes!
July 3, 2009 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is good news. I agree with others. She would not be doing this unless she had to. She was under investigation for several ethics violations and I suspect something turned that influenced her to make a deal so that it would not go public.
Once she dramatically resigns maybe we could stop talking about her for a while. I like to see her fall off the map for a while.
July 3, 2009 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now if she would only disappear forever.
July 3, 2009 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could be she was one of those others that Sanford didn't "cross the ultimate line" with?
July 3, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
There must be another shoe to drop, and it must be really, really bad.
July 3, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps she's been seen partying it up in Buenos Aires>
July 3, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooo sure, blame the media! You run for the VP GOP ticket, drag your family through the mud, travel to the lower 48, get inot sqabble wit alate nite comic, and you blame the media? How bout just blending into the woodworks and becoming a regular Gov like you were prior to last August?
July 3, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
You mean Sanford gets lucky twice in one week?
July 3, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
BTW, doesn't that qualify as cutting and running?
July 3, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, it most certainly does. She proclaims that she's "not a quitter" but that's exactly what she's doing.
July 3, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I heard she's going to run off with William Kristol.
July 3, 2009 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps it's Bristol who was seen partying it up in Buenos Aires with Levi 'the hunk' Johnson...
July 3, 2009 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Levi rules...
July 3, 2009 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone should check to see if her recent travel has included a trip to Argentina....
July 3, 2009 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
No one ever made fun of Trigg, stay classy Sarah.
July 3, 2009 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
what about trigg? as Mattt Dillon would say: "I love those retards..."
July 3, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I did see a photo-shopped thing with Trigg's body and someone else's face that was really low class.
July 3, 2009 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
i think she will head up a national Right to Life organization.
or join Fox News.
the first will be annoying. the latter, delightful.
no, that will be annoying too.
actually ,anything except going hiking up the Alaskan trail would be annoying
if she has bigger political aspirations
there will be a dirty Republican dogfight
popcorn anyone?
July 3, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mitt Romney -
Last GOP left standing?
If I'm Mike Huckabee, I'm starting to get nervous.
July 3, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nobody likes a quitter. This smells like cashing in or escaping an indictment.
July 3, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup!
July 3, 2009 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has she been to Argentina lately?
July 3, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Probably more recently than she's been to America.
July 3, 2009 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
The title of her new book, sure to sell at least 10 copies, is "The Idiot's Guide to Morons, by an Expert"?
July 3, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's been having a torrid affair with "Joe" the Plumber and they've been flushed out?
July 3, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's simple. She's just too big for Alaska.
July 3, 2009 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sarah blinked.
July 3, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just watched her news conference, and WTF indeed!
She was angry, gasping for breath, WOW!!
No real reason, but I loved the line about only dead fish go with the flow!
July 3, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I loved it when she said, "We're fishermen." When was the last time she sold anyone a fish to make her living? She sells plenty of other smelly stuff, but fish?
July 3, 2009 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Todd Palin is quoted over at the Page saying that she'll now be able to do things for Alaska without all the public scrutiny she's getting now as governor.
I don't think either Palin is stupid. But if they genuinely think stepping out of the governor's position is going to reduce all that public scrutiny, they are utterly clueless.
And if she really wants to run for president, she really really shouldn't bash the press. It's not going to make the situation better.
July 3, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think either Palin is stupid.
You don't? I do.
Seriously, wtf? I just saw the news and I have no idea what's going on. Gotta catch up...
July 3, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
she's taking Sanford hiking up the Alaskan Trail
July 3, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm. Conservative governor. Check. Tried to reject federal stimulus money. Check. Has lotsa kids. Check. Has Presidential ambitions. Check, (but who doesn't). I think it's clear that she just wants some time to herself to go hike the Appalachian Trail.
July 3, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
you've got to hand it to Sanford though - compared to the Barracuda, the guys seems much more sympathetic and human.
July 3, 2009 4:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Megalomaniacs both!
July 3, 2009 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Narcissists, I'd say.
July 3, 2009 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not sure if anyone else has suggested, but my conspiracy theory: Alaska's fisc is about to go the way of my home state (California) now that the country's economy is collapsing, so she wants to jump ship quickly to lay the inevitable downturn at the feet of her successor. Keeps alive her fledgling hopes for a 2012 run, and frees her up to collect lots of money from a Faux-type suitor while cultivating her "woman of the people" image (alongside someone like Glenn Beck?).
July 3, 2009 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andrea Mitchell is reporting on MSNBC that her sources indicate as of now Palin is leaving politics..
July 3, 2009 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
can I hear Reality Show????
July 3, 2009 4:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Okay.
Inquiring minds would like to know ... who's she been sleeping with.
July 3, 2009 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sarah Palin is that rare candidate for president who thinks that one can never be too little prepared for the job. So she is making certain that her preparation in actually governing anything is kept to an absolute minimum.
July 3, 2009 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
look at the full vid though - something's up - otherwise, why all the blather about wasting state money so that she can keep the title of governor.
July 3, 2009 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Take Out The Trash Day - Friday afternoon before the 4th of July. She's actually planned this pretty well. The horribly labeled "24 hour news cycle" goes into completely hibernation at 6pm today and doesn't emerge for another 60 hours. By which time more news will certainly have happened.
As for here reasons, my guess would be Money - Money and Money
Many observers have wondered how she could receive money from a book deal while being Governor. Alaska state law clearly says officials cannot perform outside work, not even in your time off. Being an Alaska elected official has to be your one and only job.
Had she stayed on as Alaska governor, she'd have to suffer another 19 months of being poor. Well, maybe not "po", but certainly not rich.
My guess is that the moment it was announced that she had signed a book deal, the ethics complaints started rolling in. Since these ethics complaints are handled secretly, my other guess is that the ethics body told her that she could not even work on a book until after she was out of office, and were she to do so, it would be a violation of Alaska state law.
If my guesses are correct, had she stayed in office, she'd have had to delay her book for another year an a half. She would have left a hell of a lot of money on the table.
Now that she'll no longer be an Alaska state employee, she'll also be able to make money in all kinds of ways from which she is currently prohibited. She can take speaking gigs for huge sums and spend that money however she likes, even at Nordstroms.
This is all about being rich. Alaska law prohibited her from cashing in and being governor at the same time. By this time next year, I'll be surprised if she hasn't earned 15 to 20 million in personal (not political donation) income.
July 3, 2009 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course: By then, it will be time to start the wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service.
July 3, 2009 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
It may be a slow news day, but that just means she gets ALL the attention. Even cut a bit out of the wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson still being dead.
July 3, 2009 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I vote for Alaskan Coast Trail.
July 3, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
In her own words: "the world needs more triggs..."
Think about this for a minute...
July 3, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
She should really leave her children out of it. To hide behind the poor little guy is just plain wrong. She's sick in the head.
July 3, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
someone has to vote republican
July 3, 2009 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
nice
July 3, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonder if this announcement has something to do with Linda Kellen (Celtic Diva) and her ethics complaint against the good Gov. Kellen finally came up with the $5,000+ (with the help of some friends) that Palin's staff said was the copying cost for all those personal emails of Palin's. Now Palin has no excuse to hide them any more.
July 3, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quitting?
darn I was hoping she would secede.
(without the great state of alaska of course)
that said, that was the weirdest news conference I have ever witnessed.
July 3, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
P.S. weirder than Sanford's
and that was weird
July 3, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Sanford is the luckiest sonofagun in politics today. First the death of Michael Jackson curtailed coverage of his, ahem, "news conference", and then when he had managed to wangle his way BACK into the political conversation with all that talk about his "soul mate", Sarah Palin drops THIS bombshell. Sanford must have nine political lives.
July 3, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
South Carolina Democrats are the really lucky ones.
The more days that pass, the more unlikely it becomes that Sanford will be forced to resign.
If he remains in office he'll be a huge anchor around then neck of all the Republicans trying to replace him. A mini-GWB.
A hugely unpopular and ridiculously scandalized Republican stubbornly staying in office is GOOD for Dems.
July 3, 2009 5:05 PM | Reply |