Reading Sarah Palin’s resignation statement, it is impossible to take at face value. There really is an unhinged quality to it. So what is really going on here? Is she really resigning to spend more time with her family, and more time campaigning for other Republicans? Is (as is speculated in the New York Times and elsewhere) a major scandal about to hit? Here’s the speculation from the Times:
Her decision follows a week of extraordinarily bad publicity, from within her own state over ethics inquiries and across the national landscape as top aides on her vice-presidential campaign and supporters have been engaged in a highly public feud that has spilled out in vociferous tones online on blogs and on television. Bloggers in Alaska, critics of the governor as well as former Palin supporters, suggest also that pending releases of e-mails among the Palins were about to expose her to further questions about her finances and governance issues.
Someone should check her recent flight activity, she could be the next GOP Gov. to go down for visiting a mistress somewhere in the world.
The mail man delivered a target letter. That’s my bet.
Maybe it’s just that she’s going broke responding to frivolous ethics complaints, like the one filed over her wearing a jacket with a corporate logo on it. It’s been reported that the Palin’s have spent $500K out of their own pocket on legal fees, and every single ethics complaint has been proven groundless. Or maybe she’s tired of her children being targets of sleaze-bags like David Letterman.
Ben, you remind me of Bill Minor — and that is NOT a compliment.
I cannot believe Tina Faye needs works so bad that we need to keep this lady in the spotlight.
As a former life-long Republican, (although no longer after our last eight years) I have never been so embarassed about any public figure in my life. One cannot possibly think that she is coherent or is someone that can lead a party…much less lead a nation. She sounded really crazy… And I think we’re missing somthing. Something else is brewing.
Ditto what MMM said. Is that you Sis?
Hey NMC…If Razor and I are related, you know how to find me!
MMM. That was a joke. My sisters are way liberal. I’m only a recent convert from my wicked ways, like yourself.
Sister in arms was my intent. Blame it on the Bakon Vodka.
Observor: Well I sure take it as a compliment. I’ve read him faithfully for just about 50 years now. He too was a Navy man. I hold them in highest regard. Thanks, Mate.
Go back and count the references to money in her statement. I’m betting there’s a money trail that leads straight to her and her husband. Consider also her demeanor: her eyes exhibited (at least to me) great fear and extreme anger. And her rambling, disconnected, incoherent statement … the closest thing I’ve ever seen/heard occurred when Louisiana governor Earl K. Long used to appear on tv on the Baton Rouge and NOLA stations and just ramble on giving he’ll to whomever’s name popped up next in the front of his brain.
I believe she’s buckled under pressure and she has a perp walk in her future.
And then again, it could be pretty much for the reasons she stated. From my cheap seats in the outfield, it appears that, as a nation, we have much bigger fish to fry and much more serious problems to address than anything having to do with Sarah Palin (eg Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, China, a recession, high unemployment, runaway deficits, runaway national debt, increasing interest rates, health care, a federal government that appear hell bent on turning us into an European socialist country, etc. etc. etc.). Yet,the democrats’ Palin obsession continues.
Perhaps Palin should just be burned at the stake, along with her entire family. Would it be enough for your political lust? Would it help to ease the pain? Ease your brain?
Heard an adage a few months ago, “in politics, the cream does not rise to the top”. Palin could not rescue the GOP’s chances in 2008. Not sure who could have done so. But, folks, if Palin had received more time and political grooming, she could have done much better. If we can elect Biden as VP, we can elect almost anyone.
Is someone obsessed with Palin? I sure as hell am not. I am aware of no one who is, other than the fringe Right, who see her as their Joan of Arc. All the ethics flak she has taken was pretty much home grown stuff arising from Alaskans. David Letterman treated her and her family crudely … I would have applauded CBS’s firing him, but CBS didn’t ask me.
I’m not picking on Palin personally. She’s no more important to me than a bug on my windshield. But I’ve witnessed people succumbing to pressure. I’ve heard similar rambling statements that evince a loss of rational control. I’ve seen eyes filled with fear and eyes filled with hatred. I’ve seen people “lose it.” She lost it.
Sarah Palin is Alaska’s governor … the state’s chief executive. She’s “under contract” with the citizens of her state to provide 4 years of executive leadership, decisiveness, perspective, competency, lucidity, honesty, square dealing, and personal steel. But two and a half years into her contract she throws up her hands says “f*** it,” and strides away like she’s resigning from the Hattiesburg High School band boosters club.
Now if you want to defend her decision, and if you want to blame it all on those damned ole Democrats or those damn ole tv jerks or those damn ole oilfield trash people who are throwing money and treasure at Alaska politicians or those damn ole global warming people … or any of the demons who you think cause things to go bump in the night .. go right ahead. But no matter how you frame the situation, Sarah Palin is a quitter. Ultimately … she is a quitter.
You can’t goldplate that turd.
~~~~~
PS. The governor also blew the line she attributed to Gen. Douglas Macarthur. That wasn’t Dugout Doug’s line … it was spoken by Gen. O.P. Smith, USMC, as he led his Marines out of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.
Deleted. Double post. Dick Cheney tortured me into it.
osa.canuc: If we can elect Biden as VP
You do not sound like you had anything to do with Joe Biden getting elected VP. However, you could have used the wrong personal pronoun in error.
Last I checked, “We” collectively are the people, the citizens, of the United States that decide our elections.
Everyone I know is obsessed with Sarah Palin. All last fall, she is the only thing they wanted to talk about. I was like “You want to see a REAL bitch, check out Sheree Whitfield on the Real Housewives of Atlanta.” But all anyone wanted to talk about was Sarah Palin. Boring, boring, boring. Stupid people are boring.
Ben @ 7:16 p.m.
Perhaps something involving a state contractor and the construction of her house?
The “left” is obsessed with Palin. I have believed for 30 years that a conservative female will be elected POTUS before a liberal female. I suspect the attention given Palin is borne out of the same hunch shared by the Left. One could also opine to the Left, “why, bother? If she’s irrelevant and shallow as they want to portray her, then why bother?” She was too quickly put into the national limelight and was not ready for the POTUS race. Had she been ready, she still may not have been able to salvage the McLain campaign. But, still what she represents is a strong force about which the Left should be wary.
Reading the update on mudflats, an Alaskan blog that was effective about Palin issues last fell, I see that the rumor mill has it that Palin is about to be indicted and that the subject is the construction of her home in exchange for construction contracts on the Wasilla civic center.
Well, if that’s the case, she’s obviously got to pull together some serious dollars for legal defense, which she can’t raise in office, apparently. Be interesting to see what she does next.
Have any of you ever stopped for just a minute to think about how you will feel if the reason is something like a cancer diagnosis? Honestly, the hatred for this woman is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Jeez!
If it was a cancer diagnosis, there would have been a public explanation, Polly, instead of the erratic and strange announcement we had yesterday.
She’s a politician and public figure by (aggressively pursued) choice. I don’t hate her, but I certainly don’t hope to see her national political career go anywhere at all from here.
And will you apologize if it turns out she was jumping off just ahead of a scandal, as signs ? Her announcement may have been the strangest I’ve ever seen a politician make. Did you not see it that way?
Palin’s a lightweight. She has no business being considered as VP or POTUS. That said, I’m wondering if she isn’t just getting out to do a TV deal or something . . . make a little money. I can hardly blame her for that, though I’m not an Alaskan voter. Maybe they’ll use her to replace Nancy Grace or some other idiot. With fed lines she’ll be okay on tv.
Oh … one more Palin comment: by stepping down from the governorship, Palin can file for her state pension benefits and close the qualifications process before she’s indicted. There’s a hook in the law that would probably cause her retirement benefits to lapse, be forfeited, or be canceled if she were in office when indicted.
“Dead fish” indeed.
Maybe it’s just that I lost yet another family member to cancer last week. I don’t know what Palin has in mind. I’m just sick of all the lefty hate. Obviously, Palin was a real threat to some people. I wasn’t particularly a big supporter of hers, just didn’t like the sexist tinge to some of the criticism. Not so much here, but at Huffington, Kos, etc. Huffington has a whole thread about her running on the “Retarded” ticket. Makes me want to puke. Sorry.
Polly, some day we’ll be able to criticize folks without having the gender/race/religion card pulled. There are dozens of more qualified Republican women than Sarah Palin. Her lack of qualication and general lightweight nature has nothing whatsoever to do with her gender. She just doesn’t get it.
Obviously, Palin was a real threat to some people.
No, Polly. Palin is a *moron*. Sometimes, people are despised because they are of little worth — the root meaning of “to despise.” You can’t infer from “lefties despise Palin” to “she must have some merit.”
Anderson, my heart hurts for anyone who thinks a politician of any stripe is worthy of being despised, “because they are of little worth”. Step back. Take a breather.
Anderson, your comment exemplifies the kind of discourse that seems to have permeated the left-leaning blogs (Camille Paglia being one notable exception).
The insistent Palin-bashing 9 months after she lost is very revealing regarding the pathological hate of her.
Hey, once more, to all you on the left, YOU WON, and you won in a way that made the right almost completely superfluous! Now, if you want to continue to distract the populace with this little soap opera, go ahead. If you want to govern, get to it, because the clock is ticking for the mid-terms and
T3 and TeamSecretary Geithner’sfailed heistPPIP and what we are all reading just don’t jive. And a lot of people are starting to take notice.But keep it up, you have all of D.C. within your power, and your focus is on the (now ex-) governor of Alaska. Real statesmanship there.
That’s pretty weak Scrivener. Pretty weak. Nobody’s gloating over the meltdown of Palin, but I think everyone on both sides of the political spectrum is universally thankful she isn’t our VP.
Ben: “No one is gloating over the meltdown of Palin…,” You are kiddin’ me right?
Pretty weak? Okay, let’s get to the meat of the coconut-just refute my comments with achievements of this administration and congress. And please include the “accomplishment” of adding $15 dollars to my paycheck while working effortlessly to have electricity bill skyrocket.
Oh, yea, don’t forget to talk a little bit about U6, you know that number no one wants to acknowledge. And on that subject remember “the stress tests” worst case scenarios? What was U3 going to be by year end? 10%? Where are we in JULY?
Again, I will be happy to discuss the facts, then you can decide just how weak I am on this issue.
Methinks the Palin-haters doth protest too much.
Also, here’s a link, supposedly from Palin’s lawyer, on the Halcro blog explaining that the speculation about Palin’s house, in conjunction with the construction of the Wasilla Sports Complex, is off base.
Scrivener: This story was national above the fold political news, involving an individual who is on every short list of Republican presidential contenders. Do you think it should not be a story? Do you think it’s not worthy of attention? Finally, did you read her statement and/or see the conference and, if so, did you really think it wasn’t bizarre?
WTBAL: The FBI has apparently announced it is not investigating her home construction, and so the reports out of blogs in Alaska appear to be groundless.
Everyone talking “hate:” Why is it you can’t see assertive and insistent opposition as something other than hate? There is nothing directed at Palin on the order directed at Obama at some of her rallies last fall. Did you label that as hate then and criticize it as such? I think the shots at her children are off base (and havent made them– and see Ben’s comment, above, too same effect) although she has invited comment by the way she makes them front and center. But I think insistent raising of the question of whether she is by temperament or intelligence qualified to be president of the United States raises a serious question that is invited by her publicly displayed ambition. And that’s not hate. You just get to pretend it’s illegitimate by falsely labeling it so.
NMC: (1) Is it a legitimate story? Yes. (2) Did I see it? Yes. It sounded like someone taking shots before she begins a large push for presidential run. Does that open her up to criticism yes. Gonna play big boy games, people get pushed around.
Now, let us switch gears just for a moment. (1) Do you disagree with the following statement: Sarah Palin, months before this resignation speech, has received an inordinate amount of vitriol after she lost a bid for VP? (2) Do you agree the D’s now control the WH, S, & HR?
Even if you disagree with question (1) in the second paragraph (but I am curious about your answer), I would ask you to address (3): Ben said my comments were weak, so I simply asked for refutation of facts, not insults.
So let’s try it again, but now focusing on the people actually in power . The D’s have the WH, S, and HR. And where is U6? And “the worst case scenario” of U3 at 10%, where are we? Glass-Steagall, that’s been reinstated, right?
[Sorry had a week of special interrogatories, can't get them out of my head.]
And where is U6? And “the worst case scenario” of U3 at 10%, where are we? Glass-Steagall, that’s been reinstated, right?
Can someone fill an old man in on all the symbols and stuff?
First off, Palin is a hottie in my book. She’s even mildly interesting from a human interest perspective. However, POTUS material she isn’t. I personally know several women who can and would run circles around her with their understanding of politics, both national and world, their ability to form lasting interpersonal relationships and work collaboratively with people they don’t agree politically with. IMO Palin is as shallow in multiple areas as one wants to take time to name and is more a little bit out of her league.
No disrespect meant to any of the folks that have elevated her to having the ability to lead the free world. But really, you have got to be kidding to think this is anything other than pure political pandering to the Way Right’s emotional base. It’s almost a disservice to other women’s abilities to have this one thinking she’s got the right stuff. Correction, it is a complete disservice to other more highly qualified and intelligent conservative women.
She’s hot. But she’s not running for a beauty pageant job. And the questions she’s going to be asked won’t be something that can be given a bullshit answer. And most certainly not something as meandering as that last interview.
I respect RR’s comments, so feel I need to make a clarification. I never said she was qualified to be POTUS, but I truly believe she has been the subject of treatment the like President Obama has never seen, nor could he stand (i.e. the post SNL press meeting, or more importantly the interview on bbc when he was asked about the cause of the economic meltdown which, strangely, didn’t make it to the American media (guess that prompter would have really, really helped). Sure worth watching, if you aren’t drinking the cool-aid.
Palin’s actions seem pretty clear and simple to me.
She is currently in great demand for speaking engagements all over the country, including GOP fundraisers, etc. And her duties as Alaska Gov. prevent her from accepting most of those invitations. The few ones she does accept, she is criticized at home by democrats who accuse her of neglecting her duties as Gov. Moreover, these speaking engagements can generate much more income for her than her position as Gov. of Alaska.
And due to the Palin obsession of the haters within the democratic party, such has spread to the legislature of Alaska (who are being used by the national dems), which has bombarded her with continuous, baseless, ethics complaints for which she must hire counsel to defend out of her own pocket. And as we see above, the baseless rumors and innuendo about alleged illegal activity, indictments, etc. are never ending. I think that she is correct in her assessment that the current climate in Alaska created by this obsessive hate and vicious rumor mongering is counter-productive to Alaska. By stepping down, she takes the political target off her back and defuses the entire situation.
And the FACT that her family is being inappropriately and crudely attacked on a continous basis by national talk show hosts and other such entertainers, especially this far removed from her run as VP on the GOP ticket, is no doubt an important element of this, as she stated at her press conference. It is quite shocking to me that we have reached a point in our society where public ridicule of Downs syndrome and crude jokes about statutory rape of a 14 year old girl have reached the mainstream without much bipartisan outrage.
Biden, who won and is the sitting VP, get less national attention than Palin —even now. And speaking of bafoons and morons, there is none that fits this bill more than Biden —a gaffe and laugh a minute.
For these reasons, it appears that Palin is going to take a little time off from this madness, spend some time with her family out of the spotlight, and then travel across the country for speaking engagements and GOP fundraisers. Whether she decides to get back into the mix for an elected office will likely depend upon her continued popularity and the demographics of that popularity. I can see her perhaps running for a US Senate seat in Alaska in the future. I don’t think she plans to run for president in 2012. But, I do think that she will have a role, in some regard, for the GOP in the near future.
While my observations about this matter are not based upon any inside political info re Palin, it just seems quite obvious to me, reading between the lines. But when one is looking for scandal, even wanting scandal, then that is pretty much all you can see —- no matter what the true facts.
AFOTL-Biden surely you jest. Naval Observatory? Can I have a tour?
Will someone else please make an intelligence joke?
Ben, still waiting on the U6 and U3 remarks. Change and all….
Scrivener: asked: “(1) Do you disagree with the following statement: Sarah Palin, months before this resignation speech, has received an inordinate amount of vitriol after she lost a bid for VP?”
She’s kept her name out there, and made a lot of effort to do so, all toward put herself over as a potential presidential candidate. She is wildly and startlingly unqualified. That part of what’d regard as vitriol that focuses on that issue is totally fair comment, and she’s really made herself fair game in a large sense. Some of the attacks, though, are really more on the lines of celebrity culture attacks rather than political ones– they don’t involve politicians or pundits taking unfair shots at her but rather folks like Letterman or Jon Stewart. I don’t watch Letterman and had only a vague idea what he’d said, but what little I’d heard I thought below the belt.
I think that there’s been a lot of what I’d call piling on with Palin, more so than vitriol. She does keep her name out there, which somewhat justifies it. There’s a second part that involves her having become more a celebrity in the way some parts of the media treats her than a politician, which is how Letterman ended up making the over-the-line jokes.
My point is simply this. Palin is being made a part of a side-show atmosphere being hosted by both ends of the political talking heads and she hasn’t the common sense to see it? She is allowing herself to be part of the freak show environment and would do more of a service to the GOP long-term to fade into the background. She, like Joe Biden will eventually learn if he hasn’t already, sometimes you gotta just shut up and quit drawing attention to yourself. “Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
AFOTL, I will agree that it’s sad that people continue to allow and participate in this type of destructive conversation. But this isn’t new territory in politics throughout recorded history. It’s also not one bit worse in vitriol, innuendo or outright lie. It’s only faster now. With video and sound bites. Otherwise, same ole stuff.
As to Obama. He’s moved to the center. What more could anyone possibly want? Especially conservatives. I mean really, as long as he’s governing from the the center most people will be better off for it long-term. That will leave all but the most extreme on either end of the political spectrum unhappy and they aren’t going to like him any better for his effots no matter the outcome on any issue.
P.S. I agree with NMC’s assessment of the celebrity culture attacks. On some levels she doesn’t qualify for political attacks. It’s an attack on being from out of the mainstream. Excellent point.
Scriv: I’ve flown the A4, A5, A6, and A7. But I have no idea … not the foggiest … what a U3 and a U6 are. U2—yes, I know what that is, but absolutely no experience with or around one. So tell me about U3s and U6s … sounds like they may be what GWB called “sumbarines.”
Well, I was going to just let everyone keep to their predictable opinions, but I have to jump in here a little. First, the majority of the complaining in Alaska about Caribou Barbie not doing her job there is coming from the Republicans in the lege… mainly because since she has returned, she can’t seem to be bothered by the hard work of actually governing. Second, she is a beauty queen and IMO it seems as long as the adoration is there, it’s all good, but please, please don’t distract her w/ anything negative as it seems then the discombobulated mental state takes over and we ultimately end up w/ more of the discourse witnessed at the latest press conference. And third, but surely not last because you could go on all day, while the children should be left out of all of this, SHE is the one who has thrown them out there on parade since the beginning. When you continuously use something (the children) as a political prop and the actual reality of the situation as you try to represent it turns out to not be exactly true then you shouldn’t continuously try to shoot the messenger… ain’t hatin’…just sayin’ She really needs to learn when to STFU
But Razor’s right, she’s HOT. And spectacularly HOT females seem to be the loneliest folks on the planet, outside their adoration fans described by pr1954. I personally consider her a clown and a joke, politically, yet am deeply indebted to her for helping Barack Obama get elected. She appears to have been more influential to that end than anyone other than President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. But now I can’t help feeling some measure of pity for her, given the way she’s allowed herself to be used by so many. How many of us would allow ourselves to be made to look so idiotic for any cause? pr1954 nailed it with the beauty queen syndrome, and after Junior High School for most women, aside from landing a wealthy husband, “beauty” appears to be a liability rather than an asset. Look around at the few raving beauties you’ve known — the Good Lord only made a few — and tell me how much happiness you see. It’s a sad commentary on our culture that beautiful women are dealt with in this manner, and handsome men are not.
NZS that comment–a theory about the sad, early sell-by date of teenage beauty queens– seems an odd one to assert in a discussion of a beauty queen who, with no apparent aptitude other than ferocious ambition who made it to governor of an actual state and a vice presidential nomination.
NMC, let’s see where it all ends and where she goes from here before making up our minds. Marilyn Monroe and Sharon Tate had a nice run for awhile. Meanwhile, check out “The Quittah from Wasilla” at this site, and the video of Sarah Palin giving Hillary Clinton Hell about “whining” about negative press coverage: http://www.leftinalabama.com/diary/4212/the-quittah-from-wasilla
“She is wildly and startlingly unqualified. “…..”did you read her statement and/or see the conference and, if so, did you really think it wasn’t bizarre? ”
I could say the exact same thing about Nancy Pelosi, who lately has appeared in press conferences to be even more unhinged, bizarre, unqualified, and shallow than I had originally thought. And, scarily, she is the head of the House and third in line to the presidency.
And, equally as frightening, Joe Biden, as VP, is second in line to the presidency. Originally thought to provide some “grey hair” and wisdom to the democratic executive duo, he demonstrates almost on a daily basis a level of bafoonery that is unparalleled in the history of US politics —-except of course, by Nancy “Miss America” Pelosi as referenced above.
Yet, the media’s scorn, ridicule, and vitriol is continually directed toward Palin (and her family), a woman who is Gov. in a state far away from DC, who holds no national elective office and has not been a national political candidate for anything since Nov. 4, 2008. I am not understanding the logic behind the assertion that such gross unfairness and inappropriate conduct is “justified”.
Love ” the quittah from Wasilla”…thanks NZS
Afotl…part of the problem here is that your comparisons are with politicians who have stuck it out over the long haul with someone who has never stuck it out anywhere but the mayor’s job in Wasilla. i.e…..her state comission appt., how many colleges??? and now her guvnership. And I’m not saying those other politicians have/are doing wonderful jobs, just that have done jobs well enough for their peeps to keep re-electing them over and over. And sorry but maybe you should let her know she’s not a national figure, because she sure seems to keep stickin’ herself out there, which is probably, barring scandal, why she’s become so disillusioned w/ her place in Alaska.
It’s become too hard to stay on the national stage and be bothered by all that hard work tryin’ to govern. Holding someone accountable and calling out all the hypocriscy ain’t so inappropriate or grossly unfair.
And oh, by the way, the picture in “my” dictionary under buffoon…Dick the Cheney
“because she sure seems to keep stickin’ herself out there”
Since the election ended in Nov. 08, please provide the evidence of this assertion —- you aren’t the only one making this assertion —- it appears to be a common talking point of those who think the public persecution of Palin and her family is justified.