Here's the calculus on Sarah Palin's decision to resign -- and it's elementary:
1. Don't resign
a. Bankrupt family defending self from bogus ethics allegations
b. Accomplish nothing as governor since Democrats have vested interest in blocking any progress
c. Remain butt of every liberal pundit/comic/feminist with constraints of public services preventiving effective means to fight back
d. Fail to influence national policy at a critical time due to pressures of office and Alaska's geographical remoteness
e. Be in poor position for 2012/2016 Presidential race because of the above
2. Resign
a. Give Lt Governor chance to use incumbency for 2010 election
b. Let Alaska move forward by removing Democrat incentive to block progress
c. Make family financially secure through speaking fees, books and punditry
d. Use media platform to advance policies that matter personally, develop reputation for deep understanding of national-level issues (economic, foreign policy), and use media platform to go on the offensive against opponents and enemies
e. Play 2012 kingmaker role by consolidating and delivering GOP base, speaking and raising money for candidates ("Mitt, let's make a deal.")
f. Use kingmaker role in 2012/2016/2020 to win prominent, substantive national role (VP, Energy Secretary), establishing a national-level track record and creating an option for Presidential run in 2016/2020/2024 while still in political prime
g. If (f) doesn't work out, enjoy being the next Rush Limbaugh -- after all, living well is the best revenge.
For most, candidates, public office is the logistical base from which they operate.
By giving up the Alaska governorship, Palin has no public office base for her opponents/enemies to attack.
Many might deride Palin, but no one should underestimate her.
***Sigh***
You guys are right. This has been settled. A random person with no ties to Sarah Palin has spoken. It was repeated by a conservative website, so it must be the truth and the gameplan.
It is a mere coincidence that all of the articles on this undoubtedly unbiased website have looked for ways to justify the course of action. Of course, not all of them gave the same reasons...in fact some blatantly contradict the reasons given here by Mr Zafft...but who's keeping score?
You never know, if google does it's job, maybe somebody from American Thinker will read one of the reasons given here on AFF and it will become the explanation of the hour.
Thank goodness the situation has been resolved for good
__________________
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
***Sigh***
You guys are right. This has been settled. A random person with no ties to Sarah Palin has spoken. It was repeated by a conservative website, so it must be the truth and the gameplan.
It is a mere coincidence that all of the articles on this undoubtedly unbiased website have looked for ways to justify the course of action. Of course, not all of them gave the same reasons...in fact some blatantly contradict the reasons given here by Mr Zafft...but who's keeping score?
You never know, if google does it's job, maybe somebody from American Thinker will read one of the reasons given here on AFF and it will become the explanation of the hour.
Thank goodness the situation has been resolved for good
STEW!!!!!!
So, we go to the other biased websites to find other reasons? Maybe we could ask David Letterman?
These articles are stating what she, pretty much, said when she resigned. She doesn't want to drag Alaska through it and the lawsuits are costing them too much money - both Alaska and the Palins personally.
I will agree with you on one thing - resigning from the Governorship and the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation is going to raise doubts and trust toward any future commitments she says she will embrace - unless.....the trick up the sleeve - we wait.......
If she takes some time to solidify herself with whatever she has in the works - people will still be listening to her and 2016 looks better.
Last edited by Pressing-On; 07-07-2009 at 02:37 PM.
Sarah Palin: Why She Resigned Sarah Palin Talks to ABC News About Why She Resigned
"I said before I stood in front of the mic the other day, you know, politically speaking -- if I die, I die. So be it," Palin said.
Palin conceded many people are still confused about why she decided to leave office.
"You know why they're confused? I guess they cannot take something nowadays at face value," Palin said.
"You know, conditions have really changed in Alaska in the political arena since Aug. 29, since I was tapped to run for VP. When that opposition research -- those researchers really bombarded Alaska -- started digging for dirt and have not let up. They're not gonna find any dirt," she said. "We keep proving that every time we win an ethics violation lawsuit, and we've won every one of them. But it has been costing our state millions of dollars. It's cost Todd and me. You know the adversaries would love to see us put on the path of personal bankruptcy so that we can't afford to run."
"The critics want to put you on a course of personal bankruptcy, so you can't afford to serve," she said, calling the attacks *bleep*.....
Palin also offered criticism of the Washington, D.C., political establishment, and even the Republican Party, which nominated her to be vice president last year.
"Obsessive partisanship" has hurt the party, she said, striking a more independent beat than the partisan tune she sang on the campaign trail.
"We have so many people who offer advice, but I'm going to continue to be, whether some of them like it or not, pretty darn independent, and not get wrapped up into a strong political machine that hasn't been extremely successful in some ways." - for you Stew!!! She said that just for you!!
"I want to work, right now, for people who are going to work either in office or out of office for the right things. Those principles that build up America, those who are inspired by the values of America, and will not deride or apologize for the values we hold as Americans."
It's just crazy how many explanations and possible reasons are out there. At the end of the day, people who are voted into office take an oath of office. If you are going to break that oath you better either have a very compelling reason or accept that you will face plenty of criticism and the potential of not being taken seriously in the future. Wanting to "be pretty darn independent" and not getting wrapped up into a strong political machine that hasn't been successful anyway may not meet that threshold.
Wanting to give your desired successor the advantage of the incumbency not only does not reach that threshold, in my opinion, but is counter-democratic.
Trying to avoid investigations and suits you say are things of the past doesn't make sense to me either.
Either way, this is one of those things that we can go around in circles on for days. Maybe there's more, maybe there's not. At the end of the day, I guess we should take our cues from the people that she made her oath to. I'm interested to see how Alaskans respond in the long-term
My honest opinion, though, is that not only are her Presidential aspirations dead, she really has no chance of reaching moderates or anyone beyond her devoted supporters no matter whatever venture she tries next.
__________________
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
It's just crazy how many explanations and possible reasons are out there. At the end of the day, people who are voted into office take an oath of office. If you are going to break that oath you better either have a very compelling reason or accept that you will face plenty of criticism and the potential of not being taken seriously in the future. Wanting to "be pretty darn independent" and not getting wrapped up into a strong political machine that hasn't been successful anyway may not meet that threshold.
Wanting to give your desired successor the advantage of the incumbency not only does not reach that threshold, in my opinion, but is counter-democratic.
Trying to avoid investigations and suits you say are things of the past doesn't make sense to me either.
Either way, this is one of those things that we can go around in circles on for days. Maybe there's more, maybe there's not. At the end of the day, I guess we should take our cues from the people that she made her oath to. I'm interested to see how Alaskans respond in the long-term
My honest opinion, though, is that not only are her Presidential aspirations dead, she really has no chance of reaching moderates or anyone beyond her devoted supporters no matter whatever venture she tries next.
Kind of like a pastor that you know and love - he just ups and resigns - takes a while to get over that, but we eventually move on and he moves on.
I feel that the Republican party was no more loyal to Palin than the Democrats. I'm thinking she had in her mind that she wasn't going broke for them and she wasn't going to be their pretty party piece to use at their will and then toss away. I don't know what stories were true during the Presidential campaign, but McCain is not the most even tempered person in the world either, so there had to be some issues that he was responsible for.
She boldly tells the paper, in the above article I posted, that she wasn't getting wrapped up in a strong political party machine that wasn't working very efficiently. That is very telling. Something happened in her own party to make her say that. She not playing and not going to allow them to use her. That's what I think.
And I think it's high time someone stepped up and put the skids on the whole thing. I'm still very glad it was Palin. She thumbed her nose at them and walked away. I congratulate her for that. I also congratulate her for saying, "I'm going to continue to be independent whether they like it or not." She is talking to the Republicans! If they had stood beside her, I don't believe she would have resigned, but they weren't loyal to her. Kudos, Palin. Go fishing with your husband and let them squirm!
Last edited by Pressing-On; 07-07-2009 at 09:58 PM.
National Survey of 750 Likely GOP Voters
Conducted July 6, 2009
By Rasmussen Reports
1. I know it’s a long way off, but suppose the 2012 Republican Presidential Primary were held in your state today. If you had a choice between Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour and Tim Pawlenty, for whom would you vote?
25% Romney
24% Palin
22% Huckabee
7% Not sure
4. Favorable Ratings for Prospective Republican Candidates in 2012
It's just crazy how many explanations and possible reasons are out there. At the end of the day, people who are voted into office take an oath of office. If you are going to break that oath you better either have a very compelling reason or accept that you will face plenty of criticism and the potential of not being taken seriously in the future. Wanting to "be pretty darn independent" and not getting wrapped up into a strong political machine that hasn't been successful anyway may not meet that threshold.
Wanting to give your desired successor the advantage of the incumbency not only does not reach that threshold, in my opinion, but is counter-democratic.
Trying to avoid investigations and suits you say are things of the past doesn't make sense to me either.
Either way, this is one of those things that we can go around in circles on for days. Maybe there's more, maybe there's not. At the end of the day, I guess we should take our cues from the people that she made her oath to. I'm interested to see how Alaskans respond in the long-term
My honest opinion, though, is that not only are her Presidential aspirations dead, she really has no chance of reaching moderates or anyone beyond her devoted supporters no matter whatever venture she tries next.
tstew- Let's consider this logically.
Who has greater control over the destiny of Alaska? The governor or Washington?
1. Who determines foreign policy regarding nukes and missle defense? (Especially important when the President thinks its time to cut back on missle defense systerms even as N Korea's capability of targeting Alaska grows).
2. Who has the most impact on environmental decisions (such as the right to drill for oil) that affects the livelihood of the United States in general and Alaska in particular?
3. Who has the ability to vote in the CAP and TRADE TAX that will destroy the American economy by killing jobs and the middle class, creating more government intrusion with more room for political corruption in the name of an unproven global warming theory that more and more scientists consider unproven and unlikely?
Given the fact that Sarah Palin is a voice that much of America responds to; is it really so hard to fathom that she could do more good for Alaska if she wasn't governor at this critical point in our history?
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