Why did Sarah Palin resign?

For starters, she did not leave in order to run for President in 2012. Resigning in the middle of one’s elected term for no good reason is how a politician permanently retires from public office. If she wanted to run for president, she’d stay on the job until the end of her term in December 2010, and when she announced that she was not running for a second term, she’d do it on a weekday, with a better written speech, and explain that she plans to run for president.

I also don’t buy into her other weird explanations. One weird explanation is that she’s leaving in order to benefit the state of Alaska. What politician places the needs of the people she represents over her own career? It’s hilarious. And Sarah isn’t the type of person to willingly admit that the state is better off with someone else as governor.

Neither is she resigning to be with her children. Sarah has made it clear that she places her political ambitions ahead of having a lot of time to spend with her children.

The most likely reason she is leaving is because of a scandal. I hope the scandal has something to do with her fake pregnancy. More likely, it’s something like what Max Blumenthal suggests, receiving kickbacks from the construction company which built the sports complex in Wasilla.

The only other possible reason is that she wants to cash in on her fame by making more money in the private sector. How much money do talk show hosts on CNN make? I’m sure a lot more than governors do. She can’t just say “I’m resigning because I want to make more money,” so she has to make it look like she’s resigning for other reasons. I think this is less likely than the scandal scenario. Her resignation speech seemed hastily written, as if she didn’t have much time to have someone write a better speech for her.

If some news station does hire her, they will be very disappointed, because she’s just too stupid to be a political talking head or talk show host. Does anyone remember Susan Molinari? She had some minor fame as the youngest Republican woman in Congress and she delivered the keynote address to the 1996 Republican convention. But she was stupid, and it became painfully apparent when she tried to do talk shows on cable news channels. Sarah Palin is even stupider than Susan Molinari.

Comments

[The Undiscovered Jew]

Once again,

2012 GOP Nominee Wipe Out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8__EwAT8VM

[mark]

I don't know, Mary Matalin was bloviating on CNN about how this was a smart move politically and the folks at Mary's neighborhood WALMART will love her decision. That was more idiotic then anything Sarah said today and Mary has had a lucrative career floating around the Washington media complex. Charles Krauthammer thought Palin was angling for 2016! with her decision today. I honestly don't know why she resigned today. Politically, nearly fatal so who cares how much money she can raise for future efforts.
The book deal is her big pay day as I see it. It could make for some interesting reading. Also Molinari was cute and no more clueless then alot of people on TV.

[Peter]

The New York Times just broke a story with the real reason for Palin's resignation:

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/m/J/2/bullwinkle-assassination.jpg

[Duke Of Earl.]

There was that Vanity Fair article this week. McCain's people hated her. McCain doesn't speak to her anymore.

What a mess. Hard to believe that ticket didn't win.

[Chris]

McCain and Palin were never part of the GOP elite - they were always on the outside.

Both of them got thrown under the bus by the party in 2008. It's a mark of the contempt they hold McCain in that he was allowed to choose her as a running mate.

The smart GOP money in 2012 saw there was no way to win. They largely sat out the race.

They won't sit it out in 2012. They are already in it - cleaning out the remaining deadweight in the party.

Pay closer attention to the GOPers who hold office now, who actually got elected or reelected in 2006 or 2008, that the mainstream media AREN'T always jibberjabbering about. That's the real party leadership. One of them will be the next nominee.

[empirical]

Watch her resignation speech...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/03/palin/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

She seems very uncomfortable. (fast pacing, blinking, inappropriate tone).

[Chuck]

Here's my theory. As much as I want to believe she was banging Levi Johnston on the side or something crazy like that, I think there are some health issues in her family that she's going to take care of.

This is partially political as it gives her a chance to play the family values card and get the hell out of Alaska politics, which *can not* help her career at this point.

When the family "problem" is sorted out, she'll come out shining like a diamond. People, especially Republicans, will give her a pass on her rocky reign as the new face of the Republican party.

[miles]

"How much money do talk show hosts on CNN make? I’m sure a lot more than governors do. "

Mike Huckabee is on Fox News, perhaps this is the kinda thing she is after.

Maybe she thinks she can be the white Oprah, nudging white females (and Asian, who probably acculturate with whites more than other groups) back into the GOP fold, perhaps gaining enough popularity for a Senate/Presidential run in 7 more years or whatnot.

Who knows what she is thinking, nothing she has done in her life has been exactly by the book.

Sigma, is there some reason you have a *personal* dislike for this politician of ordinary politician's intelligence, but pretty good looks? I mean, I'd vote for her over Obama and hope she had sharp advisors, but I will not get upset by this chick or anything....

[miles]

"Here's my theory. As much as I want to believe she was banging Levi Johnston on the side or something crazy like that"

My best scary movie Vincent Price laugh is ringing in the ears of the angels right NOW!. Oh wouldn't that be rich!!! I mean I'd LOVE it. The only bad part of that is that it wasn't happening to a democrat. Its too much to hope for. Adultry and pedophelia like one of those high school teachers.

Yes, I know...............Im mean. Real life foibles are better than reading novels (except Anna Karenin and Nelson DeMille's origninal-not the awful sequel-, The Gold Coast.....those were good novels).

[SFG]

"It was a matter of conscience."

Anyone get the reference? ;)

Most likely I think she probably just got sick of the media messing with her family.

[DaveinHackensack]

"The most likely reason she is leaving is because of a scandal."

Since any scandal would inevitably come out, if Palin had a scandal, why wouldn't she have announced it today? That would have been the perfect time, on the eve of the Fourth of July weekend.

Re: your insinuation that Palin's pregnancy was fake, on what are you basing this? I think even the hysterical Andrew Sullivan has dropped that claim already, hasn't he?

[DaveinHackensack]

BTW, off-topic, but in case you missed it, the NYT had an article about the Hispanic Ricci plaintiff on Friday. They tucked in the back of the A-section, and it might have been just in the metro editions of the paper. I blogged about it a little earlier: http://thehackensack.blogspot.com/2009/07/hispanic-firefighter-plaintiff-speaks.html

[Liberals Are Fascists]

"Maybe she thinks she can be the white Oprah, nudging white females (and Asian, who probably acculturate with whites more than other groups)"

*************

Right, because both groups don't mind working for a living.

[Healthy Markup]

"What politician places the needs of the people she represents over her own career?"

Sounds libertarian.
Cred-maintaining post on the brilliance of Marx to follow in: 5, 4, 3...

[Sheila Tone]

Very good point about the unprepared speech. It didn't even sound written, it sounded as if she'd jotted down some notes 10 minutes beforehand. Every now and then a trial concludes before I expected it to and the judge doesn't give us any time to prepare closing arguments, she just says, "Close, counsel." Afterward, I think, "Jesus, I sounded like Sarah Palin in there."

[No Mames Buey]

"If some news station does hire her, they will be very disappointed, because she’s just too stupid to be a political talking head or talk show host."

2 words: Glenn Beck

Like PalInsane, Beck can not string together a coherent sentence, nor understands the definition of terms such as fascist or socialist. This does not prevent Beck from making like $10M or whatever for his dumbassery.

Republicans do not care how stupid their TV/radio pundits are. Morons galore: Hannity, Limbaugh, etc.

It's possible that some of the Republican pundits are actually smart or at least less dumb than they appear, but they are playing a character on their show.

However, if this is the case for say Beck, then PalInsane is even MORE well-suited for Republican Punditry, because she does not have to fake her dumbassery; her's is authentic.

[HS: This is obviously not a regular commenter, but some leftist who found my post because it was anti-Palin. Glenn Beck got admitted to Yale, so he can't be stupid. I've listened to Rush, he has a shtick (no one wants to listen to a college professor), but he's also smart and knowledgeable about current affairs.]

[VoteTheDay]

What are the reasons of Palin resignation? Vote on the most possible one - http://www.votetheday.com/america/palin-resignation-424/

[Linda]

"[HS: This is obviously not a regular commenter, but some leftist who found my post because it was anti-Palin. Glenn Beck got admitted to Yale, so he can't be stupid. I've listened to Rush, he has a shtick (no one wants to listen to a college professor), but he's also smart and knowledgeable about current affairs.]"

I'm not a fan of Rush Limabugh but I would guess he's in the brilliant range.

[DaveinHackensack]

Limbaugh is highly intelligent, in addition to being arguably the most talented broadcaster in America. Incidentally, there are a number of prominent lawyers in his family, including at least one federal judge, I think.

[Not_Stupid]

The Big's made her resign. Just like Colin Powell. Maybe after they have proven to everyone what little babies with pacifiers in their mouths they are, they can then strut around and whine some more about how they can't find 'leaders' to deal with their WAAAAA! temper tantrums.

[Linda]

"Limbaugh is highly intelligent, in addition to being arguably the most talented broadcaster in America."

I wouldn't go that far. If he were in the most talented broadcaster in America, his TV talk show would not have flopped.

[Liberals Are Fascists]

Limbaugh can give you about 25 million reasons a year why he's smarter than you.