Sorry Sarah, But Yeah, You’re Done.
First off, let me apologize for the incredible lack of new articles recently. Real life has been catching up with me recently, and I just haven’t had much brain power left at the end of the day to write anything coherent. Having said that, I want to make sure I’ve done my due diligence, rather than ignore Sarah Palin’s resignation from the Alaskan gubernatorial seat. Here’s the thing, I want to support Sarah Palin. I like how “real” she seems to be — not over-polished. But the cold hard fact is, her political career is over.
During her 18-minute speech, she bounced all over the place, which I can only assume was at least partially due to being visibly nervous about the announcement.
On the one hand, she talked about the vicious scrutiny with which many people looked at her family. On the other, she was hitting all the touchstones as if she was trying to lay a foundation for a Presidential run. The reality is this, if you quit your job for reasons that even look dubious, you’re going to have a hard time getting a new one. What if Palin did run for President? She’d lose in the primary when her Republican opponents would throw down the “you couldn’t even handle it during your first term as a Governnor; what makes you think you can handle the Presidency” card. And they’d be right to do so.
The reality is that, right or wrong, when you’re a public figure, you are under scrutiny. Now, my readers know what I think about how harsh the media was to Palin, while glossing over Obama’s faults, but that’s not really the point. The point is that when you’re the Governor of a state, you will be subject to scrutiny. If she runs for President, she’ll lose in the primaries. If the Republican party chooses her to run against Obama, they will guarantee him a second term.
Having said all that, part of me is glad she’s stepping down, even if only for her family’s sake. Hopefully, the Palins will just get left alone at this point…
As much as I want to think this is all part of some brilliant plan where Palin rises from the ashes like a phoenix, it’s just not feasible. I’m sorry to say it, but her political career is over. Time to make the rounds on the lecture circuit, maybe? We already know she fills rooms more readily than Joe Biden, so maybe there’s an opportunity there?
I’d go see it.
