What I Think She Is Up To
The coverage on Sarah Palin's resignation has largely glossed over the reasons she gave for leaving.
I find it relevant that she asked her kids if she should pursue her political interests from outside of politics for the time being (which I interpret as meaning 'right now').
Megan Stapleton -Sarah's mouthpiece to the press- has insisted this was not a move to give up political office forever. It is simply an effort to get away from the governor's office for the present.
Most people don't realize how restrictive it is to be the governor of Alaska.
You're basically not allowed to collect any income outside of governor's salary. With a book coming out soon, this would severely limit the amount of funds she could collect from book sales and making appearances.
Leaving the state as governor has opened her up to a lot of attacks from the Democrats (and competing Republicans like Lisa Murkowski, who is not at all happy about the resignation news btw).
Her political action committee, SarahPAC, has been receiving more money than usual after the announcement.
Obama's approval rating is VERY low right now. We're only six months into his presidency and he's fighting to keep 59% approval. Rasmussen has charted the disapproval against him as being HIGHER than the approval for him (for one day at least).
I think the Republicans can run just about anyone. They should nominate a true conservative like Sarah Palin.
posted by Matthew Canonicus at
12:38 PM
6 Comments:
I hate politicians who don't stay for their full term; they're quitters. The fact that this is probably for other political aspirations just makes it worse. Here's a quote from her speech:
"Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional lame duck status in this particular climate would just be another dose of politics as usual, something I campaigned against and will always oppose."
It's politics as usual to remain in your post for as long as you promised to when running for Governor of Alaska? I realise alot of politicians, including Barack Obama, have left a post prematurely, but at least then they left because they got elected for something else. Palin's Governorship ends before the election for the senate seat. Many people have run for senate/presidency while being Governor. Tactically I think it's a really stupid move for her to make.
Matt: I agree with you, she is definitely trying to position herself.
Timothy: I somewhat agree with you. I'm not sure if this is the best tactic. She has plenty of time to position herself and it could hurt.
Now, you kind of waffle on your statement. Either, you believe you finish your term as a politician, PERIOD or not? I'm thinking it is crappy to say, "I don't think they are a quitter if they are moving up/or taking another elected position?" In politics, you are voted in and expected to fulfill that position, it isn't like job hunting and changing jobs in the private sector (which I know it is hard for liberals to distiguish between the two sectors). Or, are you just o.k. with it because Obama was a quitter? What are your guidelines for quitting? Only, political offices that you deem higher than the one they have or they at least have to quit for another elected position?
Personally, I think it is a typical statement from a Liberal. Condemn a Republican outright for quitting, calling them a quitter and create a gray area when a Liberal quits. I call that a "Double Standard".
At least I can say upfront that I am not sure she has made the best politcal move. Only time will tell. And maybe that is what they are betting on, it is far enough away for her to sweep this away.
It isn't a republican/democrat divide. I think it's bad when politicians quit, and also bad when they are quitting to fill another post (just not AS bad). In this area it doesn't really matter what their ideology is, as both sides do both pretty frequently. It's just one of the things that really annoys me.
In Australia, we have a political party (the liberal party, who are the more conservative of the big two) who has a very rich history in retiring early. In the most recent election the liberals lost, and a number of the frontbenchers (the more prominent/important politicians in the party) decided to retire from their seat instead of serving out their term in opposition. It's just stupid.
I think in politics in general there is a lost sense of representation. Whether Governor/Congressman/Senator/whatever these people were voted in to represent or act in the interest of the population for a certain period of time. It should be a huge commitment for the politician, and a huge privelege, not a stepping stone for higher levels of power that will be discarded whenever it becomes inconvenient.
If she is truly just quiting, then I think it's poor taste on her part. However, if she is truly thinking of running for the senate in 2010, then I think it is admirable and everyone considering running for another office MUST do. She can't run for one office while putting a campaign together for another elected office. It has always bothered me that elected officials remain in office while running a two year campaign for another office.
You can't possibly do your job 100% while you are off trying to get elected for something else; and then in the end they STILL would end up without a Governor.
No one knows her intentions at this point; we can all make many assumptions. I am interested to see how this plays out and will commend her for "quiting" to run for a senate seat. I'm not ready to see her run for the Presidency...not yet.
Two views I've been hearing a lot lately:
1) I wish she would just GO AWAY!
2) Why is she going away! QUITTER!
I think people should be allowed to subscribe to either view, but they shouldn't subscribe to both views.
Interesting discussion here between Tim, Lucy, and Jenn. I wasn't sure which is more noble: to leave because you want a different office or to leave because you're done with politics.
After reading it over it looks like either cause can be legitimate. If you want to leave office to protect your family from the wolves we call journalists, well, I'd say that's very noble (like resigning from the oil commission due to the corruption of others, for example).
If you want to leave office because you want to pursue another office, I think that is legitimate too as long as your chief aim in life is not a bunch of titles. Joe Biden appeared twice on the ballot in Delaware in 2008, and I think that's OK too.
Of course, either path can be done in a bad way as well. Example: Ross Perot quitting because he was very indecisive and then trying to get back in again.
I think Palin's star is rising fast, and these are growth pains. Of course, I can't say I'm unbiased about her (but who is unbiased about anything?).
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