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More analysis of the what-the-hell? Palin resignation
If she's resigning because of a scandal, it'd better surface soon.
If she's pursuing the presidency, then strategically, Palin's resignation may not look particularly smart: she's not even a one-term governor now. But Palin strikes me as brazenly arrogant, and as a person who believes (not without reason) that experience and excellence count for little in the minds of American voters. (Hell, who heard of Palin before MacCain elevated her from nowhere to be a VP candidate in the last national election? And so what if she isn't going to even be a 1-term governor? Neither was Obama.)
What she has right now is personality, a household name, and the goodwill of guns-n-god conservative voters. Now, her positive-name-recognition factor is likely to diminish in the coming years -- Alaskan governors rarely make the political news -- so if she's going to stay a national figure, it makes a certain kind of sense to focus, not on her job, (hey, since when did that ever matter?), but on solidifying her support within a divided Republican party, doing book tours and making speeches.
Maybe it'll emerge that she resigned because of an Appalachian trail hiking accident involving full latex body suits. But I think we have to brace ourselves for the possibility that Palin recognizes that if she stays put as governor, she'll probably fade back into obscurity. Fundamentally she's an opportunist, and I think she smells opportunity.
If she's resigning because of a scandal, it'd better surface soon.
If she's pursuing the presidency, then strategically, Palin's resignation may not look particularly smart: she's not even a one-term governor now. But Palin strikes me as brazenly arrogant, and as a person who believes (not without reason) that experience and excellence count for little in the minds of American voters. (Hell, who heard of Palin before MacCain elevated her from nowhere to be a VP candidate in the last national election? And so what if she isn't going to even be a 1-term governor? Neither was Obama.)
What she has right now is personality, a household name, and the goodwill of guns-n-god conservative voters. Now, her positive-name-recognition factor is likely to diminish in the coming years -- Alaskan governors rarely make the political news -- so if she's going to stay a national figure, it makes a certain kind of sense to focus, not on her job, (hey, since when did that ever matter?), but on solidifying her support within a divided Republican party, doing book tours and making speeches.
Maybe it'll emerge that she resigned because of an Appalachian trail hiking accident involving full latex body suits. But I think we have to brace ourselves for the possibility that Palin recognizes that if she stays put as governor, she'll probably fade back into obscurity. Fundamentally she's an opportunist, and I think she smells opportunity.
