Comments on: Palin’s resignation, take 2

By: Basso

Basso — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:37:58 +0000

The governor clearly had a cognitive problem on the day of her resignation. Incoherent at times would be a more apt than rambling. The lady was clearly covering her reasons up and did not what to be held accountable for any particular reason. Her manor could be best described as withdrawn with her episode of wanting to avoid a large GOP social function. I won’t draw any conclusions but peculiar and strange would be defining adjectives.

By: Ogre Mage

Ogre Mage — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:20:03 +0000

With every governor across the country struggling horribly in this recession, why bother with the hard business of governing when you can just hit the lecture circuit and earn $40,000 a pop? The temptation must have been overwhelming.

I predict Palin will come out of this a winner financially, but a loser politically. She has ruined her career in public office. But if she is laughing her way to the bank she may not care.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Some of your facts on Trent Lott are wrong. He ran for re-election in 2006 and won before resigning and leaving office in December 2007. Remember the Senate race last year between Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove to fill out the final four years of his term. The rest of it is true. He left to avoid the new ethics rules that placed a longer cooling off period for former Senators to lobby their former colleagues. He now heads a shop with former Louisiana Senator John Breaux.

By: Joe from NC

Joe from NC — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:03:29 +0000

Maybe one of the reasons Palin left is because she realizes that she is now damaged goods and will have a hard time getting elected president(to say the least), so she is trying to become an activist and/or party insider. Maybe she sees an opportunity to become a Republican power broker through the use of her dedicated following, even if she can’t get actual politcal power.

By: Adirec Torytski

Adirec Torytski — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:02:42 +0000

I have to say I agree with David, in that I also watched the video of her resignation but it was all just a little too much.

The fact that she could take the media turn and end up with Fox News or similar is a difficult concept to follow.

I would also say that there is not as much forethought into the decision as everyone is claiming and it will be interesting to see the flow on effects but I don’t think there will be that much of an impressive impact anywhere. But who knows I could of course be talking through a hole in my head. I never guessed she would resign so there you go what do I know!

Rgds
Adirec

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:15:04 +0000

Ogre - a reasonable idea (so as such she will not do it!). But I do think the “base” of the GOP are not as influential as people generally think. They did not like McCain yet he got the nomination. Romney was not liked by most evangelicals but upto 33% of them voted for him in a head to head with Huckabee. The real power base is the fiscal conservatives - they provide the money, they have the influential media elite (Wills, Rove, etc) and they will not allow someone they disagree with. That is why Huckabee has little chance because he is an economic populist. Palin my sell out to them but I think they would be embarrassed by her anti-intellectualism.

By: Ogre Mage

Ogre Mage — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:04:31 +0000

I think the sensible move for Palin at this point would be to become some sort of conservative power broker/queen-maker, possibly within the Republican machinery or perhaps as an allied commentator, such as Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter. She certainly has a large, devoted following among the base.

It is not clear if she realizes that a run for higher office is a complete non-starter, especially after her latest move.

By: Maurice

Maurice — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:57:51 +0000

Might this be part of a deal to trade jobs with Senator Murkowski? If I recall correctly, Palin ruled out running against Murkowski, not running for the Senate in 2010. I’m pretty sure that Parnell would be a non-factor in a primary against Murkowski. This scenario could be enough to convince Hollis French to run for the Senate, as Palin’s resignation will undoubtedly anger many Alaskans, and beating Palin would be easier than beating Murkowski.

Far-fetched, but with her, who knows?

By: David, Tallahassee FL

David, Tallahassee FL — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:01:15 +0000

I tried to watch the video of her resignation, but after a couple of minutes of a barely comprehensible stream of consciousness, I gave up. Now I realize why it took Palin six colleges and five years to get a four-year degree.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:16:11 +0000

Taniel - you nailed it. She has no plan, she probably just is very impulsive (as shown by the Schmidt emails regarding the Alaska Independence Party and her going after Levi). She will continue to make news periodically but her influence will wane as the GOP focuses on 2012 and the main contenders fight it out.