# Palin Resigns as Gov? WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 3, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843 "2009-07-03T19:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/101 "2009-07-04T00:15:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > According to the lefty site _Think Progress_, Bill Kristol phoned in an opinion to Fox News to the effect that “If I had to guess, we just saw the opening statement of the 2012 campaign.”. > > Given Mr. Kristol Kleer’s proven record of prescience and probity, we can scratch that one off. I agree. If I had to guess I’d say she realized she is in over her head, she has no chance of being elected moose-catcher and she can go out and make some real dough talking and writing for the coolaid crowd. ---
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/102 "2009-07-04T00:18:41Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > So she might have resigned even if the American people had elected her VP last november? > She said some sort of [crap about disliking lameduckdom:](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_us/us_palin_resigning_25) But then dumped her lameduckedness onto an inexperienced Lt. gov. How is that going to be good for Alaska? Alaska’s, what, 3 electoral votes? That are very likely to go Republican anyway? And I doubt its very valuable in the primaries. Throw 'em under the bus so you can spend time where it counts. (That’s just conjecture, but Palin cares more about her personal fortunes than most anything else, so why worry about AK now?) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/103 "2009-07-04T00:26:46Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > She was raped by barbed-penis-wielding hellhounds and she’s pregnant with a litter of satanic animals. Trust me, I was there. Link to the video, or it didn’t happen (you know the rule). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/104 "2009-07-04T00:38:20Z")
Ah, Mudflats is up again. [http://www.themudflats.net/](http://www.themudflats.net/) > [@](#): > > The media is all in a tizzy trying to figure out what’s going on. > > Eddie Burke is busy talking to Sean Hannity telling him that Palin’s resignation is a brilliant tactical move cleverly hatched to thwart her enemies. Clearly this demonstrates her political smarts. “Now what will they do?” he wonders. “They won’t have anything to complain about!” Yes, brilliant. She’s really thwarted them now. Why didn’t George Bush use that strategy, we wonder? > > Of course, those who have been follwing the Alaska blogosphere closely are aware of the rumors bubbling up that there’s something big…something really big that’s headed her way; the iceberg that’s headed for the S.S. Palin. We’ll see. > > Meanwhile what we do know is that Palin has littered her bizarre resignation speech with references to ethics complaints, Photoshopping bloggers, the military, Alaska history, a recap of the administration and a hodge podge of other topics. She delivered the speech with the same adrenaline-filled jaw clenching intensity that she had when she returned from the campaign trail and settled back in to the governor’s office. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/105 "2009-07-04T00:41:40Z")
> [@DirkGntly](#): > > (For what it’s worth, this “moderate” stuff will keep the Republicans losing elections - it will take someone who can articulate a conservative position that is light on social issues and heavy on civics to win again. As it is, it just comes across as a lack of conviction and wishy-washy political maneuvering. The public would rather have a solid lefty than a ‘soft’ middle.) Yeah, that’s it. Republicans lost because they just weren’t conservative enough! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/106 "2009-07-04T00:56:34Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Republicans lost because they just weren’t conservative enough! This bears repeating. They need to get back to _true_ conservatism. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/107 "2009-07-04T00:57:06Z")
There are a number of very reasonable conjectures afoot here, and therein lies the problem: they are reasonable, they might be the product of a shrewd and rational cogitation. People like her and George Bush like to say they “think from the gut”, which is a flattering way to phrase leaps of intuition based on prejudice and ignorance. Of course, its not very rational for Sarah to think of this as a shrewd poltical manuever that will pay off huge benefits. So? It may well be that she is sincere in her desire to get out of the limelight, until such time as she actually isn’t in the limelight anymore, when she offers a press interview and nobody cares. Its not the media focus she wants to escape, its people saying mean things about her. 'Course, that last part is just based on “vibes”, which are not all that reliable. More reliable than they ought to be, but not that reliable. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/108 "2009-07-04T00:59:55Z")
She wants uncritical admiration. She picked the wrong career for that. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/109 "2009-07-04T01:04:04Z")
My favorite part of the video, in which the governor of the state of Alaska announces her resignation halfway through her first term – so, ya know, kind of a big deal – is where they flash to the crowd and it’s like the McGillicuddy family and a couple of the boys from the lodge down at the lobster boil listenin’ in. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/110 "2009-07-04T01:07:18Z")
I’ve always had the sense that the Palins, especially Todd, were all about the money, and that they had done very well out of her public offices thus far - remember that she didn’t release her financial info; I always figured it was because it’s hard to claim you’re “Joe Sixpack” when you’ve got several million. Alaskan politics, as I understand it, has always been pretty much pay to play, and Todd always struck me as an operator, a guy who knows how to milk a situation for as much profit as possible. So my guess is that they finally got caught badly enough that something Really Bad is coming down the pike - but maybe quite eventually. If Sarah can get a multi-million dollar offer from FOX now that she’s available and before the bad stuff comes out, they maximize what they can make. If she had waited until after whatever it was came out, her bargaining position wouldn’t have been as good. Yeah, she liked the status of power, although it’s clear that, like W., she hasn’t been crazy about the actual job of governing, but money buys plenty of power and status. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/111 "2009-07-04T01:12:22Z")
Was ACORN responsible for sending those leftist seagulls to harass her? Remind me to send them some money. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/112 "2009-07-04T01:21:37Z")
Yep, and that’s the crux of this biscuit: that her need of getting out of the limelight, however couched in terms of for the Greater Good of Alaskaaaa, boils down to her abandoning the responsibility she took in attaining office. By abandoning that office, she costs the state more in reassigning power and function. I don’t see how that can possibly serve her in going for higher office, unless they really think people are stupid. It can be played that when the going gets Tough, Sarah quits…how can she not see that, the one status card she has is as Governor. So, either a lot of swell money from somewhere with Grand Expectations, or,a whole lot of mess coming down soon. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/113 "2009-07-04T01:28:02Z")
She is a true conservative. She is running just in front of Federal Indictments. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/114 "2009-07-04T01:29:09Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > This bears repeating. > They need to get back to _true_ conservatism. I was being sarcastic. We saw what conservatism did when it reigned unchecked for six years, and barely checked for two more. The results weren’t good. People don’t want that. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/115 "2009-07-04T01:55:03Z")
Quitting in the middle of a term is political suicide. I don’t see a bid for 2012 in the future. She’s running from something. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/116 "2009-07-04T01:56:41Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > I agree. If I had to guess I’d say she realized she is in over her head, she has no chance of being elected moose-catcher and she can go out and make some real dough talking and writing for the coolaid crowd. This most closely sums up what I think too. It’s about money, most things are. She will write a book or 2, hit the talk circut, and rake in cash to settle what are probably some big debts. She may pick up the Pat Buchanon chair of the far right. Doesn’t matter really if she is smart enough to pull it off, matters if she thinks she is. She will sell tickets if only for the entertainment value of watching her try to talk. Her resignation statement was a real WTF moment. I do not think she is running for Pres. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/117 "2009-07-04T01:59:24Z")
So, [as Mudflats has just posted](http://www.themudflats.net/2009/07/03/palin-resigns/), it looks like the mud-encrusted other shoe may be poised for the dropping: > [@](#): > > Okay, I’ve now been able to get independent information from multiple sources that all of this precedes what are said to be possible federal indictments against Palin, concerning an embezzlement scandal related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.” Federal investigators have been looking into this for some time, and indictments could be imminent, according to the Alaska sources. [From Brad Blog](http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7280) True? Wild rumor? I suspect we’ll be finding out soon. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/118 "2009-07-04T02:05:46Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > It can be played that when the going gets Tough, Sarah quits…how can she not see that, the one status card she has is as Governor. So, either a lot of swell money from somewhere with Grand Expectations, or,a whole lot of mess coming down soon. The 2012 election is probably going to be mostly a formality, unless Obama implodes or something. As such, let a sacrificial lamb make the obligatory run while the serious players focus on 2016. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/119 "2009-07-04T02:11:18Z")
[http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/03/rumors-fly-about-palins-iceberg-scandal/](http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/03/rumors-fly-about-palins-iceberg-scandal/) The Iceberg Scandal. she is trying to escape it. Too late. She is a petty despot who is paying for her lack of ethics now. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843/120 "2009-07-04T02:12:35Z")
I’ve been following this thread, as well as the blog responses on [Salon.com](http://Salon.com), and nothing really clicks for me yet. Some semi-random points: On negative reasons for resigning: [ol] [li]Palin has a huge ego. I can’t imagine that there is any scandal, personal or professional, that she would feel she couldn’t bully and bluff her way through. She is always right and “they” are always wrong. Period. Anything she does is untouchable. Not in a “how dare they, do they know who I am?” sense, but I would bet that she is one of those people who come to believe their own lies. [/li][li]On top of that, the Repug modus operandi in a scandal is to be Teflon-like. If SANFORD isn’t resigning because of an affair, why would Palin? [/li][li]As for the idea that the Repugs or the rest of the govt of AK forcing her hand, again, how? She’s already shown she doesn’t care a fig for what party higher-ups or fellow elected officials have to say, and is so proud of being “mavericky.” If they couldn’t make her toe the line in a presidential campaign, how could they get her to resign?[/li][li]It’s true she has a very thin skin and cannot handle criticism. So, the idea that the recent _Vanity Fair_ article has brought another wave of scrutiny her way may be a point to consider. She loves attention and power, but can’t deal with the flip side of the coin. I would consider that perhaps she’s just decided to pack her toys and go away in a pout because the mean ol’ media and bloggers won’t leave her alone. [/li][/ol] On positive reasons for resigning: [ol] [li]Then there’s the “I can make hay while the sun shines” argument. Books, tours, speaking engagements (although she’s blown off several important party functions since the election) and the all-attractive Faux News possibilities. I could see her quitting to do those.[/li][li]The other thing that wouldn’t surprise me is if she does indeed plan to run for pres in '12 and wants to get started now. CW is that quitting your elected post little more than halfway through your term is a bad move if you’re planning on running for a higher office years later. I could believe that she doesn’t see that, and, again, thinks she’s being mavericky.[/li][/ol] EXCEPT … the positive reasons don’t ring true for me simply because she was obviously PISSED when making her statement. You don’t get all riled up like that because you’re making what you think is a good move. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-resigns-as-gov-wtf/501843.md?page=7)