# Why did Sarah Palin resign as Alaska's governor?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [August 9, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736 "2010-08-09T17:54:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Recliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recliner)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/1 "2010-08-09T17:54:10Z")
I realize this is potentially divisive. But, really, why? I’m not a foaming-at-the-mouth Palin-Hater. Seriously. The line I’ve gotten, repeatedly, has been that she resigned because “she was going to be facing a lot of lawsuits from her political opponents, and she wanted to save Alaskans the money/hassle”.
Bullplop. All politicians face frivolous lawsuits – it comes with the territory. My knee-jerk reaction is one of two things:
(a) She wanted to do the speaker circuit, because she realized it was both more lucrative and, presumably, less grief-provoking;
(b) It was a political move to distance herself from the GOP and establish street-cred with the more up-and-coming Tea Party movement.
Kneejerk, though. I don’t really feel either of these really explains it without a better explanation. So, seriously – why’d she bail?
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/2 "2010-08-09T18:01:12Z")
I’m prone to argue that she’s lazy and stupid. But I think more than her work ethic or intellect, she probably was told that she could make millions of dollars braying to the ignorant.
He speaking fees are currently more than she made in a year before she quit. Her greed simply outweighed her duty to the Alaskan people.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/3 "2010-08-09T18:02:16Z")
I think it’s part (a) and part, Get me the Hell out of Alaska!
I’d say it’s pretty obvious that after the whole Veep kerfuffle she was hooked on National Politics and being a governor of any state just wasn’t going to feed the monkey.
She wants, nay, needs to be on Fox ‘News’ every day; she needs LeftBlogistan to go apeshit over every word that drops out of her head; she doesn’t want shit to do with fishing rights or Inuit concerns of one (big) little state.
She had the taste of Everybody Either Loves Me Or Hates Me and she was not going to get that level of pathos just hanging around in Wasilla.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/4 "2010-08-09T18:02:44Z")
I think both of your points are true – she wanted to make money, and she wanted to create a national political base of her own. The governorship interfered with both. Administering government requires you to make decisions, engage in policy disputes, etc., and facing up to the consequences. You’re constantly facing the risk that you’ll be proved wrong about something. As a freelance speaker, you don’t have to bother with any of that. Frankly, it was one of the best political decisions she has made.
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### Author:  [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/5 "2010-08-09T18:05:20Z")
The official line was that she couldn’t effectively govern with all the ethics inquiries against her. She was spending all her time on that.
In reality, it was a career move, and one that’s paid off handsomely. Plus, it’s much easier just making comments here and there than it is actually governing. Most of us would jump at a job that paid (much) better and required less work.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/6 "2010-08-09T18:09:27Z")
I think a lot of it was probably kind of a combination of A and B, along with a little bit of the fact that she had become a divisive figure, which would have made governing harder.
It’s harder to be in the national spotlight as Governor of Alaska than governor of another state, just because you are farther away from the lower 48 (it’s a four and a half hour flight just from Anchorage to Seattle). So I think she had a choice to make. She could either stay governor of Alaska and actually spend most of her time in Alaska governing, or she could become a national figure in the Republican party and conservative movement, making speeches, supporting favored candidates and causes, fundraising, and so on. Doing that, though, would mean that she’d have to spend most of her time outside of Alaska. She couldn’t really do both and be effective at either, so she made her choice.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/7 "2010-08-09T18:15:30Z")
She wanted to make make money and she wanted to keep getting national attention. Governing was hard, and people keep wanting to investigate her ethics violations, plus, she couldn’t go on book tours and Fox News and charge teabaggers six figures to listen to her babble inanities at them.
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### Author:  [@Recliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recliner)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/8 "2010-08-09T18:19:45Z")
I just wanna say, this is easily the most effective thread I’ve ever launched (in terms of almost imemdiate replies). Perhaps there just IS something about Palin? 😃
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/9 "2010-08-09T18:21:45Z")
I don’t think she cares about politics _qua_ politics, by the way. Not in terms of actual policy or party. Politics was a just a road to fame and fortune to her. She has never actually enuciated anything resembling a genuine political philosophy or fleshed out platform. Her politics are based on her personality cult and little else.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/10 "2010-08-09T18:51:56Z")
I think Palin is driven to make a positive difference in the lives of others using her God given talents (charisma) and thereby gain approval.
Things were moving along swimmingly until McCain came along.
The she lost the cooperation of the legislature.
When you’ve accomplished a lot in your job and suddenly lose the power to be effective, there is no use banging your head against the wall or sitting at the governor’s desk looking at the phone and waiting for your term to expire.
One thing I can say about Sara Palin. She doesn’t waste any time.
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### Author:  [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/11 "2010-08-09T18:56:57Z")
Well according to this story, she wanted to be “out there fightin’ for Americans to be able to have a Constitution protected so that we can have free speech.” Among other things.
> **[Sarah Palin Confronts Alaska Protester With 'Worst Governor Ever' Sign](https://www.gawker.com/5608297/sarah-palin-confronts-alaska-protester-with-worst-governor-ever-sign)**
>
> It's pretty rare, given all of her handlers, to catch Sarah Palin in an unscripted exchange with a critic. But here's an uncomfortable clip showing Palin confronting an Alaskan teacher who'd welcomed Palin's crew with a "WORST GOVERNOR EVER" sign.
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/12 "2010-08-09T19:01:41Z")
Sarah Palin believes in making money for Sarah Palin. She had a choice of being in the middle of nowhere earning a fixed salary or making an order of magnitude more by being a demagogue. She doesn’t necessarily agree with what she says, she doesn’t even understand everything she says. She knows how to push the buttons of fearful, uneducated whites and how to transform their fears into mounds of cash.
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### Author:  [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/13 "2010-08-09T19:12:50Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> I don’t think she cares about politics _qua_ politics, by the way. Not in terms of actual policy or party. Politics was a just a road to fame and fortune to her. She has never actually enuciated anything resembling a genuine political philosophy or fleshed out platform. Her politics are based on her personality cult and little else.
I would say that above both fame and fortune she got into politics for power. If she’s not literally a casebook clinical narcissistic personality, it’s at least a massive personality flaw. When she ran for mayor of Wasilla, she probably didn`t think she’d be famous or rich for it, but she knew she’d get to boss everyone around right away.
Now she’s got power, fame and fortune and there’s just no benefit to doing any actual work. I think most people would probably be similar given the situation, except we wouldn’t be so obnoxious.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/14 "2010-08-09T19:18:26Z")
> [@jk1245](#):
>
> The official line was that she couldn’t effectively govern with all the ethics inquiries against her. She was spending all her time on that.
>
> In reality, it was a career move, and one that’s paid off handsomely. Plus, it’s much easier just making comments here and there than it is actually governing. Most of us would jump at a job that paid (much) better and required less work.
She couldn’t afford the cost involved with the lawsuits. She was basically sued out of office.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/15 "2010-08-09T19:23:18Z")
That’s bollocks. She wasn’t paying anything out of pocket.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/16 "2010-08-09T19:38:59Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> That’s bollocks. She wasn’t paying anything out of pocket.
[cite.](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1642957/sarah_palin_defending_many_lawsuits.html?cat=17)
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/17 "2010-08-09T19:44:04Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> That’s bollocks. She wasn’t paying anything out of pocket.
Now please provide your cite **Dio**
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/18 "2010-08-09T19:46:19Z")
That’s not a cite, it’s a right wing website begging for money. The site says (without any source) the Palins spent a half million dollars defending themselves from lawsuits. Bullshit. Their lawyers were paid for by the state. Palin even said so in her retarded quitter speech.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/19 "2010-08-09T19:49:46Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> That’s not a cite, it’s a right wing website begging for money. The site says (without any source) the Palins spent a half million dollars defending themselves from lawsuits. Bullshit.
Where’s your cite?
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-sarah-palin-resign-as-alaskas-governor/549736/20 "2010-08-09T19:53:48Z")
You’re the one making the assertion. You’re the one who needs to back it up.
She said in her word salad resignation speech that the taxpayers paid for her defenses, though. I’ve seen no evdience that she paid a dime out of her own pocket.
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