By Arturo Mora, Kansas City Star Midwest Voices columnist 2009
Palin presses the flesh
The adjectives to describe Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation are just too easy to come by, unless you’re one of her googlie-eyed followers who’ve drunk her Kool-Aid. Let’s start with: irresponsible, overambitious, megalomaniac, martyr, and of course, quitter.
The one Democrats are most frightened of, though, is brilliant politician. It’s extremely unlikely, but she may just be able to do the impossible and beat President Obama in the next election.
The Facebook statement explaining her decision, besides reflecting her usual poor command of English, is an obvious call to arms for the next election.
“I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!”
She continues with her usual attack on the press: “How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make.”
The “higher calling” point might have some validity, if she had not said a day earlier, "Many just accept that lame duck status and they hit the road, they draw a paycheck."
To quit an executive governing position because you are bored with lame-duck status, or even if you don’t like the ineffectiveness of that status, is unconscionable.
Guess what governor? Lame-duck status inevitably comes with most executive positions, unless you’re defeated or resign. What would our states be like if all lame ducks quit once they’d decided not to run again? What if President George W. Bush had decided to quit once lame-duckness made him ineffective?
That’s not how government works in America. You serve out the full term, unless there’s a scandal or illness that forces you out. If you do otherwise because you don’t want to be a lame duck, you deserve only one title. Quitter.
Palin mentioned quitting for a "higher calling" (cue "Hail to the Chief," please), and that is not without precedent. Many have quit the Senate or governorships to run for President. And that can even be honorable, avoiding a situation where you don’t cheat the taxpayers of your state out of your full attention.
First, she blew that argument by talking about the lame duck thing. Second, it’s not a valid point to make when the "higher calling" is over three years away. No one, as far as I know, has ever quit an elected position that far out to run.
So that different standard she pre-assumes the press will make about this doesn’t apply here. Palin loves to use the press as her whipping boy, and play martyr. But the fact is the worse damage the press has ever done to her is airing her inane answers to fairly straightforward interview questions.
Mostly this all shows just how endeared she is with certain other press clippings, the ones about the adoring crowds she draws and how many Republicans view her as the Great Conservative Hope. Her statement shows an extraordinary megalomania. Only Palin can save the country!
It’s also risking an image as overambitious. If you think Hillary Clinton had trouble shaking that tag, watch it become glue on Palin.
The irony is that, as horrible a political move as this is, in the end Palin may be able to win all the marbles. Stranger things have happened, witness Obama’s victory.
The Republican base is so in love with her, they may just drive her to the nomination in 2012. If that happens, all bets are off. If the economy is still tanking, voters may just ignore everything else, and we will have President Sarah Palin in 2013.
Let’s just hope she doesn’t get bored about 2017 or 2018 and quit again.
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And in reference to talking about Sarah Palin
Please note that substantial criticism is coming from mainstream Republicans, a significant amount from conservative Republicans, and most importantly from Alaskans themselves. Also please note that Ms. Palin is herself blogging vigorously, and clearly has expressed no desire to move from the spotlight, as long as it's an uncritical spotlight.
Twas
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Oh, how hard it must be to be a liberal. You've got the executive branch and both houses of the legislative branch and a majority of governorships - but can't stop talking about little old Sarah Palin.
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I'll tell you what - if I was in your shoes with the majorities you've got, I wouldn't give a rat's *ss about some lady that may or may not run in 2012.
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For your side to keep talking makes us think you are worried. Prove us wrong!
Twas,
I don't think many people give a rat's ass about her.
But, why is she off-limits to discuss on matters of politics? I think that moderates and the left are critical of her because they find her to be divisive, evasive, inarticulate and somewhat of a hypocrite.
The thing is, she is also hammered by intellectually honest conservatives on the right.
Even Fox's Liz Trotta..."...The woman is inarticulate, under-educated...what would William F. Buckley have thought of her as the standard bearer for the conservative party?"............
Link Below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvj-Xr0irhE
Yes prove them wrong by not speaking up anymore
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Oh, how hard it must be to be a liberal. You've got the executive branch and both houses of the legislative branch and a majority of governorships - but can't stop talking about little old Sarah Palin.
.
I'll tell you what - if I was in your shoes with the majorities you've got, I wouldn't give a rat's *ss about some lady that may or may not run in 2012.
.
For your side to keep talking makes us think you are worried. Prove us wrong!
Which is exactly what these wingnuts want. LOL
So transparent.
Then Vegas - let it go!
and tell the folks on your side to do so also. She's not a threat, so quit acting like she is. Unless, she really is!
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Oh, how hard it must be to be a liberal. You've got the executive branch and both houses of the legislative branch and a majority of governorships - but can't stop talking about little old Sarah Palin.
.
I'll tell you what - if I was in your shoes with the majorities you've got, I wouldn't give a rat's *ss about some lady that may or may not run in 2012.
.
For your side to keep talking makes us think you are worried. Prove us wrong!
Not afraid, but wise to be aware....
I would say the left would be wise to not get cocky, is all I'm saying. It's ridiculous, this far out, to think you can reliably predict what will happen in 2012.
Obama's ratings may be in the 50s or 60s now, depending on where you look, but that's meaningless. Remember Bush I's ratings after the Gulf War!
So many variables.....the economy obviously, unknowable foreign crises, etc. etc. etc. The right assumes his plans will tank and people will curse his high spending. Maybe, maybe not.
Palin has shown she has appeal. If everything falls into place, it could happen for her.
For the left to assume she will falter, not learn from mistakes, that Obama's plans will definitely work, that he's unbeatable, that's a huge mistake of hubris.
The left should not fear her, but be aware of the discontent she represents. Ignore that at your own peril.
That said, if I had to place my bets....totally unscientific, just my hunch.....I'd say 40% chance she gets the GOP nomination. If she does, if the economy is at all reasonably recovering, and if Obama is doing well enough to get positive approval ratings, extremely unlikely she'd beat him.
....what's so funny about peace love and understanding? E.Costello
To reader Nukman
Why would you say that the "liberal left" is afraid of Sarah Palin? She lost the election for McCain, and if she attempts to run in 2012 she will split the Republican vote badly. I should think that Sarah Palin is the greatest asset the Democratic Party has, in terms of siphoning funding from viable candidates, siphoning headlines from viable candidates, and recruiting liberals into phone banks. She can rouse only the same twenty percent of the voting population that Rush Limbaugh can, the difference being that no one is writing Mr. Limbaugh checks to support a campaign that, say, Pawlenty or Romney could have really used.
Everyone is so scared and frightened
What is it with you ditto heads, that you keep repeating that the "left" (code for anyone who is not on the marginalized, far-right)is afraid a Palin.
Name a single Democrat or Independent afraid of this intellectual giant.
Instead of being honest and straight-forward, she delivers an incoherent, fuzzy press conference which never addresses the reasons she quit the people of Alaska. It would have been less disingenuous if she had actually stated that she was stepping down to seek higher office. There is no indication of that.
This women is scrutinized because she can never give a straight answer about anything. Instead of talking to mainstream media, she takes softballs from Greta and Runner's World.
It's hard to come up with a single Republican with less credibility
I'm not really a Palin fan,
I'm not really a Palin fan, but if she is so inexperienced, illequipted and stupid; why are the liberal left so afraid of her?
Actually he's workin out just fine for me
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Isn't that amusing?
Not a fan of his going way back. Something about him always said "unstable" to me. He may have been able to win me over, but he never did.
So actually for me the choice was Obama or one of the third party candidates.
How is that Obama guy workin out for ya? You still in the twilight zone or is reality catching up to to hope & change
He set a date for withdrawl from Iraq, is working on closing Gittmo and reforming health care. I'm quite pleased. Thanks for asking.
Interface - you brought up "Climate Change"
legislation again. I would think that would be the LAST thing you would mention, since you WON'T ANSWER MY QUESTION!
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It's obvious the only answer you could have would be your adoring trust in Obama, without actually understanding what the legislation would do to our midwest utility companies (and their customers).
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So, by all means, don't question the holy Obama, because you could get an answer that would require you to think.
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Yael, please don't delete this. Interface has never answered my polite question, and until he does, I don't feel like he should be given a pass.