2009.07.03
Updated! Palin quits her job! Is the cheating-pol contest over already?
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin already was the most popular guess for in my contest seeking the name of the national political figure who would next call a press conference and announce he/she had been "hiking the Appalachian Trail."
Could it be that the contest is over so soon? Hang on. That is unclear. What is clear is that she's going to resign the Alaska governor ship effective July 26. The announcement comes on the eve of Independence Day.
Why she would do that is beyond me. Maybe she's bored up there near the Arctic Circle after playing on a national stage. Maybe she believe it'll help her run for the U.S. Senate from Alaska in 2010, or for the GOP nomination for president in 2012.
Then again, Sarah and I aren't exactly "thinkin' on the same plane," as the g-dropping governor might put it. I'm listening to her statement now. It is very bizarre, in a stream-of-consciousness sense. Last time I heard someone talking like that, they'd been sniffing meth.
But seriously, folks, I doubt she's going to admit she's been cheating on her husband, Todd Palin. I don't think she's been cheating at all. And I don't think she's sniffing meth either. Maybe she realized that she'd reached the pinnacle of her career in winning the 2009 Sitting Duck Award.
But wow, her speech is king-hell weird! She's complaining about "politics as usual," $500,000 in legal debts, and talking about "fruitfulness."
Ha!
UPDATED:
BradBlog is reporting that rumors are swirling around Alaska of a pending federal indictment against Palin. (Thank you, Art Hill).
The full text of Palin's strangely manic remarks is here.
UPDATE #2
The Los Angeles Times reports that the FBI denies it is investigating Palin.
UPDATE #3
The Mudflats puts Palin in some rare company with two other first-term quitters: former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey and former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Oh yeah, she has been cheating and for a while now. Not cheating on her husband that I know of, but certainly on the people of Alaska. She had a choice after the loss of the election in 2008. She could have chosen to serve to the best of her ability the oath of office she took for Alaska or she could have continued to pad her nest for the future chance at the brass ring leading a government she disdains. Dan is dead right on the bizarre nature of her "speech" and it makes you wonder about her capabilities and her choices on many levels. She has raised more questions than she answered without doubt!
Comment by Sandi Saunders — July 3, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
Twitter is wild with hilarious comments - STOP PALIN BASHING! We should not speak ill of the brain dead.
Comment by Valerie — July 3, 2009 @ 5:26 pm
Wow Dan! Your hatred of a conservative politician is HUGELY evident! You are just making yourself look silly by being so vicious.
Comment by AMAC — July 3, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
RT @AKGovSarahPalin: We'll soon attach info on decision to not seek re-election - this is in Alaska's best interest, my family's happy. it is good, stay tuned! 1 hr ago
Comment by Valerie — July 3, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
AMAC,
I don't hate conservative politicians, but often I am amused by them. This is one of those cases. (Dems often amuse me, too).
Comment by Dan Casey — July 3, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
AMAC, I think it might be entertaining to read your assessment of Palin? She states that she brayed about it, why didn't she tell what the christian god idea said? Could you ask the christian god idea what it said and post its response?
Comment by Notagod — July 3, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
Whatever are you talking about notagod?
Comment by AMAC — July 3, 2009 @ 9:21 pm
Word in the blogosphere is that there are pending Federal indictments for embezzlement. You can bet Caribou Barbie didn't step down "to spend more time with the family."
Comment by Art Hill — July 3, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
AMAC, that was quite a few questions all at once I suppose.
What do you think of Sarah Palin?
Hoping that is easier for you.
Comment by Notagod — July 3, 2009 @ 10:06 pm
So Palin's incoherent speech mimics Sanford's Appalachian trail tail. You can fool some of the people some of the time ...
Comment by Valerie — July 3, 2009 @ 11:41 pm
That's tale or well "trail tail" sounds better.
Comment by Valerie — July 3, 2009 @ 11:44 pm
Valerie, very good!
Comment by Notagod — July 4, 2009 @ 12:27 am
Our Republican friends on this blog seem to have been caught speechless. Whatever the motive, Governor Palin's sudden resignation continues a pattern of bizarre behavior which precludes her from running for future public office. Stay tuned, current wisdom suggests there is yet another large shoe.
Comment by Art Hill — July 4, 2009 @ 11:08 am
Interestingly, even the guys at the usually-cheerleading PowerLine find her resignation bizarre and her performance unimpressive:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/07/023975.php
But read the comments to the post and you'll see the mob turning against Paul's unusually candid and sensible comments, vowing never to read PowerLine again and ranking it right up there with the "NY Slime." Amazing - in 99% of cases the authors at PowerLine toe the party line with remarkable fidelity, and yet one of them offers his honest assessment of Palin and the daggers come flashing out.
Comment by Jeremy — July 6, 2009 @ 11:29 am
I wonder if this means she is no longer challenging Obama to a race in her fancy black pants and tennis shoes. Or did she tire of that challenge too?
Comment by Di — July 6, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
AMAC-
I can't speak for Dan (and I'm guessing Dan is thrilled that that's the case), but Palin is an easy target not because she is conservative. As a progressive, I feel that we need an intelligent, coherent opposition (for that matter, I'd appreciate an actual progressive party, but that's another issue). She symbolizes something that Bush II brought to a head, a lack of respect for competence and a pride in ignorance.
Look at the difference between Gulf War I and II. Where Bush I meticulously crafted a massive coalition using his years of diplomatic experience and contacts, his son more or less screamed, "F you, we gonna git 'im!" And away we went. He ignored his military advisers, the people on the ground in Iraq, diplomats, didn't matter, because he was thinkin' with his gut.
Another example is Katrina. Department appointments are to some extent political, regardless of who is in the White House. But look at the guy Bush II had in charge of FEMA. His experience with real disaster preparedness was practically nil. On the other hand, Clinton, one of them pointy headed policy nerds, appointed a guy with decades of relevant experience. The stupid thing is, are you going to tell me that there wasn't ONE qualified Republican in the country? Of course there was. The Bush people simply didn't care.
Palin is the poster girl for all of this.
Comment by Jason — July 6, 2009 @ 11:28 pm
Jason,
Aye, "a pride in ignorance." Nicely put. I'll second that!
Comment by Dan Casey — July 6, 2009 @ 11:33 pm
As if to back my last post, Palin has to go and open her mouth again. From Jonathan Turley's blog:
"In her latest statement, Palin helpfully explained that being president would be easier than being the Governor of Alaska because “the department of law” would protect her from lawsuits."
The Department of Law. Awesome. Turley continues:
"This also makes Palin the first presidential aspirant who appears to want the job in part for the free legal representation."
Jon Stewart is off this week, so well done Turley, well done.
"There is a Forrest Gump fascination with people who ascend to great heights unburdened by knowledge or intellect."
And thus Jonathan Turley, in about one tenth the words I needed, explains why we can't stand the woman yet are fascinated by her.
Comment by Jason — July 7, 2009 @ 1:31 pm