Palin to step down as governor

[JPhillips]

How were people more brutal to her than to Obama or McCain or Clinton or Romney? Hell, it's a blood sport and if you can't take it you'll get tossed aside. McCain probably fucked her over by picking her when she wasn't ready, but life ain't fair. She'd have been much better off going back to AK and keeping a low profile for a year or two instead of trying to get her face in the media so often.

[miked]

Uhm, yeah? Maybe you should get laid? Who cares about this bitch, get a sense of humor. I agree with you though, people in this country are assholes.

My point wasn't really her folksy-ness, it was more that the insinuation in this thread that she quit because of negativity about her "family" when in fact she is out seeking more publicity (and hence more scrutiny, since ya know, she wants the highest job in the country). Less dumb people in politics = better.

Her whole recent faux outrage over the blogger superimposing a lobbyist on her kid and twisting it into an attack on special needs children really put the nail in coffin.

[RainMaker]

I don't really think people were tougher on her than they were on anyone else in the election. I remember seeing Obama being called a Muslim terrorist at some of the Republican rallies that had some strong racist overtones. I remember McCain being bashed for his age relentlessly. Edwards was destroyed for being a metrosexual. Huckabee for being a Jesus freak.

I think all the candidates got their share of shit thrown on them. I just think it makes Palin look weak that she can't handle a couple photoshops by a blogger.

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Wow!! What a surprise!!! Everyone piling on Palin!!!

I hope I never hear about her again, because I'm so sick of the japes and snipes at her. Yes, she would have been a bad president. Yes, she wasn't very polished. WE FUCKING GET IT!!

Are you serious? You're acting as if everyone is so mean and hateful because she wasn't prepared to be Vice President (let alone president, if McCain would be incapacitated).

We didn't nominate her. It's not our fault she's incompetent.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

You made my point.

Yeah, she was annoyingly folksy and inexperienced, but what the fuck was she supposed to do? Say "No, I'm in politics, but don't want to be V.P. of the U.S.".

I'm sure I'll get piled on (like this board always does for politically different views), but I just think people in this country are basically assholes. Both sides. But people were particularly brutal to her. So kick her when she's down. Have fun!!

By being down, do you mean resigning? If so, didn't she bring this one on herself? She easily could have served out the rest of her term and probably won reelection as governor. Instead, we have what is, by a kind account, a hastily called press conference on a slow news day with an unclear message.

That said, I don't know anything about the Trig stuff. If that's true, that's really, really too bad.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

You made my point.

Yeah, she was annoyingly folksy and inexperienced, but what the fuck was she supposed to do? Say "No, I'm in politics, but don't want to be V.P. of the U.S.".

I'm fairly certain there's been plenty of people that have turned down the offer to be someone's running mate.

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I'm sure I'll get piled on (like this board always does for politically different views), but I just think people in this country are basically assholes. Both sides. But people were particularly brutal to her. So kick her when she's down. Have fun!!

People in this country are assholes, but when you take your politics to a national level and throw your family in front of the camera you'd better be really confident in your ability to not look like a complete dumbass.

The only thing that separates what she's gone through and what a lot of others in politics have gone through is she put her family out there as fair game and paid the price. She also wasn't smart enough to go back to Alaska and make sure her name stays out of the public eye for a couple years before resurfacing as a more polished and better informed politician.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by KWhit

Are you serious? You're acting as if everyone is so mean and hateful because she wasn't prepared to be Vice President (let alone president, if McCain would be incapacitated).

We didn't nominate her. It's not our fault she's incompetent.

Obviously that's not my point. It's personal attacks, and the glee with which people dog on her that I'm talking about. It's childish. Like I have said a lot - I didn't vote for McCain (or Obama), but it's sickening how fiercely people and the media have jumped on her. That's why I hope she's just done. I'm sick of it.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

You made my point.

Yeah, she was annoyingly folksy and inexperienced, but what the fuck was she supposed to do? Say "No, I'm in politics, but don't want to be V.P. of the U.S.".

I'm sure I'll get piled on (like this board always does for politically different views), but I just think people in this country are basically assholes. Both sides. But people were particularly brutal to her. So kick her when she's down. Have fun!!

No one told her to run for public office. It's not always a picnic. Buck up.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by miked

Uhm, yeah? Maybe you should get laid?

I'm married. That's not happening.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

No one told her to run for public office. It's not always a picnic. Buck up.

So that makes it ok to abuse people?

[Schmidty]

By the way, the Tigers game has gotten me riled up.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

So that makes it ok to abuse people?

In a perfect world our candidates would never get scrutinized or "abused". But unfortunately that's how the game is played and she knew it going into it. It's like a celebrity complaining about having his picture taken everywhere he goes.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

In a perfect world our candidates would never get scrutinized or "abused". But unfortunately that's how the game is played and she knew it going into it. It's like a celebrity complaining about having his picture taken everywhere he goes.

Scrutiny is very important when electing someone. She was, and she wasn't worthy of being VP; however mean-spirited attacks is another thing. Is it the norm? Yes. Is it right? No.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Obviously that's not my point. It's personal attacks, and the glee with which people dog on her that I'm talking about. It's childish. Like I have said a lot - I didn't vote for McCain (or Obama), but it's sickening how fiercely people and the media have jumped on her. That's why I hope she's just done. I'm sick of it.

like the personal attacks she made on Obama?

[miked]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I'm married. That's not happening.

I have a 3 month old, she had 2 glasses of wine with dinner, wish me luck

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

like the personal attacks she made on Obama?

So that makes it ok to attack her kids? Yeah, maybe she put them out there. But did the kids put themselves out there? No.

Obviously, I'm not going to win this debate, but I just wish people were nicer to each other. Yes, I'm naive.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by miked

I have a 3 month old, she had 2 glasses of wine with dinner, wish me luck

Hopefully she didn't eat much, so the wine will work it's magic better. Good luck!!!

[Tekneek]

She drove her train off the rails all by herself. She was a proponent of abstinence, with a pregnant teenage unwed daughter. She proclaimed to be in favor of autism research, then railed against fruit fly research (when fruit fly studies had been helping with autism research). She went into an interview with notorious softball throwing Katie Couric, and was unable to name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads regularly (while claiming that she read newspapers and magazines all the time).

I'm touching the tip of the iceberg with this stuff.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

She drove her train off the rails all by herself. She was a proponent of abstinence, with a pregnant teenage unwed daughter. She proclaimed to be in favor of autism research, then railed against fruit fly research (when fruit fly studies had been helping with autism research). She went into an interview with notorious softball throwing Katie Couric, and was unable to name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads regularly (while claiming that she read newspapers and magazines all the time).

I'm touching the tip of the iceberg with this stuff.

+1

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

She drove her train off the rails all by herself. She was a proponent of abstinence, with a pregnant teenage unwed daughter. She proclaimed to be in favor of autism research, then railed against fruit fly research (when fruit fly studies had been helping with autism research). She went into an interview with notorious softball throwing Katie Couric, and was unable to name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads regularly (while claiming that she read newspapers and magazines all the time).

I'm touching the tip of the iceberg with this stuff.

Have you not been reading what I've said?????? I get it - She was unqualified and unfit to be VP, but the visceral hatred for her is still wrong. And one other thing - She's a proponent of abstinence, but how is it her fault that her daughter chose to fuck someone and get knocked up? Even good parents can't control the mind of a teen. I think it's unintelligent to call her out on that. She was against fruit fly research, and I have absolutely no idea why, but I guarantee it's not because she doesn't want a cure for autism. And as I said, she's not goo in interviews because she's not fit for office.

It still doesn't excuse the ongoing personal attacks.

I'm done. I don't think I'll make any of you "get it".

[Greyroofoo]

Personally i think she's been ever more scrutinized because she's female.

However I vote 3rd party and thus my opinion doesn't matter.

[larrymcg421]

The funniest bit in all of this was before being nominated as VP, Sarah Palin was criticizing Hilary Clinton for whining about unfair sexist treatment. Things sure do look different from the other side.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I don't think she will run. I think this is just a case of someone getting sick of all the assholes, and wants to put her family first.

If she's putting her family first here, rather than making a big political mistake or getting forced out by impending scandal, it would be the first time. Didn't she give some political speech and then spend around 12 hours on a plane to get back to Wasilla when she was pregnant with Trig? And that wasn't even when she was the VP nominee.

I hope this is a family-first thing, but the old walks-like-a-duck-sounds-like-a-duck axiom has me cynical.

I really hope there isn't a scandal, because of the glee that would bring people.

Agreed. But I also wonder about the impact on her family if it turns out there is a scandal.

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

While everybody seems to be thinking she's either fed up or going to be scandalized, my first thought was "oh shit, she's pregnant again".

The timing of the announcement seems to point more to the second than the first or third. If it's a 'fed up with the assholes' bit, why not do it early in the week or in midweek when you can really take those assholes to task before a larger audience? The day before a national holiday seems like a suspect time to draw your line in the sand.

By the same token, she was pregnant as governor of Alaska once already. Why would another pregnancy cause the resignation? It would imply that remaining governor was largely because of national political aspirations and with another child on the way, she's done with those...but again, why choose the Friday before a national holiday to resign if that's the case? If you no longer aspire to the national stage, it wouldn't seem to be something that needs to be buried.

I keep coming back to, especially with her demeanor at the speech, that there is one big ass shoe about to fall. It's the only thing that makes sense. Quitting to focus on the presidential race, it might help her win the nomination, but with that juicy a target, she would lose the general in tidal wave fashion. Quitting for the other reasons, plausible, but why now?

[Greyroofoo]

So can anyone tell me what Alaska's budget looks like? Is it a trillion dollars in the hole?

[Racer]

Originally Posted by Axxon

I don't get how quitting her job helps her run in 2012. It means she's a quitter. I'd understand her not running for reelection like Pawlenty is but just up and quitting? What would stop her from doing this if she became president? I'd think the democrats could run with that one.

I also think that the press has been brutal to her and her family. I really don't like her politics and would never vote for her but the mudslinging against the Palins has gotten way out of hand. Wouldn't surprise me if it just wasn't worth it to her. She will still write the book and she can always work on Fox. Lot easier than getting shit on all the time.

I'll just say I'm also wondering if there's a skeleton about to come out of her closet. It's the one thing that actually makes sense.

Totally agree with you on your first and third points. I don't think the press has treated her unfairly though. The press would have ripped any other VP candidate that made the same mistakes as her on the national stage.

[Greyroofoo]

The treatment of Palin makes me think that Fox News is Fair and Balanced

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

The timing of the announcement seems to point more to the second than the first or third. If it's a 'fed up with the assholes' bit, why not do it early in the week or in midweek when you can really take those assholes to task before a larger audience? The day before a national holiday seems like a suspect time to draw your line in the sand.

Eh, sometimes when you're just over it, you're just over it. If she's pulling out of running for office & it isn't scandal related, maybe she's just fed the hell up with it & doesn't even want to waste the energy getting in some parting shots.

Why would another pregnancy cause the resignation?

I imagine there's a woman or two who would say "only a man would say something like that" Seriously though, I didn't say there was any rhyme or reason to that thought crossing my mind. I just said that was the very first thing that popped into my head. So please don't overthink it, it was nothing more than my gut reaction when I saw the news.

Quitting to focus on the presidential race, it might help her win the nomination, but with that juicy a target, she would lose the general in tidal wave fashion.

I really don't see it playing out that way. Nobody who was going to vote for her is going to put much stock in the criticisms from the left and nobody that went with the criticism was going to vote for her anyway. I believe voters in 49 states would look at it, viewed with what, two years worth of distance & subsconsciously (or not so subconsciously) figure "it's just Alaska, I can't say that I blame her". And I don't want any crap from our Alaskan contingent about that, the same would be said for probably 30+ states. Given my hypothetical druthers, if she were planning to run I'd rather she spend every waking minute focused on that effort instead of splitting time on that & Alaskan politics.

Quitting for the other reasons, plausible, but why now?

Maybe she just wanted to be able to enjoy the holiday weekend. And yes, I'm serious (at least about that being a maybe). Sometimes an orange is just an orange & a pencil is just a pencil, y'know?

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

So can anyone tell me what Alaska's budget looks like? Is it a trillion dollars in the hole?

Palin's Budget Shows Hit to Alaska From Falling Oil Prices - WSJ.com

$400 million deficit, but almost $7 billion in state savings. Alaska will be fine fiscally, as long as nobody does anything really stupid.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Eh, sometimes when you're just over it, you're just over it. If she's pulling out of running for office & it isn't scandal related, maybe she's just fed the hell up with it & doesn't even want to waste the energy getting in some parting shots.

She hasn't struck me as that "type" up until now. Can't imagine why things would change.

I imagine there's a woman or two who would say "only a man would say something like that" Seriously though, I didn't say there was any rhyme or reason to that thought crossing my mind. I just said that was the very first thing that popped into my head. So please don't overthink it, it was nothing more than my gut reaction when I saw the news.

I know it. Just saying, she's had how many kids already? Why would *this* be the one to make her quit politics? You could be right, I'm just saying it doesn't make sense to me.

I really don't see it playing out that way. Nobody who was going to vote for her is going to put much stock in the criticisms from the left and nobody that went with the criticism was going to vote for her anyway.

Among the hard-liners on both sides, you're absolutely right. The Republican and Democratic bases were never going to be swayed one way or the other. But then, the Republican base was never going to be able to elect Sarah Palin without some serious crossover from moderates/independents/conservative Democrats. Those are the people that argument would hold sway with.

Someone who carried a 'We <3 Sarah' sign at a rally? Not so much.

I believe voters in 49 states would look at it, viewed with what, two years worth of distance & subsconsciously (or not so subconsciously) figure "it's just Alaska, I can't say that I blame her". And I don't want any crap from our Alaskan contingent about that, the same would be said for probably 30+ states. Given my hypothetical druthers, if she were planning to run I'd rather she spend every waking minute focused on that effort instead of splitting time on that & Alaskan politics.

Perhaps. But her term was up in 2010 anyway, wasn't it? That's plenty of time to gear up for a run if she stays in the press otherwise, and given her reception by the base, is it reasonable to think she would have faded? This just feels like way too early to drop everything to focus on a presidential bid.

Maybe she just wanted to be able to enjoy the holiday weekend. And yes, I'm serious (at least about that being a maybe). Sometimes an orange is just an orange & a pencil is just a pencil, y'know?

Quit on Friday instead of Wednesday to be able to enjoy the holiday weekend? Hell, if THAT'S my motivation, I'm quitting on Tuesday so I can take a week off.

[JonInMiddleGA]

AJC political blogger reporting that NBC's Andrea Mitchell says she's been told Palin told backers they're free to find another candidate for 2012, that she's finished with politics for good.

Meanwhile, a blog responder claims that that federal embezzlement indictments against her & her husband are close to being handed down, "related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure as Mayor. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products." He quoted something called bradblog.com FWIW (never heard of it, no clue whether that's good info, bad info, or just outright silly info)

[Greyroofoo]

I only ask because I have no faith in current politicians sticking to a budget and I'll only vote for a politician who'll actually try to reduce the deficit.

A suicide course I know.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

But then, the Republican base was never going to be able to elect Sarah Palin without some serious crossover from moderates/independents/conservative Democrats.

I disagree. What had to happen in theory was for people simply not to vote against her, as the "new president smell" wears off Obama & disenchanted voters stay home. She had her crowd locked in, the question would be how much of his could he retain.

As I've said here previously, I really don't recall another national level politician in my lifetime (remember, I was born a few years after JFK's death) who had as strong a hold on their supporters that I encounter as she does. Not Reagan, not anybody. Or at least I don't recall ever hearing people actually sigh in awe at the mere mention of a candidate's name, but I've run into that several times with Palin since she emerged. It's one of the damnedest things I've seen in 42 years.

Remember too, I'm on the record as saying if she had a southern accent she'd be called white trash, so I'm definitely not saying that from a Kool-Aid perspective, I'm still trying to figure out the part of the appeal myself. Some of it I get, but not to the degree I've seen.

Is that purely anecdotal? Of course it is & I know the risks involved with reading too much into an absurdly small sample size but it's hard (nee impossible) for me to believe that I've run into the only people on earth who have that reaction. I'd guess that at least a quarter of the GOP base would vote for her in a primary no matter what happens.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

AJC political blogger reporting that NBC's Andrea Mitchell says she's been told Palin told backers they're free to find another candidate for 2012, that she's finished with politics for good.

Meanwhile, a blog responder claims that that federal embezzlement indictments against her & her husband are close to being handed down, "related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure as Mayor. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products." He quoted something called bradblog.com FWIW (never heard of it, no clue whether that's good info, bad info, or just outright silly info)

aaaaah

[Greyroofoo]

I will only vote for a governor that has controlled the state budget. Someone who know state fiscal responsibility.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

AJC political blogger reporting that NBC's Andrea Mitchell says she's been told Palin told backers they're free to find another candidate for 2012, that she's finished with politics for good.

Meanwhile, a blog responder claims that that federal embezzlement indictments against her & her husband are close to being handed down, "related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure as Mayor. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products." He quoted something called bradblog.com FWIW (never heard of it, no clue whether that's good info, bad info, or just outright silly info)

If something like that is true, I retract my arguments (other than against the kids).

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I'm married. That's not happening.

LOL

[Greyroofoo]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

LOL

how's your state budget?

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

how's your state budget?

I don't get it.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I disagree. What had to happen in theory was for people simply not to vote against her, as the "new president smell" wears off Obama & disenchanted voters stay home. She had her crowd locked in, the question would be how much of his could he retain.

As I've said here previously, I really don't recall another national level politician in my lifetime (remember, I was born a few years after JFK's death) who had as strong a hold on their supporters that I encounter as she does. Not Reagan, not anybody. Or at least I don't recall ever hearing people actually sigh in awe at the mere mention of a candidate's name, but I've run into that several times with Palin since she emerged. It's one of the damnedest things I've seen in 42 years.

Remember too, I'm on the record as saying if she had a southern accent she'd be called white trash, so I'm definitely not saying that from a Kool-Aid perspective, I'm still trying to figure out the part of the appeal myself. Some of it I get, but not to the degree I've seen.

Is that purely anecdotal? Of course it is & I know the risks involved with reading too much into an absurdly small sample size but it's hard (nee impossible) for me to believe that I've run into the only people on earth who have that reaction. I'd guess that at least a quarter of the GOP base would vote for her in a primary no matter what happens.

Its funny; I thought the best analogy I heard to her was Jesse Jackson - a die hard base of support (no question here - I read Redstate etc, and its hilarious as to how cult like some of the following is), but very very little ability to expand beyond that.

Michael Barone's article here: http://www.american.com/archive/2009...blems-for-2012

[Greyroofoo]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

I don't get it.

I'm just saying I want someone who knows something about fiscal responsibility.

[SirFozzie]

no offense to the folks at bradblog who are reporting, but to be quite honest, I wouldn't put any faith in a site that proclaims "WSJ Whackos in Denial over Franken Election" to be A) factural, B) Neutral.

[RainMaker]

I don't know if any of that blog stuff is true. I will say the resigning is extremely odd. She had been doing a lot of interviews over the past few months and was clearly trying to brand herself nationally. She had her daughter doing national TV interviews and she was starting feuds with Letterman and others. That's not the way someone who is "sick of attacks" and doesn't want the exposure for her and her family acts. She seemed like someone who was trying to keep her name in the news and position herself to be a leader in the Republican Party.

The resignation helps her in no way for 2012. It leaves her out of public office for many years which is not a good thing when you don't have decades of experience in public office. If her aspirations were for 2012, you'd think she'd turn Alaska into a model state and use that as her example of how she'd turn things around in the U.S.

The whole thing seems eerily odd is all I'm saying. The press conference seemed rather abrupt and not thought out. The fact she didn't tell others in the state makes me think that this was a sudden maneuver too. If there turns out to be a scandal of sorts as some have mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised (nothing against her but something just doesn't add up). I think I'd be more surprised to find out she just wants to live a quiet family life away from the public eye.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

Personally i think she's been ever more scrutinized because she's female.

However I vote 3rd party and thus my opinion doesn't matter.

That's overplayed. If Dan Quayle had a pregnant 17 year old in the late 80s - early 90s, Dan and the whole Quayle family would have gotten the same exact treatment. As it was Quayle got just as much, if not more, jokes on his stupidity than Palin.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo

I will only vote for a governor that has controlled the state budget. Someone who know state fiscal responsibility.

Former VA Governor Mark Warner...

[miked]

Originally Posted by miked

I have a 3 month old, she had 2 glasses of wine with dinner, wish me luck

Winnar!! The key is the hydrating goodness of wine.

[King of New York]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Former VA Governor Mark Warner...

+1

I'm still hoping that he'll run for president at some point.

As for Sarah Palin, a lot of these theories seem equally plausible. I can well believe that she just decided that being governor was too demanding. Didn't she attend four different colleges before getting her degree? Sticking with a program is not her style--her ambition and supposed ruthlessness seem not to be matched by an equally strong work ethic or ability to focus.

That having been said, I would not be at all surprised to learn that there is some sort of financial or personal scandal that the public knows nothing about yet. Maybe she's one of the "other women" that Mark Sanford crossed the line with

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

If you can't point to any of this mudslinging, guess it isn't happening.

You gotta be kidding me right? I can't point to the wind. Guess that isn't happening either. All I can say is that others have agreed with me. You don't. Tells me alot about you.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by digamma

There's an interview with Palin in Runners World this month. I read that this morning and thought to myself, "hmm...maybe I have her wrong, and there's something to this really likable side of her." After seeing that video, where I, too, had no idea what she was talking about, I'm back to my original feelings.

And, oh the sports metaphors, "You have to keep your eye on the ball, and beat the full court press, when you hunker down and go with the flow, and then you know when to call an audible and pass the ball and go for the victory."

Big deal, she played basketball. Did you give Jack Kemp shit when he pulled out his baseball metaphors? Bill Bradley his basketball metaphors? Any politician and his goofball metaphors?

I mean, for character assassination there's enough material out there not to have to nit pick.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

While everybody seems to be thinking she's either fed up or going to be scandalized, my first thought was "oh shit, she's pregnant again".

Does she name this one Calculus?

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

You made my point.

Yeah, she was annoyingly folksy and inexperienced, but what the fuck was she supposed to do? Say "No, I'm in politics, but don't want to be V.P. of the U.S.".

Actually, it wouldn't be the first time that's happened and it would have been the responsible choice. One of the first signs of a true leader is knowing when to lead and when to learn.

I'm sure I'll get piled on (like this board always does for politically different views), but I just think people in this country are basically assholes. Both sides. But people were particularly brutal to her. So kick her when she's down. Have fun!!

That's what pisses me off. All the assholes are supposed to be on your side of the political aisle. ;-)

Shit, looks like I may have to join a third party.