Gov. Palin Resigns

July 3, 5:46 PMJacksonville Republican ExaminerPatrick McMahon

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This afternoon, shockwaves went through the political world went Alaska Governor Sarah Palin unexpectedly resigned her office. The resignation takes effect on July 26 according to her statement. Many pundits were expecting her to announce that she was not going to run for re-election, but not her resigning from her office 18 months early. This begs the question, why?

            There are a few possible reasons; some of them can be disregarded. Some speculate that she would not have won the election if she ran again. I don’t believe that. Even if her standing slipped, which it has, she still has a relatively high approval rating and it’s Alaska, one the reddest states there is. Another speculation is that she has some sort of hidden scandal. I doubt that, she has had her fair share of shocks and does not seem like the type to be embroiled in something unseemly. I may be wrong, but that seems unlikely as well.

            That leaves two very distinct possibilities. One that she wants to get out of the lime light and fade into obscurity or two she is setting herself up for a run at the White House in 2012. I don’t blame her for wanting to get out of politics. She has had some of the harshest coverage out of any politician in recent memory and is routinely savaged by comedians, journalists, and other politicians. Palin has a family to raise and a special needs son. This would allow her to focus on the private side of life without being continually harassed.

            The most likely possibility, in my opinion, is a run at the White House. Palin felt that getting a leg up now would allow her to prepare herself for that gargantuan undertaking. During this time she would be free to travel to the lower 48 states, meet with interest groups, give speeches, give interviews to the press, travel abroad, and write a book. All of those things would boost her profile and allow her to rebrand herself in a presidential bid. She remains one of the most popular Republicans considered contenders, along with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, and has a very loyal following. Along with that, she has a large group of people opposed to her. If  Palin runs, she would be a lighting rod and would certainly mobilize voters on both sides of the aisle. Either way, she remains a fascinating figure to watch in politics, just take a look at the news coverage.

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