It's starting to look like Sarah Palin has timed the up-coming Independence Day weekend to coincide with her own declaration of independence from the Alaska governor's office, probably in an ill-advised attempt to concentrate solely on running for President on 2012.
I certainly understand her reasoning, and am sympathetic to an extent. Since she was chosen as McCain's running mate, she has been subjected to the most foul abuse ever heaped on a national political figure, and even her family have been targets.
More importantly, though, she has been subjected to a seemingly endless litany of frivolous lawsuits, obviously designed to drain her time, energy, and resources, and which in most cases probably warrant judicial sanctions. These aren't just frivolous lawsuits, they are in many cases malicious ones. By stepping down now, she can put an end to them.
And, she can also devote her resources to a presidential run. I fully expect to see her become a regular contributor on Fox News, and possibly other outlets as well, in addition to making a series of speeches and appearances. After all, don't forget that she started her public career as a television anchor woman. Maybe she figures she can repeat the formula that brought her initial success on the national stage.
I still think she might have acted too quickly. If she runs in 2012, and loses, that's it for her. And lose she well might. Three years is a lifetime in politics. Seven years is an eternity. A lot can change within that period of time. She might not even win the primaries in 2012. Even if she does win them, she could still lose the general election. By the time 2016 rolls around, she will be old news. She will just be some broad that was governor of Alaska for a short time a bunch of years ago.
I'm afraid by pulling this stunt, she might well have turned herself into the Fred Thompson of 2012. If she runs again, in 2016, she might well be that years John Edwards.
I'll still vote for her though, in either 2012 or 2016. I'm just afraid a whole lot of people aren't going to be inclined to vote for a two-year, long-ago governor of a sparsely populated state. Now if she remained the governor of said state, for a whole term, or two, and maintained her popularity and current level of success, and maybe even improved on it, while gradually increasing her level of national exposure and respect for her political and governing abilities and accomplishments-something that would take some time-she would remain a top-figure and contender.
Another thing that makes this such a damn disappointment to me is that this makes her look like just another weaselly politician out to grab the brass ring of national power, something I had tentatively hoped she had the capacity to rise above. I thought she was a special force in politics, a fresh persona so unlike the vast, swirling sea of mediocre misfits, who all laugh behind our backs and wink to their big-money contributors while cynically pretending to our faces to be our "public servants".
I still hold out some hope that she is that different kind of honest public servant, somebody who really is "of the people". Then again, that would make her only human after all, wouldn't it?
