Former VP hopeful says she'll work for change from outside government
Palin to resign as Alaska governor - More politics- msnbc.com
Serving as Gov in Alaska does keep you out of the limelight in the Lower 48 unless Letterman cracks a crude joke.
I understand the move if she's running in 2012 considering Hillary, Obama, and Romney started campaigning years before 2008. That said, I don't understand how resigning helps her build political gravitas. One of the principal points against her (forget the wardrobe BS) was her lack of political experience. Her lack of leadership. I had the same concerns about Obama. The difference is he won the election. She still has to contend with the image of a mom that spoke up at a PTA got elected to the Board of Ed., made some splash, got appointed to a bigger position and ended up as Gov in a short time.
I'm guessing she want to take the Huckebee route and have her face on TV every other day. Her "you betcha" was cute and attention getting but not every other day. I suspect she's not running against Obama right now but really running against Huckebee for the conservative block. If the Republican Party gets into another who's "Rightest" battle, like Pat Buchanan did to George Bush the 1st in the primaries. Bush was a popular sitting president. When Buchanan dragged him to the right in the primaries Clinton quietly stepped to the right and said, I'm the only moderate in this campaign. He was no moderate but compared to Buchanan's rhetoric, he appeared to be. Look back at that campaign. Where was Teddy Kennedy? Where was Jesse Jackson? All the vocal liberal poster boys went in the closet for 6 months and kept their mouths shut. In previous campaigns they argued the Democratic nominee wasn't far enough left. Now they had a candidate panning that he was oh my god, a moderate. They didn't complain. They didn't demand their agenda. Bill or the DNC chairman realized you have to get elected first. And if you don't get the moderate vote in the middle you can't win, Liberal or Conservative.
The Republican Party seems to be emulating the election strategy of the Scoop Jackson, Muskie, Dukakis, Kerry Democratic campaigns of running to the extreme side of the Party and ending up on the losing end of The Election that counts.
I think she'd do better demonstrating that she is a solid Gov leading her state through the recovery from Recession rather than being a talking head on Hannity, Meet the Press or whatever show. At least get another year under her belt, take on a visible spot in the Governers Conference. Lead from the front rather than be just another talking head who runs nothing but their mouths.
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