Gov. Palin Resigns (Quits)

[BigSqwert]

It would seem very plausible to me that she is taking a few weeks or even a month to clean up all the loose ends, then is hoping to fade back into the role of family. There does seem to be a transition time.

 

Not saying I necessarily agree that is her intent, just saying that makes a whole lot of sense to me. There are questions to be asked and answered. Easier to answer than try to evade them. Tough to quit cold turkey. (whatever the hell that means)

 

Hopefully all this can be achieved with a few weeks or even a month...

 

The former Republican vice presidential nominee said she plans to write a book, campaign for political candidates from coast to coast _ even Democrats who share her views on limited government, national defense and energy independence _ and build a right-of-center coalition.

 

Once she gets all that completed I'm sure she will try to keep a humble life in order to protect her family.

 

 

[CanOfCorn]

We are all skipping over an important part of this. Fine, if you want to spend more family time...but serve out your term and don't run for re-election. Then, everyone wins. She gets to spend more time doing what she wants to do and she doesn't look like a quitter, which, if she runs for president, would be the first thing I would go after her for (or anyone for that matter).

 

If you think the scrutiny is bad as Governor of Alaska/Vice Presidential candidate, just imagine it as President. It's no wonder former President's look like they've aged 50 years in 4 or 8. Sorry, Ms. Palin, but dem or rep, I don't want someone who runs and hides in the highest office of the United States.

[Texsox]

We are all skipping over an important part of this. Fine, if you want to spend more family time...but serve out your term and don't run for re-election. Then, everyone wins. She gets to spend more time doing what she wants to do and she doesn't look like a quitter, which, if she runs for president, would be the first thing I would go after her for (or anyone for that matter).

 

If you think the scrutiny is bad as Governor of Alaska/Vice Presidential candidate, just imagine it as President. It's no wonder former President's look like they've aged 50 years in 4 or 8. Sorry, Ms. Palin, but dem or rep, I don't want someone who runs and hides in the highest office of the United States.

 

Great post.

[YASNY]

We are all skipping over an important part of this. Fine, if you want to spend more family time...but serve out your term and don't run for re-election. Then, everyone wins. She gets to spend more time doing what she wants to do and she doesn't look like a quitter, which, if she runs for president, would be the first thing I would go after her for (or anyone for that matter).

 

If you think the scrutiny is bad as Governor of Alaska/Vice Presidential candidate, just imagine it as President. It's no wonder former President's look like they've aged 50 years in 4 or 8. Sorry, Ms. Palin, but dem or rep, I don't want someone who runs and hides in the highest office of the United States.

 

There's another way to look at this too. She's racked up $500K in legal fees defending herself against frivilous ethics charges brought on by the liberal hit squads. She couldn't effectively represent the people of Alaska while fighting all that crap. She also probably couldn't fanancially afford to remain in office because of that. She'll now get out on the speaker circuit, like Bill Clinton, and make a decent living.

[Texsox]

There's another way to look at this too. She's racked up $500K in legal fees defending herself against frivilous ethics charges brought on by the liberal hit squads. She couldn't effectively represent the people of Alaska while fighting all that crap. She also probably couldn't fanancially afford to remain in office because of that. She'll now get out on the speaker circuit, like Bill Clinton, and make a decent living.

 

They seem more than frivolous, if true.

[lostfan]

There's another way to look at this too. She's racked up $500K in legal fees defending herself against frivilous ethics charges brought on by the liberal hit squads. She couldn't effectively represent the people of Alaska while fighting all that crap. She also probably couldn't fanancially afford to remain in office because of that. She'll now get out on the speaker circuit, like Bill Clinton, and make a decent living.

Decent living? She's financially set for life.

[YASNY]

Decent living? She's financially set for life.

 

Oh really? How do you know that?

[mr_genius]

If you don't want your family raked over the coals, don't use them as political props.

 

Obama has used his family as political props as much as anyone ever has. Should his kids be 'raked over the coals'?

Edited July 13, 2009 by mr_genius

[lostfan]

Oh really? How do you know that?

The same reasons you just said. Her upcoming book deal, you can figure that to be a couple million right there (Obama got rich doing the same thing) and then the various 50k speaking fees she can charge now where she didn't have the freedom to do it as Gov.

[YASNY]

Obama has used his family as political props as much as anyone ever has. Should his kids be 'raked over the coals'?

 

Yes, hew did and no they shouldn't. Kids should "off limits" from the media. Every politician makes appearances with family in tow and on stage. What happened to the Palins was disgusting and I'd say the same if it happened to the Obamas.

[YASNY]

The same reasons you just said. Her upcoming book deal, you can figure that to be a couple million right there (Obama got rich doing the same thing) and then the various 50k speaking fees she can charge now where she didn't have the freedom to do it as Gov.

 

An "upcoming" book deal and speaking fees she didn't have the freedom to do, while having $500K in legal fee debt. Not much income coming in as governor. As I said, she probably had to resign for financial reasons, among others.

[Balta1701]

An "upcoming" book deal and speaking fees she didn't have the freedom to do, while having $500K in legal fee debt. Not much income coming in as governor. As I said, she probably had to resign for financial reasons, among others.

A web based fundraising campaign aimed at her legal debts raised over $100k without much press a couple weeks ago.

[YASNY]

A web based fundraising campaign aimed at her legal debts raised over $100k without much press a couple weeks ago.

 

Good for her. She needs it I'm sure.

[lostfan]

An "upcoming" book deal and speaking fees she didn't have the freedom to do, while having $500K in legal fee debt. Not much income coming in as governor. As I said, she probably had to resign for financial reasons, among others.

I don't know for sure that she actually owes 500k out of her own pocket but in any case Levi Johnston was saying the same thing about her doing it for financial reasons (I try to ignore the back-and-forth between them, honestly, I'm guilty of clicking a link here and there though).

[YASNY]

Obama and Biden are both guilty of "quitting" mid-term. McCain and Palin also would have been if they had won. I don't see why she should labeled as a quitter any more than our esteemed president.

[CanOfCorn]

Sorry Yas, I respect you and your opinions, but I don't buy the financial trouble thing. She had one year to go and probably could have delayed any trial until she's out of office. She was still going to write a book, go on speaking tours, whatever else a politician can do to make money legally...which probably could have held out until next year.

 

If this is about her youngest child and the time she needs, which I'm sure having a Down's child is very difficult, I could completely understand. But she is quitting because she can't take the heat. And if she thinks the kitchen in Juneau is hot...well, nothing about Alaska is hot.

[lostfan]

Well, all politicians "quit" when they get elected to a higher office than the one they're currently holding, it's a pretty commonly accepted thing to do. We had a discussion on this several months back I think. But Palin's decision to resign seemed bizarre and out of the blue because it was unprecedented. To my knowledge, nobody's ever resigned a position like that in the middle of their term unless they had gotten in trouble or were about to be in trouble (which partially explains baseless speculation that she was under federal investigation).

[YASNY]

Sorry Yas, I respect you and your opinions, but I don't buy the financial trouble thing. She had one year to go and probably could have delayed any trial until she's out of office. She was still going to write a book, go on speaking tours, whatever else a politician can do to make money legally...which probably could have held out until next year.

 

If this is about her youngest child and the time she needs, which I'm sure having a Down's child is very difficult, I could completely understand. But she is quitting because she can't take the heat. And if she thinks the kitchen in Juneau is hot...well, nothing about Alaska is hot.

 

You are entitled to your opinion. We don't really know why she quit. Your speculation on her reasons are no more factual than mine. I'm just saying that she's being criticized for quitting and when you look at all she has had to deal with since accepting the VP nomination, I can't say I blame her.

[YASNY]

Well, all politicians "quit" when they get elected to a higher office than the one they're currently holding, it's a pretty commonly accepted thing to do. We had a discussion on this several months back I think. But Palin's decision to resign seemed bizarre and out of the blue because it was unprecedented. To my knowledge, nobody's ever resigned a position like that in the middle of their term unless they had gotten in trouble or were about to be in trouble (which partially explains baseless speculation that she was under federal investigation).

 

So, in other words, there are acceptable reasons to quit while others are not acceptable?

[bmags]

if you are to look at real life, at a normal job, people accept workers leaving their position to take another one to better themselves. The same goes for the political field. I feel most like when elected officials from their area go on to bigger things. I, for one, was disappointed in L. Madigan's recent statement she won't be running for gov. or sen.

 

But when you enter into a contract, in some cases, or a term, in this case, that you will be in this job for so many years before your evaluation by election, and instead quit - with no real calls for her removal from her constituents, but rather because she doesn't like the negatives of the job that go hand-in-hand, is a betrayal. She promised things and quit before she delivered them. Especially in a field of elected office, representing and working for the people, of which you are one, it is really absurd what she did. But she's the victim, I get it. She's crying all the way to the bank.

[lostfan]

So, in other words, there are acceptable reasons to quit while others are not acceptable?

Yes and no. This is America so anyone can quit their job anytime they want to (unless you're in the military, etc) and they shouldn't have to justify it to anyone. But let me give you an analogy and we'll see if this makes sense. Right now I'm a federal contractor, been working in my current position for a while now but I'm not bound by any contractual obligation to stay at my current job and I could resign whenever I wanted. Let's say hypothetically another contractor (or the federal government) offers me more money and/or a position I like better, so I take it. No hard feelings, it's business, and at the end of the day the only person I need to look out for is me, right? That's fine, happens all the time. But 6 months after that I get another job offer and I leave, maybe for a similar reason. Then 2 months after that I say nah, I'll take a year off so I can finish up some school. If you were a hiring manager what would you think? I haven't shown much of a commitment in my previous jobs the last couple of years, why would I be different now?

 

That isn't the best analogy, but I'm trying to give an example of where quitting can be frowned upon.

[Texsox]

So, in other words, there are acceptable reasons to quit while others are not acceptable?

 

Yes. That seems pretty obvious.

 

Acceptable: I have been diagnosed with cancer and would like to spend the next few months with my family.

 

Unacceptable: Dude, surf is up in Maui and I am so outta here. I thought this job would be cool, but it is so lame. People always asking me s*** and stuff, and I am not getting half the woman that other Governors and Presidents got.

[YASNY]

Yes. That seems pretty obvious.

 

Acceptable: I have been diagnosed with cancer and would like to spend the next few months with my family.

 

Unacceptable: Dude, surf is up in Maui and I am so outta here. I thought this job would be cool, but it is so lame. People always asking me s*** and stuff, and I am not getting half the woman that other Governors and Presidents got.

 

Nice. But the point was that whatever her reasons were, none of us have been in her high heels and know what she and her family have been dealing with. So, to condemn her for doing what she thinks is right thing to do for herself, her family and the state of Alaska is just wrong without really knowing the underlying reasons.

[BigSqwert]

But she's a fighter! A barracuda!

[Texsox]

Nice. But the point was that whatever her reasons were, none of us have been in her high heels and know what she and her family have been dealing with. So, to condemn her for doing what she thinks is right thing to do for herself, her family and the state of Alaska is just wrong without really knowing the underlying reasons.

 

She has asked the voters to pass judgment when she ran for Governor and on a Presidential ticker. I believe it is fair for voters to again pass judgment based on what little information she has given. And I also believe it is her right to be as secretive or as open as she wants. That is the life of a politician. She freely chose to run for office, I think CofC was spot on earlier.