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CNN interviewed Sarah Palin about her resignation as governor of Alaska, and to me, the interview was very telling. It’s a little long, but check it out:
Now, I could be reading into this all wrong. But it seems to me that the media and the Left finally won. They defeated one of the last remaining good, decent politicians. They know it. Sarah Palin knows it. You can see it in their smug, gloating, congratulatory writings and broadcasts about her resignation. They defeated Sarah Palin, and they want to brag.
In my opinion, what she is saying makes sense. How can someone effectively govern when they are being bombarded and attacked and slandered from all directions? She’s right, Alaskans shouldn’t have to pick up the tab for that, and as long as these attacks continue, they unfortunately will continue to have to pay the millions of dollars it is costing to fight them off. As Palin said, it costs nothing to file a frivolous ethics lawsuit, but it costs millions to refute it. And in looking at it that way, perhaps Sarah Palin did indeed make the right decision. Because, let’s face it, these attacks are not going to stop. And Alaska will suffer because of it. As governor, what has she been able to do in the past few months to actually benefit Alaska? Not much.
Now, perhaps she should have said no to John McCain’s offer for her to run as his vice president. She would’ve remained under the radar, and when 2011 came around, she might very well have been still able to run for president. She certainly still would have been considered one of the rising stars of the GOP, just like Bobby Jindal. But, unfortunately, we cannot change the past. We can only move forward. And I think Sarah Palin has made a wise decision for herself and the people of Alaska. Good people don’t often find a welcoming home in the world of politics, and it’s the good people, not the bad or unethical or immoral, who get attacked and slandered. Sarah Palin doesn’t need politics; it’s we who need her.
That’s not to say that this will not negatively influence a presidential bid in 2012; it will. However, even the most stalwart fighters can only take so much before throwing in the towel. And I think what we’re seeing here is that Sarah Palin has had enough. The media, sadly, has won.
Hat Tip: Hot Air
I don’t think they have won. Yes, in a sense they did drive her out of office, but according to her attorney, she is now free to go after some of the more egregious lies directly, i.e. filing lawsuits or even defamation charges.
Besides, there is now a limit to how badly they can abuse the ethics regulations that they were using before, because she will no longer be under those rules, and they will have to be relegated to digging through archives.
Nah, she’s a smart cookie. She’s got a comeback plan that doesn’t require the MSM to carry her message. Whether it’s her own talk show or some other forum, she’s being cagey.
Don’t count this one out.
Max says: as an euopean cto who has lived on both sides of the atlantic I just love palin. it’s the best politainment ever. nothing else offers agitated people, caricatures of fertile-ultra-feminity and illusionary misjudgements like this wanna-be politician.
if she is whining about ppl going after her I wanna see her across the table of ahmadinedschad or just sarkozy – they will eat her for breakfast without breaking sweat.
the only bad thing is that palin is a very telling symptom about how the republican approach of divide and conquer by dumbing down parts of the country and keeping them impassioned with gays, guns and the bible has rendered large parts of america politically and socially disfunctional. you can’t run a modern society with these people. to unflexible, to superstitious, to crazed out by things that don’t really matter in the long run.
good luck with fixing that!
😉
btenney says: I believe she is taking cover, fortifying her position and preparing to return fire.
Whatever her future plans I wish her well and I am secure in the knowledge that she is smarter than her Detractors.
Sadly, I think Cassy’s right.
What has happened to her, the transfer of BDS to PDS — the, I believe intentional harassment and personal distruction … those “Old Politics” that the Left hates, right??? is outrageous.
Maybe she’ll turn her energies to fighting that.
I think she quit for three reasons, and she stated them. For ethical reasons (state funds being wasted to feed the hungry Anti-Palin sharks), financial reasons (half a million and counting in legal bills, with no letup in sight), and for family reasons — she is a wife and a mom first, and a politician second. Which is the way it should be.
It’s when they get it the other way around that they start cheating on their spouses, playing dirty, taking bribes, gerrymandering, and playing fast and loose with Other People’s Money.
Brett Smith says: No one drove her out, she quit. It doesn’t really matter anyway, since most of the people that supported her were RINOs. She is basically the conservative version of Obama- little experience, little substance. We can and will do much better.
I don’t think she is down and out at all. Now that she is free of the constraints of being governor she doesn’t have to follow the rules that tied her down from fighting back, and as a private citizen she can’t be buried under in ethics complaints or lawsuits for BS reasons.
No, I think this is the first shot in a whole new battle and I’ll be lining up on her side for two reasons. She reflects my ideals, beliefs and political views, and I think she’s going to kick some serious ass on both sides of the aisle.
Rignerd says: Alas they did win. If Sarah Palin ever sticks her head up again the lawsuit harassment dam will burst and she will forever be consumed fighting them. The correct answer to a bully is to stand and fight and never let them see you sweat. She turned and ran and now all the bullies will line up or gang up and be filled with certain knowledge of victory in the end.
Chris M-G says: And you know what? This will happen again, when the next female Republican goes up for a vital position. Democrats may as well be designated as a protected class when the media is concerned.
Knightbrigade says: LMAO… Everyone cracked out on Sarah yet??
I see Cassy got a visit from at least a one troll and one moby….
That’s cool because Sarah draws crowds to websites, fundraisers, speeches, you name it.
Did the MSM play a roll in her CHANGE of tactics? SURE along with plenty of SCUMBAGS who need a slap or two.
The bottom line is SHE chose to resigned.
My take is that opinions are like a**holes, everybody’s got one,
let’s just sit back and see what the Lady does to help TRUE Conservatives from now through 2012…
I think Conservatives will be very HAPPY, and Liberal crapbags will be un-happy freaks as usual.
We’ll find out in 2012 if they won.
You know why you were so excited to see Return of the Jedi in ’83? Because of the duel between titans…which you’d already seen before (with Luke once, and Darth twice). Last time it was inconclusive, this time it was a rematch. Wild elephants couldn’t keep you away from the theater because this time the fight was for *realz*.
By the same token…the notion that in ’12, the prevailing viewpoint is going to be “Oh, that quitter again? Why doesn’t she just go away for good?” — it is inconceivable. Sure, the KOS kidz will say that. They’re terrified of her. Everyone else is going to want to see how the final battle goes.
I’ll agree with this much, though: Palin is going to be very quiet until something close to the end of 2011. There are several wise aspects to what she’s done here, and some of those aspects have to do with public relations; the doctrine she’s put into practice is “Leave ’em wanting more.” Everything else is planned day-to-day. She said she wasn’t closing any doors, she meant it, and the possibility exists we may never see her again. At any rate, for now, it’s abundantly clear she’s going to go on the fishing trips and snowmobile outings with her family she missed last year. Phil nailed it — she’s a mother first and that’s how it should be.
My gut instinct says no, though. The media didn’t win anything. They’ve been hemorrhaging since last year. Obama’s just making them look like more and more of an ass every week.
Mark says: I, for one, will go all out and support Palin should she run in 2012. What other choice do I have? It would do the Republicans well to stop bickering amongst themselves and show her some support. Otherwise, we will be the minor party for a looong time.
Brett Smith says: Look at it this way- the last really good conservative leader we had was Reagan and that was a long time ago. There is a world of difference between someone like him and someone like Palin. I think it’s been so long, people are getting desperate and going for whoever seems momentarily exciting, instead of holding out and looking for someone who will be truly great.
I initially found it hard to believe, but the more I watch/read interviews the more I think that Palin did truly leave politics for the reasons she stated. I know other theories abound, including one I blogged about just yesterday, but think Cassy hit it on the head in her post: Sarah Palin is out, the media has won. Not until Sarah Palin did the argument “a person getting into politics has to be prepared for criticism” really become prominent–because with her the media pushed the limits.
-W
http://bill84121.blogspot.com
Larry Sheldon says: They won to the extent that they denied to the sate of Alaska what the voters there have a right to,
But they didn’t beat Palin.
Not be a long shot.
All of your “she’s beaten” evidence is from the least credible sources in the history of language.
jim says: Media won? How? There was no official contest between Palin and the media. There were official contests for Governor of Alaska and Mayor Wasilla which Sarah won. There was a official contest for the US Presidential race which John McCain and Sarah Palin lost.
As they say, politics is a contact sport. Governor Palin’s analogy of a basket ball player passing off to another team memeber while under a full court press did not quite hit the mark. In today’s political world, a more appropriate analogy would be a quarterback under a heavy rush without protection because some of his team members missed their blocks. Quarterbacks may get sacked in those situations, but they usually do not quit. However, I do give credit to Governor Palin for taking the high road when she recognized that the political kitchen became too hot for her to stand. She took President Truman’s advice and got out. The ability to recognize and then act on one’s own limitations is a noble trait.
fozzy says: to Max – It’s very telling that the only capitalization you used was for the word ‘I’. Nothing else was worth moving your pinky one inch to the shift key for? Just ‘I’.
Knott Buyinit says: “Sarah Palin doesn’t need politics; it’s we who need her.”
Very, very true – it only we deserved her.
to Max – It’s very telling that the only capitalization you used was for the word ‘I’. Nothing else was worth moving your pinky one inch to the shift key for? Just ‘I’.
Also: Homonym confusion with the word “too” — repeated three times.
It’s a common affliction among those inclined to criticize Palin for her intellect. On both sides of the Atlantic. 😀
Knightbrigade says: Hey, Knott Buyinit and Morgan K Freeberg……
Max is the troll I was talking about, can you spot the MOBY!?
LOL
TM says: Thanks for the video link; I hadn’t seen this. After watching it, I was struck by the fact that most of us – politicians, the media, and those who observe/participate in either realm – are stuck in a paradigm that Sarah Palin rejects. She isn’t concerned with “winning,” but with doing the right thing. Her statement indicates that she is putting her state above her own professional/political aspirations. As a public servant (on a completely different level), I find this impressive. Much of the national/international commentary about her decision (who won, her future, whether she is perceived as a quitter, etc.) misses this important point.
Knott Buyinit says: Sometimes the ‘Moby’ thing can be too subtle for me, Knightbrigade, and I have a hard time distinguishing it from ‘sour grapes’ when it is. Having said that, I will ask: What do you do with an elephant with three balls? You walk him and pitch to the RINO.
Max says: you guys are so funny – the only thing you can come up with is to lecture a non-native speaker on his grammar. I have yet to find a single argument posted here that is referring to the points I brought forward.
how many languages do you guys speak?! probably none beyond english. I speak four, not all perfect but pretty good to get around and do business – and to get you access to different worldviews beyond the confines of the american-mindset.
as for the education gap that is at the basis of the palin-phenomen and a threat to the future success of the american nation, here are a few numbers fresh from the mouth of a republican: http://bit.ly/17V7Rt
as I said – good luck with fixing that!
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