Sarah Palin stepped down as governor of Alaska. As with all things Palin, it’s hard to calculate the outcome using conventional political logic. That same logic said Hillary Clinton would be the nominee in 2008, so it’s not very reliable.
Let’s look at it on 3 fronts. What does this mean for Alaska? What does this mean for Sarah Palin? What does it mean for the Republican Party?
First of all, the conventional wisdon for the last month has been that Palin should sit down and shut up. Somehow, being governor of Alaska for another 2-3 years would give her more gravitas. We all know what the chattering class thinks of Alaska. Controlling one of the richest states with 1/6 of the nation’s land didn’t do anything. That advice basically means stop being in the spotlight so we can ignore you.
Every time she leaves the state, an ethics investigation is launched because she left the state. Her popularity in Alaska is falling as Alaskans are pretty territorial about their own frozen world. Hopefully, her LT followed her example enough to continue her fine legacy.
For Palin herself, it means that she can now do and say what she wants without being tied to the appropriateness of her political office. And now, if people tell her to shut up, it will have the ring of “go back to the kitchen and make babies.” She has a book, she has fundraising, she has her pick of political shows.
This also means needed campaign funds for the Republican party. There are no influential Republican governors in this country right now. There are almost no important Republicans in Congress. Sarah Palin will be more than busy using her popularity to stump for Republican candidates who have a chance of winning in 2010. If you want to get in good with the party, raise a lot of money for them.
I think this was a necessary move, but one that is not without blowback. If Palin succeeds, she could be in an excelllent position in 2012. If she fails, this country is done for anyway.
