Sarah Palin Resigns: It's Not You. It's Me.

© 2009 Leighann Lord

As the country waits impatiently with arms crossed, and eye brows arched for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford to resign over his marital infidelity and abandonment of his state, we were blind sided by Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation. "She what? Did she cheat on The First Dude? No? Then WTF?

I, like most of America, was caught unawares when John McCain picked Palin from relative political obscurity to be his vice presidential running mate. "Who? The Governor of Where?" And off we went to Wikipedia to get up to speed. I don’t know Sarah Palin personally. Perhaps if we sat down and chatted over a cup of coffee, it’s possible I might come to like her on a personal level. Politically, she’s way too socially conservative for me.

That said, I still dig Sarah in the same way that I dig Alan Keyes. I love that in the middle of the American media spin factory they speak their minds. On some issues they even make sense, but not enough to earn my vote. They do however add to the diversity of thought and opinion that is necessary. My inner idealist believes we can agree to disagree. We can all speak our peace, come to some kind of mutual understanding and respect, and proceed on common ground with common goals. I’m also a Harry Potter fan, so I’m hopeful at heart. Sadly, my belief in magic is sometimes easier than my belief in my fellow muggles.

Still, I am floored that Sarah resigned. I never pegged her as a quitter. She impressed me as a fighter and in the best possible sense, a tough broad. She loves Alaska, and that’s why she’s leaving office? It sounds like her constituents just got dumped. The "It’s not you, it’s me" line, never feels good now matter how sincerely it’s said.

In theory, it’s sweet that Palin consulted her kids on whether or not she should continue as Governor but the legal voting age is 18 for a reason. Unless they’re putting food on the family table, I don’t really see how their vote counts.

This decision seems a particularly feminine one. I doubt a male politician – short of being caught visiting a call girl – would willingly resign because he felt he could no longer do his job effectively or because he wanted to save tax payer money.

I’m also not sure how resigning, positions her for a run at national office. The first question will surely be, "You quit your last job. How do we know you’ll keep this one?" It’s mildly refreshing, however, that she said she doesn’t need a title to effect change. Usually we have to pry a title from a politician’s cold dead hand. I think we all half expected former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to barricade himself in the governor’s mansion post impeachment.

At the end of the month, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell will assume the Governorship. I hope Alaskans have better luck with their newly promoted lieutenant than we New Yorkers have had with ours.

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