From her statement to the press today:
If I have learned one thing: LIFE is about choices!And one chooses how to react to circumstances. You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people!
Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and "go with the flow".
Nah, only dead fish "go with the flow".
No. Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time... to BUILD UP.
And there is such a need to BUILD up and FIGHT for our state and our country. I choose to FIGHT for it! And I'll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and LIFE... I'll work for and campaign for those PROUD to be American, and those who are INSPIRED by our ideals and won't deride them.
I WILL support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the RIGHT reasons, and I don't care what party they're in or no party at all. Inside Alaska - or Outside Alaska.
But I won't do it from the Governor's desk.
I've never believed that I, nor anyone else, needs a title to do this - to make a difference... to HELP people. So I choose, for my State and my family, more "freedom" to progress, all the way around... so that Alaska may progress... I will not seek re-election as Governor.
And so as I thought about this announcement that I wouldn't run for re-election and what it means for Alaska, I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks... travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade - as so many politicians do. And then I thought - that's what's wrong - many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and "milk it". I'm not putting Alaska through that - I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! ? That's not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old "politics as usual." I promised that four years ago - and I meant it.
"...so I better run!"
Y'know what? All in all I think it's kind of a great little speech. Political suicide, presumably, and given her history I'd bet you ten bucks (following Josh Marshall here) that this is about cutting her reputation losses and getting out of the public spotlight before additional ethics investigations snow her under. (Plus that MacArthur quote is craaaaaazy.) But today I finally began to understand how people could go for this woman. She just doesn't sound anything like a politician.
Which is to say on one hand her aggressive willful parochialism and grotesque bigotry ensure that she's not actually qualified to run anything bigger than Wasilla, by the looks of it, and I wish those poor bastards something better than Sarah Palin's stewardship.
But on the other hand: well, she's one of a kind, huh? Weird to get so far and be so wholly without shame. Admirable, kind of.
(I'm being sarcastic, but not just that. I really do think it's all kinda neat! Scary but neat! Like an episode of Buffy but with much less coherent dialogue.)
At least Buffy has a reason to be narcissistic.
Posted by: William B | 04 July 2009 at 04:46 PM
I assume you've been reading the discussion re: Palin over at 538? Good stuff over there.
Posted by: MRhé | 06 July 2009 at 11:09 AM