It's the Money, Stupid!

Sarah Palin announced her resignation from the governorship of Alaska just before the start of the holiday weekend. She will be leaving office 18 months early. From her prepared statement at the press conference where she made the announcement, it was not immediately apparent what her rationale was. The FBI has already issued a statement saying that Governor Palin was not the subject of any investigations, so a scandal concerning illegalities is a pretty remote prospect.

I can only come up with two possibilities.

First, she is leaving office in order to launch a full time bid for the Presidency. Alaska is too small a state, and too far away from the lower 48 to build a power base for a national office. To campaign effectively at teh national level, she will need to work full time, and relocate her base of operations.

If this is her reasoning, it is a dumb idea. Palin did so badly as a Vice-presidential candidate that her chances of winning the nomination were minimal to start with. You don't enhance your credentials for a higher office by quitting the lower office you currently hold.

Second, she has decided to hit the speaker circuit full time. Sarah Palin is a darling of the right, particularly the social conservatives who comprise so much of the base for the Republican party. Unencumbered by the demands and limits of holding office, she will be free to accept several engagements a week, exhorting the faithful at $30 thousand a pop.

To my mind, mercenary that I am, this seems a more plausible plan. After all, being a governor probably pays a couple hundred grand a year. She can make ten times that amount by using her celebrity. And once you've seen the bright lights of the big city, moving back to Fairbanks has got to be a big letdown.

Cashing in your chips while you've got the chance: it's the American Way, isn't it? Besides, she has all those mouths to feed!