Palin: AWOL on leadership

[MrViews90]

Sarah Palin resigned from the governorship after only 2 and a half years as governor of Alaska. Once again, she has proven she is AWOL on leadership. She claims to have opposed the bridge to nowhere. That was after she supported it. She claims to be a tax cutter. Thats after she raised taxes as mayor of a small town, and increased taxes on oil to give it back to the taxpayers. She claims to be fiscally conservative, but she has a record of fighting for spending increases. During last year's campaign, Palin claimed to be a fighter. However, now she has quit her job. Palin's move proves she is power hungry and can't handle the pressures of governor. Many people on this forum believe Palin should run for president. If so, should she resign after only 2 and a half years in office? If so, should she run on one thing and govern the other way?

Now, let me respond to all the attacks I'm about to encounter:

1. Save your links about Palin cutting taxes, I know she did. She also raised taxes. Point is, she isn't any more conservative than the next republican on taxes.

2. I already know about the contract between the oil companies and the people of Alaska.

3. I also know that some of Palin's tax increases were approved by the voters. I'll give her half a pass on that

4. Calling me liberal doesn't mean its true

[CWolf]

I think it's mostly because she can't possibly remain in the spotlight all the way up in Alaska.
If she disappears for 2 years, she probably can't run for president. It was either this, or just live in the greater 48 and not worry about governing.

*That* would be going AWOL on leadership.

[Fantasy Chaser]

Sarah Palin resigned from the governorship after only 2 and a half years as governor of Alaska. Once again, she has proven she is AWOL on leadership. She claims to have opposed the bridge to nowhere. That was after she supported it. She claims to be a tax cutter. Thats after she raised taxes as mayor of a small town, and increased taxes on oil to give it back to the taxpayers. She claims to be fiscally conservative, but she has a record of fighting for spending increases. During last year's campaign, Palin claimed to be a fighter. However, now she has quit her job. Palin's move proves she is power hungry and can't handle the pressures of governor. Many people on this forum believe Palin should run for president. If so, should she resign after only 2 and a half years in office? If so, should she run on one thing and govern the other way?

Now, let me respond to all the attacks I'm about to encounter:

1. Save your links about Palin cutting taxes, I know she did. She also raised taxes. Point is, she isn't any more conservative than the next republican on taxes.

2. I already know about the contract between the oil companies and the people of Alaska.

3. I also know that some of Palin's tax increases were approved by the voters. I'll give her half a pass on that

4. Calling me liberal doesn't mean its true

Oh STFU with the stupid Palin-bashing stuck record.

[ping]

Sarah Palin resigned from the governorship after only 2 and a half years as governor of Alaska. Once again, she has proven she is AWOL on leadership. She claims to have opposed the bridge to nowhere. That was after she supported it. She claims to be a tax cutter. Thats after she raised taxes as mayor of a small town, and increased taxes on oil to give it back to the taxpayers. She claims to be fiscally conservative, but she has a record of fighting for spending increases. During last year's campaign, Palin claimed to be a fighter. However, now she has quit her job. Palin's move proves she is power hungry and can't handle the pressures of governor. Many people on this forum believe Palin should run for president. If so, should she resign after only 2 and a half years in office? If so, should she run on one thing and govern the other way?

Now, let me respond to all the attacks I'm about to encounter:

1. Save your links about Palin cutting taxes, I know she did. She also raised taxes. Point is, she isn't any more conservative than the next republican on taxes.

2. I already know about the contract between the oil companies and the people of Alaska.

3. I also know that some of Palin's tax increases were approved by the voters. I'll give her half a pass on that

4. Calling me liberal doesn't mean its true

LIBERAL!!

Seriously, Palin is old news.

[MrViews90]

Oh STFU with the stupid Palin-bashing stuck record.

I'm just stating facts, there is no reason to get angry. You like Palin, I get it. Every politician has negatives. Mitt Romney flip-flopped, Tom Ridge is pro-choice, Condi Rice spoke with the palestinians, Sussan Collins is a moderate, Mike Huckabee gave benefits to the children of illegals, John McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts twice.

Heck, even Regan gave amnesty to illegals. I think Regan did a good job, but the point is, everyone has negatives. By telling me to "STFU", your just as bad as the media. The media doesn't tell the entire story. Neither is Palin. They are both at fault. McCain was the true victim of the media in last year's election. They loved him in 2000 when he ran as a maverick, but as soon as he supports the war in Iraq, its to hell with him. The media also fed the idea that McCain supported amnesty for illegals. McCain's bill DID have a guest worker program, but no amnesty. So, Palin wasn't the victim of the media, it was McCain.

[Fantasy Chaser]

I'm just stating facts, there is no reason to get angry. You like Palin, I get it. Every politician has negatives. Mitt Romney flip-flopped, Tom Ridge is pro-choice, Condi Rice spoke with the palestinians, Sussan Collins is a moderate, Mike Huckabee gave benefits to the children of illegals, John McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts twice.

Heck, even Regan gave amnesty to illegals. I think Regan did a good job, but the point is, everyone has negatives. By telling me to "STFU", your just as bad as the media. The media doesn't tell the entire story. Neither is Palin. They are both at fault. McCain was the true victim of the media in last year's election. They loved him in 2000 when he ran as a maverick, but as soon as he supports the war in Iraq, its to hell with him. The media also fed the idea that McCain supported amnesty for illegals. McCain's bill DID have a guest worker program, but no amnesty. So, Palin wasn't the victim of the media, it was McCain.

You, on the other hand, don't like Palin, and you spin like a top to make a case for not liking her.

[tperkins2009]

Why not ask yourself WHY both sides were after her so badly. Maybe because she would not have played ball as usual with them. Why was so much effort put into ruining her? Just how dangerous could one little lady Governor from just about the farthest removed state of the union be?

[Susanna]

Why not ask yourself WHY both sides were after her so badly. Maybe because she would not have played ball as usual with them. Why was so much effort put into ruining her? Just how dangerous could one little lady Governor from just about the farthest removed state of the union be?

She's dangerous to the left and the "moderates," because she represents what most responsible Americans stand for.

[Blackwell]

If they ain't bashin' Palin, they're bashing Bush. If they ain't bashing Bush, they're bashing Reagan. Jeez Louise, why not bash the obvious? Like the moron-in-chief who is going to tax everyone into poverty so he can bail out his liberal buddies!

It's easy to talk bad behind someone's back. That's the coward's way. All of these media morons who insist on attacking Palin and calling her a coward, quitter and so forth, I think they will be suprised in 2012.

[mborgia]

Realistically, continuing to serve as Governor can only be a liability to her for two reasons.

First, it opens her up to continued attack from paid bloggers working for the DNC in Alaska. This is where most of the bogus ethics complaints are coming from. But clearing her of all the charges has cost the state more than two million dollars and Palin herself has a half million dollars in legal bills. Remaining governor leaves her perpetually on defense against a rabid national liberal media. Resigning deprives them of this avenue of attack.

Secondly, the governorship itself is a liability to her. In two and a half years, her record of achievement far exceed most governors who have served two full terms. Her executive resume already stood head and shoulders above all three of the other principles on the 2008 ballot. She has balanced three budgets and was one of only four governors this year not to have to close a budget gap. She has been a net tax cutter (though some fees and taxes were raised as Mr. Views 90 states, they are more than offset by her cuts). Her state's economy is among the strongest in the union. She has a major foreign policy triumph in the Alaska-Chicago natural gas pipeline. She got this done when her four most recent (more experienced) predecessors have failed. She went into the capital and cleaned out the boys club, setting the tone that men like Bobby Jindal have taken into their governorships and that men like Chris Christie will follow if he becomes governor. For Palin, having just hit a royal political flush with her elevation to the Republican Vice Presidential nomination, it was time to cash in because it can only go down hill from here.

That said, her decision confuses and disappoints me a bit. I would have preferred to see her win the re-election she so richly deserves, but Governor Palin has decided to cash her chips in while the stack is high. This will make her most vulnerable in the primary. As an avenue of attack for the Democrats, its a non-starter, since Barack Obama also abandoned his job without finishing his term. In fact one could fairly argue he never started it, having been running for president from the moment he arrived.