Palin Resigns as Governor of Alaska

UPDATE: Moving this to the top of the page for a bit. New commentary below.

CNN: "Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska's chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010."

[Transcript below.]
My quick and immediate thoughts: The framing here is laughable. First of all, not all second-term executives are lame ducks from the get-go. Many governors (and presidents) remain effective long into their second terms, so the idea that Palin is doing the people of Alaska some kind of favor by not serving a second term is merely an unflattering commentary on her own talents, dedication, and efficacy—not the courageous statement of a universal political truth, as she'd have us believe.

Secondly, not finishing her term isn't doing Alaskans any favors, either. It's merely a strategy to effectively create a Republican incumbent where there would be none if she finished our her term.

That this is a self-serving maneuver is manifestly obvious; she is departing her office in Alaska because she's too far away from the national stage where is where she wants to be ever since getting a taste as the veep candidate in the last election. She can't easily make herself available to give crappy speeches to anti-choicers in the heartland when she's immersed in the day-to-day of running Alaska in the hell-and-gone.

I understand her thinking, but the problem is that she needs to make herself more popular with the party leadership and conservative think-tankers, i.e. "In the aftermath of the November election, the conventional wisdom among Palin's supporters in the Republican establishment was that she should go home, keep her head down, show that she could govern effectively, and quietly educate herself about foreign and domestic policy with the help of a cadre of experienced advisers. She has done none of this."

At best, whatever she's got planned is likely to increase her popularity only among those with whom she's already popular. They're not enough to win an election.

Steve has more on this angle.

TRANSCRIPT: As I thought about this announcement, that I wouldn't run for re-election, and what that means for Alaska, I thought about, well, how much fun some governors have as lame ducks. They maybe travel around their state, travel to other states, maybe take their overseas international trade missions, so many politicians do that, and then I thought: That's what's wrong—many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit the road, they draw a paycheck, and they kinda milk it? And I'm not gonna put Alaskans through that.

I promised efficiencies and effectiveness. That's not how I'm wired. I'm not wired to operate under the same old politics as usual. I promised that four years ago, and I meant it. That's not what is best for Alaska at this time. I'm determined to take the right path for Alaska, even though it is unconventional, and it's not so comfortable.

With this announcement, that I'm not seeking re-election, I've determined it's best to transfer the authority of governor to Lieutenant Governor Parnell, and I am willing to do this, so that this administration, with its positive agenda and its accomplishments and its successful road to an incredible future for Alaska, so that it can continue, without interruption and with great administrative and legislative success.

My choice is to take a stand and effect change and not just hit our head against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new political environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities, and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans.