
In what may be the oddest, most disjointed speech in political history, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she would resign from the governorship of Alaska after only 2 1/2 years into her term. Her reason? She doesn't want to be a lame duck governor.
What?
This doesn't make sense. Lots of politicians--governors AND presidents--become lame ducks, but they don't voluntarily resign. What's the real story behind this bizarre performance?
Is she leaving office to pursue more lucrative venues as a speaker? To give her story to a writer for a book deal? To host a teevee or radio show? No one knows for sure.
The only thing we do know is that she's a quitter. I thought she was known for her tenacity, her courage, her ability to stick it out. She was known as Sarah Barracuda! And she herself proclaimed that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull was lipstick!
And now she's running away?
I've got a bit of advice for the soon-to-be ex-Governor Sarah Palin: Look to Hillary Rodham Clinton if you need a role model for courage and tenacity.
Secretary Clinton was subjected to the worst possible personal attacks when she was FLOTUS. She was accused of murder, dealing drugs, marital infidelity, tax cheating, and every other sort of pernicious slander one can imagine. And on top of all that, she had to suffer public humiliation by her husband's deceit, and listen to John McCain and Rush Limbaugh insult and demean her 12-year old daughter's parentage and looks.
Mrs. Clinton didn't quit. She kept her dignity through it all and triumphed over all the cheap, crass, destructive lies and libels thrown at her and went on to become a respected Senator. She then ran for president in what was a very close race, and is now our Secretary of State.
This is how you come out on top. This is how you triumph over those who seek to destroy you and your reputation.
You don't quit. You fight the good fight, and you win.
Palin obviously doesn't have the fortitude to face down her critics nor does she have the guts to fight it out to the end and win, as did Hillary Clinton.
It's best we find this out now before Palin went any further in the political process.
That said, I believe she will run for the Republican nomination for president in the 2012, and she's looking for an easy way to do it without doing the hard work.
Criticism is part of being a politician--ask Hillary. Palin doesn't have what it takes to face it down and rise above it--she just announced this to the country.
We need courageous, tough winners for politician, not quitters.
As Vince Lombardi once said:
"Winners never quit, and quitters never win."




