Speculative ‘to and fro’ regarding Palin’s future prospects aside, the above was perhaps the most lucid point in this thread.

Obama was elected to another office. Some would call it an electoral promotion. Unfortunately, it is common practice in this nation to tolerate elected officials running for another elected office while serving their current term. I suppose it is fair because every incumbent would be in a predicament if you couldn’t run for office while seated in an elected office. I don’t like it, but it is common practice.

I would have a problem with Endressen trying for another elected office when she didn’t finish her term as county commissioner.

As for Palin, she may have aspirations for future office. She has certainly been posturing as if that is the case. I believe that quitting with 18 months of her term left prompts some legitimate criticism.

Now, I say this and I’m a fan of Sarah Palin. Would it cause ME to vote for Barack Obama instead of Sarah Palin? Not likely, because other issues would outweigh that issue to me. It might sway my decision in the primary, though, if I’m asked to make a choice between…say Romney or Palin. And it will certainly hurt her ability to sway those who are further to the middle or left of center than I am. Thus, she is shooting herself in the foot if she has aspirations for future elected office. Both within her known support base and the middle where she would need to pull in order to get elected.

Regards,
Kathryn Simpson

I suspect that Sarah Palin is fully aware that she is not in a fair fight. This is not a country where our politicians can freely discuss the issues and work out advantageous solutions. It is a country where the press is so one sided that only politicians with liberal points of view are allowed true freedom of expression, while conservatives are shut down, not by debate and discussion, but by attacks and lies. The one network that doesn’t tow the leftist party line is also attacked. NOT praised for providing a healthy alternative, but mocked for being one-sided.

I just read an interesting quote out of Pravda, Yes, the Russian news agency. American capitalism gone with a whimperThere are real issues to be spending our collective political intellect on, and it is not on Palin’s poor family.

My greatest hope for Sarah Palin is that she has set her sights, somehow, on reforming the way our country does politics. How refreshing it would be to see both sides of the political debate get a fair chance to state their cases and not have a press that is so obviously and unashamedly in one camp.

We have a president who didn’t follow your recommendations into office either…somehow he was elected with little experience for the job.

You are a smooth writer and make good points – but the folks who follow your guidelines usually follow someone else – they don’t lead. in my opinion.
Sarah Palin did what she believed best for her state and put her state ahead of doing what other people expected her to do.

I don’t consider hanging on to a job no matter how harmful it might be to the office, commendable. News reports have been full of politicians hanging on in spite of wrongdoing…they are doing as most here suggest, completing their term.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments – you have a nice writing style, but I disagree with the content.
Sarah Palin has only begun her service to this country, as I see it. She is an endurance swimmer…
Sharon O’Hara

I appreciate your point of view. I am thinking carefully about your suggestion that it is “politics as usual” that I’m essentially advocating. That is not my intention. Is “politics as usual” equivalent to experience, insight, and knowledge? Is an understanding of the layers of motives and meanings behind the language and actions of our competitors, friends and enemies around the world, and being able to wisely determine, along with cabinet and congress the best course of action, “politics as usual”? Is possessing knowledge of world politics and economics not a good thing for the President who commands the enormous might of the US military? Is being allowed to gradually develop the thickness of skin to not take personally nasty, callous, deliberate or indifferent insults and judgments by the press, by constituents, or by colleagues, rising above their words to calmly and dispassionately make the best decision with a view to the long term, is that “politics as usual”? I think of it as a maturing process, of gaining experience, not of a polluting process. It’s like any professional gaining necessary experience. What they do with that experience is determinative.

To me, politics as usual is political self interest over the national interest. It is being manipulative as opposed to being strategic. Compromise can be recognition of and respect for the diversity of opinion and values in a democracy or it can be lack of character.

I merely think that Gov. Palin could have eased into things a bit more gradually and in doing so, have had a chance to take life and its lessons in a more reasonable dose. Instead Gov. Palin seems to have found herself in the deepest end of the pool and out of breath, instead of athletically and gracefully doing her laps.

I give you that background because, in my view, Palin just blew it. It’s all over for her. This is a total screw up on her part. You can’t do this kind of thing and get away with it. I’m extremely disappointed and I’m afraid I have to write her off. Too bad, but bye bye.

Haven’t the politics as usual crowd done enough damage to our country? You make good points for the current standard for politicians and they are exactly how this country got into the mess it is in – the same old ‘politics as usual.’

It is time to look toward fresh ideas …not the seasoned and smooth politicians you advocate. They have led us into financial ruin and overall loss of personal accountability – for starters.
Sharon O’Hara

Well said.

in some ways, I think you are right. However, I disagree strongly with Palin’s decision because she wasn’t in a job. She ran for a four year term and was elected to serve that term. Stepping aside because some radicals are attempting interference only incitest
those radicals to persist in their methods. She has ceded 30% of her term and that is a victory for them, not Palin or her ideals.

In my mind, Palin has ceded the liberty of the voters in Alaska. It would be a different matter entirely if Palin had done something wrong a violated the public trust. That merits resignation to restore public trust. But she is superceding the choice made at the ballot box. That bothers me. Alot!

Regards,
Kathryn Simpson