By Staff
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is leaving politics – for now – the same way she arrived last summer – by surprising the media.
Palin announced her resignation effective July 26.
By leaving two years early is she positioning herself to campaign fulltime for 2012?
If she is, can she broaden her appeal beyond the religious right and its sermonizing about family values to a fiscally conservative message for all Americans concerned about the Obama administration's and Democratic Congress' breath-taking government expansion?
Or might she merely be fleeing the kitchen because she can't stand the scathing heat of criticism?
Democrats would just as soon assign the party's figurehead role to conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh to seal an image of the GOP as the decisive, reactionary, party of no.
The distracted media were busy crafting tribute shows for endless Michael Jackson coverage and couldn't say what this announcement out of left field meant, so characterized her as kooky damaged goods for calling a 17-minute press conference full of sports metaphors that raised more questions than she answered.
Never mind what it means for the Republican Party, clawing its way back from oblivion in the wake of the Ensign and Sanford scandals.
"Sarah Palin has always been an intensely independent woman – always true to her faith, her family and call to public service. She has taken vast numbers of Americans to a new place: politics without cynicism.
"And she has provided women with a new political role model," commented Team Sarah Co-Founder Marjorie Dannenfelser. "Her entrance onto the public stage has had an immensely positive effect, drawing in massive numbers of Americans new to the political process. We have every confidence she will have an equal and profound impact in whatever projects she undertakes now."
"Team Sarah members anxiously await Palin's next decision on how she believes she can best serve our nation. Since the 2008 election, the continual presence of personal attacks on both Gov. Palin and her family indicate that she remains a threat to the liberal feminist political establishment," said Team Sarah Co-Founder Jane Abraham. "Despite criticism, Gov. Palin's success will endure. Team Sarah's thousands of members remain as engaged as ever on TeamSarah.org. The governor has inspired millions, and her audience of enthusiastic support will only grow in the future."
Team Sarah is a coalition of Americans dedicated to advancing the values Sarah Palin represents in the political process. Its political networking Web site, www.teamsarah.org, has grown to more than 70,000 activists. Dannenfelser is president of the Susan B. Anthony List. Abraham is the organization's general chairman.
Palin is telegenic and more intelligent than David Letterman's comedy writers give her credit.
We certainly haven't heard the last of her.
She perhaps wasn't ready to be John McCain's running mate, but the seasoning she lacked can be learned.
Charisma can't.
Politics without cynicism.
That would surprise the media, too.