If You Can't Stand The Heat

Today I am shedding some "lyte" on perseverance.  On Friday, Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, announced her decision to become the former Governor of Alaska in ten days.  She gave her two week notice.

Now, it is unusual in the least for an elected official to resign out of blue.  Often the catalyst is scandal.  There were rumors that Palin was being investigated by the federal government.  That she might be pregnant.  That another affair was about to be revealed.

But so far, it looks like none of those compelling stories are the reason for her quitting.  She quit because she wanted to.  Nothing more, and nothing less.  In her disjointed press conference, she talked about being a point guard under a full court press.  I don't think she even intended the pun.

I played basketball in high school.  I was a point guard, and never did my coach tell me to just set the ball down and leave the court.  Quitting is not an effective way to defeat a full court press.  And I find it amusing that a person that decided to run for a national office is surprised and dismayed to find themselves and their family being subjected to intense and uncomfortable public scrutiny.  Apparently the 24/7 news cycle doesn't exist in Alaska.

We should be thankful that she wasn't elected vice president.  What if something happened to McCain and she attained the highest office in the land?  And things didn't go her way?  Hey, I know being a lame duck isn't fun.  But she ran for the position.  It wasn't forced upon her at gun point.

I think Palin got a taste of the national spotlight and doesn't care to play politics in the backwaters of Alaska anymore.  It is no fun being governor when your state sees its revenues drop, your legislature hates you, and David Letterman is saying mean things about your family.  She only likes to be a winner.  She doesn't want to have to work, or make hard decisions, or compromise.  She is Sarah Palin, and she is going to do the mavericky thing.  She is going to quit.  She sees a vacancy at the head of the Republican party and she is just the girl to fill it.  You betcha.

So what is next for her?  A book tour, some speaking engagements, maybe a world tour and then a presidential run.  She couldn't stand the heat, so she is going back to her kitchen.  For now.  I am just thankful that she took the news cycle from Michael Jackson for a few hours.