Morning:
6°c
WORLD: Sarah Palin Palin leaves them guessing as she quits 18 months early
Ed Harris27 Jul 2009
Speculation was mounting today that Sarah Palin could launch a White House bid for 2012 after she stepped down as governor of Alaska 18 months early.
The colourful career of the former US vice-presidential candidate is entering a new phase after her surprise announcement this month.
Mrs Palin, who is dogged by ethics inquiries and legal bills, has remained coy about her ambitions, saying she wants to write a book and to build a R ight-of-centre coalition. But she left her long-term political plans unclear, and refused to address speculation that she would seek a presidential bid.
Her resignation pushed her popularity rating down to 40 per cent, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll, and 53 per cent gave her an unfavourable rating. Last summer, almost six in 10 Americans viewed her positively.
In a fiery speech yesterday, Mrs Palin said she was stepping down to take her political battles to a larger — if still unspecified — stage to avoid “lame duck” status as governor in the face of continued legal action.
She told a crowd of 5,000 at Fairbanks, Alaska: “With this decision, now, I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right, and for truth. And I have never felt that you need a title to do that.”
Mrs Palin will try to carve out a role as the voice of the Republican Party. Her first act as a private citizen will be a speech next month at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
She also wants to campaign for political candidates from coast to coast, and continue to speak her mind on the social networking site Twitter, one of her preferred ways to contact supporters.
She used her farewell speech to attack the media, saying her replacement, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell “has a very nice family too, so leave his kids alone”. Reports also say Mrs Palin is working on an autobiography and could host a television chat show or launch a speaking career.
Her political action committee, SarahPAC, has raised more than $1 million (£600,000) to fund any of those options.
Meghan Stapleton, a spokeswoman for the committee and the Palin family, said the former governor was still deciding what her future will be and added “there is absolutely no plan”.
Reader views (9)
Obama is the US president Mark and I think his election got enough coverage for the whole world to know that. As for Sarah Palin,the less said the better. Maybe she got carried away by the McCain campaign but I can see a fifty state Obama Landslide in 2012 if she were the Republican candidate.
- Michael Riley, London, 28/07/2009 08:38
Report abuse
Big job waiting for her at Murdoch's Fox news. She should fit in nicely with Riley and all the other right wing rednecks.
- James, Manchester England, 27/07/2009 21:47
Report abuse
The rare politician that quits early should actually be cheered. If more of them would be happy with just one term, there might be some light at the end of the dark tunnel.
Instead, upon first election the typical pol immediately begins plotting how to remain in office for life. The system is built to keep the incompetent and corrupt IN office.
- Trunk, US, 27/07/2009 17:24
Report abuse
The untold story is that she was systematically targeted by a series of lawsuits relating to her duties as Governor of Alaska and she had to fund these lawyers fees out of her own funds. She is not wealthy and would have been bankrupted. The Left set out on a witch hunt funded by certain elements of the Democratic Party establishment aimed at discrediting her. They failed despite 20 different lawsuits but of course she had to pay her own legal fees. The rumours are more likely that she has been offered her own talk show and a book deal which will allow her to recoup her losses and consider her political options. Few in the USA think she is a credible Presidential candidate.
- James Macleod Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove, 27/07/2009 15:21
Report abuse
I'm astonished that she's *allowed* to quit eighteen months early for no clear reason. She was elected to serve a full term, and that's what she should have done, lame duck or not. Or if she's jumping before she is pushed, shouldn't her electorate get to find out the reasons for that in full?
- Nigel, London, 27/07/2009 13:12
Report abuse
does anyone know who is the current president of usa?
- Mark Armstrong, london. uk, 27/07/2009 12:28
Report abuse
The resignation ceremony itself was dignified yet highly emotional.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/sarah-palin-abdicates-hands-over-regalia/
- Mike Licht, Washington DC USA, 27/07/2009 12:17
Report abuse
Please let her stay away from politics, the woman has the delicacy of a bulldozer combined with the IQ of a gerbil, even Bush seems tame by comparison.
- Bob, Cheam, 27/07/2009 10:21
Report abuse
I thought Bush was an idiot but this women would take some beating!
- Mark, South-East London, 27/07/2009 08:57
Report abuse
