Perhaps she and First Dude are crazy enough to head up an attempt at secession?

Alaska and Texas join up in a "United States of We're Such Patriots that we Quit" ?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, y'all...! You betcha...!

Actually, I agree with Trudy B. "Girl Rush" is probably where she's headed; into a little world where you can put on lipstick and rip out throats in the name of "discourse"... She's a Church Lady after all and wants nothing more than to preach to the choir so she can have NO ONE disagree with her or CHALLENGE her...

Hope she does go to FOX... I don't watch or read them...

The NYT has already called her out on the wrong attribution on the quote, but doesn't "Douglas MacArthur" sound better than "Maj. Gen. Oliver Prince Smith"?

This August I think Palin will announce she is running against Lisa Murkowski for Murkowski's seat, which is up, I believe, in 2010.

-- mdargo

Murkowski is a Republican as well. Running for office would cost Palin money and resources and open her up to intense scrutiny again. She can speak across the globe and make millions as a private citizen. She can end the constant ankle biting at her everymove and take the fight directly to the left where most blue blood Republicans have been reluctant to do so.

The only way this makes any sense is if by resigning she is going to make a lot of money. So cui bono? Exxon-Mobil?

What a crock of s**t that Joan is spewing here. CNN and MSNBC are just as bad. I had no problem understanding her reasons for leaving and let the next Governor continue her agenda. Alaska will survive and don't be surprised how Sarah survives. To Be Continued.

is the standard defense of crypto-fascist Repubs who resent being subjected to things like the scrutiny of a free press, due process etc.: let's not think so much! Let's just storm ahead with both guns blazing, fueled by nothing but an arsenal of mossy platitudes about God and country (behind which I can do whatever I flipping please).

I'm betting she's jumping to try to dodge a very hard push.

I imagine Tina Fey and her old SNL pals must be lighting firecrackers in honor of Ms. Palin, for gifting them with a whole new season of material, you betcha!

There's another reason. Part of her past is coming back to haunt her. Specifically, her doctor's medical report, released only on the very eve of the election, stated clearly that her first-born child was "full term," which means 9 months plus or minus 2 weeks of gestation. Yet the lady's marriage, by an apparently hastily arranged elopement, took place only 8 months before this delivery. The conclusion is almost inescapable, namely, that the conception occurred before the wedding.

And yet, this is America's most prominent fundamentalist, anti-sex-education, anti-abortion, abstinence-promoting, holier-than-thou, "virtuous" political figure. Now shown to be an outrageous hypocrite as well.

Your letter gave me some laughs, well done.

For everybody (assuming people are reading almost 400 letters) Has anybody heard Trig being made fun of? I never have.

"@mogroith (with a star) -- I know real people speaking the truth are painful and it doesn't make much sense to you Communists but get used to it."

The star, I think, denotes me as a supporter of Salon, which I am, and am proud to be. People like Joan Walsh, Glenn Greenwald and others are doing good work, good journalism, and deserve to be supported. Besides, I don't like looking at ads. Speaking of real people, and how they speak, as opposed to us commie cyborgs (another faction of which I'm proud to be a member), who only speak in code, can you tell me what "You'll have to live with it just as we're forced to tolerate refugees from The Daley Thug Machine" means? Oh, I get it - Obama - black - refugee - Chicago - Daley. Is that right? And, "real people are speaking the truth are painful" to me only when they massacre the English language. I think you mean it's the truth, rather than the people, who are allegedly causing me pain, but that ain't what your sentence says. /someone'swrongontheinterwebsrant

I think if a professional astrologer had a look at Sarah's Palin's chart it would not be too hard to conclude that she has been experiencing some issues in her closest relationships, both personal and professional. Something good might come of this for her, but I have a feeling it is going to be pretty painful before that occurs. Might be a time to deal honestly with deception and old wounds rather than projecting a fantasy she has been doing for so long.

With all that she has going on with her family, I cannot imagine why she would want to remain in the public eye. I believe that we are going to find out all kinds of things about her partnerships before this is over. In a way, I feel sorry for her and that is saying a lot considering what I generally think about her behavior and political views...

I can't wait to see how Camille Paglia spins this one. It should be immensely entertaining.

I (pause to calm nausea) agree with Kristol..but I pray Mitchell is correct. I think Mrs Palin is stepping down to be given a cram course in all things American, by no less than Rove/Cheney/Gingrich - I hope McKinnon keeps his distance..There isn't enough time though - given she has to build a war chest .. I was thinking something was up with Trig - but can't be if she's throwing herself at a book tour and probable TV gig...

"My thought is that she would clearly have been a disaster had she advanced to VPOTUS."

A disaster for all of us. She didn't even know what the VP does!

"To imagine how she would be "more effective" outside government is difficult at best."

No, it isn't. You just have to understand what she means by "effective".

SP clearly has a message she wants Americans to hear and embrace. She clearly loves the bright lights, attention, and cheering crowds of "real Americans" (HER phrase, not mine!) who agree with her and hang on every word, wink and wish.

But as governor she can only get a limited amount of that sort of attention. So she's looking (and has almost certainly found) a new role that supplies that attention.

At the same time, there are clearly parts of her past and present that she wants kept quiet. Such as the AIP connection, the lack of education and experience, the bad decisions as mayor and governor, the number of days between the wedding and her first kid...

As governor she's subject to all sorts of disclosure requirements that do not apply to a private citizen.

Worst of all, "the media", or parts of it, have done quite a job revealing just what a mess she would make as VP. Or any other job. So she hates that part of the media, while simultaneously loving the part that gives her attention.

So a job in "the media" is the perfect out. She'll get to do lots of talking without all that boring governor's-office paperwork. She'll have a guaranteed amount of media exposure without people asking hard questions or disagreeing. She'll have people who make sure she looks good on camera, without having to answer for who funded for the clothes, hair, etc.

"I'm just not feeling any sense that we'll see her again on the political stage even though I'm certain we've not seen the last of her."

Expect to see MORE of her. On Fox, most probably.

btw, I bet the new gig pays a lot more and has a lot more perks and benefits.

"As for her "prayerful" decision to quit"

That's a standard boilerplate codeword; a shout-out to her backers.

Consider these two statements:

"I thought long and hard over the options, looked at all the facts, used rationality, reason and logic, and finally came to the following decision"

"I made a prayerful decision"

Which do you think her supporters prefer? In the first, it's just one person thinking; in the second, it's a way of saying "God told me to do this"

The whole business about "the troops", asking her kids (but not her husband!) about what to do, etc., is just more boilerplate codewords about family and flag. All that was lacking were some hot dogs and apple pie.

I mean, all that stuff about "the troops" is exactly backwards. The troops she claims to admire so much can't and won't quit! They have a sense of duty before all else, and take their oath extremely seriously. Where's HER commitment to HER oath?

"Now she's left, and one less insane, incoherent, and impractical voice in our collective ear is a good thing."

I suspect that voice isn't gone. It's just changed channels - literally. Expect to hear more of it, not less, you betcha.