Sarah Palin greets some of the several thousand people who attended a goodbye picnic for her on Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska. Her plans after leaving the governorship with 18 months left in her term are unclear. (By Al Grillo -- Associated Press
Challenges Await as Republican Leaves Alaska's Top Job
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sarah Palin brought a tumultuous chapter of her life to a close on Sunday, voluntarily relinquishing power as governor of Alaska after a rise and fall almost unprecedented in modern politics.
She exited office in classic Palin style, with folksy picnics at which she bade farewell to her constituents, and with a running series of Twitter reports as she traversed the vast state. In one posted Saturday en route to Fairbanks, she wrote, "We remember all of AK is big/wild/good life; feel freedom here."
It may be that, after 11 difficult months in the spotlight, Palin longs to feel some of that freedom she wrote about Saturday. But does she have a second act in her repertoire?
"Palin Year One was the introduction of a persona, and the construction (and destruction) of legend around it," Tucker Eskew, a senior adviser to the Republican during her 2008 vice presidential bid, wrote in an e-mail Sunday. "I think she believes in an America of limitless possibility, so let's see. Year Two and beyond will be defined by her capacity for reinvention.
"Substantive second acts in American politics are reserved for those who stake a claim and defend it," Eskew added. "By resigning, she limits her chances for public office and expands her chances for personal good fortune. Somewhere in between public office and personal standing lies her apparent -- but elusive -- goal of influence."
Whether her ultimate goal now is to seek the presidency in 2012 or later is not known. Those who have some insight into her frame of mind believe she departs elected office without a real plan to make that happen -- or even a plan for what to do with the next six months of her life.
Palin left office about 18 months before the end of her term. In her farewell speech, she lashed out at the media, which she accused of "making things up," and warned about encroachments from big government in Washington. "Be wary of accepting government largess," she said. "It doesn't come free, and often accepting it takes away everything that is free." But she said nothing about her plans.
0 comments:
Post a Comment