The Palin resignation: What gives?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Needless to say, we'll have a lot to say about Sarah Palin and her resignation today and in the days (and perhaps weeks and months) to come.

Stay tuned. (I'm out this evening, but I'll have something to say later.)

For now, check out Capt. Fogg's post below, as well as all the reaction over at Memeorandum.

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Okay, one quick comment:

It's interesting, I think, that she didn't take questions following her announcement this afternoon. (She doesn't do well with questions generally, I know, but she was back home in Wasilla.)

She claims that she doesn't want to be a lame duck. Fair enough. But what is the next step for her?

-- Senate in '10? (Would she challenge incumbent Lisa Murkowski, a fellow Republican from a big-time Alaska political family?)

-- President in '12? (Could she really be a serious candidate, even with her popularity with the base?)

Questions, questions. As of right now, not much of us know anything firm. I'm sure much more will come out as the story unfolds.

One can always hope for some naughty scandal, but I suspect that's not the case here. And I suspect this isn't, as some are suggesting, the end of her political career. Whatever else she is, she's ambitious -- not to mention full of herself -- and she's certainly looking beyond Juneau to Washington.

What I think is that she's come to believe all the right-wing talk about how great and wonderful she is -- from the likes of Bill Kristol, as well as from Dear Leader Rush and the movement conservatives.

It could very well be that Alaska is simply too small for her now. Don't get me wrong, she's still a parochial fool. I don't think she's become some sort of genuinely national leader, or that she really has grown beyond Alaska. But, clearly, her ambitions have outgrown Alaska, and, after her sudden rise to the big time last year, and with the talk ongoing about her potential, she may just not want to govern a relatively small and insignificant state anymore.

But we'll see. A Senate run would make sense, but it would be risky. And, beyond that, a presidential run could flare up and flame out pretty quickly. She's popular, yes, but I'm just not sure establishment Republicans will ever back her enough to put her over the top.

More later.