Abandon Ship!
Boy, the Corner is a treasure trove today. I noted Rich Lowry’s assessment in a thread. But it’s not just him. The vultures are well and truly out. Lashing out for the disastrous veep run a bit late, I suppose.
Dana Perino (God help me, I’ve missed her):
If Sarah Palin was trying to make news today, she had odd timing. At a time when Farah Fawcett and Ed McMahon’s deaths paled — almost as much as another recently departed celebrity’s skin — into insignificance, perhaps she hoped her resignation on a holiday Friday would pass unnoticed. But that isn’t really her style, which makes today’s abrupt announcement seem more like a whim — a characteristic her detractors worried about during the campaign.
But… a minority view from (hoo boy) Bill Kristol:
All in all, it’s going to be a high-wire act. The odds are against her pulling it off. But I wouldn’t bet against it.
Wait — Bill thinks this possibly is a good move? Well, that seals it. Nice knowing ya, Sarah Plain and Dumb.
More Corner goodness, post-jump.
No way around it. She has just labeled herself a “quitter.” Someone who doesn’t finish what she started. What in the world is wrong with Republican governors? One self-absorbed politician after the next. Governors: “It’s not all about you!”
The title of that last Geraghty post is “Steve Schmidt wins.” I note that only because a smart, pro-life, conservative said to me earlier today after listening to the Palin statement: “this statement is bizarre — is she trying to prove Steve Schmidt right or something?!”
What else are they going to say?
They pinned their hopes and their dreams and their sexual fantasies on her. Now? It’s all messy pile of ash.
It’s kinda too late to abandon a ship that’s spectacularly blew up in such a public and for the record manner.
“The gubernatorial cheese has slipped off the cracker.” Taegan Goddard on political wire.
@redmanlaw: And Taegan (who was MIA much of the afternoon) quotes Charlie Cook running a less-silly Kristol angle.
The underlying premise apparently being that Sarah Palin is a brilliant political strategist — much like Geezer proclaiming “We have them where we want them!” once he was behind.
But really: What could be so bad that she would be forced to resign from office? Everyone’s guessing indictment, but that didn’t stop Blago for months. I think we’re still in the trail-hiking portion of this, and the real news will Blow. Our. Minds.
Competition for the 2009 Stinque Award for Best Republican Flame-Out is going to be fierce.
nojo: To be serious, you have to time your flame out at the end of the year, so that it’s fresh in the minds of judges. Strategic timing FAIL.
(P.S.: Do not go with 10 nominees. That’d be super lame. Five is just fine.)
@chicago bureau: Damn. Beat me to the ten noms gag.
@chicago bureau: Although we may need to add a Political Suicide Montage.
Missed one. Rich “Starbursts” Lowry:
I think I have pretty well-established credentials when it comes to being charmed by Sarah Palin, but that statement, as a statement, was simply terrible. Rambling and not at all persuasive as an argument for her decision. More Gibson/Couric than GOP convention speech.
Ah, The Speech. Written before she was chosen, updated like a Wikipedia entry to accommodate her selection. It had nothing to do with her. All she demonstrated that night was her effectiveness reading off a teleprompter. Every time she went off-script, she was (and is) a disaster.
There was never any there there. The only question last fall was how soon the voting public would notice.
Bill thinks this possibly is a good move? Well, that seals it.
Yeah, Kristol’s approval is the unintentional kiss-of-death for any project, venture or goal. Palin is toast.
nojo: Dude — reading is fundamental:
Boy, the Corner is a treasure trove today. I noted Rich Lowry’s assessment in a thread.
So we’re even. Love you.
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