Sarah Palin Resigning? Say What?

Shocking news...Sarah Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska, a post to which she was elected in 2006. Her early departure means she won't even have served ONE full term.

Palin's explanation is that she had decided not to seek reelection, and therefore didn't want to finish out her term as a "lame duck."

I'm sorry, but that's not a good enough reason. Governors (like other public officials) are elected to specific terms of office - one term at a time. Sarah Palin is of course under no obligation to seek a second term, but she most certainly is under an obligation to complete the term to which she was elected, unless there's a very good reason to leave prematurely.

The "inside story" is that Palin is leaving the governorship to prepare for her likely attempt at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. If so, this is a bad call on her part. By prematurely resigning from one position to seek a higher position, she undercuts her credibility and image. Far better for her to finish her term and then focus on her next goal.

But even IF she was to end her service prematurely, she's got plenty of time. Why not serve another year - and then resign in the summer of 2010??

The Democrats frankly have a point in calling this "erratic behavior," unless.....

Could there be more to this story? We'll have to stay tuned to find out. I sure hope this is just bad judgment on Palin's part. The GOP can't afford another scandal.

Those that know me know that I'm fond of Sarah Palin. I think she's been an energetic breath of fresh air to the Republican Party, even though she's come off as a bit too amateurish in certain interviews and is reportedly difficult to work with (at least for some people). But I can forgive those things, as long as the person in question shows good judgment and character. This decision calls at least the former into question, and possibly the latter.

And that's a shame. I want nothing more than to speak favorably about Palin, but I just can't bring myself to do so in this situation. Sorry.