I am inclined to believe Andrea Mitchell’s reporting from yesterday afternoon — that Sarah Palin is out of politics for good. That’s the only reasonable explanation for what she’s done. It is very difficult to accept the notion that this is being done to further some long-term strategy.
If Palin is resigning because of the pressure that public life and the endless, frivolous complaints have put on her and her family, that’s respectable. If she’s stepping down to avoid an impending scandal, then it’s understandable.
If Sarah Palin thinks she can quit less than three years into her governorship in order to run for president, that’s just crazy. Whatever other benefits this move brings, it means that she will probably never hold elected office again. And Palin probably understands this. Her announcement was carefully timed for a news-dump day and hour, for a weekend when no one will be watching the Sunday political shows.
