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McCain–Palin campaign, 2008 Governorship of Alaska, 2006–2009 Early political career of Sarah Palin, 1992–2005 Political positions · Electoral history Public image · Saturday Night Live parodies Resignation of Sarah Palin Going Rogue: An American Life

Sarah Palin gives farewell speech at Fairbanks' Pioneer Park.

The resignation of Sarah Palin as Governor of Alaska was announced at a July 3, 2009 press conference and became effective on July 26. Sean Parnell, the lieutenant governor, took Palin's place as governor.^[1][2]

Reasons given for the resignation

Governor Palin said she was resigning her post due to the costs and distractions of battling the ethics investigations launched against her,^[3] describing as “insane” the amount of time and money that both she and the state had expended.^[4] The Anchorage Daily News reported that much of the $1.9 million cost cited by Palin consisted of the regular salaries of state employees who would have to be paid whether or not there were ethics complaints against Palin.^[5] Other media sources suggested that Palin herself incurred serious financial debts defending against the ethics charges.^[6]

A crowd estimated at 5,000 people gathered in Fairbanks' Pioneer Park to watch Palin turn over her office to Sean Parnell.

Palin also said she was resigning to avoid becoming an ineffective lame duck governor once it was known that she was not seeking a second term.^[4].

Palin declared that although she loved her job and it hurt to leave it, her decision was in the best interest of Alaska. She said that she expected to continue her involvement in public affairs as a private citizen, and that the lack of an official title would not bother her, nor would it hamper her effectiveness.^[4]

Palin officially stepped down as Alaska's governor on July 26, 2009. She delivered a fiery farewell address in which she admonished the media to leave the new governor's kids alone.^[7]

Reaction

The press conference announcing the resignation was at the Palins' lakefront home in Wasilla

Public opinion polls

A Rasmussen poll (published on July 7) found that Palin's approval by Republican voters had remained stable following her resignation announcement,^[8] while a USA Today/Gallup poll (published on July 8) found that her approval by Republican voters had increased slightly.^[9] A CBS poll (published July 13) indicated that 22% of all Americans and 33% of Republicans believed Palin has the ability to be an effective president.^[10] In a Gallup Poll (published on July 16) on potential Republican candidates for 2012, Palin came in second, behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.^[11]

Politicians and pundits

Response by politicians and pundits was mixed:

• David Frum, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush^[12] said: "Basically, quitting for the stated reason that you can't get anything done in your job and because you can't endure the criticism you're receiving and then cashing in, in order to make a lot of money is not a good resume with which to run for president of the United States."^[13]

• Republican Alaska State Representative Mike Hawker stated that quitting "gives her unfettered ability to pursue her economic interests, whether it be a book deal or speeches ... without being cluttered by state ethics law."^[14]

• Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, said she was "deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded."^[3]

• Former Alaska governor Tony Knowles said that "[s]he closed a chapter in Alaska politics on a very weird and bizarre note... Friends or foes alike would have never thought that she would be a quitter, but that's what she did today."^[15]

• Congressman Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, said: "I don't know of anyone who has successfully and voluntarily pulled themselves out of political office and been able to leverage that into more political success".^[16]

• National Review editor Rich Lowry said Palin had "plenty of time if (as I assume) she wants to run in 2012, and she obviously has plenty of capital with Republicans," but that her "terrible", "rambling" speech was "not an auspicious start."^[17]

• The New York Times' conservative columnist Ross Douthat noted that Palin is "young enough (and, yes, talented enough) to have a second act," and that it may have been her intent to go "off the political map for the duration of the Obama era".^[18]

• Republican political consultant Mary Matalin said that Palin's "brilliant" decision left her "freed up and liberated the way Mitt Romney is to raise money and get political chips".^[19]

• The Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol opined that the move "could be a shrewd one" because "she can do her book, give speeches, travel the country and the world, campaign for others, meet people, get more educated on the issues ... without being criticized for neglecting her duties in Alaska."^[20]

• Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said that if Palin "has any desire for a future, be it in politics, be it in media or whatever, she’s going to have to do it in the Lower 48. She cannot do it in Alaska .... All I know is that she is going to continue to fire-up people in the conservative Republican base as often as she speaks to ‘em."^[21]

• Levi Johnston, the father of Palin's first grandchild, speculated that Palin's resignation was due to new monetary possibilities and her own marital difficulties.^[22][23][24]

• Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura said: " if she's got plans of running for higher office, I would never vote for her, because if it gets too hot in the kitchen, she is liable to quit. ... I don't think she was put under any more scrutiny with the media than I was as an independent. My children were attacked in Minnesota. Everything I did was put under the microscope. But the point is, you don't quit. When you make an obligation and you take an oath, doesn't it mean anything anymore?"^[25][26][27]

Rumors

In the wake of Palin's announcement, rumors swirled that she was resigning because she was under criminal investigation. In response, Palin's personal attorney issued a strong statement threatening bloggers and news organizations with defamation lawsuits.^[28][29][30] The FBI categorically denied that they were either investigating or preparing to indict her.^[31]

Cost to taxpayers

Early estimates put the cost of Sarah Palin's midterm resignation as Alaska governor at a minimum of $40,000, not including a special legislative session partly linked to her departure. ^[32]

References

External links

• Video of Sarah Palin's announcement, July 3, 2009, CNN.
• Transcript of Sarah Palin's announcement, July 3, 2009, from Federal News Service.
• Sarah Palin Announces No Second Term: No Lame Duck Session Either Alaska Governor Executive Column
• Text of Sarah Palin's farewell speech, July 27, 2009, Huffington Post.

Sarah Palin Political office Early political career · Governor of Alaska · Resignation as Governor  · Political positions Campaigns Electoral history · Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006 · McCain-Palin 2008 Media coverage Public image and reception · Katie Couric interviews Family Todd Palin (husband) · Bristol Palin (daughter) · Levi Johnston (father of grandson) Books and other media Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down · Going Rogue: An American Life · Going Rouge: Sarah Palin An American Nightmare(a parody title of a book by opponents of Palin)  · Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime · Saturday Night Live parodies of Sarah Palin · Who's Nailin' Paylin? Related articles Alaska Public Safety Commissioner dismissal · Gravina Island Bridge · Sarah Palin email hack · The Masked Avengers' prank on Sarah Palin