Palin links resignation to 'higher calling'

A{ via Yahoo News ^ | 7/4/2009

[GVnana]

JUNEAU, Alaska – Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines.

A day after surprising even her closest friends by announcing she would step down as Alaska governor more than a year before her term was up, the controversial hockey mom was still keeping details of her future plans under wrap. But in a statement posted on Palin's Facebook account, she suggested that she had bigger plans and a national agenda she planned to push after she resigns at the end of the month.

"I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint," she said.

Palin also cast herself as a victim and blasted the media, calling the response to her announcement "predictable" and out of touch.

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country," the statement said. "And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make."

Palin's personal spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, confirmed to The Associated Press that the Facebook posting was written by the governor.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Maybe they are reading from the Blogosphere:

The brilliant strategery of Sarah Palin

****************************EXCERPT**********************

Posted on 07/04/2009 06:22 am by kagranju

I’ve decided today that Sarah Palin is sort of a genius.

Unless the real reason she’s stepping down is that the National Enquirer is about to publish a cover story revealing that she’s actually a man who became a woman to escape his history as a Sandinista guerilla fighter, her resignation is flat-out brilliant. It’s certainly possible that she’s leaving her post in advance of some big, ugly, serious scandal becoming public, but I suspect not. And if not, then she’s made the best political move I can imagine in her plan to run for president in 2012.

Whenever I make a big decision, or help someone else make a decision, I always ask this question first, “what’s the downside?” If we ask that question about Sarah Palin’s decision to resign, there really isn’t one of any consequence. Sure, some (not all) Alaskans will be irritated. And some Americans will consider her a quitter. But as Palin begins to build her national organization in earnest, the pissy Alaskans will be equivalent to a few political gnats, and the folks in the lower 48 who will express their disapproval of her resignation don’t like Palin anyway, no matter what she does.

So those are the negatives. If there is any other downside, I am not seeing it. And of course, we Americans have a short attention span, and the “quitter” label just won’t carry any weight within a year, particularly since Palin is now an iconic figure who transcends any single action she takes.. Given who she is, and the passions she stirs in people, the relatively dull, bureaucratic fact that she decided to leave office early really won’t factor in the grand scheme of the Palin narrative

So what are the benefits to Palin? They are huge. First of all, her resignation offers the very basic positive of immediately freeing her from the ethical and logistical constraints that come with her office; as givernor, she can’t leave Alaska too often. She can’t raise money as easily. She has to deal with day to day tasks of actually governing, and she has to face the press scrutiny that comes with being a high-profile, sitting public official.

So Palin resigns yesterday, pointing to the truly unprecedented way she continues to be trashed in the media. She frames it as “best for Alaskans,” saying that the press has essentially driven her from office, and noting that she’s doing the honorable thing by walking away so that Alaskan government can regain some sense of peace and normalcy. Plus, even as she claims that her family’s privacy continues to be violated, she explicitly reminds us that her toddler has Down Syndrome, and she gets Good Mother points by saying she needs to spend more time with him.

Both the suggestion that she’s basically been forced out of office by the liberal media, and her stated plan to be some version of the saintly stay-at-home mama galvanize her admittedly limited, but very enthusiastic and cohesive base: the rightest of right wing Republicans, plus Evangelical Christians.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #61....and holding the dead fish she still has that smile!

[GVnana]

"Palin spoke Friday as if she was rolling the dice and betting on herself. She presented herself as a game-changer stepping onto a stage of her own making."

[Windflier]

...and holding the dead fish she still has that smile!

That's definitely the smile of someone who doesn't "go with the flow".

Swim on, Saracuda!

[Prokopton]

As a private citizen once again, the governor can sue all the anklebiters and MSM enablers for libel and defamation of character.

The rules are the same. She was a public figure as Governor and she will remain, legally, a public figure.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well...see this thread:

Palin attorney warns press on 'defamatory material'

[SolidWood]

Look at that smile, dare I say mischievious (in the good way) as she is walking away!

She knows she has checkmated the left already! But they are too blinded to notice it.

[Entrepreneur]

I thought astroturfing was false grassroots or organized grassroots, like paid ACORN activists brought in to stage a “spontaneous” protest.

[Prokopton]

Well...see this thread:

In a nutshell:

The First Amendment requires that a defamation plaintiff prove actual malice or reckless disregard of the truth when the plaintiff is a public official or public figure. New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). This is a much higher burden of proof for a public figure plaintiff. Instead of showing objectively that a "reasonable person" knew or should have known the defamatory statement was false, a public figure plaintiff must prove the intent of the defendant was malicious, or that they acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

A "public figure" is a person who is publicly prominent, so much so that discussion or commentary about that person amounts to a "public concern." However, such persons are not necessarily public figures for any purpose: status as a public figure may only extend to the particular area in which they are publicly prominent.

The U.S. Supreme has established some guidelines on who constitutes a public figure:

(1) Involuntary Public Figure: become public figure through no purposeful action of their own, including those who have become especially prominent in the affairs of society;

(2) Always Public Figures: those who occupy position of such persuasive power and influence that they are deemed public figures for all purposes;

3) Public Figures on Specific Issues: "those who have thrust themselves to the forefront of particular public controversies in order to influence the resolution of the issues involved." Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323, 345 (1974).

Sarah Palin was, is and will be a "public figure". Defamation suits will have to meet the strict "actual malice" standard. Not impossible, but very difficult.

[Freee_Speeech]

What if it’s proven that they coordinated with Rahm, Axelrod, et al? The bigger story is the coordination from a fake president against a Private Citizen.

[GVnana]

Defamation suits will have to meet the strict "actual malice" standard. Not impossible, but very difficult.

Won't be hard to prove if they go after her children. And, there's a little "blogger" in Alaska who is the very picture of malice.

Sarah's going after them. Hammer and tongs.

[GVnana]

It's a term used to describe the practice of "seeding" the Web with information to create the impression of a grassroots sentiment or movement when the effort is actually orchestrated.

Hiring bloggers to anonymously and repeatedly post the same information on various sites.

YouTube was loaded with this stuff from the Obama campaign, including an infamous video attacking Palin created by David Axelrod's toady, Ethan Winner.

[DemonDeac]

Her opponents will beat her over the head with this in the primaries. It’ll be portrayed as ambition trumping her commitment to those who elected her and the charge may stick. That is of course if she is still relevent in 2012 and that’ll be harder to do as someone who isn’t in office. Its a very high risk and some might say reckless strategy. It will be very interesting to see if she can pull it off.

[xzins]

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country," the statement said. "And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make." Palin's personal spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, confirmed to The Associated Press that the Facebook posting was written by the governor.

The above article is the most important I've yet seen written on Palin's reasoning.

[painter]

That also why we should be praying for her.

[CharterOakie]

“No problem at all if the jury is made up of Freepers!”

No problem at all if the jury is made up of fair, honest Americans. Period.

[CharterOakie]

Windflier, I agree with you completely. Would add that she sent a shot across the bow of the not-so-good-ship GOP and the elites running it by making it clear that she will support and campaign for patriotic Americans seeking office regardless of their party affiliation. Independents and many Ds will support her also. Many of them however may only support her as a Republican if indeed the house (or ship, in my analogy) gets thoroughly cleaned and fumigated.

[CharterOakie]

“Amen times ten on that.

She could have the most awesome security force on the planet, just for the asking, if she put out the word.

Can you imagine how many ex-military pros would sign up yesterday to protect our Sarah?”
****************************************

You’re a kindred spirit, Windflier. From your posts I can see that we think alike.

I’m willing to bet that plenty of ex-military pros have already offered without her even putting out the word.

Above all, she walks in the grace and protection of Jehovah Elohim, her El Shaddai.

[Marine_Uncle]

She has guts to speak her mind. I can’t help but think she will be around for the long haul when it comes to supporting basic conservative principles. Hopefully speaking engagements will help her get out of debt eventually. A book in the making perhaps.

[Windflier]

I’m willing to bet that plenty of ex-military pros have already offered without her even putting out the word.

You're probably right. Can't say that I can name a single other political figure who attracts that sort of loyalty.