Sarah had a road-to-Damascus type of epiphany. She's always known about the tremendous grassroots support for her, but she thought it had more to do with her supporters than herself. It suddenly occurred to her that she is IT -- the "IT Girl", on whose shoulders lies an immense historical responsibility regarding the United States. And instead of saying "Why me?", she's stepping up to the plate saying "Why not me?"
This is the opposite of zerobama's relation to his own destiny. In a revealing statement at the demRat convention during the campaign, he told the crowd, "What my critics don't understand is that it has nothing to do with ME. This is all about YOU!" Meaning, I suppose, that he understood that he was simply a blank slate on which his supporters were projecting everything.
It's the opposite with Sarah. It's all about her -- she was the one who didn't realize it, thinking (mistakenly, if innocently), that it was all about her grassroots supporters. When she finally "got it," it must have completely blown her away! That's why, on rewatching the videotape of her speech, I perceive a suppressed excitement or "drive" in her. She's resigning her job as governor, but she herself is not resigned.
We're all lucky to be witnessing this. I think in the next few months we're going to see some amazing things.
Grassroots = Sarah Palin
Astroturfing = B. Hussein
One’s the real deal.
I don’t know whether she really had that powerful a change in insight. I suspect that the continuing crowds who greet her in small towns across the country, and continuing interest in the agenda she brings to the table have been a constant affirmation instead of an epiphany. You are definitely right about the “Why not me” and your contrasting her with Dear Leader.
I'm sure that's at least partially true, though Palin is razor sharp, and is as aware (or more) about what drives (and raises) the pulse of her natural constituents.
She knows better than perhaps anyone alive, that she received that unprecedented outpouring of support across America because she's what the people want in a leader. Believe me, none of that was lost on her, but like all truly great leaders before her, she reacts humbly to the accolades.
My own take on her radical move, is that she's realized that it's going to take at least a couple of years of hard work rebuilding the Republican brand, so that she can successfully take the WH in 2012. That needs to start very soon.
I don't think that leaving the Governorship now was her first choice, but the incessant attacks against her made doing her job impossible, and that was an ongoing dis-service to the Alaskan people. It had to be done for the good of all concerned.
Doing so also upsets the balance of forces involved with the "game". Now that she's private citizen Palin, the industrial might of the government controlled media must cease its onslaught against her. This move takes her family out of the barrage of cannon fire. Obviously, this needed doing.
It also allows Sarah to capitalize on her enormous value as a speaker. There's no doubt she'll now earn far in excess of what she was paid as Governor. That income is desperately needed by her family to handle the reputed $500,000 in legal bills she's incurred while fending off the never-ending attacks against her.
She's now also free to begin the long process of building her war chest for a presidential run. She'll also be helping to get solid conservatives elected around the country. These people will be there when she needs them during the primary.
There's an awful lot of house cleaning that's needed in the GOP right now. Some of the grungies lounging around the corners of the house would probably work against her, in her efforts to restore our country. They need to be evicted before our fine lady can set up shop.
I could go on, but these and a few other themes appear to be crystallizing as the major strategic reasons behind her decision to step down.