It now goes well beyond merely not seeking reelection: Sarah Palin will step down as governor in a few weeks.
It was a unanimous decision of her family, according to KTTU, a local Alaska NBC affiliate.
UPDATE: David Schuster is offering a typical sneering tone, but it doesn’t make it any less accurate: “If it’s true that she’s leaving the governorship before her first term is complete, her national political career is done.”
A broken clock can be right twice a day, and Schuster is right here. If Sarah Palin wishes to someday be President of the United States, then she had to serve at least one full term in statewide office. (Yes, Obama had been in the Senate for about two years before running for president, but he had a lot of stars align for him at the right moment. Beyond that, at some point, “but Obama did it that way” isn’t a persuasive argument.)
Departing with little or no warning, after about 30 months in office, is beyond surprising. I’m sure the Lieutenant Governor will do fine, but there’s definately a sense of leaving with work unfinished and as her career was just beginning to take off.
I know we’ve heard a lot of chanting “Governor, it’s time to resign,” but we meant Mark Sanford.