Gov. Palin: Resigning In Weeks?

Details — as they emerge — at Hot Air. At the current end of his frequently updated post, Allahpundit links to Jim Geraghty, who writes:

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.

Found via Michelle Malkin, the Anchoress writes:

Either she or someone in her family is ill, and she wants to keep it private and not subject it to the vulgarity of the Palin-hating beasts in the press, who savaged her last year, or…she and Todd are on the rocks, and she doesn’t want to subject her children and her marriage to the same vulgarity.

Can’t say I blame her in either case. And I hope I’m wrong on both counts.

But nothing else makes sense, does it?

Not at the moment, although this story is clearly “breaking” and “developing”, as Matt Drudge would say.

More links found via the Professor, who adds, “I don’t know if it has anything to do with her decision, but she’s been subjected — along with her family — to more abuse than any other non-national-officeholder I can think of.”

Don Surber adds: “to quit now makes no sense. This only raises more doubts over whether she can shake her image as a lightweight national joke.” He links to:

Dr. Charles Krauthammer: “She is — she has star power without any doubt. She has an extremely devoted following. But she is not a serious candidate for the presidency.”

Jonah Goldberg to Palin: “Stay home and do your job and your homework. You’ll still be a national figure come the primaries. But if you can’t surprise your detractors with your grasp of policy when you re-emerge on the national stage, you won’t win the nomination. More important, you won’t deserve to.”

As Don writes, “We will see how this turns out. Savior of the party and the nation, or Wendell Willkie — followed by a lifetime of Harold Stassen?”

Update: With an unwitting assist from the Politico’s Mike Allen, “John Ziegler Exposes How Palin Derangement Syndrome Works.”

Update: You stay classy, HuffPo: “Lest you have any doubt that attacks on her family might indeed have weighed heavily in Sarahcuda’s decision to resign, feast your eyes on this screencap. Frankly, I’m amazed she hung in this long.”