Here’s a three part answer to your question:

1. Nationally, if she is the best the GOP has for their next Presidential hopeful? Then it only solidifies the mess their party is in.

2. Locally, she was the subject of Magpie’s Herald column that caused irreparable damage to her career, damage from which she has never recovered. I myself don’t understand it, don’t agree with it, and feel she has been treated unfairly because of it. Nevertheless, I don’t see her ever bouncing back from her unfortunate choice of Palin as a subject for her columns.

3. Personally, I view her as a very attractive woman, who carried herself beautifully and gave a memorable performance with her speech at the Republican Nat’l Convention. Nothing more, nothing less.

And before I am inundated with comments, understand the irony of Obama’s introduction into the national limelight mirroring Palins’s is not lost on me.

-I guess 60% is still tongue bathing. You should really talk to more people when you get out of the bunker Chris. From Gallup yesterday:

Obama Honeymoon Continues; 7 Months Is Recent Average
July 3, 2009

Barack Obama’s recent job approval ratings have hovered around 60%. Since they remain above the historical average of 55% approval, he is arguably still in the honeymoon phase of his presidency. Recent presidents have averaged just seven months above this benchmark, much less than those from 1945-1974.

Either you missed my point, or I wasn’t clear. Makes no difference even if all the major stations interrupted her resignation as “breaking news”. Who is watching TV at 4 pm on a Friday - the eve of the Forth of July?

Her timing is a major clue. Why not wait until Monday? Why the urgency?

I happened to hear it late yesterday afternoon. Later in the evening while I was out, I asked a few people if they had heard it. Everyone I had asked said NO. Why? Because of her timing. C’mon! It’s a classic move used by all pols. And she bought herself a few days before the **** hits the fan, because of the holiday.

And the White House being SILENT? Maybe they, too, celebrate the 4th of July? Ya think? Seriously, I don’t think her resignation warrants a response from the White House on the eve of July 4th.

And trust me, my opinion has nothing whatsoever with my like/dislike of Sarah Palin.

1). She is clearing her plate for a senate or presidential run

2). She or her husband have been caught in some sort of scandal where there is undeniable proof.

3). She wants to cash in on her popularity and will dedicate all of her time to appearances and possibly a reality TV show.

4). Health reasons (she has lost some serious weight)

5). She has had enough and She really wants to dedicate her time to raising her family (very honorable).

I’m sure in the coming weeks we will get the whole story. Until then it is all just a guessing game.

You think her low-key announcement at 4:00 pm on a Friday before a major holiday was her way of sticking it to the mainstream media?

NO WAY. The timing was not about sticking it to the media, but rather getting as little media coverage as possible.

I think something has happened in her personal life, and she’s all done. Either the first dude (or whatever her husband is called) had a “dalliance”, or another teenage daughter got knocked up.

She milked the publicity from Lettermen’s remarks for all she could. She does not shy away from media publicity, she uses it. She finds a way to capitalize on it.

Not this time. Some personal issue is behind her resignation. And I’ll “betcha” every flight to Alaska was booked this afternoon, cause there’s a STORY waiting to be uncovered.

moderates that the Republicans need to recapture to become relevant again

Yeah, because that worked out so well in ‘08.