Governor Burnout

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska said she was turning the reins of power on July 26 over to her lieutenant governor, Sean Powell. She didn't say exactly why she's leaving midway into her first term, but she did mention something about not being one of those politicians who coast on their reputations on their way out of office.

Most everyone was taken aback by Palin's decision, with all the pundits quickly speculating on why she did what she did: Is she running for President in 2012? Maybe she decided she's become too big for Alaska? Or is there something much darker going on that might derail her political career (The FBI has said she is not currently under federal investigation)?

Well, maybe Palin just wants to take time off to reassess her life. It happens to everybody when you reach a certain point.

Palin came to prominence nearly a year ago, when Republican presidential candidate John McCain plucked her out of the obscurity of the 49th State to become his Vice-Presidential running mate. Since then, it's been a whirlwind of campaign stops, badly handled media interviews, winking at the TV cameras during debates, Tina Fey's lampooning, tabloid coverage of her family, and run-ins with David Letterman over a joke that misfired.

Maybe it got to be too much for Palin. Coming from a place where she is thousands of miles from Washington and the major media markets, she wasn't used to any of the scrutiny about her policies and her life.

Whatever the reason, Palin is (rightly or wrongly) being branded as a quitter. She ditched out on the good people of Alaska who elected her to a four-year term, and who expected her to serve all of it unless there was a very good reason. So far, she hasn't given them one.

Eventually, we'll learn the real reason why Sarah Palin is no longer Governor of Alaska. But four years is an eternity in politics. After some time off, Palin could return to challenge for the White House as a much better candidate with a stronger message. Or she could get out of politics and become someone else entirely. That's how it is when you're trying to reinvent yourself.