Sarah Palin in 2012?

Over the last few days much has been made of Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s decision to step down at the end of the month.  Was it the pressure?  Is there an impending scandal?  Who knows.

Driving back from Baltimore on Friday I listened to the coverage and thought a potentially brilliant political career was over … until I got back to my office and was able to hear GOV. PALIN speak instead of listening to media filtered versions of the event.

Did Palin do the politically smart thing?  Maybe not.  Did she do the RIGHT thing?  Absolutely; and that is why she is so popular.

Given that Palin is popular enough to give a strong Barack Obama (much less the Barack Obama we will see in 2012) a run for his money, the media doesn’t want the public to dwell on why she actually made her decision.  Instead, they prefer to imply all sorts of foolishness.  Unfortunately for them, and Obama, former Gov. Sarah Palin will have three years to communicate her message to the American people.

Whether she decides to run for the White House in 2012 or not, I admire her decision and the conviction behind it.

Before Sarah Palin was elected governor, she was a leader of a movement to clean up Alaska government.  That movement has been highly successful.  However, Palin has been forced to pay a price for that effort.  Unfortunately, the Alaska taxpayer has also been forced to bear over $2 million of the cost of frivolous ethics complaints filed in an attempt to weaken Alaska’s most popular politician (and one of America’s).

Palin could have easily chosen to ride out the next two years as governor.  Perhaps she would run for the Senate next year.  She could then hop on the bandwagon for a presidential run.  That would have been the easy way … the smart way.

Fortunately for Alaskans, and Americans, Palin wouldn’t choose the easy way.  As she stated Friday, her administration has accomplished much.  She has a great team, including Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell.  Palin was faced with a choice – either take the easy way and risk a stop to the reform oriented agenda of the Palin-Parnell team, or … step down and allow Parnell to complete the work that they had started.

This decision may cost Palin her chance for the White House.  If it does, shame on us.  I’m not claiming that Sarah Palin is the best candidate for the 2012 GOP nomination.  Mississippi governor Haley Barbour would be an excellent choice.  There’s Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, and a few others.  However, if Sarah Palin is denied the GOP nod because she did what was right, then we will know that the GOP is not ready to regain power again.

It doesn’t matter how much damage the Democrats do, and they are doing a lot.  If we put forward candidates who choose power over principle, false ideology over ideas, then we don’t deserve to win.  Anyone who attempts to portray Palin as a “quitter” or as a woman “who couldn’t handle the pressure” is simply someone who deserves neither our respect nor our vote.

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