Palin's flailin'

I feel obligated to say something about Palin's resignation, but it still just seems so damned weird. When I first heard about it, it seemed like an obvious move toward the 2012 presidential nomination. Leaving office would free her up to campaign across the nation without having to jet back to Juneau every time there was a flood or an avalanche or a moose attack.

But then I read some of her statement, and it just seemed so bizarre. It's like she made this decision in a real hurry, suggesting either that there's some scandal about to pop or that she tends to make important decisions based on gut instinct without thinking them through.

And then there's this weird statement, in which she suggests that only quitters stick to their jobs:

Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out.

WTF?

So part of me thinks that there might be some clever calculation in this unorthodox move on her part, but it's the same part of me that though that McCain's naming of her as his VP candidate was a clever move. The rest of me is back where I was after the Katie Couric interview, thinking that I have no idea what Sarah Palin is talking about.

I'm reminded that the political system may be rational, but individual politicians may be occasionally irrational. This seems to apply especially to governors of late. What does resigning in the middle of her first term do except bolster her reputation for inexperience while undermining her claim to endurance? She looks weirder now than she did in 2008, and she looked plenty weird then.