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The Spectacle Blog
I agree with what Jim wrote about Romney's exit from the Massachusetts governor's mansion, and during the campaign, I had a problem with the way his supporters conflated his accomplishments as a business executive with his comparably weak record as governor to create an overall impression of managerial competence. It also bothers me to no end when Romney's boosters argue that he isn't really to blame for the failure of the big government health care legislation he championed because it was changed by Democrats -- even though he signed the damn thing knowing that he would be leaving office and allowing liberals to oversee its implementation.
That said, politically speaking, Romney's decision to leave office has not been as damaging as I believe Palin's decision to resign will prove. Serving out a full term is psychologically different to voters than headlines about a politician resigning before his or her term expires, and jumping off what Quin wrote last week, Romney could argue that at least he did his duty by sticking it out for four years. In addition, because Romney was a successful businessman and helped turnaround the Salt Lake City Olympics, he was able to convince most Republican primary voters last year that he was a competent executive. While there are a number of views on why Romney ended up losing the nomination (the flip flops, the inauthenticity, his thin conservative credentials, anti-Mormon bigotry, the MSM wanted McCain, etc.) he did not lose because voters doubted his qualifications as a manager.
By contrast, Palin has a connection to the Republican base that Romney could not manufacture, but her biggest obstacle is convincing skeptics that she is qualified enough to be president and can be an effective executive. Because she doesn't have similar private sector success to fall back on, her decision to leave office early will prove more politically damaging than Romney's decision to quit after just one term.
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/06/re-mitt-quit-too
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Tim| 7.6.09 @ 3:56PM
Lede? Is that a real word or are you channeling the late Mr. Buckley?
Tim| 7.6.09 @ 3:57PM
Woops. First mistake. ever.
Liberal Reader| 7.6.09 @ 6:03PM
I guess I'm missing something about the original argument.
Someone could possibly compare deciding not to run for a second term to abdicating office half way through one's first term?
It's just desperate and silly to make these kinds of arguments.
Folks, isn't it possible that Palin is just not cut out for big-time national politics? Good grief, if anything, that speaks well of the woman.
Lori| 7.6.09 @ 8:09PM
Phillip, your criticisms are silly. Just because he knew the opposition party would implement it is beside the point. He actually persuaded the New England liberals to keep insurance in the private sector, to keep health care private and that is a huge success! Sooner or later the liberals were always going to implement and amend it. They are deeply entrenched in the state. They control everything. They mucked things up before he got there and did the same after he left. The voters wanted a democrat governor and they got one who is now more unpopular than Romney. Romney is always the one who is called upon to turn things around. He does a good job of that and his sucessors ought to learn from their mistakes but they don't. You can't blame Romney for what the liberals were always going to do without sounding silly and unreasonable.
Clyde| 7.7.09 @ 12:42AM
Sarah Palin is a quitter - what more is there to say?
Let's look ahead to 2012 during the Palin-Obama campaign.
The new slogans:
"Sarah Palin the Quitter"
"Palin Quits, Obama Leads."
"When the going gets tough, Sarah quits."
"Palin is a quitter not a fighter."
"Who cares if Romney didn't seek for a second term, Palin didn't finish her first term!"
"Turn up the heat, and Sarah quits."
"Does Palin have enough executive experience? No - she quit the only substantial gubernatorial position she ever had."
"Obama is a leader; Sarah is a quitter."
G. A. Kevis| 7.7.09 @ 9:25AM
Yikes!
It's been about a week since Governor Palin
announced her decision to become Citizen
Palin anew.
And already her political future is being foretold.
Swamp things in and out of the LMSM making
prophecies.
JonM| 7.7.09 @ 4:26PM
Wake up Palin Supporters!
Famed Conservative Columnist: Palin Not Qualified to be President.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/30/george-will-palin-is-not_n_130647.html
Michael Steel: Palin off the table for 2012:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/steele-on-palin-2012-off_n_227057.html
Rassmussen Poll: 40% believe Palin’s resignation hurts her chances for Republican nomination in 2012.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2012/40_of_gop_voters_say_resignation_hurts_palin_s_chances_in_2012
Growing number of voters say Palin not qualified (this was BEFORE her resignation!)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/growing-number-of-voters_n_139493.html
Palin's lack of national experience, her unnerving ambition, and signs of her erratic nature are signs that she is not ready for the Presidency of the United States.
80 percent of Alaskans favored Palin last year, but only 55 percent have a positive opinion of the governor after the election.
Wake up Palin Supporters!