Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska who gained her spot on the Republican presidential ticket last year by projecting herself as a maverick and a political outsider, stepped beyond the circle of power last night announcing that she will quit her position by the end of this month. Dropping the kind of bombshell that she would relish more than anyone else on the American political landscape, Ms Palin stood before the cameras on the lawn of her home in Wasilla, Alaska, to say that she had had enough as chief executive of the enormous, energy-rich state despite having another 18 months left to run in office.It left the political classes in Washington scratching their heads on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday as to her motivation in taking such a dramatic and flaky step. First to come to many of their minds: that she is already manoeuvring for a run at the White House in 2012.
Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska who gained her spot on the Republican presidential ticket last year by projecting herself as a maverick and a political outsider, stepped beyond the circle of power last night announcing that she will quit her position by the end of this month.
Dropping the kind of bombshell that she would relish more than anyone else on the American political landscape, Ms Palin stood before the cameras on the lawn of her home in Wasilla, Alaska, to say that she had had enough as chief executive of the enormous, energy-rich state despite having another 18 months left to run in office.
It left the political classes in Washington scratching their heads on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday as to her motivation in taking such a dramatic and flaky step. First to come to many of their minds: that she is already manoeuvring for a run at the White House in 2012.
Does this mean that she will actually quit her position, or just that she says she will. With anybody else, the two statements would be equivalent, but with her there's still time for her to change her mind...
