This was written during the time between the announcement of resignation and the final Sunday when resignation occurred. The events between then and now are not discussed and any reference is accidental.
The past is always with us, but until we seek to find a future that promises both the possibility of success or failure we cannot hope to change. William Faulkner.
The road that the future former Governor of Alaska will take can be seen in the footsteps left in the path that lead the Ex Governor to where she now stands; hurt, isolated, vengeful, and disillusioned. Hurt from media attention that displays an alternate view, isolated from political bi-partisanship, vengeful of endless attacks, and disillusioned at her present public image.
The media coverage of the future former Governor of Alaska has not been kind in her opinion. She declares the media does not report accomplishments that accrued before her VP run, and complains that only recent activates appear to be reported. As the Legislature rejected her appointments and gladly accepted 97% of the President’s stimulus money, it became apparent that the damaged caused to the Alaskan GOP ended the bi-partisanship she enjoyed in her first year in office. The original attack of Trooper Gate followed up with the only DC complaint involving the GOP provided wardrobe was just the beginning of the ethics complaint that we now know were the main cause of her resignation. The real cost to the Alaskan tax payer was already budgeted and her defense fund covered some of her expensive laying greater power to the claim of vengeance over cost. This tied in with an ever emerging negative image that forced her to play defense, put the Ex Governor in a position that she was unaccustomed, unfamiliar, and unequipped to play.
The future former Governor of Alaska is most comfortable on attack and best when fed topical material. The ability to talk in platitude or stings word together to hit catch phrases without answering question has become a trade mark labeled as not politics as usual disguised as traditional avoidance and attempts to deny the implications in a question and redefine the subject characteristics of traditional politics.
The Vanity Fair article is the most telling of a person who takes criticism very personally and uses attack as a counter when silence might prove a better tactic. Her engagement with Letterman offered short term sympathy but leaving David to milk the situation for millions of last laughs.
The Ex Governor failed to craft the one sided Samurai sword, this take time and the hand of an experienced master, she instead forged a two sided broad sword. The unintended consequences of government regulation of political morality became the traditional legacy by which one falls by the sword which gave one life. Better to elect leaders that have shown acceptable local values then trying to legislate them.
Coalition building with the opposite party so as to take control over your own is a dangerous occupation when life time politicians have more skin in the game then someone just walking thru. This action allowed the Democratic Party to elect a US Senator and increase the power of the party in Alaska.
Lame duck status had already been placed upon the Ex Governor while speaking in Evansville the legislature continued to operate the state in her absence. The failure to successfully achieve appointment and her 3% solution to the stimulus package confirmed her obsolescence.
Speculation that the Ex Governor of Alaska would run for a state congressional position is unlikely. Alaska has only one congressional seat and it will take a lot to convince the Alaskan voters that change is needed. The current Republican US Senator has already started shooting over her bow with remarks about how resignation is a disservice to Alaskan’s, however, the Alaskan US Senate seat held by the Democrat’s offers an interesting scenario that is unlikely.
A successful US Senate seat win in 2014 would leave in place a campaign force experienced and available to take on a national campaign for office. The biggest issue to fight would be one of only seeking the seat to position for a run at the office of POTUS. Collecting a check for two years while running for POTUS would look opportunistic and hypocritical at best. Settling for the VP spot would be easier drawing less attention but the same claims would be lodged.
A second failed run in 2016 would leave the Ex Governor as a junior Senator in a chamber rich with the tradition of union seniority. No longer in a position to drive agendas and force policy, the now junior Senator will also be the youngest and newest member of the also ran club. Forced to learn the world of compromise and coalition, the Ex Governor would be a dead fish out of water.
The animosity between the Ex Alaska Governor and Legislature will be well remembered and relationship building will be hard. Not trusted and isolated in a minority party would force the Ex Governor, now in her late fifties, to follow the role of Ex Ohio Governor Voinovich. (Goggle him, I can’t do all the work.) The transition from legislature to executive is hard but more rewarding then walking the other track.
The nature of this beast is to be the center of attention. Talking about other in any way but in attack mode is another skill that the Ex Governor has never taken the time to learn, and this politician has shown a desire to have the last word so as to direct the message. Her reputation of speaking praise in private and prose of self serving platitudes in public are already well know and the driving force of her critics.
Speculation that the future Ex Governor will go into the talk entertainment industry is a likely final out come. This epitaph will likely be that of the character Sarah in the book “Kinfkicks” by Lisa Alther. Sarah becomes a celebrity on the local television network only to see the program become bigger then her and eventually take on a life of its’ own without her.
The past is always with us, but until we seek to find a future that promises both the possibility of success or failure we cannot hope to change. William Faulkner.
The road that the future former Governor of Alaska will take can be seen in the footsteps left in the path that lead the Ex Governor to where she now stands; hurt, isolated, vengeful, and disillusioned. Hurt from media attention that displays an alternate view, isolated from political bi-partisanship, vengeful of endless attacks, and disillusioned at her present public image.
The media coverage of the future former Governor of Alaska has not been kind in her opinion. She declares the media does not report accomplishments that accrued before her VP run, and complains that only recent activates appear to be reported. As the Legislature rejected her appointments and gladly accepted 97% of the President’s stimulus money, it became apparent that the damaged caused to the Alaskan GOP ended the bi-partisanship she enjoyed in her first year in office. The original attack of Trooper Gate followed up with the only DC complaint involving the GOP provided wardrobe was just the beginning of the ethics complaint that we now know were the main cause of her resignation. The real cost to the Alaskan tax payer was already budgeted and her defense fund covered some of her expensive laying greater power to the claim of vengeance over cost. This tied in with an ever emerging negative image that forced her to play defense, put the Ex Governor in a position that she was unaccustomed, unfamiliar, and unequipped to play.
The future former Governor of Alaska is most comfortable on attack and best when fed topical material. The ability to talk in platitude or stings word together to hit catch phrases without answering question has become a trade mark labeled as not politics as usual disguised as traditional avoidance and attempts to deny the implications in a question and redefine the subject characteristics of traditional politics.
The Vanity Fair article is the most telling of a person who takes criticism very personally and uses attack as a counter when silence might prove a better tactic. Her engagement with Letterman offered short term sympathy but leaving David to milk the situation for millions of last laughs.
The Ex Governor failed to craft the one sided Samurai sword, this take time and the hand of an experienced master, she instead forged a two sided broad sword. The unintended consequences of government regulation of political morality became the traditional legacy by which one falls by the sword which gave one life. Better to elect leaders that have shown acceptable local values then trying to legislate them.
Coalition building with the opposite party so as to take control over your own is a dangerous occupation when life time politicians have more skin in the game then someone just walking thru. This action allowed the Democratic Party to elect a US Senator and increase the power of the party in Alaska.
Lame duck status had already been placed upon the Ex Governor while speaking in Evansville the legislature continued to operate the state in her absence. The failure to successfully achieve appointment and her 3% solution to the stimulus package confirmed her obsolescence.
Speculation that the Ex Governor of Alaska would run for a state congressional position is unlikely. Alaska has only one congressional seat and it will take a lot to convince the Alaskan voters that change is needed. The current Republican US Senator has already started shooting over her bow with remarks about how resignation is a disservice to Alaskan’s, however, the Alaskan US Senate seat held by the Democrat’s offers an interesting scenario that is unlikely.
A successful US Senate seat win in 2014 would leave in place a campaign force experienced and available to take on a national campaign for office. The biggest issue to fight would be one of only seeking the seat to position for a run at the office of POTUS. Collecting a check for two years while running for POTUS would look opportunistic and hypocritical at best. Settling for the VP spot would be easier drawing less attention but the same claims would be lodged.
A second failed run in 2016 would leave the Ex Governor as a junior Senator in a chamber rich with the tradition of union seniority. No longer in a position to drive agendas and force policy, the now junior Senator will also be the youngest and newest member of the also ran club. Forced to learn the world of compromise and coalition, the Ex Governor would be a dead fish out of water.
The animosity between the Ex Alaska Governor and Legislature will be well remembered and relationship building will be hard. Not trusted and isolated in a minority party would force the Ex Governor, now in her late fifties, to follow the role of Ex Ohio Governor Voinovich. (Goggle him, I can’t do all the work.) The transition from legislature to executive is hard but more rewarding then walking the other track.
The nature of this beast is to be the center of attention. Talking about other in any way but in attack mode is another skill that the Ex Governor has never taken the time to learn, and this politician has shown a desire to have the last word so as to direct the message. Her reputation of speaking praise in private and prose of self serving platitudes in public are already well know and the driving force of her critics.
Speculation that the future Ex Governor will go into the talk entertainment industry is a likely final out come. This epitaph will likely be that of the character Sarah in the book “Kinfkicks” by Lisa Alther. Sarah becomes a celebrity on the local television network only to see the program become bigger then her and eventually take on a life of its’ own without her.