Michelle Goldberg on why, inside Sarah Palin’s world, her move might have seemed like a good idea:
Most observers outside of conservative circles find it hard to believe that Sarah Palin has abandoned the Alaska governorship for a possible run for the presidency. It’s simply too irrational — being governor was her only conceivable qualification for the office. Her rambling resignation speech seemed rushed and impulsive. It was full of internal contradictions (remaining governor would be the “quitter’s way out”) and petulant complaints about media unfairness (which suggest she couldn’t bear the pressure of national office).
Many assumed that she was trying to get out in advance of some scandal — as Josh Marshall wrote shortly after the story broke, “I would not be surprised if this latest round of revelations shook something else loose that we haven’t heard about yet.” That’s certainly possible. But even if it is, from a certain right-wing perspective, she really is advancing rather than retreating.
