Sarah Palin Bows Out as Alaska's Governor

In a live news conference from Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin announced today that she will not be seeking a second term as Alaska's governor. Standing in front of a house by a lake, Palin made the announcement to a small crowd in her small town Wasilla, where she had been the mayor prior to her gubernatorial job.

It appears Palin's reasons for stepping down include the fact that the public has heavily criticized her about her son Trigg, subjected her children to media attacks, including headlines about her pregnant teenage daughter who gave birth late last year. She plans to step down at the end of the month and be replaced by the lieutenant govern Sean Parnell.

From a mother's point of view, I think it is a wise idea for Palin. Her children need her. I am not saying that women should not hold important jobs as hers; quite the contrary. I am a firm believer in women's rights and advocate women having strong professional careers. In the case of Palin, as much as I don't really like her political stance on many things, I applaud her if she is really taking the interest of her family and children at heart.

I hope this is not a political scheme; one that will allow her to prepare for a show down against president Obama in 2012. That is what some people are thinking and rightly so. Palin had been very vocal on her attack of the then candidate Obama and even after he won the presidency she had often made comments to suggest her bitterness that Obama defeated her and her running mate John McCain. She often implied that Barack Obama is not patriotic or American enough, which infuriates me.

It is apparent that many in the GOP have been mentioning her name as a possible face of a new Republican Party. But with today's announcement where she vehemently said that she would better serve her state and country from outside the political arena, it is uncertain whether Palin will consider running for president. I guess time will tell.

source:
www.cnn.com