This shouldn't leave any doubt about her political aspirations! Normally politicians wait to serve out their full term before resigning to run for higher office. Sometimes they even stay in office while running. She decided to leave early; no doubt so she could leave out on top.
It strikes me as an imprudent move, given her weak credentials, but she's probably weighing other considerations in mind.
The budget situation in Alaska has deteriorated and ethics violations continue to pound her. Doing this allows her to focus more on political networking and fundraising in the lower 48 without having to worry about those distractions.
Palin is clearly going all in for a run. Perhaps she sees other candidates like Romney laying out the groundwork for a run and doesn't want to get behind. It's been only 8 months since the last election and already the players are lining up.
What surprised me was that she didn't serve out her term. I fully expected her not to run for a 2nd term, as it was very obvious that she was planning on running for President. Can she succeed? She struck me as a engaging politician with a lightweight policy record. Extra time in lower office would benefit her. But she seems to think otherwise.
Campaign 2012 is already heating up, and it's only Summer 2009.
UPDATE: New bits of information are now coming out. Apparently she claimed that the Governor job was becoming a heavy burden. Just my thought...if the Gov job is too overwhelming for her, I'm not too sure that she'll be able to handle the pressures and scrutiny of the Presidency. If she continues to hark on this, this might just damage her national prospects irrevocably. She's delusional if she thinks she can handle the national spotlight.
I'm sure the budget and ethics problems weighed on her, but as they say..."when the going gets tough, the tough get going".
