Alaskans' Reconsider Palin's Popularity

Washington Post: Residents Offer Mixed Assessments of Her Legacy as She Steps Down with 18 Months Left in Her Term

(Washington Post)  This story was written by Kimberly Kindy.

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In November 2006, as Sarah Palin celebrated her gubernatorial victory at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, she told the crowd she would bring a "new energy" to the governor's office, stand up to "Big Oil" and usher in a new era of ethical reforms.

But less than three years later, Palin is calling it quits, and Alaskans offer mixed assessments of her legacy as she steps down with 18 months left in her term.

"This was a huge lost opportunity," said Democratic state Rep. Les Gara, who worked with Palin on several initiatives but became disenchanted with her as she took the national stage. "She was very popular for nearly two years, and she could have used that to accomplish great things for Alaska."

Others, like Anchorage resident Katherine Hicks, said that Palin in a short time shook up the state's political system. "We're proud of her. She went after them," said Hicks, who attended a recent anti-tax rally by Wasilla Lake. "She took on the good old boys. We won't forget that."

Palin, who shocked the political world last week with her abrupt resignation, praised her own performance in a message she posted on Facebook, saying she "accomplished more during this one term than most governors do in two." Her staff did not respond to repeated interview requests.

In her early days, Palin focused almost exclusively on raising taxes on oil companies and finding a way to build a natural gas pipeline, successfully brokering deals on both.

Alaskans hoping that Palin would tackle other pressing issues were disappointed when she put state matters on hold to join Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on the campaign trail as his vice presidential candidate.

When she returned to Alaska, lawmakers said, she was combative and unfocused. Palin said the legislature was uncooperative and made progress difficult. Complicating matters were at least 19 ethics investigations of her conduct -- a new one was filed Monday accusing her of misusing her per diem travel expenses. Most of the complaints were filed by state residents under an ethics reform law that Palin signed shortly after taking office.
"The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice," Palin said in her resignation speech last week.

Dozens of Alaskans said in interviews that they understand the obstacles she has faced but that they think she should have redirected her attention to her home state and honored her promise to "work together" with friends and enemies for the benefit of Alaska.

"It's like they say, 'Quitters never win, and winners never quit,' " said Wasilla resident Becky Stoppa, a Palin critic who stood yards away from Palin's parents at a community Fourth of July parade. "She made a promise. She's walking away from it."

During her early days as governor, Palin parlayed approval ratings of more than 80 percent into two deals that helped Alaska residents. As she had pledged during the campaign, she took on oil companies, further fueling her popularity.

An FBI criminal probe into the oil company Veco was underway when she took office and ultimately led to bribery convictions of several lawmakers. Palin welcomed the FBI and criticized a pipeline deal brokered by the previous governor as being too generous to oil interests.

Many Alaskans saw their new governor as a breath of fresh air.

"Palin was not controlled by the oil and gas companies. She had that going for her, and she used her popularity to make something happen," said Beth Kerttula, the House Democratic leader, who worked with Palin on the oil tax increase. The 2007 law requires oil companies to pay increasing amounts as their revenue grows.

Although Palin won acclaim for her tough negotiations with oil companies, today it remains uncertain whether she will see the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline come to fruition.

Lawmakers said they expect oil companies to ask them to renegotiate the tax increase, posing a potential threat to Palin's deal. If the oil companies are unsuccessful, they have indicated that the costs associated with building the pipeline may be too high, the profits too narrow.

"They will be building bronze statutes of Sarah Palin across the state if the pipeline is built, but it is still very much up in the air," said state Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat who led a high-profile ethics probe of Palin.

The tax deal is just one of many obstacles that must be overcome before the pipeline can be built. Dozens of other details must be worked out between private lending institutions, the oil companies, and state and federal officials. Lately, a glut of natural gas has called into question the wisdom of spending billions in federal and state funds on the financing.

Palin and other proponents said they think there are positive signs. Just last month, Exxon Mobil said it would be a partner in building the pipeline. And the tax increase has already generated billions of additional dollars for the state's general fund.

One of the most prevalent criticisms of Palin is that once she was tapped as McCain's running mate, her focus shifted entirely from running her state.

At the state house in Juneau, senior staff members represented her at public hearings about the pipeline and other issues. Lawmakers donned buttons that said "Where's Sarah?"

But she was not out of sight, which irritated some people in her home state. Every time Alaskans turned on the television or cruised the Web, Palin was in the news, though rarely about her work as governor. Along with making campaign news, she captured headlines with her growing number of ethics probes, her high-profile shopping sprees and the pregnancy of her daughter Bristol.

"There were her supporters who defended her and said, 'You go, girl.' Then there were skeptics who said, 'Wait a minute, aren't there things to do here in Alaska?' As often things go with Palin, she is polarizing," said Larry Persily, former associate director of Palin's Washington office.

Persily, now a legislative aide to Republican state Rep. Mike Hawker, said that both supporters and critics thought that "when she returned, she'd govern. She started losing the state when she didn't do that."

Within minutes of McCain's concession, political experts advised Palin that if she hoped to turn herself into a viable presidential candidate, she needed to demonstrate in Alaska that she could successfully tackle difficult issues.

Some Alaskans think she tried but was thwarted at every turn.
"They were threatened by her. They fought her. It was hard for her to come back and get more done," said Wasilla resident Tom Jensen, who became a Palin fan years ago, in part because she greets him at the gas station and local dump "like a regular person," he said.

But lawmakers said Palin was different when she came back to the statehouse. Her approval rating dipped from 80 percent during her first two years as governor to 54 percent.

Her maverick image, which caught on nationally during the presidential race, suddenly came across as more erratic. The governor who carefully calculated her media coverage and always "stayed on message" with issues such as ethics reform and oil and gas issues seemed obsessed by the national spotlight at any cost, critics said they thought.

Gara cited what he called the "Thanksgiving Turkey Massacre," a widely viewed event in which Palin pardoned a turkey, a tradition she created for Alaskans. She made the announcement from a turkey farm while, in the background, a worker continued to slaughter a bird.

"She had no message that day. The result was a turkey spurting blood in the background," he said. "Her zeal for getting on television just took over."

After a rocky ending to the legislative session, Palin recently tried to turn Alaskans' attention to more positive aspects of her record. In March, she said she had succeeded in reducing the amount of federal funds the state receives each year for special projects.

"I am proud of the fact that we slashed the number of earmark requests by nearly 85 percent, and we're not done," she said.

There were no big policy victories during her final months, however.

Lawmakers, who asked not to be quoted because they fear retribution, said that Palin recently seemed to lose focus and seemed consumed by making television appearances.

"I think her legacy is going to be as the biggest celebrity in the history of Alaska -- ever," said Mike Carey, a resident historian of Alaska and a columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. "She will be known as someone who went to the national level, became celebrated and then came back here and threw away her opportunity to establish a legacy."

If Palin hopes to run for president in 2012, her tenure as governor will have to be explained, political experts say.

In some cases, they said, governors and members of Congress have declined a second term and rebuilt their images outside the confines of public office.
But experts say that quitting midstream is a risky strategy for someone with higher political aspirations. "How in the world do you ask the people of the United States to hire you for a job when you quit your last one?" "Politics is a tough business, and people are going to say horrible things about you. Think of Winston Churchill. Think of George Washington. Did he turn around halfway across the Delaware because there was too much ice? I don't think so."


Research editors Lucy Shackelford and Alice Crites in Washington contributed to this report

[gives7]

What? Did George Washington "quit?" Not a very intellectual analogy for the Washington Post, but awesome for Palin tologists!

Washington retreated on more than one occasion! And won the war.

More minorities and low-income folks, worldwide, thrived in the 1980s than ever in American history, and the (Reagan) era was called the decade of greed by liars in the MSM. And the Berlin wall fell. If you don't fear God, I trust you fear a "reincarnation" of Biblical Deborah, or Joan of Arc, or Maggie Thatcher, or... Reagan, in boots.

[toldyouso29]

Liar. The breach between the middle class and actual wealth widened and the poor suffered the most of all with record unemployment and long lines of the poor at the trustees office. In fact the 1980s was the first time numerous large cities and companies in America declared bankruptcy. It was NOT a great time for the poor or even the middle class as those of us who actually lived through those times can attest. Stop pulling revisionist history out of your butt--Reaganomics was a horror and things only began to improve after 1991 for the avg. person.

One thing about Reagan though (who I admired as an excellent and eloquent communicator) is that he could carry on a cohesive exchange and was wonderful with a turn of phrase. Palin acts like an airhead and an almost illiterate one at that. What she does seem to be great at is a soundbite and entertainment--which is probably the residual skills from her beauty pageant days (know how to speak to and woo the public) but those who require substance as well as style could NEVER endorse or defend Sarah Palin in her present carnation.

[hclinton2012]

Barack Obama = Chicago Thug!

[ayatoldya]

Being sworn into office as Governor Sarah Palin took an oath office. This oath stated that she would do her absolute best. This oath stated she was committed to what the office stands for, to bettering the lives of the people of Alaska and MORE!

Her quitting her governorship has not only made her the Biggest Quitter, but also the Biggest Liar. She is the biggest liar by lying to herself and believing her lies. And then lying to the government of Alaska and the people of Alaska.

In taking the oath of office Sarah Palin made a commitment. And now she is not living up to that commitment. She cannot twist her lies to anyone but herself to make anyone believe that her quitting as Governor is the same as others who have resigned their political office because they are taking a higher political office.

[hclinton2012]

The biggest LIAR is this LOSER of a President Barack Obama! He needs to follow Sarah Palin lead and RESIGN today! What a JOKE this LOSER of a President Obama has become?

[dwilson59]

Can someone tell me she had 15 ethic law suits and none of them were valid. Ok what is the truth? What did you think would happen 1000 atty show up to probe her for everything. I know a lot of people dont think this but the Press is one sided

[retiredgustav]

Don't worry fair and balanced Fox news will give her a job.

[hclinton2012]

I think we need to bring as many "ethic" violations against this "Chicago thug" of a LOSER of a President Barack Obama! He LIED to the American People being the type of "centrist" candidate in the whole campaign and really being the "far-left" Radical "nut-case" Liberal he really is! Barack Obama should follow Sarah Palin lead and RESIGN today!

[cs4466]

Yea the press is so one-sided because they were SO kind and courteous to Bill Clinton, Jefferson, Blagovich, etc. Damn liberal press right? Hey are deliberately obtuse or just a little slow?

[nanc12]

I guess the Washington Post and CBS will be sued for publishing this story, cuz some of the people interviewed said mean things about barbie.

[Sloughfoot]

Got a skeleton in the closet that's shaken them bones. You can make book on that.

[riob678]

My money says you're right on. Her reasons for resigning seem thin and contrived.

[anti-global2]

she did do a good job in that movie she made. The production quality was poor though, it almost looked like a cheap porno.

[anti-global2]

how funny will it be if one of her daughters got knocked up again? If it is the 14 yr old will she apoligize to Letterman since his joke was almost correct?

[pubsnomore]

ROFLMAOHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[iam4honesty]

Palin is 'eye candy', that's it! She has no business trying to manage ANYTHING. A bungling, ignorant bimbo. I would like to see her naked, though.

[Sloughfoot]

All those stretch marks---Turn out the lights.

[koko98-2009]

Alaskans should be looking in the mirror because they fell hook, line and sinker for this bimbo's hokum first.

[gjacques2004]

I think that accepting the vice-president nomination was a terrible move on her part and for McCain to offer it, was equaly a bad decision; it killed all her credibility. The media coverage she got, during and after the race,was also devastating to her and when she got back in Alaska, she was seen more as a caricature than the governor she once was. She missed a good opportunaty to say: « No but No thanks!»

[hclinton2012]

I agree, running with McShame was her down fall. Running against the "Chicago thug" Barack Obama was the second big mistake, because even if you lose to them, they still come after you and your family like good Democrats with "thug" mental attitudes do good to "great leaders"?

[toldyouso29]

She had to eventually open her mouth. McCain keeping her under wraps and refusing to let her speak was beginning to look very suspicious and the media and public would probably not elect someone that refused to discuss the issues and show us their mettle. Once she gave the Couric interviews, it became glaringly clear why she was hidden away from the media. They should have kept one of those S & M ball gags in her mouth. Men would have loved it and so it would not have lessened her small head vote by much--and the Republicans would have voted for her anyway. Many Republicans act like they have no sense, no conscience, no intelligence and no integrity--like they would have voted for Saddam himself if he came to the states and ran on the Republican platform. They act like a party with no honor at all..... And I am not a Democrat.

Another Ross Perot. Honestly, I am glad that the American people are finding out what her true metal is actually made of. She stated that she is retiring because of all the Ethic Attacks that are being made against her. Just kind of makes you wonder how she would react if the US was being threaten by another Country? I bet almost anything that she would react the same way. Resign!

[riob678]

If all she did was resign, that wouldn't be too hard to take. Unless, of course, the VP was Cheney or Limbaugh. The very scary part would be if she didn't resign, and started reaching for a nuclear solution. Gov. Palin needs to serve a higher cause by exiting politics. Let the theater of the absurd go dark.

[antoniof123]

Alaskans hoping that Palin would tackle other pressing issues were disappointed when she put state matters on hold to join Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on the campaign trail as his vice presidential candidate.

When she returned to Alaska, lawmakers said, she was combative and unfocused.

Well, there you have it national politics destroys you despite what you say or believe it just is a business an ugly business and you need a skin made of steele or something like that.

[pvperson3]

I don't live in Alaska and I sure never voted for Palin, but I think that if a Governor that I supported quit mid term saying that she had "outgrown" the job, I WOULD BE ONE PISSED OFF ALASKAN.