5 Good Reasons Palin Quit

When Sarah Palin made her sudden exit, many expected a scandal to break. But "in the days since, it has become clear that no other shoe is likely to drop," writes Jay Newton-Small of Time, who offers five likely reasons she resigned Alaska's top job:

• For the good of the state: Palin was lauded for resigning in protest from Alaska’s oil and gas commission. She painted her gubernatorial resignation “in the same way: a selfless act that should earn her kudos for saving taxpayers' money.”

• Lack of support: Palin saw her once-strong Democratic support in Alaska fade as she grew more partisan during the presidential campaign.
• To escape criticism: Since the election, she’s developed a “do-nothing” image, introducing hardly any legislation but finding plenty of time to say “no.”
• To spend less time in Alaska: She’s struggled to balance her day job and maintaining a presence in the lower 48.
• For the money: Now she has time to make a bundle on speaking engagements—income she may need after running up bills as she responded to ethics complaints.

(More Sarah Palin stories.)