GOP Divided Over Palin Resignation

'Barack Obama would crush her,' says insider

(NEWSER) - After tomorrow, Republican establishment leaders will shift their focus to another hurdle: making sure Sarah Palin doesn’t get the 2012 presidential nomination. In interviews with advisers to other presidential contenders, Politico found wide-ranging agreement that the former Alaska governor must be stopped. “There is a determined, focused establishment effort to find a candidate we can coalesce around who can beat Sarah Palin,” said one. More»

(NEWSER) - As she prepares to exit Alaska's governor's mansion Sunday, Sarah Palin's nationwide support is lower than it has been at any time since she became John McCain's running mate, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. Some 53% of Americans now view Palin negatively, the poll finds, while just 40% see her in a positive light. GOP voters are still fans, with 70% positive, although the number holding "strongly favorable" views of her is down sharply. More»

Soon-to-be-former Alaska governor focused on upcoming book

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin has no plans to take a new job, her lawyer tells the Washington Post. Though the departing Alaska governor has received “hundreds of credible offers”—including a pitch for a gig as a talk-show host—she hasn’t pursued any of them except a previously announced book deal, Thomas Van Flein says. More»

Slams critics in first interview since resignation

(NEWSER) - Giving a round of TV interviews in her fishing gear, before heading out on a salmon-fishing excursion, soon-to-be-former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin slammed President Obama, her own party, and critical bloggers this morning—but wouldn’t say whether she plans to run for president. “Don’t know what the future holds. I’m not gonna shut any door,” she told ABC News. Could her resignation end her career? “Politically speaking, if I die, I die. So be it,” she said. More»

Scandal speculation gives way to new theories

(NEWSER) - 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.”