The NY Times takes a stab at explaining Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation. Their theory is basically that her inability to balance her state responsibilities with her national aspirations, coupled with her inability to not be a corrupt self-absorbed moron, has made her so miserable and unpopular at home that she just doesn’t want to be governor anymore.
I think it’s not so much that she’s miserable as governor (although she very well may be), as that she just enjoys the adulation-rich, responsibility-free world of being a conservative icon to all the drudgery of actually governing a state, especially now that she can’t use it for personal enrichment or settling scores. Alaska has served its purpose of making her a national figure, and now it’s a burden and a hindrance. By ditching it, she can pursue her dream of gallivanting around the country talking to adoring crowds of Joe The Plumbers and getting filthy rich off of book deals and wingnut welfare.
And, of course, I still believe that she’s vain and delusional enough to run for president, but I don’t think too many people outside the Republican crazy base are going to want to elect another petulant narcissist who views the presidency as nothing more than the sum of its perks.