Palin's Farewell: For Former Governor, Politics Wasn't a Picnic

The fact that Sarah Palin gave her farewell speech at a picnic is probably a metaphor for everything we've come to know about the now-former Alaska governor since John McCain selected her as his running mate.

Picnics, of course, are not the kind of thing that people in New York or Georgetown know much about. Well, they know about the ones where you take along some wine and cheese -- but not where the whole town turns out to hear country music and eat fried chicken.

Most politicians wouldn't have given their farewell address on a Sunday evening at such an event, and that's why -- for good or bad -- Sarah Palin is not like most politicians. Ironically, for all the clamor that we want "non-politicians," the media expect a certain routine and protocol. Office holders mess with that at their peril.

It's also ironic that Palin chose to bow out at a picnic, because her time in the spotlight has been anything but a picnic.

Having been brutalized like few other politicians in history, I wonder how good it feels to be Sarah Palin today. (I would go on vacation, but that's just me.)

What is there to say about farewell speeches? For one thing, they sometimes reveal more about what politicians want you to know about them than anything else. My favorites are from Presidents Washington, Nixon, and Reagan. This one -- despite the obvious attempt to insert some flowery language and alliteration -- does not compare with those, but it does shine a light onto what Palin wants us to remember.

First, it is important to note that she repeatedly used the word "promised." Palin wanted to remind everyone that she had kept her campaign promises, and she deserves credit for having an extremely successful early tenure as governor before being plucked from relative obscurity to run for vice president. The Palin haters may wish to brush that under the rug -- or they may disagree with much of what she did -- but she was an extremely popular governor prior to being pulled into the national spotlight.

By talking extensively about energy policy, she also sought to undermine criticism that she's an empty pantsuit. She didn't say much about hot-button national issues (like abortion), but instead focused on Alaska-specific matters. But Palin threw in a few lines that leave the door open for a possible presidential run in 2012. One of her strongest applause lines came when she said, "I resisted the stimulus package."

Last, she sought to undermine criticism that she was "quitting" by ending her term early. She got big applause again when, in response to questions about her early departure, she said: "It is because I love Alaska this much . . . that I feel it is my duty to avoid the unproductive, typical politics as usual, lame duck session in one's last year in office. How does that benefit you? No, with this decision now, I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right, for truth. And I have never felt like you need a title to do that."