Comments on: Sarah Palin's resignation inspires me http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:14:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: ObiJohn http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-212569 ObiJohn Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:17:02 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-212569 Jeez, what are people so upset about? Sarah Palin quit because she saw that she would be ineffective as governor of Alaska. She had already fought 13, count'em THIRTEEN frivolous ethics charges filed by Democrats to harass her and won with all of the charges being dismissed. The Dems filing the charges were out to ruin her financially and politically. Resigning was the best choice. When you let your opponents define the rules of the game, you lose. Sarah stepped out of all that. Even better, she was able to take advantage of her time in the spotlight to write a book and set herself up for life (just as Obama did, the Clintons did, etc.). Now she doesn't have to worry about money or being hamstrung by rules that put her at the mercy of her detractors. You may not like Palin or what she stands for, but her decision-making here was both courageous and spot-on. She may not ever run for office again, and if she does she may not win... but if she had remained governor she would have been bankrupted and then driven from office in disgrace when she could no longer afford to defend herself. If her Democrat opponents had been smart they would have left her mostly alone, and she would have been stuck in Alaska out of the political spotlight and soon forgotten. Her option would have been to either re-run for governor, or retire back as a housewife. Now she's independently wealthy, and she is injecting herself into races where she believes she can make a difference... and if she is right she will be a formidable presence with a lot of political clout. Jeez, what are people so upset about?

Sarah Palin quit because she saw that she would be ineffective as governor of Alaska. She had already fought 13, count'em THIRTEEN frivolous ethics charges filed by Democrats to harass her and won with all of the charges being dismissed. The Dems filing the charges were out to ruin her financially and politically. Resigning was the best choice. When you let your opponents define the rules of the game, you lose. Sarah stepped out of all that.

Even better, she was able to take advantage of her time in the spotlight to write a book and set herself up for life (just as Obama did, the Clintons did, etc.). Now she doesn't have to worry about money or being hamstrung by rules that put her at the mercy of her detractors.

You may not like Palin or what she stands for, but her decision-making here was both courageous and spot-on. She may not ever run for office again, and if she does she may not win… but if she had remained governor she would have been bankrupted and then driven from office in disgrace when she could no longer afford to defend herself.

If her Democrat opponents had been smart they would have left her mostly alone, and she would have been stuck in Alaska out of the political spotlight and soon forgotten. Her option would have been to either re-run for governor, or retire back as a housewife. Now she's independently wealthy, and she is injecting herself into races where she believes she can make a difference… and if she is right she will be a formidable presence with a lot of political clout.

]]> By: liz http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-194393 liz Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:44:23 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-194393 Do any of you live in Alaska? Word is up there that her kids are frankly "out of hand" and baby daddy hubby ain't doing such a good job on his own. I hope to god she quit to deal with them before they have more children at young ages. Heard Willow is slugging vodka at parties,among other things. People have completely lost touch with reality. Some people quit because their personal lives get completely out of hand. And, that should be commended. You are not much worth to anyone or anything if you are a complete mess. Ahhhh the speculation about that resignation. Do any of you live in Alaska? Word is up there that her kids are frankly "out of hand" and baby daddy hubby ain't doing such a good job on his own. I hope to god she quit to deal with them before they have more children at young ages. Heard Willow is slugging vodka at parties,among other things. People have completely lost touch with reality. Some people quit because their personal lives get completely out of hand. And, that should be commended. You are not much worth to anyone or anything if you are a complete mess. Ahhhh the speculation about that resignation.

]]> By: Alex http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-193253 Alex Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:43:36 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-193253 Not only is Sarah in charge of her own career, she owns most of you here spewing hate for her. You do not know Sarah! What you think you know about her has been manipulated by the media and the tunnel-vision liberals. You try so hard to be "smart" and career focused, yet you are just average. Your rhetoric is the same as what's being printed in the newspaper. You don't think, you only regurgitate. Not only is Sarah in charge of her own career, she owns most of you here spewing hate for her. You do not know Sarah! What you think you know about her has been manipulated by the media and the tunnel-vision liberals. You try so hard to be "smart" and career focused, yet you are just average. Your rhetoric is the same as what's being printed in the newspaper. You don't think, you only regurgitate.

]]> By: aspen71 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-191172 aspen71 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:01:07 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-191172 I love your first point "Get out of a job when you are done doing it." I am making a career choice right now that may seem incongruous in our tough job market times (leaving a good one,) but I am DONE doing it, and every day is like torture. Perhaps SP felt the same way . . who knows. All I know is I cannot continue to ignore my true passion! I love your first point "Get out of a job when you are done doing it." I am making a career choice right now that may seem incongruous in our tough job market times (leaving a good one,) but I am DONE doing it, and every day is like torture. Perhaps SP felt the same way . . who knows. All I know is I cannot continue to ignore my true passion!

]]> By: Marcia http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190674 Marcia Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:11:59 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190674 I love your blog but I can't stand this post. I know being a liberal from the Northeast makes it hard for me to deal with anything related to Palin... I find her very name abhorrent , her morals hypocritical and her preparation for any higher office questionable-- if not absent. If "managing" your career enables you to get to a higher office without the skills and knowledge, this is just plain scary!!! not admirable -- it's like getting a higher score on your SAT's because your parents paid $4,000 to help you do it - you aren't "smarter", you just strategize. In the end, all this does is make everything a farce -- God help us all! I love your blog but I can't stand this post. I know being a liberal from the Northeast makes it hard for me to deal with anything related to Palin… I find her very name abhorrent , her morals hypocritical and her preparation for any higher office questionable– if not absent. If "managing" your career enables you to get to a higher office without the skills and knowledge, this is just plain scary!!! not admirable — it's like getting a higher score on your SAT's because your parents paid $4,000 to help you do it – you aren't "smarter", you just strategize. In the end, all this does is make everything a farce — God help us all!

]]> By: Jim Johnston http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190553 Jim Johnston Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:11:05 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190553 Sarah is a perfect example of how to leverage your career. She stops loosing money paying off law suits and she goes national and collects 10 times the money without the legal expenses and having to answer to a constituency. She is exactly how everyone should look at career leverage. I am not a Sarah fan but she made the right career move for her. Sarah is a perfect example of how to leverage your career. She stops loosing money paying off law suits and she goes national and collects 10 times the money without the legal expenses and having to answer to a constituency. She is exactly how everyone should look at career leverage. I am not a Sarah fan but she made the right career move for her.

]]> By: Kate Zimmerman http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190490 Kate Zimmerman Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:58:56 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190490 This list of comments was so long that I must confess I couldn't read all of them. Maybe somebody else has made this point. I'm just wondering -- in terms of career advice, what about the concept of over-reaching, which Sarah Palin has clearly done? Is a brazen careerist's goal to simply get as far as one can despite one's personal limitations? Is it admirable to block-headedly pursue a level of power to which one is not equal, simply because one has been encouraged by Republicans with their own agendas? We are all good at different things. Sarah Palin is probably good at driving to hockey rinks. Understanding the complexities of local, state, national and international politics is obviously beyond her, just as it is beyond many of us. But then most of us aren't so conceited that we believe otherwise. I think we're the ones to be commended on our wisdom, not Palin. This list of comments was so long that I must confess I couldn't read all of them. Maybe somebody else has made this point. I'm just wondering — in terms of career advice, what about the concept of over-reaching, which Sarah Palin has clearly done? Is a brazen careerist's goal to simply get as far as one can despite one's personal limitations? Is it admirable to block-headedly pursue a level of power to which one is not equal, simply because one has been encouraged by Republicans with their own agendas? We are all good at different things. Sarah Palin is probably good at driving to hockey rinks. Understanding the complexities of local, state, national and international politics is obviously beyond her, just as it is beyond many of us. But then most of us aren't so conceited that we believe otherwise. I think we're the ones to be commended on our wisdom, not Palin.

]]> By: Nubiles http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190489 Nubiles Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:58:25 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190489 “But Palin is refusing to waste her time in the Alaska governor’s office.” She already did what she can for Alaska so Sarah Palin has the license to do what she pleases. “But Palin is refusing to waste her time in the Alaska governor’s office.”

She already did what she can for Alaska so Sarah Palin has the license to do what she pleases.

]]> By: midlifecareerstrategy.com » Blog Archive » Sarah Palin as career role model? http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190473 midlifecareerstrategy.com » Blog Archive » Sarah Palin as career role model? Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:39:21 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190473 [...] That’s what fabled career blogger Penelope Trunk seems to be saying. Read her story here. [...] [...] That's what fabled career blogger Penelope Trunk seems to be saying. Read her story here. [...]

]]> By: Jonathan http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/07/13/sarah-palins-resignation-inspires-me/comment-page-3/#comment-190333 Jonathan Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:48:23 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2859#comment-190333 Sarah Palin was elected to govern her state for a term, not to quit partway through. Next she may ask Americans to elect her as President. Huh? If I were a Dean of Graduate Studies at a university, I would not be likely to accept a candidate who had failed to complete their Bachelor's degree because they got bored, or wanted to focus on something else, or whatever. And I would not be likely to respect someone who managed to get accepted by quitting then 'building a team'. On a different but related point, you mention the internet as replacing knowledge and experience. Are you kidding? You can garner facts from the internet; you cannot marshal them. Age and experience do not guarantee wisdom, but there's a strong correlation that the community ignores at its peril. Overall, I think you are putting way too much stock in popularity and the moment and not nearly enough in hard work, persistence and commitment. Sarah Palin is not an example I would recommend. Sarah Palin was elected to govern her state for a term, not to quit partway through. Next she may ask Americans to elect her as President. Huh? If I were a Dean of Graduate Studies at a university, I would not be likely to accept a candidate who had failed to complete their Bachelor's degree because they got bored, or wanted to focus on something else, or whatever. And I would not be likely to respect someone who managed to get accepted by quitting then 'building a team'. On a different but related point, you mention the internet as replacing knowledge and experience. Are you kidding? You can garner facts from the internet; you cannot marshal them. Age and experience do not guarantee wisdom, but there's a strong correlation that the community ignores at its peril. Overall, I think you are putting way too much stock in popularity and the moment and not nearly enough in hard work, persistence and commitment. Sarah Palin is not an example I would recommend.

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