Polarizing Alaska governor Palin steps down Sunday
AFP
SAN FRANCISCO - Sarah Palin burst into the US political spotlight last year as John McCain's presidential running mate, but on Sunday the polarizing governor of Alaska steps down, with questions swirling about her next move.
The Republican Party lightning rod has been touted as a potential adversary for President Barack Obama in 2012, but with continued ethics probes, outsized legal bills, and growing doubts about her ability to govern dogging her, it is unclear if her farewell is a precursor to a Washington career or a political finale.
"This is my last time to speak to the Valley community as your governor," said Palin, clad in jeans and a red football sweatshirt before serving hotdogs and signing autographs, and according to the Anchorage Daily News.
"I appreciate the support you have shown me and my family. I love you, and God bless America."
Palin was due to attend a picnic in Alaska's largest city Anchorage on Saturday, before a final picnic in Fairbanks on Sunday when she hands over the reins of the state to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, the newspaper reported.
Palin left Friday's event without talking to reporters, leaving unanswered the questions about her future.
Her resignation -- a move she said was in the best interests of Alaska -- with 18 months remaining in her first term has fueled speculation of a possible 2012 White House bid.
But new poll figures released in recent days show most Americans do not see her in a positive light and believe she has dubious governing skills.
Fifty-three percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Palin, with 40 percent seeing her in positive terms -- her lowest approval rating since McCain tapped her as his running mate, according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday.
Potentially troubling for Palin if she decides to run for national office, 57 percent of poll respondents said she does not understand complex issue, with 37 percent saying she does.
Some two dozen ethics complaints have been filed against Palin and while she has cast herself as an anti-corruption star she was found to have violated state ethics rules governing public officials.
Palin has said she owes more than half a million dollars in legal fees stemming from what she has described as the "political absurdity" of the ethics complaints.
Her supporters set up a fund to help defray Palin's legal costs, but an independent investigator's preliminary report found that Palin may have violated state ethics laws by allowing such a fund to help pay her bills, according to Alaska news reports.
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