Palin's resignation speech has shades of Nixon's 1962 concession address

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's announcement that she was bowing out of Alaska politics on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday left a lot of viewers scratching their heads. As the Ticket reported Friday, Palin's friends report that she is genuinely sick of the attacks that seem to be part of the fabric of national politics these days.

But Palin's hastily announced press conference also had all the earmarks of Richard Nixon's famous concession speech in 1962, after he lost the campaign for California governor to Democrat Pat Brown. Nixon's rant was also a last-minute affair. Reporters had been told that Nixon -- a former congressman and senator who served as Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice president from 1952 to 1960 and lost the 1960 presidential race to John F. Kennedy -- would not be making a public appearance.

Instead, Nixon surprised even his staff by taking the microphone and, at the end of a long, rambling, 16-minute discourse on national and state politics, he dramatically left the stage.

I leave you gentleman now and you will write it. You will interpret it. That's your right. But as I leave you I want you to know — just think how much you're going to be missing. You won't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference and it will be one in which I have welcomed the opportunity to test wits with you.

Like Nixon, Palin seemed fraught with emotion. Like Nixon, she seemed angry at her critics.

Listen to the audio of Nixon's infamous speech via the History Channel and then watch the Palin speech below. Let us know what you think.

Of course to the surprise of his detractors, Nixon recovered. He spent the next six years stumping the country, piling up chits from grateful politicians who benefited from his endorsements, chits he cashed in during his successful 1968 run for the presidency.

Palin gave no hints of her future, except to say that a person can influence from outside the electoral process as well as inside the governor's office. Maybe Palin, who landed on the national political map in August when Republican John McCain plucked her from Wasilla, Alaska, as his vice presidential running mate, is planning to follow the Nixon playbook on that front too.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Nixon gives his "Checkers" speech on Sept. 23, 1952. Credit: Associated Press

The Ticket goes inside politics several times a day, even on holidays. Click here for Twitter alerts of each new item. Or follow us   @latimestot

Comments

[Carol]

And we all know how well Nixon worked out.

[steve rodriguez]

Dear LA Times, Why are you censoring my pro-Sarah Palin comments?

[chan]

lol american politics. it's all about TMZ-type cult of the celebrity, faux outrage, and money. all she's doing is raking in more publicity to sell her book and speaking tours.

[David Gwaltney]

Do any of the media talking "bubble" heads really not know why Sarah Palin is resigning?? She has been vilified like no other in the press, her family ridiculed by a has been late night moron. Good grief, the PTB are scared to death of this woman, and understandbly so, she has the heart of the American People, which no other politician can say. Sarah, you go girl.

[steve rodriguez]

I still believe that Sarah Palin would be better for America than Barrack Obama, on the things she stands on alone!
Who do you think would win a debate? Would Obama be allowed to use his tele-prompter?

[mike]

you people are scary

is this a joke?

do you read?

let me guess it's a jesus thing?

[wayne]

LOL WOW I would love to see Palin run again. She is the stupidest canidate ver Obama would crush this outdated racist idiot.

[wayne]

how could palin beat obama in a debate she cant even answer questions she talks about other stuff if shes president we are all screwed shes a friggin idiot