It’s like the end of a magic show.  The magician stands there in the spotlight, all eyes are upon him.  A flourish of the cape, a puff of smoke, and…..poof!  Gone.  The smoke clears, and he is nowhere to be seen.  The audeince stares.  They look at each other.  There is murmuring.  Nobody knows quite [...]

The latest Palin poll numbers are out.  Oh, it looks like those halcyon days of the 89% approval ratings are a thing of the past.  Now we can say that more Alaskans disapprove of the ex-almost-one-term-governor than approve of her. And the Approval Index (Very Positive minus Very Negative)w  -1.2 Question 1 Would you say [...]

Not since 48 hours ago have we seen such comic genius!

Things are buzzing here at Mudflats Central this morning.  Something’s come out of the Number Crunchery Department!  They’re usually pretty quiet over there. We see a light on late at night down the hall, and we hear all kinds of paper shuffling and clacking keyboards and adding machine tape, but we’re never quite sure what’s [...]

[This article is cross-posted at The Huffington Post] A lawsuit was filed today claiming that all Pebble Mine’s state permits violate the Alaska constitution.  Skulduggery surrounding Pebble Mine?  Imagine that. On the receiving end of these legal accusations is the State Department of Natural Resources.  The suit was filed today on behalf of eight communities in the [...]

It seems sometimes like politics attracts all the wrong people.  The very job that needs selfless people with high moral principle, honesty, and a desire to serve the community, with no particular burning need for power and prestige, too often attracts the wrong kind. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are plenty of people [...]

It’s been a day of farewells.  Kiss-offs and parties, reflections and celebrations… Palin fatigue yet?  Don’t worry.  This is our final send-off to the governor…  er…  ex-governor.  Where will she land?  We’re not sure.  There’s a rumor circulating that she and Todd have been looking at real estate in the Hamptons.  I heard about this [...]

Our last report from Fairbanks comes from Mudflatter Rubber Room Hotel, a regular commenter.  She passed on some great pictures and impressions from the event.  It’s interesting that each person brings some new insight and perspective.  Much gratitude to all the boots on the ground in Fairbanks for sharing the day with us.  Now that [...]

It’s hard to believe it’s been 48 hours since Alaska became Palin-free. The parties, the polls, the articles, the late night talk shows… We’re all still getting it out of our systems. There are a lot of other things going on in the state and the wider world, but we still need to have our own [...]

Today I continue today to bring you reports from Mudflatters across the state – those who were at the Abdication Ceremony, and those that celebrated Palin’s stepping down in other ways. I look forward to writing about other things, but today we continue to purge our systems. Here are some thoughts on the Palin “rally [...]

Sarah Palin’s Quit Day concided with the annual Red Green River Regatta in Fairbanks. Contestants created contraptions that floated down the Chena River, and are must follow these criteria: * Every vessel must contain at least ONE roll of duct tape in its construction. * Each person on board all vessels must wear a USCG [...]

Whoever came up with this needs to retire now, because they will never ever surpass the magnum opus that is William Shatner reading Palin’s crazy quit speech… as poetry.  This is not comedy gold.  This is comedy platinum. We now know what will assure Palin’s sucess in the future.  It’s not a translator.  It’s not a [...]

I was very pleased to have some great “boots on the ground” in Fairbanks for Sarah Palin’s big Quitspeech at Quitfest on Quittyday.  Thank you to Mudflatter Alaska Don who did a fabulous job reporting! There are also more pictures coming to entertain you later from other Mudflats “photobloggers.”  Truly this was a day and [...]

As reports and pictures continue to pour in from Mudflatters in Fairbanks, I’m compiling them all.  While you wait, here’s an open thread. You may be wondering why with the Wasilla Governor’s picnic, and the Anchorage Governor’s picnic, and the Fairbanks governor’s picnic….there’s no Juneau Governor’s picnic?  It is the state capital after all. Maybe [...]

Sunday July 26, at 3pm Alaska time, Governor Sarah Palin stepped down from her position as governor.  This is the transcript of her farewell address. Yup, I took one for the team. It took three hours, but I made it. I’d been meaning to transcribe her rambling crazy “I’m not quitting, I’m just leading in [...]