As she prepared for her final day in the Alaska governor's office Sunday, Sarah Palin's last week on the job produced more of the same head-scratching that has defined her 10 months on the national stage. Despite her demonstrated ignorance of Alaska energy production during the 2008 campaign, Newt Gingrich Wednesday declared, "Her knowledge of the energy issue is very real." As for Palin herself, who in her mind-numbing resignation speech said "I am not wired" to have the "fun some governors have as lame ducks...travel around the state," spent her final weekend at picnics around her beloved Alaska.
As she ambles into history with her 53% disapproval rating from the American people, here is a look back at the Sarah Palin Hall of Shame that helped produce it.
"It may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out." (July 3, 2009)
"I think on a national level, your department of law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've been charged with and automatically throw them out." (July 7, 2009.)
"It's all for Alaska." (Asked by Time why she resigned, July 7, 2009).
"In what respect, Charlie?" (Asked by ABC's Charles Gibson if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, September 11, 2008.)
"Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that's with the energy independence that I've been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy..." (Misunderstanding Alaska's 3.5% share of U.S. domestic energy production, September 11, 2008.)
"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America." (October 16, 2008.)
"A task that is from God." (On the war in Iraq, June 8, 2008.)
"I think God's will has to be done, in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that." (June 8, 2008.)
"To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder. And it also strengthens my faith, because I'm going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I'm not discouraged at all." (Asked if she was discouraged by polls showing the McCain-Palin ticket trailing, October 22, 2008.)
"As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?" (August 1, 2008.)
"That's something that Piper would ask me!...[T]hey're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom." (asked by third grader Brandon Garcia what the Vice President does, October 20, 2008.)
"I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks' on that Bridge to Nowhere." (September 13, 2008.)
"Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy- Oh, it's got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions." (Asked by CBS' Katie Couric why it makes more sense to give the $700 billion bailout to big financial institutions rathen than struggling families, September 25, 2008.)
"Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years." (Asked by CBS' Katie Couric what newspapers and magazines she reads, September 30, 2008.)
"They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." (Asked by ABC's Charles Gibson "what insight into Russian actions" the proximity of Alaska provides her, September 11, 2008.)
"Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of... We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state." (Asked by CBS' Katie Couric to explain her foreign policy credentials, especially regarding Russia, September 25, 2008.)
"John McCain and I, we love you and thank you for spending a few minutes to talk to me." (Talking with Canadian radio prankster posing as French Presideny Nicolas Sarkozy, November 1, 2008.)
"I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you." (Asked by CBS' Katie Couric to cite "specific examples in his 26 years of [John McCain] pushing for more regulation," September 24, 2008.)
"Well, let's see. There's, of course in the great history of America there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others..." (Asked byCBS' Katie Couric what Supreme Court decisions besides Roe v. Wade she disagrees with, October 1, 2008.)
"Fair or unfair, I think she does herself a disservice to even mention it...When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism or, you know, maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, man, that doesn't do us any good. Women in politics, women in general wanting to progress this country. I don't think it's, it bodes well for her -- a statement like that...It bothers me a little bit hearing her bring that attention to herself on that level." (On Hillary Clinton's complaints about her treatment by the media, March 2008.)
"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make." (July 4, 2009.)
"I want to make sure that Americans do understand that there is a little bit of disappointment in my heart about the world of journalism today...And I don't want any individual journalist to take it personally but--I have such great respect for the role of the media in our democracy, it is a cornerstone, it allows the checks and balances. But only when there is fairness and objectivity in the reporting." (November 5, 2008.)
"For the most part, absolutely, media persons, reporters, have been absolutely right on and there has been fairness and objectivity. There have been some stinkers, though, who have kind of made the whole basket full of apples, once in a while, smell kind of bad." (November 7. 2008.)
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media." (Misunderstanding the First Amendment, October 31, 2008.)
"I respect Carrie [Prejean] for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation's First Amendment Rights." (Misunderstanding the First Amendment again, May 13, 2009.)
"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction. This is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect." (Still misunderstanding the First Amendment, June 16, 2009.)
"This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law." (Not understanding the First Amendment via lawyer Thomas Van Flein, July 4, 2009.)
"This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America...Our opponent though, is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country." (On Barack Obama, October 4, 2008.)
"There's no question that Bill Ayers via his own admittance was one who sought to destroy our U.S. Capitol and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There's no question there. Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that uh, it would be unacceptable. I don't know if you're going to use the word terrorist there." (Asked by NBC's Brian Williams, "Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist?" October 23, 2008.)
"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities." (September 3, 2008.)
"God bless Barack Obama and his beautiful family." (November 5, 2008.)
"I say God bless George W. Bush." (November 13, 2008.)
(For video clips of some of Sarah Palin's greatest hits, visit TPM's Sarah Palin Top 10 and the Daily Beast collection of "Sarah Palin's 10 Most Awkward Media Moments.")
UPDATE: In her farewell remarks Sunday, Palin combined two of her trademarks - bashing the press and using America's servicemen and women as human shields - in telling the cameras, "How about, in honor of the American soldier, you quit makin' things up?"