The excuses she makes, and those bandied about by her supporters, ring false. It is possible, of course, that the grueling task of running the state of Alaska have so cut into her family time that she must step aside.

But Alaska is a small state. Its legislature convenes for only a couple of weeks a year. If she can't withstand the insane pressure-cooker of Juneau politics, how could she argue that she's qualified to be President of the United States?

Similarly, a former one-term governor, or current second-term governor, would have a certain amount of credibility on the campaign trail in 2012. But a former governor who resigned before she finished even one term? Huh?

She complained in her press conference, as she always does, that the media was picking on her, that it was picking on her family. Again, it's hard to see how a persecution complex is going to help get her elected to the White House. Does she think she would get less media scrutiny as President than what she's getting right now?

Palin's move is very reminiscent of Ross Perot's goofy unraveling in the 1992 Presidential campaign. Perot -- who was actually leading in the polls that summer -- suddenly dropped out. Stung by accusations that he was "a quitter", Perot jumped back in that fall, claiming that he'd left the race because the Republicans were plotting to sabotage his daughter's wedding. The problem with this explanation was simple: even if you decided that he wasn't suffering from paranoid delusions, you still had to wonder if you should vote for a guy who could be so easily blackmailed.

Palin is in an analogous situation. The public might pity her enough to accept her explanation for resigning. But no amount of pity will get her into the White House.