Levi Johnston's Theory on Why Sarah Palin Resigned

Sarah Palin issued her resignation only a few days ago, but there is still wide-spread speculation as to why. Stepping up to offer the latest theory is none other than Levi Johnston, the Alaskan teenager who shared the national stage with the Palin family during her run for vice president with John McCain. Now that Johnston and Bristol Palin have called off their engagement and Johnston has documented his issues with the entire Palin family, he is happy to hold an impromptu press conference to opine as to what Sarah Palin plans to do with her life.

Johnston recalled for reporters overhearing Palin discuss the lucrative offers she received for book deals, television projects, and other ventures. "She had talked about how nice it would be to take some of this money people had been offering us and you know just run with it, say 'forget everything else,'" he said. "I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars."

Of course, this could be dismissed as Johnston using the Palins to grab a little more of the spotlight, which is exactly what he's doing. But, if you stop to think about it, there is really no other immediate explanation. At the very least, pursuing lucrative book deals and other sure-fire big-money opportunities is "part" of the reason why Palin is stepping down. She could never make that kind of money as governor of Alaska and, as governor, her national exposure would always be limited due to Alaska's distance from the mainland U.S. - both geographically and culturally.

By stepping down as governor, Palin has all of her options open and can choose among them as she wishes. There's likely a part of her that would like to make a redemptive run for national office, but she's got plenty of time to worry about those sorts of things. In the meantime, she'll be making the big money she couldn't have made as governor and will likely be more visible than ever while doing so.