One of the most common forms of defense in the world of fighting, from street fighting to boxing to the most exotic martial arts, is the side step.

It is used when a bigger and more aggressive opponent is in a full headlong charge right at you. Rather than standing in front of such opponent and getting flattened, the skilled fighter will sidestep and let the opponent's size, weight and inertia carry him off balance, and often to the ground.

With all the partisan bitchiness,and I mean bitchiness, I heard from Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's opponents and detractors Friday afternoon after she announced that she is stepping down as Alaska's governor this month, it was clear that Palin has THEM off balance! They have been in a full, out-of-control headlong charge, and now they are off balance. Which is exactly the point of the sidestep.

When your opponent goes blowing by you at full speed, and suddenly discovers that his target is no longer in front of him, there is time to decide what to do next and how to do it. It is classic in its simplicity and effectiveness.

Sarah Palin has bought herself some time. She has removed herself, and especially her family, from the direct onslaught of the Socialist Democratic Party which fears her like no other Conservative in America. She, and especially her family, now will be out of the direct line of fire of the Socialist Democrats' propaganda arm, the Mainstream Media, or as Rush Limbaugh now refers to it, the State Run Media.

So many people were blustering about what this all means. So many of her detractors were ready to write her off, and laugh heartily as they did it. Apparently they didn't listen to the last line of her speech.

Quoting the WWII and Korean War General Douglas MacArthur, Palin said, "We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction."

Does that sound like someone who is walking away from it all? Are you kidding? Didn't you listen? Aren't you parsing her entire speech right now? It's all over the Internet! How much do you need?

Take a look at some of her other quotes. She referred to the non-stop nonsensical, but extraordinarily expensive ethics complaints that have been lodged against her - unsuccessfully - in droves. Rather than continue draining the public treasury to defend herself against these vexatious attacks she has stepped aside, thus depriving her opponents of another target.

Or in her words: "Only dead fish go with the flow."

I guess I understand why the media, including the Alaskan media hates her so much. She calls them out. Palin noted that Alaska is the "crossroads of the world ... the gatekeeper of the continent."

After listing numerous accomplishments of her administration, and victories in the US Supreme Court, Palin added, "You don't hear much of the good stuff in the press anymore though, do ya?"

So naturally one of the first people to comment on her announcement was a reporter from a widely read Anchorage newspaper who immediately began trashing her. Her speech was "Rambling," he said.

The monkey-see, monkey-do political hacks and other media imitators picked up that line immediately. Look for it on all the evening and morning news shows. "Rambling" they'll say, because they are programmed and have no minds of their own.

My money is on Sarah. The media across America is going down the drain, and I bet she has work long after most smarmy Socialist Democrat reporters are long gone.

Buckling under pressure? Not likely.

Side stepping an out of control opponent? Highly likely.

The next thing to do after your out of control opponent goes screaming by you is to hit him hard as hell right in a vital spot. If I was a smarmy reporter for a minuscule Alaskan news outlet, or for that matter, even Vanity Fair, I'd be the one who was ducking and covering.

Sarah Palin has thrown off the chains and she can now call the shots herself. I think that is really good for America, and very bad for smarmy leftist Socialist Democrats and their stooges in the State Run Media.