Lame Ending to Egypt Standoff? Maybe...

So the story of Mubarek ends that flatly, after all those amazing twists and turns? He says yesterday he won't quit, then today he quits? Whassup with that? Why would he do what he did yesterday and then do what he did today? What a bummer of an ending - it's like the ending of War of the Worlds, the Tom Cruise film, when all the aliens just go "poof."

Maybe not. Maybe there's more going on here. I have a theory. He got a phone call from Vladimir Putin (the only politician in the world who'd never resign after a shirtless photo incident.)

"Hosni, baby, Hosni. What am I going to do with you? You never pay attention. They want you to step aside? Step aside, already. Just do what I did. You choose a 'successor.' You make sure it's someone who quakes when you look at him. And you 'surrender power.' It's not rocket science, buddy."

Perhaps Mubarek then asked, "but isn't that a sign of weakness immediately, from a public relations perspective?" To which Putin may have added, "only for the short term.

"In the long term," he said, "it's totally great. You get all the good stuff that comes with complete power, and you don't have to do any of the paperwork, or state dinners, or ribbon cuttings. It's a win-win." 

So congratulations, Egyptians, on Mubarek stepping aside, quite definitely maybe. Stay tuned.