There is a reason why many of us never tire of watching Sarah Palin. It may be the same sensation that draws people to car races to see the crashes or watch the Weather Channel for the tornado footage, but there is something enthralling the study of Palin, or Palinotology as I prefer to call it. In her latest statement, Palin helpfully explained that being president would be easier than being the Governor of Alaska because “the department of law” would protect her from lawsuits.
This also makes Palin the first presidential aspirant who appears to want the job in part for the free legal representation.
There is a Forrest Gump fascination with people who ascend to great heights unburdened by knowledge or intellect. There is an Alaskan Department of Law, but she may want to clarify those titles before moving into the White House.
Sarah Palin is a national treasure for bloggers, comedians, and democratic fundraisers. I, for one, would gladly have the Secretary of Law and the entire Department of Law defend her.
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She wants to lead a government that she doesn’t have a clue to what its’ constituent components are nor their function. Electing her to office is like giving a monkey a blow torch – sure, it’s all fun and games until something burns to the ground. I like the word “Palinotology” and think it has a fine place in the lexicon of political suicide, but submit that The Killer From Wasilla will have an even greater effect on the English language when you hear this phrase in common parlance: “You just Palined all over yourself. Here are some wet-naps, dude.”
Yes, it’s all great fun. But we need to be careful; we laughed at Ronald Reagan during the 1970s…and then he was elected President. Stranger things have happened in American politics (witness Bush the Younger), and we’d do well to keep a wary eye on this one. As ridiculous as she is, she still has the potential to do great damage.
Palin is nothing like Reagan. He had years as a union leader (Screen Actors Guild) and as a corporate spokesman. he had years to formulate his ideas such as they were. He also was blazingly articulate in comparison with Bush I, Bush II, and Palin. He had message and a deceptively simple political agenda (tax cuts for the rich, a hawkish version of world peace, and don’t waste political capital on other stuff just appoint judges who will eventually grant it). Palin is just a mess. She’ll never get far beyond her base.
FYI-
Alaska calls its AG’s Office the “Department of Law”
I’m sorry to repeat myself but here’s my honest take on this:
Sara’s description of the presidency as a protection racket from prosecution for misdeeds does not show her stupidity, rather it shows her understanding of what the presidency has actually become.
I think Don Henley has a line or two about folks like ol’ Cousin Sarah (new dye job required):
“Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I dont have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em all around
We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye…”
Jim Byrne
1, July 7, 2009 at 10:48 am
FYI-
Alaska calls its AG’s Office the “Department of Law”
Jim
As true as that is, it’s no excuse for a presidential aspirant to refer to the US Justice Department by this unusual and parochial title. It further demonstrates that she’s in way over her head. As long as she makes these kinds of gaffes, many of which make Joe Biden sound down-right eloquent by comparison, she will be hammered mercilessly by the media.
She will always be the butt of political jokes and a long trailer of her verbal stumbles will follow her every step of the way. She’s a sideshow, a diversion, a circus clown—nothing more. She may in fact have more brain power than she’s demonstrated thus far since we all met her last summer, but in almost a year of exposure she’s done a yeoman’s job of concealing it. She’ll forever be lumped in with the likes of GWBush for not being able to convey a coherent thought—if in fact she has them. We’ve had one of those as President already. I don’t think the country has much appetite for more misguided and simultaneously mis-spoken radical right wing nonsense.
It’s a pretty sad situation for the GOP when, by attrition, Mike “No Evolution” Huckabee and Mitt “Magic Underwear” Romney become the front runners. At least Huckabee’s radical right wing nonsense is articulately stated. Does the GOP really want Bobby “Mr. Rogers” Jindahl as a Presidential candidate to run against Barack Obama? C’mon!
As Jim points out, to be fair to Gov. Palin, Alaska has a “Department of Law.”
So, for that matter, does Mega-City One.
I think the Long Walk into Cursed Earth is an allegory for becoming a Fox News commentator, but I could be wrong.
This Press Conference shows us that there is a deeper reason to fear Sarah Palin and the movement she represents than any carelessness in her speech. Governor Palin is a coward who is in dereliction of her duties.
Governor Palin is quitting because of what she claims is a lethal Legalism that can be used to paralyze an honest person who is in Public Servoce in Alaska.
Governor Palin is NOT fighting to change the Alaskan Laws that she claims persecute her.
Governor Palin is NOT standing up to what she tells us is something that is morally intolerable.
She IS quitting in the face of evil, according to her own admission.
But they resentful and impotent followers who worship her every Sarahism blind themselves to the fact that in America we work to change what is evil and we never give up. We can be defeated but never silenced if we have the guts and intelligence to oppose evil.
But she leads that army of “Oh woe is us!” self-pity-ers who make totalitarianism possible. Nothing is worse in Polity than a grieved class that convinces itself it is helpless. There is a short ride from “You can’t fight City Hall” to joining a mass and mob following a person who claims that they will burn down City Hall and allow you to stop being victimized by “Them”.
Mr. Turley, btw, you always ask me to think and even when I disagree with you I listen. Your students are lucky. Please don’t stop teahing.
“If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.
Kahlil Gibran”
mespo,
Nice catch! Don nailed it with the “gleam in her eye” line. That’s what’s so scary about Palin. It’s not her face which I’ll grant is technically beautiful. It’s that spark in her eye that kills the deal. If she didn’t radiate “succubus”, with my known weakness for red heads, I might even be hot on her trail. But if this gal doesn’t set a persons Spider-sense a tingling, maybe it’s time for perceptual tuneup.
“Palin is nothing like Reagan.”
Rich,
What they have in common is as you stated:
“He had message and a deceptively simple political agenda”
Her agenda differs little, but I fear is even more hawkish. In
both instances though the real political/financial support comes from those in a position to use them as puppets and their
lack of awareness that they are being so used. For Sarah though, I think it is about the fun things like TV exposure, good parties and adulation, for Reagan it was about playing the role and his place in history.
millsapian87,
I’m with you.
If her primary concern is getting sued, exactly how much illegal activity is she planning to do?
“Letterman Takes On Palin Resignation: Something I Said? (VIDEO)”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/letterman-takes-on-palin_n_226854.html
I guess Letterman,won?
It’s not Palin, it’s the cattle the moo in approval of her.
FFLEO relatives excluded; of course.
that moo
And now, the cannibals attack . . .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/steele-on-palin-2012-off_n_227057.html
That’s okay Bob, Esq. People of deep Faith in God simply cannot look beyond ‘belief’ towards logic and reasonableness.
I have one relative who was a straight ‘A’ student throughout high school and college, is as accomplished with commonsense as he is with integral calculus, he pilots commercial-sized aircraft for the military, and has flown jets, and at one time was a helicopter mechanic. However, he still “believes” the young earth scenario and takes the Bible as the literal word of God. By the way, the Air Force is the most “Christian” of all of the military services and its ranks are full of accomplished, ultra-intelligent noncoms and officers.
Deep Faith is simply something that if it has a hold on you, nothing else really matters, regardless of how you excelled in math and science. People of Faith, to me, are the most enigmatic of all humans. They can function extremely well—and often exceed in all human endeavors—while still ‘believing’ that an anthropomorphic apparition whispers softly and tenderly in their ears while guiding their every action and reaction to life’s challenges. Then, one day their souls will wing toward a heaven somewhere up in the wild blue yonder where you would think my pilot relative would have at least run over an angel or two with all of his high flying up there in the heavenly clouds.
“Clarence, Oh Clarence, did you ever get your angel wings or did a jet jockey’s turbulence vortex your apparitional vapors out of existence before that bell rang?
Even as an atheist—40 years and counting—‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is still one of my favorite movies since I first saw it at Christmas time, sometime in the early to mid-1950s.
I highly recommend checking out the full video of her resignation. Kernservatism at its best. She appears to have been doing speed during her speech. She will be missed by yours truely. A presidential run and/or nomination would have really helped Obama.
“There is a Forrest Gump fascination with people who ascend to great heights unburdened by knowledge or intellect. ”
This is a Classic, do ya think Geo W thunk this way too?
C.L. 1, July 7, 2009 at 12:16 pm
If her primary concern is getting sued, exactly how much illegal activity is she planning to do?
*******************************88
Ya see C.L. some people just don’t realize that their conduct is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Did anybody figure out if it was Tuesday yet?
Buddha:
“Steele On Palin: “2012 Off The Table”
I think there is a word for his expierience:
“realization – coming to understand something clearly and distinctly; “a growing realization of the risk involved”; “a sudden recognition of the problem he faced”; “
Mike S. and Rich,
Palin is a simple minded politician who doesn’t know how to spell “Agenda”. The Department of Law should arrest her for stupidity.
At least she knows there are 50 states, not 57. Why do we insist on jumping on the verbal gaffes of one politician but not another? At least Palin had an excuse given the name of the legal department of the state of Alaska.
She’s SUPPOSED to be a professional. She doesn’t have an excuse. Any excuse. If the head of GM said, “We’re going to build a better Mustang”, you’d look at him like he’s a clown. Or insane. There are no bonus points for not being any dumber. Unless you attend school in Louisiana now.
Now this is interesting. Apparently the State of AK is at odds with Big Red over her reasons for being a quitter.
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/key-reason-palin-gave-for-quitting-appears-to-be-false/