Like many bloggers, I find Palin irresistible to watch like a primate without an opposable thumb: a reverse evolutionary wonder that is able to function despite the obvious advantages of other competing mammals. The Tea Party convention (covered adoringly by Fox) was no disappointment with Palin proclaiming that she is prepared to run against Obama and his “hopey, changey” policies. When asked about her priorities for the nation, she quickly rattled off three priorities, including oil/gas exploration and an Administration that openly seeks “divine intervention” so that we can prosper again.
The godly answer comes around 3:45 on the video. What is so striking is how Palin attributes the current crisis to the failure to publicly call for divine intervention.
Palin also introduced the country to the poor person’s teleprompter with clearly visible notes written on the inside of her hand, here.
The crowd clearly relished every line, including such greetings as “I am so proud to be an American. Thank you so much for being here tonight. Do you love your freedom?” The correct answer to yes.
Continuing her effort to fully morph into Tina Faye’s stereotype from Saturday Night Live, Palin asked “This was all part of that hope and change and transparency. Now, a year later, I gotta ask the supporters of all that, ‘How’s that hopey, changey stuff working out for ya?'”
Palin appears to be combining a potent mix of monotheistic faith and monosyllabic words to rally her base. In this faith-based fantasy world, simply calling for divine intervention is likely enough to push the Dow back above 10,000 and restart the housing market. She fails to explain how the crash occurred under Bush who made faith-based politics what it is today. But none of that matters to this crowd, which appears desperate to hear a leader say that it is merely a matter of drilling and praying to return to “the good days.”
Byron and Duh, if you want to talk about Pres. Obama, that’s good for a different discussion. I’m quite disappointed over a number of things about this administration, but comparing him substantively to Sarah Palin is frankly ridiculous. He has also been hamstrung by a lot of cowardly Democrats and a Republican leadership that prefers gridlock, apparently in line with Byron’s preferences. I do not find her comments to be studiedly ambiguous. I believe she reached the level of her competence upon election as mayor of Wasilla. If we’re to be satisfied with fluff, we might as well elect Miss South Carolina. The truth is that I do not believe that Sarah Palin could conduct a sustained conversation on a single topic with any blogger on this site. Furthermore, we hardly need another president who believes that he/she has been anointed by God to hold the position.
Byron We have a philosophical difference. Bailouts for Wall Street were merely a distraction. I don’t thinks so. They were an awfully expensive distraction. We don’t need to debate this as we are too far apart on this.
Swarthmore mom:
I dont know, I like it when Washington, DC cant get anything done. It protects main street, he who governs least governs best in my book.
Why do you think government can do everything for everyone? Isnt individual responsibility inherent in living in a free society?
The funny part is that most middle class people (main street) are starting to rely on government for things like college tuition and other goodies. Only they wouldnt need government “handouts” if they could keep the majority of their money. Nothing like paying the master and him giving you an allowance.
Wall Street isnt the problem, it is K St and Pennsylvania Ave and Capitol Circle.
Wall St. is a distraction and would be fine if the other “Streets” were cleaned up.
Byron I do not think so. This country is deteriorating because the Senate can’t pass needed legislation or fill vacancies. I know Wall Street loves a stalemate but Main Street does not.
Swarthmore mom:
Thank God for Phillip E. Buster. 🙂
Duh As long as the filibuster exists Obama will not be able to fulfill his campaign promises.
Mike Appleton,
I’m not a big fan of Palin, but where were you when Obama ran on a platform of undefined “change”? That was as open and empty as anything Palin is talking about. Ambiguity is the politicians tool. They use it because the voting public is stupid enough to buy it. What’s worse, is that those same politicians garner more votes because of a letter behind their name than they do by anything else.
Can you name one thing that Obama ran on, that he has succesfully implimented?
Mike Appleton:
“Stick with generalities, always smile and make certain that you evoke as much charm as possible to disarm potential critics.”
To which public figure are you referring?
I think we can use that as an example of just about everyone in the congress, senate and White House.
Yes, she can read a speech (that someone else has written). We all know that. She also has a certain bizarre charisma. But I can’t believe people think she’s qualified for high office. She’d be a good television host. Maybe for a game show or something like that. Extreme Fishing, or Survivor Alaska.
Duh:
why do you support her?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP4PJlufZ0c&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Sound bites are all she knows. But it doesn’t matter because whatever happens is god’s will. If it’s in god’s plan for her to be president, then it will happen and it makes no difference whether she knows what she’s talking about or just keeps coasting along, winking, lying about things and taking hypocritical pot shots at people who have forgotten more than she will ever know.
People routinely complain that Sarah Palin is the victim of ad hominem attacks. While that is true, there is a reason for it beyond elitist condescension. It is simply that the woman has no ideas. None. I defy anyone to point to a single instance in which she has actually expressed an informed opinion on a public policy issue. There is no more to her than what we see. Facebook is a perfect platform for her public pronouncements precisely because she has nothing of substance to say. Her political life is a continuation of her pageant career. Stick with generalities, always smile and make certain that you evoke as much charm as possible to disarm potential critics. She provokes ad hominem attacks out of frustration. It is difficult, after all, to respond intelligently to banality clothed in “you betcha.”
“She thinks the US should declare war on Iran. Imagine her in negotiations with someone like Putin.”
she would scare the shit out of both of them, she can field dress a moose, so a Putie and Dimwitajhad probably would take half the time. Granted you cant smoke ’em and they probably dont jerk well.
Does God float on Oil?
AJ–
It’s not a nutty obsession. As Professor Turley said–Palin is irresistible to watch. We’re just having a little political fun here. We aren’t like the “birthers.” We’re not demanding to see the results of Palin’s sanity evaluation.
Palin’s a caricature of a politician. She winked at the TV audience in her vice presidential debate. Her answers to interview questions are often meandering and incomprehensible. She didn’t know Africa was a continent. She thinks the US should declare war on Iran. Imagine her in negotiations with someone like Putin. The woman would be a train wreck as president of this country.
Then again, I suppose people like me shouldn’t make fun of a “real American” like Sarah Palin.
Duh,
“What part of her message did you disagree with? And why?”
All of it.
Because I have a brain and some familiarity with it’s use, common sense, a sense of history, familiarity with logic and analysis of facts through time, and something approaching passable retention skills, etc. I’m not going to refute, point by point, a series of simplistic statements that warrant nothing so much as dismissal as propaganda and lack of depth. Her answers were not policy oriented or detailed. It was fluff that boiled down to God and oil and too many/too much taxes. When she makes specific policy statements of sufficient detail to examine I will examine them.
Notes, I also would take notes during various meetings. OTOH, I never entered a room where I would have to take the floor that I couldn’t speak at length, without notes, and hit all the points I needed to make and take questions about them. I expect the politicians I am asked to vote for to be at least as competent as myself and pal, that’s not asking a lot. Not a lot at all 🙂
Not a Palin fan to say the least but I don’t really get the political hay that everyone is making about the notes on her hand or cue cards or whatever it was? Am I missing something about how significant this is?
It sort of reminds me to a lesser extent to the ‘birthers’ nutty obsession with wanting to believe Obama was not born in the US… I don’t really get what people think they are accomplishing other than looking entirely cooky and over-the-top partisan by dwelling on rather meaningless things…
Many public speakers will use cue cards, or put notes at the top of a page (or write it on their hand when in a setting where cue cards would be too obvious). This is not done in order to remember the items, but to remember to cover those items.
Going after Palin for writing key points on her hand so she’ll remember to talk about them, or for using the words “hopey, changey”, while not discussing anything about the merits of her message makes those doing so look petty.
What part of her message did you disagree with? And why?
Cloudesley Shovell: “Instead you come right out with the ad hominem, mocking Ms. Palin as some sub-human evolutionary throwback.
Replace Palin with Obama in what you wrote here and consider the tone in that light. ”
—Ad homonyms that indicate the exGov are sub-human are over the top and indicative of personal dislike. She has become, rightfully, the point-to example of everything wrong with the political process and some take it very personally.
On the merits: the exGov needs to write her 5 or six key concepts on her hand to remember them even while mocking the President for using a teleprompter. The President meanwhile fielded questions, often preceded by lengthy mis-characterizations of his policies and accomplishments, from the entire compliment of the Senate Republicans extemporaneously. And handed them their collective ass.
When the exGov is up to remembering and cogently stating her core policies and key points in an unscripted manner I’m sure the debate will turn from her as yet unrevealed intellect to the merits of her arguments.