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Poor Sarah Palin . . .

by: occams hatchet

Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 22:27:14 PDT        
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(noon. - promoted by ek hornbeck)

Poor Sarah Palin . . .

Look at her up there smiling.  They always smile before they realize what's about to happen to them.

Sarah Palin is about to become a human sacrifice to the electoral gods.

occams hatchet :: Poor Sarah Palin . . .
Poor Sarah Palin. She doesn't know it yet, but she was just chosen to be the punchline in the Republicans' latest Friday Comedy Dump.

Or maybe she did know and just didn't care.

Maybe it should have occurred to her earlier, as Capt. John McCain weighed his forlorn choices for first mate of the RMS (Republicans' Massive Shitpile)  Titanic, that serving as "first mate" under Capt. John McCain was an ill-advised career choice.

Poor Sarah Palin, doomed to be John McCain's Harriet Miers. By my watch, she's, let's see . . . fourteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds from political oblivion, scheduled for a guest spot on "What's My Line?" in 2015.

And maybe that same thought crossed her mind, too, but she was just too polite, or too hesitant, or too ambitious, or simply too slow, to get out while she could. Maybe, as one by one the more astute potential victims of the McCain veepstakes found other pressing matters to attend to, like washing the dog or sorting coupons or dusting under the couch, maybe poor Sarah Palin, realizing she was all by her little ol' lonesome in the Oh-My-God-I'm-Going-To-Be-One-Half-Of-The-Worst-Presidential-Ticket-In-History green room, looked around, her limpid brown beauty queen's eyes growing big as saucers, and squeaked, almost silently, "Are you sure - ? I thought maybe we were just kidding . . . " And when the Republican chieftains nodded solemnly and pityingly and said, "Yes, Sarah, it's you," poor Sarah swooned, but the Chief Republican caught her before she could hit the ground and blemish that otherwise perfect Miss Alaska 1984 runner-up-plus-a-quarter-century face. And then the Chief Republican - still strong and virile 40 years after spending five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp - did I mention he spent five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp? - carried her limp body solemnly up that long, long flight of stone-hewn steps leading to the altar of November 4, and her awful fate.

(I suppose now the Republicans will have to construct a stage set at the Xcel Energy Center reminiscent of the pyramid at Tenochtitlan. No Greek togas for them, nossir - just pure American. Well, Central American. Okay - pre-American, sheesh.)


Poor Sarah Palin, destined to become a punchline, like Dan Quayle. Only I'm quiet shoor this time they vetted her bedder - not only the Miss Alaska pajunt in 1984, but, one hopes, the Wasilla Spelling Bee of 1974 . . .
.

The Republicans tried to make it rain, but it didn't.  They tried to make Barack Obama look silly but they couldn't.  Their only hope was a conjuring trick that used the Law of Averages to make John McCain suddenly 14 years younger - but poor Sarah Palin: the Law of Averages cannot be ignored, even by Republicans, and thus with one press conference she suddenly aged 14 years and became one-half Old Scary White Guy.

The Republicans couldn't make it rain in Denver, so maybe they figured that they could drop on the Democrats a Flood of voters the likes of which have never been seen in the 6,000-year history of the world, by sacrificing a former Virgin. By picking someone who is ready on Day One thousand, four hundred sixty. By picking someone who on her best day received fewer votes than Maria Rivas Hamar received in her third-place finish in the 2006 race for judge of L.A. County's Superior Court, seat no. 144.

The Republicans figured they had created an upside-down reverse mirror image of of the Democratic ticket, but what they got in reality is Abe Simpson Meets Shirley Temple - and little Shirley's been left pushing Abe in the wheelchair around the rest home.

And - yikes - some people think she's "America's Margaret Thatcher." Might want to rethink that, being up there onstage next to John McCain and all. Just sayin'.

The Republican Party has steered right into an iceberg and its fate in this November's election is sealed. With Sarah Palin, Capt. John McCain thinks he's plugged the leak. Sarah's just happy to be here, up on the bridge. My guess is all the other VP contenders, as they felt the icy water sloshing around their ankles and rising up their legs, suddenly remembered that they had something else to do, and backed away slowly - or turned and ran. But not poor Sarah Palin.

And maybe that was the ultimate measure of the Republicans' potential vice presidential nominees in this 2008 election year that is destined to go down as the Most Awful in Republican history:


You had to be dumber than John McCain to be his running mate.



And that, my friends, is no small achievement.



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Tip jar (4.00 / 14)

Heh - here's what McCain said about the selection of Dan Quayle as George H.W. Bush's VP running mate in 1988:

I can't believe a guy that handsome wouldn't have some impact.



- and, yes, the Republicans are actually holding their convention at the Xcel Energy Center. Because we weren't 100% certain that the Republican Party is in the pocket of the energy industry.

Who wants an Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Orange Whip?

Three Orange Whips!


"The Palin Trap" (0.00 / 0)
This analysis just came out.  I think it's spot on:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Dornoch firth stowps hae lang lugs...


[ Parent ]
I'm going to keep saying it... (3.62 / 8)
...we underestimate this person to our great peril.  Seriously.

And keep this in mind: John McCain doesn't know her at all.  They have met once.  Which makes him crazier than a shithouse rat, yes.  But also makes her a quantity even he hasn't measured.  Be wary of that.  None of us have any real idea of what this woman can or can't do.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken


I hear ya, Jay. (4.00 / 8)
And I respectfully disagree: I think "underestimating" is a mischaracterization. I think - and I could be wrong - that her political life and beliefs are an open book - and a very short book, at that. There's no "there" there.

As I say, I could be wrong.


Who wants an Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Orange Whip?

Three Orange Whips!


[ Parent ]
Remember, it isn't usually what you've done... (4.00 / 6)
...it is usually how you can express it to people.

She's a popular Governor who took on a corrupt establishment in her own party and largely won.  You can't do that if you can't make yourself appealing to people.  She's an impressive performance in the debate against Biden away from being the new standard-bearer of the Republican Party.  I doubt she can really fill that stage, but you never know who is going to be a movie star, and it usually isn't the best actor, y'know?

There was no "there there" with Huckabee either.  She's potentially a lot more charming than Mike Huckabee.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken


[ Parent ]
Oh great. (4.00 / 3)
I know that I should never underestimate the intelligence of the US voting public, but "charming" just isn't gonna cut it here. This candidate's positions have all the appeal of Phyllis Schlafly's.  I just cannot take those positions as a serious threat.

Visit The Dream Antilles, a Lit Blog.

[ Parent ]
It depends, of course, on getting her positions out there ... (4.00 / 3)
... and it may be an open book to high information voters, but low information voters have to be picking her positions up from somewhere if it is going to swing their vote.

That's where the blogosphere can come in, but only if it is willing to break out of the silicon cage and get the word out into the streets.

Support Lesbian creative works, 100% Yuri from ALC Press


[ Parent ]
Yes, because no one liked Phyllis Schlafly... (0.00 / 0)
...she's had no success on influencing American politics at all.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken

[ Parent ]
have no doubt (4.00 / 2)
the 20 percenters will love her.

crossover appeal? i think Hillary had more crossover appeal and Hillary was/is hated by many.  but i could be wrong of course and will wait and see along with the rest of us. right now, to me, she is one step up from James Bond Stockdale and one step down from Danny Boy Quayle.

No ponies, but
"Please pass the lotus flower..."  


[ Parent ]
A very short book maybe, but I'm with Jay on this. (4.00 / 5)
 
My brother has lived in Alaska since 65, is a diehard D and told me it's kinda scary the way she can persuade people to do what she wants. He told me that months ago, in talking Alaska politics with me (I lived there for 17 years).  

visualize: the act of the mind using spiritual energy to manifest in the physical realm  

[ Parent ]
If it makes you feel better, (0.00 / 0)
I voted for Hillary in the primary...although i always said I'd vote the party ticket.  But this diary very much summarizes how I feel.  It's called "No, Senator McCain, I am not an Idiot":

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

One function of the income gap is that the people at the top of the heap have a hard time even seeing those at the bottom. They practically need a telescope.--Molly Ivins


[ Parent ]
i've been posting the same message (4.00 / 1)
this woman scares me because many voters vote on superficial things like tv ads. and the goppies can package her with a nice surface only presentation.  

[ Parent ]
Jay is right (0.00 / 0)
Here's an analysis from the Huffington Post that is spot on:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Dornoch firth stowps hae lang lugs...


[ Parent ]
am i (4.00 / 2)
the only one around who thinks McCain deliberately threw the game?

No ponies, but
"Please pass the lotus flower..."  


Why would he do that? nt (4.00 / 3)


Visit The Dream Antilles, a Lit Blog.

[ Parent ]
because (4.00 / 3)
he's crazy mad with anger?  at the Bush family, at the world?  he had to capitulate to get his party's prize (re: the famous picture of him hugging GWB) of the nomination and that capitulation harkens back to his days as a POW?

because it's a good story line?   lol  (eek, that's sick)

No ponies, but
"Please pass the lotus flower..."  


[ Parent ]
Yes, you are the only one around. (4.00 / 3)
He definitely threw a Hail Mary ... but Republicans have not been getting elected by over-estimating the ability of the corporate media to puncture their BS or over-estimating the ability of the American people to see through the media BS transcribed from Republican campaigns ...

... so if you are behind and need a big gain and a TD to win the game, why not try the play that has worked for you in the past? Ignore the issues, ignore reality, and try to play for Media Image.

Sure, this Micheal Palin fellow is not experienced enough to be a Cabinet Secretary, let alone Vice President (well, maybe Secretary of Travel Documentaries, but they'd have to create the position first), and sure, McCain just invested months into "Obama is not experienced enough to be President", but, hell, it was only getting him close ... it wasn't getting him ahead.

And the Q3 numbers are going to be released the week before the election and it'll almost certainly show a negative growth rate ... so being neck and neck going into the home stretch just isn't good enough.

Support Lesbian creative works, 100% Yuri from ALC Press


[ Parent ]
Yep, pandering to the fundies & low info (4.00 / 2)
voters has worked in the past, so risk-taker, McCraps, is probably enjoying rolling the dice on Palin.

[ Parent ]
They'll keep dancing with what brung them ... (4.00 / 2)
... until it stops getting them to the big dance.

And bypassing the corporate media and getting the word straight to low info voters, that would kind of be our job, if only we will do it.

Lots of people will still be in 20th century cheer from the sidelines mode, but cheering from the sidelines does not gain any political clout ... and as pretty and progressive as Senator Obama's Speech was, it had a couple of loud clunkers in there on Georgia and "clean coal" that were there because we do not have clout.

Support Lesbian creative works, 100% Yuri from ALC Press


[ Parent ]
Plus, Paris said no. (4.00 / 2)


Support Lesbian creative works, 100% Yuri from ALC Press

[ Parent ]
Darn! I liked Paris's Energy Plan. n/t (4.00 / 2)


[ Parent ]
That's why she said no ... (4.00 / 1)
... McCain said her energy plan would have to go.

By contrast, when told that the answer to raising revenue from oil companies to write checks to everyone in the US to was "no way, no how", Palin said, "fine".

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[ Parent ]
Let's be honest... (4.00 / 1)
for her, it's a win-win situation.  If, somehow, the Repugs win, she's VP.  If they lose, she gets to blame McCain and Bush, and she's this year's John Edwards or Joe Lieberman (not that anyone would want to be either of them) and has an up for 2012 or 2016.

Not too bad for the lightweight she's supposed to be.

The Kucinich Plan (simplified):
1) Be a Democrat.
2) Think like a Democrat.
3) Vote like a Democrat.
4) Lead like a Democrat.
5) Live like a Democrat.
http://kucinich.us


And if, like the last first-term Republican Governor ... (4.00 / 1)
... picked for a Republican Ticket, her scandal turns out to have something there, may as well go for the brass ring now, because the independent investigator reports any findings.

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[ Parent ]
True, dat! (0.00 / 0)


The Kucinich Plan (simplified):
1) Be a Democrat.
2) Think like a Democrat.
3) Vote like a Democrat.
4) Lead like a Democrat.
5) Live like a Democrat.
http://kucinich.us


[ Parent ]
Plus it appeals to her "Beauty Queen Ego" (4.00 / 2)

"Oh look, they are all looking at ME!"

visualize: the act of the mind using spiritual energy to manifest in the physical realm  

[ Parent ]
C'mon... (4.00 / 1)
that's any politician.  Period.

The Kucinich Plan (simplified):
1) Be a Democrat.
2) Think like a Democrat.
3) Vote like a Democrat.
4) Lead like a Democrat.
5) Live like a Democrat.
http://kucinich.us


[ Parent ]
Reminds me of ... (4.00 / 1)
... Senator "I ran for President in 2000 for Pure Ambition" McCain accusing Senator Obama of being other than humble.

An arrogant US Senator ... calling another US Senator arrogant. Imagine that ... that'll be in the headlines on the same page with all the "dog bites man" breaking news.

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[ Parent ]
Dumber & Meaner... (4.00 / 1)
A little insight into Gov. Sarah Baracuda & her "issues".

Gov. Baracuda Disses Hillary: (& Ms. Baracuda's exact quote:

"...Palin talked about what women expect from women leaders; how she took charge in Alaska during a political scandal that threatened to unseat the state's entire Republican power structure, and her feelings about Sen. Hillary Clinton. (She said she felt kind of bad she couldn't support a woman, but she didn't like Clinton's "whining....")

"...She does herself a disservice to even mention it really. You've got to plow through that. You've got to know what you're getting into."

"...She says "any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism...I think, man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, women in general, wanting to progress this country..."

Like her new BFF, McCain, Ms. Congeniality is happy to laugh along when hate talkers call female political opponents "a B*@ch":  

"...The governor's appearance on KWHL's "The Bob and Mark Show" last week is plain and simple one of the most unprofessional, childish and inexcusable performances I've ever seen from a politician. [...]"

Early on in the conversation before Palin started to crack up, Lester referred to Sen. Green as a jealous woman and a cancer.[...]

"...Lester questioned Green's motherhood, asking Palin if the senator cares about her own kids. Palin laughs..."

"...Then Lester clearly sets the stage for what he is about to say by warning his large audience and Palin. He says, "Governor you can't say this but I will, Lyda Green is a cancer and a b----." Palin laughs for the second time..."

So, I don't think I can even muster a few crocodile tears if Palin gets some karmatic repayment for her offenses--I just would feel that she'll be reaping what she's been sowing for years.  



Again... (0.00 / 0)
...what you (and others) see as an offense, much like the "what does the VP do all day" quote, I see as a possible strength.

I think she has a point that a lot of people, including a lot of Democrats, are sympathetic with Palin about the Clinton campaign blaming sexism for her poor performance.  And I think that point will particularly resonate with potential Republican voters.  Don't forget, lots of people still loathe Sen. Clinton.  Being the anti-Hillary ought to have a lot of potential appeal.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken


[ Parent ]
Well, if they can love her that much, (0.00 / 0)
...despite her abuse of power (a la Attorneygate), her total lack of national or foreign policy governing experience, her blindly unquestioning fundamentalism, etc--and despite all that, they still choose to vote for another ignorant bushie, they deserve her and all the bush-like disaster she & McInsane bring with them.


[ Parent ]
Well... (0.00 / 0)
...her abuse of power concerns her own ex-brother in law, who among other things, threatened the life of her father.  I think people are willing to understand an abuse of power in that case.

Beyond that, I think that yes, they would get the leader they deserve.  But we wouldn't, which is why we ought to bear in mind that arguments that we find compelling aren't the arguments they will find compelling.

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken


[ Parent ]
As if they would ever vote for Obama (4.00 / 1)
...in any case.  Sorry, IMHO, the fundies, bigots, neocons, and warmongers are a lost cause--they're in the bushie 30% group & I've come to the conclusion that you can't fix stupid.  If they seriously think Ms. Palin is qualified to be commander-in-chief, nothing anyone can say to them would change their minds.


[ Parent ]
There are some offers that you "can't refuse" (0.00 / 0)
no doubt they made her one.  It is too bad - she seems pretty level headed.  "They" likely view her as easy to control - no doubt "they" are behind McCain's transformation from campaign finance reform champion to neocon chump, and have ways of controlling everyone, especially the ambitious.

What "they" don't seem to realize is that their base is very patriarch-oriented.  They want a leader that can be described by all the masculine adjectives - "tough", "strong", etc... many Republican women are of the "my husband makes all the financial decisions" or "my parents vote Republican" sort.  

This VP choice is very good for us.


and I should add (0.00 / 0)
that these patriarch-oriented women absolutely hate a woman with power, especially a pretty one. They will be crazy with jealousy.

[ Parent ]
But its easy to assume that the VP has ... (4.00 / 1)
... no power. Its a race between "useful as tits on a boar" and "heartbeat away from the Presidency", and "heartbeat away" is a low risk attack for the Democrats, given that the most egregious of Biden's flaws are exactly what the corporate media paints as his strengths.

Support Lesbian creative works, 100% Yuri from ALC Press

[ Parent ]
All Palin, All the Time (4.00 / 3)

Photobucket

Someone called them: Dharma & Methusla (0.00 / 0)
Wish I could remember where I saw it...

[ Parent ]
Bill Maher... (4.00 / 1)


"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it." ~ H.L. Mencken

[ Parent ]
Cafferty on Palin (4.00 / 1)
Here's Cafferty's comment & some of the 11,000 e-mail comments re: Palin.

 


 

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