May 26, 2011

"Sarah Palin is launching a nationwide bus tour starting Sunday in Washington..."

"... Palin will also be stopping at other spots of symbolic national significance on the East Coast, including the Civil War battlefields at Gettysburg and Antietam, and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.... In addition to the tour, Palin’s camp recently announced a two-hour promotional film about the former governor set to premiere in Iowa next month."

So... does that mean she's going to run for President?

Is Sarah running?
Obviously.
She's testing the waters, as they say.
Probably not. Just grabbing attention.
No. Being President is not her thing. Wise up, America. Ignore this woman.

  
pollcode.com free polls

ADDED: That film — according to the Guardian — "will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure beset at every turn by vicious leftwing enemies seeking to thwart her ambition of reviving the conservative legacy of Ronald Reagan." Somehow I doubt that the film actually mentions Joan of Arc. If not, the linked article has quite a deceptive headline: "Sarah Palin likened to Joan of Arc in two-hour documentary film." The title of the movie is "The Undefeated," which sounds more like the title of an American western than any reference to Joan of Arc. But the British website comes up with Joan of Arc, who was not undefeated. She was captured, purchased by the British and then tried — unfairly — and executed — brutally — by the British.

225 comments:

1 – 200 of 225   Newer›   Newest»
Original Mike said...

Crap.

mccullough said...

Sounds like she might be doing another T.V. show: "Sarah Palin's America."

This could be fun. Sort of an "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" for the '10s.

edutcher said...

Some polls have her second behind Romney.

So why not give it a shot?

Besides, it will give Miss Sarah a chance to get in a few good ones on Little Zero - especially if she gets to Joplin before he does.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

So... does that mean she's going to run for President?

I cant remember when was the last time a loosing party VP nominee got the nomination the next time around.

chickelit said...

including the Civil War battlefields at Gettysburg and Antietam,..

No Shiloh? I'll bet that P.O.'s Shilho.

coketown said...

I predict a shortbus joke blitz from Shiloh any minute now...

Anonymous said...

Lem -- Mondale, sort of. Before that? No idea.

mccullough said...

Lem,

1984. Mondale was Carter's V-P and was the "losing party's VP nominee" in 1980.

Synova said...

The "buzz" I heard was that her "two hour promotional flim" was quite a bit of clips of people being truly horrific about her.

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

Revenant said...

This poll needs a "man, I sure hope not" button.

mccullough said...

Lem,

FDR was the losing party V-P nominee in 1920. Maybe Palin should wait until 2020.

Alex said...

Hateful spewing works. Look at how the Democrats have already crushed Paul Ryan.

Triangle Man said...

Some polls have her second behind Romney.

No kidding! Gallup has her at 15% to Romney's 17%. If you leave Sarah out, Romney gets 17%, Newt gets 12% (up from 9%), and Ron Paul gets 12% (up from 10%). My interpretation is that she's drawing from a pretty wide base of support.


By the way, Obama's approval rating is up to 52% (40% disapprove). Scott Walkers? 43% (according to the only poll I could find).

Carol_Herman said...

First things first! We haven't even seen the 2-hour film, yet!

Can a documentary save Palin, while the old boy's network goes in the toilet?

Please. Let me help flushing out what's floating in there ... Because Palin's film may be viewed, ahead, by millions! Iowa caucuses? That's the way to get on the ticket?

You didn't notice Pawlenty went in to lose? Yes. He did! He says we should cut farm subsidies for corn. Used to gas our cars.

Technology is changing politics right before your eyes!

mday123 said...

Run Sarah Run. You inspire me with hope.

Alex said...

It seems that any GOPer trying to initiate austerity measures has approval rating in the TANK. Lesson learned - don't be bold.

Hoosier Daddy said...

No matter. Romney will get the nomination. It is his turn after all.

traditionalguy said...

She's here, and she's attacking Obama with a high level of charisma and intelligence. Deal with it. Mitt is as popular as he is going to get. It is either Sarah or Pawlenty. Last time the pick went to the most exciting one of those two for the VP slot. Stay tuned.

windbag said...

Maybe she's trying to get on the next "Celebrity Apprentice" and thought this would impress the Trump. Afterall, if she can outdo his stunt...

Hoosier Daddy said...

When things get dire enough, the nation will find its Cincinnatus.

I'll be in my garden if you need me.

Patrick said...

I'm not sure there's much difference between options 3 and 4, which would be my votes.

Joanna said...

The "buzz" I heard was that her "two hour promotional flim" was quite a bit of clips of people being truly horrific about her.

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.


Love this.

mccullough said...

Althouse,

Are you going to run blog-ads for the Palin 2011 Summer Tour t-shirts?

Scott M said...

It certainly sounds like pandering. Civil War battlegrounds? I'm a huge CW grognard, but I fail to see the relevance other than plucking the ol' pseudo-patriotic heart strings.

Shanna said...

This poll needs a "man, I sure hope not" button.

Heh. I don't think she is running, partly because I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches. I'm sorry, that just doesn't seem like the road any serious candidate would take.

I think she just wants to be popular enough to have some say in chosing a good candidate but I guess we'll see.

traditionalguy said...

Scott m...are you saying that she is campaigning to win the hearts and minds of American voters? That may be irrational...or maybe not.

mccullough said...

Tomorrow's NYT's Headline:

Palin to Re-Open Wounds Between North and South with Civil War Monuments Tour

Ricardo said...

I think it's very fortunate for her that she has all this free time on her hands (meaning: doesn't have a job), and can just wander around the country. She's turned into a quite successful self-promoted celebrity. Can a line of perfume (Sarah's Scent) be far behind? I think I'd be more impressed if she was actually doing something. Liking helping to rebuild New Orleans, or building levies on the Mississippi, or doing disaster relief in Joplin. I guess I'm tired of people just wandering around "talking" about what America needs, while never actually doing anything. She could become a school teacher. That might be a nice start.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Mondale?

Doesn't look good for Sarah.. does it?

Triangle Man said...

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

It's only the effect that this has on true swing voters that is going to matter. I would be wary of any approach that smacks of having a pity party.

mccullough said...

Ricardo,

In fairness to Palin, she did roll up her sleeves down in Haiti. It's not like she's Lady Gaga.

Alex said...

I think it's very fortunate for her that she has all this free time on her hands (meaning: doesn't have a job), and can just wander around the country.

You mean like Obama and his constant golfing, traveling? You have interesting double-standards. Why isn't Obama rebuilding levee with his bare hands?

Scott M said...

No. I'm saying going to sites like those to kick off a campaign is painfully transparent. There's truth and then there's perception. Which do you suppose wins more elections?

Revenant said...

I think she just wants to be popular enough to have some say in chosing a good candidate but I guess we'll see.

That would definitely be the smart play. She is well-situated to be a power broker in the party (she's popular with the base) but incredibly poorly situated to win national office (swing voters hate her).

She can either be a major player in guiding the direction of the Republican Party, or she can be the has-been political joke that won Obama a second term in office. Those are pretty much the options.

traditionalguy said...

My curiosity level is aroused to see how the Media arm of the Obama Campaign handles Palin's publicity? Since February there has been no mention of Palin as a candidate or as anything else. The word seems to have gone out to cut off free publicity that their attacks of the week were giving her. No news, nada. How long can they keep that up??

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I must say at this point I'm more interested in an Obama loss than a Palin win.

Right now I have Giuliani as my stand in candidate.

Synova said...

"Hateful spewing works. Look at how the Democrats have already crushed Paul Ryan."

How long can it work before voters become disgusted with those that spew? Sure, we political junkies (and I have it rather mild, compared to some) get in the middle of it with fists and elbows but the people who win elections aren't the political junkies, they aren't the "choir."

Take a clip of someone being truly vile (and there are no shortage of them) and someone not already on-board will wonder if there is basis for it, will have to decide if there is basis for it. They *won't* have to wonder about the person being hateful. The proof is right there in front of them.

Ricardo said...

mccullough,

You're right. I forgot about Haiti. And I'd never say anything bad about Lady Gaga.

Synova said...

"Yes. He did! He says we should cut farm subsidies for corn. Used to gas our cars."

We should cut all subsidies for ethanol production. If it's not economical, it's a bad idea. If it can't pay its own way it's throwing money in the crapper and calling it virtue.

Ethanol from corn is like those Bugs Bunny cartoons where a humongous tree is dropped into a timber mill and comes out as a single toothpick.

Subsidizing food production is a different argument.

Rose said...

Fabulous! Run, Sarah, RUN! We've been waiting. Don't delay and end up like Fred.

windbag said...

@ricardo

I guess I'm tired of people just wandering around "talking" about what America needs, while never actually doing anything.

Sounds to me like she's qualified for the office already, compared to Obama.

windbag said...

If she does intend to run, it seems to reason that she has developed a strategy to silence the personal attacks and stay focused on the issues. That's the biggest curiosity factor for me. A few days ago, she admonished conservatives to brace against the unfair treatment at the hands of the MSM. I assume that she's about to show us what she means.

kermitt said...

Have you seen the alternatives?I'd vote for her.Palin/Cain or Cain/Palin would be fine by me.

Trooper York said...

I think she would have more fun on the Pizza Bus Tour.

DaveW said...

I think she may get in but she'll just be paving the way for a future run. She won't get nominated, couldn't win now if she did, and I think she knows that.

Phil 314 said...

Palin as Republican nominee, a non-starter for independents.

But Palin can win in 2012...

a moral victory that is.

Ricardo said...

"You have interesting double-standards."

Alex,

I don't think I have double-standards. We're just not talking about Obama right now, in this thread. Sarah reminds me of people I've seen in both parties, in all parties. And also in many other professions. People who are so driven to get to the top, that they are not willing to do any of the intermediate steps or jobs enroute to the top. They hear some kind of divine calling that they belong at the top, and only at the top. And they don't want to do any of the hard work that is required by normal career progression. They want to go straight to the top, and manage and supervise. Have you ever known people like that? I see them all over. The trouble is that when people like this get to the top, quickly, they usually are horrendous managers. They have no conception of what work is being done, or of how to do it. And they usually make disastrous decisions that end up affecting the lives of people all around them.

Robert Cook said...

"Look at how the Democrats have already crushed Paul Ryan."

Give credit where credit's due, dude. Ryan did it himself, fair and square, with his wildly unpopular and unsellable plan to eviscerate Medicare.

Luke Lea said...

I'd like to see her run. It would be an interesting race.

john said...

Alex said...You mean like Obama and his constant golfing, traveling? ...Why isn't Obama rebuilding levee with his bare hands?

There's just no way to predict when a levee is going to bust and work that into a busy presidential golf schedule. Cut the guy some slack, Alex.

ricpic said...

Crap.

Crap is right. A giant pants crap for all those lefties out there who figured the next four would put the kybosh on Amerika. Sarah's comin' to git YOU!

Shouting Thomas said...

Give credit where credit's due, dude. Ryan did it himself, fair and square, with his wildly unpopular and unsellable plan to eviscerate Medicare.

OK, Cookie, I'll ask you the question that you don't care about.

Who's going to pay for the entitlements?

Do we just continue to spend money we don't have?

Shouting Thomas said...

I hope Palin does run. Whether or not she wins, she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation.

The white guys can't do it. They'll be strung up as "racists" by the media.

I know, on a small scale, what it's like to be in the whirlwind of public life, and to deal with assholes who hate you even though they really know nothing about you other than what they read in the papers. So, I won't presume to give Palin advice.

If she's got the stomach for the abuse, and she can protect her family from the vultures, I hope she goes for it.

David said...

Perhaps she has a plan after all, the crafty dame.

ricpic said...

With the exception of the artisanal bread crowd it'll be a rout for Sarah who will BEAT OBAMA LIKE A RENTED MULE!

Fred4Pres said...

Sarah should restore and use this bus for kicks.

Joanna said...

The trouble is that when people like this get to the top, quickly, they usually are horrendous managers.

she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation

I'd love to see Palin run as VP again (although I doubt she would). She can focus on verbal fisticuffs while Paul Ryan (for example) focuses on getting the presidential campaign message out there.

I don't think a single candidate can beat Obama. I think it'll take a dream team combo, and I really can't think of anyone better suited for a strategic VP than Palin. It's almost like she's been practicing for that role ever since the last time she tried for it.

She'd sorta be the pivot to the presidential candidate's jammer, if you know roller derby at all. (A sports metaphor felt appropriate, but derby's the only one I really know.)

ricpic said...

Bobbie Cook the brilliant brain will be thrashed by Sarah Palin the shnook from the sticks and he'll never know what hit him or why.

mccullough said...

Fred4Pres,

That would be great. Auction off some seats on that bus for various legs of the journey to raise money for disaster relief. A good summer will be had.

BarryD said...

I'd love it if she did bong hits on TV.

But I'm a gun-toting nudist libertarian type, maybe not the average Republican voter.

What if she DOES become President after Obama?

We'll go from the American Idol President to the Reality Show President. Then we just need to have the Survivor President, and we can move on to the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome President.

Whoopee!

ricpic said...

Why isn't Obama rebuilding levee with his bare hands?

Ooh, you just said something RACISSS!

Synova said...

"Joan of Arc" might be about Palin as a religious figure.

erictrimmer said...

Sarah Palin wasn't ready for prime time. That Katie Couric interview sunk her. I don't think she's stupid, and I don't think she doesn't read newspapers, but she isn't good at pretending to know what she is talking about.

Maybe in the past few years she has honed her bullshitting skills.

If so, she will be a formidable candidate.

Seeing Red said...

you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign")

She was on the road to personal bankruptcy w/the frivolous lawsuits.

AFTER she resigned, Alaska changed the law so the gov't. pays 4 the defense.

mccullough said...

BarryD,

You, Fred4Pres and me should rent out the Furthur bus this summer. Good times!

Phil 314 said...

Palin as Joan of Arc

Ending like this?

coketown said...

She was captured, purchased by the British and then tried — unfairly — and executed — brutally — by the British.

The left can dream, can't they?

Revenant said...

OK, Cookie, I'll ask you the question that you don't care about. Who's going to pay for the entitlements?

Isn't Cook already retirement age? I'm pretty sure his plan is "die of old age before the money runs out".

bgates said...

Joan of Arc was executed in the early 15th century, nearly 300 years before the Treaty of Union, by the English.

Seeing Red said...

Medicare is eviscerated either way.

All that's left is the screaming.

$500 billion in cuts isn't chump change.

Wait until granny needs a knee transplant & she's 5801 in a 5800 allotment.

We'll follow Canada - HELOCs.


No lie - article in the Canadian papers a few years ago.

Windsor was supposed to get 2 heart surgeons to perform angioplasties in 2008!

Seeing Red said...

Isn't there a hit job movie coming out on her & isn't Tom Hanks a producer?

Julianne Moore is playing her?

Instapundit linked 2 it recently.

mccullough said...

Seeing Red,

Granny is not Kobe Bryant. Why the hell should we pay for a knee replacement for her? It's tough to get old, and I feel bad, but we're bankrupting ourselves to pay for our elderly. Doesn't any of them use a cane anymore?

rhhardin said...

Maybe she's more of a Richard Serra than a Joan.

Shanna said...

She was on the road to personal bankruptcy w/the frivolous lawsuits.

I'm not criticizing her for quitting, but I don't think that's what you do when you want to be President. And I don't think half a term as governor is enough to run on. YMMV.

Revenant said...

I hope Palin does run. Whether or not she wins, she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation.

"Whether or not she wins"?

What the heck is the point of "going after" Obama and losing? Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?

Shouting Thomas said...

What the heck is the point of "going after" Obama and losing? Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?

I actually meant whether or not she runs, but the Freudian slip is subject to interpretation.

Such is life in the comments section.

RuyDiaz said...

From the Guardian article:

Palin's use of language was widely criticised, and her reaction to the shooting compared unfavourably to the more statesmanlike response of President Barack Obama.

Well, President Obama wasn't accussed of inspiring mass murder, you giant jerk. What's wrong with this people.

Seeing Red said...

And I don't think half a term as governor is enough to run on. YMMV.



Doesn't matter anymore, the bar has been lowered.

Seeing Red said...

Ummm, Kobe Bryant might not have been the wise choice. He can afford to pay for his own knee surgery.


So, you're in the "take the red or blue pill" camp?


Granny's gonna live in pain.

VanderDouchen said...

Rev said:

"Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?"


See. Right there. That's the issue that noone is willing to really look at. The economy is going to circle the drain regardless of wins in 2012. We can sit here and bicker and argue over who did what to whom until the cows come home. But, the facts are our leadership has a plan, and you and I are not in on what that plan is. This is what democracy looks like after 230 years. No matter who gets in in 2012, tha great game is going to continue. Insider trading by 535 people. Kick backs. Special deals. The children of the elites going to the "right" schools, being let in on "the plan." I have lost all confidence in this once great Republic. I've seen first hand how the banana republics and african warlord economies have worked for the last half century. The banana republics are looking like they have more respect for the rule of law and their constitutional prcesses than Mercah does.

Great civilizations do not dissappear, they devolve. Welcome to the devolution. We need to get up and go to work. We need to educate our kids and grand kids. We need to plan for the future. But, let there be no doubt, Mercuh will not be the Mercuh we know, either culturally, nor geographically, in another 100 years. As a collective, we've learned to vote ourselves the benefits provided by others. This will not change, yet it will not stand, either.

Rome is still Rome, it's just not Rome anymore.

WV: stroff (wtf?)

He was escorted of the plane for stroffing in mid flight; medical authorities say damage is minimal.

David Smith said...

Anyone who scares the "elite" network of both parties the way that she does has my admiration, gratitude, and a shot at my support.

Just seeing them sweat makes my day.

Take back the street!

Ricardo said...

The annual feast day of Joan of Arc is next Monday (May 30), so Sarah's timing is perfect for the tour.

AllenS said...

Triangle Man said...
By the way, Obama's approval rating is up to 52%

If true, that's an indication that we are truely fucked.

Terrye said...

I think Sarah Palin was unfairly treated by the media...but I am getting kind of weary of the eternal victim stuff. It is always the same thing..they are mean to me..they are not fair to me...they pick on me...watch my TV show...buy my book...

I don't know when it happened, but I am kind of tired of Sarah Palin.

Jose_K said...

Saint Joan Of Arc is the patron of France. So she won after death.
Nixon lost as president candiadate and won twice, with a landslide the second time.
Pawlenty, Christie

mccullough said...

Seeing Red,

Yes, Granny or her family has to pay for the knee replacement, or she's living in pain. The taxpayer can't afford to do it anymore. We have to get the deficit under control and then pay off some debt.

Fred4Pres said...

mccullough said...
BarryD,

You, Fred4Pres and me should rent out the Furthur bus this summer. Good times!

5/26/11 4:20 PM



You sparked a memory. One time I went dove hunting in Egypt. I sat on the roof of a old Range Rover with a shotgun while an Egyptian guy drove me and my friend up and down the orange orchards. We had an eight year old kid in the back who ran out and picked up the dead doves. He would clean them as we went. We got around 50.

We went back and the old Egyptain guys were drinking scotch we gave them. We roasted the birds on sticks (they were delicious). One old guy (he was in his 80s), very drunk, took a shotgun and starting shooting pigeons and doves flying over head. They started landing in an area less than a meter circle at his feet. So not only was he hitting these birds, he was hitting them with a lead so they landed where he intended. He got about a dozen before he stopped.

It was the best shotgun shooting I have ever seen. He told us that he learned to shoot as a boy, shining shoes for the Scottish troops stationed on the Suez Canal. They would take him out and show him how to shoot.

Anonymous said...

In '12 make liberals cry.

Palin / Ryan '12

Brian Hancock said...

Run Sarah Run!!!!

The Dude said...

Not sure how tasty a roasted stick might be, but I get the single malt and shooting thing - all that's missing is some tobacco - you could have had an ATF trifecta, oh yeah!

garage mahal said...

That film — according to the Guardian — "will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure beset at every turn by vicious leftwing enemies seeking to thwart her ambition of reviving the conservative legacy of Ronald Reagan.

LOL

Hagar said...

"The Guardian" sounds more like the Huffington Post or the Daily Kos here. I think I will wait until someone who actually has seen the movie reports.

Any two-hour movie on Ms. Sarah to be shown in theaters must be something out of the ordinary. It surely cannot be just a "Sarah Palin's America," but what on earth can it be?

mccullough said...

Fred4Pres,

Great story. You should be our ambassador to Egypt, if not Secretary of State.

Joanna said...

This is what democracy looks like after 230 years.

This.

Revenant said...

Doesn't matter anymore, the bar has been lowered.

"Sure I have no experience, but the guy I'm telling you is a terrible President didn't have experience either".

This is a winning argument, is it?

madAsHell said...

Am I the only one that has heard Herman Cain speak?

RuyDiaz said...

"Sure I have no experience, but the guy I'm telling you is a terrible President didn't have experience either".

It is more of a 'it comes down to the terrible President or I, it is time to choose'.

RuyDiaz said...

Am I the only one that has heard Herman Cain speak?

I tried, but quit after a few minutes: crank.

Anonymous said...

"let me be clear".....

I support Palin 100%.

Went back and forth for a bit--she lost me after the Couric interview--

She's been dead on policy wise, and fearless.

Peter Hoh said...

All signs point to "run."

And if she runs, I think she's going to win the nomination. The race turns into Romney vs. Palin, and the base isn't going to vote for Romney.

AllenS said...

Fred4Pres,

That was a great hunting story, and from Egypt at that. Do you know that some people don't hunt, but merely look for road kill?

Revenant said...

The problem, VanderDouchen, isn't that our political class is unresponsive to ordinary Americans and obsessed with cutting themselves special deals. Our political class has been like that since the republic was founded; hell, they've been like that going all the way back to prehistory.

The problem is twofold:

(a): Most Americans believe there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

(b): Our political class is TOO responsive to ordinary Americans, and thus are willing to happily steer the country down the road to ruin in order to appease us.

The truth is that most Americans -- including most of the Republicans who claim to support financial and economic conservatism -- want the earth, the moon and the stars handed to them on a silver plate, and they want someone else to pay for it. The other truth is that there is no "someone else" who CAN pay for it.

So when someone says "we have to cut spending, because we can't afford it" you hear non-responses like "but we can't skimp on defense" and "we can't skimp on medical care" and "we can't skimp on protecting the elderly".

No.

What they mean is "but we don't WANT to skimp on those things". We absolutely can and will skimp on them, because the laws of economics do not care about our delicate sensibilities. We cannot live forever on the proceeds of borrowing, inflation, and stealing other peoples' money. The longer we try, the worse it will hurt when we stop.

The Crack Emcee said...

I told you (repeatedly) I'm telling you, and I'll tell you again:

She's running - and she's going to win.

If you can't see there is nothing to stand in her way, then you have to contend with the idea you are a conventional thinker, and conventional thought is almost always wrong.

Sarah Palin, still, stands alone as the only candidate worthy of being President of the United States - and with the ability to do so.

If that changes, I'll let you know.

chickelit said...

Seeing Red said...
Isn't there a hit job movie coming out on her & isn't Tom Hanks a producer?

Most of Hollywood is in the tank for Obama and they are part of the problem Palin seeks to counter.

They will write their own YouTube video's with their "hit piece."

P.S. Julianne Moore is hideous compared to Palin. Those yellow teeth are ghastly! They should have begged Tina Fey.

Gavin Buckley said...

Apparently Sarah Palin was nicknamed "Barracuda" during her teen years playing sports in college. Seriously - how badly must she have reeked of fish to get a name like that? Jeez - I'd have scrubbed my whoopsie with bleach-soaked sandpaper every day after that travesty.

Col Mustard said...

Heh. I don't think she is running, partly because I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches. I'm sorry, that just doesn't seem like the road any serious candidate would take.

There's no shortage of elected officials who bailed out of one office for another. Recent "quitters" include:

Obama
Hillary
Biden
Napolitano
Sebelius
Salazar

ricpic said...

Hey, take away the other guy's rice bowl, not mine! Mine is like....vital.

Fred4Pres said...

AllenS said...
Fred4Pres,

That was a great hunting story, and from Egypt at that. Do you know that some people don't hunt, but merely look for road kill?

5/26/11 5:47 PM


Thanks AllenS.

I do know that. Been there. Done that. I was driving down the road in Egypt (lined with big eucalytus trees) in a Chevy pick up in the morning. By accident, I hit a flock of ring neck doves with the windsheild and most of them bounced into the bed of the truck. I drove on till I came to a rotissary chicken stand I used to eat at. Dropped the doves off (there were about six of them). Later that day at lunch the doves were grilled and served to me and a few friends. With whole wheat fresh pita and tahini. They were really delicious.

Revenant said...

It is more of a 'it comes down to the terrible President or I, it is time to choose'

But most Americans don't think Obama is a terrible President.

Of course, he IS a terrible President, so it is at least theoretically possible to change their minds about that. But when choosing someone to take on that challenge, how smart is it to pick one of the few Republicans in America whose name is synonymous, in the minds of unaffiliated voters, with "clueless twit"?

Revenant said...

There's no shortage of elected officials who bailed out of one office for another. Recent "quitters" include:

"Yeah, Palin quit the governorship, but Obama quit the Senate just 'cuz he won the *Presidency*. What a loser that guy is!"

J said...

She should be 5150'd ASAP

Col Mustard said...

No. I'm saying going to sites like those to kick off a campaign is painfully transparent. There's truth and then there's perception. Which do you suppose wins more elections?

Perception by a knock-out.

"Voters" is just another word for "romantics".


The last time I saw Richard was Detroit in '68
And he told me all romantics meet the same fate someday
Cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark café
You laugh he said you think you're immune
Go look at your eyes they're full of moon
You like roses and kisses and pretty men to tell you
All those pretty lies pretty lies
When you gonna realize they're only pretty lies
Only pretty lies just pretty lies

The Crack Emcee said...

I've now read almost all these posts and, like I said, 95% of them are nothing more than conventional thinking:

I cant remember when was the last time a loosing party VP nominee got the nomination the next time around.

Who cares?

Romney will get the nomination. It is his turn after all.

Romney doesn't have a turn. He hasn't earned it.

I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches.

It's never been done - it doesn't get any more conventional than this.

I could go on, but the truth is, none of you are dealing with the woman, or the situation, right before your eyes:

Sarah Palin ain't no Mondale and, if you think the "Barracuda" is going to stop, then you're a meal for her.

The media attack on her is unprecedented, but this communications major is manipulating it, rather than the other way around. (Synova sees that.)

The film will clear up the lies (She was right in her interviews with Couric and Gibson, but - surprise - the media feels no need to correct the imagery the slower of you bought hook-line-and-sinker.) Don't blame Sarah Palin because you're stupid.

You're just stupid. Accept it. Finally.

We'll all be better off for it.

Alex said...

Crack - Americans hate quitters. Also they look down on anti-intellectual types like Sarah Palin. My god did you see what she named her kids?

Fred4Pres said...

While I think Sarah Palin could potentially win the nomination (there is no way that is a given because there are too many variables when you run for office like this), was definitely maligned by the media, and is a lot more competent than people give her credit for, I do not have the same faith in her ability to win the ring as Crack does.

But if she did win, I would relish it. And I agree she is a competitor.

The Crack Emcee said...

Alex,

Crack - Americans hate quitters.

I'm positive that lie - and the "she quit" meme is a lie - will be dealt with in the movie.

Also they look down on anti-intellectual types like Sarah Palin.

What "Americans" are we talking about here? Last time I checked, I was an American - and supposedly hated women - but here I am.

My god did you see what she named her kids?

My gawd, they claimed Michelle Obama was beautiful - that's how upside-down the media blitz is - and everyone accepts it without argument! (She looks like an angry bull dyke to me.)

And what do you care what she names her kids? Bristol? Trig? What's the a problem? And what is that supposed to mean - except you're mean enough to attack a child?

There is one conservative in this race, and, so far, she's playing this contest as brilliantly as the winner of the last one.

traditionalguy said...

Mad as Hell...I know Herman Cain well. He was in a very serious cancer fight 3 years ago. He is a good man with a strong personality. Herman is the opposite of a narcissist. My guess is that Palin gets the nomination and picks Cain as her running mate. Then the voters are relieved of the pressure of having to disprove racial guilt by picking smiling Obama, because Obama would not be opposed by an old white guy. Instead, a half black Obama and an old white guy would be opposed by a white woman and a qualified black man. Hmmm.

Alex said...

I don't doubt Palin could win the nomination and then go down in the general like Mondale '84.

J said...

Maybe Miss Sarah Searchlight will make a tour of...Kalifornia. Sarah in Kevlar, in the Sarahmobile!

(you gots yr ready right, Uncle Crack of the tea-p. jus in case)

Revenant said...

It's never been done - it doesn't get any more conventional than this.

Congratulations on being unconventional.

Like the saying goes: "they laughed at Einstein, but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown".

mccullough said...

Herman Cain seems like a good guy and did a good job in business.

Putting aside the fact that Americans, who love fast-food more than life itself, never heard of the pizza chain Cain bought out and ran, governing well requires some major political skills. You can't just tell Congress what to do, and you don't even have that much control over the administrative agencies. Cain's business experience is great, but you need a lot more than that to be successful as a governor or President.

But it would be a very entertaining general election. I would certainly take Cain over Palin and Bachmann.

Revenant said...

Putting aside the fact that Americans, who love fast-food more than life itself, never heard of the pizza chain Cain bought out and ran

Huh?

They've got zillions of locations all over the country. If Cain has a problem in this area it is more likely to stem from TOO MUCH brand-name recognition; the pizza there stinks. :)

Synova said...

Haha, Alex.

It's true about quitters. But the rest is ridiculous. Her kids names really are not all that weird and Americans practically fetishize anti-intellectuals.

Granted, the people who like to think of themselves as among the intellectual elite tend to look down on anyone they can get away with looking down on, and there is a certain constituency of people who want government to take care of them and need to believe that those trusted to run their lives really are smarter than everyone else.

But by and large those people are in the minority. The majority of people think that it's better to be wise than educated, better to be smart than full of yourself. The majority of people don't care about credentials in the least, they care about skill.

We don't believe in discriminating against someone because of where they came from, and that's what this is.

Sneer, sneer, sneer, "she went to the University of Idaho," sneer, sneer - simply means that every person who ever went to a State school just sat up and said, WTF?

mccullough said...

Rev,

There are 600 Godfather's pizza stores. Most of them seem to be in the smaller cities/towns. And I've never seen a T.V. ad for one.

I actually thought the pizza wasn't too bad.

The Crack Emcee said...

Did Bush say "Mission Accomplished" while standing on a ship off the coast of Iraq?

Nope, never happened - it's a lie that's spread by the Left (like Sarah "quit" or - compared to Katie Fucking Couric - is "stupid") but, fortunately, if you're engaged with reality, it's a lie that only makes the tellers look stupid and/or like the underhanded liars they are.

Under normal circumstances, elections have a way of engaging us with reality. I think the liars (from the last unusual election) will be exposed for what they are, because Sarah Palin refuses to allow them to define her, or what they've done to her.

We are currently living in a Leftist hall of mirrors, where the truth is ridiculed as a lie, and people have supposedly said words they never uttered. (Like "Mission Accomplished" or even "Valarie Plame")

We'll find our way out once the "crazy" lady with the bag of rocks starts flinging them for all she's worth.

richard mcenroe said...

Yes Joan of Arc was crisped, but she gave Shaw one of his better characters, The Saint of Hell...

richard mcenroe said...

Lem, I can't remember the last time this country was being run by a president whose only problem with the number "trillion" was that there weren't enough numbers in front of it. Things are different this time around...

Anonymous said...

"The next President of the United States has yet to announce their candidacy".

Bank on it.

@Crack-

"Sarah Palin, still, stands alone as the only candidate worthy of being President of the United States - and with the ability to do so."

I'm impressed.

Revenant said...

I've seen ads for it, although not recently (their San Diego location closed a few years ago).

YMMV on the pizza quality; personally Papa John's is the only national chain I order from.

Terrye said...

The Crack Emcee:

I don't think Palin can win and I am not all that impressed with her anyway.

I used to just love Palin. I did the facebook thing and everything, but over time all I saw was Palin playing to friendly crowds who really did not expect her to do anything but say crappy things about Obama..well hell..I say obnoxious things about Obama every day, that does not mean I should be president of the United States.

Her negatives are higher now than they were when she quit as Governor..I know why she quit and I am not saying that she did not do the right thing for her family and herself...but most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate right then and there. That is just a fact.

And since then she has not managed to turn that around. But she has managed to make a lot of money. In 2010 her picks did not do all that well..and one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan. I am just not that impressed anymore.

mccullough said...

Crack,

Is there something in Palin's record that leads you to believe she'd be a worthy President?

I've never liked Katie Couric, the MSM, etc. Put all that aside. What has Palin done?

Does being treated viciously by the media qualify one for President?

Peano said...

Ditz alert.

Known Unknown said...

Miss Sarah Searchlight

You keep saying this, but Harry Reid is the one from Searchlight, Nevada. Palin was born in Idaho.

gadfly said...

So why does Althouse feature the slanted anti-Palin article from the UK Guardian instead of the RealClearPolitics story upon which the Guardian based its screed.

"... Sarah Palin's last chance to re-establish herself as a viable presidency candidate ahead of the 2012 US elections in the wake of a disastrous PR run. A new film commissioned by Palin, the former governor of Alaska, will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure ..."

I must have missed the "disastrous PR run." Maybe it was that speech she gave at the Capitol in Madison? Joan-of-Arc-like? Did Ben Child of the Guardian see the film? I very much doubt it.

Terrye said...

gadfly:

Althouse uses quotes from the Guardian all the time...not just when referring to Palin..and what difference does it make anyway?

Toad Trend said...

@Alex

"Crack - Americans hate quitters. Also they look down on anti-intellectual types like Sarah Palin. My god did you see what she named her kids?"

Wow. Really? Quitter, anti-intellectual, kids names not John or Jane...

Contrast your case elements and hold those against the nonexistent/scrubbed record of the Zero, the plagiarist nincompoop Biden, the nepotist dynasty Kennedys, I could go on and on...seems at the very least if we entertain your points that she's in pretty good company.

The only 'negative' she apparently has is that she hasn't gone away like the MSM and other 'conventional thinkers' want her to. She's got more balls than any of the dem-henpecked Rino's in DC. Her opinion, views, etc are no less valid than your or anyone else's.

chickelit said...

You keep saying this, but Harry Reid is the one from Searchlight, Nevada. Palin was born in Idaho.

The entity here calling itself "J" is undaunted by such trivialities as facts.

Revenant said...

one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan

Rand Paul voted against the budget, as he had said he would all along, because it contained too much deficit spending and not enough spending cuts. Medicare had nothing to do with it.

I guess you could argue that he was letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, except that the budget had no chance in hell of ever being enacted anyway. So why not vote the way he promised to vote -- against bigger deficits and bloated government spending?

chickelit said...

So why not vote the way he promised to vote -- against bigger deficits and bloated government spending?

IOW, the bill wasn't sufficiently Ryan enough to be Randian.

Joanna said...

Sarah Palin refuses to allow them to define her

We are currently living in a Leftist hall of mirrors


Those should both be t-shirts.

As for Herman Cain, he's got more on his resume than just a pizza chain.
- business analyst for Coca-Cola
- vp at Pillsbury
- took a Burger King region from least to most profitable in 3 yrs
- CEO of Godfathers Pizza
- CEO of the National Restaurant Association
etc

Hagar said...

If the Palins decide to go for it, they will swing for the bleachers and run some very different campaign.

Synova said...

"Commissioned by" may not be accurate. Something similar may have been her idea, but the film maker apparently (yes, I know you all read the same blogs as I do already) said he'd do a full length documentary and pay for it if he had creative control. Palin agreed.

So I'm not sure if "commissioned by" is precisely right.

JAL said...

Cain has actually been on the frontline. He gew up a poor, ended up with a graduate degree in computer science, worked for the Department of Defense, was a computer analyst, went into business, became a VP with a very large company, subsequently revitalized a couple of troubled national food chains. He has run businesses, dealt with federal regulations, met payrolls, and had to develop solutions to real life problems.

He was president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve (one of the twelve regional Federal Reseve Banks)in the 90s. (From what I have heard the KC Fed is quite conservative and not in love with irresponsible behavior.)

He also went head to head with President Clinton over Hillarycare, crunching the numbers personally for the president (who then rejected them of course, stupid businessman that Cain was).

So he isn't just some guy who goes to Harvard thinking "Hey, I can be president!" Or some wannabe with delusions of grandeur.

For one, he has life skills our present POTUS has no clue about.

He is one of those who along the way made "an honest living." ;-)

Don't know who I'll go with, but Americans are tired of elite know-and-do nothings telling us how we have to to live.

It will be interesting to see how Palin's movie presents her. There is a lot more depth to her than the liberal media would want you to know about. (And AIPAC people need to know she's a fan of Israel.)

gadfly said...

Terrye said:

"Althouse uses quotes from the Guardian all the time...not just when referring to Palin..and what difference does it make anyway?"

Read the RealClearPolitics piece which is linked by the Guardian. Then you will find that it contains far more relevant information presented in a much more neutral manner.

The absence of fair treatment by the press is one of the principle reasons why Palin has to resort to documentaries.

Synova said...

"IOW, the bill wasn't sufficiently Ryan enough to be Randian."

Heh. ;-)

I will admit that I do like Rand Paul.

Toad Trend said...

And what is this continual stream of 'anti-intellectual' bullshit?

Look around! And witness the disaster we are faced with...all, courtesy of 'Hahvahd' pseudo-intellectuals infused with their double lattes' and weekends in the Hamptons.

I laughed and my ass off at the utter lameness of the Ryan ad, he shown pushing a senior out of a wheelchair and off a cliff. What a bunch of clowns that put that together! Don't you know that those responsible for that ad are basically saying how utterly STUPID Americans are that would ACTUALLY BELIVE THAT FAIRY TALE!!!!

Wake the hell up! What would be more believable would be this: picture a young couple, both pressed against the observation glass in a maternity ward looking at their newborn...see the sleeping child, and pan down towards the child's feet...where a toe tag is visible that says 'INVOICE', US GOVERNMENT _ PAY THE SUM OF $125,000.

The repubs need to play hardball like this if they intend to compete with the lying leftists.

mccullough said...

JAL,

Given Cain's resume, how is he not elite?

How many people do you know with that kind of resume. He's definitely an elite guy. I mean that as a compliment to him.

I just don't think President should be the first elective office anyone holds. Can't he become governor of Georgia first? Governing is tough. A lot of times, great success in other things doesn't mean you'll be good at it.

The Crack Emcee said...

Terrye,

I don't think Palin can win and I am not all that impressed with her anyway.

Fair enough. You're wrong, but I accept the view.

I used to just love Palin. I did the facebook thing and everything, but over time all I saw was Palin playing to friendly crowds who really did not expect her to do anything but say crappy things about Obama..

So you acknowledge she's got political support - and it's from everyday Americans.

hell..I say obnoxious things about Obama every day, that does not mean I should be president of the United States.

You're not our candidate, either. But, if you were, going after the oppo would be the thing to do, no?

Her negatives are higher now than they were when she quit as Governor..

Irrelevant. They're based on lies - lies can be exposed.

I know why she quit and I am not saying that she did not do the right thing for her family and herself...

Voila!

but most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate right then and there. That is just a fact.

Again - so? Are we all trapped in prehistoric amber or something?

since then she has not managed to turn that around.

This is the conventional thinking part. Has she tried? If so, I haven't seen it. You're penalizing her because she's not playing the game you're expecting of her. (In other words, she's being smarter than you are.) Everything will be addressed, but on her terms, not yours or the media's.

she has managed to make a lot of money.

Gotta have that to make a run for office - which many have said she'd never do because, um, they said so.

In 2010 her picks did not do all that well..

But well enough she's earned the title of queen-maker.

one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan.

She got him elected - which you just claimed she didn't do "that well" at - and now what? You're assuming she's his dictator?

I am just not that impressed anymore.

You also aren't thinking clearly, if these are the points you're judging her by:

You liked her - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

Other people like her - a lot - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She's willing to fight - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She's obviously targeted because they're afraid of her - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She did the right thing under attack - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She's outsmarting the media blitz against her - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She's assembled a war chest - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

She's picked winners - when, supposedly, nobody likes her.

Something tells me the "nobody likes her" meme is a lie as well.

victoria said...

Urp.

Vicki from Pasadena

Toad Trend said...

And the 'quitter' label??? Give me a fricking break!

Tell me, TELL ME you NEVER walked away from some kind of a bullshit situation...an asshole boss, a bad marriage, etc. There's no shame in preserving dignity.

If we are to believe this 'quitter' meme, then anyone that achieves elective office and decides to return to private life etc. must be called a quitter.

Used to be that there were such things as 'citizen legislators'. It was a period of public service, then back to normal life.

So I guess now we are to believe that if you don't hang in there and just swallow the garbage, you are a quitter??? That is utterly ridiculous. Bullshit.

Toad Trend said...

@Victoria

DNC, spit or swallow?

Never mind.

yashu said...

I'm with Terrye. Love Palin's trenchant criticism of Obama, agree overall with the policy stands she's taken in the past few years, used to like her (as a public figure/ person) quite a lot. But now I definitely have Palin fatigue… even a little aversion. Maybe the aversion isn't for Palin per se, but the idea of her as the GOP presidential candidate.

In the past it would've been easy to blame the MSM for this. But after her family's multiple enthusiastic forays into reality TV-- I find that she kinda turns me off.

More importantly, living through the ongoing debacle that is O's administration, I find myself dearly wishing, please god, please, let our next president have more than a modicum of substance, competence, experience, prudence, wisdom, and presidential decorum. I don't know that Palin has enough of any of those things-- even if she's apparently in sync with me ideologically. I still admire her chutzpah (among other qualities)… but I find that now I have to force myself to like her. That wasn't the case before.

Maybe it's because the political landscape has changed. When Palin was virtually the only high-profile political figure who was unapologetically tough on Obama, unintimidated by MSM mud-slinging, bullshit "civility" clucking, and racerism, I cheered for her, forgiving her flaws. Now that a Tea-infused GOP seems to have acquired something of a backbone, not as prone to cringe before MSM/Dem bogus consensus, there are other figures I can credibly admire (e.g. Paul Ryan), so Palin's flaws are more salient to me.

Maybe it's because the stakes are so damn high now for our country (in desperate fiscal straits) and the world as a whole (e.g. epochal shifts in the Middle East, who knows to what end), so the prospect of another 4 years under Obama… fills me with deep deep dread. Palin may be the plucky heroine going against a full-on MSM onslaught, but if she's nominated and can't win the general election (an election I believe is winnable by the GOP), she's toxic to me.

On the other hand, to the extent that Palin's example has inspired & continues to inspire viable GOP candidates to be less squishy and more like her (Pawlenty, for example, has launched a surprisingly ballsy campaign, and today's waggish twitter was very Palinesque), I say, bravissima! Thank you, Sarah, from the bottom of my heart.

Hagar said...

About the "quitter" label, it should be noted that it has worked out quite well for Alaska.
No more nuisance lawsuits, and a Palin disciple quietly working away in the Palin way pre-VP nomination.

So, who is the dummy here?

Toad Trend said...

@yashu

Well stated.

Palin fatigue? I do hear that, and would say this; familiarity breeds contempt.

There are times my wife drives me nuts. But I love her to death.

Look, nobody is perfect, and it is interesting how we choose to point out the flaws in each other. I am baffled by how people go after Palin and overlook a total buffoon like a Biden or a Reid.

Some people never advance beyond a middle school-level understanding of humanity.

Joanna said...

Something tells me the "nobody likes her" meme is a lie as well.

Yes.
But.

- most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate
- Are we all trapped in prehistoric amber or something?


I used to dislike Palin, even though many of my views aligned with hers. I let myself be duped. I chose to reconsider Palin with an open mind, and a year later, I feel much differently than before. It is *possible* for people to change their views.

But I never HATED Palin.

I only know two people who don't dislike Palin. Most don't just dislike her -- they hate her. They don't just hate her, they find the act of hating her to be emotionally satisfying. I could list her positive accomplishments or point out specific media bias moments, and their response would be to laugh at Palin like a crazy 13 yr old boy kicking a three legged dog in an alley.

Yes, some of those people will never ever ever vote Republican, so they don't matter. But some of them are swing voters who are under Obama's spell. And they enjoy hating Palin. They enjoy hating Palin the way the KKK enjoys hating minorities. I don't know if there's a cure for that kind of hate.

J said...

7-34. No, foo, Palin was in Searchlight for the Big Tea Party rally a few years ago, with her pal Breitbart. Plus she's got... Searchlight lips.


Palin's working class schtick is BS, Miss DBQ. While Palin may not be an ivy league intellectual (or intellectual of any sort), she's not so naive and innocent. She and her man are wealthy. She has pulled for the AK oil biz for years as well--from the very start--including BP. She's with the financiers as well. The GOP spinmeisters have succeeded in portraying her as calamity Jane, but she's more like Calamity CEO.

The Crack Emcee said...

mccullough,

Crack,

Is there something in Palin's record that leads you to believe she'd be a worthy President?


No, it's in her character that I see a president. The fact that she was the most popular governor in America when McCain picked her - and she thinks about average Americans and not the establishment - tells me all I need to know about her record.

I've never liked Katie Couric, the MSM, etc. Put all that aside.

Can't. The media is part of the problem and they've gone to war with us - she's our champion.

What has Palin done?

What had Obama "done"? What had JFK "done"? Or Clinton or Bush for that matter? (And what are you looking for? Sorry, but there are no real dragons for her to have slain,...) There are only people - real people - and I, for one, want a conservative of good character for our next leader. (Not a flip-flopping Romney or whatever.) The others are alright, but Sarah's the total package.

Does being treated viciously by the media qualify one for President?

No, but defeating their bullshit does. Mark my words: it's not just the economy - we have to get journalism back on track to make this country work - and their attack on Palin was the opening salvo in that battle. What is the media doing attacking any American? Who gave them that job? Since when was lying and extreme bias a part of their description? That Palin, alone, has to fight that battle - against them, and their friends on the liberal side, with hardly a peep from anyone else - is stunning to me.

We can't allow them to win it.

The Crack Emcee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JAL said...

Rick Perry

Doesn't it tickle you to see the Dems murmuring patronizingly about how weak the Republicans are?

Revenant said...

And the 'quitter' label??? Give me a fricking break! Tell me, TELL ME you NEVER walked away from some kind of a bullshit situation...an asshole boss, a bad marriage, etc. There's no shame in preserving dignity.

If you quit the only relevant job you've ever had after two years and you did it years ago, do you think for a minute that your next prospective employer is going to care how big an a-hole your last boss was?

You could have a sworn deposition from your previous boss stating "there's nothing wrong with this guy, I just fired him because I'm a big jerk". You still aren't getting hired.

Anonymous said...

I too thought Palin was un-electable.

Couric/Fey/State-run media.

Then recently I realized they're all un-electable.

Show me a front runner in the GOP and I'll show you Palinization.

Realistically, an incumbent President should'nt have to raise any money for re-election. The ads, the speeches, the platform, the vision--already written and paid for.

Obama wants $1 billion for his re-election.

Winning
The
Future

CouleeLivin said...

Sorry Soros, Sarah.

J said...

Actually, I agree, slightly, that the Couric/Fey/State-run media did Miss Palin dirty. There's something wrong about the endless character attacks and mockery of politicians, especially from high-powered corporate media. But that doesn't make Palin's record any better, or change the fact that's she's a right-wing biblethumper in the pocket of big oil.

The Crack Emcee said...

yashu,

I find myself dearly wishing, please god, please, let our next president have more than a modicum of substance, competence, experience, prudence, wisdom, and presidential decorum.

Sorry, but this is the delusional rambling of someone who's watched too many episodes of "The West Wing". No president has EVER fit that profile. (When we only had three TV stations, we were led to think otherwise, but now we know better.) We in America elect human beings, not kings and queens or perfect fictional characters. Pick a good one - not someone you wish/hope/dream will be.

Joanna,

I only know two people who don't dislike Palin. Most don't just dislike her -- they hate her.

Hey - this election is WAR. It's the battle for the soul of our country. The kind of people who will insist that we "don't be a hater" are filled to the brim with it - and insisting we NEVER notice their hypocrisy. Like I said, a hall of mirrors.

I say it's payback time.

Revenant,

If you quit the only relevant job you've ever had after two years and you did it years ago, do you think for a minute that your next prospective employer is going to care how big an a-hole your last boss was?

That's as weak as the "Mission Accomplished" lie. The truth says she did the only thing she could to win. And she had the guts to do it. Why are you going to penalize her for that?

Oh wait - you're not: you're penalizing her for the lie. Good job.

How do you sleep at night again?

Browndog,

Couric/Fey/State-run media.

Enemy/Enemy/Enemy - of the people.

traditionalguy said...

J...Did you just warn us that Palin intends to start a Theocracy with cheap gasolene prices, free bibles and full medical care for the old and the handicapped? Now that is a terrible thought...or maybe not.

Anonymous said...

Actuallyer, her record as Governor was considered moderate.

Her "Bible-thumping" never intersected with policy, and she took on Big-oil (and won!) in Alaska.

Revenant said...

Then recently I realized they're all un-electable. Show me a front runner in the GOP and I'll show you Palinization.

Yeah, ok.

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

Hint: it's the second one.

The Crack Emcee said...

Revenant,

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

And you're willing to accept that? You'll let them play that game with our airwaves? Our country? Our politics?

Like I said, this is WAR and the media's to be defeated as much as Obama and the rest of the Democrats.

Luther said...

"The truth is that most Americans -- including most of the Republicans who claim to support financial and economic conservatism -- want the earth, the moon and the stars handed to them on a silver plate, and they want someone else to pay for it."

I wasn't going to say anything, just reading. But I have to fucking vehemently disagree with this statement. Damn few 'workers', none really, I have ever met that have this attitude. Oh hell, a bunch else too. Just a damn stupid statement is all, and I take exception.

J said...

Won't happen since Palin doesn't have a chance in hell. That said, she does appear to have softened up on her preacher-speak. Why 3-4 years ago she was talking about pterodactyls and Moses, like hand in hand! Now it's just some african witches or somethin'.

Revenant said...

And you're willing to accept that? You'll let them play that game with our airwaves? Our country? Our politics?

You can accept gravity or you can rage against the unfairness of gravity. Stepping off a cliff is moronic either way.

JAL said...

@ mccollough
Given Cain's resume, how is he not elite?

You define elite as how?

His undergraduate degree is from Morehouse. He *worked* full time while getting his master's from Purdue.

He *worked* for what he has.

Which elite category does he fit in?

Unless you think uninherited wealth -- earned wealth -- makes someone "elite."

Elite is mostly a state of mind with a heavy dose of entitlement and 'privilege' thrown in.

Joanna said...

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

Option A: Fresh meat. New Material. A target who is less prepared to defend against bullying. A target who, when vilified, will actually legitimize the MSM as non-biased if the target cries "bias!".

Option B: Old Material. Lessons learned from last time. Determined to fight back. Won't enter the fight without a counter-attack plan.

Honestly, I think the vet is lookin' pretty good.
--
For the record, I think we can talk about who we like or who's got what record, but I think the most important thing really is Who will the media have an easier time vilifying?/Who will have the most success fighting back? That means charisma, determination, quick wits, and a gut of steel. And charisma. And also, charisma.

yashu said...

Don't Tread, agreed re familiarity breeding contempt & not seeking perfection in a candidate. If Palin does decide to enter the race, I intend to keep an open mind. And if she were to win the nomination, I would vote for her over Obama.

But I have to second Joanna's observations re Palin hate-- and it's not just among people who "will never ever ever vote Republican" and "swing voters under Obama's spell," but among swing voters completely disenchanted with & even averse to Obama.

This really came home to me a few days ago, in a casual conversation with my mom. We don't often talk politics, when we do it's only cursory, but it's clear she dislikes Obama and is especially worried and angry about Obamacare. I don't think we'd ever had a conversation about Palin-- no idea what her opinion of Palin was-- but when Palin came up casually in conversation, my mom said something like "ugh, that horrible woman." I'm used to Palin hate among my peers, friends, and acquaintances, articles I read and sites on the internet, but this really shocked me, coming from my mother. Whence did she acquire this strong revulsion? The MSM, no doubt. It's unfair and despicable, but if this impression has become so deeply engrained in so many people (even people who are anti-Obama) that it's felt as visceral revulsion, I don't see how Palin qua general-election candidate can counter it. The phenomenon of Palin-hate (especially among women-- which deeply disappoints me, as a woman) is incomprehensible to me. I wish it wasn't so, alas, but it is.

Crack, agree 100% that what we need going into this election is a WARRIOR. I dearly hope that whoever ends up being the GOP candidate has Palin-size balls. But like it or not, she's been mortally wounded (as a general-election candidate, not as an effective political force) by the MSM. For Palin to go into the general election as GOP candidate, after the non-stop campaign the MSM (and culture at large) has waged against her for 4 years, would be courageous indeed-- the black knight valiantly scoffing "tis but a flesh wound."

IMO. Like I said, I'll keep an open mind. But like Joanna, I've never disliked Palin (on the contrary, was a fan). The problem is the masses of people in the middle, ready willing & able to vote against Obama, who (for no substantial reason based in reality, that I can see or understand) HAAAAAATE her.

Revenant said...

Damn few 'workers', none really, I have ever met that have this attitude. Oh hell, a bunch else too. Just a damn stupid statement is all, and I take exception.

Oh? Try suggesting that we eliminate Social Security and Medicare. See how quickly those workers scramble to insist that they are *owed* Social Security and Medicare because they "paid for it". Never mind the fact that they stood by while Congress spent all the payroll tax money and passed the buck to future generations to actually fund Medicare and Social Security. Oh no -- they're owed it, even though it is an objective fact that their bills get paid by people who never promised them a damned thing.

Here's a reality check: you could cut everything out of the budget that isn't Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, and interest payments; we would still have a major deficit problem ahead of us. How many workers do you know who tell politicians "I want you to raise my taxes, cut my retirement benefits, and slash the military budget, because that's the only way to save ourselves from financial ruin"?

There aren't many. Americans say they want spending cuts, but can't come up with much they're willing to do without. Americans say they'll accept tax increases, but not if it means paying their full share. When push comes to shove, the only thing Americans are willing to do is borrow more money and pray for a miracle.

Revenant said...

Option A: Fresh meat. New Material.

The only "fresh meat" in the race is Herman Cain. The rest are all people who have been in high-stakes political life (governors, congresscritters, Presidential candidates, etc) even longer than Palin has.

Honestly, a lot of Palin's bad rep derives from mistakes a more seasoned politician would have known better than to make. The disastrous Gibson and Couric interviews, her rambling farewell speech, etc -- these all would have gone a lot better if she had more actual experience under her belt. Honestly, who didn't wince at the bunny-in-the-headlights look she got on her face when Gibson asked her about "the Bush doctrine"? Eesh, any experienced pol knows that if you don't have a good answer for the question you've been asked, you give a good answer to a slightly different question instead. Rhetoric 101.

Luther said...

yashu.

Well done comments.

Hard to do the personal with the larger National.

You have.

Anonymous said...

Why women instinctively hate Palin is a struggle to understand.

My woman was one.

Sloooooowly she started to warm enough to hear her out.

Now, I no longer have to beat her like a Saudi driving a car.

Fred4Pres said...

Frankly, I am a Cain man myself (I recognize he is a long shot but I like him), but if Sarah is going to jump in I say what the heck. Go for it.

Joanna said...

Why women instinctively hate Palin is a struggle to understand.

Indeed.

from Seinfeld:
Elaine: (on boys giving wedgies, etc.) Boys are sick.
Jerry: What do girls do?
Elaine: We just tease someone 'til they develop an eating disorder.

el polacko said...

more power to palin for getting out there and meeting with the folks. if she has decided to run, there is no good reason for her to make it official this early..let the others sift themselves out first. i have always admired her pioneer spirit and her ability to withstand the vile slurs and lies flung in her direction. she certainly has the experience and smarts to be the prez. if she should end up being the candidate, i will enthusiastically support her.
all that said, however, there is currently someone else who is mulling over a possible run who i think is considerably more 'qualified' by virtue of his superior knowledge, intelligence,insight,cleverness and wit. the very first time i saw thaddeus mccotter guest on 'red eye' i said, out loud, that that man would make a terrific president. i would relish seeing him participate in the republican debates.. and, should he end up in the position to debate obama, it would be epic.
his low-key, grownup persona probably makes his candidacy a longshot but a boy can dream.

Anonymous said...

el polacko said...

Ah, Thaddeus. Good eye.

One of the few gems we have over here.

Radio interview Tuesday morning he said he's pretty much just waiting for the OK from his wife.

Like I said, the next President hasn't declared yet (No, I don't mean Romney).

The Crack Emcee said...

J,

Won't happen since Palin doesn't have a chance in hell. That said, she does appear to have softened up on her preacher-speak. Why 3-4 years ago she was talking about pterodactyls and Moses, like hand in hand! Now it's just some african witches or somethin'.

I remember the african witch thing - some fruitloop visiting her church, that libs wanted to tar her with, because,...she was there.

I can't imagine what's wrong with someone like you, J, who will swallow every lie presented to you - without checking it's veracity - and then promote it like you think you're some brilliant inside-knowledge guy. (Mind you, your presentation, such as it is, always undermines the image you're trying to project). You're a buffoon of epic proportions - which we all tell you, repeatedly, throughout each day you've been here - in your own juices.

Revenant,

You can accept gravity or you can rage against the unfairness of gravity. Stepping off a cliff is moronic either way.

The current state of journalism ain't like gravity - it's changed and can be changed again. Jesus, you people can be delusional losers sometimes.

Fred4Pres,

Frankly, I am a Cain man myself (I recognize he is a long shot but I like him), but if Sarah is going to jump in I say what the heck. Go for it.

That's actually how I see it happening:

Palin will get in - the Republican applecart with be upended, and then conservatives will decide IT'S ON! - and the rest is grit and momentum. No one in the race compares to Palin - you know it, I know it, we all know it:

It's hers to lose.

BTW - I like Cain, too, but can't see him as president. Too "rough around the edges".

VanderDouchen said...

"You can accept gravity or you can rage against the unfairness of gravity. Stepping off a cliff is moronic either way."

Having base jumped multiple cliffs, I find this statement to be one that has been made by someone who has not the intestinal fortitude to utilize existing technology, existing geology, and a set of balls to test the unfairness of gravity. If you call it moronic, I laugh in your general direction as I tongue the devil.

You can look at your bucket list and sigh.

WV: ethon:

Ethon jumped with me.

bagoh20 said...

Have you ever seriously imagined what you would do if you found yourself in her position: capable of being a serious contender for POTUS and capable of winning.

I wouldn't want that job, but passing up the opportunity seems almost blasphemous. It's such a place in history and many less than special persons have done it. It's not like becoming a dictator, a king or an emperor. It's more like winning the lottery - an enormous long shot, but actually withing reach of most of us. It would be hard to pass up, but a drag to win. The job looks like a dreadful way to spend 4 years, but I'm not a people person.

chickelit said...

Thad McCotter was once in a band called the "New Flying Squirrels" link.

Thus Althouse will dislike him from the get-go. Watch for it.

__________
wv = "sublier" An "underlier"--one who is the basis for something or someone else.

Luther said...

You can, at times, seem as delusional as those 'new agers' you crank about. But, I like you, Crack. You can take the six in my fighting hole anytime.

Joanna said...

This thread has all but turned me 180 about Palin's candidacy. (Thank you, Crack.) On top of that, I just heard an interview (pundit interviewing pundit) that gave a perspective I'd not fully considered.

The main idea:
The Republicans need a strong Republican candidate. Focusing on the 20% independents is the wrong path. Obama can beat a liberal Republican. Obama can beat a moderate Republican. If you focus on that 20%, you'll get a candidate that Obama can easily beat. But, a feisty, fierce, real Conservative that's unafraid to really go after Obama? THAT's the one that will reveal that the emperor's wearing no clothes. THAT's the one that will win in 2012. The stakes are high, and the best chance at winning is to go all in.

Despite the Palin hate and weird women/Palin dynamic, I find this perspective fascinating. And in some weird way, entirely hopeful and emotionally inspiring. Maybe the right word is patriotic.


wv: pookaos. The current president is creating a world of poo kaos.

Michael K said...

She may be the candidate if the leaders, Pawlenty and Romney stumble. Those who rule her out, especially with lies, might be surprised.

Col Mustard said...

I like Pawlenty but to say Pawlenty is a leading candidate is misleading.

JAL said...

Not to mention if there are any pictures of McCotter in shorts, there will be no cruel neutrality here.

Anonymous said...

You win the presidency by demonstrating personal characteristics of grace under fire, optimism, and humor. You build a winning team of your political base who would build a tower to the moon if you asked them to.

The rationally ignorant independents wait until the last minute to decide. More than anything, they want to vote for the winner:

Sarah has a tough problem. To win, there are several states where she will have to nearly sweep the independents to overcome the Demo registration advantage. Remember that two-party candidates are guaranteed their 40% base.

You don't chase the independents. You make them beg to join your winning team. If your base is all fired up and moving heaven and earth, the independents will come around.

Every election is different. What worked last time is a loser this time. Last time BarryO played Game on the electorate. This time, Sarah's coming with Team, an army of Davids. BarryO's a loser at Team, has been all his life.

The Crack Emcee said...

Luther,

You can, at times, seem as delusional as those 'new agers' you crank about. But, I like you, Crack. I like you, Crack. You can take the six in my fighting hole anytime.

Really? Thanks, Luther, much appreciated. But before you diss my NewAge screeds, consider what I'm saying, there, too.

That hall of mirrors is a motherfucker.

Joanna,

This thread has all but turned me 180 about Palin's candidacy. (Thank you, Crack.)

You're welcome. She will win. Not "can" but "will". And it'll be easier than it looks once it gets going. The fruitloops are done for.

There's no way we're doing this, again, for 4 more years.

JaneLovesJesus said...

Palin is the real deal. Next to her, everyone else is just a politician.

Revenant said...

The current state of journalism ain't like gravity - it's changed and can be changed again. Jesus, you people can be delusional losers sometimes.

If we focus our efforts and are really supportive and give generously of our time and money, we ought to be able balance out the news media just in time for Sarah Palin to drop dead of old age.

But 18 months from now they will still be completely in the tank for Obama and the American public will still think Sarah Palin is an idiot. Her fan club has been screaming from the mountaintops that she's an unappreciated genius for two and a half years and she's less popular than she was when you started.

So grow the fuck up.

Anonymous said...

And don't worry about that Mediscare stuff. It's easily dispatched. Sarah cannot be hurt by it.

We're borrowing a trillion dollars a year from the Chinese. How many more years do you want to do this? C'mon, speak up, don't be shy. How many more years can we do this?

Until the government crashes into outright default? So you really hate granny. Because when default happens, millions of grannys won't be getting their Medicare payments. All at once, and it will be out of control, and it will suck for a long time.

Or, say Paul and Sarah, stop the borrowing now, while we can still control it. Face it people, we are all going to have to be skinflint with our medical choices and make suck-ass decisions. The party is over. We have spent our parent's money, we've spent ours, and we have spent our children's. This borrowing has to stop here, stop now.

But it will be we making the decisions about our own lives, not a Cass Sunstein progressive elite taking care of themselves first, while hanging us out to dry.

reader_iam said...

I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

This could be a great strategy. I base that partly on how effective that tactical approach has been, which, in fact, it has.

---

reader_iam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
reader_iam said...

You make them beg to join your winning team.

You'll pardon my language, but f-you. The true independents are a little bit busy right now.

And in the end? They'll be a lot more LESS likely to be continuing to support the likes of both your sort of conservatives as well as all sorts of what you'd call libs...

... than otherwise, much less to be parasitic, of whatever and any type.

You make them beg to join your winning team.

I'd say, "Kiss my ass, moron!"--except I don't actually want anyone like you anywhere near me or mine.

reader_iam said...

In the end, it's not about politics. It's about what you're personally willing to do and sacrifice in order to remain independent (and self-supporting), no matter what it takes. That's it. That's all.

The rest is sheer hot air: Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

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