August 24, 2011

"In the search for completely implausible, unelectable Republican presidential candidates, why stop at George Pataki?"

David Weigel has an amusing list, the basic joke of which is — I think — to bury — in amongst John Engler, Alan Simpson, Colin Powell, Tan Parker, and Jennifer Carroll — the name Sarah Palin:
Sarah Palin (as seen in The Undefeated), 47

Last-held office: Governor of Alaska.

Pros: Once upon a time there was a brave and brilliant reporter and mom who out-hustled corrupt politicians and got elected mayor of a small town, then governor of Alaska. She had the highest approval rating of any state executive. She pushed through a reform of the state's oil-tax laws, past the party's establishment and past the best efforts of the mighty industry. All of this was done to a booming soundtrack and lots of file footage of protests and things exploding. She was on track to win the vice presidency before the economic crisis hit and the media treated her so unfairly.

Cons: Not many people saw the movie; most other people have soured on the real-world Palin.
Hilarious... right?

26 comments:

traditionalguy said...

It will be Perry or Palin in a close race.

That will have to be explained somehow, because everybody knows that Palin has no supporters...really there are no Palin Tanks in Baghdad.

Rich B said...

I never understood why Reason mag hired Weigel, and I still don't understand why they retain Matt Welch. Free minds and free markets, my ass!

Original Mike said...

I've always like that movie. Was Sarah Palin the young love interest?

John said...

Rich B,

They hired Weigel because he was an intern there and he faked it well. And they do try to be non-partisan meaning they keep a few people on staff who are a bit more liberal oriented. It was only after Weigel left Reason and got on Journolist and started calling everyone right of Ezra Klein ratfuckers that the mask slipped.

And Welch is a very good writer. If anyone on the current Reason staff occupies the Dave Weigel chair for closet leftists writing at Reason until they can get a job in the real leftist media, it is Peter Suderman not Welch.

bagoh20 said...

When people deride Palin it's never very specific. They claim they hate her because she is crazy or stupid, but on specifics about the woman, they can't really find anything that they don't actually respect about her.

She is the ultimate woman - she actually is a case of a woman having it all, and doing it extremely well. I think down deep it's: "Damn, why does she have to be a conservative?"

edutcher said...

Hilarious, no.

And he'd be surprised at how many people would LOVE to see her serve as POTUS. This is more whistling past the graveyard by the Lefties.

Now that Axelrod and Plouffe's Hispandering has blown up in their faces.

Gallup has Herbert Obama at 44% approval among Hispanics.

Down 5.

John said...

There is a good chance that things are going to get so bad for Obama in the coming year that any Republican, even a Ron Paul or a Rick Santorum could beat him. And there is little question in my mind Palin could win the Republican nomination if she put her mind to it. She is a lot like Hillary Clinton in one key way. Back in the 00s when Hillary was thinking about running for President all of my conservative friends used to say that she could never win because she was so unpopular. I never believed that. Hillary has and still has a rock solid base of people who love her.

And sure enough, had the world not gone nuts with Obama syndrome and Axelrod and company hadn't as much as stole the nomination through crooked caucusing (Obama never won a primary in 08 just caucuses) or if the media had actually covered the Rael Hunter scandal knocking Edwards out of the race early, Hillary would be President right now. Palin is the same way. No matter how much her enemies hate her, she has a huge base of very loyal supporters. And that counts.

What I wonder is what Democrats will do come next spring when it looks like Palin is going to get the Republican nomination and Obama's approval numbers are in the low 30s. Will they ask him to step aside to avoid the horror of Palin winning?

Lauderdale Vet said...

The other day I told my wife that I really admired Palin, but that it felt like a "dirty little secret". She immediately gushed "yeah!", as if relieved that I had said it out loud, so she could, too.

J said...

she has a huge base of very loyal supporters.

The Heartland loves NASCAR, NRA, Bud, and Larry the Cable Guy as well, and hates scientists, Reason, and the Federal Govt. Same situation with Calamity Palin.

Cedarford said...

And there is little question in my mind Palin could win the Republican nomination if she put her mind to it.
================
Why pick her aside from her small Cult of Adorers? Republicans can do better - Romney and Perry never quit their jobs. And neither are poison to the Independents and centrist Democrats (though Perry will have an interesting 'pivot' explaining how he still has some strong centrist Dem values from his days as a Democrat..the 30 year long recycle Reagan switching Parties is useful..but getting old.)

Carol_Herman said...

Nothing like a "list."

Send it to Santa Claus.

Carol_Herman said...

Oh, it's a long time before we come to both conventions.

IF Obama really doesn't have the votes, he's not gonna stand there like Jimmy Carter.

Truman didn't.

LBJ did not.

What has yet to be discovered ... Is that IF there's a need to change horses ... who'd come "from the rear?" Coming in like in the wild west ... when the sheriff shows up?

Will you get a silver bullet if you watch?

Fernandinande said...

Hilarious... right?

Weigel is too busy being lame 'n' gay to be amusing or hilarious.

Amartel said...

Better question: Whose Palin narrative is more hilarious, the establishment's or Palin's?

This is a passive validation of the establishment's Palin narrative (by dismissing Palin's). How dare that woman put out her own version of events? So if you buy into the establishment's Palin narrative, then it's hilarious. Go Team Rube. If you don't, or even if you are just unsettled about the ease with which an individual can be slimed and dismissed by the establishment, then ... not so much.

Blue@9 said...

I just don't understand how guys like Weigel and Klein got their gigs. Seriously, they have no idea what the world is like outside of Washington, they have no real world experience and can barely write. It's almost like they got jobs by pulling a Lewinsky. At least Meghan McCain can claim she got her job because of her dad.

geokstr said...

Cedarford said...
...Romney and Perry never quit their jobs.


At least, in order to avoid bankruptcy from an endless stream of highly coordinated and baseless "ethics" charges from Democrats, which under Alaska law can be filed by any whackjob and must be fully investigated regardless of their merit, she chose to get off the public teat to protect herself and her family.

People like you who continue to push the phony "quitter" smear are disgusting and despicable. But you probably take pride in that, as no leftist is capable of shame. I'm certain that if she had stayed in office and ended up declaring bankruptcy that you leftists caused, you have just as easily have shouted "loser", and "deadbeat", right?

On the other hand, Obama began running for POTUS the day he was sworn in as Senator, continuing to bury his snout in the public trough for four more years instead of doing the job he was elected to. He should have had to declare his Senatorial salary as a campaign contribution.

cubanbob said...

Compared to Obama bin Biden no republican candidate or possible candidate can be consider unserious or a joke or unelectable.

The only real questions are will the republican hit a complete home run and will the presidential nominee be a real fiscal conservative and small government believer.

luagha said...

Women are jealous of Palin and their possible votes for her will be depressed.

Without women, she can't win.

Lauderdale Vet said...

I was impressed by the way she stepped down, to be honest. Can you name another politician who would give up their career for the greater good, and then keep on fighting? Buried in frivolous litigation and under constant assault from ne’er-do-wells, she wasn't going to be able to govern as effectively. Alaska was going to suffer because ...what? why? She dared to run? What was done to her in the media was disgusting and indefensible. Since then she's geared herself for this asymmetrical threat, and has been doing a damn fine job at redefining the game. More power to her.

ricpic said...

No matter how blindingly biased the MSM get it's amazing how many conservatives buy whatever meme they're pushing, in this case the Palin's been too damaged to be electable meme. Amazing and depressing.

cubanbob said...

ricpic said...
No matter how blindingly biased the MSM get it's amazing how many conservatives buy whatever meme they're pushing, in this case the Palin's been too damaged to be electable meme. Amazing and depressing.

8/24/11 3:32 PM

Isn't interesting the one who already is probably too toxic to be re-elected is the one whose name isn't mentioned in such terms by the MSM.

Unknown said...

Not many saw the movie because everyone is busy living a reality horror show starting with hauling a truck mired in the ruts, continuing with deeper and deeper ditch digging to get the said truck out. Keep digging, eventually the truck will get out in China.

Mark said...

I think down deep it's: "Damn, why does she have to be a conservative?"

The Chattering Class for the past 50 years have assumed that anyone not a male WASP naturally owed their fealty to the Democratic Party (or something to its Left).

Anyone who doesn't fit into that model is unnatural, i.e. a Monster.

Clarence Thomas used to be everyone's favorite Monster, but currently it's Mama Grizzly, followed in distant second place by Michelle Bachman. If neither of those actually get the nomination (and hence diminish as threats to the chattering zeitgeist) expect Thomas to regain the heavyweight crown.

Beldar said...

I've yet to see anything from Weigel that I thought hadn't cheated me out of the time I wasted to read it.

I do not find him amusing, and won't bother to follow a link to his stuff, so I suppose I should thank you for the warning that he's at the other end of that link.

Insufficiently Sensitive said...

This is no more or less sucky than the other scribblings by wannabes who wish to cash in on the fad for 'writing' about Governor Palin.

Tom DeGisi said...

Cedarford,

> Republicans can do better - Romney and Perry never quit their jobs.

Not with Romney. Mr. Masscare is just another big-government loves getting things done with Democrats establishment Republican. Yuck. One term as governor of Massachusetts isn't much of a recommendation for a Republican. Especially one who does not devote his time to utterly frustrating the Democratic legislature. That's what I want to see in a Republican governor in a Democratic state running for President. Someone who shows that if he is elected with a Democratic congress he will do a better job than W at keeping them from making things worse.

Beldar,

Thanks for the warning. Your opinions are usually worth listening to - I still think Harriet Myers would have been fine.

Yours,
Tom