Althouse: "'Hu's the Communist?' I thought he was asking a question."

December 6, 2009

"'Hu's the Communist?' I thought he was asking a question."

A joke about a photograph of Obama and the president of China. More jokes told by Sarah Palin here.

(And can someone tell Politico it's Hu Jintao, not Hu Jinato.)

30 comments:

Fred4Pres said...: Sarah Palin's jokes are funny.

I am still not sure Sarah is going to run, at this point think her chances of winning low (but that is true for every candidate), but I love how she drives the Andrew Sullivans and Charles Johnsons of the world crazy. Keep up the good work Sarah!

Meanwhile, Charles Johnson debates himself over AGW.; 12/6/09, 9:11 AM
Ron said...: The Palin-Althouse Bloggingheads would indeed be a "laff riot!"

Just for that "going rogaine" crack about Biden, she's funnier -- well, intentionally funnier -- than anybody in the White House or Congress at the moment...; 12/6/09, 9:16 AM
Paddy O said...: Fun article.

Am I the only one who thinks that picture of Palin makes her look like she's judging an American Idol show?; 12/6/09, 9:20 AM
traditionalguy said...: One percieves that she is not the least bit afraid of offending the Democrat's Media slander machinery as the RINOs always are. Who is this woman?; 12/6/09, 9:30 AM
Richard Gabbert said...: (And can someone tell Politico it's Hu Jintao, not Hu Jinato.)

And that there's no "Farfax" anywhere in the Washington metro area, so far as I know.; 12/6/09, 9:31 AM
MaggotAtBroad&Wall said...: Sarah's strong conservative values have done as much to unite the GOP as Obama being president has. But the MSM hate and despise her because her values are so different from their liberal values. I figure they will do everything they can to destroy her presidency if she were to be elected.

Then I read General Tata's review of her book at BigHollywood. This guy is a retired West Point grad and a highly decorated former commanding general of infantry and paratrooper units. In other words, a bona fide bad ass.

As a former commander, he knows what it takes to be a leader. He strongly believes Sarah is ready to be president. A man of his stature and experience would not make that claim if he didn't really believe it. I'm starting to come around to his way of thinking.; 12/6/09, 9:32 AM
Kirby Olson said...: Hu's on First?

The communist.

Hu?

No, Hu's on First.

Never mind who's on first,
Hu's on Second?

I thought you said Hu's on First?

No, he's the Communist!

Hu?; 12/6/09, 10:03 AM
KCFleming said...: She shows very little fear of the MSM or Washington, and does not seem to feel the need to be liked by either of them.

Unlike McCain.

The jokes were pretty good, too, as political jokes go.; 12/6/09, 10:20 AM
Unknown said...: Nice to see Miss Sarah can laugh at things.

A sense of humor is a very valuable thing in a politician. Jimmy Carter was notorious for not having one. like someone else currently.

Paddy O. said...

Fun article.

Am I the only one who thinks that picture of Palin makes her look like she's judging an American Idol show?

She looks very loose and relaxed, good for her.

Kirby Olson said...

Hu's on First?

The communist.

Hu?

No.

Hu's on first, Wat's on second, Ai Din No's on third.

(Had to); 12/6/09, 11:14 AM
Wince said...: Watch "conservative" David Frum opine on how Palin "got to her position of leadership."

Very revealing... about Frum.; 12/6/09, 11:39 AM
miller said...: As others have said, the best part of Palin (well, not the best, but you know what I mean) is how she makes certain people of the left, right, and center absolutely spittle in their hatred.; 12/6/09, 12:31 PM
ricpic said...: Wow, Sarah even makes a fatigue cap sexy. Her biggest problem is gonna be jealous women.; 12/6/09, 12:44 PM
sonicfrog said...: Warning!

The page Ann linked to may have a virus attached. I got one of those bogus "Your computer may be infected" warnings. If you get the warning, best thing to do is go into task manager (hit control-alt-delete buttons once) select firefox in window, then hit "end task" to shut it down.; 12/6/09, 1:15 PM
Charlie Martin said...: Am I the only one who thinks that picture of Palin makes her look like she's judging an American Idol show?

Not any more.; 12/6/09, 1:36 PM
Synova said...: Very nice picture and great hat.

Where can I get one? ;-); 12/6/09, 2:12 PM
vbspurs said...: The page Ann linked to may have a virus attached. I got one of those bogus "Your computer may be infected" warnings.

Thanks for the warning, Sonicfrog! (I didn't get any myself, but it bears watching) Nice to see you, BTW. Coincidentally, on checking a totally unrelated link I was directed to Amanda Marcote's blog yesterday, and I saw your comments there! You were defending Ann from those bilious attacks she used to post. :)

Cheers,
Victoria; 12/6/09, 2:34 PM
vbspurs said...: Very nice picture and great hat.

Where can I get one? ;-)

Not even Sarah Louise Heath Palin can make me want a Che cap, Synova. :P

Although she looks absolutely stunning. Are those extensions or her real hair?

*forgive the girl talk*; 12/6/09, 2:36 PM
vbspurs said...: Ron wrote:

Just for that "going rogaine" crack about Biden, she's funnier -- well, intentionally funnier -- than anybody in the White House or Congress at the moment...

Though I hate to remember this, John McCain was BY FAR the funniest of the two candidates at the Al Smith Dinner last year.

He gave it to himself AND to Obama good. Obama's schtick seemed to consist of poking fun at himself in a tone of voice (trailing, half-hearted) which implied that he actually did believe the jokes he was telling on himself about being too "awesome" were indeed based on truth, and that's what made it funny. No dillweed. The best comedy is when you lampoon yourself about what others think -- as in "I came down from my hotel room and saw the Russian Embassy".

Cheers,
Victoria; 12/6/09, 2:43 PM
Synova said...: McCain *is* funny.

He did that "If Barbara Streisand thinks she can do my job, maybe I can do hers" thing and then sang incredibly badly.; 12/6/09, 2:55 PM
Mr. Forward said...: I say Jintao, you say Jinato
Jintao, Jinato, Jintao, Jinato,
Let's call the whole thing off.

wv: etorter = web journalist; 12/6/09, 6:31 PM
section9 said...: I can guarantee you that that is

1. Not a "Che" cap. Che actually wore a beret. Fidel, for his part, wore a beret during La Revolucion and, just as often, wore a 1950's issue U.S. Army stovepipe fatigue hat.

2. Thousands of women all over the country are now going to be hunting down that cap. She looks good in that cap. Because she wears that cap well, that cap will now become very popular.; 12/6/09, 9:03 PM
MamaM said...: Midnight...the virus/malware Sonic noted also turned up for me. I found Sonic's warning after the fact, but appreciated the confirmation.; 12/6/09, 11:20 PM
vbspurs said...: I nearly got the virus too, after clicking on that page three times (it was the third time). Fortunately, I have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware with IP protection. It's a lifesaver. Thanks for the heads up, Sonic!; 12/7/09, 2:12 AM
vbspurs said...: I found the complete Sarah Palin Gridiron schtick. As good as the excerpted jokes sounded, the whole speech was even better. The timing is crisp!

"Good evening. It's great to be in Washington. I am loving the weather [it was snowing]. I braved the elements and went out for a jog! Or, as Newsweek calls it, a cover-shoot. I feel so at home here in DC. I can see the Russian Embassy from my hotel room!

It's a privilege to be here tonight at the Washington DC Barnes & Noble. Tonight, I'll be reading excerpts from my new book. Perhaps you've heard of it? "Going Rogue."

Yukon wasn't sure if I'd go with that title and somebody suggested I follow the East Coast self-help trend and go with, "How To Look Like A Million Bucks...For Only 150 Grand."

Todd liked, "The Audacity of North Slope." [She nods to him as he's at the head table]

Hey, I considered not having a title at all. I've said it before, but you Beltway types just don't seem to get it. You don't need a title to make an impact. But anyway, let's get started.

I'll begin my first reading on Page 209.

It was pitch black when we touched down in Arizona late on August 27, 2008. The next morning we drove to John McCain's ranch in Sedona. John was waiting on the porch. Before he can say a word, I tell him, I'm quoting now,

"I know why I'm here, and I'm ready. But, I'm worried. The cost of credit protection for the largest U.S. banks is rising precipitously. Have you given any thought to the run on the entities in the parallel banking system? Do you realize the vulnerability created when these institutions borrow short term in liquid markets to invest long term in illiquid assets?"

John said, "you betcha!" I thought, "you betcha?" Who talks that way?

Well, sometimes you just have to trust your instincts. When you don't, you end up in places like this. Who would have guessed that I'd be palling around with this group? At least now I can put a face to all the newspapers I do read.

It is good to be here and in front of this audience of leading journalists and intellectuals. Or, as I call it, a death panel.

To be honest, I had some serious reservations about coming to visit your cozy little club. The Gridiron still hasn't offered membership to anyone from my hometown paper in Wasilla, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley Frontiersman. And my dad thought it was just a plain bad idea to leave the book tour for some football game.

He might have a point! [She waves to her parents at a table at the back of the room] Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom! They crashed the party, you know.

I've been touring this great, great land of ours over the last few weeks. I have to say, the view is much better from inside the bus, than under it!

But really, I am thrilled to be with you. And I'd like to thank the Gridiron for the invitation and Dick Cooper for his introduction.

Con't; 12/7/09, 2:37 AM
vbspurs said...: Con't below:

"To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, this has to be the most extraordinary collection of people who have gathered to viciously attack me since the last corporate gathering at CBS.

Despite what you have read, or more likely, despite what you have written, I do feel a real bond with all of you. I studied journalism, earned a communications degree and for a time only wanted to be a journalist. I was even a television sportscaster back home.

I'm guessing some of you probably got your start the exact same way... once there was television.

Let me get back to the book.

I know that many of you are still upset because I wouldn't play that silly Washington game. You know, the one where all of you read a book in its entirety, from the first page of the index to the last.

But think about it, because you actually had to read the whole book in the vain hope of finding your name, you now know all about Denali, mom, dad, ungulate eyeballs, slaying salmon on the Nushagak and Ugashik near Alegnigak, where we make agootak and moose chili!

You're welcome.

Still, I want to do something very special for this audience of Washington elite. So, I'll read from the index--which I chose not to include in the hardback. Would you believe me if I said I didn't include it because we wanted to save trees?

Con't; 12/7/09, 2:37 AM
vbspurs said...: Con't below #3:

Under A we have...

Alaska, media not understanding. Pages 1-432.

Under B...

Biased media. Pages 1-432

And under C...

Conservative media. See acknowledgments.

I'll stop there.

I know this can be a long night, and as I understand it, we're going to break with a Gridiron tradition. Normally, the Democrat speaker would deliver a speech after me. But instead, John McCain's campaign staff asked if they could use that time for a rebuttal.

A lot has been made of a few campaign relationships. The closeness. The warm fuzzy feelings. John and I both agree all those staffers should just move past it. It's history.

Let's just say, if I ever need a bald campaign manager, it appears all I'm left with is James Carville.

I don't want to say that I've burned a bridge, but I know all about canceling a bridge to nowhere.

That Democrat speaker I referred to is, of course, the one-and-only Barney Frank.

And I'm the controversial one?

Barney, the nation owes you and the government a debt. A huge, historic, unbelievable debt.

But, it's good to be here with you, Mr. Chairman.

Because by Chairman, I don't just mean the House Financial Services Committee. As far as I can tell, Barney's also the Chair of AIG, CITI, and the Bank of America.

I don't want to say that the U.S. Government is taking over the role of the private sector, but I have to admit, on the flight here, thumbing through a magazine and looking at a photo of President Obama with the President of China, the person next to me pointed at it and said, "Hu's a communist."

I thought they were asking a question.

Still, when I see this administration in action, I can't help think of what might have been.

I could be the Vice President overseeing the signing of bailout checks. And Joe Biden would be on the road, selling his new book, "Going Rogaine."

Speaking of books.... Did I mention mine? "Going Rogue" Makes a great stocking stuffer. Available now at a bookstore near you. Hey, I have to pay for my campaign vetting bill somehow.

Really, the response has been great. So I'll close by reading a final passage.

Page 403:

...I've been asked a lot lately, "Where are you going next?'

Good question!

Wherever I go I know that, as with anyone in the public eye, I'll continue to have my share of disagreements with those in the media. Maybe even more than my share. It will come as no surprise that I don't think I was always treated fairly, or equally.

But despite that, I respect the media very much. It's important. A free press allows for vigorous debate! And that debate is absolutely vital for our democracy. So as hard as it can sometimes be, we must all look past personal grievances.

We must move beyond petty politics. And we must allow these incredibly talented and hard-working women and men to ask the hard questions and hold us, and our government, accountable. Because their mission is as true as the sun rising over the Talkeetna and Susitna Mountains....

Okay - so none of that is actually in the book. Not a word.

But I do believe it! And I believe we live in a beautiful country blessed with so many different people who want the best for their children, families and for our great nation. I'm so proud to be an American.

And that is what I'll be talking about when I travel to where I'm headed.

No better place than here to announce where I'm going. I'm going to Iowa!

I'll be there tomorrow from noon to 3:00 pm at the Barnes & Noble on Sergeant Road in Sioux City. Come early. Long lines are expected."

(Indeed. People waited for 36 hours in Iowa on Sunday, to see her. Folks from as far as Texas camped out overnight. That's hardcore)

Cheers,
Victoria; 12/7/09, 2:38 AM
vbspurs said...: He might have a point! [She waves to her parents at a table at the back of the room] Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom! They crashed the party, you know.

LOL! Awesome.; 12/7/09, 2:38 AM
miller said...: That was awesome indeed. Sounds like she's not easily cowed.; 12/7/09, 9:21 AM
Big Mike said...: What happened? I go off for a weekend and come back and find that the Professor has made a Palin-related post and it's stopped at only 28 comments? Please tell me she's not "over" already???; 12/7/09, 7:31 PM
Big Mike said...: And that there's no "Farfax" anywhere in the Washington metro area, so far as I know.

There is the way we Virginians pronounce it.; 12/7/09, 7:32 PM