Althouse: "Sarah Palin's bus tour treats reporters like paparazzi."

May 31, 2011

"Sarah Palin's bus tour treats reporters like paparazzi."

Ha ha. Great headline.

181 comments:

reader_iam said...: And the reporters are treating Sarah Palin's bus tour as... .; 5/31/11, 10:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Sarah Palin (correctly) treats reporters (paparazzi) like vermin.

That's better.; 5/31/11, 10:06 PM
Michael K said...: She certainly doesn't owe them the time of day and being more helpful would not improve her relations with them a nanometer.; 5/31/11, 10:06 PM
Milwaukee said...: If they really weren't so lame, and didn't act like paparazzi, they wouldn't feel like paparazzi. They rip conservatives up one side and down the other while President Summa Cum Laude makes mistakes of Teutonic Magnitude, and he gets a pass. Of corpse.

The game has changed and they are losing. The "main" stream media isn't so main stream any more. If they wanted to be real reporters they would be getting to the bottom of that.

Another example is Representative Weiner, how was or wasn't hacked and seeks legal advice before consulting with the police.; 5/31/11, 10:09 PM
traditionalguy said...: She cannot give them an itinerary for security reasons. The SIEU thugs and Acorn Assholes would steal a photo op every place they have enough time to hire the demonstrators and paint signs. CBS and accessories would co-operate completely with that effort and give each other awards for screwing up Palin's Tour. She owes them less than nothing.; 5/31/11, 10:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm your biggest fan

You'll follow you until you love me, Papa.

Paparazzi.; 5/31/11, 10:13 PM
Anonymous said...: "The SIEU thugs and Acorn Assholes would steal a photo op every place they have enough time to hire the demonstrators and paint signs."

And it's known that there are some members of the media who are feeding the SEIU thugs this information (I can't say HOW it's known, but it is known.) So, the hostile media is being kept out. Unbiased media is being kept informed.

You're not going to see an ordinary Presidential campaign this time around.

Because too many members of America's top newspapers are corrupted.

One word: Journo-list.

Look ... people who don't think the media can be corrupted need to remember that Dan Rather and his team at CBS News produced forged memos to try to change the course of history and de-elect George W. Bush.

Ezra Klein and his co-conspirators at the Washington Post create Journo-list as a conspiracy to slant political coverage. The conspiracy exists. It's been uncovered. They're still trying, though.

Very influential members of the mainstream media are participating in a conspiracy to keep average Americans OUT of politics.

And we're routing around that imperfection.

Join us if you believe in America!; 5/31/11, 10:21 PM
Gary Rosen said...: "It feels like she's baiting us and treating us like paparazzi and make the 'lamestream media' appear that way," said Corsaro.

A bit slow on the uptake, but they're catching on!; 5/31/11, 10:24 PM
G Joubert said...: And after how they've been so fair to her over the last 2 years and nine months.; 5/31/11, 10:24 PM
edutcher said...: OK, lessee now...

The Establishment Media and the Lefties have spent 2 1/2 years sneering at her, but follow her around as if she were salvation.

I thought the poobahs of Black Rock and the Peacock had proclaimed Caribou Barbie was too stupid to live and had already been destroyed.

Why, then, would the august priests and priestesses feel obliged to document her every move?

And, more interestingly, why do the complain because she does not share her itinerary?

More importantly, why are they whining (this is my favorite) that, by not making her stops known, she is endangering their lives?

PS Thanks, Milwaukee, for reminding us of Little Zero's "Teutonic Shift".; 5/31/11, 10:25 PM
Fred4Pres said...: She is too nice to them. She should treat them like homeless crackheads trying to wash your windshield with a dirty rag outside the Lincoln Tunnel and then demand a $1.; 5/31/11, 10:27 PM
rcocean said...: Why do they want to cover her? According to them she's a washed up ex-Governor of a small state, who's too stupid to be President. So why are they following her around?

What a bunch of weirdos. In one breath, talking about how stupid and unelectable she is -in the next, talking about where she's visited, who's she seen, and what Trig had for lunch. And why, oh why, can't she publish her itinerary?

Media Lamos. They hate and fear her but can't stop writing about her and criticizingly her. Just like the liberals and RINOs.; 5/31/11, 10:29 PM
Sprezzatura said...: No more sightseeing w/ a baggy black T-shirt, baseball cap, and big sunglasses.

Now it's a tight skirt, close fitting pink jacket, and hair up, just like other folks who are trying to avoid the media.; 5/31/11, 10:36 PM
deborah said...: Why do you hate fashion, pj?; 5/31/11, 10:40 PM
rcocean said...: Reminds me of 1980, when some senile Hollywood actor was running for President. Dumb as a post, thought Redwoods caused pollution, and was very,very extreme. Polls showed him 20 points behind Carter in the Spring of 1980, unelectable IOW.

What happened to him anyway?; 5/31/11, 10:41 PM
Fen said...: "It feels like she's baiting us and treating us like paparazzi"

Be thankful. I would run over you with the bus. You're all a bunch of DNC hacks. Don't know how you look yourself in the mirror.; 5/31/11, 10:43 PM
garage mahal said...: Well, the Rolling Blunder was huge hit. Wasn't invited, endorsed, or allowed to speak. Why not keep chasing the bus to nowhere.; 5/31/11, 10:48 PM
Gary Rosen said...: "She is too nice to them"

No, Fred, what she's doing is perfect. She's making them look like obsessed jilted lovers and exposing them for the douchebags that they are (not that some of us didn't know that already).; 5/31/11, 10:49 PM
reader_iam said...: criticizingly

I like this, seriously. I know it was a typo, and I'm totally NOT judgmental about typos of this type in comments, but sometimes typos lead to great things. This one does, and so I judge it to be a useful concept.

can't stop writing about her and criticizingly her.

Criticizingly: Consciously using [as in, a process] criticism for the specific, directed purpose of sizing down someone.; 5/31/11, 11:00 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: I think the general consensus here (excluding Garbage, of course) seems to be that this is all quite humorous.

Go Girl.

Apparently, the Palins had dinner tonight with The Donald and wife. The two Republican Presidential possibilities who play the media the best. (Yes, I know that Trump has officially bowed out, but no doubt, being the publicity hound he is, is likely enjoying this immensely).

Why is it, that this woman, considered to be so stupid by the MSM and the left (redundant, I know), is able to drive them all batty? And is able to suck the oxygen out of the rest of the Republicans' campaigns?

I do think that she will run, if for no other reason than if she doesn't, she would lose all this fun next spring when the campaign season gets seriously under way.; 5/31/11, 11:01 PM
rcocean said...: Trump and Palin eat Pizza. OMG!; 5/31/11, 11:03 PM
reader_iam said...: "Sarah Palin's bus tour treats reporters like paparazzi."

It should also be noted that, in fact, Palin's bus tour IS providing its reporters (however aggrieved) with treats: Betcha those reporters get plenty of column inches, as needed, and thus a boost, career-wise.

Then there's the whole "treats" w/r/t the whole wanting-to-negotiate-a-treaty possibility. This is more of a stretch, frankly, but who knows?

wv: critedis

Oh, ha ha ha, Google DB-spawn. ; "; 5/31/11, 11:05 PM
rcocean said...: Those who can do, those who can't criticize grammar and obvious typos.

OTOH, a good man - like ReaderJam - knows his limitations.; 5/31/11, 11:07 PM
Anonymous said...: It hit me today in the shower.

In The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe talks about Ken Kesey as being one of these guys who was, somehow, pulling at the whole fabric of the world. Like the world couldn't not listen. All he had to do was will it, and the world came to him. He was pulling the strings.

Palin is exactly like that. It's really a crazy phenomenon.; 5/31/11, 11:08 PM
Seeing Red said...: "I just hope to God that one of these young producers with a camera whose bosses are making them follow Sarah Palin as a potential Republican candidate don't get in a car crash, because this is dangerous," he said.

Corsaro asked a member of Palin's team if he thought it was dangerous to have reporters forced to chase her from stop to stop. "You're the ones that are trailing us," he replied.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Whatta bunch of maroons........; 5/31/11, 11:12 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Caribou Barbie gets her revenge!

What's the next act?

I don't think she plans to stop.; 5/31/11, 11:14 PM
mccullough said...: FURTHUR; 5/31/11, 11:16 PM
Jim said...: garage -

Well, the Rolling Blunder was huge hit. Wasn't invited, endorsed, or allowed to speak.

Except that she WAS invited.

She wasn't endorsed because she's not running for anything.

And you can't "not allow" someone to do something that they didn't ask to do.

That's three FAILS in one sentence. That may be a record, even for you.; 5/31/11, 11:17 PM
Anonymous said...: FURTHUR!

That's absolutely what this is. I'm completely serious. Somebody get Tom Wolfe on this.; 5/31/11, 11:18 PM
Seeing Red said...: Over 1000 comments on this story.

LOLOLOLOL; 5/31/11, 11:18 PM
traditionalguy said...: Three serious and despondent CNN panelists spent 33 minutes tonight complaining that Sarah Palin was taking "all the air out of the room" so the other GOP wannabes were not getting fair coverage on CNN. They ran out of time before they could mention the other GOP candidate's names. But one older DC hand kept repeating the new mantra that Palin's charismatic power to draw voters would only play into Obama's own charisma and smile thus giving the voters a choice. He asserted that the GOP had to run an unknown and dull candidate so voters could only think about how they really hated Obama's policies.; 5/31/11, 11:19 PM
Anonymous said...: I love Ken Kesey and I dearly wish I was there but I don't want him being president.

I would, of course, vote for Kesey over Obama, but that says little.; 5/31/11, 11:21 PM
reader_iam said...: rcocean:

I actually do like "criticizingly" as a term, which is why I pointed it out and intend to use it. It's both on point and useful.

Signed,

'Jam
(not a man, btw); 5/31/11, 11:22 PM
Seeing Red said...: But one older DC hand kept repeating the new mantra that Palin's charismatic power to draw voters

"charismatic power"

That must have hurt to admit that.; 5/31/11, 11:24 PM
reader_iam said...: From what I can tell, most--though by no means all--media criticism of Palin IS designed to cut her down to size, or at least cut her TO size for one purpose or another. That's a serious point.

My bad that I failed to get that across--assuming, of course, that I did.; 5/31/11, 11:26 PM
Anonymous said...: We need less charismatic power in politics, not more. People rightly complain about our current politic class and political culture. I suggest that there is an exact relationship between the increase in charismatic people in politics and the crappiness of the political class.; 5/31/11, 11:26 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: But one older DC hand kept repeating the new mantra that Palin's charismatic power to draw voters would only play into Obama's own charisma and smile thus giving the voters a choice. He asserted that the GOP had to run an unknown and dull candidate so voters could only think about how they really hated Obama's policies.

I think that we found that Obama really isn't all that charismatic. I think that a lot of people now flinch a bit whenever the President starts speaking. We were just told by the MSM, wetting their pants, and with tingles going down their legs, that Obama was charismatic.

His delivery is not all that great, and becomes horrid when he goes off script (or, more accurately, off teleprompter). I esp. dislike his propensity to pose false choices and use straw man arguments.

I think that Palin is a bit better. She does seem to be a bit better at extemporaneous speaking (mostly, because Obama is so bad at it).

I do think that there are Republicans who are running or potentially running, who speak better. But what they cannot do is fire up crowds like she can (and Obama could in the last election).

If you want to see charisma, look no further than Bill Clinton. When he would tell us that he felt our pain, many in this country actually believed him. And, when he walks in a room, still today, he is the one whom everyone sees and wants to be with.; 5/31/11, 11:31 PM
Gary Rosen said...: "Three serious and despondent CNN panelists spent 33 minutes tonight complaining that Sarah Palin was taking "all the air out of the room" "

Priceless.; 5/31/11, 11:33 PM
Trooper York said...: Fuck them if they can't take a joke. This is just one of the first steps in actively destroying the mainstream media and it can't happen fast enough for our nation.

She should treat them like you treat shit you scraped off your shoe.

The only thing worse than a journalist is a lawyer.; 5/31/11, 11:33 PM
Anonymous said...: I agree that Obama has no charisma. I also agree that people thought he did and were voting for him because of his perceived rock star qualities.; 5/31/11, 11:34 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: We need less charismatic power in politics, not more. People rightly complain about our current politic class and political culture. I suggest that there is an exact relationship between the increase in charismatic people in politics and the crappiness of the political class.

Not sure that I would go that far, but I too distrust charisma. But, more so, I distrust the political class. Most of the members of such whom I have met have not had all that much charisma, but the longer they are members, the more venal and corrupt they seem to become.; 5/31/11, 11:34 PM
Penny said...: Amen, Seven Machos.; 5/31/11, 11:34 PM
Trooper York said...: Seven you are either on the bus or you are off the bus.

Carping from the sidewalk makes you look like a tweet of a Member's member. Just sayn.; 5/31/11, 11:35 PM
Synova said...: How do you figure to do anything about that, Seven?; 5/31/11, 11:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Trooper: Does that make Greta Van Susteren the Antichrist?

Also, I would add that the only thing worse than a lawyer journalist is a lawyer baseball manager. But I won't, since Tony LaRussa manages my beloved St. Louis Cardinals.; 5/31/11, 11:35 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "(not a man, btw)"

I noticed that gender reference, which I thought was wrong. But, I was locked in a cycle where my I was criticizingly myself such that I was increasingly doubting my memory re "jam's" gender.

Maybe 'self-criticizingly' is a bridge too far.; 5/31/11, 11:36 PM
mccullough said...: I'm with 7 machos. Competence is more important than charisma.; 5/31/11, 11:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Trooper -- If Palin wins the nomination, I'll be on the bus, hopefully on acid.

Synova -- I don't plan to do anything about it. However, I think people are going to be mighty disappointed when they find out that charisma is not transferable to good policy or statesmanship.

Perhaps Palin will prove me wrong. Clinton was great, and he is charisma personified.; 5/31/11, 11:38 PM
Sprezzatura said...: I think Palin should start smoking four packs a day. Maybe in six months she'll get a handle on that squeakiness. After that BHO (not to mention her R competition) will be sunk.; 5/31/11, 11:39 PM
Trooper York said...: You know who had charisma?

George Washington. They said he was an uncout farmer, a lout with no military experiance.

You know who had charisma?

Andrew Jackson. They said he was a low born uneducated moron with a lot of problems in his family life who was too concerned with what the lower classes thought and didn't listen to his betters.

You know who had charisma?

Teddy Roosevelt who was a boy in a man's body..who loved to hunt and live the outdoor life....who said what he thought and didn't care about the consequences.

You know who had charisma?

Ronald Reagan who as rc noted was an amiable dunce who thought trees caused pollution and thought we should call our enemies our enemies and we should try to defeat them not kiss their commie asses.

That's who had charisma.; 5/31/11, 11:40 PM
Synova said...: So we're supposed to pick some boring person who is competent and vote for him?

And this is supposed to work, how?

Besides, we're not hiring a clerk. We're not hiring administrative help. We're supposedly hiring leadership, and I'd like someone to explain to me how that works without charisma?; 5/31/11, 11:40 PM
traditionalguy said...: Seven you idealist...McCain lacked the charismatic power of Obama's million dollar smile...that's why he grabbed the Caribou Barbie, but lost his nerve after the Banking Crisis. The day Obama stands down and lets Hillary run in his place is the day Palin's charismatic power loses importance and we can re-run John S McCain. The biggest part of every campaign is exciting your own base to turn out while the other side tries to discourage and embitter your base into staying home. In that arena the charisma factor is all that works to keep your base with you through the propaganda smoke.; 5/31/11, 11:40 PM
Fen said...: says CBS News Producer Ryan Corsaro.

Hey Ryan, I got a Memo for you. From an unimpeachable source.

[why the hell would anyone with a shred of integrity still work for CBS?]; 5/31/11, 11:41 PM
Trooper York said...: You know who else that has charisam?

Lady Gaga.

Or maybe it's chlamydia. I forget.; 5/31/11, 11:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Calvin Coolidge didn't have charisma. Mayor Daley didn't have charisma. James Madison didn't have charisma and he was a midget.

The list goes on and on.; 5/31/11, 11:42 PM
Trooper York said...: Calvin Coolidge was not a real man but rather a cardboard cutout.

Which doesn't mean he wasn't a good President.

Mayor Daley was a crook and some of them are very smart. Plus he had charisma of the rough hewn phony man of the people sort.

James Madison was a puppet of his wife who had all the brains and told him what to do. You know. Like Meade. Just sayn'; 5/31/11, 11:45 PM
Anonymous said...: John McCain was a hideous candidate for president in a terrible year for Republicans who had no chance to win. An honorable man and a good Republican and all that, sure. But on a par with John Kerry when it comes to the presidency.

If John McCain is your argument for anything concerning the presidency, you have lost the argument. Let's not get misty-eyed over the man.; 5/31/11, 11:45 PM
Penny said...: But since all of us here are under the big tent that is the political circus tonight, I offer up the following for the crowd's enjoyment...

From Philly.com, reporting Palin's 30 minutes in the city of brotherly love, not to mention, the birthplace of those documents she holds so near and dear to her heart as an American...

"In Center City, dozens of reporters and photographers chasing a rumor ran from one end of the Liberty Bell pavilion to another, only to find that the former Alaska governor's bus had pulled up behind Independence Hall. "Sarah went that way!" a group of teenagers on a school trip yelled, helpfully pointing. When Palin and her group emerged from the building where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were crafted and started to cross Chestnut Street, the media mob charged down the sidewalk, scattering several groups of elementary school students.

"Watch the children!" a frightened chaperone yelled. "Don't step on the children!" (No injuries were reported.) The crush of people slowed the Palin family's progress, however. Annoyed daughter Piper, 10, pushed some camera lenses away from her."

Ha ha; 5/31/11, 11:45 PM
Trooper York said...: You know who else had charisma?

Michael Jackson.

Or maybe it was vitiglio. I forget.; 5/31/11, 11:46 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Fuck them if they can't take a joke. This is just one of the first steps in actively destroying the mainstream media and it can't happen fast enough for our nation.

I don't think that it is a first step, by any means. But I do see the MSM being made obsolete, and Mrs. Palin being one of the prime movers behind that.

The only thing worse than a journalist is a lawyer.

I am a bit prejudiced there, and so disagree, to some extent.

And, not really journalists, but some of my favorite media people have law degrees - Fox News seems esp. willing to hire female lawyers (e.g. Greta Van Susteren and Megyn Kelly) as news anchors.; 5/31/11, 11:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Listen, man. I live in Chicago. Mayor Daley was a great politician. As far as being a crook, these things are relative in my city.; 5/31/11, 11:47 PM
rcocean said...: Reader Jam,

I'm not smart enough to invent new words, except by mistake. All my "new words" can be blamed on spell-checker malfunctions, non-existent proof reading, and/or a lazy, incompetent typist - its so hard get good help these days.; 5/31/11, 11:48 PM
Trooper York said...: I was on jury duty today and you know I didn't think my opinion of lawyers could get any lower.

I was wrong.; 5/31/11, 11:48 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Trooper: Does that make Greta Van Susteren the Antichrist?

Well, maybe. Apparently she and her husband are Scientologists.; 5/31/11, 11:48 PM
Synova said...: "the media mob charged down the sidewalk, scattering several groups of elementary school students."

And if a newsie runs over a 4th grader they're going to pretend that Palin made them do it.

Just like complaining that chasing her down the freeway is a danger that she's forcing on them against their will.; 5/31/11, 11:50 PM
Penny said...: Reader? Do you suppose this crittersize will help us shed pounds, or merely our dignity?

All us Phat people, we need to know!; 5/31/11, 11:53 PM
Trooper York said...: Dude, haven't you ever seen a photo of Greta?

She's not the Anti Christ.

She's Gollum.; 5/31/11, 11:53 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: George Washington. They said he was an uncouth farmer, a lout with no military experience.

That may have been the conventional wisdom in the past, but there are historians now who claim that he was one of the most charismatic people of his generation. Moreover, he was one of the larger men around, was fit, always dressed impeccably, had a commanding presence, was a superb horseman, etc.

And, when you call him a farmer, consider that he was the richest farmer in VA, and possible the 13 colonies at the time of the war (thanks mostly to his wife).

Admittedly, he may not have been the best tactician. But making up for that, he was able to get funding for the army and maintain its moral throughout the darkest days of the Revolution. And, in the end, that was probably more important as the commanding general.; 5/31/11, 11:57 PM
Synova said...: Heh.

Just had a thought about what Journalists and Lawyers have in common. They don't have to take responsibility for the consequences of their professional ethics.

Oh, I'm sure there are responsible lawyers and responsible journalists but it's hard to ignore the lawyer who "legally" steals someone's land in Colorado because they know the law well enough to steal without ever breaking the law, and it's hard to ignore the journalist who says they wouldn't warn US troops of an ambush because they aren't supposed to take sides. Because those are the professional ethics in those professions we're supposed to respect their adherence to them?

And the journalists blame Palin for somehow making them race down the freeway? Of course they do.; 5/31/11, 11:59 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "I was on jury duty today and you know I didn't think my opinion of lawyers could get any lower.

I was wrong."

Well, it does reflect badly on the lawyers that you weren't sussed out, resulting in your dismissal from the jury.

Good point.; 6/1/11, 12:00 AM
KCFleming said...: The press remains both attracted and repelled by Palin. She is a force they do not understand.

Like an EF5, in a way.; 6/1/11, 12:01 AM
Anonymous said...: Synova -- That's not exactly true. There's a board in every state that will take away your license if you act unethically, maybe much worse. Journalists face no such constraints.

The problem with lawyers is that every time people are in court, it's because at least one person and probably two or more acted like a complete asshole. It's the lawyer's job to be an asshole mouthpiece.; 6/1/11, 12:02 AM
traditionalguy said...: The Obama smile still works its magic when he morphs into campaign mode. Lately he has been using a war face as he enjoys destroying the country with czars and regulatory agencies doing hits on our way of life. But old HAL 9000 can replay that loving smile when he is ready. Humans becomes so affected by a familiar smiling face that it is close to an addictive drug. And Obama's face has been plastered all over everywhere 24/7 for 3 years. How are we going to forget that. We cannot get that memory out without replacing it with the memory of another familiar face that excites us more. That is what we call Charisma.; 6/1/11, 12:04 AM
Revenant said...: Aren't they paparazzi? I mean... she's a TV celebrity, and they're following her around to see what she'll do.; 6/1/11, 12:04 AM
Anonymous said...: I have always suspected that Jesus had to be filled to the brim with charisma, Son of God or not. Yet in the movies, he's this weirdo.; 6/1/11, 12:06 AM
Sprezzatura said...: "It's the lawyer's job to be an asshole mouthpiece."

Is this one of those chicken and egg questions?

That is, I wonder what sort of people are drawn to a profession that allows them to gorge on ass?; 6/1/11, 12:06 AM
Anonymous said...: pbj -- No question. Amateur assholes are drawn to being professional assholes. But there really is a certain ethics to it.; 6/1/11, 12:08 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Andrew Jackson. They said he was a low born uneducated moron with a lot of problems in his family life who was too concerned with what the lower classes thought and didn't listen to his betters.

I would suggest that Jackson is maybe the best parallel with Palin. He was a true populist, and, yes, the better classes looked down on him. Instead, his support came from the lower classes.

And, this too is the problem with Sarah Palin. The dislike for her seems to be primarily from the most educated and pretentious classes. And, yes, from the political elite. In other words, her "betters".

It is amazing how classist much of the antipathy for Mrs. Palin is. But, the problem for the elite and the political class is that there are far more people in this country with education ranging from a high school degree through a bachelor's degree from a state school, than there are Ivy League grads and people with advanced degrees.

Normally, these people follow the lead of the political class. But the political class gave us President Obama, a man with no credentials beyond an Ivy League law degree and no real experience. But he sounded good, esp. to the political class and the elites in this country. But besides his lack of experience, he also lacks common sense.

And, so, we find ourselves in worse shape financially because we followed those elites, who, it turns out, really didn't know what they were doing, but were rather using their credentials, along with a lot of fancy talk, smoke, and mirrors, to make themselves even richer, while Obama cranked up trillions in new debt, deepened the recession, and made the world a more dangerous place.

So, what Palin is running on, besides her anti-elitism, is common sense. And, for a lot of those middle and lower middle class voters, that is compelling.; 6/1/11, 12:10 AM
Penny said...: "Aren't they paparazzi?"

More like foot soldiers in the employ of media conglomerates.; 6/1/11, 12:11 AM
RuyDiaz said...: Humans becomes so affected by a familiar smiling face that it is close to an addictive drug. And Obama's face has been plastered all over everywhere 24/7 for 3 years.

And to the sound of a voice. Fidel Castro is an incoherent idiot who can talk idiocies for a long time, and to this day there are Cubans who both hate him and think he's a genius. Sad.; 6/1/11, 12:11 AM
Sprezzatura said...: I should go to law school.

I think I'd fit in.; 6/1/11, 12:12 AM
ic said...: The MSM told us Palin was stupid and irrelevant. Why are so many smart and intelligent people hang onto her every move and word? Does that make the intelligent people stupid?

She doesn't have to pay millions for TV campaign ads.; 6/1/11, 12:13 AM
Sprezzatura said...: Would it be out of line to note that Jackson had done a lot more than Palin?

Sheesh; 6/1/11, 12:14 AM
rcocean said...: Per contemporary elite opinion, other famous Presidents with 'charisma':

Reagan - Stupid Hollywood Has-been
Ike - Stupid Old General
Coolidge - Stupid New England Bumpkin
Lincoln - The "original Gorilla" - a hick from the Midwest.
Jackson - another stupid old General
Washington - See Jackson.; 6/1/11, 12:15 AM
Anonymous said...: Would it be out of line to note that Jackson had done a lot more than Palin?

And Obama.

Bruce Hayden's analysis is spot-on, as usual. The one thing that's missing is the race element. There was a massive, massive amount of cultural redemption at stake in the 2008 election. The underlying narrative presented about the Obama presidency was that electing this very un-black black man would somehow cleanse our past racial sins.

I contend that this narrative will work strongly against Obama in 2012. But I won't go into it, as none of us has all night.; 6/1/11, 12:18 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: That is, I wonder what sort of people are drawn to a profession that allows them to gorge on ass?

A lot of different reasons and a lot of different people.

Obviously, you have many who are in it for the money. But there are also a lot who are in it for saving the world (though, a lot of that category seem to morph into the former during law school).

Beyond money though, there are a number who are in it for the power. Those are the ones who go into politics, or end up as lobbyists.

But there are also a lot who like it because of the intellectual stimulation. Law school can be quite stimulating, intellectually - but then you find upon graduation that much of the work as a lawyer is often quite boring.

Do lawyers benefit society? Some do. For one thing, they are the best defense against the government and government over-reaching. And, indeed, overreaching by other parties too, including some businesses and corporations.; 6/1/11, 12:19 AM
Penny said...: "So, what Palin is running on, besides her anti-elitism, is common sense."

She's not running. She's riding on the special bus.; 6/1/11, 12:20 AM
RuyDiaz said...: Admittedly, he may not have been the best tactician.

I rise to the defense of George Washington's tactical ability.

First, he was very good at using intelligence and was always looking for an advantage--soldiers tend to appreciate that. He was intelligent enough to learn quickly from his mistakes.

He was also daring when need be. The Battle of Princeton was hailed in Europe as great generalship.; 6/1/11, 12:20 AM
Synova said...: "Synova -- That's not exactly true. There's a board in every state that will take away your license if you act unethically,..."

Only if they act unethically according to their professional ethics.

To tie this in with Palin, the lawyers drew out the process of lawsuits over the Exxon Valdez to the point that by the time it was resolved fully ONE THIRD of the plaintiffs had died of old age.

No one will get disbarred for that.; 6/1/11, 12:21 AM
Anonymous said...: Bruce -- I always say that law school was the best education I ever got to be eligible for the worst job I could possibly imagine.; 6/1/11, 12:21 AM
Gary Rosen said...: IMO the turning point in the perception of lawyers came when they were allowed to advertise their services. They used to be "officers of the court" and could not advertise. That conveyed both a privilege and responsibility to the position, thereby attracting a certain kind of person to the profession. Allowing advertising conveyed the message "We're in it for the bucks" and that attracted a different kind of person.

I'm not saying that before advertising all lawyers were principled idealists and afterwards they were all greedy crooks. But if you go from 60-40 one way to 60-40 the other way it makes a difference.; 6/1/11, 12:23 AM
Anonymous said...: the lawyers drew out the process of lawsuits over the Exxon Valdez to the point that by the time it was resolved fully ONE THIRD of the plaintiffs had died of old age

Synova -- They were doing their job. Exxon was a bunch of assholes who didn't want to pay (presuming as true all the facts you imply). The lawyers were simply being assholes because they were representing those assholes.

Pretty much every court case, particularly in civil court, has an asshole on at least one side. For if this were not the case, the two sides would have settled amicably whatever problem they had and not ended up in court.

You prove my point precisely.; 6/1/11, 12:24 AM
Sprezzatura said...: Bruce's analysis is insane.

The life of Palin is nothing like that of Jackson's. And, a minimally educated mayor of a small town and a half term governor of a bit more than half a million people is hardly equal to the effort BHO has expended to achieve his success. If folks want to argue that BHO's rise was overnight, by comparison Palin's occurred in the blink of an eye.

BTW, if being black is so great for politicians, why isn't Cain leading the pack in the R primary? Also, why haven't we had only black presidents, since it's so easy for black folks to win? And, as you're itemizing the particulars that allowed one black person to become president, you should know that you're making that point that there is no advantage to being black, if such an advantage isn't applicable to more than one black person.; 6/1/11, 12:33 AM
traditionalguy said...: Seven...The Charisma in the Son of David/Son of God from conception was of the holy variety and it red lined after he had fasted in the desert 40 days and stymied the devil's best temptations. Other charismas in men and women are on another level and usually transmit a Christian's truth in love or transmit an occultist's deceptions in hate. Which one is Palin's and which one is Obama's? That is the answer you need.; 6/1/11, 12:34 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: The one thing that's missing is the race element. There was a massive, massive amount of cultural redemption at stake in the 2008 election. The underlying narrative presented about the Obama presidency was that electing this very un-black black man would somehow cleanse our past racial sins.

I contend that this narrative will work strongly against Obama in 2012.

I think that you are right about the racial redemption thing. Obama was black enough for that redemption, but white enough, both racially and culturally, to be safe.

The place where I think that you may not be accurate though is that it will work strongly against him in this election. Maybe some, but I don't see strongly. On the other hand, we have our redemption, and so I don't see it being much benefit, except to make sure that the Black community is solidly and almost completely, behind him.

Countering that though is the reality that this Administration is probably the most racist we have seen in most of our lifetimes. Most notable is the Holder Justice Department, which has taken racial and racist positions on issue after issue. Of course, this racism is pro-black, instead of the anti-black of previous eras. But, overtly racist implementation of Justice is troubling for many, esp. when the racism is being applied against them (except for, of course, those who have not acquired their racial redemption yet).

So, while I think that Obama's race will hurt him a little bit more than help him, I think that a lot of other things are going to hurt more. One is the overt crony capitalism of his Administration. His friends making trillions off the rest of us. Another is that so many radicals have found places in his Administration, from environmental wackos to union thugs. Most importantly though are, I think ObamaCare and the misery index - most of us are not better off than when he was elected.; 6/1/11, 12:35 AM
Anonymous said...: pbj -- I think the race issue is tied up in the class issue. Very much and inextricably. Race and class are complex issues. We'll have to delve into it all in the coming months.; 6/1/11, 12:38 AM
ic said...: They are paparazzi because they sensationalize news not report them. They should be thankful that they are following the bus and not thrown under the bus.

I think Palin has too much fun teasing the vermins. She will not run, but will be king maker. She can tweak the MSM and Obama while her pick will act "presidential".; 6/1/11, 12:39 AM
Ralph L said...: Clinton was great, and he is charisma personified.
Even more feckless and deceitful than Obama, an even more corrupt White House than Nixon's. It was entertaining, though, but infuriating that more of them didn't go to jail, such as Craig Livingstone and his 900 Republican FBI files (someone at the FBI should have gone to jail, too).; 6/1/11, 12:44 AM
rcocean said...: People forget Palin WAS a journalist. She graduated from J-school and got a job at a TeeVee Station. Just like Ted Kopppel.

Maybe that explains her contempt.; 6/1/11, 12:44 AM
Gary Rosen said...: " hardly equal to the effort BHO has expended to achieve his success"

Earth to pbj - BO had essentially *no* substantive accomplishments in his adult life before being elected POTUS, unless you count his machine-assisted elections to offices in which he did little except vote "present". Is your nic supposed to represent what you have between your ears in place of brains?; 6/1/11, 12:44 AM
rcocean said...: JFK was a journalist.
Ford, Obama, Clinton, Nixon, and FDR were lawyers
Carter was an Engineer.
Reagan was an actor
LBJ was a School teacher
The Bushes were Businessmen.

Looks like the conclusion is: Never trust a lawyer to tell the truth.; 6/1/11, 12:49 AM
Penny said...: pbAndj said...

"I should go to law school.

I think I'd fit in."

Hell, no! Much more fun to hang out your first amendment right shingle here on the internet. You can be both lawyer AND judge, sans case law.

Besides, it's nearly free, so no long term debt, and plenty of free time to be a critter on weekends. Bat, mouse, weasel...Whatever you like! You could even be a guinea hen reporter stalking Meade or Weiner pitching their tents, for cripes sake.; 6/1/11, 12:50 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: The life of Palin is nothing like that of Jackson's. And, a minimally educated mayor of a small town and a half term governor of a bit more than half a million people is hardly equal to the effort BHO has expended to achieve his success. If folks want to argue that BHO's rise was overnight, by comparison Palin's occurred in the blink of an eye.

I think that you and the rest of us are going to have to agree to disagree here.

I am not suggesting that Gov. Palin somehow has had to overcome a lot of obstacles, but, then again, neither did President Obama. As for education, what he has over her is an affirmative action law degree from an Ivy League law school, and an affirmative action undergraduate degree from a better ranked university than the one she graduated from.

But, why does that law degree qualify him for anything beyond the practice of law (which he really never did much of)? What is it in a JD program that prepares one to manage our government and command our military? I would be interested in which classes he took in law school would have helped him in any of these areas. At least GWB's Harvard MBA had classes aimed at management and leadership. Not so for law school.

I am still a bit unclear what he did between the time that he graduated from HLS, and went into politics. Something about being a community activist and squandering tens of millions of Annenberg Challenge money. Then, he spent a couple years in the (massively corrupt) Ill. legislature, before serving for a couple years as a back bench Senator, who tended to either vote present or skip voting entirely. Not a single piece of notable legislation bears his name. Not surprising, since he started running for President soon after being elected to the Senate.

The reality is that most of his credentials are pretty bogus. He is probably the least experienced and qualified President of the last maybe century. And, that is part of why he is vulnerable. All those pretty pieces of paper didn't translate into competence.

His vulnerability to a Jacksonian challenge, such as from Gov. Palin, is that the American people were sold a bill of goods with Obama by the elite and political class. They told us that this man was qualified, and he wasn't. Not only that, he lacks common sense and his economic ignorance and illiteracy has cost millions of jobs and trillions of dollars that our grandchildren are going to have to pay back. Much of the middle demographic in this country is in no mood to listen to their betters this time around about this man's supposed qualifications for the job. He has failed at the most important aspects of the job, and they have been hurt by that failure.; 6/1/11, 12:57 AM
Ralph L said...: hardly equal to the effort BHO has expended
Oh, come on. Most of the work was done by Chicago's Progressive Jews! Cfud said so.
The rest by weatherman Ayers.; 6/1/11, 12:59 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: JFK was a journalist.

Not sure how accurate that is. I would call him a career politician with a graduate business education. He moved very quickly into politics after graduate school, and stayed there for the rest of his life.; 6/1/11, 1:00 AM
William said...: The media has to chase her because there's always the possibility of a macaca moment. Capture that and you're the Woodward-Bernstein of your generation. And Palin needs to bait them because they look so damn foolish chasing her. The more hostile and insistent they look, the more it plays into her narrative of a lamestream media....Well, she's getting rich and seeing the sights. And the press is getting ulcers and speeding tickets. Win win for everybody.; 6/1/11, 1:02 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Even more feckless and deceitful than Obama, an even more corrupt White House than Nixon's.

I think though that we are going to look back on the Obama Presidency as the most corrupt of the last 50 years, topping both Nixon and Clinton.

But, of course, that is ok, since we got racial redemption through his Presidency.; 6/1/11, 1:04 AM
Ralph L said...: From cbs:
(An unannounced trip, which doesn't allow vacationers to plan for the disruption created by the potential candidate, her entourage and the press, would seem more disruptive than a scheduled trip)

It didn't occur to them that she might attract the crowds she did in 2008 if the stops were announced.; 6/1/11, 1:10 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: I think the race issue is tied up in the class issue. Very much and inextricably. Race and class are complex issues. We'll have to delve into it all in the coming months.

I think that they are, to some extent, orthogonal.

But, I think that after the racial redemption of the previous election of President Obama, the class issues are going to play out more importantly this time around.

Obama fits well into the elite and the political ruling class. He has the right credentials, talks well (with a teleprompter), and isn't too Black for comfort.

On the other hand, Palin doesn't fit into their conception of who should be ruling this country. She doesn't have the right credentials, and she doesn't accept their legitimacy.

I think that what makes this the clearest for me is the attitude that I get from so many around me, and, in particular, my family. I hear constantly how stupid the woman is. And, when I press for details, I either get reference to her first weeks as a VP candidate, or that she sounds stupid. When I press them about the VP debates, and how many more falsehoods and inaccuracies the supposedly smarter Biden made, the answer is that, well, yes, he is a joke, and that is why no one is going to take Obama out.

Mostly though, the "sounds stupid" is that she doesn't sound like she belongs in that ruling class. Biden can say as many stupid things as he wants to, because he sounds like he belongs. And, every time Obama uses one of his straw man arguments, they marvel at how educated he sounds, despite the fact that, invariably, he is positing false choices.; 6/1/11, 1:18 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: The media has to chase her because there's always the possibility of a macaca moment.

And, the harder they try and fail there, the worse they look.; 6/1/11, 1:20 AM
Ralph L said...: JFK went to graduate school? In what, Skirt-chasing?

Obama paid off his friends with the Porkulus much better than Clinton could dream of, but we don't know much about how his Administration works, cuz it's all about him (and the press won't do its job).; 6/1/11, 1:26 AM
Synova said...: "Synova -- They were doing their job. Exxon was a bunch of assholes who didn't want to pay (presuming as true all the facts you imply). The lawyers were simply being assholes because they were representing those assholes.

Pretty much every court case, particularly in civil court, has an asshole on at least one side. For if this were not the case, the two sides would have settled amicably whatever problem they had and not ended up in court.

You prove my point precisely."

And you prove mine.

In case we've forgotten what my point *was* it was that both professions, lawyer and journalist, include a set of professional ethics that, when adhered to, deny any responsibility for the consequences of what they do.

For a journalist this can be "I'm here to take pictures, not stop that person bleeding to death." For a lawyer it can be "I have to represent my client even if it means hurting people."

I never said they weren't following their code of professional ethics. I said that they *were*.; 6/1/11, 1:26 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: JFK went to graduate school? In what, Skirt-chasing?

He took graduate classes in business at Stanford after graduating (cum laude) from Harvard with a degree in International Affairs. His thesis ("Appeasement in Munich")was based to a great extent on his father's work as the Ambassador to the Court of St. James as the UK went to war.

Oh, and in regards to my comment about him being a career politician - he was elected to Congress in 1946, the Senate in 1952, and, of course, the Presidency in 1960, leaving maybe a year between his military service and the start of his political career.; 6/1/11, 1:35 AM
Synova said...: And it was just a thought, anyway, related to the way that the journalists seemed to automatically blame their own behavior on Palin, as if they have no volition.

Isn't it dangerous to make them all chase after her down the freeway?; 6/1/11, 1:38 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: And it was just a thought, anyway, related to the way that the journalists seemed to automatically blame their own behavior on Palin, as if they have no volition.

Just like a moth to a flame.; 6/1/11, 1:46 AM
rcocean said...: Regarding JFK:

I think when you reportedly boinked a chick a day during your 1,000 day Presidency - your earned the degree of Skirt Chasing -PHD.; 6/1/11, 1:54 AM
Ralph L said...: With his back problems, I'll bet the chicks did all the work. Does that still count as "boinking" if he just stood there?; 6/1/11, 2:29 AM
Fen said...: The media has to chase her because there's always the possibility of a macaca moment.

They are under orders to change the news cycle - bump WeinerTweet off the front page with a Palin gaffe.; 6/1/11, 2:38 AM
John said...: The media can't win. Palin sells. And they would hate to miss a gaffe. So they just can't help but chase her. At the same time you should hear the sour grapes over at Salon over the media's obsession with "Palin's aimless bus tour". Doesn't the media know their job is to tell the country how wonderful Obama is?; 6/1/11, 2:44 AM
rcocean said...: Ralph, what's really interesting is that not only did he "boink" a a chick a day, the Press looked the other way. Hell, Bradlee, the big boy at the WaPo didn't care if JFK "boinked" his wife/girlfriend.The Liberal mind in action. They'll do anything for the "cause".

Of course, if Dick Nixon had touched a broad they would've violated their precious code of "ethics" and told everyone.

No difference between the press of 1960 and the press of today. We just know more. We all know they're liberal phonies. Back then they still fooled a lot of people.; 6/1/11, 3:06 AM
John said...: rcocean,

The media was appalling with Nixon and really during the entire era. They created myths and ignored the facts. For example, the famous "you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore" statement that Nixon made after losing the 1962 California governor's election has been portrayed as an example of how bitter and nasty Nixon was. In reality it was a very lighthearted joke. Watch the tape of it sometime. Nixon winks after saying it and the whole room bursts out in laughter. There was nothing bitter or angry about it.

Before that there was the whole "Eisenhower is a do nothing President" and the Whitehouse is the "tomb of the well known soldier". None of which was true. Eisenhower was probably the most competent Chief Executives of the 20th Century and a true American hero. That didn't stop the media from slandering him.

And don't even get me started on the 1960 election or the Tet offensive. The big media have always been liars.; 6/1/11, 3:16 AM
John said...: And Johnson was a bigger womanizer than Kennedy. It used to make him angry that Kennedy had a bigger reputation as such than he did.; 6/1/11, 3:19 AM
rhhardin said...: With a huge bus, she'll be the winner in any paparazzi tunnel crash.; 6/1/11, 4:23 AM
rhhardin said...: news outlets have sent reporters and producers out to try and follow Palin.

"Try and" is hendiadys.; 6/1/11, 4:26 AM
John said...: The media is following around a person who neither holds office nor is running for office and hasn't invited them. I would say they are paparazzi.; 6/1/11, 4:51 AM
John said...: I wonder if Palin's bus is nuclear powered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bus; 6/1/11, 5:09 AM
Toad Trend said...: Paparazzi are paparazzi because of what they do, and how they do it.

Not how they are treated.

More awful reportage.

The Palins are not 'treating' paparazzi or media. They are doing what they want, no different than if you or I went sightseeing.

I find it fascinating that the MSM is getting so bent because the Palins don't give them a heads up on what they are doing.

Some say the Palins are 'playing' the media; this is the case only because of the MSM's sense of entitlement.

wv - sorse

MSM sorse becoming apparent.; 6/1/11, 5:33 AM
edutcher said...: What also has to be frustrating the Establishment Media types is the way she's setting the agenda and cutting the props out from under all of their favorite RINOs, like Romney.

Death panels (and they've just started implementing the boards for them) gave Mitt no wiggle room on RomneyCare and now, Miss Sarah has come out against energy subsidies, again pulling the ground out from under not only Romney, but T-Paw's gradualist approach.

For somebody dumb as a box of rocks, Caribou Barbie has managed to wrap the entire Establishment around her little finger.

PS Somehow, I think she's writing a whole new chapter on that "woman scorned" thing.; 6/1/11, 5:57 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: I love this. Love. It.; 6/1/11, 6:06 AM
rhhardin said...: The MSM is stuck covering Palin because she attracts soap opera women, and they need soap opera women.

They'd tune away if a competitor carried the coverage.

Palin is cashing in on bringing this out for her own reasons.

The fiction of serious coverage is being undermined.; 6/1/11, 6:23 AM
rhhardin said...: A suggested response to MSM pundits: Are you aware that your audience consists of morons and that's the only reason that your serious pundit costume works?; 6/1/11, 6:25 AM
Erik Robert Nelson said...: The media are following after her because, whatever Democrats might say, she *is* a threat to them, whether she runs or not. And they're looking for her to say or do something they can criticize, because she draws a lot of viewers and, hence, ratings. They can't offer positive coverage (for ideological reasons) and so covering gaffes is the only way they can legitimize taking advantage of her popularity. But she's managed to make the press look like bumbling fools, and let's face it: at this point, the press are far more likely to screw up badly in this coverage than Sarah Palin is.

Also, notice how all of the true nastiness regarding her is based on things she said two years ago. She's said virtually nothing in the last year that I can remember that has really caught on with the public. The media does little more than repeat two year old jokes about her. I'm not a huge fan of hers as a candidate, but my god she is doing a bang-up job of revealing the mainstream media for the low-lifes they so often are.; 6/1/11, 6:35 AM
rhhardin said...: The media are soap opera panderers before they're Democrats.

Without pandering, the business model fails and there's no media.

It works out from that that lefty people do better in the media, but the cause of that is their business model audience: soap opera women.

Who also vote, making a mutual dependency of Democrat politicians and the media.; 6/1/11, 6:40 AM
Scott said...: Palin is disrespecting the system of journalism and then mocking the journalists while using them to her own ends. She is not saying anything surprising or unexpected. Her actions are downright demeaning toward the profession and the public it serves.
Why continue to be manipulated? You all should create a pool camera to cover what you need to and get away with some dignity.; 6/1/11, 7:23 AM
Scott said...: Palin treats the news media and the public served like pawns. She disrespects everyone and then uses you for her own purposes ... and you cooperate. At least don't be completely manipulated.

Create pool coverage and save money and manpower.; 6/1/11, 7:25 AM
Milwaukee said...: Dang, Trooper, that was excellent:
Trooper York to me

11:35 PM

Seven you are either on the bus or you are off the bus.

Carping from the sidewalk makes you look like a tweet of a Member's member. Just sayn.

"...makes you look like a members member."

Yes. Too funny.; 6/1/11, 7:26 AM
Seeing Red said...: Palin is disrespecting the system of journalism and then mocking the journalists while using them to her own ends

There's no system to disrespect. They're not journolists, they're advocates.

As to her disrespecting - that's a feature, not a but.

ABOUT TIME!

LOLOLOLOL Where's my popcorn?; 6/1/11, 7:28 AM
Lincolntf said...: Those "journalists" are nothing but members of the DNC Election 2012 advance team. Paid political operatives dressed up as Edward R. Murrow. I wouldn't tell them squat.; 6/1/11, 7:32 AM
Steve Koch said...: Treating Dem propagandists (i.e. MSM) like pond scum is also a great political strategy for Palin. One thing Republicans all agree on is that the MSM is the propaganda arm of the Democratic party. We're appalled and disgusted at how corrupt journo-listers are. It is so great to see a (possible) Republican presidential candidate treat these Dem propagandists with the contempt they have earned.

This was a brilliant political move by Palin. I don't know how book smart she is but she is plenty street smart.

This week Palin said that the feds should drop all energy subsidies. This past week Romney supported ethanol subsidies. Another brilliant move by Palin and ham handed move by Romney.

IIRC, Palin was the first (by far) of the potential GOP presidential nominees to embrace the Tea Party. Romney has not yet embraced the Tea Party. Smart move by Palin, big mistake by Romney.

Romney is a very smart guy but Palin seems to be making smarter, more strategic political moves.; 6/1/11, 7:42 AM
Phil 314 said...: Isn't this that new ABC series "Expedition Impossible"?; 6/1/11, 7:49 AM
viator said...: “At the restaurant, the press was held back by yellow tape. At one point during the meal, Trump looked at the crush of journalists, tourists, and locals, and said to Palin’s daughter Piper, “See? Your mom is so popular!”

Dinner at Famiglia’s; 6/1/11, 8:01 AM
The Dude said...: Romney is smart the way Obama is smart, which is to say, not at all.; 6/1/11, 8:02 AM
garage mahal said...: The MSM are DNC propagandists.....because they're pathetically following Sarah Palin around in her stupid bus, giving her free publicity? Great theory.; 6/1/11, 8:02 AM
Lincolntf said...: Sixty, are you serious? Romney has more brains (and the success to back them up) in his least follicle than Obama has in his whole empty head. Don't have to like Romney's politics, but playing the "dumb" card is just ludicrous.; 6/1/11, 8:06 AM
viator said...: She is also training them. Those that are fair will get rewards. Those that are hostile will get zilch. Notice RCP is in, Pollutico is out.; 6/1/11, 8:10 AM
John said...: Romney is an idiot son of a CEO. IF he hadn't been born to wealth he would have never accomplished anything. And all he ever dd in business was conduct leverage buyouts. Big deal. He is a carnival barker.; 6/1/11, 8:11 AM
John said...: "The MSM are DNC propagandists.....because they're pathetically following Sarah Palin around in her stupid bus, giving her free publicity? "

Don't they know there job is to tell the world how great Obama is?; 6/1/11, 8:12 AM
Steve Koch said...: "The MSM are DNC propagandists.....because they're pathetically following Sarah Palin around in her stupid bus, giving her free publicity? Great theory."

There are no posts on this thread that claim the MSM are DNC propagandists because (emphasis on because) they are following Palin's bus. MSM has demonstrated they are Dem propagandists for decades.

MSM pathetically chasing Palin demonstrates that Palin knows how to yank the MSM's chain, thus endearing her to Republicans who despise the MSM.; 6/1/11, 8:17 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: She doesn't owe the press anything. It's her bus tour, and she's not acting in any official capacity. The press interest is purely their own profit interest. Why should she care?

I am so happy that she doesn't.; 6/1/11, 8:23 AM
Fen said...: Garage: The MSM are DNC propagandists .....because they're pathetically following Sarah Palin around in her stupid bus, giving her free publicity?

Damn, Garage. Don't let that Strawman kick your ass.; 6/1/11, 8:23 AM
Big Mike said...: The Palin family are showing the announced Republican candidates how to deal with Obama and his loyal foot soldiers in the press. Good for them.

The press is slow to pick up on how much they are distrusted by thoughtful people.; 6/1/11, 8:25 AM
KCFleming said...: It must be strange for the media to see for the first time a famous person who simply refuses to bow to their power, for power they do have.

Despite their collective ability to crush her, she treats these kingmakers (and kingbreakers) as if they are irrelevant.

And that has to hurt.

Hell, she may not be cut out for management of the USA, but even Trig would do better than Barry.; 6/1/11, 8:26 AM
Lincolntf said...: Oh jeez, John, do you swallow every simplistic stereotype so easily? Read the guys books, look into his actual career, learn all you need to know about his family's finances (and the fact that he eschewed family wealth and became by far the most productive member of the family). Oh, and I suppose the Olympics rescue could've been done by just anybody, right? You're a 4th grade girl screaming "dumbbell!" at the smartest girl in class because she makes you look bad. Clueless dope.; 6/1/11, 8:28 AM
viator said...: Palin to Visit S.C. as Part of Early-State Trifecta

"JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will visit the first-in-the-South primary state of South Carolina later this month as part of her nationwide bus tour, RealClearPolitics has learned.

According to well-informed sources, Palin's trip is divided into three separate segments, in which visits to each of the first three voting states -- New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina -- will be the geographical centerpieces."; 6/1/11, 8:29 AM
Henry said...: Scott wrote: Palin is disrespecting the system of journalism and then mocking the journalists while using them to her own ends. She is not saying anything surprising or unexpected. Her actions are downright demeaning toward the profession and the public it serves.

I would much rather have bitter antagonism between politicians and journalists than the "system" of ingratiation, access, and asskissing that the "profession" uses to gather fluff for the "public it serves." The only public served by that system are the lazy and the gullible.

This is a healthy development.; 6/1/11, 8:32 AM
Seeing Red said...: Sarah's managing the journo community quite well.

It's almost like she's organizing their community.; 6/1/11, 8:32 AM
garage mahal said...: The MSM is too dumb and lazy to cover real candidates and real news. Much easier to chase tabloid news.; 6/1/11, 8:39 AM
Seeing Red said...: They don't wanna cover The One, would mess up the narrative.

Agenda over all.; 6/1/11, 8:50 AM
John said...: "Oh, and I suppose the Olympics rescue could've been done by just anybody, right?"

If Romeney did it yes. Look Romney created Romneycare which gave us Obamacare. That is it. He is done. He is unfit for public office of any kind. Worse, he won't even admit what a huge mistake it was. That tells me he is too arrogant to even learn from his mistakes.

Forget it. He will never be President. If the GOP is dumb enough to nominate him, millions of base voters will stay home or vote third party. The fact that he doesn't understand this and is running anyway, is strong evidence of both a lack of intelligence and a lack of integrity.; 6/1/11, 8:55 AM
Lincolntf said...: Clown. Have you read his books? Examined the process by which MA health care reform came into being? Of course not. You're an ignorant shit and you prefer it that way. Waste of fucking space.; 6/1/11, 9:00 AM
Triangle Man said...: If the reporters weren't acting like paparazzi then they would give her the privacy she so desperately desires. Since they persist in chasing a non-story like a pack of tabloid photographers, they get the treatment they deserve. Just because she's riding in a rolling billboard does not mean she is seeking publicity, right?; 6/1/11, 9:00 AM
Seeing Red said...: Here, fishy fishy!; 6/1/11, 9:04 AM
John said...: "Examined the process by which MA health care reform came into being?"

So it wasn't his idea? He wasn't governor? And he didn't give a major speech last month defending it and claiming it was somehow different than Obamacare?

Forget it. You are pissing in the wind. Romney's political career is over. It is only his arrogance and his bullheadedness that keeps him running.; 6/1/11, 9:18 AM
traditionalguy said...: That old quitter has now once more quit playing the Destroy Sarah Game. And yes, General Eisenhower also quit England and took a tour of France on June 6, 1944. These quitters are so baffling and frustrating.; 6/1/11, 9:21 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Between Weiner's boner and Palin playing the MSM like a bunch of chumps, this is probably one of the most satisfying and entertaining weeks in news coverage.

I love the complaint from the media that Palin is sucking the oxygen out of the room. The media shills are so stupid that they don't realize that huge sucking sound is themselves.

If they didn't chase Palin like a pack of rabid leg humping chihuahuas, there would be little coverage and nothing to complain about.

LOL cubed.; 6/1/11, 9:23 AM
The Dude said...: Lincolntf - quit sucking Romney's dick - leave that to some of his wives.

Compare and contrast Obama care and Romney care - somehow you think the latter is in some way "smarter". It's not.

He is toast, he needs to go the way of his father's car company.; 6/1/11, 9:48 AM
Milwaukee said...: DBQ: If they didn't chase Palin like a pack of rabid leg humping chihuahuas, there would be little coverage and nothing to complain about.

That was a painfully accurate description. Excellent and powerful imagery. First we are given "members member" and now this. Although I need to ask, how does "he's a mans man" compare to being a "members member"?

Will President "It's all about me" interject himself into this somehow?; 6/1/11, 9:50 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: The MSM is too dumb and lazy to cover real candidates and real news. Much easier to chase tabloid news.

Garage and I agree on something. Dogs and cats, living together.; 6/1/11, 10:08 AM
Seeing Red said...: If they didn't chase Palin like a pack of rabid leg humping chihuahuas, there would be little coverage and nothing to complain about.

Didn't our dear Professor post something about the media & sexualizing Sarah?; 6/1/11, 10:20 AM
richard mcenroe said...: Penny... that may be the funniest thing I've read all week. The press as Airplane! movie.; 6/1/11, 10:31 AM
richard mcenroe said...: " Palin is disrespecting the system of journalism and then mocking the journalists while using them to her own ends. She is not saying anything surprising or unexpected. Her actions are downright demeaning toward the profession and the public it serves."

Shorter version: pack of whores complain about unclean street corners.; 6/1/11, 10:35 AM
roesch-voltaire said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/1/11, 10:51 AM
roesch-voltaire said...: And like any media celebrity Palin has a special relationship with the paparazzi because each helps the other to bring in the cash, and it is so easy compared to staying in office or covering real news stories.; 6/1/11, 10:57 AM
Phil 314 said...: Opinion piece from LA Times

And there are few things more sweet to Palin and her fervent supporters cheering their TV sets this week than the image of a hungry know-it-all "lamestream media" caravan of 15 or more vehicles traipsing along behind her red-white-and-blue bus enroute to they-know-not-where to do they-know-not-what.

OK so Sarah Palin can play the media.

So can Lady Gaga

So can Donald Trump.

So can Barack Obama. And didn't so many of you complain about how the MSM fawned over BO and how he used that to his advantage? So now its a positive quality because its someone from our side?

Being media savvy is certainly a key skill for any politician, but I wouldn't put it #1 on my list of key presidential qualities. I felt that way in 2008

I still feel that way.; 6/1/11, 11:00 AM
Anonymous said...: This could be a comedy movie - "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Palin."; 6/1/11, 11:07 AM
David Smith said...: I wonder if Corsaro is one of the producers putting his reporters at risk for this non-story, or if CBS is reporting this from New York.

They've always been pretty good at fabricating stories in the past...or am I just unwilling to let go of Uncle Walter's coverage of Tet?; 6/1/11, 11:37 AM
Tarzan said...: Being media savvy is certainly a key skill for any politician, but I wouldn't put it #1 on my list of key presidential qualities.

Who's putting it at #1?

Nonetheless, it's a great quality to have and Sarah has it in spades.

Charisma is good too, as is experience, a good appearance, a sense of tact, the ability to communicate, the ability to listen, learn and so on.

Which quality is at the top is not the question. Who's got the most of all of them is.; 6/1/11, 12:18 PM
mariner said...: Penny,
She's not running. She's riding on the special bus.

Yes, but it's the long special bus.

Some people keep trying to tell us it's the short special bus, but we can tell the difference.; 6/1/11, 4:41 PM
Synova said...: "Just because she's riding in a rolling billboard does not mean she is seeking publicity, right?"

Seeking it, sure she is.

Somehow mind-controlling the press and marching them about like remote controlled bathroom floor cleaning roombas?

Not so much.; 6/1/11, 6:38 PM
Mutnodjmet said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/1/11, 9:52 PM
Mutnodjmet said...: Check the comments section: 56 pages for a woman who is no longer relevant!; 6/1/11, 10:05 PM