Oh sh*t.
September 25, 2008 11:15 PM Subscribe
Nail 'er, Katie!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:23 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:23 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
She is really something special.
posted by Damn That Television at 11:29 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Damn That Television at 11:29 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
In that small yellow school bus kind of way...
posted by hincandenza at 11:33 PM on September 25, 2008 [12 favorites]
posted by hincandenza at 11:33 PM on September 25, 2008 [12 favorites]
Is it me, or right out of the box, does Palin's response come off as defensive? Mind you, I'm sure she's sensitive about it, but it feels so...I dunno, unprofessional. Like the kind of reaction that, if I witnessed it during a business meeting I was attending, it would cause me to question whether this person was in above her head.
I say that having read the transcript before watching the video, so I wasn't really paying attention to the words, just watching the mannerisms...and that struck me right away, and surprised me. Reading the transcript, I just assumed her manner in delivering the words -- bad as they were -- at least had the veneer of professionalism and emotional distance. Didn't play out that way, though.
posted by davejay at 11:33 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
I say that having read the transcript before watching the video, so I wasn't really paying attention to the words, just watching the mannerisms...and that struck me right away, and surprised me. Reading the transcript, I just assumed her manner in delivering the words -- bad as they were -- at least had the veneer of professionalism and emotional distance. Didn't play out that way, though.
posted by davejay at 11:33 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
I believe the term is 'vicarious embarrassment'.
posted by eclectist at 11:34 PM on September 25, 2008 [17 favorites]
posted by eclectist at 11:34 PM on September 25, 2008 [17 favorites]
Yeah, we should all feel real good that this person could be the vice-President to a 72-year-old who's already had four cancers.
posted by clevershark at 11:34 PM on September 25, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by clevershark at 11:34 PM on September 25, 2008 [3 favorites]
Oh! Maybe instead of "foreign policy experience", she thought they said "foreign privacy experience", as in Russia's so close that they thought about putting up a fence so that Alaskans could continue to walk around in their underwear without being spied upon.
posted by davejay at 11:35 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by davejay at 11:35 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
I look forward to 12 or 18 months down the line when her handlers write their memoirs of the campaign. I'm sure there's gotta be a lot of frustration there.
posted by adamt at 11:37 PM on September 25, 2008 [7 favorites]
posted by adamt at 11:37 PM on September 25, 2008 [7 favorites]
And not only that, but also who do you think is America's first and best line of defense if Santa goes on a murderous rampage? Alaska, that's who.
posted by Flunkie at 11:41 PM on September 25, 2008 [30 favorites]
posted by Flunkie at 11:41 PM on September 25, 2008 [30 favorites]
I don't see anything worth getting excited about in her answers. I was unable to play the video, but got the text version.
posted by attackthetaxi at 11:42 PM on September 25, 2008
posted by attackthetaxi at 11:42 PM on September 25, 2008
In other news, Governor Palin finally saw New York with her own eyes, making her an instant expert at Wall Street finance, pizza making, and playing mariachi on the subway.
posted by halfling at 11:44 PM on September 25, 2008 [49 favorites]
posted by halfling at 11:44 PM on September 25, 2008 [49 favorites]
I don't see anything worth getting excited about in her answers. I was unable to play the video, but got the text version.
SHE CANNOT SPEAK IN COMPLETE SENTENCES MUCH LESS INCORPORATE AT LEAST TWO CLAUSES INTO A SENTENCE, SOMETHING THAT DEMONSTRATES COMPLEX REASONING.
Ah, that felt better. This week has really reached Katrina-esque levels of surealism.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [64 favorites]
SHE CANNOT SPEAK IN COMPLETE SENTENCES MUCH LESS INCORPORATE AT LEAST TWO CLAUSES INTO A SENTENCE, SOMETHING THAT DEMONSTRATES COMPLEX REASONING.
Ah, that felt better. This week has really reached Katrina-esque levels of surealism.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [64 favorites]
I love how she gets the tone in her voice (the tone that all Righties seem to get when they're cornered) where shes talking to Couric as if she's the stupid one. That she doesn't understand what Palin is trying to say even though what she is saying is complete garbage.
Listen to her voice. She knows shes fucked and doesn't know anything. Poor puppet.
But, this will make the Righties cling to her even more because shes real....and its obviously the liberal media spinning it and being harsh on her.
On with this show please! It's making for for Amazing entertainment from my safehouse in Australia
posted by AzzaMcKazza at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
Listen to her voice. She knows shes fucked and doesn't know anything. Poor puppet.
But, this will make the Righties cling to her even more because shes real....and its obviously the liberal media spinning it and being harsh on her.
On with this show please! It's making for for Amazing entertainment from my safehouse in Australia
posted by AzzaMcKazza at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
Good lord. I'd read the transcripts in a few places already today, but finally saw the video. Positively Bushonian, she.
Also, this is a crappy post and should be deleted. Sorry.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
Also, this is a crappy post and should be deleted. Sorry.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:47 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
Well, I for one feel totally assured that her former comment about Russia's proximity was just a out of context gaff.
(quietly invests in gold bullion, canned beans and shotguns shells)
posted by JimmyJames at 11:48 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
(quietly invests in gold bullion, canned beans and shotguns shells)
posted by JimmyJames at 11:48 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think it's sexist of Katie to ask Palin those hard questions like that.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:49 PM on September 25, 2008 [44 favorites]
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:49 PM on September 25, 2008 [44 favorites]
Current odds:
McCain pulls her before election day: 3/2
She pulls herself before election day: 2/1
It gets more tragic/hilarious by then: 1/6
posted by netbros at 11:49 PM on September 25, 2008
McCain pulls her before election day: 3/2
She pulls herself before election day: 2/1
It gets more tragic/hilarious by then: 1/6
posted by netbros at 11:49 PM on September 25, 2008
The text version cannot possibly convey the confused, hallucinatory f'up-ness of the answers. I'm also guessing that they say "you" and such, when she actually said "ya."
posted by raysmj at 11:50 PM on September 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by raysmj at 11:50 PM on September 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
I love this part:
Asked why she only obtained a passport last year, Palin said, "I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture."
See? Thats just Soccer-Mom Republicanism in a nutshell right there.
"I have a job. I can't spend all this time worrying about people in other countries. I put two dollars in the collection plate at church one time for those Africans who are eating dirt or whatever. See? I'm a good person. Anyway, I can name all the important countries: England, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Asia, Islam. You know. Those. I just hate it when foreigners come here and buy our houses and try to force us to speak their language, you know? This is America and we have jobs and kids and soccer practice we speak American so we can't be all "oooh, lets go visit these places where people yodle and stuff". We have jobs, you know?"
It's just the perfect combination of nationalism, barely-disguised xenophobia, cluelessness and maternal anxiety that defines the "Moms For McCain!" movement. It's perfect.
posted by Avenger at 11:51 PM on September 25, 2008 [195 favorites]
Asked why she only obtained a passport last year, Palin said, "I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture."
See? Thats just Soccer-Mom Republicanism in a nutshell right there.
"I have a job. I can't spend all this time worrying about people in other countries. I put two dollars in the collection plate at church one time for those Africans who are eating dirt or whatever. See? I'm a good person. Anyway, I can name all the important countries: England, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Asia, Islam. You know. Those. I just hate it when foreigners come here and buy our houses and try to force us to speak their language, you know? This is America and we have jobs and kids and soccer practice we speak American so we can't be all "oooh, lets go visit these places where people yodle and stuff". We have jobs, you know?"
It's just the perfect combination of nationalism, barely-disguised xenophobia, cluelessness and maternal anxiety that defines the "Moms For McCain!" movement. It's perfect.
posted by Avenger at 11:51 PM on September 25, 2008 [195 favorites]
Fork -------> eye. Repeat as necessary.
Anyway, it's nice to see Katie Couric - of all people - finally putting the balls back in journalism.
Also, is that all she has to say on foreign policy? There wasn't any policy!!!! She makes George Bush sound articulate.
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:52 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
Anyway, it's nice to see Katie Couric - of all people - finally putting the balls back in journalism.
Also, is that all she has to say on foreign policy? There wasn't any policy!!!! She makes George Bush sound articulate.
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:52 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm gonna sing the doom song now!
Doom doom-doom doom doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom doom doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom
posted by loquacious at 11:53 PM on September 25, 2008 [75 favorites]
Doom doom-doom doom doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom doom doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom-doom-doom doom doom doom-doom doom doom doom-doom
posted by loquacious at 11:53 PM on September 25, 2008 [75 favorites]
This woman is dumb as a sack full of hammers; people all over the world absolutely have to see the US as a pack of idiots, completely and totally illogical, bordering upon insane, and, given the amount of positive excitement generated in certain circles by this bag of pus, I believe that people all over the world are correct.
posted by dancestoblue at 11:53 PM on September 25, 2008 [25 favorites]
posted by dancestoblue at 11:53 PM on September 25, 2008 [25 favorites]
It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation..
What in fuck's name is she talking about there?
posted by phaedon at 11:54 PM on September 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
What in fuck's name is she talking about there?
posted by phaedon at 11:54 PM on September 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
Be careful what you say, AzzaMcKazza. You're only about 8000 miles away from Alaska. She knows where you live.
Holy shit, though. Watching that, I felt the same empathetic embarrassment that I feel when someone in a sitcom is doing something obviously stupid. Except the fate of the world is at stake and not, say, a borrowed sweater.
posted by brundlefly at 11:54 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
Holy shit, though. Watching that, I felt the same empathetic embarrassment that I feel when someone in a sitcom is doing something obviously stupid. Except the fate of the world is at stake and not, say, a borrowed sweater.
posted by brundlefly at 11:54 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
I believe the term is 'vicarious embarrassment'.
Yes, and another relevant term is 'Peter Principle'.
posted by pracowity at 11:55 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
Yes, and another relevant term is 'Peter Principle'.
posted by pracowity at 11:55 PM on September 25, 2008 [9 favorites]
Also, I'd pay good money to see someone diagram her sentences.
posted by brundlefly at 11:56 PM on September 25, 2008 [28 favorites]
posted by brundlefly at 11:56 PM on September 25, 2008 [28 favorites]
Who Wants to be Sarah Palin’s Gay Friend?
posted by homunculus at 11:57 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 11:57 PM on September 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
In any of the Endless Palin Threads, has anyone linked to this article? It's an examination of the gender roles implied by Palin's nomination speech at the RNC.
It... It made so much clearer to me.
posted by Ms. Saint at 11:59 PM on September 25, 2008 [12 favorites]
It... It made so much clearer to me.
posted by Ms. Saint at 11:59 PM on September 25, 2008 [12 favorites]
> I believe the term is 'vicarious embarrassment'.
I thought the term was "douche chill".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:59 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
I thought the term was "douche chill".
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:59 PM on September 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
From the comments:
I can''t believe these comments. Lets see you up there answering one question without getting the whole country on your case for each and every comment you make. Very easy to citicise. What can you tell us about those questions beside criticizing the next US VP?
posted by flotson at 12:00 AM on September 26, 2008
I can''t believe these comments. Lets see you up there answering one question without getting the whole country on your case for each and every comment you make. Very easy to citicise. What can you tell us about those questions beside criticizing the next US VP?
posted by flotson at 12:00 AM on September 26, 2008
But, this will make the Righties cling to her even more because shes real....and its obviously the liberal media spinning it and being harsh on her.
This is essentially the angle. One fellow on a messageboard said that watching all those satanic liberals attacking the nice lady and supporting the democrat party strengthened his faith in God.
why do i read those things they make me suicidal
posted by fleetmouse at 12:00 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
This is essentially the angle. One fellow on a messageboard said that watching all those satanic liberals attacking the nice lady and supporting the democrat party strengthened his faith in God.
why do i read those things they make me suicidal
posted by fleetmouse at 12:00 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Painful as this is, she really isn't that much worse than the dude we just elected, twice.
Sadly.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Sadly.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Clearly, William Burroughs is writing her dialogue. (Note: this is an actual Palin quote.)
" . . . where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh -- it's got to be all about job creation too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So healthcare reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, um, scary thing, but 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that."
posted by digaman at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [32 favorites]
" . . . where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh -- it's got to be all about job creation too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So healthcare reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, um, scary thing, but 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that."
posted by digaman at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [32 favorites]
I haven't seen the whole interview, but I've seen a bunch of clips. My favorite* so far is this one. Truly ludicrous.
*: by which I mean the one which makes me fear for my country the most
posted by Flunkie at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
*: by which I mean the one which makes me fear for my country the most
posted by Flunkie at 12:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Gottabefunky, there are at least two major errors in your post. Can you find them?
posted by digaman at 12:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
posted by digaman at 12:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
I threw my back out watching this. No lie.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by From Bklyn at 12:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
> I thought the term was "douche chill".
It just isn't the same without audio (and video).
Seeing Palin made me think of that girl in the Miss [whatever] competition who couldn't give a coherent answer to why she thought 1/5th of Americans couldn't point out the US on a world map.
posted by bjrn at 12:11 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
It just isn't the same without audio (and video).
Seeing Palin made me think of that girl in the Miss [whatever] competition who couldn't give a coherent answer to why she thought 1/5th of Americans couldn't point out the US on a world map.
posted by bjrn at 12:11 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
OMG, Alaska's neighbours are foreign countries! How scary is that?
Seriously, she's painful even for a non-American to watch. Such incompetency... don't screw it up again this time, Americans,
posted by monocot at 12:11 AM on September 26, 2008
Seriously, she's painful even for a non-American to watch. Such incompetency... don't screw it up again this time, Americans,
posted by monocot at 12:11 AM on September 26, 2008
unwatchable. went to YouTube and found this.
posted by philip-random at 12:13 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by philip-random at 12:13 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm constantly attacking Alaska from Kamchatka. So, she's right to be worried, if she ever plays against me.
posted by tellurian at 12:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [81 favorites]
posted by tellurian at 12:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [81 favorites]
re: digaman, flunkie,
The thing is, most americans tune out when someone starts talking about details. She's saying words that have to do with the economy, and I'm not really paying attention, so I default to believing that she has an economic plan.
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:25 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
The thing is, most americans tune out when someone starts talking about details. She's saying words that have to do with the economy, and I'm not really paying attention, so I default to believing that she has an economic plan.
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:25 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
i begin to wonder if the republicans even WANT to win this election. i mean, they got their money, right? they got control of the oil. they've pretty much guaranteed that universal health care and social security reform (remember that?) are pretty much non-starters at this point. all the corporations are as big and vertically integrated and unregulated as possible. education is in the toilet. habeus corpus has been repealed. all the jobs are overseas. bible-thumping, homophobic christian fundamentalism is rampant. 1984 has come true (thanks AT&T!). they've established a homeland gestapo. they've killed an absolute shitload of brown people, both here and abroad. and they've pretty much guaranteed that the dems are gonna smell like shit for the next 4 years as all this sinks in. i just can't see anything more they could want.
and you guys are surprised that instead of choosing a VP candidate they opted instead to just pick up a bobble-head doll from the gas station around the corner. really?
posted by sexyrobot at 12:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [38 favorites]
and you guys are surprised that instead of choosing a VP candidate they opted instead to just pick up a bobble-head doll from the gas station around the corner. really?
posted by sexyrobot at 12:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [38 favorites]
@flotson
I'm usually very very good at not wading into quicksand when there are floating khakis and signs with quicksand scrawled on them in the last desperate moments to warn others of what has already made it to let for themselves, but, here we go.
WE'RE NOT RUNNING FOR VICE-FUCKING-PRESIDENT!
Also I'm sure you're very reasonable and you were just pointing other people's insanity but hey straw men burn so easy.
posted by OrangeDrink at 12:32 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm usually very very good at not wading into quicksand when there are floating khakis and signs with quicksand scrawled on them in the last desperate moments to warn others of what has already made it to let for themselves, but, here we go.
WE'RE NOT RUNNING FOR VICE-FUCKING-PRESIDENT!
Also I'm sure you're very reasonable and you were just pointing other people's insanity but hey straw men burn so easy.
posted by OrangeDrink at 12:32 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh, I figure that they're happy if they win and happy if they lose.
Lose, they watch as the economy tanks and then they take back the reins of power in 4 years, having firmly established that it's ALL THE DEMS FAULT.
Win, they loot the treasury, bankrupt the nation, wait for McCain to drop dead and then, with this idiot in power, start WWIII (Iran, Russia and China, all at one time).
God will be happy, the rich bastards will be huddled in fallout shelters in the South Pacific and the rest of us will glow in the dark.
From a Republican standpoint, that's a perfect world.
posted by jrochest at 12:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
Lose, they watch as the economy tanks and then they take back the reins of power in 4 years, having firmly established that it's ALL THE DEMS FAULT.
Win, they loot the treasury, bankrupt the nation, wait for McCain to drop dead and then, with this idiot in power, start WWIII (Iran, Russia and China, all at one time).
God will be happy, the rich bastards will be huddled in fallout shelters in the South Pacific and the rest of us will glow in the dark.
From a Republican standpoint, that's a perfect world.
posted by jrochest at 12:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
I appreciate Palin as an educator here. I imagine a hefty percentage of CBS viewers had NO IDEA that Russia was Right Next To the State of Which Palin is an Executive Of.
posted by telstar at 12:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by telstar at 12:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
Yep, silusGROK, something like that. The original clip is surreal as it is though, same with the clip with Palin about the bailout that Flunkie linked to. Don't they (republican campaign staff etc) make her prepare for these things?
posted by bjrn at 12:36 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by bjrn at 12:36 AM on September 26, 2008
From certain angles she looks like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, I would totally vote for her. Elaine was cool.
posted by mattoxic at 12:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by mattoxic at 12:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
my god - it's like tourette's syndrome with buzzwords
posted by pyramid termite at 12:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [51 favorites]
posted by pyramid termite at 12:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [51 favorites]
See? Thats just Soccer-Mom Republicanism in a nutshell right there.
Why should she give a shit about other cultures enough to go travel? She's bordered by not one, but two foreign countries. She has plenty of cultural experience to be our nextVP President.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:45 AM on September 26, 2008
Why should she give a shit about other cultures enough to go travel? She's bordered by not one, but two foreign countries. She has plenty of cultural experience to be our next
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:45 AM on September 26, 2008
Okay, so all I do now is quote funny blogs, but this is wonderful:
OMG You Are So Awful We Want To Die
Q: Sarah Palin, please explain in Economics 101 terms how a crisis on Wall Street can eventually affect all people.
A: snort can will health care eat potato cheap economy health poop cum umbrella face nose tax cut health penis eye stab number drink pepsi trade blah moose shit die cancer.
posted by lattiboy at 12:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
OMG You Are So Awful We Want To Die
Q: Sarah Palin, please explain in Economics 101 terms how a crisis on Wall Street can eventually affect all people.
A: snort can will health care eat potato cheap economy health poop cum umbrella face nose tax cut health penis eye stab number drink pepsi trade blah moose shit die cancer.
posted by lattiboy at 12:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
That was painful. Katie speaks to her like she's a little child and I can see why because her answers make as little sense as something a five-year-old would say. Why the hell doesn't she just say that Russia line was a misquote or taken out of context or something? It would be a blatant and obvious lie but that hasn't stopped them in the past and it seems like the media are letting them get away with lying repeatedly.
posted by sveskemus at 12:56 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by sveskemus at 12:56 AM on September 26, 2008
finally putting the balls back in journalism.
The following remarks were apparently made by John Swinton in 1880, then the preeminent New York journalist, probably one night in during that same year. Swinton was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying:
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
"There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
"The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
"We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
(Source: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, NY, 1955/1979.)
posted by rough ashlar at 1:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [179 favorites]
The following remarks were apparently made by John Swinton in 1880, then the preeminent New York journalist, probably one night in during that same year. Swinton was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying:
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
"There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
"The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
"We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
(Source: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, NY, 1955/1979.)
posted by rough ashlar at 1:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [179 favorites]
hehe
This comment from wonkette
moose lips sink ships
posted by mattoxic at 1:08 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
This comment from wonkette
moose lips sink ships
posted by mattoxic at 1:08 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
Her?
posted by YoBananaBoy at 1:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by YoBananaBoy at 1:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Ow! My Balls!
posted by telstar at 1:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by telstar at 1:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
In a little country called New Zealand, we're having an election in November too. Currently the right-leaning National Party is ahead in the polls, and I was really concerned about the fact that they might win and make some changes (reduce taxes, downsize government and social security).
Now I'm thinking we don't really have a lot to worry about.
Thanks USA. Perspective is a fantastic thing.
posted by pivotal at 1:20 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
Now I'm thinking we don't really have a lot to worry about.
Thanks USA. Perspective is a fantastic thing.
posted by pivotal at 1:20 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
That question about why Wall Street needs $700B was such a softball and one that I would expect the McCain campaign would have realised that it would be asked to both their candidates some time in the very near future. Seriously I'm sure she answered harder questions during the 'judges questions' rounds at the Miss Alaska pageant.
posted by PenDevil at 1:24 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by PenDevil at 1:24 AM on September 26, 2008
speaking of pageants...doesn't she remind you of someone?
posted by sexyrobot at 1:30 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by sexyrobot at 1:30 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
My two-year old has a better grasp of the use of articles in English.
posted by rudster at 1:35 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by rudster at 1:35 AM on September 26, 2008
It's like a very bad disney movie (trailer)
posted by DreamerFi at 1:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [19 favorites]
posted by DreamerFi at 1:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [19 favorites]
DreamerFi: Right at the end... pause and read the credits.
posted by PenDevil at 1:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by PenDevil at 1:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I don't think she's as stupid as these answers make her sound. I think she's terrified. She's been in coaching sessions 24 hours a day since this whole thing began, being fed talking point after talking point and cautioned endlessly against answering any question off the cuff -- each time she's asked a question you can see her whole body freeze as she frantically riffles through the lines she's been fed to see if she can find one that plausibly matches the question.
It's like the kid who tried to cram the whole semester's worth of lessons by staying up all night before the exam studying the answer key. She remembers a whole bunch of the answers but doesn't quite know which questions they go with, and she's so panicky about making that one final unrecoverable on-camera gaffe that her answers start to turn into a talking point markov chain.
I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
posted by ook at 1:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [44 favorites]
It's like the kid who tried to cram the whole semester's worth of lessons by staying up all night before the exam studying the answer key. She remembers a whole bunch of the answers but doesn't quite know which questions they go with, and she's so panicky about making that one final unrecoverable on-camera gaffe that her answers start to turn into a talking point markov chain.
I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
posted by ook at 1:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [44 favorites]
It's official.
I suspected it before, but hoped it was not true.
Sarah Palin is dumb as a bag of hair.
This is something I heretofore suspected, but did not really even want to believe. Especially when there are Republican women out there with, dare I say, dizzying, even terrifying intellect, gravitas, and experience, who were passed over, or nor even considered. I may disagree with them, but I respect them and am impressed by them.
Nope. Not this one.
She's a fucking idiot.
posted by louche mustachio at 2:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
I suspected it before, but hoped it was not true.
Sarah Palin is dumb as a bag of hair.
This is something I heretofore suspected, but did not really even want to believe. Especially when there are Republican women out there with, dare I say, dizzying, even terrifying intellect, gravitas, and experience, who were passed over, or nor even considered. I may disagree with them, but I respect them and am impressed by them.
Nope. Not this one.
She's a fucking idiot.
posted by louche mustachio at 2:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
I don't think she's as stupid as these answers make her sound. I think she's terrified.
I think she's both.
posted by davejay at 2:08 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
I think she's both.
posted by davejay at 2:08 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Ladies and gentlemen...
The future of America!
(This is why I've been out of the country for six months and intend to stay that way until such time as voting means something, ie. the rest of my natural life. Thank you, internet, for providing me with contract work so that I can afford beer and women!)
posted by electronslave at 2:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
The future of America!
(This is why I've been out of the country for six months and intend to stay that way until such time as voting means something, ie. the rest of my natural life. Thank you, internet, for providing me with contract work so that I can afford beer and women!)
posted by electronslave at 2:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I haven't seen an interview this excruciatingly awkward since Mike Wallace went after Minkman Novelties back in '84.
posted by hans bungle at 2:20 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by hans bungle at 2:20 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
That was almost...Stockdale-ian.
posted by Clay201 at 2:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Clay201 at 2:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Palin is interviewing for one of the most important jobs on earth. Her complete inability to speak coherently when she has to talk about something that doesn't have a scripted answer she's learned off pat should be a huge red flag to the electorate.
I had a job interview a month ago where I waffled hopelessly when asked about something beyond my knowledge and skillset. I probably made more sense than Palin did in her interviews but unsurprisingly I didn't get the job.
posted by essexjan at 2:44 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
I had a job interview a month ago where I waffled hopelessly when asked about something beyond my knowledge and skillset. I probably made more sense than Palin did in her interviews but unsurprisingly I didn't get the job.
posted by essexjan at 2:44 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Sarah Palin Disney Trailer
An Alaskan hockey mom becomes Vice President in the wackiest family comedy of the year!
posted by vhsiv at 2:52 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
An Alaskan hockey mom becomes Vice President in the wackiest family comedy of the year!
posted by vhsiv at 2:52 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Holy fucking asscrackers.
I won't say this is a good post. If it ends up in Deleted Threads as Palinfilter I don't think many will lament the loss. But as a politics junkie, I'll bite.
The cynic in me suspects that this will be rationalized by the Right as the bias of the liberal media boogeyman. I'm relieved it was Couric doing the interview, because at least they can't believably make the (laughingly hypocritical) "sexism" claims. I'm more concerned that they'll play the equivalency game, which seems to have been their tack so far...
When Palin was first announced, McCain was still the star of the Republican show. Her selection was a useful counterpoint; Democrats couldn't criticize her inexperience without leaving themselves vulnerable to the argument that Obama is inexperienced. "Experience is important, but one must examine the quality as well as the quantity of that experience, and it's still just one of many variables" is too nuanced by about twenty-eight syllables. It doesn't matter how true it is.
However, I think the Republicans underestimated the image power of a folksy pageant queen hockey mom. She's become the belle of the ball, and McCain (to egregiously mix metaphors) has become the second fiddle. And in the ultimate comeuppance, if she'd been more experienced as a politician that would have been a slam dunk for the M/P ticket. She could've taken on the media, been a smart and sassy and strong woman and made it a feature of the campaign that she was only a 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency. Many people would've seen that as the climax to a Disney movie, in a good way.
But she's not qualified. She lacks foreign policy experience, and is demonstrating more and more with each interview that she wouldn't know what to do with it if she did have it. The Republican party ended up with most of their house of cards built on a weak foundation, and now that foundation is cracking. If she can't swiftly and smartly recover from this embarrassment, they'll have to go back to Obama vs. McCain... a battle they'd rather not fight, because McCain is weaker on both the issues and the personality.
I think this is probably what's going to happen. The luster has faded and (with vanishing weeks before the election) we'll finally be focusing on the two actual presidential candidates. But even as a laughingstock, she can be cannon fodder. Biden's reckless improvisation has given them an opening: I predict that her Couric interview will be compared with Biden's "Roosevelt on TV" comments. Never mind that the latter was rhetorical flair, inexcusably wrongheaded but in support of a reasonable argument. Never mind that the former was... let's face it, fucking gibberish.
McCain loses for sure to Obama/Biden. If they can undercut Biden with the VP equivalency game (no matter how invalid), then McCain loses just probably to Obama alone. Then they can hope to play to base emotions (abortion babies in dumpsters! married gays recruiting your children! muslim terrorists teaching sex ed to kindergarteners!) to cheat their way to another four years. Biden's job, now, is to steel himself... disciplined, intelligent, but aggressive discourse is the only thing that will keep him above the fray, and if he loses himself in the moment again he'll be the bearded lady to Palin's dog-faced boy; sideshows for our amusement, and nothing more.
Frankly though? I think sexyrobot nails it. They win if they win, they win if they lose. They've had eight years to stack the deck for the next four, and they intend to reap what they have sown and leave us with the manure-soiled chaff.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
I won't say this is a good post. If it ends up in Deleted Threads as Palinfilter I don't think many will lament the loss. But as a politics junkie, I'll bite.
The cynic in me suspects that this will be rationalized by the Right as the bias of the liberal media boogeyman. I'm relieved it was Couric doing the interview, because at least they can't believably make the (laughingly hypocritical) "sexism" claims. I'm more concerned that they'll play the equivalency game, which seems to have been their tack so far...
When Palin was first announced, McCain was still the star of the Republican show. Her selection was a useful counterpoint; Democrats couldn't criticize her inexperience without leaving themselves vulnerable to the argument that Obama is inexperienced. "Experience is important, but one must examine the quality as well as the quantity of that experience, and it's still just one of many variables" is too nuanced by about twenty-eight syllables. It doesn't matter how true it is.
However, I think the Republicans underestimated the image power of a folksy pageant queen hockey mom. She's become the belle of the ball, and McCain (to egregiously mix metaphors) has become the second fiddle. And in the ultimate comeuppance, if she'd been more experienced as a politician that would have been a slam dunk for the M/P ticket. She could've taken on the media, been a smart and sassy and strong woman and made it a feature of the campaign that she was only a 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency. Many people would've seen that as the climax to a Disney movie, in a good way.
But she's not qualified. She lacks foreign policy experience, and is demonstrating more and more with each interview that she wouldn't know what to do with it if she did have it. The Republican party ended up with most of their house of cards built on a weak foundation, and now that foundation is cracking. If she can't swiftly and smartly recover from this embarrassment, they'll have to go back to Obama vs. McCain... a battle they'd rather not fight, because McCain is weaker on both the issues and the personality.
I think this is probably what's going to happen. The luster has faded and (with vanishing weeks before the election) we'll finally be focusing on the two actual presidential candidates. But even as a laughingstock, she can be cannon fodder. Biden's reckless improvisation has given them an opening: I predict that her Couric interview will be compared with Biden's "Roosevelt on TV" comments. Never mind that the latter was rhetorical flair, inexcusably wrongheaded but in support of a reasonable argument. Never mind that the former was... let's face it, fucking gibberish.
McCain loses for sure to Obama/Biden. If they can undercut Biden with the VP equivalency game (no matter how invalid), then McCain loses just probably to Obama alone. Then they can hope to play to base emotions (abortion babies in dumpsters! married gays recruiting your children! muslim terrorists teaching sex ed to kindergarteners!) to cheat their way to another four years. Biden's job, now, is to steel himself... disciplined, intelligent, but aggressive discourse is the only thing that will keep him above the fray, and if he loses himself in the moment again he'll be the bearded lady to Palin's dog-faced boy; sideshows for our amusement, and nothing more.
Frankly though? I think sexyrobot nails it. They win if they win, they win if they lose. They've had eight years to stack the deck for the next four, and they intend to reap what they have sown and leave us with the manure-soiled chaff.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
I was thoroughly disappointed with this FPP: Michael Palin does not, in fact, appear in the linked video.
posted by ghost of a past number at 3:00 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ghost of a past number at 3:00 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I don't think she's as stupid as these answers make her sound.
I agree with this. She's not dumb, she's simply out of her depth but trying not to sound like it.
The Miss Teen South Carolina answer train wreck is a pretty apt comparison, and I'm reminded of this comment from that thread:
"she's been prepped to pretend to have knowledge about and an opinion on any question they ask - I rather think what's being shown up here are the limitations of that certain kind of safe, on-message falseness that PR-trained celebs give out in interviews, rather than stupidity."
I suspect that if you get Palin or Upton on a topic they've given some in-depth study and thought to, they could be pretty articulate. Unfortunately, when it comes to Palin, it's not clear that any of those topics are related to national policy issues.
posted by weston at 3:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
I agree with this. She's not dumb, she's simply out of her depth but trying not to sound like it.
The Miss Teen South Carolina answer train wreck is a pretty apt comparison, and I'm reminded of this comment from that thread:
"she's been prepped to pretend to have knowledge about and an opinion on any question they ask - I rather think what's being shown up here are the limitations of that certain kind of safe, on-message falseness that PR-trained celebs give out in interviews, rather than stupidity."
I suspect that if you get Palin or Upton on a topic they've given some in-depth study and thought to, they could be pretty articulate. Unfortunately, when it comes to Palin, it's not clear that any of those topics are related to national policy issues.
posted by weston at 3:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
The power of prayer. I bet she could really run with that one.
posted by digaman at 3:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by digaman at 3:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I agree with this. She's not dumb, she's simply out of her depth but trying not to sound like it.There are grade-schoolers who can justify why Wall St needs $700 billion dollars ASAP. Why can't someone who should be reading at least one major business newspaper a day?
posted by PenDevil at 3:39 AM on September 26, 2008
Mercy -- you poor people have a spittin' chance of electing Barbie, don't you?
...And I thought it couldn't get any more tragicomic down there. Live and learn, live and learn...
posted by CheeseburgerBrown at 3:46 AM on September 26, 2008
...And I thought it couldn't get any more tragicomic down there. Live and learn, live and learn...
posted by CheeseburgerBrown at 3:46 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh, oh, what about "not blinking?" I bet that's a topic she could converse longly on. Also, if you've yet to see it, The Onion's latest Point/ Counterpoint is pretty splendid.
posted by bookwo3107 at 3:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by bookwo3107 at 3:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
I agree with this. She's not dumb, she's simply out of her depth but trying not to sound like it.
You know, I've spent 8 years listening to people say the same thing about George Bush -- he's not stupid, he's just X -- and you know what? Fuck that shit.
He's stupid. Lefty beardy kumba-fucking-ya inclusive everyone's-special shit has made people afraid to actually speak the goddamn harsh truth sometimes, for fear of offending somebody somewhere by using unambiguous language. But the truth is never offensive to thoughtful people.
He's an idiot.
All indications are that Ms Palin isn't all that bright, either.
So what else is new?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [38 favorites]
You know, I've spent 8 years listening to people say the same thing about George Bush -- he's not stupid, he's just X -- and you know what? Fuck that shit.
He's stupid. Lefty beardy kumba-fucking-ya inclusive everyone's-special shit has made people afraid to actually speak the goddamn harsh truth sometimes, for fear of offending somebody somewhere by using unambiguous language. But the truth is never offensive to thoughtful people.
He's an idiot.
All indications are that Ms Palin isn't all that bright, either.
So what else is new?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:48 AM on September 26, 2008 [38 favorites]
I agree with Sexy Robot. Remember conservatives HATE government and want it "drowned in the bathtub."
posted by Bitter soylent at 3:59 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Bitter soylent at 3:59 AM on September 26, 2008
Ah, that is campaign-suspending horrific. But never, ever underestimate the stupidity of the American public. They fucking love this sack of wet mice.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 4:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 4:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Remember conservatives HATE government and want it "drowned in the bathtub."
Which is why someone who could conceivably, left to her own devices, drown in a bathtub is so popular. I get it.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Which is why someone who could conceivably, left to her own devices, drown in a bathtub is so popular. I get it.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Palin said, "I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life.
you know -- and I say this as someone who's really not a fan of Bill Clinton's -- young Bill Clinton, not a President's son, not a US Senator's grandson, didn't have two nickels to rub together either, it's not like Palin is the first working class person to ever run for national office. but even if he came from a socioeconomic situation down in working class Arkansas that can be diplomatically described as being barely above the trailer park, he got himself a Rhodes scholarship, went to Oxford, and after class, besides trying not to inhale the Satanic smoke of marijuana, hung out with really, really smart kids like Strobe Talbott -- who after class was translating Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs into English -- and Robert Reich. now, not everybody can be a policy dork, but still, credit is due to people who take the time to figure shit out. in America, nowadays, this seems instead to be a liability -- ignorance makes you more "authentic".
also, the cool part of getting oneself one scholarship to a cool university is that, once you're done with school, even if you don't necessarily make a lot of money you can find yourself a decent job, so that you don't have to get two menial jobs to make ends meet. and you're left with time to read the fucking newspapers, and read up on things. and figure shit out.
traveling is not necessarily a waste of time indulged by privileged kids. it opens your mind to shit that's going on elsewhere. it's education in its purer form.
I'm not as much in tank for Obama the way most of my MeFi brethren is, but he did say one immortal truth earlier this year, that will remain, regardless of the outcome of this election: "It's like these guys take pride on being ignorant"
posted by matteo at 4:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [71 favorites]
you know -- and I say this as someone who's really not a fan of Bill Clinton's -- young Bill Clinton, not a President's son, not a US Senator's grandson, didn't have two nickels to rub together either, it's not like Palin is the first working class person to ever run for national office. but even if he came from a socioeconomic situation down in working class Arkansas that can be diplomatically described as being barely above the trailer park, he got himself a Rhodes scholarship, went to Oxford, and after class, besides trying not to inhale the Satanic smoke of marijuana, hung out with really, really smart kids like Strobe Talbott -- who after class was translating Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs into English -- and Robert Reich. now, not everybody can be a policy dork, but still, credit is due to people who take the time to figure shit out. in America, nowadays, this seems instead to be a liability -- ignorance makes you more "authentic".
also, the cool part of getting oneself one scholarship to a cool university is that, once you're done with school, even if you don't necessarily make a lot of money you can find yourself a decent job, so that you don't have to get two menial jobs to make ends meet. and you're left with time to read the fucking newspapers, and read up on things. and figure shit out.
traveling is not necessarily a waste of time indulged by privileged kids. it opens your mind to shit that's going on elsewhere. it's education in its purer form.
I'm not as much in tank for Obama the way most of my MeFi brethren is, but he did say one immortal truth earlier this year, that will remain, regardless of the outcome of this election: "It's like these guys take pride on being ignorant"
posted by matteo at 4:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [71 favorites]
I knew this was going to be horribly cringeworthy, so I "watched" with my eyes pre-averted. I still couldn't finish.
She. Is. An. Idiot. And it is proof of how low this country has fallen that the ticket she is on hasn't been laughed down to a 3% approval rate.
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
She. Is. An. Idiot. And it is proof of how low this country has fallen that the ticket she is on hasn't been laughed down to a 3% approval rate.
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Lipstick with a fuckin' pig on.
posted by gman at 4:27 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by gman at 4:27 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
There are grade-schoolers who can justify why Wall St needs $700 billion dollars ASAP.
Unbacked claim posted by PenDevil
To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate:
As economists, we want to express to Congress our great concern for the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson to deal with the financial crisis. We are well aware of the difficulty of the current financial situation and we agree with the need for bold action to ensure that the financial system continues to function. We see three fatal pitfalls in the currently proposed plan:
list: new file: 192 lines, 7575 characters.
192 people at top of the educational pile say justification is lacking. So by all means, do provide these bottom of the educational pile grade-schoolers.
posted by rough ashlar at 4:28 AM on September 26, 2008
Unbacked claim posted by PenDevil
To the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate:
As economists, we want to express to Congress our great concern for the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson to deal with the financial crisis. We are well aware of the difficulty of the current financial situation and we agree with the need for bold action to ensure that the financial system continues to function. We see three fatal pitfalls in the currently proposed plan:
list: new file: 192 lines, 7575 characters.
192 people at top of the educational pile say justification is lacking. So by all means, do provide these bottom of the educational pile grade-schoolers.
posted by rough ashlar at 4:28 AM on September 26, 2008
rough ashlar: Don't get me wrong I think the bailout (without significant equity transfer to the US taxpayer) is stupid, but there is a coherent line of reasoning about why it's needed absolutely right now in it's current form(financial markets seizing up, global meltdown etc etc), even though that reasoning may be incorrect. I just wonder why Palin can't put together a grammatically correct sentence in English to express it.
posted by PenDevil at 4:37 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by PenDevil at 4:37 AM on September 26, 2008
SARAH PALIN GRADUATES! SARAH PALIN GRADUATES!
posted by gman at 4:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by gman at 4:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I think the bailout (without significant equity transfer to the US taxpayer) is stupid,
If that is the case, that is not the way your statement sounded.
I just wonder why Palin can't put together a grammatically correct sentence in English to express it.
To be charitable - stress and a lack of sleep. To echo many others here - the failure of the educational system.
posted by rough ashlar at 4:44 AM on September 26, 2008
If that is the case, that is not the way your statement sounded.
I just wonder why Palin can't put together a grammatically correct sentence in English to express it.
To be charitable - stress and a lack of sleep. To echo many others here - the failure of the educational system.
posted by rough ashlar at 4:44 AM on September 26, 2008
::palinface::
posted by kittyprecious at 4:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by kittyprecious at 4:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Typical. There were a lot of people who said the Secretary of Education didn't have the chops to take on the presidency and lead a ragtag group of starships on a search for the legendary planet called earth.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
Holy hell. I thought she was vacant but I didn't think she was dumb as a post.
And Avenger has her number -- perfectly.
This plays to deeper societal weaknesses, though. We don't think twice about calling someone ugly or mean, but people are awfully uncomfortable considering anyone -- well, anyone nice (and I'm not saying she is) stupid. And now this gives the anti-intellectuals further fuel for their fire.
But really, what won't the Republican base defend? In my note-quite-reality fantasyland, Paul Reubans takes a hard right turn and gets political, and family values Republicans bend over backwards to defend public masturbation.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:03 AM on September 26, 2008
And Avenger has her number -- perfectly.
This plays to deeper societal weaknesses, though. We don't think twice about calling someone ugly or mean, but people are awfully uncomfortable considering anyone -- well, anyone nice (and I'm not saying she is) stupid. And now this gives the anti-intellectuals further fuel for their fire.
But really, what won't the Republican base defend? In my note-quite-reality fantasyland, Paul Reubans takes a hard right turn and gets political, and family values Republicans bend over backwards to defend public masturbation.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:03 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh my God. I had trouble sleeping last night. Something to do with the baggie of coke I snorted before bedtime. But, every time I would fall asleep, I would be jolted awake by adrenaline rushes, my heart feeling like it was going to explode in my chest, my mind racing. I tried to get it under control by downing three shots of Jack Daniels and smoking some thai stick, but it just seemed to make things worse. Chills. Chattering teeth. A twitching eye. Stomach cramps. And my brain was just in hyperdrive, thoughts rushing at me so fast I couldn't parse them, but it seemed like some crazy shit about Chinese dragons attacking 12th century British monasteries and mass suicide by drowning in the ocean. All I saw were faces, horrible faces, swollen and decaying, floating under the lapping waves of a dragon-breath scorched sea. Fuck it. I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I got up and watched the Palin interview.
And it made total sense.
posted by Astro Zombie at 5:07 AM on September 26, 2008 [14 favorites]
And it made total sense.
posted by Astro Zombie at 5:07 AM on September 26, 2008 [14 favorites]
Honestly, part of me kinda hopes that McCain/Palin win. The country is so screwed right now that there's not much either party could do. And if the Democrats get in then they'll just get more of the blame. If the Republicans win they could seriously screw themselves for a long time.
posted by brevator at 5:11 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by brevator at 5:11 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also: it says more to me that someone in viewing range of another country doesn't have the curiosity to, you know, go there.
After a year on the west coast, I couldn't stop myself from going to Asia. The proximity to the ocean and wondering what it's like on the other side, people coming and going on that route -- not to mention language and food and music. Nothing was going to stop me.
Or, you know, you could be satisfied that things are probably pretty much the same everywhere or at least vastly inferior, and why eat a burger there when you can eat a burger here?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
After a year on the west coast, I couldn't stop myself from going to Asia. The proximity to the ocean and wondering what it's like on the other side, people coming and going on that route -- not to mention language and food and music. Nothing was going to stop me.
Or, you know, you could be satisfied that things are probably pretty much the same everywhere or at least vastly inferior, and why eat a burger there when you can eat a burger here?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I got up and watched the Palin interview. And it made total sense.
posted by Astro Zombie
So I gotta be dead and have a rotting brain for things to make sense?
Pass.
posted by rough ashlar at 5:16 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie
So I gotta be dead and have a rotting brain for things to make sense?
Pass.
posted by rough ashlar at 5:16 AM on September 26, 2008
This woman must be related to Dan Qualye. If not biologically, then mentally.
posted by punkfloyd at 5:20 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by punkfloyd at 5:20 AM on September 26, 2008
Ricky Gervais needs to play her in the movie.
posted by EarBucket at 5:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [16 favorites]
posted by EarBucket at 5:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [16 favorites]
Is our Governors learning?
posted by blue_beetle at 5:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by blue_beetle at 5:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Give Sarah Palin a break. I'm sick of this thread and the repeat videos and the "isn't she dumb" remarks. Sarah Palin is an Alaskan and her schtick and values are Alaskan. She was never meant for prime time TV.
This is all the so-called mavericks fault. He'd only met her once, picked her three day before the convention, and didn't vet her. This is what we get. A guy who thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants with no consequences. I'm scared as hell. Not about Palin, she's a somewhat innocent. dupe. You think Palin will be bad as V.P., think about McCain in the oval office. If by some freak of nature he gets in, we are fucking doomed.
posted by Xurando at 5:27 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
This is all the so-called mavericks fault. He'd only met her once, picked her three day before the convention, and didn't vet her. This is what we get. A guy who thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants with no consequences. I'm scared as hell. Not about Palin, she's a somewhat innocent. dupe. You think Palin will be bad as V.P., think about McCain in the oval office. If by some freak of nature he gets in, we are fucking doomed.
posted by Xurando at 5:27 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
From the Times link above....
Ms. Palin is in New York to enhance her foreign policy credentials. With the United Nations General Assembly in town, she is scheduled for two days of meetings with world leaders, foreign policy experts and even Bono, the U2 front man and international activist.
Okay, I am not a Bono fan, and there's a weird parallel with the whole "give me attention and take me seriously on political issues" thing... but at the same time I can't think of any better personality to shred Mrs. Palin.
In my imagination, he swears a lot while doing it, and it defines her image for the next two months better than anything SNL could ever dream up.
posted by rokusan at 5:27 AM on September 26, 2008
Ms. Palin is in New York to enhance her foreign policy credentials. With the United Nations General Assembly in town, she is scheduled for two days of meetings with world leaders, foreign policy experts and even Bono, the U2 front man and international activist.
Okay, I am not a Bono fan, and there's a weird parallel with the whole "give me attention and take me seriously on political issues" thing... but at the same time I can't think of any better personality to shred Mrs. Palin.
In my imagination, he swears a lot while doing it, and it defines her image for the next two months better than anything SNL could ever dream up.
posted by rokusan at 5:27 AM on September 26, 2008
Maybe she was speaking in tongues. That would explain why it sounded like gibberish.
posted by RussHy at 5:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by RussHy at 5:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I never thought I'd miss the more innocent days of VPILF.com, but I do.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:31 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Is it me, or right out of the box, does Palin's response come off as defensive? Mind you, I'm sure she's sensitive about it, but it feels so...I dunno, unprofessional. Like the kind of reaction that, if I witnessed it during a business meeting I was attending, it would cause me to question whether this person was in above her head.
'moonMan was watching over my shoulder and his comment (after laughing his face off) was that she looked really nervous, like she was asked to give a presentation on something she doesn't know anything about. He kind of felt bad for her. Then I reminded him that it's totally *unforgivable* that someone who is a candidate for VICE PRESIDENT can count "foreign policy" in the category of "things I know nothing about." I mean, hell, I couldn't really offer a much better statement on foreign policy than "I grew up in Vermont! You can see Canada from my house!" but I AM NOT A VP CANDIDATE.
He totally agreed with me and even went on to state that it "sucks" that she will very probably be the next VP. Then he went back to being foreign and not paying attention to American politics, which means that his blood pressure is currently much lower than my own.
No matter how stupid the Republicans are, I still honestly believe that none of this matters because there's a vast hideous conspiracy that will keep Obama from being elected. They might even be called "The Company."
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:40 AM on September 26, 2008
'moonMan was watching over my shoulder and his comment (after laughing his face off) was that she looked really nervous, like she was asked to give a presentation on something she doesn't know anything about. He kind of felt bad for her. Then I reminded him that it's totally *unforgivable* that someone who is a candidate for VICE PRESIDENT can count "foreign policy" in the category of "things I know nothing about." I mean, hell, I couldn't really offer a much better statement on foreign policy than "I grew up in Vermont! You can see Canada from my house!" but I AM NOT A VP CANDIDATE.
He totally agreed with me and even went on to state that it "sucks" that she will very probably be the next VP. Then he went back to being foreign and not paying attention to American politics, which means that his blood pressure is currently much lower than my own.
No matter how stupid the Republicans are, I still honestly believe that none of this matters because there's a vast hideous conspiracy that will keep Obama from being elected. They might even be called "The Company."
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:40 AM on September 26, 2008
Why did Palin want to become governor?
matteo compared her to Bill Clinton upthread but Clinton had two things that I don't think she has. Clinton is very intelligent and he's very driven. Palin may be smart or she might be an idiot. Right now my money is on her not being very smart. She doesn't seem very driven either. I have no doubt that she would sacrifice her first born child for a step up the political ladder but there's more to ambition than greed. Look at Bill Clinton. Look at Hillary Clinton. Look at Barack Obama. Hell look at George Bush. Every one may be ruthless, ambitious politicians willing to do anything to grab a little more power but I'd bet a good money, if the dollar were still good money, that every one of them wants to change the world. Other than pandering to her right wing base and acting out her small town fantasies of what political power is like I don't get any of that desire to remake the world from Sarah Palin.
So how did she decide to become governor? How did she get the money to run and how did she decide that it was possible? I admit that it's possible that I'm just underestimating how far empty ambition and religion will get you.
posted by rdr at 5:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
matteo compared her to Bill Clinton upthread but Clinton had two things that I don't think she has. Clinton is very intelligent and he's very driven. Palin may be smart or she might be an idiot. Right now my money is on her not being very smart. She doesn't seem very driven either. I have no doubt that she would sacrifice her first born child for a step up the political ladder but there's more to ambition than greed. Look at Bill Clinton. Look at Hillary Clinton. Look at Barack Obama. Hell look at George Bush. Every one may be ruthless, ambitious politicians willing to do anything to grab a little more power but I'd bet a good money, if the dollar were still good money, that every one of them wants to change the world. Other than pandering to her right wing base and acting out her small town fantasies of what political power is like I don't get any of that desire to remake the world from Sarah Palin.
So how did she decide to become governor? How did she get the money to run and how did she decide that it was possible? I admit that it's possible that I'm just underestimating how far empty ambition and religion will get you.
posted by rdr at 5:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I watched the video though I knew full well just how bad it would be and that I would learn nothing about Palin's cluelessness that I didn't know before. Does this make me a masochist? Do I need help?
posted by orange swan at 5:53 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by orange swan at 5:53 AM on September 26, 2008
Sarah Palin is doing exactly what the McCain campaign chose her to do: distracting the press from Obama. The more time the press spends on pointing out how outrageously dippy she is, the less attention everybody pays to Obama. Since Obama's main strengths are the power of his oratory and the sanity of his policy positions, the less airtime those things get, the better the Republicans' chances.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. It doesn't hurt the Republicans at all that Palin is a trainwreck. What matters is that she's a spectacular trainwreck. As long as she can keep the press's eyeballs on her, this campaign can continue to be run by showbiz rules (which the Republicans are complete masters of) instead of being any kind of actual policy debate (which Obama would win in a canter).
Palin now has more celebrity value than Obama does, and celebrity is political currency in the Home of the Naif and the Land of TV.
If you bear in mind that half the population has an IQ below 100, that public policy matters less than brand loyalty to stupid people, and that some of the smart people vote Republican, you won't be surprised to see the chickens elect Colonel Sanders for four more years.
Christ, I hope I'm wrong.
posted by flabdablet at 5:59 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
I've said it before and I'll say it again. It doesn't hurt the Republicans at all that Palin is a trainwreck. What matters is that she's a spectacular trainwreck. As long as she can keep the press's eyeballs on her, this campaign can continue to be run by showbiz rules (which the Republicans are complete masters of) instead of being any kind of actual policy debate (which Obama would win in a canter).
Palin now has more celebrity value than Obama does, and celebrity is political currency in the Home of the Naif and the Land of TV.
If you bear in mind that half the population has an IQ below 100, that public policy matters less than brand loyalty to stupid people, and that some of the smart people vote Republican, you won't be surprised to see the chickens elect Colonel Sanders for four more years.
Christ, I hope I'm wrong.
posted by flabdablet at 5:59 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
Honestly, part of me kinda hopes that McCain/Palin win. The country is so screwed right now that there's not much either party could do. And if the Democrats get in then they'll just get more of the blame. If the Republicans win they could seriously screw themselves for a long time.
That's how I felt in 2004 about Bush and Iraq. And here we are.
posted by WPW at 6:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
That's how I felt in 2004 about Bush and Iraq. And here we are.
posted by WPW at 6:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
I can think of no better revenge on those who would vote for McCain/Palin than having them in office for the next four years.
posted by troybob at 6:08 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by troybob at 6:08 AM on September 26, 2008
Hard to believe she was even Governor. She doesn't seem qualified to be Student President. Her answer reminded me of this one.
posted by Manhasset at 6:12 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Manhasset at 6:12 AM on September 26, 2008
I can think of no better revenge on those who would vote for McCain/Palin than having them in office for the next four years.
That's a revenge we would pay dearly for.
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:14 AM on September 26, 2008
That's a revenge we would pay dearly for.
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:14 AM on September 26, 2008
I can think of no better revenge on those who would vote for McCain/Palin than having them in office for the next four years.
Goddamn face! I'll show you! *grabs knife, cuts off nose*
posted by Pollomacho at 6:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [20 favorites]
Goddamn face! I'll show you! *grabs knife, cuts off nose*
posted by Pollomacho at 6:16 AM on September 26, 2008 [20 favorites]
This is a deeply lazy way to make this post. I'm gonna be a friendly idiot and not kill it at this point, but it would not have been hard to build this into anything other than a knee-jerk one-linker to something that (however, yes, eye-gougingly striking it may be) has been discussed a good bit already in existing threads.
posted by cortex at 6:18 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by cortex at 6:18 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
I hear they're gonna cancel the VP debate, and just let her go on Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader.
posted by fungible at 6:24 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by fungible at 6:24 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Yeah, but how big is the O.G. Palin thread now, 6000? 7000? My browser explodes just trying to load it -- so yeah, a new Palin politics thread! Calloo, callay!
posted by cavalier at 6:26 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by cavalier at 6:26 AM on September 26, 2008
If you bear in mind that half the population has an IQ below 100
and half the population stays home on Election Day.
one fears it's not the same half.
posted by matteo at 6:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
and half the population stays home on Election Day.
one fears it's not the same half.
posted by matteo at 6:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I cannot believe I'm the only one to figure this out. She obviously thought it was Talk Like a Fargo Valley Girl Pirate Yoda Day. Otherwise, it just makes no sense.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:29 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:29 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
You have to realize that Katie Couric is this absolutely savage brilliant interviewer with chessmaster-like skills and leopard-like instincts. There is no way anyone could look good after a cross-examination by her or her male counterpart and intellectual soulmate, Larry King.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
OK, I have a bunch of good acquaintances who come from all walks of life. Engaging in discussion with them is enlightening. Palin has great appeal to some of those folks. No amount of logic or embarrassing interviews will change their opinion of her. And these are not the fundamentalist folks either – they’re just folks who work for a living in the Southeastern US. They simply like her. To quote one person who was explaining it to me: “I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” There is no real logic to this – it’s a gut reaction to her.
Say all you will about how awful a candidate she is – almost everyone who puts any thought into this election knows she's unqualified; but the Republican maneuverers have picked someone who will appeal to folks on many fronts. Be they guys who like the pretty gal, the single-issue fundamentalists, the conservatives, etc. It’s really a frightening thing to think that as a group of people we’re electing our leaders based on popularity and who could win the next made-for-fake-reality TV show.
What's becoming more apparent to me is that those leading the Obama campaign don't know how to fight her appeal. People continue to be enamored with her candidacy.
posted by mightshould at 6:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Say all you will about how awful a candidate she is – almost everyone who puts any thought into this election knows she's unqualified; but the Republican maneuverers have picked someone who will appeal to folks on many fronts. Be they guys who like the pretty gal, the single-issue fundamentalists, the conservatives, etc. It’s really a frightening thing to think that as a group of people we’re electing our leaders based on popularity and who could win the next made-for-fake-reality TV show.
What's becoming more apparent to me is that those leading the Obama campaign don't know how to fight her appeal. People continue to be enamored with her candidacy.
posted by mightshould at 6:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Sacks of hammers, Bags of Hair, and Posts have all been greviously insulted by you people. You should be ashamed.
posted by Floydd at 6:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Floydd at 6:38 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Those of you calling Palin an idiot or saying that she "fucked up" are, in my opinion, not seeing the whole picture. You're not seeing her because she doesn't fit the cognitive pattern you are applying to her. When you watch the interview, you see someone clearly not ready for it. Those with a different mindset (like LFG-ers), however, see something else: they see someone being bullied. Someone who needs compassion. And they feel compassionate for her. And they might vote for "her" because she fits their cognitive pattern - one offered by mainstream Hollywood cinema:
Our heroine is a hockey-mom who's taken by surprise when her party's presidential candidate asks her to become his vice-president. She never expected anything like this; she doesn't even know if she's the right person, but what she does know is that you should never hesitate, and you should never give up an opportunity like this. So she accepts.
Everything goes smoothly at first. She gives a spectacular speech at the convention, everyone's in awe and she thinks she has it all made. Of course, that's just the beginning. Then the problems start pouring. Predictably, the bad media come after her like a pack of wolves. She's bullied by sensation-hungry reporters. She flunks an interview, then another. But she and the old man still win after she manages to dig up some dirt about their opponent.
They win the elections and our heroine finds herself in the White House. Again, she starts to think that finally, her day has come. But they don't give her much to do, bar from cutting ribbons and opening new schools and hospitals. She becomes depressed, starts to drink - but then something unexpected happens: the old man croaks. Now our heroine suddenly finds that she has to lead the country herself. Everyone (especially the mainstream media) thinks she'll fail miserably, but she proves them wrong when, during a peace conference, Putin gets a massive boner from looking at her talk and she manages to win him over, thus securing peace for decades to come.
posted by daniel_charms at 6:39 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Our heroine is a hockey-mom who's taken by surprise when her party's presidential candidate asks her to become his vice-president. She never expected anything like this; she doesn't even know if she's the right person, but what she does know is that you should never hesitate, and you should never give up an opportunity like this. So she accepts.
Everything goes smoothly at first. She gives a spectacular speech at the convention, everyone's in awe and she thinks she has it all made. Of course, that's just the beginning. Then the problems start pouring. Predictably, the bad media come after her like a pack of wolves. She's bullied by sensation-hungry reporters. She flunks an interview, then another. But she and the old man still win after she manages to dig up some dirt about their opponent.
They win the elections and our heroine finds herself in the White House. Again, she starts to think that finally, her day has come. But they don't give her much to do, bar from cutting ribbons and opening new schools and hospitals. She becomes depressed, starts to drink - but then something unexpected happens: the old man croaks. Now our heroine suddenly finds that she has to lead the country herself. Everyone (especially the mainstream media) thinks she'll fail miserably, but she proves them wrong when, during a peace conference, Putin gets a massive boner from looking at her talk and she manages to win him over, thus securing peace for decades to come.
posted by daniel_charms at 6:39 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
What's becoming more apparent to me is that those leading the Obama campaign don't know how to fight her appeal.
No, I think the Obama campaign has it exactly right. Ignore her and continue to focus on McCain. Let Palin hang herself with her own rope. As you say, there are some people who will never vote against McCain/Palin, but Obama doesn't need every vote. Just enough of them.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
No, I think the Obama campaign has it exactly right. Ignore her and continue to focus on McCain. Let Palin hang herself with her own rope. As you say, there are some people who will never vote against McCain/Palin, but Obama doesn't need every vote. Just enough of them.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
People continue to be enamored with her candidacy.
*brrrrrrrr*
Aha, so that's what it is to feel your blood run cold...
posted by From Bklyn at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008
*brrrrrrrr*
Aha, so that's what it is to feel your blood run cold...
posted by From Bklyn at 6:42 AM on September 26, 2008
Yeah, but how big is the O.G. Palin thread now, 6000? 7000?
Wow, she can see Russia *and* she's a gangsta?
posted by lukemeister at 6:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Wow, she can see Russia *and* she's a gangsta?
posted by lukemeister at 6:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
This thread has been worth it even if just for the Head of Skate link. So. Awesome.
posted by ericbop at 6:49 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by ericbop at 6:49 AM on September 26, 2008
Like I said before, what she has said is unremarkable. It's a lot of crap. Democrats will pounce all over it, and Republicans will choose to forget/forgive it. There are plenty of comments here already, but really, banalities, I guess, will find their own audience. Palin is a lot of things to lots of people, but Eminem got it right. She is whatever you say she is. She's just a politician, no threat to anyone, really.
posted by attackthetaxi at 6:53 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by attackthetaxi at 6:53 AM on September 26, 2008
Run, Sarah! Run from the investigation into your abuse of power in Alaska. Hide your finances, Sarah. Run.
posted by cashman at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by cashman at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I, too, think that she's scared. It's the age-old story of an old-fashioned girl who has left her home to seek her fame and fortune in the Big City--only to find that the Dream Boss she thought she was working for turns out to be a senile old fart who spends his days rehashing old war stories and calls her a "cunt".
Right now she's just wishing (or, as Sarah herself would put it, "wishin'") for a pair of ruby slippers that she could click together and say, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home..."
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008
Right now she's just wishing (or, as Sarah herself would put it, "wishin'") for a pair of ruby slippers that she could click together and say, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home..."
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:55 AM on September 26, 2008
Palin is a lot of things to lots of people, but Eminem got it right. She is whatever you say she is. She's just a politician, no threat to anyone, really.
What?
posted by cashman at 6:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
What?
posted by cashman at 6:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
In 1995, a group of wolves met outside Wasilla, Alaska, to discuss the new candidate for mayor. Some were worried, but others told them to calm down.
She's just a politician, they said, no threat to anyone, really.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:59 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
She's just a politician, they said, no threat to anyone, really.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:59 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Typical. There were a lot of people who said the Secretary of Education didn't have the chops to take on the presidency and lead a ragtag group of starships on a search for the legendary planet called earth.
No! Stop ruining my favorite show! I've watched Laura Roslin on TV, I know a lot about Laura Roslin 's character development and backstory because I am a shameless fangirl, Laura Roslin is one of my favorite strong female characters, and you, ma'am, are no Laura Roslin.
You're more like one of those mindless groupies in Baltar's sex cult. Or a cylon. The scary metal kind, not one of the sexy sex ones.
posted by bibliowench at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
No! Stop ruining my favorite show! I've watched Laura Roslin on TV, I know a lot about Laura Roslin 's character development and backstory because I am a shameless fangirl, Laura Roslin is one of my favorite strong female characters, and you, ma'am, are no Laura Roslin.
You're more like one of those mindless groupies in Baltar's sex cult. Or a cylon. The scary metal kind, not one of the sexy sex ones.
posted by bibliowench at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
You know who else was just a politician?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ooooh, I know! Was it Henry Waxman??
posted by waraw at 7:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by waraw at 7:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
If you bear in mind that half the population has an IQ below 100...
I agreed with your comment until this. For the student: In a population of 51 people, 1 of whom has an IQ of 50 and 50 of whom have an IQ of 101, what's the average IQ?
posted by DU at 7:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [10 favorites]
I agreed with your comment until this. For the student: In a population of 51 people, 1 of whom has an IQ of 50 and 50 of whom have an IQ of 101, what's the average IQ?
posted by DU at 7:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [10 favorites]
Well, I hope there is some real justice that emerges from this hubristic act of Palin's. She is neither ready nor qualified to be Vice President, but accepted the nomination because she just thinks she can do it, because, dammit all, she's Sarah Fucking Palin, and she can do whatever the hell she wants.
Well, I hope she loses the election, along with McCain, and I suspect she will. I hope she's humiliated by Biden. I hope being thrust into the national spotlight exposes scandals that might have remained hidden had she simply stayed mayor, or governor, where you don't have the best trained and/or most ruthless reporters rummaging through your entire personal history.
I hope she's done in politics. Done. Forever. Not because I disagree with her politics. Because I think she's a bad person, and giving her any amount of power allows her to do things that hurt, rather than help, other people. She should not be charged with serving society. She's not right for the task.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:07 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Well, I hope she loses the election, along with McCain, and I suspect she will. I hope she's humiliated by Biden. I hope being thrust into the national spotlight exposes scandals that might have remained hidden had she simply stayed mayor, or governor, where you don't have the best trained and/or most ruthless reporters rummaging through your entire personal history.
I hope she's done in politics. Done. Forever. Not because I disagree with her politics. Because I think she's a bad person, and giving her any amount of power allows her to do things that hurt, rather than help, other people. She should not be charged with serving society. She's not right for the task.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:07 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Those with a different mindset (like LFG-ers), however, see something else: they see someone being bullied.
Fuck that, fuck her, and fuck them. Those people continually call liberals cowards and claim to be the macho action party. She doesn't get to be the moose-killing frontierswoman and the frightened schoolmarm. She called herself a pit bull with lipstick; she can't quiver like a chihuahua at the first sign of pressure. If she piddles under pressure from Katie Freakin' Couric, who can she stand up to?
posted by kirkaracha at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [50 favorites]
Remember that McCain commercial where he put Obama up there with Paris Hilton and that pseudo-celebrity crowd? At this point I'm picturing Palin climbing out of a limo to go clubbing with them...
posted by inigo2 at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by inigo2 at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008
Wow, exactly 100. Neat example.
posted by yhbc at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by yhbc at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
And these are not the fundamentalist folks either – they’re just folks who work for a living in the Southeastern US. They simply like her. To quote one person who was explaining it to me: “I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” There is no real logic to this – it’s a gut reaction to her.
That's fundamentalism in a nutshell. Not religious fundamentalism, but anti-intellectual, "common sense" fundamentalism. It's the old notion that if you just do what your momma taught you/what the good ol' boys do/whatever other folk notion you have of correct behavior you'll be juuuuust fine.
First of all, it's complete BS. And second of all, even if it weren't, there are people out there that deliberately manipulate these stereotypes to take advantage of it. For instance, Bush's Texas accent.
posted by DU at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
That's fundamentalism in a nutshell. Not religious fundamentalism, but anti-intellectual, "common sense" fundamentalism. It's the old notion that if you just do what your momma taught you/what the good ol' boys do/whatever other folk notion you have of correct behavior you'll be juuuuust fine.
First of all, it's complete BS. And second of all, even if it weren't, there are people out there that deliberately manipulate these stereotypes to take advantage of it. For instance, Bush's Texas accent.
posted by DU at 7:12 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
Like I said before, what she has said is unremarkable. It's a lot of crap.
Well, yeah. It is a lot of crap. And if she were running for student council, or the mayor of a town of a few thousand people, maybe then it would be unremarkable. But she is trying to become the Vice President of the United States of America. For the next four years.
posted by inigo2 at 7:14 AM on September 26, 2008
Well, yeah. It is a lot of crap. And if she were running for student council, or the mayor of a town of a few thousand people, maybe then it would be unremarkable. But she is trying to become the Vice President of the United States of America. For the next four years.
posted by inigo2 at 7:14 AM on September 26, 2008
For the student: In a population of 51 people, 1 of whom has an IQ of 50 and 50 of whom have an IQ of 101, what's the average IQ?
A fish? No wait, Russia! His worldview? Damn. I'll get back to ya.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 7:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
A fish? No wait, Russia! His worldview? Damn. I'll get back to ya.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 7:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
The GOP is being led by Dumb and Dumber.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:19 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by five fresh fish at 7:19 AM on September 26, 2008
Palin finally saw New York with her own eyes
How weird and sad that her first view of the city after arriving is stepping out of a car in Times Square onto a block that has been entirely cleared of people. How can you understand a place at all when you are forced to walk around with a block-wide barrier between you and everything that makes the city distinctive?
posted by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 7:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
How weird and sad that her first view of the city after arriving is stepping out of a car in Times Square onto a block that has been entirely cleared of people. How can you understand a place at all when you are forced to walk around with a block-wide barrier between you and everything that makes the city distinctive?
posted by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 7:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Mrs. Palin, what you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points and may god have mercy on your soul.
posted by unsupervised at 7:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
posted by unsupervised at 7:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
Goo point, DU: That's fundamentalism in a nutshell. Not religious fundamentalism, but anti-intellectual, "common sense" fundamentalism. It's the old notion that if you just do what your momma taught you/what the good ol' boys do/whatever other folk notion you have of correct behavior you'll be juuuuust fine.
My opinion is that Palin appeals to a bunch of different fundamentalist groups. That's no small quantity of hightly motivated voters. If Obama cannot win those voters (who have just as much a right to their vote as I do to mine) where does that leave us? With Palin as our VP. As stated above: brrrrrrr
posted by mightshould at 7:28 AM on September 26, 2008
My opinion is that Palin appeals to a bunch of different fundamentalist groups. That's no small quantity of hightly motivated voters. If Obama cannot win those voters (who have just as much a right to their vote as I do to mine) where does that leave us? With Palin as our VP. As stated above: brrrrrrr
posted by mightshould at 7:28 AM on September 26, 2008
(IQ is a bell curve, though, so yes, then half is less than the average. But that doesn't mean that half the people you meet or that can vote are less than 100. If you are sigificantly below 100, you are probably institutionalized. The average of the not-institutionalized population is probably more like 110 or even 120, with the voting average probably even higher than that.)
posted by DU at 7:29 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by DU at 7:29 AM on September 26, 2008
DU: bell curves are symmetrical.
posted by flabdablet at 7:31 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by flabdablet at 7:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Everything goes smoothly at first. She gives a spectacular speech at the convention, everyone's in awe and she thinks she has it all made. Of course, that's just the beginning. Then the problems start pouring. Predictably, the bad media come after her like a pack of wolves. She's bullied by sensation-hungry reporters. She flunks an interview, then another. But she and the old man still win after she manages to dig up some dirt about their opponent.
Sounds like the plot of some twisted Nacy Drew book written by John Grsham.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Sounds like the plot of some twisted Nacy Drew book written by John Grsham.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:31 AM on September 26, 2008
And the average IQ is 100 by definition.
posted by flabdablet at 7:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 7:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Yeah, we should all feel real good that this person could be the vice-President to a 72-year-old who's already had four cancers.
Five, if you count Palin.
posted by aftermarketradio at 7:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Five, if you count Palin.
posted by aftermarketradio at 7:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
This is why I've been out of the country for six months and intend to stay that way until such time as voting means something
The reason "voting doesn't mean anything" is because far too many people AREN'T VOTING.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:33 AM on September 26, 2008
The reason "voting doesn't mean anything" is because far too many people AREN'T VOTING.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:33 AM on September 26, 2008
The fact that Palin's responses to questions are becoming increasingly incoherent rather than rapidly more polished is interesting. Rote memorization should have all but eliminated the overlay of nonsense in her answers by now. Matt Yglesias offers a decent hypothesis, saying, "It’s possible that all this cramming is causing Palin to become less coherent — instead of just parrying questions she knows she doesn’t have good answers to, she’s trying to remember canned lines but it’s too much all at once to actually get right."
posted by EarBucket at 7:33 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by EarBucket at 7:33 AM on September 26, 2008
Those with a different mindset (like LFG-ers), however, see something else.
I want to point to an example of this:
(http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31369_Washington_Mutual_Closed_and_Sold/comments/#ctop )
Yes, 50 years of Obama's North Korean community organizing is behind this bank failure. Really.
If If the right wing reality distortion field can do this with the financial crisis, they can only be seeing Katie Couric as a human sized tarantula attacking Palin-as-Athena.
posted by fleetmouse at 7:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
I want to point to an example of this:
What Obama is counting on is the near total media monopoly by the Democrats will stop the public from learning that Frank and Raines and Obama are behind the problem and tied to Acorn. The public does not understand what Acorn and Answer are and the ties between them and Obama and Kos and Soros and Marxist operatives going back 50 years or more and as far away as North Korea. The very outrageousness of it is what they are counting on. They intend to brazen it out and drag themselves over the finish line any way they can.From the LGF thread on Washington Mutual.
(http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31369_Washington_Mutual_Closed_and_Sold/comments/#ctop )
Yes, 50 years of Obama's North Korean community organizing is behind this bank failure. Really.
If If the right wing reality distortion field can do this with the financial crisis, they can only be seeing Katie Couric as a human sized tarantula attacking Palin-as-Athena.
posted by fleetmouse at 7:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
Sounds like the plot of some twisted Nacy Drew book written by John Grsham.
Holy crap, I think I just realized what the McCain camp thought when they were vetting candidates. I'm sure they did it just like they pitch movies in Hollywood. In stead of the buddy cop/coming of age/fish out of water tale of Beverly Hills Cop meets My Left Foot they pitched PTA meets NRA meets Christian Coalition -or- Lifetime TV meets the Outdoors Channel meets the 700 Club.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:37 AM on September 26, 2008
Holy crap, I think I just realized what the McCain camp thought when they were vetting candidates. I'm sure they did it just like they pitch movies in Hollywood. In stead of the buddy cop/coming of age/fish out of water tale of Beverly Hills Cop meets My Left Foot they pitched PTA meets NRA meets Christian Coalition -or- Lifetime TV meets the Outdoors Channel meets the 700 Club.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:37 AM on September 26, 2008
Its weird watching her videos because I've never had such a visceral reaction to a politician like I do with her. By all accounts I should like her. She's kinda hot, she speaks clearly (Fargo clearly), and comes from somewhat humble beginnings. But when I load one of her videos and watch the interview unfold, I feel my face get flush with embarrassment. Even a sense of shame about what the republicans view as the savior of their base. More embarrassment at what could possibly be part of the face of America for the next four years.
With that said and in all fairness, I thought her response to the passport/world traveler question was entirely appropriate (minus the swipe at prep schoolers).
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:40 AM on September 26, 2008
With that said and in all fairness, I thought her response to the passport/world traveler question was entirely appropriate (minus the swipe at prep schoolers).
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:40 AM on September 26, 2008
I know this is the wrong place to point out things that should be obvious. Because I imagine that collectively mefites have a pretty good grasp on this. But while Alaska and Russia have close borders, where anyone lives in Alaska is really really far from where anyone lives in Russia. Like Really far. The entire east coast of the United States is closer to Moscow than Juneau is. The only difference is that instead of a comparatively navigable ocean and Europe between them there is an arctic wasteland. The entire Kamchatka Peninsula has around 400,000 people and Chukotka has another 50,000 so Alaska is located next to Russian Alaska. Not Russia. Russian Alaska.
posted by I Foody at 7:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by I Foody at 7:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
But when I load one of her videos and watch the interview unfold, I feel my face get flush with embarrassment.
That's how I've felt about Bush too for almost 8 years now. Except with Palin it's much, much worse.
posted by DU at 7:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
That's how I've felt about Bush too for almost 8 years now. Except with Palin it's much, much worse.
posted by DU at 7:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm going to float an out-there notion that's been kicking around in my head for a while now. I realize the dates don't line up exactly, but keep in mind that crowd/media effects can take some time to gain momentum.
I think the flight-from-quality in American voting lines up temporally with the advent of 'reality' shows on television. Does that sound too crazy?
At one time, TV was thought to be a great new media for educating and enculturing the viewers, and you had people like Leonard Bernstein and Dick Cavett talking about what they were thinking about (sure, you had Milton Berle as well, but who's going to argue that that man wasn't a genius?)
Then there was a huge "golden age" where sitcoms and police procedurals were all that were on TV during normal viewing hours. At least, if they weren't entirely uplifting, at the end of every half-hour, somebody learned something or got a hug (or a bad guy went to jail.) There was some pretense that the protagonists were conscientious, generally moral and likeable people.
Now we're floating in this interregnum where we demand to see the most maladapted, risable, undistinguished and awful individuals, mismatched together on some island or apartment for maximum drama, purely for our own peurile entertainment. We either are proud of, or laugh at, ourselves, that we are so jaded that we don't mind that in the end there is no moral, there is no lesson, there is no hug. And that we would probably do no better than they, in similar situations.
And now we're mostly voting the same way. Send us someone entertaining, send us someone who's going to stir the pot up a little. Send us someone who's not going to challenge us in any way, because deep down, they're just like us. Palin isn't some outlier - Palin is just one more point in a progression that's been going on for some time. Our politics mirrors the rest of our lives, and if instead of running for VP, she were competing on Fear Factor or America's Next Top Whatever, we would all probably be rooting for her.
/derail
posted by newdaddy at 7:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
I think the flight-from-quality in American voting lines up temporally with the advent of 'reality' shows on television. Does that sound too crazy?
At one time, TV was thought to be a great new media for educating and enculturing the viewers, and you had people like Leonard Bernstein and Dick Cavett talking about what they were thinking about (sure, you had Milton Berle as well, but who's going to argue that that man wasn't a genius?)
Then there was a huge "golden age" where sitcoms and police procedurals were all that were on TV during normal viewing hours. At least, if they weren't entirely uplifting, at the end of every half-hour, somebody learned something or got a hug (or a bad guy went to jail.) There was some pretense that the protagonists were conscientious, generally moral and likeable people.
Now we're floating in this interregnum where we demand to see the most maladapted, risable, undistinguished and awful individuals, mismatched together on some island or apartment for maximum drama, purely for our own peurile entertainment. We either are proud of, or laugh at, ourselves, that we are so jaded that we don't mind that in the end there is no moral, there is no lesson, there is no hug. And that we would probably do no better than they, in similar situations.
And now we're mostly voting the same way. Send us someone entertaining, send us someone who's going to stir the pot up a little. Send us someone who's not going to challenge us in any way, because deep down, they're just like us. Palin isn't some outlier - Palin is just one more point in a progression that's been going on for some time. Our politics mirrors the rest of our lives, and if instead of running for VP, she were competing on Fear Factor or America's Next Top Whatever, we would all probably be rooting for her.
/derail
posted by newdaddy at 7:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
Alaska is located next to Russian Alaska. Not Russia. Russian Alaska.
Where people live in Alaska is not that far from where people live in British Columbia though. Remeber, though they may pretend they aren't, those Canadians are foreigners too. I mean, anybody that considers a broom to be sporting equipment is pretty freaky and foreign in my book.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Where people live in Alaska is not that far from where people live in British Columbia though. Remeber, though they may pretend they aren't, those Canadians are foreigners too. I mean, anybody that considers a broom to be sporting equipment is pretty freaky and foreign in my book.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Newdaddy, as long as the GOP can keep the campaign switch thrown to vaudeville, I think your analysis is correct.
posted by flabdablet at 7:50 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by flabdablet at 7:50 AM on September 26, 2008
I saw the video... the whole video and her answer on foreign policy was I live next door to Russia and Canada?!?!? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? no no no seriously.... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? I don't know what scares me more; the fact that the GOP thought she was a good choice for VP, the fact that McLame is a stroke away from her potentially being in office, or the fact that people actually WANT to vote for these two retards!
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:51 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:51 AM on September 26, 2008
(Please don't hotlink LGF. They tend to freak the fuck out and pull Paris out of cryogenic storage. Thank you.)
posted by cortex at 7:52 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by cortex at 7:52 AM on September 26, 2008
Although, it must be noted that Ronald Reagan's election preceded the rise of reality TV.
posted by flabdablet at 7:52 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 7:52 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Juggling Palin threads is gettting difficult.
Anyway, my favorite part of the interviews is Katie Couric's expression. She keeps dropping on Palin what aficionados of late-80s white rap will recall as the "Gas Face."
posted by Bookhouse at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
Anyway, my favorite part of the interviews is Katie Couric's expression. She keeps dropping on Palin what aficionados of late-80s white rap will recall as the "Gas Face."
posted by Bookhouse at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
NYT editorial: Sarah Palin owes voters an explanation about charging rape victims for rape kits.
posted by ericb at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by ericb at 7:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
If you are sigificantly below 100, you are probably institutionalized.
They don't do that any more. you'd have to be pretty low functioning to be in a nursing home even and then it's still really up to your guardians.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008
They don't do that any more. you'd have to be pretty low functioning to be in a nursing home even and then it's still really up to your guardians.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh, and mentally retarded adults vote.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Pollomacho at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008
I mean, anybody that considers a broom to be sporting equipment is pretty freaky and foreign in my book.
How dare you attack Harry Potter!
posted by ryoshu at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
How dare you attack Harry Potter!
posted by ryoshu at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
How dare you attack Harry Potter!
Harry Potter ain't Amer'can neither.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:59 AM on September 26, 2008
Harry Potter ain't Amer'can neither.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:59 AM on September 26, 2008
Asked about how being near the Russian border gave her foreign policy experience -
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.
Let's forget for a minute that this is bullshit. Let's forget as well that this is barely even English. Let's forget that it doesn't attempt to answer the question. And let's forget that even a school kid who didn't study for an exam could bullshit their way through this question better.
The problem is that this is an easy question. And it's one everyone..... absolutely everyone..... knew she would be asked over and over. I suspect anyone reading this could come up with a better answer. Right? Even if it was bullshit. How about this -
"Katie, I'm running for Vice President, and I feel I have the qualifications for that job. Many governors have become president, despite lack of foreign policy experience, and we've done just fine. Does my proximity to Russia make me a foreign policy expert? Obviously not, but I never said it did.
I get briefings on Russia incursions into our airspace. I'm involved in trade negotiations. We have a strong tourist trade with Russia. And Russians immigrate to Alaska in large numbers. Does this makes me an expert on international foreign policy? No. But everyone understands that. And I'm not running for foreign policy expert, I'm running for vice president."
Easy. And in English. Still bullshit, but at least it doesn't sound like it was some made up crap from a small town beauty queen. Oh...... yeah......
posted by Ragma at 8:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [28 favorites]
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.
Let's forget for a minute that this is bullshit. Let's forget as well that this is barely even English. Let's forget that it doesn't attempt to answer the question. And let's forget that even a school kid who didn't study for an exam could bullshit their way through this question better.
The problem is that this is an easy question. And it's one everyone..... absolutely everyone..... knew she would be asked over and over. I suspect anyone reading this could come up with a better answer. Right? Even if it was bullshit. How about this -
"Katie, I'm running for Vice President, and I feel I have the qualifications for that job. Many governors have become president, despite lack of foreign policy experience, and we've done just fine. Does my proximity to Russia make me a foreign policy expert? Obviously not, but I never said it did.
I get briefings on Russia incursions into our airspace. I'm involved in trade negotiations. We have a strong tourist trade with Russia. And Russians immigrate to Alaska in large numbers. Does this makes me an expert on international foreign policy? No. But everyone understands that. And I'm not running for foreign policy expert, I'm running for vice president."
Easy. And in English. Still bullshit, but at least it doesn't sound like it was some made up crap from a small town beauty queen. Oh...... yeah......
posted by Ragma at 8:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [28 favorites]
I just went spent some time over at Little Green Footballs. Holy shit. Seriously, WTF? I was hoping to find some posts countering the quote linked by fleetmouse. Everybody took it in stride and even added to the conspiracy. It's eerie. I mean its like a parallel reality that these people live in. Is stumbling upon metafilter equally shocking for someone on the far right? I guess we're not an exclusively political site. (Except for the 4 years running up to every presidential election.)
Reading through that site gave me the same feeling I get when reading a Philip K Dick story and the main character realizes his reality is completely imaginary.
posted by Telf at 8:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Reading through that site gave me the same feeling I get when reading a Philip K Dick story and the main character realizes his reality is completely imaginary.
posted by Telf at 8:01 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
The average of the not-institutionalized population is probably more like 110 or even 120
That's a comforting belief, but it's not supported by the numbers.
About 40% of the populace has an IQ between 100 and 120. Another 40% is between 80 and 100. You can't shift the peak of the bell curve to anywhere near 120 by disregarding a couple percent of institutionalized dims.
The average IQ of MeFites might plausibly be 110, which is kind of my point. You, and the people you prefer to hang out with, are probably not a representative sample of the voting population, and there are probably many many more stupid voters than seems plausible to you.
Karl Rove understands this.
posted by flabdablet at 8:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
That's a comforting belief, but it's not supported by the numbers.
About 40% of the populace has an IQ between 100 and 120. Another 40% is between 80 and 100. You can't shift the peak of the bell curve to anywhere near 120 by disregarding a couple percent of institutionalized dims.
The average IQ of MeFites might plausibly be 110, which is kind of my point. You, and the people you prefer to hang out with, are probably not a representative sample of the voting population, and there are probably many many more stupid voters than seems plausible to you.
Karl Rove understands this.
posted by flabdablet at 8:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
When is someone in the press gonna hit her with the info from this video from Good News For the Insane?
posted by Manhasset at 8:05 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Manhasset at 8:05 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Palin Declares ‘Victory’ In Iraq
"So again, I believe that a surge in Afghanistan also will lead us to victory there, as it has proven to have done in Iraq."posted by ericb at 8:05 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
The one upside of all these Palin threads is that at least we're not talking about Ann Coulter all the time anymore.
(do those two hang out by the way? that would be a horrorshow. or at least a really bad sitcom.)
posted by jonmc at 8:08 AM on September 26, 2008
(do those two hang out by the way? that would be a horrorshow. or at least a really bad sitcom.)
posted by jonmc at 8:08 AM on September 26, 2008
Typical. There were a lot of people who said the Secretary of Education didn't have the chops to take on the presidency and lead a ragtag group of starships on a search for the legendary planet called earth.
Yeah, that worked out well, right? She's not a religious fundamentalist who's in over her head and at least partially relying on military control, is she? She didn't completely take away women's right to choose or anything, did she? She doesn't base some of her decisions on DREAMS, does she?
posted by graventy at 8:10 AM on September 26, 2008 [10 favorites]
Yeah, that worked out well, right? She's not a religious fundamentalist who's in over her head and at least partially relying on military control, is she? She didn't completely take away women's right to choose or anything, did she? She doesn't base some of her decisions on DREAMS, does she?
posted by graventy at 8:10 AM on September 26, 2008 [10 favorites]
I am a smart guy. I'm also not brilliant. I can't tell amoung brilliant people who is most brilliant. I can't do that. I could never distinguish someone with a 150 IQ from a 170 IQ. Not to say IQ is perfect but I'd be pretty much incapable of distinguishing. Can dumb and normal people tell? Like can a person with a 90 IQ tell the difference between a person with a 120 IQ and a 140 IQ. How does it even work? I am very rarely around actually stupid people. I don't know what they think about things.
posted by I Foody at 8:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by I Foody at 8:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Those of you calling Palin an idiot or saying that she "fucked up" are, in my opinion, not seeing the whole picture. You're not seeing her because she doesn't fit the cognitive pattern you are applying to her. When you watch the interview, you see someone clearly not ready for it. Those with a different mindset (like LFG-ers), however, see something else: they see someone being bullied.
Yeah, I'm not too concerned about people who think a series of softballs lobbed at Palin from Katie Cuddles Couric is "bullying". The woman is demonstrably stupid, and I don't buy into this whole "Oh, she was so unprepared, she needed coaching, she's a-scared" excuse either. McCain called her and asked if she wanted to be his VP candidate, and she jumped on it. She strutted out onto the stage at the RNC and delivered a speech written by a Bush speechwriter, dripping with arrogance and contempt. She didn't just sign up for this job; she seized it willingly and with childish glee.
But then lo and behold, she discovers that being a nationally public figure invites scrutiny. And I'm not talking about the Enquirer here - I mean just regular press asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness. No candidate that I can recall has dropped into armadillo mode immediately after making their Big Entrance, blocking any reasonable attempts to examine her record, pissing on the media for asking simple questions, actively avoiding the press, and then biting the feeding hands of the few softcore journos who put her in Barbara Walters-soft focus, hold her hand, and speak veeery slooowly and caaarefully.
Feel sorry for her? No, sorry, it doesn't work that way. Every move this person makes is an insult to the American people.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [45 favorites]
Yeah, I'm not too concerned about people who think a series of softballs lobbed at Palin from Katie Cuddles Couric is "bullying". The woman is demonstrably stupid, and I don't buy into this whole "Oh, she was so unprepared, she needed coaching, she's a-scared" excuse either. McCain called her and asked if she wanted to be his VP candidate, and she jumped on it. She strutted out onto the stage at the RNC and delivered a speech written by a Bush speechwriter, dripping with arrogance and contempt. She didn't just sign up for this job; she seized it willingly and with childish glee.
But then lo and behold, she discovers that being a nationally public figure invites scrutiny. And I'm not talking about the Enquirer here - I mean just regular press asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness. No candidate that I can recall has dropped into armadillo mode immediately after making their Big Entrance, blocking any reasonable attempts to examine her record, pissing on the media for asking simple questions, actively avoiding the press, and then biting the feeding hands of the few softcore journos who put her in Barbara Walters-soft focus, hold her hand, and speak veeery slooowly and caaarefully.
Feel sorry for her? No, sorry, it doesn't work that way. Every move this person makes is an insult to the American people.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:15 AM on September 26, 2008 [45 favorites]
Yeah, I'm not too concerned about people who think a series of softballs lobbed at Palin from Katie Cuddles Couric is "bullying". The woman is demonstrably stupid, and I don't buy into this whole "Oh, she was so unprepared, she needed coaching, she's a-scared"
Yeah. This isn't a bunch of kids teasing someone from the special needs class, this is serious business. If you want to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, you have to be prepared to 1)answer some hard questions and 2)take a lot of shit from people who don't like you. That's comes with the territory.
posted by jonmc at 8:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Yeah. This isn't a bunch of kids teasing someone from the special needs class, this is serious business. If you want to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, you have to be prepared to 1)answer some hard questions and 2)take a lot of shit from people who don't like you. That's comes with the territory.
posted by jonmc at 8:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
I'm above average intelligence. So are pretty much all the people I associate with. I want someone smarter than I am to be in the White House.
There are plenty of people in this country who have lower IQs than I. Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
posted by leftcoastbob at 8:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
There are plenty of people in this country who have lower IQs than I. Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
posted by leftcoastbob at 8:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
my favorite part of the interviews is Katie Couric's expression. She keeps dropping on Palin what aficionados of late-80s white rap will recall as the "Gas Face."
Ladies and gentlemen. Actually the gas face was more of a Huuuuuhhhhhabibbleahh! Kind of a lip wobbling head rattling number that would be apropos here but in fact isn't what Couric was performing. My fellow threadmates I suggest to you in the same 80's rap terminology, that Palin caught the Vapors from Katie Couric. Nothing could save her. Perhaps I am incorrect, and one could argue that the Mean Mug is in fact a more appropriate reading, but I think not.
No, if none of these items fit the bill properly, then I submit that Couric's actions are best described as a manifestation of the inner question Couric was surely pondering, again from the late 80's - Why you wanna go and give me that ... Funny Vibe? Here, Couric is thinking "I'm not going to even ask you questions without speaking so slowly a preteen would literally fall asleep. So why are you acting like I'm grilling you? If these suggestions do not suffice, perhaps the gentleman from upthread can offer better information.
I yield the rest of my time to the speaker from upthread.
posted by cashman at 8:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Ladies and gentlemen. Actually the gas face was more of a Huuuuuhhhhhabibbleahh! Kind of a lip wobbling head rattling number that would be apropos here but in fact isn't what Couric was performing. My fellow threadmates I suggest to you in the same 80's rap terminology, that Palin caught the Vapors from Katie Couric. Nothing could save her. Perhaps I am incorrect, and one could argue that the Mean Mug is in fact a more appropriate reading, but I think not.
No, if none of these items fit the bill properly, then I submit that Couric's actions are best described as a manifestation of the inner question Couric was surely pondering, again from the late 80's - Why you wanna go and give me that ... Funny Vibe? Here, Couric is thinking "I'm not going to even ask you questions without speaking so slowly a preteen would literally fall asleep. So why are you acting like I'm grilling you? If these suggestions do not suffice, perhaps the gentleman from upthread can offer better information.
I yield the rest of my time to the speaker from upthread.
posted by cashman at 8:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
One theory? They don't trust people they percieve as smarter than them. I've occasionaly got that feeling when dealing with really smart people, that they're either putting one over on me or snickering behind my back. Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls.
posted by jonmc at 8:24 AM on September 26, 2008
One theory? They don't trust people they percieve as smarter than them. I've occasionaly got that feeling when dealing with really smart people, that they're either putting one over on me or snickering behind my back. Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls.
posted by jonmc at 8:24 AM on September 26, 2008
...just a politician, no threat to anyone, really.
Seven years of Bush, and there are still people who believe that?
Woe.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Seven years of Bush, and there are still people who believe that?
Woe.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
How can you understand a place at all when you are forced to walk around with a block-wide barrier between you and everything that makes the city distinctive?
There's precedent: McCain in Baghdad.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
There's precedent: McCain in Baghdad.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Painful as this is, she really isn't that much worse than the dude we just elected, twice.Oh, she is, though. Dubya doesn't know much, and cares less; but he's at least capable of faking his way through an interview without sounding like a semi-literate high-school kid on powerful sensimilla.
Seriously: watching the first excerpt from the Couric interview, I didn't believe a candidate for Vice President of the United States could be that inarticulate. I really thought I must have had some sort of minor stroke and temporarily lost the ability to comprehend the spoken word.
posted by steambadger at 8:30 AM on September 26, 2008
There's precedent: McCain in Baghdad.
without that monster security apparatus McCain would have been beheaded in five minutes.
now, as rude as New Yorkers might be (I don't think they are, not particularly), I don't see Palin getting her head chopped off in New York
posted by matteo at 8:31 AM on September 26, 2008
without that monster security apparatus McCain would have been beheaded in five minutes.
now, as rude as New Yorkers might be (I don't think they are, not particularly), I don't see Palin getting her head chopped off in New York
posted by matteo at 8:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Actually the gas face was more of a Huuuuuhhhhhabibbleahh! Kind of a lip wobbling head rattling number that would be apropos here but in fact isn't what Couric was performing.
Point conceded. But I bet she did it the moment she got out of the room.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Point conceded. But I bet she did it the moment she got out of the room.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:31 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Palin: 'Only Flag in My Office' Is Israeli
I thought the GOP slogan-du-jour was "country first"? Maybe I misuderstood what country they were talking about.
posted by ornate insect at 8:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I thought the GOP slogan-du-jour was "country first"? Maybe I misuderstood what country they were talking about.
posted by ornate insect at 8:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
On being smart right about now- not to pull this video from the other thread in reference to the economic bailout, but it fits:
"After so many years of being guided by our anti-intellectualism and voting against anybody who acts like he thinks he's smart, suddenly our entire future hinges on having faith that these guys are smarter than we are.
That feeling you're feeling right now? Hoping and praying that your leaders are smarter than you? Please remember that feeling when you go in the voting booth."
posted by cashman at 8:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
"After so many years of being guided by our anti-intellectualism and voting against anybody who acts like he thinks he's smart, suddenly our entire future hinges on having faith that these guys are smarter than we are.
That feeling you're feeling right now? Hoping and praying that your leaders are smarter than you? Please remember that feeling when you go in the voting booth."
posted by cashman at 8:34 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls..
I think it's more of a primeval aversion to recognizing that, just like everything else, politics is something you can be "smart" at. Because then there's a good chance you're either going to be smart-for-the-other side or smart-but-compromises-occasionally and neither go over very well.
Which is kinda stupid.
posted by Cyrano at 8:35 AM on September 26, 2008
I think it's more of a primeval aversion to recognizing that, just like everything else, politics is something you can be "smart" at. Because then there's a good chance you're either going to be smart-for-the-other side or smart-but-compromises-occasionally and neither go over very well.
Which is kinda stupid.
posted by Cyrano at 8:35 AM on September 26, 2008
Bono? Bono is meeting with Palin? Why the fuck isn't he in Washington trying to solve the financial meltdown?
posted by Beardman at 8:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
posted by Beardman at 8:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
He moves in Mysterious Ways.
posted by jonmc at 8:37 AM on September 26, 2008 [31 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 8:37 AM on September 26, 2008 [31 favorites]
When I watched the video, I was reminded of Bob Tilton. Tilton is a televangelist from Dallas (if you've seen the farting preacher tape, that's him), and his mouth has a tendency to get ahead of his brain. When that happens, he starts speaking in tongues. It's quite entertaining—you can almost see a little switch getting tripped in his mind as he realizes "Oh shit, I don't know where I was going with this. Time to lay on the babble."
It was the same thing with Palin, except she was actually using actual English vocabulary words that have something to do with the economy. It was focused glossolalia.
My sister, who is apolitical (she only reads the sports pages in the paper) but liberal-leaning, says that she was favorably impressed by the speech that Palin gave at the RNC, but when she saw the Couric interview, she was aghast. (Actually she didn't say "aghast", because that's an ivy-league educated word and she's a small-town regular-people type of soccer-mom person. But that was the gist of it.)
I have a pet theory about right-wing voters in the USA: they're suffering from something like Stockholm Syndrome. After years of Republican politicians who purport to represent them, but undermine so many things these voters believe in, and even manipulate them into supporting things they would otherwise oppose, the right wing is somehow even more committed despite the cognitive dissonance they must be tamping down daily. Anything that challenges their fragile commitment needs to be smashed before it can even brush up against their brittle defenses.
The dead-ender right wingers will support the GOP ticket. We can take that for granted. But they only make up 30% of voters, give or take. Likewise the left wing. It's people like my sister that both parties need to court. Right now, the GOP ticket is fucking up, hard.
posted by adamrice at 8:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
It was the same thing with Palin, except she was actually using actual English vocabulary words that have something to do with the economy. It was focused glossolalia.
My sister, who is apolitical (she only reads the sports pages in the paper) but liberal-leaning, says that she was favorably impressed by the speech that Palin gave at the RNC, but when she saw the Couric interview, she was aghast. (Actually she didn't say "aghast", because that's an ivy-league educated word and she's a small-town regular-people type of soccer-mom person. But that was the gist of it.)
I have a pet theory about right-wing voters in the USA: they're suffering from something like Stockholm Syndrome. After years of Republican politicians who purport to represent them, but undermine so many things these voters believe in, and even manipulate them into supporting things they would otherwise oppose, the right wing is somehow even more committed despite the cognitive dissonance they must be tamping down daily. Anything that challenges their fragile commitment needs to be smashed before it can even brush up against their brittle defenses.
The dead-ender right wingers will support the GOP ticket. We can take that for granted. But they only make up 30% of voters, give or take. Likewise the left wing. It's people like my sister that both parties need to court. Right now, the GOP ticket is fucking up, hard.
posted by adamrice at 8:43 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Mrs. Palin - what do you think of Japanese foreign minister Takahisa Zeze and his Bukkake stimulus package?
posted by Smedleyman at 8:45 AM on September 26, 2008 [14 favorites]
posted by Smedleyman at 8:45 AM on September 26, 2008 [14 favorites]
I live next to a hospital. Who wants free heart surgery?
posted by milarepa at 8:45 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by milarepa at 8:45 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
She is fucking stupid (not that stupid is complaining, mind you).
posted by Mister_A at 8:48 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 8:48 AM on September 26, 2008
I shook hands with Walter Mondale. Who wants to give me Minnesota?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:50 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:50 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
My mom can't wait to vote for her. Wanna know why? Because they both attend Assemblies of God churches. End of story.
posted by mattbucher at 8:54 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by mattbucher at 8:54 AM on September 26, 2008
Palin reminds me of this very popular girl I knew in high school.
She was doing a report on the branches of government - pretty much just winging it because she was dumb as a bag of hammers. And she asked who was on the Supreme Court.
So we’re giving her high-falutin’ sounding names like Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Roger Bresnahan, Jonathan Bench, William Dickey.
She said “Weird how a guy named like, ‘Bench’ would be a judge, right?”
“Yeah” we said.
“and hit .267 ” someone said from across the library.
I think she got a ‘C’ on the report tho.
Typical.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
She was doing a report on the branches of government - pretty much just winging it because she was dumb as a bag of hammers. And she asked who was on the Supreme Court.
So we’re giving her high-falutin’ sounding names like Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Roger Bresnahan, Jonathan Bench, William Dickey.
She said “Weird how a guy named like, ‘Bench’ would be a judge, right?”
“Yeah” we said.
“and hit .267 ” someone said from across the library.
I think she got a ‘C’ on the report tho.
Typical.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
Okay, like, I'm new here and stuff (previously on Metachat exclusively) - but damn.
I agree with the commenter upthread about the physical discomfort that accompanies watching Palin dogpaddle through her VP-itude.
My chest gets tight, I feel like I've drank two pots of coffee, and everything feels like it's buzzing around me. All that's left is the sparklies in my eyesight right before face meets floor.
On the other hand, there's this upthread from Marisa Stole The Precious Thing:
"...asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness. "
God bless you, Metafilterites, I will be relying on you as I no health insurance to protect me from this election cycle.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I agree with the commenter upthread about the physical discomfort that accompanies watching Palin dogpaddle through her VP-itude.
My chest gets tight, I feel like I've drank two pots of coffee, and everything feels like it's buzzing around me. All that's left is the sparklies in my eyesight right before face meets floor.
On the other hand, there's this upthread from Marisa Stole The Precious Thing:
"...asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness. "
God bless you, Metafilterites, I will be relying on you as I no health insurance to protect me from this election cycle.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
You don't think being Catholic got JFK some votes (probably lost him some, too) back in the day? Politics isn't pretty.
posted by jonmc at 8:58 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by jonmc at 8:58 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm starting to think that McCain might dump Palin after all. It'd be a PR disaster for him, but he really seems to be flying purely on the mavericky, seat-of-the-pants, any-publicity-is-good-publicity theory of campaigning right now. And if even prominent conservative pundits are arguing that Palin needs to go to save the ticket, maybe he'll convince himself that it's the thing to do. It'd sure grab a couple of news cycles.
posted by EarBucket at 8:59 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by EarBucket at 8:59 AM on September 26, 2008
Mrs. Palin - what do you think of Japanese foreign minister Takahisa Zeze and his Bukkake stimulus package?
Back in high school I did Model UN. I remember a friend of mine doing a speech, and referring to the French diplomat "Monsieur K Y Jelly" (but pronouncing 'Jelly" like, you know, a French person would, with a soft J, 'Zhelly' or something). Nobody else caught it, but I laughed out loud.
posted by inigo2 at 9:03 AM on September 26, 2008
Back in high school I did Model UN. I remember a friend of mine doing a speech, and referring to the French diplomat "Monsieur K Y Jelly" (but pronouncing 'Jelly" like, you know, a French person would, with a soft J, 'Zhelly' or something). Nobody else caught it, but I laughed out loud.
posted by inigo2 at 9:03 AM on September 26, 2008
I don't think she's as stupid as these answers make her sound. I think she's terrified. She's been in coaching sessions 24 hours a day since this whole thing began, being fed talking point after talking point and cautioned endlessly against answering any question off the cuff
Yeah, I've heard her speak before and she was a lot more coherent. Her problem isn't that she's super-stupid, she's probably pretty smart. The problem is that she's to arrogant to understand her limitations. And everyone sounds a lot dumber when they lie.
posted by delmoi at 9:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I've heard her speak before and she was a lot more coherent. Her problem isn't that she's super-stupid, she's probably pretty smart. The problem is that she's to arrogant to understand her limitations. And everyone sounds a lot dumber when they lie.
posted by delmoi at 9:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
flabdablet and daniel_charms: yeah, I think the combination of your opinions is spot on. It's easy to assume that Palin is just a colossal blunder, but it is important to realize that Obama's campaign hasn't gotten any attention since her nomination.
That said, I have to believe she is worse than they expected.
posted by hellslinger at 9:05 AM on September 26, 2008
That said, I have to believe she is worse than they expected.
posted by hellslinger at 9:05 AM on September 26, 2008
By "the only flag at my office," she clearly means "the only tiny novelty flag at my office that is taped to the curtain across the room from the other, normal-sized flags."
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by designbot at 9:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by designbot at 9:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Pressed on why her state's proximity to Russia enhanced her foreign policy experience, Ms. Palin said: "Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of." She added that when Prime Minister Putin "rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska."
Do I need someone considerably smarter or considerably dumber than I to explain to me just what the fuck that means?
And other than countries like Australia and the Philippines, which don't actually have next-door neighbors, don't all countries have foreign countries right next to them???
And--I swear this will be my last question for awhile--just how often has Putin reared his head and come into the airspace of the United States of America? Or is that just some sort of double entendre that I'm too dumb to get?
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:09 AM on September 26, 2008
Do I need someone considerably smarter or considerably dumber than I to explain to me just what the fuck that means?
And other than countries like Australia and the Philippines, which don't actually have next-door neighbors, don't all countries have foreign countries right next to them???
And--I swear this will be my last question for awhile--just how often has Putin reared his head and come into the airspace of the United States of America? Or is that just some sort of double entendre that I'm too dumb to get?
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:09 AM on September 26, 2008
Bono? Bono is meeting with Palin?
McCain and Palin's meeting with Bono cancelled
McCain and Palin's meeting with Bono cancelled
"John McCain and Sarah Palin’s meeting with Bono was canceled Wednesday due to scheduling reasons, according to the campaign.Palin fails the Bono test after phonecall replaces meeting
Instead, McCain and Palin will chat with Bono by phone this afternoon about the ONE Campaign, the U2 front man’s initiative to raise awareness of AIDS and global poverty.
Unlike McCain and Palin’s other meetings with dignitaries in New York this week, most of which had been open to reporters and photographers, the Bono meeting was listed as closed to the press, at the rock star’s request."
"The woman the world has come to know as the hockey mom from Alaska yesterday failed to receive the coveted celebrity endorsement she was chasing.posted by ericb at 9:11 AM on September 26, 2008
Bono, it would seem, has not yet been convinced of her suitability for the job of second most powerful political leader in the world, following a brief phone conversation.
...Yesterday, Bono ducked and dodged questions about Ms Palin's suitability and was at pains to stress that he had a habit of meeting all presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Asked if he was impressed, he pointedly replied: 'I'm just getting to know her.'
Asked if she seemed knowledgeable on Third World issues; if she was clued in; if she was a suitable choice for vice president, he again replied: 'I don't know. I actually haven't a clue.'"
I would just like to re-iterate a point that often gets lost in the Palin-bashing threads: John McCain picked her. His hand was completely unforced (i.e. she wasn't the Other Big Name In A Close Primary). He looked around the country and, theoretically, thought to himself: "She's the one. She's the one that, if I die, should have her finger on the nuclear button. She's the one that should negotiate with foreign nations. She's the one that can run two wars at the same time while also attending to a failing economy."
Well fuck you right back, John McCain.
posted by DU at 9:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
Well fuck you right back, John McCain.
posted by DU at 9:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [12 favorites]
"I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture."
I've been ranting about this in my head since I saw it. I might as well rant here.
Dear Sarah Palin,
FUCK YOU and your condescending, sneering attitude towards anyone who's made different choices from yours. Fuck your assumption that Americans whose desire to see other parts of the world are all wealthy elitists. You made different choices: you started a family at a young age; I don't think you're a worse person than I am because of that. I chose to work my ass off and save my money so that I could travel. The fact that you feel the urge to look down on people who do so says a lot more about you than it does about them.
You can keep your sanctimonious, provincial attitude and shove it.
Sincerely,
rtha, who wouldn't vote for you if there was a gun to my head
posted by rtha at 9:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [35 favorites]
I've been ranting about this in my head since I saw it. I might as well rant here.
Dear Sarah Palin,
FUCK YOU and your condescending, sneering attitude towards anyone who's made different choices from yours. Fuck your assumption that Americans whose desire to see other parts of the world are all wealthy elitists. You made different choices: you started a family at a young age; I don't think you're a worse person than I am because of that. I chose to work my ass off and save my money so that I could travel. The fact that you feel the urge to look down on people who do so says a lot more about you than it does about them.
You can keep your sanctimonious, provincial attitude and shove it.
Sincerely,
rtha, who wouldn't vote for you if there was a gun to my head
posted by rtha at 9:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [35 favorites]
hellslinger, Obama's campaign hasn't gotten much attention, but McCain's attention has largely been of the OMGWTF?? sort, especially this week.
The media are not, by and large, running with the "Mr. McCain goes to Washington" theme. Our local NBC affiliate in Philadelphia described recent events surrounding the financial crisis very even-handedly, and stressing the "agreement in principle" that was reached on Thursday, the positive reaction on Wall Street, and the subsequent disintegration of the talks upon McCain's arrival. They also quickly summed up the 3 key points of the Dodd plan - Close oversight, caps on executive compensation, and treasury gaining equity in exchange for the bailout. They are not following the McCain storyline at all, and while not saying that he actively scuttled the deal, it is implied in the chronology they present.
Anyway, my point is that the maxim about any publicity being good publicity ain't always true. We will see how it all plays out, but I really think that a lot of undecided folks have decided some things this week.
posted by Mister_A at 9:16 AM on September 26, 2008
The media are not, by and large, running with the "Mr. McCain goes to Washington" theme. Our local NBC affiliate in Philadelphia described recent events surrounding the financial crisis very even-handedly, and stressing the "agreement in principle" that was reached on Thursday, the positive reaction on Wall Street, and the subsequent disintegration of the talks upon McCain's arrival. They also quickly summed up the 3 key points of the Dodd plan - Close oversight, caps on executive compensation, and treasury gaining equity in exchange for the bailout. They are not following the McCain storyline at all, and while not saying that he actively scuttled the deal, it is implied in the chronology they present.
Anyway, my point is that the maxim about any publicity being good publicity ain't always true. We will see how it all plays out, but I really think that a lot of undecided folks have decided some things this week.
posted by Mister_A at 9:16 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh man, Aston Kutcher really had me going for a whole month there. This was the best practical joke ever, and when the camera crews come out I'm going to pretend to be surprised with the rest of you... Oh, what, Punk'd ended in 1997? oh, shit
Seriously though, was this a live interview? Because if it's taped, she's sounding extra flustered/ignorant for not taking a moment to compose herself.
Ignorance ≠ Stupidity, but I could probably be convinced she's both if I could bring myself to watch enough interview material.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:17 AM on September 26, 2008
Seriously though, was this a live interview? Because if it's taped, she's sounding extra flustered/ignorant for not taking a moment to compose herself.
Ignorance ≠ Stupidity, but I could probably be convinced she's both if I could bring myself to watch enough interview material.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:17 AM on September 26, 2008
I'd love to see a reporter ask Palin about her opinion of the Lavon affair on live TV.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:18 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:18 AM on September 26, 2008
I advise everyone to check out the Palin post at Little Green Footballs. Read the comments. I feel like I have fresh insight into the workings of the American electorate.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31357_Video-_Couric_vs._Palin/comments/#ctop
posted by Geezum Crowe at 9:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31357_Video-_Couric_vs._Palin/comments/#ctop
posted by Geezum Crowe at 9:21 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Can't comment now baitin'
posted by stchang at 9:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by stchang at 9:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
It is important to realize that Obama's campaign hasn't gotten any attention since her nomination.
"Attention" for the Obama campaign seems to consist of asking if he's too much of an elitist black Muslim liberation theology celebrity socialist atheist Chicago-machine ruthless naive far-left idealist centrist to be PREZIDENT OF ARE COUNTREEE.
The election being a referendum on Obama is not a particularly good thing for Obama himself (circa the "celebrity" ads) so the more attention Palin soaks up the better. As long as it's this kind of attention, I guess.
posted by so_necessary at 9:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Attention" for the Obama campaign seems to consist of asking if he's too much of an elitist black Muslim liberation theology celebrity socialist atheist Chicago-machine ruthless naive far-left idealist centrist to be PREZIDENT OF ARE COUNTREEE.
The election being a referendum on Obama is not a particularly good thing for Obama himself (circa the "celebrity" ads) so the more attention Palin soaks up the better. As long as it's this kind of attention, I guess.
posted by so_necessary at 9:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm starting to think that McCain might dump Palin after all.
There's no way. He's stuck with her. They're going to try to just forestall any substantive evaluation of her - that's why he was trying to block next week's debate. I hope they don't cause some tragedy now, to prevent it.
McCain/Palin/Davis/Fiorina is running and hiding. Running from the press, running from interviews, running from debates, running from revealing finances - it's a full on sprint. It's like they set up these phony persona cardboard placards of who they are. Then you get closer to examine them, and push the 2-d cardboard out of the way, you hear them running off down the hall.
posted by cashman at 9:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
There's no way. He's stuck with her. They're going to try to just forestall any substantive evaluation of her - that's why he was trying to block next week's debate. I hope they don't cause some tragedy now, to prevent it.
McCain/Palin/Davis/Fiorina is running and hiding. Running from the press, running from interviews, running from debates, running from revealing finances - it's a full on sprint. It's like they set up these phony persona cardboard placards of who they are. Then you get closer to examine them, and push the 2-d cardboard out of the way, you hear them running off down the hall.
posted by cashman at 9:23 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
hellslinger, Obama's campaign hasn't gotten much attention, but McCain's attention has largely been of the OMGWTF?? sort, especially this week.
Yeah. Obama's ahead by about 5 points nationally and moving upward, and he's pulled even in Missouri, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. Something tells me as long as things keep going the way they are, he's perfectly happy to let McCain flail around in the spotlight.
posted by EarBucket at 9:25 AM on September 26, 2008
Yeah. Obama's ahead by about 5 points nationally and moving upward, and he's pulled even in Missouri, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. Something tells me as long as things keep going the way they are, he's perfectly happy to let McCain flail around in the spotlight.
posted by EarBucket at 9:25 AM on September 26, 2008
I believe that sarah palin is unable to answer these questions because of our eductaion in places like uh some such as south africa and the iraq and places like such as. I think our education should provide sarah palin with maps for the education of our future.
posted by tylerfulltilt at 9:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by tylerfulltilt at 9:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
And--I swear this will be my last question for awhile--just how often has Putin reared his head and come into the airspace of the United States of America?
Ever since I heard that I have been picturing a shirtless Putin flapping around in the air cackling and throwing snowballs at Alaskans who are fleeing in terror.
"OH God Martha lock the kids in the bathroom, that bastard Putin is in our airspace again."
posted by Divine_Wino at 9:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
Palin's preacher: Jews control the economy, that's causing all the corruption, and we need to have Christians take over business and banking
posted by fleetmouse at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by fleetmouse at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008
There's no way. He's stuck with her.
A reasonable analysis of the situation would come to that conclusion, yes. That's the only reason I think there's a chance he'd get rid of her. It's starting to look like he thought this was a motivational video.
posted by EarBucket at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008
A reasonable analysis of the situation would come to that conclusion, yes. That's the only reason I think there's a chance he'd get rid of her. It's starting to look like he thought this was a motivational video.
posted by EarBucket at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008
Putin isn't the President of Russia anymore Gov Palin.
posted by octomato at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by octomato at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
One theory? They don't trust people they percieve as smarter than them. I've occasionaly got that feeling when dealing with really smart people, that they're either putting one over on me or snickering behind my back. Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls.
Anecdotally: I'm a lot smarter than my stepmother and her kids. Partly, this is because I'm of above-average intelligence and partly it's because my stepmother and stepsiblings are dumb as a box of collective hammers. I have never, ever tried to "rub it in" or anything. I don't go over there and ask their opinions on Dostoevsky (mostly because then I would have to admit that I haven't read any). However. They totally, totally hate/distrust me for my intelligence. One time I won at Trivial Pursuit and there was a whole lot of nastiness directed my way. Because apparently I "cheated" because I "know everything."
They're equally awful to my dad, who is smarter than I am. Unfortunately, my dad is also crazy and oblivious, so half of the crap they put him through, he doesn't notice and the other half, well, he's crazy, he's earned at least some of it.
My experience is that people who *know* that they are not intelligent do deeply, DEEPLY distrust those who are for being in on something that they're not. Like it's a secret club and they're not invited. So, what are they gonna do? That's right. They're going to TP our treehouse.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
One theory? They don't trust people they percieve as smarter than them. I've occasionaly got that feeling when dealing with really smart people, that they're either putting one over on me or snickering behind my back. Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls.
Anecdotally: I'm a lot smarter than my stepmother and her kids. Partly, this is because I'm of above-average intelligence and partly it's because my stepmother and stepsiblings are dumb as a box of collective hammers. I have never, ever tried to "rub it in" or anything. I don't go over there and ask their opinions on Dostoevsky (mostly because then I would have to admit that I haven't read any). However. They totally, totally hate/distrust me for my intelligence. One time I won at Trivial Pursuit and there was a whole lot of nastiness directed my way. Because apparently I "cheated" because I "know everything."
They're equally awful to my dad, who is smarter than I am. Unfortunately, my dad is also crazy and oblivious, so half of the crap they put him through, he doesn't notice and the other half, well, he's crazy, he's earned at least some of it.
My experience is that people who *know* that they are not intelligent do deeply, DEEPLY distrust those who are for being in on something that they're not. Like it's a secret club and they're not invited. So, what are they gonna do? That's right. They're going to TP our treehouse.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:28 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
I was at a Counting Crows concert the other night, and Adam Duritz came out on stage between sets to urge everyone to vote, saying, "I don't care who you vote for... JUST VOTE!" At which point, the obnoxious guy behind me chuckled, "But it'd be really great if you voted for Obama, am I right?"
Which got his girlfriend/wife/whatever going, "McCain/Palin baby... I think Palin is going to bring it home, and let me tell you why... it's because she's... she's.... really... really, really, really... you know... very... really... [OMG GET TO THE FUCKING POINT ALREADY]... really... really... she's EVERY WOMAN."
You've come a long way, baby.
posted by jal0021 at 9:29 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Which got his girlfriend/wife/whatever going, "McCain/Palin baby... I think Palin is going to bring it home, and let me tell you why... it's because she's... she's.... really... really, really, really... you know... very... really... [OMG GET TO THE FUCKING POINT ALREADY]... really... really... she's EVERY WOMAN."
You've come a long way, baby.
posted by jal0021 at 9:29 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Wow. A closer look at the transcript on the CBS site shows some glaring mistakes. For example, in the audio, Palins clearly say, "I'm ill about the position that America is in and that we have to look at a $700 billion bailout." Yet the transcript reads, "I'm all about the position that America is in and that we have to look at a $700 billion bailout."
posted by punkfloyd at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by punkfloyd at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
I have been picturing a shirtless Putin flapping around in the air cackling and throwing snowballs at Alaskans who are fleeing in terror.
"OH God Martha lock the kids in the bathroom, that bastard Putin is in our airspace again."
I LOLed so hard that I cried. My cats are looking at me askance, hoping that Putin doesn't enter our airspace anytime soon. Never fear, ladies, Boston is a long, long way from Russia. Or Alaska. His arms would get *awfully* tired flying over here.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
"OH God Martha lock the kids in the bathroom, that bastard Putin is in our airspace again."
I LOLed so hard that I cried. My cats are looking at me askance, hoping that Putin doesn't enter our airspace anytime soon. Never fear, ladies, Boston is a long, long way from Russia. Or Alaska. His arms would get *awfully* tired flying over here.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
You know, I've spent 8 years listening to people say the same thing about George Bush -- he's not stupid, he's just X -- and you know what? Fuck that shit.
This comment reminded me of this from 2004.
posted by Killick at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
This comment reminded me of this from 2004.
posted by Killick at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Mister_A: "She is fucking stupid (not that stupid is complaining, mind you)."
I kinda thought she's too dumb to figure out to fuck, but I'm five times wrong, at least.
posted by notsnot at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
I kinda thought she's too dumb to figure out to fuck, but I'm five times wrong, at least.
posted by notsnot at 9:31 AM on September 26, 2008
Palin's preacher: Jews control the economy, that's causing all the corruption, and we need to have Christians take over business and banking.
Run with it, liberal media! Uh... liberal media?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Run with it, liberal media! Uh... liberal media?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Putin isn't the President of Russia anymore Gov Palin.
Could have been worse. She could have said Gorbachev.
posted by Dr-Baa at 9:32 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
One theory? They don't trust people they percieve as smarter than them. I've occasionaly got that feeling when dealing with really smart people, that they're either putting one over on me or snickering behind my back. Maybe somewhere in people's heads, there's this primeval aversion to know-it-alls.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. You either get someone you feel is putting one over you....or you get someone that's so easily manipulated that they unknowingly appoint their own personal puppetmasters...end result can be the same, although with the second its initially less apparent.
With the two focal points of this election hinging on the economy and global power, and with the current administration nearly exausting all the game chips involved with those two points, I'm finding Sarah as a tough sell on these key issues. As a person she's fine, but I really think she's over her head as a Vice President. It has less to do with IQ and smarts than just a solid foundation in the philosophies behind the economy and international relations. There has to be a demonstration that a Big Picture is realized...otherwise all I see is fumbling for answers that please the masses. That's not a good thing.
posted by samsara at 9:34 AM on September 26, 2008
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. You either get someone you feel is putting one over you....or you get someone that's so easily manipulated that they unknowingly appoint their own personal puppetmasters...end result can be the same, although with the second its initially less apparent.
With the two focal points of this election hinging on the economy and global power, and with the current administration nearly exausting all the game chips involved with those two points, I'm finding Sarah as a tough sell on these key issues. As a person she's fine, but I really think she's over her head as a Vice President. It has less to do with IQ and smarts than just a solid foundation in the philosophies behind the economy and international relations. There has to be a demonstration that a Big Picture is realized...otherwise all I see is fumbling for answers that please the masses. That's not a good thing.
posted by samsara at 9:34 AM on September 26, 2008
By the way everyone, I just want to say- between me being very ill, the economy "cratering", and my personal life in strife, the last few days' Palinfilter has been the beacon of hope that has made me laugh (even if those laughs are between sobs for humanity).
posted by Dr-Baa at 9:35 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Dr-Baa at 9:35 AM on September 26, 2008
Over at the National Review, a call for Palin to step down.
posted by poxuppit at 9:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by poxuppit at 9:36 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
he's probably pretty smart
This is based on...?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:37 AM on September 26, 2008
This is based on...?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:37 AM on September 26, 2008
McCain Camp insiders say Palin “clueless”
AAAAAhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
posted by fleetmouse at 9:38 AM on September 26, 2008
AAAAAhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
posted by fleetmouse at 9:38 AM on September 26, 2008
heh. cut off the "s" there.
she's probably pretty smart
Seriously. Is there any evidence of this? Anywhere? At all?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:38 AM on September 26, 2008
she's probably pretty smart
Seriously. Is there any evidence of this? Anywhere? At all?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:38 AM on September 26, 2008
Whoah. Maybe here's the evidence.
The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as “disastrous.”
I would pay cash money for footage of this. Do you think they'd be stupid enough to record it?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:39 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as “disastrous.”
I would pay cash money for footage of this. Do you think they'd be stupid enough to record it?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:39 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Putin isn't the President of Russia anymore Gov Palin.
Oh, youcapitalist imperialst pigs Americans think you've got it all figured out. *shakes head* Yeah, right, yeah, Putins not President anymore, yeah that's it...
posted by Pollomacho at 9:39 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh, you
posted by Pollomacho at 9:39 AM on September 26, 2008
I believe the term is 'vicarious embarrassment'.
The Dutch call it plaatsvervangende schaamte.
posted by Robin Kestrel at 9:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
The Dutch call it plaatsvervangende schaamte.
posted by Robin Kestrel at 9:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
Anyone who can make Katie Couric seem like a serious journalist has to be an idiot.
posted by Zambrano at 9:44 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Zambrano at 9:44 AM on September 26, 2008
McCain Camp insiders say Palin “clueless”
How reputable is Balloon Juice for a source? I know its entirely plausible but that's how they get out of these situations - let things spin out of control until something untrue comes out, and then point to that thing as a way to dismiss the entire issue.
posted by cashman at 9:49 AM on September 26, 2008
How reputable is Balloon Juice for a source? I know its entirely plausible but that's how they get out of these situations - let things spin out of control until something untrue comes out, and then point to that thing as a way to dismiss the entire issue.
posted by cashman at 9:49 AM on September 26, 2008
I don't know what you guys are babbling about.
I'm just really happy. The $700B bailout is going to get us universal healthcare!
posted by naju at 9:49 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm just really happy. The $700B bailout is going to get us universal healthcare!
posted by naju at 9:49 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Do you think they'd be stupid enough to record it?
I'm sure they've recorded it - it's SOP to record practice sessions like this, so the person can see how they look on stage, how they appear when reading a teleprompter, etc.
The question is, are they stupid enough to store the recording on something insecure, like a drive connected to the internets, or a losable/stealable laptop?
posted by rtha at 9:50 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm sure they've recorded it - it's SOP to record practice sessions like this, so the person can see how they look on stage, how they appear when reading a teleprompter, etc.
The question is, are they stupid enough to store the recording on something insecure, like a drive connected to the internets, or a losable/stealable laptop?
posted by rtha at 9:50 AM on September 26, 2008
OPEN ON INTERIOR, Oval Office. Lightning flashes are visible through the rain-blurred windows. Camera pulls back from the windows to reveal SARAH PALIN, seated at that cool desk from National Treasure 2: Electric Boogaloo. She is reading a DOCUMENT of some sort.
posted by Mister_A at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
SARAH PALIN (mumblingly): Aww gee… don’t’cha know… alrighty… ooh you betcha!A loud KNOCK sounds at the DOOR. SARAH PALIN answers, without looking up from the DOCUMENT.
SARAH PALIN (impatiently): Gosh darn it, who the heck is it? I’m workin’ on somethin’ don’t’cha know?A deep, heavily accented VOICE answers.
VOICE (off camera): Let me in. Vee have on-finished… BIZ-ness.
SARAH PALIN (alarmedly): Omigosh!SARAH PALIN quickly tries to jimmy the secret door on the cool desk from National Treasure 2: Electric Boogaloo
SARAH PALIN (panicky): Aww hold on now! I’m goin’ to the potty! Don’t come–SARAH PALIN’s words are drowned out by the sound of of a door being knocked off its hinges. VLADIMIR PUTIN goose-steps to the cool desk.
PUTIN: You vill not return my IMs. Vhy? Hey, vhat iz dat? A DOCUMENT of some sort?
SARAH PALIN (dishonestly): Aww, it’s a hockey schedule, that’s all Vlad.
PUTIN (manlyly): Nyet! Is something you vould like to conceal in fancy desk, da? I vill have it!PUTIN deftly snatches the document from SARAH PALIN’s hands. She begins beating on his trim torso with balled-up fists.
SARAH PALIN (angrily): Now that’s mine Vlad! You give it back right now! Ooh you make me so mad you’re, you’re – what’s the word?
PUTIN (wryly): Insufferable? Maddening… hot?
SARAH PALIN (resignedly): Yea. Hawt. Oh Vlad, please don’t read that.
PUTIN (suspiciously): Vell, now I must, my little cabbage. Hey zis is from Sarkozy… and he… and you… and… NYET! NYET! How dare you?
SARAH PALIN (apologetically): Well I thought you were mad at me because of that business with the bombs. It was s’posed ta be a joke, don’tcha know?
PUTIN: Vell, I vas mad, baby, but I can’t quit you. I need to enter your airspace.
SARAH PALIN (purirngly): Aww yea, Vlad, rear that ugly head of yours, I’m ready, you betcha.
PUTIN: I don’t give a dang about Sarkozy. Now you are mine again. I am going to bomb Paris though.
SARAH PALIN (dumbly): That’s in Texas, ain’t it?
PUTIN: Damn you have a fine ass.~FIN~
posted by Mister_A at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
I'm sure they've recorded it
I'm picturing something like this. (Ok, hair color's off, but close enough)
posted by jonmc at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm picturing something like this. (Ok, hair color's off, but close enough)
posted by jonmc at 9:53 AM on September 26, 2008
"...the world is in even greater peril than it is today." - Sarah Palin
Indeed it is.
posted by dsword at 9:54 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Indeed it is.
posted by dsword at 9:54 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Didn't the McCain campaign recently email an internal memo regarding their policy of keeping Palin away from the press - to the press? Surely they've sent this mock debate tape directly to Olbermann by now.
posted by fleetmouse at 9:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by fleetmouse at 9:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
flabdablet: And the average IQ is 100 by definition.
Please look up the difference between medians and averages.
posted by greenie2600 at 10:01 AM on September 26, 2008
Please look up the difference between medians and averages.
posted by greenie2600 at 10:01 AM on September 26, 2008
I am full of admiration for those of you with the fortitude to watch a Palin interview all the way through. Katie Couric deserves the Congressional Medal for service to the country in exposing this idiot.
posted by nax at 10:02 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by nax at 10:02 AM on September 26, 2008
Jesus, she could have mentioned a whole bunch of things. She just signed a deal this summer with TransCanada Pipelines to supply 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily to the North American market...something which involved significant international partnership. Couldn't she have squeaked that in?
posted by jimmythefish at 10:03 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by jimmythefish at 10:03 AM on September 26, 2008
Maybe McCain will replace her with Harriet Miers.
posted by Balisong at 10:08 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Balisong at 10:08 AM on September 26, 2008
Airspace Putin is watching you governate.
posted by Biblio at 10:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [17 favorites]
posted by Biblio at 10:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [17 favorites]
You know, yesterday Joe Biden got publicly choked up about a gift from Rocky Bleier and the Pittsburgh Steelers. For all Palin's 'I'm just a small-town hockey mom' BS (and it's BS because she comes across as rapaciously ambitious, to me at least), Joe just reaped a ton of Joe Sixpack cred simply by being sincere.
posted by jonmc at 10:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by jonmc at 10:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Greenie, while there does exist a difference between medians, means, and modes - in this case the difference is academic. In the normal curve (aka bell curve), the median, mean, and mode are all the same number.
IQ theoretically obeys this curve.
And the average IQ is 100 by definition. The test is actually recalibrated every so often to maintain 100 as the average.
posted by adipocere at 10:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
IQ theoretically obeys this curve.
And the average IQ is 100 by definition. The test is actually recalibrated every so often to maintain 100 as the average.
posted by adipocere at 10:19 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
The Whole Yukon: Population Total (2008) 31,530 (est.)
posted by zenzizi at 10:26 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by zenzizi at 10:26 AM on September 26, 2008
Enough with the IQ talk. It's like reading comments about racism at imdb or something. (I even found one in a discussion of cheating in the "Mad Men" forums recently, whereupon I vowed stopped reading anything on the Internet for the night). IQ test are horseshit.
Meanwhile, a National Review winger columnist calls for Palin to step down, let someone else be McCain's VP pick, based solely on the interview debacle.
posted by raysmj at 10:27 AM on September 26, 2008
Meanwhile, a National Review winger columnist calls for Palin to step down, let someone else be McCain's VP pick, based solely on the interview debacle.
posted by raysmj at 10:27 AM on September 26, 2008
Okay, I am not a Bono fan, and there's a weird parallel with the whole "give me attention and take me seriously on political issues" thing... but at the same time I can't think of any better personality to shred Mrs. Palin. In my imagination, he swears a lot while doing it, and it defines her image for the next two months better than anything SNL could ever dream up.
Would this be the same Mr. Hewson who shredded George W. Bush so many times over the past eight years?
posted by blucevalo at 10:29 AM on September 26, 2008
Would this be the same Mr. Hewson who shredded George W. Bush so many times over the past eight years?
posted by blucevalo at 10:29 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm almost convinced that McCain's selection of Sarah Palin is the equivalent of bringing the Chewbacca defense into presidential politics:
Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed electorate, I have one final thing I want you to consider. This is Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a governor from the planet of Alaska, but Sarah Palin lives on the planet of Hawaii. Now think about that! That does not make sense.
Why would a hockey mom, a hockey mom with a snowmobile, want to live on Hawaii with a bunch of coconuts? That does not make sense!
But more importantly, you have to ask yourself: what does that have to do with this election? Absolutely nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this election! It does not make sense!
Look at me, I'm John McCain running for president, and I'm talkin' about mooseburgers in Alaska. Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense. None of this makes sense.
And so you have to remember, when you're in that voting booth deliberating and conjugating the financial meltdown and the Iraq showdown... You must ask yourself, "Does it make sense?" No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed electorate, it does not make sense.
If Sarah Palin lives in Alaska, you must elect! The defense rests.
posted by jonp72 at 10:35 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed electorate, I have one final thing I want you to consider. This is Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a governor from the planet of Alaska, but Sarah Palin lives on the planet of Hawaii. Now think about that! That does not make sense.
Why would a hockey mom, a hockey mom with a snowmobile, want to live on Hawaii with a bunch of coconuts? That does not make sense!
But more importantly, you have to ask yourself: what does that have to do with this election? Absolutely nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this election! It does not make sense!
Look at me, I'm John McCain running for president, and I'm talkin' about mooseburgers in Alaska. Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense. None of this makes sense.
And so you have to remember, when you're in that voting booth deliberating and conjugating the financial meltdown and the Iraq showdown... You must ask yourself, "Does it make sense?" No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed electorate, it does not make sense.
If Sarah Palin lives in Alaska, you must elect! The defense rests.
posted by jonp72 at 10:35 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile, a National Review winger columnist calls for Palin to step down, let someone else be McCain's VP pick, based solely on the interview debacle.
I hope she stays in. Don't take any guff from the nasty liberal MSM, Palin! Go down with the stinking ship with your head held high!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:37 AM on September 26, 2008
I hope she stays in. Don't take any guff from the nasty liberal MSM, Palin! Go down with the stinking ship with your head held high!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:37 AM on September 26, 2008
OK I just actually watched the video because I thought it would be much like the "financial" video, but oh my God, that is 1:25 of pure duh. She is not qualified to anchor Entertainment Tonight, much less be the President of Alaska, which has foreign borders with other nations right there, dontcha know?
posted by Mister_A at 10:42 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 10:42 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm literally crying with laughter over the Republican campaign. Not only has McCain gone back on his word and will debate Obama, but he's accidentally released announcements that he's won the debate.
Now the only thing left for him to do is die onstage, leaving Palin as the top of the ticket. She will want a talking car as her running mate, but she cannot have that. She cannot have a talking car.
posted by fleetmouse at 10:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
Now the only thing left for him to do is die onstage, leaving Palin as the top of the ticket. She will want a talking car as her running mate, but she cannot have that. She cannot have a talking car.
posted by fleetmouse at 10:47 AM on September 26, 2008 [13 favorites]
Conservative writer Kathleen Parker, who wrote this gem:
Should Palin and McCain prevail come November, feminism can curtsy and treat herself to a hard-earned vacation. The greatest achievement of feminism won't be that a woman reached the vice presidency, but that a woman no longer needed feminists to get there. [link]
now thinks, in light of these disasterous interviews, Palin should bow out.
posted by peep at 10:49 AM on September 26, 2008
Should Palin and McCain prevail come November, feminism can curtsy and treat herself to a hard-earned vacation. The greatest achievement of feminism won't be that a woman reached the vice presidency, but that a woman no longer needed feminists to get there. [link]
now thinks, in light of these disasterous interviews, Palin should bow out.
posted by peep at 10:49 AM on September 26, 2008
I'm still waiting for the McCain campaign to come out and admit that this is all a big Kaufmanesque 'happening'.
posted by organic at 10:49 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by organic at 10:49 AM on September 26, 2008
Now the only thing left for him to do is die onstage
I don't want him to die on stage. I want him to have a Jack-Nicholson-in-A-Few-Good-Men moment, where he loses his shit and uses the "n" word or something.
posted by fungible at 10:51 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
I don't want him to die on stage. I want him to have a Jack-Nicholson-in-A-Few-Good-Men moment, where he loses his shit and uses the "n" word or something.
posted by fungible at 10:51 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Joe just reaped a ton of Joe Sixpack cred simply by being sincere.
Wow. I think that makes up for any of his gaffes.
McCain has a Steelers story, too, but it's a lie.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:52 AM on September 26, 2008
I thought you said somethign about a talking cat, which would be preposterous; talking car though, that makes sense.
posted by Mister_A at 10:53 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 10:53 AM on September 26, 2008
I don't want him to die on stage. I want him to have a Jack-Nicholson-in-A-Few-Good-Men moment, where he loses his shit and uses the "n" word or something.
At this point, I would hardly be shocked if he took a swing at somebody.
posted by peep at 10:55 AM on September 26, 2008
At this point, I would hardly be shocked if he took a swing at somebody.
posted by peep at 10:55 AM on September 26, 2008
Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
You've never hung out with the kind of person who is in Mensa and brags about it have you? Intelligence is only one small component of successful decision making. Sure I want a genius in the white house, but I'll take someone with slightly above average smarts if they are hard-working, competent, reasonably decisive and have decent social skills. Not that I think Palin is qualified.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
You've never hung out with the kind of person who is in Mensa and brags about it have you? Intelligence is only one small component of successful decision making. Sure I want a genius in the white house, but I'll take someone with slightly above average smarts if they are hard-working, competent, reasonably decisive and have decent social skills. Not that I think Palin is qualified.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:55 AM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
When the hell did real America turn into alternate history America?
posted by Mister_A at 10:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 10:57 AM on September 26, 2008 [6 favorites]
At this point, I would hardly be shocked if he took a swing at somebody.
Nah, that would give him tough guy points. Better he falls asleep during a debate or something.
posted by jonmc at 11:01 AM on September 26, 2008
Nah, that would give him tough guy points. Better he falls asleep during a debate or something.
posted by jonmc at 11:01 AM on September 26, 2008
I hear that Schwarzenegger says that "Sarah Palin is a choke!"
posted by Mister_A at 11:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 11:02 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Boston is a long, long way from Russia.
Sorry grapefruitmoon. Putin is closer than you think. (self-link)
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
Sorry grapefruitmoon. Putin is closer than you think. (self-link)
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:03 AM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
This is the thing, though. When people about being "smart"...I think that generally sends the wrong message, it sounds like they're saying that being smart is an intrinsic characteristic, like having blue eyes or being tall.
It's not.
Being smart doesn't have a thing to do with standardized tests or if you've been to college or anything like that. Being smart- or becoming smart- is a lifelong process based on a certain degree of intellectual curiosity. I have met people who went from being dumb as a stone to being near-geniuses, simply because one day they picked up a book, or they started giving a shit about finding out about the world around them. People aren't born smart, they get smart, because they begin trying to find out about things and they just never stop. It's a seductive process once you get into the swing of it, but it's often difficult to begin, because you have to realize that you, personally, do not have all the answers, that you may be wrong, that you should look into the situation more.
This is a concept I doubt Palin, McCain or Bush have ever considered.
posted by 235w103 at 11:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
It's not.
Being smart doesn't have a thing to do with standardized tests or if you've been to college or anything like that. Being smart- or becoming smart- is a lifelong process based on a certain degree of intellectual curiosity. I have met people who went from being dumb as a stone to being near-geniuses, simply because one day they picked up a book, or they started giving a shit about finding out about the world around them. People aren't born smart, they get smart, because they begin trying to find out about things and they just never stop. It's a seductive process once you get into the swing of it, but it's often difficult to begin, because you have to realize that you, personally, do not have all the answers, that you may be wrong, that you should look into the situation more.
This is a concept I doubt Palin, McCain or Bush have ever considered.
posted by 235w103 at 11:04 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Is it just me or does Putin remind anyone else of the bad guys from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?
posted by jonmc at 11:04 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by jonmc at 11:04 AM on September 26, 2008
You've never hung out with the kind of person who is in Mensa and brags about it have you? Intelligence is only one small component of successful decision making.
Most of the very smart people I know think Mensa is a bad joke. There's a lot more to intelligence than joining ridiculous clubs, too.
posted by cortex at 11:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Most of the very smart people I know think Mensa is a bad joke. There's a lot more to intelligence than joining ridiculous clubs, too.
posted by cortex at 11:06 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Please don't anybody misinterpret my saying "I don't think she's as stupid as these answers make her sound" as meaning I think she's anything but completely, utterly unqualified for the job -- she's spectacularly ill-informed and unprepared, and it's frankly embarrassing for the Republican party to have selected her, and even more embarrassing for the rest of the country that they think they can get away with it by just hiding her from the press until it's too late. Seriously, six weeks before the election all we've had is two interviews plus a baldly pre-scripted Hannity infomercial? It's shameful.
But I don't think she's stupid. And I think saying she's stupid only increases the chance that her handlers will be running the oval office next year, because it just reinforces the "protect her from the bullies!" mentality in the vote-for-someone-you-want-to-have-a-beer-with crowd.
On her own ground she seems perfectly capable, in a way that GWB never did: on the rare occasions when he says something in public that wasn't written for him (can you remember the last time that happened?) he always leaves the impression that he just literally isn't capable of connecting the dots -- that his incuriosity is a protective mask over a basic inability to comprehend.
Like the rest of Americans who don't live in Alaska, I haven't seen much of Palin, so maybe I'm wrong about this -- but what little I have been able to find doesn't give me that same impression of basic inability; it just looks like a combination of over-coaching and raw fear. On her own ground, she might be fine.
The problem is that her own ground is a tiny, near-irrelevant backwater.
posted by ook at 11:09 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
But I don't think she's stupid. And I think saying she's stupid only increases the chance that her handlers will be running the oval office next year, because it just reinforces the "protect her from the bullies!" mentality in the vote-for-someone-you-want-to-have-a-beer-with crowd.
On her own ground she seems perfectly capable, in a way that GWB never did: on the rare occasions when he says something in public that wasn't written for him (can you remember the last time that happened?) he always leaves the impression that he just literally isn't capable of connecting the dots -- that his incuriosity is a protective mask over a basic inability to comprehend.
Like the rest of Americans who don't live in Alaska, I haven't seen much of Palin, so maybe I'm wrong about this -- but what little I have been able to find doesn't give me that same impression of basic inability; it just looks like a combination of over-coaching and raw fear. On her own ground, she might be fine.
The problem is that her own ground is a tiny, near-irrelevant backwater.
posted by ook at 11:09 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Most of the very smart people I know think Mensa is a bad joke. There's a lot more to intelligence than joining ridiculous clubs, too.
"I worried about the arbitrary 132 cut-off point, until I met someone with an I.Q. of 131 and, honestly, he was a bit slow on the uptake."
posted by Bookhouse at 11:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
"I worried about the arbitrary 132 cut-off point, until I met someone with an I.Q. of 131 and, honestly, he was a bit slow on the uptake."
posted by Bookhouse at 11:13 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Here's a heartfelt endorsement: Rabies for Obama
posted by Class Goat at 11:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Class Goat at 11:14 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I worried about the arbitrary 132 cut-off point, until I met someone with an I.Q. of 131 and, honestly, he was a bit slow on the uptake.
According to the Wechsler test I took my senior year of high school, my IQ is 127. I have an incredible urge to crash a Mensa meeting and sit there smearing boogers on the wall and saying "Where do you live?" in a Mongo voice.
posted by jonmc at 11:17 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
According to the Wechsler test I took my senior year of high school, my IQ is 127. I have an incredible urge to crash a Mensa meeting and sit there smearing boogers on the wall and saying "Where do you live?" in a Mongo voice.
posted by jonmc at 11:17 AM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
But I don't think she's stupid. And I think saying she's stupid only increases the chance that her handlers will be running the oval office next year, because it just reinforces the "protect her from the bullies!" mentality in the vote-for-someone-you-want-to-have-a-beer-with crowd.
I was with you up until this point. I don't think it's out of bounds to call out a candidate when they're ill-informed or just plain lying. Anyone interpretting the scrutiny of this candidate thus far as "bullying" has their heads firmly jammed up their ass and wouldn't vote for Obama if McCain was caught in bed with a pair of nine-year-old boys.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008
I was with you up until this point. I don't think it's out of bounds to call out a candidate when they're ill-informed or just plain lying. Anyone interpretting the scrutiny of this candidate thus far as "bullying" has their heads firmly jammed up their ass and wouldn't vote for Obama if McCain was caught in bed with a pair of nine-year-old boys.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008
It's a giant-sized tiny backwater, ook. It contains a number of nations.
posted by Mister_A at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008
Some things to remember...Alaska is really small. In order to become Governor she didn't have to win over a lot of people. Less than your average mid sized city. And there also isn't the huge demographic split you get in most states. So she didn't really have to deal with having a big urban base and then wining over the rural half of the state, or vice versa. This is a big part of state level politics. Alaska is not a major media market, or even close to one. And to top it off, she's less than two years into her first term.
So she is literally in above her head. Even if she was the most gifted politician in the country, she's undertaking a pretty monumental task.
I had a friend in college who was a damn good basketball player. Ended up playing in the NBA. I played Basketball in High school, I wasn't especially good, but I wasn't especially bad either. Playing pickup games with my friend, I felt like a six year old playing against adults. Dude was 6 foot 7, and FAST I mean, he would take the ball from me, and literally in the time it took me to turn around, he would be on the other end of the doing some crazy 360 dunk. And laughing while you're gasping for breath, shaking with exhaustion about to pass out, and he hasn't even broken a sweat. d I don't even want to talk about strength. I'm a big guy, and my friend would push me around the court like I was a little dainty flower. And he would play for 8 hours at a time. The rest of us would show up, play for a half hour and then be dead, and the next group of guys would show up, and so on...And this was just fun. During Basketball season, he wouldn't even play with us regular guys. And understandably so, you can't compete on a high level playing around with scrubs.
Point being, this guy was the best basketball player I've ever seen up close. By a large margin. He got drafted in the 3rd round and spent most of his short professional career riding the bench for the LA Clippers. For those who don't know sports, this means he was the worst guy on one of the worst teams in the NBA.
This is what I thought of watching this Palin interview. I don't care how much they want Sarah Palin to be a star, or how much ahnd wringing and worry we do on the other side. She's not going to do well in a debate against Biden. Not in a "beating expectations" way, not in a perceptions way, not in a spinnable way. She can have the best day of her life, and it won't be good enough.
The best the McCain camp can hope for is that it won't matter. That whatever McCain does seals the deal one way or another, because she's not ready for the big show, and never will be. If they have any sense or mercy they will find a way to keep her off of that stage. Something tells me they're lacking both right about now.
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008 [22 favorites]
So she is literally in above her head. Even if she was the most gifted politician in the country, she's undertaking a pretty monumental task.
I had a friend in college who was a damn good basketball player. Ended up playing in the NBA. I played Basketball in High school, I wasn't especially good, but I wasn't especially bad either. Playing pickup games with my friend, I felt like a six year old playing against adults. Dude was 6 foot 7, and FAST I mean, he would take the ball from me, and literally in the time it took me to turn around, he would be on the other end of the doing some crazy 360 dunk. And laughing while you're gasping for breath, shaking with exhaustion about to pass out, and he hasn't even broken a sweat. d I don't even want to talk about strength. I'm a big guy, and my friend would push me around the court like I was a little dainty flower. And he would play for 8 hours at a time. The rest of us would show up, play for a half hour and then be dead, and the next group of guys would show up, and so on...And this was just fun. During Basketball season, he wouldn't even play with us regular guys. And understandably so, you can't compete on a high level playing around with scrubs.
Point being, this guy was the best basketball player I've ever seen up close. By a large margin. He got drafted in the 3rd round and spent most of his short professional career riding the bench for the LA Clippers. For those who don't know sports, this means he was the worst guy on one of the worst teams in the NBA.
This is what I thought of watching this Palin interview. I don't care how much they want Sarah Palin to be a star, or how much ahnd wringing and worry we do on the other side. She's not going to do well in a debate against Biden. Not in a "beating expectations" way, not in a perceptions way, not in a spinnable way. She can have the best day of her life, and it won't be good enough.
The best the McCain camp can hope for is that it won't matter. That whatever McCain does seals the deal one way or another, because she's not ready for the big show, and never will be. If they have any sense or mercy they will find a way to keep her off of that stage. Something tells me they're lacking both right about now.
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:18 AM on September 26, 2008 [22 favorites]
After watching this video, I was hyperventilating in terror at the idea that this person could actually end up in charge.
Then I had an idea, it was so beautiful that I suddenly feel filled with happy warmth and I'm going to use this forum as an opportunity to suggest it to the Obama administration should they win.
Hire Palin.
Employ her as an adjunct foreign policy consultant. Send her into a country when they are saber rattling, or otherwise acting in a fashion that might put the US at risk. Make their highest dignitaries sit in a room with her, and let her pulverize them with talking point non sequiturs all delivered in that shrill irritating voice. After about twenty minutes, an aid will come in and relieve her, at which point the actual foreign policy expert comes into the room and says to the shell shocked dignitary:
"Well, you've met one of our envoys. She is the one we will choose to employ if you continue on the path you've started here. The alternative, is that you can deal with me, and we can put a stop to any problems between our countries right here and now.
Again, the choice is her for an indefinitely long period, or me right now."
It would be the diplomatic equivalent of good cop/ bad cop. My only fear is that using her in this way, might violate some crimes against humanity treaties.
posted by quin at 11:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
Then I had an idea, it was so beautiful that I suddenly feel filled with happy warmth and I'm going to use this forum as an opportunity to suggest it to the Obama administration should they win.
Hire Palin.
Employ her as an adjunct foreign policy consultant. Send her into a country when they are saber rattling, or otherwise acting in a fashion that might put the US at risk. Make their highest dignitaries sit in a room with her, and let her pulverize them with talking point non sequiturs all delivered in that shrill irritating voice. After about twenty minutes, an aid will come in and relieve her, at which point the actual foreign policy expert comes into the room and says to the shell shocked dignitary:
"Well, you've met one of our envoys. She is the one we will choose to employ if you continue on the path you've started here. The alternative, is that you can deal with me, and we can put a stop to any problems between our countries right here and now.
Again, the choice is her for an indefinitely long period, or me right now."
It would be the diplomatic equivalent of good cop/ bad cop. My only fear is that using her in this way, might violate some crimes against humanity treaties.
posted by quin at 11:22 AM on September 26, 2008 [15 favorites]
She could teach Barack hockey.
And basketball.
posted by Class Goat at 11:24 AM on September 26, 2008
And basketball.
posted by Class Goat at 11:24 AM on September 26, 2008
Does anyone know if there is more of this interview that has not been aired yet? Please say "yes, there are three hours of bonus footage." The woman is a comedy genius. I will buy her next album as soon as it comes out on SanDisk.
posted by Mister_A at 11:24 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:24 AM on September 26, 2008
Heh. I seem to recall that Barack is a Cubs fan. I'll ignore that strike against him and vote for him anyway.
posted by jonmc at 11:25 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by jonmc at 11:25 AM on September 26, 2008
I mean just regular press asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness
That line is literary GOLD. I'm in awe.
And as far as this joke of a VP candidate... just remember, the rest of the world is watching us very carefully, this debacle makes us look worse than ever, and it's fair to say that we've never been as totally, absolutely vulnerable as we are this very moment. This is all very scary, and I don't scare easily.
posted by dbiedny at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008
That line is literary GOLD. I'm in awe.
And as far as this joke of a VP candidate... just remember, the rest of the world is watching us very carefully, this debacle makes us look worse than ever, and it's fair to say that we've never been as totally, absolutely vulnerable as we are this very moment. This is all very scary, and I don't scare easily.
posted by dbiedny at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008
Did you see the game two nights ago, jonmc? WTF DAVID WRIGHT?
posted by Mister_A at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008
You know, I have to say, I'm not even close to the Judith Warner empathy side of things, but this stuff -- this talking to reporters and taking interviews -- is hard, especially when you don't have much experience in having to speak intelligently in public on a national level. It's hard even with media training, and it's not surprising to me that she's even less coherent than she was a few weeks ago (which isn't saying much). We don't think of this stuff as being difficult or artful, because of course that's just part of the job of being in the public eye: you get asked questions on TV, that's the way it goes. But being in the public eye like this (and being accountable to a national audience in the public eye) is something that's never actually been required of her (and when it has she's been able to get around it). So what you see here with her sad rambling is a person scrambling right smack into the upper limits of their experience and ability.
It speaks volumes to me that Obama has been able to maintain his own on-message, calm, rational position for over a year and a half.
posted by mothershock at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
It speaks volumes to me that Obama has been able to maintain his own on-message, calm, rational position for over a year and a half.
posted by mothershock at 11:26 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
When the hell did real America turn into alternate history America?
June 12, 1994
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2008
June 12, 1994
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2008
actually he's a White Sox fan. Cool.
Did you see the game two nights ago, jonmc? WTF DAVID WRIGHT?
Heh. Wright (along with Reyes) has still been our Mr. Reliable this season, although Jose should quit trying to hit the long ball and stick to what he does best. I was at Shea for the game on Tuesday (thanks for the anniversary present, pips) and we came from behind (just like last night). The Cubs fans in attendance were cool, but two obnoxious Yankee fans sat right in front of us and jeered all game long (sorry about your season, guys!). A few times during the game I thought they'd get pounded. When it became obvious that we'd won the skulked off quietly.
posted by jonmc at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2008
Did you see the game two nights ago, jonmc? WTF DAVID WRIGHT?
Heh. Wright (along with Reyes) has still been our Mr. Reliable this season, although Jose should quit trying to hit the long ball and stick to what he does best. I was at Shea for the game on Tuesday (thanks for the anniversary present, pips) and we came from behind (just like last night). The Cubs fans in attendance were cool, but two obnoxious Yankee fans sat right in front of us and jeered all game long (sorry about your season, guys!). A few times during the game I thought they'd get pounded. When it became obvious that we'd won the skulked off quietly.
posted by jonmc at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2008
We don't think of this stuff as being difficult or artful, because of course that's just part of the job of being in the public eye: you get asked questions on TV, that's the way it goes.
Well, no, I absolutely DO see all this stuff as hard. But that's (one of the many reasons) why I'm not doing it -- because I CAN'T. And neither can she.
posted by inigo2 at 11:34 AM on September 26, 2008
Well, no, I absolutely DO see all this stuff as hard. But that's (one of the many reasons) why I'm not doing it -- because I CAN'T. And neither can she.
posted by inigo2 at 11:34 AM on September 26, 2008
mothershock, I have done a lot of public speaking (I am actually Al Gore, you know), and I have found that staying calm really helps make one a more effective communicator. Actually having some idea of what the fuck you are talking about really helps too.
I watch this stuff, and I am convinced that she is listening to her own voice as she, which is a huge no-no. When you start listening to yourself as you speak, you completely lose the ability to speak coherently. This is why acting is hard, by the way. Anyhow, her own voice is probably ringing in her ears, not because she is in love with herself, but because she has no confidence and can't help but monitor what she is saying. Then she realizes that what she is saying sounds idiotic, and she founders even more, can't remember words, she is no longer speaking, she is trying to read a script in her head but someone spilled ink all over it. She is panicky, looking for a way out, a way to start making sense, but not say the wrong thing, and she talks in absurdly tiny circles. She keeps hearing this voice flailing around, saying dumb things, but she can't stop it. This is what it's like when you're trying to give a talk about something that you don't know much about.
posted by Mister_A at 11:35 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
I watch this stuff, and I am convinced that she is listening to her own voice as she, which is a huge no-no. When you start listening to yourself as you speak, you completely lose the ability to speak coherently. This is why acting is hard, by the way. Anyhow, her own voice is probably ringing in her ears, not because she is in love with herself, but because she has no confidence and can't help but monitor what she is saying. Then she realizes that what she is saying sounds idiotic, and she founders even more, can't remember words, she is no longer speaking, she is trying to read a script in her head but someone spilled ink all over it. She is panicky, looking for a way out, a way to start making sense, but not say the wrong thing, and she talks in absurdly tiny circles. She keeps hearing this voice flailing around, saying dumb things, but she can't stop it. This is what it's like when you're trying to give a talk about something that you don't know much about.
posted by Mister_A at 11:35 AM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
(I am actually Al Gore, you know),
Thanks for that Internet thing, dude. It's made satisfying my pornography needs so much simpler.
posted by jonmc at 11:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Thanks for that Internet thing, dude. It's made satisfying my pornography needs so much simpler.
posted by jonmc at 11:40 AM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Most of the very smart people I know think Mensa is a bad joke. There's a lot more to intelligence than joining ridiculous clubs, too.
I know, but my point is that people who self-aggrandize themselves as being smart, rather than just take it for granted, are the first to come to mind when talking about IQ in politics. As well, confusion of education or intellectualism with intelligence is almost a national pastime. I value intelligence in myself and in others, but it's not a litmus test in and of itself for leadership aptitude. If you've met or been the kind of person who has genius level IQ and can't make a decision without analyzing the problem to the point where it is deconstructed into meaninglessness, you'll know what I'm hinting at. I'm not saying all genuises are incapable; far from it.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:41 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I know, but my point is that people who self-aggrandize themselves as being smart, rather than just take it for granted, are the first to come to mind when talking about IQ in politics. As well, confusion of education or intellectualism with intelligence is almost a national pastime. I value intelligence in myself and in others, but it's not a litmus test in and of itself for leadership aptitude. If you've met or been the kind of person who has genius level IQ and can't make a decision without analyzing the problem to the point where it is deconstructed into meaninglessness, you'll know what I'm hinting at. I'm not saying all genuises are incapable; far from it.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:41 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Any time jonmc. I am a man of the people, but I am also a man, if you take my meaning [wink wink].
posted by Mister_A at 11:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 11:42 AM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Guess what? Conservative pundits Kathleen Parker, David Brooks, George Will, and David Frum agree that Palin is not qualified.
posted by greenie2600 at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by greenie2600 at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008
I value intelligence in myself and in others, but it's not a litmus test in and of itself for leadership aptitude.
It's also not a guarantee of moral fiber, either, and I'd be afraid of a smart evil person more than a dumb evil person any day of the week.
posted by jonmc at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008
It's also not a guarantee of moral fiber, either, and I'd be afraid of a smart evil person more than a dumb evil person any day of the week.
posted by jonmc at 11:43 AM on September 26, 2008
I think we all agree that getting pwned by Katie "the sweet little kitty-cat" Couric means you should go back to hockey-momming.
posted by Mister_A at 11:45 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 11:45 AM on September 26, 2008
Conservative pundits Kathleen Parker, David Brooks, George Will, and David Frum agree that Palin is not qualified.
Interestingly, three of those (Brooks, Will and Frum. I'm not familiar with Parker) are conservatives who's writing I sometimes find interesting.
posted by jonmc at 11:45 AM on September 26, 2008
Interestingly, three of those (Brooks, Will and Frum. I'm not familiar with Parker) are conservatives who's writing I sometimes find interesting.
posted by jonmc at 11:45 AM on September 26, 2008
Oh, totally, inigo2 and Mister_A, I definitely agree. (I had the very surreal experience last Fall of being interviewed by Natalie Morales, who was costumed as Eddie Munster, on the Today Show and then about 18 hours later by Steve Doocy, who was costumed as himself, on Fox & Friends. In between we bounced from NYT reporters to right-wing radio talk-show hosts and everyone on the continuum. Completely bizarre and crazy. But at least I had a buddy to kick some answers to -- I was interviewed with my co-author -- whenever my ability to stop myself from inane babbling failed. So I had a momentary bit of sympathy for the whole trainwreck of what she signed herself up for. But yes, absolutely, this whole shit-storm displays quite nakedly her own bad judgment/craven ambition -- and McCain's as well.)
posted by mothershock at 11:51 AM on September 26, 2008
posted by mothershock at 11:51 AM on September 26, 2008
I haven't participated in any of the political threads lately, because words simply fail me. All in all, I'd count this as the third-weirdest week that I've lived through in politics, second only to the Fla. recount in 2000 & the Nixon resignation. The Gingrich govt. shutdown comes in a distant fourth, at this point. I'm just flabbergasted by the weirdness of it all -- and the cherry on top of this giant Sundae of Political Weirdness in the "McCain Wins Debate!" ads run on the WSJ site -- before he'd even condescended to attend. Dude. What. The. Fuck.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:00 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:00 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
This woman is dumb as a sack full of hammers
Sacks full of hammers the world over take umbrage with this insultment.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:03 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Sacks full of hammers the world over take umbrage with this insultment.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:03 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
this stuff -- this talking to reporters and taking interviews -- is hard, especially when you don't have much experience in having to speak intelligently in public on a national level. It's hard even with media training
She was a communications major in college, wasn't she? And she worked for a while as a sportscaster, right? So, she should have some training for this sort of thing.
posted by Ms. Saint at 12:06 PM on September 26, 2008
She was a communications major in college, wasn't she? And she worked for a while as a sportscaster, right? So, she should have some training for this sort of thing.
posted by Ms. Saint at 12:06 PM on September 26, 2008
this stuff -- this talking to reporters and taking interviews -- is hard, especially when you don't have much experience in having to speak intelligently in public on a national level.
Oh, boo hoo hoo. Maybe she should've said "thanks, but no thanks" to that offer of being VP instead of presenting herself an unblinking pit bull with lipstick who never blinks and who's ready and has the unblinking confidence in that readiness. She said, "I'm ready," not "I'm ready except for the tough stuff," or "I'm ready, except for those meanie reporters, but I can totally shoot down Putin." She talks the talk, but she can't walk the walk.
To be fair, Charlie "In What Respect" Gibson asked her, "Doesn’t that take some hubris?" and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know what "hubris" means.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:12 PM on September 26, 2008
Hearing Palin's interviews makes me think of this sketch, for some reason. If anyone can post a video version of this I'd be much obliged.
posted by Mister_A at 12:15 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 12:15 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Of course, kirkaracha. Absolutely. Like I said, I don't feel sorry for her, a la Judith Warner. This is a pile of shit of her own making.
posted by mothershock at 12:16 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by mothershock at 12:16 PM on September 26, 2008
I think we all agree that getting pwned by Katie "the sweet little kitty-cat" Couric means you should go back to hockey-momming.
I think that their biggest mistake was underestimating Katie Couric. Say what you will about Couric, she's no amateur. She's interviewe a lot of people, and when that light comes on over that camera, you're in her domain.
The same thing that happened on The View, and with Letterman, and trying to bully Oprah. These people are not pundits. They have leverage, and more importantly, they all have big fat bank accounts. Walters, Letterman, Couric, Oprah, they're all sitting where they want to be sitting. Their pantries are full. Walters owns the view, Letterman owns his show, Oprah owns well...pretty much everything. It's called "fuck you" money for a reason, and Mccain seems intent on getting the finger.
I'm guessing he tries to run the table and pisses off Howard Stern next.
posted by billyfleetwood at 12:19 PM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
I think that their biggest mistake was underestimating Katie Couric. Say what you will about Couric, she's no amateur. She's interviewe a lot of people, and when that light comes on over that camera, you're in her domain.
The same thing that happened on The View, and with Letterman, and trying to bully Oprah. These people are not pundits. They have leverage, and more importantly, they all have big fat bank accounts. Walters, Letterman, Couric, Oprah, they're all sitting where they want to be sitting. Their pantries are full. Walters owns the view, Letterman owns his show, Oprah owns well...pretty much everything. It's called "fuck you" money for a reason, and Mccain seems intent on getting the finger.
I'm guessing he tries to run the table and pisses off Howard Stern next.
posted by billyfleetwood at 12:19 PM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
I'm guessing he tries to run the table and pisses off Howard Stern next.
God help him if he sends Palin in first.
posted by jonmc at 12:21 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
God help him if he sends Palin in first.
posted by jonmc at 12:21 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
My brother - who has the type of genius wherein one can teach themselves the principles of quantum mechanics over a summer and prefers formulas to novellas - is going to vote for McCain & Palin for the exact same reasons he voted for G.W.:
Doing so makes him feel part of the status quo.
Asking him questions about why he votes for these people, what he thinks they're going to do for the country, and you get all kinds of random answers that mostly center around buying the talking points these talking heads are given ample space to spout.
While we did back-to-school shopping for his three kids, he complained the entire time about having to buy these things. As it is, he was only able to take care of $50 worth, because, despite knowing the kids always go back to school at the end of summer and there are always school supplies to buy and having gone through a childhood wherein that was a significant source of stress, he had failed to save even one penny towards the needed items. To me, that's a sign of the same thinking that has us in our current mess, economically and everything else.
As he was complaining, saying the schools should cover these things, I pointed out schools are closing, many schools can't keep enough text books in stock, other schools are losing every class not on a standardised test at some point, and teachers are making less every year (particularly compared to inflation) - basically, I told him the education system is broke and broken.
He wanted to know why. I told him it was a complex issue but the gist was that education had been de-prioritised in the '80s (surprised that he didn't remember that himself) and had only become worse, with most of the funding formerly in the education vaults now supplying the military-industrial complex.
He was shocked. Truly and genuinely surprised. So shocked that he argued with me. He told me we pay taxes to take care of these things and some of that always goes to education, so they should provide more. I reiterated the other points then realised as he looked at me all uncomprehending that he had no idea where his tax dollars go at all and truly believed the rhetoric of USA having an unkillable economy.
I started breaking it down by how much of each dollar he pays in goes to what, and he still didn't believe me. He regurgitated talking points and buzz words that meant nothing to the conversation at hand like they were a magic spell for making the ludicrous logical. I kept throwing data at him. He finally stopped and asked me...
"But why would they do that? That doesn't make any sense! Why would they put so much money into one thing and make everything else fall apart?"
There was only one answer I could give. "That's a good question. You voted for them and are going to vote for them again. What is their explanation for how this would work?"
Crickets, he left, and we haven't talked about it since.
posted by batmonkey at 12:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [35 favorites]
Doing so makes him feel part of the status quo.
Asking him questions about why he votes for these people, what he thinks they're going to do for the country, and you get all kinds of random answers that mostly center around buying the talking points these talking heads are given ample space to spout.
While we did back-to-school shopping for his three kids, he complained the entire time about having to buy these things. As it is, he was only able to take care of $50 worth, because, despite knowing the kids always go back to school at the end of summer and there are always school supplies to buy and having gone through a childhood wherein that was a significant source of stress, he had failed to save even one penny towards the needed items. To me, that's a sign of the same thinking that has us in our current mess, economically and everything else.
As he was complaining, saying the schools should cover these things, I pointed out schools are closing, many schools can't keep enough text books in stock, other schools are losing every class not on a standardised test at some point, and teachers are making less every year (particularly compared to inflation) - basically, I told him the education system is broke and broken.
He wanted to know why. I told him it was a complex issue but the gist was that education had been de-prioritised in the '80s (surprised that he didn't remember that himself) and had only become worse, with most of the funding formerly in the education vaults now supplying the military-industrial complex.
He was shocked. Truly and genuinely surprised. So shocked that he argued with me. He told me we pay taxes to take care of these things and some of that always goes to education, so they should provide more. I reiterated the other points then realised as he looked at me all uncomprehending that he had no idea where his tax dollars go at all and truly believed the rhetoric of USA having an unkillable economy.
I started breaking it down by how much of each dollar he pays in goes to what, and he still didn't believe me. He regurgitated talking points and buzz words that meant nothing to the conversation at hand like they were a magic spell for making the ludicrous logical. I kept throwing data at him. He finally stopped and asked me...
"But why would they do that? That doesn't make any sense! Why would they put so much money into one thing and make everything else fall apart?"
There was only one answer I could give. "That's a good question. You voted for them and are going to vote for them again. What is their explanation for how this would work?"
Crickets, he left, and we haven't talked about it since.
posted by batmonkey at 12:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [35 favorites]
"this stuff -- this talking to reporters and taking interviews -- is hard, especially when you don't have much experience in having to speak intelligently in public on a national level."
True. But I have seen more coherent sentences and cohesive arguments presented to reporters by stoners at Santa Cruz's 4/20 celebrations. They stay on-message and answer the questions asked - and if they duck a question, they do it so entertainingly that you don't notice they've ducked it. They don't embarrass themselves (much).
posted by rtha at 12:23 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
True. But I have seen more coherent sentences and cohesive arguments presented to reporters by stoners at Santa Cruz's 4/20 celebrations. They stay on-message and answer the questions asked - and if they duck a question, they do it so entertainingly that you don't notice they've ducked it. They don't embarrass themselves (much).
posted by rtha at 12:23 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I was just listening to this song and it occurred to me that it perfectly summarizes McCain's campaign.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:34 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:34 PM on September 26, 2008
Wasilia = Sunnyvale Trailer Park [The Trailer Park Boys].
Reminds me of electing the trailer park Supervisor episode. Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 3 [NSFW][Cursing]
The incumbent supervisor, Jim Lahey has been hitting the bottle since the break up between him and his assistant supervisor Randy and has let the park and himself slide. An election is called for a new trailer park supervisor. Enter Sam Losco. Ricky & Julian want Lahey back so they come up with a plan. Prior to their speeches, they're mingling with the crowd eating hot dogs. Julian bumps Sam, while Ricky stuffs his dog with magic mushrooms...
Sam gets up to give his speech [2:30]... well, soon he's wearing the same look Sarah Palin wore answering simple questions...
"Listen up boys. We have 4 hours to get Lahey elected"
Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 2 [NSFW][Cursing]
Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 1 [NSFW][Cursing]
It was really a simple question. Proximity to a foreign country doesn't add up to foreign policy knowledge. D-uh./
No one briefed her that Medvedev became President of Russia on May 7, 2008. We acknowledge he's a figure head for Putin, but we daren't say it out loud, that would make Putin scowl and cut off oil to Eastern European Countries.
Heckling during Sam's Speech....as he fades in and out of reality...
Julian: You're on fucking drugs.
Bubbles:Sarah's Sam's on drugs everybody.
J-Rock: No one can understand what you're knowwwrrrRrr-rr saying.
Sam: No... [pause]
Julian: I say Knock, knock.
Sam: Who's there¿
Julian: Get the fuck off the stage ya stupid idiot.
Sam: Uh, I gotta' go. [Exits]
posted by alicesshoe at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Reminds me of electing the trailer park Supervisor episode. Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 3 [NSFW][Cursing]
The incumbent supervisor, Jim Lahey has been hitting the bottle since the break up between him and his assistant supervisor Randy and has let the park and himself slide. An election is called for a new trailer park supervisor. Enter Sam Losco. Ricky & Julian want Lahey back so they come up with a plan. Prior to their speeches, they're mingling with the crowd eating hot dogs. Julian bumps Sam, while Ricky stuffs his dog with magic mushrooms...
Sam gets up to give his speech [2:30]... well, soon he's wearing the same look Sarah Palin wore answering simple questions...
"Listen up boys. We have 4 hours to get Lahey elected"
Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 2 [NSFW][Cursing]
Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard Part 1 [NSFW][Cursing]
It was really a simple question. Proximity to a foreign country doesn't add up to foreign policy knowledge. D-uh./
No one briefed her that Medvedev became President of Russia on May 7, 2008. We acknowledge he's a figure head for Putin, but we daren't say it out loud, that would make Putin scowl and cut off oil to Eastern European Countries.
Heckling during Sam's Speech....as he fades in and out of reality...
Julian: You're on fucking drugs.
Bubbles:
J-Rock: No one can understand what you're knowwwrrrRrr-rr saying.
Sam: No... [pause]
Julian: I say Knock, knock.
Sam: Who's there¿
Julian: Get the fuck off the stage ya stupid idiot.
Sam: Uh, I gotta' go. [Exits]
posted by alicesshoe at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
“Remember conservatives HATE government and want it "drowned in the bathtub."”
Funny. 8 years of massive government expansion supporting corporate malfeasance and unilateral militarization and you’d think liberals would hate it and want to cut programs too.
Nothing wrong with a carefully crafted small but effective government with as light a footprint in terms of intrusion into the lives of individuals as possible.
I still don’t think MORE government is the answer. Better government? Hell yeah.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t think we need to really focus on butter after all the gun years. Our infrastructure alone...gah!
“I hear that Schwarzenegger says that "Sarah Palin is a choke!"”
They still have those Schwarzenegger soundboards right?
Man, I’d love to call Palin with one of those.
“Who’s your daddy?”
“Wha? Oh, Gad”
“ ‘I'm guessing he tries to run the table and pisses off Howard Stern next.’
‘God help him if he sends Palin in first.’ “
C’mon, show us your tits. What can it hurt? Do you know what you’re doing to me, in my pants, right now? *background snickers* I gotta tell ya, three inches, fully erect. I’ve got a..a mooseburger here...
posted by Smedleyman at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Funny. 8 years of massive government expansion supporting corporate malfeasance and unilateral militarization and you’d think liberals would hate it and want to cut programs too.
Nothing wrong with a carefully crafted small but effective government with as light a footprint in terms of intrusion into the lives of individuals as possible.
I still don’t think MORE government is the answer. Better government? Hell yeah.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t think we need to really focus on butter after all the gun years. Our infrastructure alone...gah!
“I hear that Schwarzenegger says that "Sarah Palin is a choke!"”
They still have those Schwarzenegger soundboards right?
Man, I’d love to call Palin with one of those.
“Who’s your daddy?”
“Wha? Oh, Gad”
“ ‘I'm guessing he tries to run the table and pisses off Howard Stern next.’
‘God help him if he sends Palin in first.’ “
C’mon, show us your tits. What can it hurt? Do you know what you’re doing to me, in my pants, right now? *background snickers* I gotta tell ya, three inches, fully erect. I’ve got a..a mooseburger here...
posted by Smedleyman at 12:39 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Jim Lahey Is a Drunk Bastard
Maybe it's the debate tonight, but I read that as Jim Lehrer Is a Drunk Bastard.
posted by EarBucket at 12:42 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Maybe it's the debate tonight, but I read that as Jim Lehrer Is a Drunk Bastard.
posted by EarBucket at 12:42 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Miss Alaska Beauty Pageant footage. (Skip the first minute.)
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 12:50 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 12:50 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Most of the very smart people I know think Mensa is a bad joke. There's a lot more to intelligence than joining ridiculous clubs, too.
"the least interesting thing about someone that intelligent should be that they score well on IQ tests."
Tooting your own horn never works well.
my point is that people who self-aggrandize themselves as being smart, rather than just take it for granted, are the first to come to mind when talking about IQ in politics.
And yet I don't think some of the clearly smarter candidates do this beyond the extent that's necessary in electoral politics... but they get hit there anyway. Did Gore or Kerry really come out and say "I'm smarter than you and smarter than my opponent?" Or did the accidentally signal this? If it's the later -- if there's something built into our social DNA that disqualifies people who even unintentionally signal they're smarter -- aren't we kindof screwed?
Not to mention the idea that some people vote based on “I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” (Isn't that what got us these guys we've got now?)
posted by weston at 12:51 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
"the least interesting thing about someone that intelligent should be that they score well on IQ tests."
Tooting your own horn never works well.
my point is that people who self-aggrandize themselves as being smart, rather than just take it for granted, are the first to come to mind when talking about IQ in politics.
And yet I don't think some of the clearly smarter candidates do this beyond the extent that's necessary in electoral politics... but they get hit there anyway. Did Gore or Kerry really come out and say "I'm smarter than you and smarter than my opponent?" Or did the accidentally signal this? If it's the later -- if there's something built into our social DNA that disqualifies people who even unintentionally signal they're smarter -- aren't we kindof screwed?
Not to mention the idea that some people vote based on “I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” (Isn't that what got us these guys we've got now?)
posted by weston at 12:51 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Jim Lehrer Is a Drunk Bastard
I'll have you know that Jim Lehrer is a happy drunk.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, on the other hand....
posted by Floydd at 12:52 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'll have you know that Jim Lehrer is a happy drunk.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, on the other hand....
posted by Floydd at 12:52 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Jim Lehrer Is a Drunk Bastard
Now you know why he and Bob McNiel split up.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2008
Now you know why he and Bob McNiel split up.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2008
Also, more on topic to Palin in general:
I grew up mostly very poor with occasional bursts of lower-middle-class in an intensely dysfunctional family and city. My first job started when I was 8. I worked every summer and during parts of most school years. I passed 9th grade and never completed another level of school. My first official job was at a Wendy's. By sheer determination and the blessings of autodidactism, I burned through one employment step-up through another and am now gainfully employed in the corporate world.
Other than a trip to Europe with my mom when I was a toddler that I barely remember, trips to Vancouver to visit friends while I was in Seattle, and one business trip to London (which I will always hold in my heart as one of the most valuable experiences of my life), the bulk of my existence has been spent within the U.S., and nearly all of that in the L of states from TX to WA.
And, yet, *I* can out-answer Palin on every single question Katie Couric asked her.
There is something very, very wrong with that.
posted by batmonkey at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
I grew up mostly very poor with occasional bursts of lower-middle-class in an intensely dysfunctional family and city. My first job started when I was 8. I worked every summer and during parts of most school years. I passed 9th grade and never completed another level of school. My first official job was at a Wendy's. By sheer determination and the blessings of autodidactism, I burned through one employment step-up through another and am now gainfully employed in the corporate world.
Other than a trip to Europe with my mom when I was a toddler that I barely remember, trips to Vancouver to visit friends while I was in Seattle, and one business trip to London (which I will always hold in my heart as one of the most valuable experiences of my life), the bulk of my existence has been spent within the U.S., and nearly all of that in the L of states from TX to WA.
And, yet, *I* can out-answer Palin on every single question Katie Couric asked her.
There is something very, very wrong with that.
posted by batmonkey at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
fremdschamen
posted by sciurus at 12:56 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by sciurus at 12:56 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Miss Alaska Beauty Pageant footage. (Skip the first minute.)
"The YouTube poster promises more, writing:posted by ericb at 12:57 PM on September 26, 2008'The 100% legit footage of the 1984 Miss Alaska Pageant featuring Sarah Palin. If you think this clip is good, wait until you see her play her flute in the talent competition... ;)'"*
Just the fact that one of the two people bound to be elected president of this country would even consider selecting this person as their running mate means we are truly fucked. Even if Obama is elected, McCain has set the desperation level for Repubs. at a new low. He has mocked the electoral process and those of us who depend on it to select reasonably competent administrators. (Bush does not count) I was hoping the last two elections were an aberration.
posted by notreally at 1:03 PM on September 26, 2008
Dammit, someone already snapped up sarahfailin.com.
posted by Mister_A at 1:13 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 1:13 PM on September 26, 2008
How freaking weird must it be to participate in a beauty contest?
posted by maxwelton at 1:14 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by maxwelton at 1:14 PM on September 26, 2008
She just signed a deal this summer with TransCanada Pipelines to supply 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily to the North American market...something which involved significant international partnership. Couldn't she have squeaked that in?
Perhaps because "TransCanada" is the name of a privately owned company, not an agency of the Canadian goverment? And that building that pipeline and running it over thousands of miles of Canadian soil is likely to be, at best, contentious?
posted by jokeefe at 1:16 PM on September 26, 2008
Perhaps because "TransCanada" is the name of a privately owned company, not an agency of the Canadian goverment? And that building that pipeline and running it over thousands of miles of Canadian soil is likely to be, at best, contentious?
posted by jokeefe at 1:16 PM on September 26, 2008
God, I need this election over with! Am I the only one here who realizes I need a 12-step program to stear me away from political threads and let me get on with my life???
I've obsessively read all of the McCain/Palin threads here, checked all the news sources more than once an hour, I've sat in my car in the parking lot listening to an NPR report on McCain's temperment--THIS HAS GOT TO END SOON!
And every day I swear I'll quit. And every fucking day something even more batshitinsane comes up and my palms sweat and my voice cracks and soon I'm compulsively emailing everyone I know, links to the Katie Couric interview. I even caught myself once on the verge of emailing links to the National Enquirer, for chrissake!
Make it end. Soon.
Either that or GIVE ME MORE DIRT!
posted by leftcoastbob at 1:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
I've obsessively read all of the McCain/Palin threads here, checked all the news sources more than once an hour, I've sat in my car in the parking lot listening to an NPR report on McCain's temperment--THIS HAS GOT TO END SOON!
And every day I swear I'll quit. And every fucking day something even more batshitinsane comes up and my palms sweat and my voice cracks and soon I'm compulsively emailing everyone I know, links to the Katie Couric interview. I even caught myself once on the verge of emailing links to the National Enquirer, for chrissake!
Make it end. Soon.
Either that or GIVE ME MORE DIRT!
posted by leftcoastbob at 1:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
It's so excruciatingly embarrassing to hear Palin speak that I think of her as the third Sweeney Sister.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
And ... the Palin pageant footage is already down.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:35 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:35 PM on September 26, 2008
"...asking standard questions was enough to throw her into a tizzy of Pomeranian defensiveness. "
When I read that, I though, wow, what an awesomely erudite analogy, equating her hyperdefensiveness with the realpolitik history of the northern Prussian province -- oh wait...the Pomeranian dog?
And then I realized that both analogies were sadly apropos.
posted by darkstar at 1:37 PM on September 26, 2008
When I read that, I though, wow, what an awesomely erudite analogy, equating her hyperdefensiveness with the realpolitik history of the northern Prussian province -- oh wait...the Pomeranian dog?
And then I realized that both analogies were sadly apropos.
posted by darkstar at 1:37 PM on September 26, 2008
you know, we've seen these softy liberal reporters ask Palin the easy questions like "what did you mean when you said Governing Alaska gave you foreign policy experience with Russia?" Pffft! I want to see them ask her a really hard question, like "what did you mean when you said that we need to not see trade as a competitive big scary thing?"
posted by shmegegge at 1:37 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by shmegegge at 1:37 PM on September 26, 2008
you know, we've seen these softy liberal reporters ask Palin the easy questions like "what did you mean when you said Governing Alaska gave you foreign policy experience with Russia?" Pffft! I want to see them ask her a really hard question, like "what did you mean when you said that we need to not see trade as a competitive big scary thing?"
"Governor Palin: fire, bad? Take your time."
*opens sudoku book*
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:41 PM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
"Governor Palin: fire, bad? Take your time."
*opens sudoku book*
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:41 PM on September 26, 2008 [9 favorites]
Forget about how close she is to Russia: she works 30 miles from the Canadian border and she neither has a passport nor any foreign policy experience.
What an embarrassment.
posted by ten pounds of inedita at 1:42 PM on September 26, 2008
What an embarrassment.
posted by ten pounds of inedita at 1:42 PM on September 26, 2008
There are plenty of people in this country who have lower IQs than I. Why don't they want someone smarter than they in the White House?
In large part it's because low-IQ people don't believe that high-IQ people actually are smarter. Low-IQ people like to talk about other kinds of smart (street smarts, common sense, being a graduate of the school of hard knocks, possessing old-fashioned decency, etc.) that they believe are more important than having a high IQ and that they, the low-IQ people, just happen to have in abundance compared to the bookworms and eggheads. (There's no standardized test for common sense, so it's an easy claim to make.) Low-IQ people love to talk about "a guy who was so smart, he was stupid" and "a real book worm but he doesn't have an ounce of common sense" and so on. These are some of the myths they live by. Low-IQ people want leaders like themselves because they blame the common dissatisfactions of having a low IQ (bad education, bad jobs, low pay, no job security, etc.) in part on having egghead leaders running things the wrong (egghead) way.
The thing is, these qualities -- high IQ and street smarts and down-home decency and so on -- are not mutually exclusive, but low-IQ people tend not to believe that, tend to believe that having a high IQ spoils or precludes the others, so smart candidates have to knock 30 points off their apparent IQs while turning up the volume on the regular-folk signals -- put on a flannel shirt, eat pie at a truck stop, chat about the weather, wlk into crowds to shake hands with blue-collar workers, kiss a baby or two, etc. They daren't risk exposing themselves as people smart enough to run a country.
posted by pracowity at 2:01 PM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
In large part it's because low-IQ people don't believe that high-IQ people actually are smarter. Low-IQ people like to talk about other kinds of smart (street smarts, common sense, being a graduate of the school of hard knocks, possessing old-fashioned decency, etc.) that they believe are more important than having a high IQ and that they, the low-IQ people, just happen to have in abundance compared to the bookworms and eggheads. (There's no standardized test for common sense, so it's an easy claim to make.) Low-IQ people love to talk about "a guy who was so smart, he was stupid" and "a real book worm but he doesn't have an ounce of common sense" and so on. These are some of the myths they live by. Low-IQ people want leaders like themselves because they blame the common dissatisfactions of having a low IQ (bad education, bad jobs, low pay, no job security, etc.) in part on having egghead leaders running things the wrong (egghead) way.
The thing is, these qualities -- high IQ and street smarts and down-home decency and so on -- are not mutually exclusive, but low-IQ people tend not to believe that, tend to believe that having a high IQ spoils or precludes the others, so smart candidates have to knock 30 points off their apparent IQs while turning up the volume on the regular-folk signals -- put on a flannel shirt, eat pie at a truck stop, chat about the weather, wlk into crowds to shake hands with blue-collar workers, kiss a baby or two, etc. They daren't risk exposing themselves as people smart enough to run a country.
posted by pracowity at 2:01 PM on September 26, 2008 [11 favorites]
In her defense, pols who want to be the VP candidates normally try to burnish their credentials way in advance of election season by traveling overseas or pursing issues with more national implications. Clinton did so by taking part in the DLC as governor of Arkansas. That she hadn't done anything of the sort shows how unexpected to even Palin her selection was.
posted by stchang at 2:04 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by stchang at 2:04 PM on September 26, 2008
"I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture.
Right. It's comments like this that remind me not to feel sorry for Churchy Spice. What a nasty little piece of work.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:05 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Right. It's comments like this that remind me not to feel sorry for Churchy Spice. What a nasty little piece of work.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:05 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
'Small town,' All- American Kentucky voter on why she won't vote for Obama.
posted by ericb at 2:09 PM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by ericb at 2:09 PM on September 26, 2008 [5 favorites]
ericb, shhhhhh.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:10 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:10 PM on September 26, 2008
Pageant video's already been taken down: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Splash News".
posted by puddleglum at 2:19 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by puddleglum at 2:19 PM on September 26, 2008
Low-IQ people want leaders like themselves because they blame the common dissatisfactions of having a low IQ (bad education, bad jobs, low pay, no job security, etc.) in part on having egghead leaders running things the wrong (egghead) way.
Or maybe they just get tired of hearing thinly-vieled contempt seeping through statements like this and don't trust them. I listen to the Palins of the world and I'm disgusted but when I hear this shit I'm disgusted, too. I'm disgusted is what I'm saying.
posted by jonmc at 2:19 PM on September 26, 2008
Or maybe they just get tired of hearing thinly-vieled contempt seeping through statements like this and don't trust them. I listen to the Palins of the world and I'm disgusted but when I hear this shit I'm disgusted, too. I'm disgusted is what I'm saying.
posted by jonmc at 2:19 PM on September 26, 2008
pracowity, all those things are as attached to class as to IQ. Which makes sense, since your class privileges hugely influcence your IQ score anyway.
Candidates tend to act down-home around certain voters because people want to feel that the candidates are like them, and understand their issues. It is possible to understand poverty if you've never been poor, but having a "born in a log cabin" story is always a help in a campaign if you want the support of poor whites/lower middle class whites.
In the past both Dems and Republicans were able to play this game with varying degrees of success, but as the media has become more conservative and neutered, the down-home claims of Repub candidates are almost never challenged (see: Connecticut Cowboy Bush) while that of Dems is constantly cast as a put-on (Clinton grew up poor in Arkansas, was still considered "uppity"). The media themselves haven't been down-home in years, because journalism isn't a blue collar profession anymore; so they can't tell the difference between true and false folksiness. In any case, they're too lazy to ask hard questions most of the time.
McCain has no log cabin story, so he leans on his POW status, and now he has Down Home Barbie to give that folksy veneer. It remains to be seen how many people value that over her actually being competent to lead; my guess is a lot of them will assume she should just do what the menz tell her to anyway, so it doesn't matter.
Obama, as a black man, is pretty much automatically excluded from the down-home narrative, since it's mostly a white one. He has to run on change, hope, and Kennedyesque striving instead, hoping the glamor and charisma will overpower (some) people's aversion to his race and intelligence. (and that the ones who actually like those things vote in large enough numbers).
posted by emjaybee at 2:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Candidates tend to act down-home around certain voters because people want to feel that the candidates are like them, and understand their issues. It is possible to understand poverty if you've never been poor, but having a "born in a log cabin" story is always a help in a campaign if you want the support of poor whites/lower middle class whites.
In the past both Dems and Republicans were able to play this game with varying degrees of success, but as the media has become more conservative and neutered, the down-home claims of Repub candidates are almost never challenged (see: Connecticut Cowboy Bush) while that of Dems is constantly cast as a put-on (Clinton grew up poor in Arkansas, was still considered "uppity"). The media themselves haven't been down-home in years, because journalism isn't a blue collar profession anymore; so they can't tell the difference between true and false folksiness. In any case, they're too lazy to ask hard questions most of the time.
McCain has no log cabin story, so he leans on his POW status, and now he has Down Home Barbie to give that folksy veneer. It remains to be seen how many people value that over her actually being competent to lead; my guess is a lot of them will assume she should just do what the menz tell her to anyway, so it doesn't matter.
Obama, as a black man, is pretty much automatically excluded from the down-home narrative, since it's mostly a white one. He has to run on change, hope, and Kennedyesque striving instead, hoping the glamor and charisma will overpower (some) people's aversion to his race and intelligence. (and that the ones who actually like those things vote in large enough numbers).
posted by emjaybee at 2:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
ericb:
"Brings to mind a certain MeFite!"
Lots of people do this. Some realise at some point that's it not productive, not helping their cause, and/or holding them back from real understanding and effectiveness. Some don't.
That said, I hope you're not trying to re-purpose those words to enable passive aggressive sniping on any MeFite. I took the time to type them out to provide an example of a person who seems to have no reason whatsoever to vote for these folks but will, anyway.
I heartily recommend MeMail for working out individual issues rather than increasing noise levels.
posted by batmonkey at 2:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
"Brings to mind a certain MeFite!"
Lots of people do this. Some realise at some point that's it not productive, not helping their cause, and/or holding them back from real understanding and effectiveness. Some don't.
That said, I hope you're not trying to re-purpose those words to enable passive aggressive sniping on any MeFite. I took the time to type them out to provide an example of a person who seems to have no reason whatsoever to vote for these folks but will, anyway.
I heartily recommend MeMail for working out individual issues rather than increasing noise levels.
posted by batmonkey at 2:22 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
'Small town,' All- American Kentucky voter on why she won't vote for Obama.
...
What the fuck did I just watch?
posted by quin at 2:23 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
...
What the fuck did I just watch?
posted by quin at 2:23 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
And ... the Palin pageant footage is already down.
New copy here.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 2:23 PM on September 26, 2008
New copy here.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 2:23 PM on September 26, 2008
> What the fuck did I just watch?
Someone even less qualified to be Vice President than Palin. You should feel better!
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:25 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
Someone even less qualified to be Vice President than Palin. You should feel better!
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:25 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
'Small town,' All- American Kentucky voter on why she won't vote for Obama.
Please tell me that's Improv Everywhere.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 2:26 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Please tell me that's Improv Everywhere.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 2:26 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
And ... the Palin pageant footage is already down. New copy here.
Also currently available here.
posted by ericb at 2:49 PM on September 26, 2008
Also currently available here.
posted by ericb at 2:49 PM on September 26, 2008
MySpace page of the kid who posted the beauty pageant video. Me, I'm waiting for the flute playing clip. She's just so talented.
I've said this in the last mega Palin thread (what are we up to, something like 5000 comments on this site in the last 2 weeks dealing in some way with Palin?), I've actually met her in person, last June in Alaska. It was a two second receiving line handshake. I can't say I got any vibe at all other than "more Alaska weirdness" (of which I am something of a connoisseur). She had the youngest daughter with her. I watched her jump (not really be tossed, just a few inches up) on a Nalukataq blanket toss, which drew big cheers from the mostly Native crowd. A huge gaggle of press was following her, I thought, for a governor; and it was no small thing to move the Palin show to Barrow for a day - the town had to do a lot of preparation. Most people thought highly of her as a tough actor who delivered for Alaska, and everyone told me the story of her flying back to Alaska to deliver the baby after her water had broken in Houston, mostly with a "now that's hardcore Alaskan" implication, not necessarily praiseworthy, but "one of us" anyway.
But since then, my email is full of messages from Native friends who are not pleased with Palin as a VP candidate, at all. Her popularity in Alaska has fallen nearly 20 percent since the pick, and a lot of her former fans are becoming neutral or even angry at the bad light she has thrown on the state (not that everyone doesn't know a lot of it is deserved) for corruption, parochialism, rape, drugs, etc. Mostly, people are focusing on her poor record with Native issues (and do not be tripped up by "her husband is part Yup'ik" line, which is beside the point). And increasingly, some are bothered by her aggressive politicization of her faith, which I find interesting (most Native Alaskans are devout Christians). Before the Palin pick, most were voting for Obama -- and I talked to lots of Natives about this, from a diverse range of backgrounds. Quite a few said things like "I'm voting Barack so we don't go Ba-roke," and a couple said "I'm voting for the black guy," with an emphasis on solidarity among people of color.
I haven't been there since Palin was picked, but via email and the press I'm getting a sense that she initially attracted a lot of interest in the McCain ticket from Native Alaskans (many of whom are veterans, and thus open to that side of McCain's appeal). But now I'm seeing it swing back.
After this week, I suspect a lot of Alaskans are going to be completely embarrassed by her national debacle.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:54 PM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
I've said this in the last mega Palin thread (what are we up to, something like 5000 comments on this site in the last 2 weeks dealing in some way with Palin?), I've actually met her in person, last June in Alaska. It was a two second receiving line handshake. I can't say I got any vibe at all other than "more Alaska weirdness" (of which I am something of a connoisseur). She had the youngest daughter with her. I watched her jump (not really be tossed, just a few inches up) on a Nalukataq blanket toss, which drew big cheers from the mostly Native crowd. A huge gaggle of press was following her, I thought, for a governor; and it was no small thing to move the Palin show to Barrow for a day - the town had to do a lot of preparation. Most people thought highly of her as a tough actor who delivered for Alaska, and everyone told me the story of her flying back to Alaska to deliver the baby after her water had broken in Houston, mostly with a "now that's hardcore Alaskan" implication, not necessarily praiseworthy, but "one of us" anyway.
But since then, my email is full of messages from Native friends who are not pleased with Palin as a VP candidate, at all. Her popularity in Alaska has fallen nearly 20 percent since the pick, and a lot of her former fans are becoming neutral or even angry at the bad light she has thrown on the state (not that everyone doesn't know a lot of it is deserved) for corruption, parochialism, rape, drugs, etc. Mostly, people are focusing on her poor record with Native issues (and do not be tripped up by "her husband is part Yup'ik" line, which is beside the point). And increasingly, some are bothered by her aggressive politicization of her faith, which I find interesting (most Native Alaskans are devout Christians). Before the Palin pick, most were voting for Obama -- and I talked to lots of Natives about this, from a diverse range of backgrounds. Quite a few said things like "I'm voting Barack so we don't go Ba-roke," and a couple said "I'm voting for the black guy," with an emphasis on solidarity among people of color.
I haven't been there since Palin was picked, but via email and the press I'm getting a sense that she initially attracted a lot of interest in the McCain ticket from Native Alaskans (many of whom are veterans, and thus open to that side of McCain's appeal). But now I'm seeing it swing back.
After this week, I suspect a lot of Alaskans are going to be completely embarrassed by her national debacle.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:54 PM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Whoops, here's the MySpace link for the kid posting the beauty pageant videos. Getting sloppy as the conversation gets more epic.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:55 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:55 PM on September 26, 2008
Perhaps the American Republicans could swap Sarah Palin for Tina Fey.
posted by Quiplash at 2:56 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by Quiplash at 2:56 PM on September 26, 2008
Cafferty: Palin's a Friggin' Laughingstock
posted by homunculus at 2:58 PM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 2:58 PM on September 26, 2008 [7 favorites]
Jack Cafferty shreds Palin today (CNN, youtube)
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:00 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:00 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ha, jinx.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:00 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:00 PM on September 26, 2008
TPM -- Dem Registration Far Outpacing GOP in Swing States (nice story)
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:05 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:05 PM on September 26, 2008
I think that Cafferty piece may need to be archived in the Smithsonian, regardless of the election outcome. For a moment I felt something akin to relief.
posted by docpops at 3:10 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by docpops at 3:10 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Damn you and your facts, goodnewsfortheinsane, you've terrified my cats!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:13 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:13 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
goodnewsfortheinsane, that "distance" video is awesome -- you made that?
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:16 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:16 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
“Tooting your own horn never works well.”
Eh. Ron Jeremy made a career of it.
“I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” (Isn't that what got us these guys we've got now?)”
You think they drink - beer? Or carry their own firearms? How gauche. And when they do handle their own weaponry...
Y’know, if I ever shot one of my hunting buddies...wow. I just couldn’t imagine that. Oh, I enjoy the occasional beer now and then. It’s not unhealthy in moderation.
But it’s literally beyond my conception to get boozed up and handle a live firearm. Much less go out in the field with it. I couldn’t imagine being that criminally reckless in the first place - but then to do injury to a friend on top of that... I could never live that down. I’d never pick up a weapon again just out of basic respect.
They like the culture - the affectation of firearms, beer drinking, etc. etc. They’re the worst kind of poseurs and thrill seekers. It’s like those asshats who wear fake medals. Ignorance and vacillation hiding behind the facade of simplicity and directness.
“Low-IQ people love to talk about "a guy who was so smart, he was stupid" and "a real book worm but he doesn't have an ounce of common sense" and so on. These are some of the myths they live by.”
When I was in school I made a comment to some of the other (younger) students that not everyone gets to go to college. They looked at me like I was nuts and said that most people went to college.
So I do think there is some valid disconnect there.
And indeed, in terms of success, granted having intellect is a boon, but hard work is far more important. I’d much rather have a guy who is competant but busts his ass over a guy who’s brilliant, but does just enough to get by. Typically study habits and work and organizational skills are more crucial to success than just a high I.Q.
Of course, as you say, they’re not mutually exclusive.
I think Bill Maher pointed that out about Clinton. That - even while he was getting blown - he was eating pizza and cutting deals in foreign policy on the phone.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:26 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Eh. Ron Jeremy made a career of it.
“I’d much rather have a gun-toting beer-drinking person in the white house than these guys we’ve got now.” (Isn't that what got us these guys we've got now?)”
You think they drink - beer? Or carry their own firearms? How gauche. And when they do handle their own weaponry...
Y’know, if I ever shot one of my hunting buddies...wow. I just couldn’t imagine that. Oh, I enjoy the occasional beer now and then. It’s not unhealthy in moderation.
But it’s literally beyond my conception to get boozed up and handle a live firearm. Much less go out in the field with it. I couldn’t imagine being that criminally reckless in the first place - but then to do injury to a friend on top of that... I could never live that down. I’d never pick up a weapon again just out of basic respect.
They like the culture - the affectation of firearms, beer drinking, etc. etc. They’re the worst kind of poseurs and thrill seekers. It’s like those asshats who wear fake medals. Ignorance and vacillation hiding behind the facade of simplicity and directness.
“Low-IQ people love to talk about "a guy who was so smart, he was stupid" and "a real book worm but he doesn't have an ounce of common sense" and so on. These are some of the myths they live by.”
When I was in school I made a comment to some of the other (younger) students that not everyone gets to go to college. They looked at me like I was nuts and said that most people went to college.
So I do think there is some valid disconnect there.
And indeed, in terms of success, granted having intellect is a boon, but hard work is far more important. I’d much rather have a guy who is competant but busts his ass over a guy who’s brilliant, but does just enough to get by. Typically study habits and work and organizational skills are more crucial to success than just a high I.Q.
Of course, as you say, they’re not mutually exclusive.
I think Bill Maher pointed that out about Clinton. That - even while he was getting blown - he was eating pizza and cutting deals in foreign policy on the phone.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:26 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Heh. I got beat to the punch on the Jack Cafferty's Mad As Hell, And He's Not Taking It Anymore clip. Profoundly awesome. I especially love how Wolf Blitzer tries to tapdance around the whole thing ("well, it wasn't her best performance"), and Cafferty basically tells him to come the fuck off it.
posted by scody at 3:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by scody at 3:31 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
The silver lining on the cloud of financial crisis is the future presidency of Barack Obama. These videos of Palin are the frosting on that silver lining. And the Cafferty video is like skywriting in frosting on the silver lining cake cloud.
Hey! I could write for Sarah Palin!
posted by malocchio at 3:33 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Hey! I could write for Sarah Palin!
posted by malocchio at 3:33 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Holy crap -- I was sure Cafferty was going to just go ahead and actually say, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
But his was, I think, the appropriate response. I really think the McCain campaign needs to be treated the way people finally started treating the Bush admin during Katrina: call them out on their bullshit and stop with the false equivalencies and middle ground fallacies. I don't think refraining from speaking plainly about McCain and Palin makes one look objective and fair, I think it looks like one has no critical thinking skills.
After all, there is, in fact, a difference between shit and shinola.
posted by lord_wolf at 3:34 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
But his was, I think, the appropriate response. I really think the McCain campaign needs to be treated the way people finally started treating the Bush admin during Katrina: call them out on their bullshit and stop with the false equivalencies and middle ground fallacies. I don't think refraining from speaking plainly about McCain and Palin makes one look objective and fair, I think it looks like one has no critical thinking skills.
After all, there is, in fact, a difference between shit and shinola.
posted by lord_wolf at 3:34 PM on September 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
the reason Sarah Palin went to New York in the first place was because Colbert used the "Palin Signal"
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 3:34 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 3:34 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
A passel of Palin/Miss Teen South Carolina mashups. Lotsa lulz.
[ Also, Juan Cole's rather stunningly good defense of Miss Teen South Carolina's (Caitlin Upton) original response to the "maps" question. Required reading for anyone who gets a laugh from her video, I think. At least she's not running for VP. ]
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:37 PM on September 26, 2008
[ Also, Juan Cole's rather stunningly good defense of Miss Teen South Carolina's (Caitlin Upton) original response to the "maps" question. Required reading for anyone who gets a laugh from her video, I think. At least she's not running for VP. ]
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:37 PM on September 26, 2008
Seven Tips For My Liberal Friends Out Hunting Sarah Palin
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:46 PM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:46 PM on September 26, 2008 [4 favorites]
Has the McCain Campaign Broken Sarah Palin?
posted by poxuppit at 3:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by poxuppit at 3:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
That Cafferty link is full of awes.
posted by butterstick at 3:56 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by butterstick at 3:56 PM on September 26, 2008
'Small town,' All- American Kentucky voter on why she won't vote for Obama.
...
What the fuck did I just watch?
America, baby, America.
posted by bashos_frog at 4:02 PM on September 26, 2008
...
What the fuck did I just watch?
America, baby, America.
posted by bashos_frog at 4:02 PM on September 26, 2008
I think that Cafferty piece may need to be archived in the Smithsonian, regardless of the election outcome. For a moment I felt something akin to relief.
Exactly. We need more Jack Caffertys and Matt Damons who are not afraid to say what is painfully clear to everyone. Instead, we have public figures who keep their mouths shut out of, what? Politeness? Fear of the inevitable labeling as a sexist/intellectual/unpatriotic whatever? Come ON people!
posted by triggerfinger at 4:06 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Exactly. We need more Jack Caffertys and Matt Damons who are not afraid to say what is painfully clear to everyone. Instead, we have public figures who keep their mouths shut out of, what? Politeness? Fear of the inevitable labeling as a sexist/intellectual/unpatriotic whatever? Come ON people!
posted by triggerfinger at 4:06 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Damn. Ted Kennedy taken to the hospital again. No link, just heard on the news.
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:11 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:11 PM on September 26, 2008
Sen. Ted Kennedy Taken To Hospital In Mass.
"Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has been in treatment for brain cancer, was taken to a hospital near his Cape Cod, Mass. vacation home after complaining of feeling ill.posted by ericb at 4:13 PM on September 26, 2008
Barnstable, Mass. police Sgt. Ben Baxter said the 911 call from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port came at about 5:10 p.m. on Friday.
Baxter said Kennedy was then taken by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital. Baxter said Kennedy was 'alert and responsive' during the trip.
Representatives of Kennedy and the hospital did not immediately return calls for comment."
This guy did a better job rambling on about a subject on which he knows nothing than Sarah Palin did.
posted by dirigibleman at 4:28 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by dirigibleman at 4:28 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Joe Conason (Salon): McCain Proves He's Unfit to Serve
concludes:
By the time you read this -- and certainly by the time he appears in Oxford, Miss., for the first presidential debate -- the former straight talker will probably have adopted some new stance, in his panting eagerness to appear presidential. His attempts to game this dangerous situation, his waffling between bipartisanship and ideological rigidity, his shiftiness on the real issues and his obvious lack of concentration on the problems that must be resolved -- suggest that he is in fact unfit to serve in the office he desires. Once again he has proved that his claim to put country first is hollow. He was more than willing to take America down as he gambled for that prize.
I love Conason.
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:38 PM on September 26, 2008
concludes:
By the time you read this -- and certainly by the time he appears in Oxford, Miss., for the first presidential debate -- the former straight talker will probably have adopted some new stance, in his panting eagerness to appear presidential. His attempts to game this dangerous situation, his waffling between bipartisanship and ideological rigidity, his shiftiness on the real issues and his obvious lack of concentration on the problems that must be resolved -- suggest that he is in fact unfit to serve in the office he desires. Once again he has proved that his claim to put country first is hollow. He was more than willing to take America down as he gambled for that prize.
I love Conason.
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:38 PM on September 26, 2008
If you feel the need to feel sorry for Sarah Palin, feel sorry for her when she returns to Alaska. I suspect that she will be a one term governor after this and with any amount of luck she will sink into obscurity knitting booties for the grandkids.
posted by leftcoastbob at 4:41 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by leftcoastbob at 4:41 PM on September 26, 2008
leftcoastbob, count on it. (Mudflats has a new URL and server -- a little Alaska political blog has gone big time, just like Churchy Spice -- but much smarter).
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:44 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:44 PM on September 26, 2008
> What the fuck did I just watch?
Someone even less qualified to be Vice President than Palin. You should feel better!
Did you read any of the comments? There was one in particular I liked:
Amazing. She correctly identified Spain as an ally. A feat which John McCain was unable to similarly accomplish.
posted by kisch mokusch at 4:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Someone even less qualified to be Vice President than Palin. You should feel better!
Did you read any of the comments? There was one in particular I liked:
Amazing. She correctly identified Spain as an ally. A feat which John McCain was unable to similarly accomplish.
posted by kisch mokusch at 4:55 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
A coherent comment on YouTube? Now I've seen everything.
posted by boo_radley at 4:57 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by boo_radley at 4:57 PM on September 26, 2008
I really think the McCain campaign needs to be treated the way people finally started treating the Bush admin during Katrina: call them out on their bullshit and stop with the false equivalencies and middle ground fallacies. I don't think refraining from speaking plainly about McCain and Palin makes one look objective and fair, I think it looks like one has no critical thinking skills.
A million times, yes. And McCafferty just made it onto my Christmas card list.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:57 PM on September 26, 2008
A million times, yes. And McCafferty just made it onto my Christmas card list.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:57 PM on September 26, 2008
I have to share a laugh, again found in the comments on another site -- Palin/McCain as "Moose and Squirrel 08."
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:02 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:02 PM on September 26, 2008
Teddy Kennedy is OK, going home. He wanted to be home for the debate!
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:03 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:03 PM on September 26, 2008
What happens if McCain dies before November 4th? Does this shitbird run for president?
posted by phaedon at 5:03 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by phaedon at 5:03 PM on September 26, 2008
After this week, I suspect a lot of Alaskans are going to be completely embarrassed by her national debacle.
Indeed. My hope is (and given Obama's growing lead in the polls, it seems possible) that after McCain loses, Palin will be removed from office for abuse of authority and be finished in terms of a political career.
posted by orange swan at 5:36 PM on September 26, 2008
Indeed. My hope is (and given Obama's growing lead in the polls, it seems possible) that after McCain loses, Palin will be removed from office for abuse of authority and be finished in terms of a political career.
posted by orange swan at 5:36 PM on September 26, 2008
From a 75-year old grandmother of a friend, who was over for dinner, to watch the Palin interview.
"OH MY GOD! IS SHE RETARDED?"
She's the best grandmother ever.
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 PM on September 26, 2008
"OH MY GOD! IS SHE RETARDED?"
She's the best grandmother ever.
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 PM on September 26, 2008
Teddy Kennedy is OK, going home. He wanted to be home for the debate!
Yep. Kennedy back home after brief hospitalization.
posted by ericb at 5:58 PM on September 26, 2008
Yep. Kennedy back home after brief hospitalization.
posted by ericb at 5:58 PM on September 26, 2008
I think This is the debate thread. But I could be wrong. I have had much beer.
posted by The Whelk at 6:00 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by The Whelk at 6:00 PM on September 26, 2008
Wait, Obama and Palin both played basketball in high school? If there was ever a time that two candidates for public office needed to show up at the same gymnasium to debate, now is that time -- some foreign policy debate, followed by one-on-one to 21.
posted by davejay at 6:21 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by davejay at 6:21 PM on September 26, 2008
Cafferty: Palin's a Friggin' Laughingstock
It must be horrendously embarassing to have a Presidential candidate do this to his country. The world is watching and laughing at America as this debacle grinds on.
McCain: What An Asshole.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:57 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
It must be horrendously embarassing to have a Presidential candidate do this to his country. The world is watching and laughing at America as this debacle grinds on.
McCain: What An Asshole.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:57 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Marisa Stole the Precious Thing said: I shook hands with Walter Mondale. Who wants to give me Minnesota?
As a small child, I rang the bell in the stock exchange, which, using Palin coversions, means that I can claim my rightful throne as the queen of the Evil Cabal. Since we know that Wall Street owns America, or at least can take it hostage, I, said Queen of Evil Cabal, hereby grant to you the deeds, properties and rights of Minnesota. May the gravlax be with you.
posted by dejah420 at 7:02 PM on September 26, 2008
As a small child, I rang the bell in the stock exchange, which, using Palin coversions, means that I can claim my rightful throne as the queen of the Evil Cabal. Since we know that Wall Street owns America, or at least can take it hostage, I, said Queen of Evil Cabal, hereby grant to you the deeds, properties and rights of Minnesota. May the gravlax be with you.
posted by dejah420 at 7:02 PM on September 26, 2008
The world is watching and laughing at America as this debacle grinds on
As a representative of the world, I can assure you that that's not the case. Actually, the world's arse is clenched with fear that 51% of American voters will react to another bullshit Republican campaign the same way they did in 2004.
posted by flabdablet at 7:19 PM on September 26, 2008
As a representative of the world, I can assure you that that's not the case. Actually, the world's arse is clenched with fear that 51% of American voters will react to another bullshit Republican campaign the same way they did in 2004.
posted by flabdablet at 7:19 PM on September 26, 2008
Thanks Whelk. I have had much wine, because I am an elitist.
It was *fancy* beer.
posted by The Whelk at 8:13 PM on September 26, 2008
You know, from my house sometimes I have a pretty good view of the moon. I guess that makes me an astronaut Sarah!
posted by jcworth at 9:02 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by jcworth at 9:02 PM on September 26, 2008
Thanks Whelk. I have had much wine, because I am an elitist.
I have had much hard alcohol, because, I mean, seriously.
posted by cortex at 9:40 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I have had much hard alcohol, because, I mean, seriously.
posted by cortex at 9:40 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I sewed myself a dress while I listened to the debates because it made me feel less agitated to have something useful to do. But then I'm a pragmatist.
posted by orange swan at 9:44 PM on September 26, 2008
posted by orange swan at 9:44 PM on September 26, 2008
Please look up the difference between medians and averages.
Don't be mean.
posted by dhartung at 10:04 PM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
Don't be mean.
posted by dhartung at 10:04 PM on September 26, 2008 [8 favorites]
As a small child, I rang the bell in the stock exchange, which, using Palin coversions, means that I can claim my rightful throne as the queen of the Evil Cabal. Since we know that Wall Street owns America, or at least can take it hostage, I, said Queen of Evil Cabal, hereby grant to you the deeds, properties and rights of Minnesota. May the gravlax be with you.
Yussss!
/napoleondynamite
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:13 AM on September 27, 2008
Yussss!
/napoleondynamite
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:13 AM on September 27, 2008
Holy fucking shit that was painful to watch. Even for a politician, the ratio of words to meaning is tilted awfully far to the left. What total fucking muppet thought she was a remotely good choice? Fucking hell. The only way she's a good choice is if, as someone else here said, McCain will be stepping down after the election due to 'health reasons', Palin gets to be the face of the top job and the usual backroom thugs run the show. How about four/eight more years of VP Cheney, everyone? Betcha a dollar. One of our dollars, that is, as they'll actually be worth something if that happens.
I'll be reading the rest of the thread now
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:30 AM on September 27, 2008
I'll be reading the rest of the thread now
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:30 AM on September 27, 2008
I suspect that if you get Palin or Upton on a topic they've given some in-depth study and thought to, they could be pretty articulate. Unfortunately, when it comes to Palin, it's not clear that any of those topics are related to national policy issues.
I dunno. Palin's proposed defence policy involves snowmobile commandos and moose cavalry.
Give Sarah Palin a break. I'm sick of this thread and the repeat videos and the "isn't she dumb" remarks. Sarah Palin is an Alaskan and her schtick and values are Alaskan. She was never meant for prime time TV.
Okay, she's Alaskan. She's also dumb as a box of hammers.
This guy did a better job rambling on about a subject on which he knows nothing than Sarah Palin did.
So did this one.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:33 AM on September 27, 2008
I dunno. Palin's proposed defence policy involves snowmobile commandos and moose cavalry.
Give Sarah Palin a break. I'm sick of this thread and the repeat videos and the "isn't she dumb" remarks. Sarah Palin is an Alaskan and her schtick and values are Alaskan. She was never meant for prime time TV.
Okay, she's Alaskan. She's also dumb as a box of hammers.
This guy did a better job rambling on about a subject on which he knows nothing than Sarah Palin did.
So did this one.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:33 AM on September 27, 2008
I think it's important to decide one point: is she as dumb as a bag of hammers, or a box of hammers? We seem to have narrowed the possibilities by ruling out stumps, but the bag-or-box question lingers. It could make all the difference.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:58 AM on September 27, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:58 AM on September 27, 2008
I vote we go with "sack of hammers".
posted by orange swan at 6:01 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by orange swan at 6:01 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
These Palin threads are so long they need cheat sheets. So:
THE THREAD SO FAR:
Katie Couric is a chess-savant leopard, Mister_A is Al Gore, and Sarah Palin is no Lara Roslyn.
posted by sixswitch at 6:22 AM on September 27, 2008
THE THREAD SO FAR:
Katie Couric is a chess-savant leopard, Mister_A is Al Gore, and Sarah Palin is no Lara Roslyn.
posted by sixswitch at 6:22 AM on September 27, 2008
"Box of rocks" is a bit more poetic (cuz it like, rhymes?) so that's a backhanded way of not only calling her stupid but also doing it in an elitist way. Which will totally piss her off.
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:25 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:25 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
If you're going for elitist, she's dumber than a box of lapis lazuli.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:17 AM on September 27, 2008
posted by five fresh fish at 9:17 AM on September 27, 2008
I've always been fond that "dumber that a box of hair", because it works on two levels.
First, the hair itself is clearly lacking in intellectual fortitude. And its having been boxed has certainly done it no favors.
But then there's the existence of the box of hair. A bag or box of hammers, sure, you might need a bunch of hammers in a portable form; there are a lot of nails out there.
Even a box of rocks: many people like and collect rocks. They can be quite pretty.
But hair? No one, anywhere, has a need for a box of hair.
You, over there, about to bring up wig-makers: shush and let me have my joke
posted by flaterik at 9:45 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
First, the hair itself is clearly lacking in intellectual fortitude. And its having been boxed has certainly done it no favors.
But then there's the existence of the box of hair. A bag or box of hammers, sure, you might need a bunch of hammers in a portable form; there are a lot of nails out there.
Even a box of rocks: many people like and collect rocks. They can be quite pretty.
But hair? No one, anywhere, has a need for a box of hair.
You, over there, about to bring up wig-makers: shush and let me have my joke
posted by flaterik at 9:45 AM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
flaterik- you forgot:
Light and without substance.
Icky.
posted by pointilist at 10:13 AM on September 27, 2008
Light and without substance.
Icky.
posted by pointilist at 10:13 AM on September 27, 2008
American Voter.
And this is why democracy is not necessarily a good thing.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:20 AM on September 27, 2008
And this is why democracy is not necessarily a good thing.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:20 AM on September 27, 2008
OK how about dumb as a bag of stupid placed inside a box of "duh".
posted by Mister_A at 10:48 AM on September 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 10:48 AM on September 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
American Voter.
What's interesting is that I made note when ericb linked that upthread, the view count on that video was 4988, it's now, not even 24 hours later, at nearly forty one thousand.
The guy in the back was right to try to cover his face, I'd want to distance myself from being associated with someone that stupid and racist as well.
posted by quin at 11:13 AM on September 27, 2008
What's interesting is that I made note when ericb linked that upthread, the view count on that video was 4988, it's now, not even 24 hours later, at nearly forty one thousand.
The guy in the back was right to try to cover his face, I'd want to distance myself from being associated with someone that stupid and racist as well.
posted by quin at 11:13 AM on September 27, 2008
I prefer the Foghorn Leghorn penned, "about as sharp as a sack of wet mice".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:14 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:14 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Dumber than a reusable canvas grocery bag of arugula.
She's not dumb. The video has been in some of the other Palin threads, and though it's an attack on her, it's a good reminder that she's not a dunce. Perhaps she's out of her league on the national stage, but she's got to be preparing for this debate, and that video says she's not a dunce or a moron at all. She's an excellent speaker in those clips, sounds great on the debate stage, and I kind of wonder how much possum she's been playing, though the proper explanation is just that the cramming got to her and she screwed up her first few interviews.
She's not dumb - I think we're going to see her do pretty well in the debates, especially with the format changed a bit to suit her. Her shielding from the media is helping her to have time to study as well. Remember this comment asking why she didn't mention some substantive work she's done? I think she's saving things for the debate and is intending to throw some serious 'bows at Biden. She's going to come hard, probably attacking him with some underhanded things and throwing out a bunch of charges to put him on the defensive, while trying to make things sound simple, and repeatedly bringing up how great she thinks McCain is.
From her interviews and appearances, it's obvious she wasn't cramming for those - she's cramming for this debate. Because if she could crush Biden, not just show up, not just hold her own, but actually be viewed as the winner, the news agencies would run wild.
Biden better be ready, and they should get the complete footage they took the clips from. She's not dumb. She may have been terrible in those interviews, but I think to the McCain campaign, that was the preseason in the NFL and this Thursday's debate is like opening day.
Because really - what's she got to lose?
posted by cashman at 3:27 PM on September 27, 2008
She's not dumb. The video has been in some of the other Palin threads, and though it's an attack on her, it's a good reminder that she's not a dunce. Perhaps she's out of her league on the national stage, but she's got to be preparing for this debate, and that video says she's not a dunce or a moron at all. She's an excellent speaker in those clips, sounds great on the debate stage, and I kind of wonder how much possum she's been playing, though the proper explanation is just that the cramming got to her and she screwed up her first few interviews.
She's not dumb - I think we're going to see her do pretty well in the debates, especially with the format changed a bit to suit her. Her shielding from the media is helping her to have time to study as well. Remember this comment asking why she didn't mention some substantive work she's done? I think she's saving things for the debate and is intending to throw some serious 'bows at Biden. She's going to come hard, probably attacking him with some underhanded things and throwing out a bunch of charges to put him on the defensive, while trying to make things sound simple, and repeatedly bringing up how great she thinks McCain is.
From her interviews and appearances, it's obvious she wasn't cramming for those - she's cramming for this debate. Because if she could crush Biden, not just show up, not just hold her own, but actually be viewed as the winner, the news agencies would run wild.
Biden better be ready, and they should get the complete footage they took the clips from. She's not dumb. She may have been terrible in those interviews, but I think to the McCain campaign, that was the preseason in the NFL and this Thursday's debate is like opening day.
Because really - what's she got to lose?
posted by cashman at 3:27 PM on September 27, 2008
I prefer the Foghorn Leghorn penned, "about as sharp as a sack of wet mice".
We could all learn a lot from Sen. Leghorn.
posted by Mister_A at 4:43 PM on September 27, 2008
We could all learn a lot from Sen. Leghorn.
posted by Mister_A at 4:43 PM on September 27, 2008
Because really - what's she got to lose?
True that. It's the same lowering-the-expectations deal that Bush used so successfully in 2000 and 2004. If Palin is even semi-coherent and sticks to lies that only people who read the news will recognize, a lot of folks will consider her the winner. And if she doesn't, a lot of people will consider her sympathetic. And if she manages to slip anything personal in there, she'll get her base hyped up like 'Hello Cleveland.'
posted by box at 4:59 PM on September 27, 2008
True that. It's the same lowering-the-expectations deal that Bush used so successfully in 2000 and 2004. If Palin is even semi-coherent and sticks to lies that only people who read the news will recognize, a lot of folks will consider her the winner. And if she doesn't, a lot of people will consider her sympathetic. And if she manages to slip anything personal in there, she'll get her base hyped up like 'Hello Cleveland.'
posted by box at 4:59 PM on September 27, 2008
"That kid's about as sharp as a pound of wet leather" and other Foghorn Leghorn sound bites.
I don't think that's compelling evidence that she'll do well in the debate. The cramming didn't help with Couric; Palin was about as bad in that interview as she was with Gibson, maybe even worse.
At best she's a talented minor leaguer being brought up to the majors, and it's a whole different level, and she's coming into the World Series with her team losing. If McCain's doing worse in the polls than he was going into last night's debate, the pressure on her will be incredible. Plus, in his debate response Biden showed he can be a charismatic dick, if she turns out to be stronger than she's appeared to be in her interviews, he can tear her up for lying.
Even if Sarah Palin is somehow a secret mastermind (like SNL's Reagan) and turns in a great performance at the debate, I don't think it'll matter much. I only see the vice presidential debate mattering if someone says something stupid (Senator Biden, I'm looking in your direction) and it becomes big news. The only thing that could affect the general election would be a total Palin meltdown.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:55 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
From her interviews and appearances, it's obvious she wasn't cramming for those - she's cramming for this debate.
I don't think that's compelling evidence that she'll do well in the debate. The cramming didn't help with Couric; Palin was about as bad in that interview as she was with Gibson, maybe even worse.
At best she's a talented minor leaguer being brought up to the majors, and it's a whole different level, and she's coming into the World Series with her team losing. If McCain's doing worse in the polls than he was going into last night's debate, the pressure on her will be incredible. Plus, in his debate response Biden showed he can be a charismatic dick, if she turns out to be stronger than she's appeared to be in her interviews, he can tear her up for lying.
Even if Sarah Palin is somehow a secret mastermind (like SNL's Reagan) and turns in a great performance at the debate, I don't think it'll matter much. I only see the vice presidential debate mattering if someone says something stupid (Senator Biden, I'm looking in your direction) and it becomes big news. The only thing that could affect the general election would be a total Palin meltdown.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:55 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
She does well when she's working from a script--she was really, really effective at the RNC. It's when people are asking the tough questions (like when Katie Couric asked her what she meant when she had talked about her experience in foreign affairs because of Russia's proximity) that she folds.
Having said that, no one has ever gone wrong by overestimating the strengths of one's rivals.
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:39 PM on September 27, 2008
Having said that, no one has ever gone wrong by overestimating the strengths of one's rivals.
posted by leftcoastbob at 6:39 PM on September 27, 2008
Ugh, it just doesn't end:
McCain camp prays for Palin wedding. As in, BEFORE the election. To dominate media coverage.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:32 PM on September 27, 2008
McCain camp prays for Palin wedding. As in, BEFORE the election. To dominate media coverage.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:32 PM on September 27, 2008
It's when people are asking the tough questions (like when Katie Couric asked her what she meant when she had talked about her experience in foreign affairs because of Russia's proximity)
WTF is tough about that question?
posted by five fresh fish at 9:36 PM on September 27, 2008
WTF is tough about that question?
posted by five fresh fish at 9:36 PM on September 27, 2008
Inside John McCain’s campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. “It would be fantastic,” said a McCain insider. “You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week.”
This is a statement from a desperate campaign.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:38 PM on September 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
This is a statement from a desperate campaign.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:38 PM on September 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
WTF is tough about that question?
I was being sarcastic.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:39 PM on September 27, 2008
I was being sarcastic.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:39 PM on September 27, 2008
Entire (83 minutes) 2006 Governor's Debate. [via]
Okay, Miko and the others may be right, but I'm still thinking a surprise could be in store. She's not a dunce but does seem way over her head now, on a national stage, based on her answers in this video. Some of her answers are okay, but she does have some doofy moments in there that easily function as precursors to the Apocouricalypse Pal interviews. Around 17:30, the question gets asked where would you move in Alaska if you had to leave your current city. Sarah says she'd basically move a few minutes away, and gets laughed at. Other answers she does well at, but I think she generally refers to the state constitution about 35 times, and you can see her regurgitating pat answers in parts.
It's a mixed bag though - perhaps that's impressive that she keeps referring to the constitution - the state law. I think my overall view after seeing that is still that she's been cramming and the more time she gets, the better she will do. In part McCain & co are delaying to keep voters with low info, but they're also probably betting that she will do a lot better if she can just absorb more of the stuff they're ramming into her brain.
I think Biden needs to corner her into giving specific answers on complex matters. She's going to pick up on general things, and even may get some specifics, but if he's been in elected office 26 years, he should be able to get her to whiff on an answer. But then again, she could flat out admit she doesn't know an answer while giving a hypothetical response (I'm not familiar with that specific situation, but if x,y,z, then I would do...). Then he would destroy her if he could turn that around and show how that would be disastrous. I don't know.
For right now, it seems to me that it's like a college football game. He needs to start strong, crush her from the beginning and then pour it on. The longer she goes, the more likely she's going to go on offense, and the more she can last until the end. The uncertainty is a huge thing, and she's probably going to pull out all the stops, because this is it, frankly. Everybody will be watching. If he gets her early, she'll be shook. But I think she's going for the sneak attack from jump. There's no way she's just going to try to show up and look competent. She's going to go all out. That's why her interviews are terrible. That's why she's running from the press and delaying everything possible, until after the debate. I could be completely wrong, but I think it's going to be a crushing defeat for one of them. It's never going to be viewed as "they tied, and as a result, she won" or "he was better than her tonight but she held her own".
I could be incorrect, but I do have a feeling that they are going to have Sarah going for Biden's jugular almost instantly. There isn't anything she could say attacking him (that she'd actually say) that would be viewed negatively or a low blow. Meanwhile, if he even looks at her patronizingly, cameras will flash. Just like in the video, expect her to wear red again - I felt like in the video of the 2006 Governors debate it made for such a contrast as her opponents' mostly darker clothes just faded into the background and audience, and their responses along with them.
posted by cashman at 10:04 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Okay, Miko and the others may be right, but I'm still thinking a surprise could be in store. She's not a dunce but does seem way over her head now, on a national stage, based on her answers in this video. Some of her answers are okay, but she does have some doofy moments in there that easily function as precursors to the Apocouricalypse Pal interviews. Around 17:30, the question gets asked where would you move in Alaska if you had to leave your current city. Sarah says she'd basically move a few minutes away, and gets laughed at. Other answers she does well at, but I think she generally refers to the state constitution about 35 times, and you can see her regurgitating pat answers in parts.
It's a mixed bag though - perhaps that's impressive that she keeps referring to the constitution - the state law. I think my overall view after seeing that is still that she's been cramming and the more time she gets, the better she will do. In part McCain & co are delaying to keep voters with low info, but they're also probably betting that she will do a lot better if she can just absorb more of the stuff they're ramming into her brain.
I think Biden needs to corner her into giving specific answers on complex matters. She's going to pick up on general things, and even may get some specifics, but if he's been in elected office 26 years, he should be able to get her to whiff on an answer. But then again, she could flat out admit she doesn't know an answer while giving a hypothetical response (I'm not familiar with that specific situation, but if x,y,z, then I would do...). Then he would destroy her if he could turn that around and show how that would be disastrous. I don't know.
For right now, it seems to me that it's like a college football game. He needs to start strong, crush her from the beginning and then pour it on. The longer she goes, the more likely she's going to go on offense, and the more she can last until the end. The uncertainty is a huge thing, and she's probably going to pull out all the stops, because this is it, frankly. Everybody will be watching. If he gets her early, she'll be shook. But I think she's going for the sneak attack from jump. There's no way she's just going to try to show up and look competent. She's going to go all out. That's why her interviews are terrible. That's why she's running from the press and delaying everything possible, until after the debate. I could be completely wrong, but I think it's going to be a crushing defeat for one of them. It's never going to be viewed as "they tied, and as a result, she won" or "he was better than her tonight but she held her own".
I could be incorrect, but I do have a feeling that they are going to have Sarah going for Biden's jugular almost instantly. There isn't anything she could say attacking him (that she'd actually say) that would be viewed negatively or a low blow. Meanwhile, if he even looks at her patronizingly, cameras will flash. Just like in the video, expect her to wear red again - I felt like in the video of the 2006 Governors debate it made for such a contrast as her opponents' mostly darker clothes just faded into the background and audience, and their responses along with them.
posted by cashman at 10:04 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
I was being sarcastic.
Sorry, didn't realize.
She's going to go all out.
They promised a pitbull.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:41 PM on September 27, 2008
Sorry, didn't realize.
She's going to go all out.
They promised a pitbull.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:41 PM on September 27, 2008
This is a statement from a desperate campaign.
Yes, absolutely. Any campaign that wants to "shut down the race for a week" is a campaign that knows they're on the ropes -- so much so that the usual below-the-belt tactics they haul out in a close race (Diebold chicanery, voter suppression, missing sacks of ballots, etc.) can't even be relied on.
A Royal Alaskan Shotgun Wedding might dazzle the GOP base, but I can't see how it would sufficiently reignite Palin Fever (needs more moosebell) to really tip the balance in favor of McCain come election day. The heartwarming Bristol and Levi Show might play cute in good times, but right now it won't meaningfully distract millions of people who've lost 20% of their 401k plans and are worried about losing their houses and are freaked out about the bailout -- they don't care if Bristol wears white or ivory, they want to know what McCain's plan is if their bank goes under.
On that note, here's a direct quote from my boyfriend's brother today, after having read some articles we sent him last week (many culled from Mefi itself!) and following the debate last night:
posted by scody at 10:46 PM on September 27, 2008 [3 favorites]
Yes, absolutely. Any campaign that wants to "shut down the race for a week" is a campaign that knows they're on the ropes -- so much so that the usual below-the-belt tactics they haul out in a close race (Diebold chicanery, voter suppression, missing sacks of ballots, etc.) can't even be relied on.
A Royal Alaskan Shotgun Wedding might dazzle the GOP base, but I can't see how it would sufficiently reignite Palin Fever (needs more moosebell) to really tip the balance in favor of McCain come election day. The heartwarming Bristol and Levi Show might play cute in good times, but right now it won't meaningfully distract millions of people who've lost 20% of their 401k plans and are worried about losing their houses and are freaked out about the bailout -- they don't care if Bristol wears white or ivory, they want to know what McCain's plan is if their bank goes under.
On that note, here's a direct quote from my boyfriend's brother today, after having read some articles we sent him last week (many culled from Mefi itself!) and following the debate last night:
"I've never been on the fence like this. I never really thought about it before -- I'd vote Republican because that's what I've always done. But the economy is screwed, and all McCain seems to care about is how it affects rich people and his own poll numbers. War hero or not, he doesn't seem to give a fuck about the middle class. Dude, I think I'm voting for Obama!"This is a blue-collar guy with a lifetime membership to the NRA. All the media happy talk in the world about some romantic Thrilla in Wasilla won't make him, or millions like him, feel more secure about his economic future.
posted by scody at 10:46 PM on September 27, 2008 [3 favorites]
oh, and just in case my sarcasm is misread: I actually feel terribly sorry for Bristol Palin. She's still a child herself, and her mother's willingness to subject her to international scrutiny, combined with the McCain campaign's seeming eagerness to exploit her, is simply stomach-churning.
posted by scody at 11:14 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 11:14 PM on September 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Wow! New interview footage with Katie Couric!
posted by scody at 12:57 AM on September 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 12:57 AM on September 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Just heard some random pundit on the BBC, talking about what's likely to happen in the VP debate, describe Palin as an "effective communicator".
They called Reagan "the great communicator".
Now I'm frightened.
posted by flabdablet at 2:54 AM on September 28, 2008
They called Reagan "the great communicator".
Now I'm frightened.
posted by flabdablet at 2:54 AM on September 28, 2008
From fingers_of_fire's link on a wedding to shore up the McCain campaign...
My favorite part was this in the comment section...
It is sad that more people read People and US in this country than Time or Newsweek but that people associated with McCain would be thinking this just makes me ill.
I wish this was happening on a TV show (tune in next week to see what that crazy bastard will do next!) or in an insignificant country I would read about in the "oddly enough" section of the Reuters newsfeed. Instead this is real and happening in the United States: a country with nuclear weapons and an economy that impacts the rest of the world.
posted by birdherder at 8:31 AM on September 28, 2008
My favorite part was this in the comment section...
"The marriage of the vice-presidential candidate’s pregnant teenage daughter could lift a flagging campaign"Well put Mr. Trovato. I was thinking if a wedding of two nobodies from the middle of nowhere would bring the presidential campaign to a halt for a week I would set myself on fire. Or start selling my shit in order to emigrate to a country with some sanity.
If this is true the USA deserves to drown.
ben trovato , cape town
It is sad that more people read People and US in this country than Time or Newsweek but that people associated with McCain would be thinking this just makes me ill.
I wish this was happening on a TV show (tune in next week to see what that crazy bastard will do next!) or in an insignificant country I would read about in the "oddly enough" section of the Reuters newsfeed. Instead this is real and happening in the United States: a country with nuclear weapons and an economy that impacts the rest of the world.
posted by birdherder at 8:31 AM on September 28, 2008
From her interviews and appearances, it's obvious she wasn't cramming for those - she's cramming for this debate.
If she could think on her feet, she'd have managed to speak in complete sentences and make some kind of sense in interviews, even if what she was saying was bullshit, regardless of how ill-prepared she was. I'm not calling her stupid for not being able to think on her feet, mind you. I'm not very good at that myself, and I know some very bright people who can't hold their own in an argument. But none of us are running for public office.
I'm torn as to whether to watch the vice-presidential debate. On the one hand, it'll be a disastrous trainwreck. On the other hand, it'll be a disastrous trainwreck.
This is a statement from a desperate campaign.
If the McCain and Palin team members haven't got to the point where they're just hoping to get to the end of the race without total, humiliating annihiliation yet, they soon will.
posted by orange swan at 8:54 AM on September 28, 2008
If she could think on her feet, she'd have managed to speak in complete sentences and make some kind of sense in interviews, even if what she was saying was bullshit, regardless of how ill-prepared she was. I'm not calling her stupid for not being able to think on her feet, mind you. I'm not very good at that myself, and I know some very bright people who can't hold their own in an argument. But none of us are running for public office.
I'm torn as to whether to watch the vice-presidential debate. On the one hand, it'll be a disastrous trainwreck. On the other hand, it'll be a disastrous trainwreck.
This is a statement from a desperate campaign.
If the McCain and Palin team members haven't got to the point where they're just hoping to get to the end of the race without total, humiliating annihiliation yet, they soon will.
posted by orange swan at 8:54 AM on September 28, 2008
Sarah Palin is not dumber than a box/bag/satchel of rocks/hair/whatever. What she is is ignorant on a myriad of subjects in which she has traditionally had no interest.
I'll tell you who's dumber than whatever--those people who think that she can learn all that a person who is running on a ticket for the highest office in the land needs to know and make informed descisions on in a matter of weeks. She can learn to game the standardized tests and regurgitate the info back if it's multiple choice questions, but I don't think that she understands even as much as your average MeFi-er when it comes to decision-making.
She knows this (remember, she's really not stupid) and that scares the crap out of me. She is the perfect front person for a shadow government to pull the strings. Better, even, than GWB.
posted by leftcoastbob at 8:59 AM on September 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
I'll tell you who's dumber than whatever--those people who think that she can learn all that a person who is running on a ticket for the highest office in the land needs to know and make informed descisions on in a matter of weeks. She can learn to game the standardized tests and regurgitate the info back if it's multiple choice questions, but I don't think that she understands even as much as your average MeFi-er when it comes to decision-making.
She knows this (remember, she's really not stupid) and that scares the crap out of me. She is the perfect front person for a shadow government to pull the strings. Better, even, than GWB.
posted by leftcoastbob at 8:59 AM on September 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
She knows that "dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time."
posted by kirkaracha at 9:35 AM on September 28, 2008
posted by kirkaracha at 9:35 AM on September 28, 2008
I actually feel terribly sorry for Bristol Palin. She's still a child herself, and her mother's willingness to subject her to international scrutiny, combined with the McCain campaign's seeming eagerness to exploit her, is simply stomach-churning.
YES! That's what I think repels me the most about this person. Imagine being a teenage girl who gets pregnant by your boyfriend in a small town in rural America. Your mom decides to run for vice president of the United States, so the whole country's already going to learn about your situation. OK, maybe you can deal with that, so long as you get a little peace and quiet. Surely Mom can respect your need to stay put, digest the myriad of emotions and choices that you face, right? She'll stick up for you, and shield you from the media, yes? Nope. You're going to the RNC with your boyfriend. Wave and smile to the whole country!
Alright, that was pretty harrowing, but that's only one night. From here on out, you'll be able to get back to being a young mother and wife to be, preparing for the future ahead, and Mom will surely now guard you from the media vultures now and - oh hey guess what? Mom's not doing so hot in the polls so we're going to bring a national camera crew to your wedding! The campaign managers hope your pregnant self marrying your boyfriend will have the whole attention of America for a solid week. Smile! Look pretty! Be happy!
Does Sarah Palin remember at all what it was like to be a teenage girl? I don't doubt she loves her children, but how well does she understand them? Does she consider what Bristol might be going through here, or is she projecting her "smile through the pain" beauty pageant persona onto her?
Remember when Palin told America that her son was shipping off for Iraq on September 11th? That was incidentally a deliberate and bald-faced lie. She had no way of knowing when he was going anywhere, and days after saying this it was reported that he was actually leaving some time in late September. But that didn't stop her from saying it, and then clumsily covering her tracks by having a little going-away party for him on September 11th. The deaths of thousands of Americans in a terrorist attack, her son going off to arguably the deadliest country on earth, her daughter's impending mother&wifehood - it's all fair game if it's good for Sarah Palin.
She sickens me.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:55 AM on September 28, 2008 [14 favorites]
YES! That's what I think repels me the most about this person. Imagine being a teenage girl who gets pregnant by your boyfriend in a small town in rural America. Your mom decides to run for vice president of the United States, so the whole country's already going to learn about your situation. OK, maybe you can deal with that, so long as you get a little peace and quiet. Surely Mom can respect your need to stay put, digest the myriad of emotions and choices that you face, right? She'll stick up for you, and shield you from the media, yes? Nope. You're going to the RNC with your boyfriend. Wave and smile to the whole country!
Alright, that was pretty harrowing, but that's only one night. From here on out, you'll be able to get back to being a young mother and wife to be, preparing for the future ahead, and Mom will surely now guard you from the media vultures now and - oh hey guess what? Mom's not doing so hot in the polls so we're going to bring a national camera crew to your wedding! The campaign managers hope your pregnant self marrying your boyfriend will have the whole attention of America for a solid week. Smile! Look pretty! Be happy!
Does Sarah Palin remember at all what it was like to be a teenage girl? I don't doubt she loves her children, but how well does she understand them? Does she consider what Bristol might be going through here, or is she projecting her "smile through the pain" beauty pageant persona onto her?
Remember when Palin told America that her son was shipping off for Iraq on September 11th? That was incidentally a deliberate and bald-faced lie. She had no way of knowing when he was going anywhere, and days after saying this it was reported that he was actually leaving some time in late September. But that didn't stop her from saying it, and then clumsily covering her tracks by having a little going-away party for him on September 11th. The deaths of thousands of Americans in a terrorist attack, her son going off to arguably the deadliest country on earth, her daughter's impending mother&wifehood - it's all fair game if it's good for Sarah Palin.
She sickens me.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:55 AM on September 28, 2008 [14 favorites]
McCain retracts Palin's Pakistan comments
“Sen. John McCain retracted Sarah Palin's stance on Pakistan Sunday morning, after the Alaska governor appeared to back Sen. Barack Obama's support for unilateral strikes inside Pakistan against terroristsposted by ericb at 1:59 PM on September 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
‘She would not…she understands and has stated repeatedly that we're not going to do anything except in America's national security interest,’ McCain told ABC's George Stephanopoulos of Palin. ‘In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that's—that's a person's position… This is a free country, but I don't think most Americans think that that's a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.’
Saturday night, while on a stop for cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia, Palin was questioned by a Temple graduate student about whether the U.S. should cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
‘If that's what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,’ Palin said.
During Friday night's presidential debate in Mississippi, Obama took a similar stance and condemned the Bush administration for failing to act on the possibility terrorists are in Pakistan”
Ha!
"Look, if you ask my running mate a policy question, and she answers you, you can't possibly expect that to reflect our actual policy! In fact, most Americans would think she believes the exact opposite, naturally. Why would she say what she means? It's, uh, Opposite Day. Starting ... now! This interview is not over."
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:15 PM on September 28, 2008
"Look, if you ask my running mate a policy question, and she answers you, you can't possibly expect that to reflect our actual policy! In fact, most Americans would think she believes the exact opposite, naturally. Why would she say what she means? It's, uh, Opposite Day. Starting ... now! This interview is not over."
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:15 PM on September 28, 2008
‘In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that's—that's a person's position… This is a free country, but I don't think most Americans think that that's a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.’
Um, she answered the question. That was her position. The tricky thing for Governor Palin is McCain and Obama have the opposite positions on this Pakistan thing as one would expect. She was probably enjoying her cheesesteak that night thinking she gave a perfectly cogent answer and the McCain people would give her high fives today.
Biden probably makes 20 gaffes a day where he doesn't parrot Obama's policies exactly but we never hear Obama retracting them. This isn't the 1930s John. The "little lady" can retract the statement herself. Oh, that's right, you're afraid she might say the wrong thing.
Two press interviews in a month? (I don't count the Hannity appearance as really an interview). So yeah even what she says at a cheesesteak place is going to count as her position on something, John. Palin should have been on the Sunday shows. She should have been on the networks after the debates.
My contempt for McCain and this bullshit stunt grows every day.
posted by birdherder at 2:57 PM on September 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Um, she answered the question. That was her position. The tricky thing for Governor Palin is McCain and Obama have the opposite positions on this Pakistan thing as one would expect. She was probably enjoying her cheesesteak that night thinking she gave a perfectly cogent answer and the McCain people would give her high fives today.
Biden probably makes 20 gaffes a day where he doesn't parrot Obama's policies exactly but we never hear Obama retracting them. This isn't the 1930s John. The "little lady" can retract the statement herself. Oh, that's right, you're afraid she might say the wrong thing.
Two press interviews in a month? (I don't count the Hannity appearance as really an interview). So yeah even what she says at a cheesesteak place is going to count as her position on something, John. Palin should have been on the Sunday shows. She should have been on the networks after the debates.
My contempt for McCain and this bullshit stunt grows every day.
posted by birdherder at 2:57 PM on September 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
President of Paraguay's dinner gossip: .but then the room went silent and then broke into subdued laughter when he confided that he was approached about meeting with GOP Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. !!!
posted by hortense at 4:10 PM on September 28, 2008
posted by hortense at 4:10 PM on September 28, 2008
It's, uh, Opposite Day. Starting ... now!
Unfortunately for Senator McCain, Obama had already called "no takebacks."
posted by kirkaracha at 5:27 PM on September 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
Sorry for the late reply -- life got in the way.
grapefruitmoon: Damn you and your facts, goodnewsfortheinsane, you've terrified my cats!
Good. They should be. Can they vote?
fourcheesemac: goodnewsfortheinsane, that "distance" video is awesome -- you made that?
Thank you! Yes, I did.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:03 PM on September 28, 2008
grapefruitmoon: Damn you and your facts, goodnewsfortheinsane, you've terrified my cats!
Good. They should be. Can they vote?
fourcheesemac: goodnewsfortheinsane, that "distance" video is awesome -- you made that?
Thank you! Yes, I did.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:03 PM on September 28, 2008
Isn't this the major plot line in Bird Cage? Because, like, I really frickin loved that movie.
I just didn't realize that Levi lived with both his fathers.
posted by Fezboy! at 7:24 PM on September 28, 2008
I just didn't realize that Levi lived with both his fathers.
posted by Fezboy! at 7:24 PM on September 28, 2008
I like this comment about the Bristol Palin wedding, from The Mahablog:
I heard the Bristol Palin wedding is in the works for DC with all the Republican establishment joining in. Barbara Bush is going to select flowers; Cindy McCain will bring the cake; Dick Cheney is going to bring the shotgun……
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 9:38 PM on September 28, 2008
I heard the Bristol Palin wedding is in the works for DC with all the Republican establishment joining in. Barbara Bush is going to select flowers; Cindy McCain will bring the cake; Dick Cheney is going to bring the shotgun……
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 9:38 PM on September 28, 2008
I can see New York, Connecticut and New Jersey from my balcony. Make me your pontiff.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 1:43 PM on September 29, 2008
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 1:43 PM on September 29, 2008
I can see the Hollywood sign from here. Give me an Oscar!
posted by scody at 3:22 PM on September 29, 2008
posted by scody at 3:22 PM on September 29, 2008
No video of this yet, but-
"Of concern to McCain's campaign, however, is a remaining and still-undisclosed clip from Palin's interview with Couric last week that has the political world buzzing.
The Palin aide, after first noting how "infuriating" it was for CBS to purportedly leak word about the gaffe, revealed that it came in response to a question about Supreme Court decisions.
After noting Roe vs. Wade, Palin was apparently unable to discuss any major court cases.
There was no verbal fumbling with this particular question as there was with some others, the aide said, but rather silence."
posted by cashman at 3:27 PM on September 29, 2008
"Of concern to McCain's campaign, however, is a remaining and still-undisclosed clip from Palin's interview with Couric last week that has the political world buzzing.
The Palin aide, after first noting how "infuriating" it was for CBS to purportedly leak word about the gaffe, revealed that it came in response to a question about Supreme Court decisions.
After noting Roe vs. Wade, Palin was apparently unable to discuss any major court cases.
There was no verbal fumbling with this particular question as there was with some others, the aide said, but rather silence."
posted by cashman at 3:27 PM on September 29, 2008
My money's on a question from Katie about Georgia, to which Palin replies how much she likes Atlanta.
posted by scody at 3:49 PM on September 29, 2008
posted by scody at 3:49 PM on September 29, 2008
Are you watching this? I can't even count the ways this is horrid. More word soup by Palin, McCain treating her like she can't talk for herself, Palin straight lying. They look completely fake.
posted by cashman at 3:49 PM on September 29, 2008
posted by cashman at 3:49 PM on September 29, 2008
Palin and McCain interview with Katie Couric. I guess Tina Fey wasn't kidding about a lifeline.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:35 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by kirkaracha at 6:35 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
I guess Tina Fey wasn't kidding about a lifeline.
I was wondering about this myself. Was it always the plan to bring him in on later segments, or is he there to play interference in a desperate last-minute change so that she doesn't make herself look even worse than she already has?
Either way, ouch.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:38 PM on September 29, 2008
I was wondering about this myself. Was it always the plan to bring him in on later segments, or is he there to play interference in a desperate last-minute change so that she doesn't make herself look even worse than she already has?
Either way, ouch.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:38 PM on September 29, 2008
McCain: “Of course not. But, look, I understand this day and age ‘gotcha’ journalism. Is that a pizza place? In a conversation with someone who you didn’t hear — the question very well, you don’t know the context of the conversation. Grab a phrase. Governor Palin and agree that you don’t announce that you’re going to attack another country."
Not to engage in 'gotcha' commentalism or anything, but someone please to be explaining "Is that a pizza place"???
posted by fucker at 7:00 PM on September 29, 2008
Not to engage in 'gotcha' commentalism or anything, but someone please to be explaining "Is that a pizza place"???
posted by fucker at 7:00 PM on September 29, 2008
He was just trying to find some way to explain it away, like, oh, she was just havin a chat with somebody and maybe (wink wink nudge nudge) she couldn't hear or something. Plus she'd just had a bite of pizza and when she talked about Afghanistan she was really using it like an expletive because the pizza was hot and she burnt her tongue and an airplane, didn't you hear an airplane go overhead right when that car was revving its motor and that group of one people that asked the question was some kind of commie spy or something that whispered a misheard question and really her answer meant nothing because nobody could hear it and this gotcha politics where you can quote people on things they say when asked questions by terrorists is crazy - should we be talking with terrorists? No, that's what Obama wants to do, talk with person people like pizza people but it really is silly that you journalists do.
posted by cashman at 7:09 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by cashman at 7:09 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
When pizza rears its head and comes into the airspace over the United States, where does it go? It's ALASKA.
posted by scody at 7:15 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 7:15 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
“Of course not. But, look, I understand this day and age ‘gotcha’ journalism. Is that a pizza place? In a conversation with someone who you didn’t hear — the question very well, you don’t know the context of the conversation. Grab a phrase. Governor Palin and agree that you don’t announce that you’re going to attack another country."
When I read this in my Recent Activities page, I assumed I was looking at the Palin Markov thread.
posted by EarBucket at 7:20 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
When I read this in my Recent Activities page, I assumed I was looking at the Palin Markov thread.
posted by EarBucket at 7:20 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
Palin and McCain interview with Katie Couric. I guess Tina Fey wasn't kidding about a lifeline.Yeah, this is just fundamentally absurd. Can they honestly not understand that this makes them look even more ridiculous? Even more like she can't handle being interviewed?
I love watching McCain during the parts where Palin is speaking. He's constantly making these exaggerated gestures with his hands and face intended to convey things like "Good point!" and "Completely reasonable answer!" and "Who could disagree!" and "This is not pathetic!".
He must be dying inside.
posted by Flunkie at 7:20 PM on September 29, 2008 [6 favorites]
I mean, the previous interviews made her look unprepared, ill informed, and not deserving of serious consideration. And all that's bad enough.
But this "hold my hand while the mean lady is mean to me" interview goes far beyond that. It makes her look like a young child.
And it does that even before a question is asked, just from its fundamental premise. After the questions are asked, and McCain speaks for her, interrupts her, and answers questions directed at her, that impression is only magnified.
posted by Flunkie at 7:26 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
But this "hold my hand while the mean lady is mean to me" interview goes far beyond that. It makes her look like a young child.
And it does that even before a question is asked, just from its fundamental premise. After the questions are asked, and McCain speaks for her, interrupts her, and answers questions directed at her, that impression is only magnified.
posted by Flunkie at 7:26 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
I thought Major General McCain was saying 'gotcha' journalism was a type of pizza place, and that is completely inexcusable -- journalism is not a pizza! The Truth can't be bought and sold with extra cheeses and Canadian bacons... no matter how Canadian. Only the Straight Talk Express would make an excellent pizza place... and it will be one day if I have anything to do with it.
Neigh. Captain Corporal was referring in a mysterious way to the incident at the Tony Luke Cheesesteak Factory where pretty perplexed palin pronounced plans for prohibitively poking pakistan's perimeter.
posted by fucker at 7:30 PM on September 29, 2008
Neigh. Captain Corporal was referring in a mysterious way to the incident at the Tony Luke Cheesesteak Factory where pretty perplexed palin pronounced plans for prohibitively poking pakistan's perimeter.
posted by fucker at 7:30 PM on September 29, 2008
For the gotcha pizza question, I think McCain and Palin really got talked to by the reporter that felt elusive for noting the distinguishing of questions. Ultimately those lines, really they miss the crowds, crowds that are enthusiastic not because of governor Palin, but because of the final connection with outsourcing and that's what we have to do, Katie.
sorry it gets contagious.
posted by cashman at 7:40 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
sorry it gets contagious.
posted by cashman at 7:40 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
Ah. Palin got the Pakistan question in a restaurant. That's the "pizza place" McCain is referring to.
posted by EarBucket at 7:42 PM on September 29, 2008
posted by EarBucket at 7:42 PM on September 29, 2008
For the gotcha pizza question, I think McCain and Palin really got talked to by the reporter that felt elusive for noting the distinguishing of questions. Ultimately those lines, really they miss the crowds, crowds that are enthusiastic not because of governor Palin, but because of the final connection with outsourcing and that's what we have to do, Katie.
I read that 3x over trying to extract some sense out of it, before proceeding to your punchline. Well done!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:57 PM on September 29, 2008
I read that 3x over trying to extract some sense out of it, before proceeding to your punchline. Well done!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:57 PM on September 29, 2008
I really, really would like to see someone play a Joseph Welch to McCain's Joe McCarthy.
posted by Flunkie at 8:02 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Flunkie at 8:02 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
OK, I'm still trying to figure out the whole Six Degrees of Canadian Bacon thing in which McCain's brain went from "gotcha" to "pizza" in ONE STEP. The only two possibilities I can think of are A) he was groping at some dim half-memory of being commanded to Avoid the Noid, or B) he recently made a campaign stop in Victorville, California, and enjoyed a delicious slice or two at this fine establishment.
Or he's nuts. There's always that.
posted by scody at 9:11 PM on September 29, 2008
Or he's nuts. There's always that.
posted by scody at 9:11 PM on September 29, 2008
Wait. Waitwaitwait. McCain asked for a do over on the Couric interview?
How in the world does he imagine this is going to play out well? "Well, Palin didn't so hot with Couric on her own, and the last time she was on her own in public, she misspoke, so you see, McCain is interviewing with her, so that, you know, they can blah blah blah" HOW? How do you tell yourself Palin isn't categorically unqualified for the vice presidency? This is Katie Couric we're talking about, not Edward R Murrow.
I've just realized what this reminds me of. McCain's campaign is one long David Brent dance.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:46 PM on September 29, 2008 [6 favorites]
How in the world does he imagine this is going to play out well? "Well, Palin didn't so hot with Couric on her own, and the last time she was on her own in public, she misspoke, so you see, McCain is interviewing with her, so that, you know, they can blah blah blah" HOW? How do you tell yourself Palin isn't categorically unqualified for the vice presidency? This is Katie Couric we're talking about, not Edward R Murrow.
I've just realized what this reminds me of. McCain's campaign is one long David Brent dance.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:46 PM on September 29, 2008 [6 favorites]
Zardari’s Palin flirt earns him a fatwa
posted by homunculus at 10:21 AM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 10:21 AM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
An Alaska woman who owns a company that processes workers’ compensation claims in the state has told an independent investigator that she was urged by the office of Gov. Sarah Palin to deny a benefits claim for Palin’s ex brother-in-law, a state trooper who was involved in an ugly divorce and child custody dispute with Palin’s sister, despite evidence that the claim appeared to be legitimate, according to state officials who were briefed about the conversation.
posted by EarBucket at 12:14 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by EarBucket at 12:14 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
Can I add that the gentleman and the lady doth protest too much about "not telegraphing your attacks"? If I was Pakistan, the only thing that would be more worrying than a candidate saying that she'd support unilateral attacks would be that candidate's subsequent assurance that "oh, and of course we wouldn't tell anyone when we were about to do it". Way to reassure the allies, geniuses.
Also, the camera angle with McCain taking up the entire left border of the screen, with a diminutive Palin on the right? Really drives the point home.
posted by Riki tiki at 1:19 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also, the camera angle with McCain taking up the entire left border of the screen, with a diminutive Palin on the right? Really drives the point home.
posted by Riki tiki at 1:19 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Zardari’s Palin flirt earns him a fatwa
Talkin' out of turn, that's a fatwa;
Staring at my sandals, that's a fatwa;
Flirtin' with Palin, that's a fatwa...
posted by Pollomacho at 1:45 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
Talkin' out of turn, that's a fatwa;
Staring at my sandals, that's a fatwa;
Flirtin' with Palin, that's a fatwa...
posted by Pollomacho at 1:45 PM on September 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
You don’t announce that you’re going to attack another country.
"Next up, Baghdad!"
posted by kirkaracha at 2:12 PM on September 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Hey, the tall woman in front of Palin at the Tony Luke's order window who says "Oh, you're gettin' a sandwich? They're great." is my friend Lucinda!
posted by nicwolff at 5:56 PM on September 30, 2008
posted by nicwolff at 5:56 PM on September 30, 2008
McCain: I've turned to Palin for foreign policy advice many times in the past
posted by homunculus at 9:09 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by homunculus at 9:09 AM on October 1, 2008
McCain: I've turned to Palin for foreign policy advice many times in the past
This is the same woman he only spoke to once before offering her the VP slot, right? That Sarah Palin?
posted by EarBucket at 9:18 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
This is the same woman he only spoke to once before offering her the VP slot, right? That Sarah Palin?
posted by EarBucket at 9:18 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
Heh! I was just coming over here to post that link, homunculus. There are so many great parts to his statement:
NPR: Given what you've said Senator, is there an occasion where you could imagine turning to Governor Palin for advice in a foreign policy crisis.
MCCAIN: I've turned to her advice many times in the past, I can't imagine turning to Senator Obama or Senator Biden cuz they've been wrong, they were wrong about Iraq, wrong about Russia...
Yeah, those doodoo heads, Biden and Obama...what could they possibly know? They've never lived next to Russia!
But, "many times in the past"? What past? The past 30 days? "Oh yes, last September I asked her how what size Israeli flag that I should put in my office. And later that month I asked her did she think that the Russian people would like my tie."
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:22 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
NPR: Given what you've said Senator, is there an occasion where you could imagine turning to Governor Palin for advice in a foreign policy crisis.
MCCAIN: I've turned to her advice many times in the past, I can't imagine turning to Senator Obama or Senator Biden cuz they've been wrong, they were wrong about Iraq, wrong about Russia...
Yeah, those doodoo heads, Biden and Obama...what could they possibly know? They've never lived next to Russia!
But, "many times in the past"? What past? The past 30 days? "Oh yes, last September I asked her how what size Israeli flag that I should put in my office. And later that month I asked her did she think that the Russian people would like my tie."
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:22 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
SLOG: All McCain needs to do is to keep overselling Palin. Keep telling anybody who will listen about her extensive foreign policy experience, the crispness of her "worldview," and how she is the female embodiment of his Maverick (tm) governing style.
He's building a nice little top-heavy Jenga tower. May it all come crashing down very, very soon.
posted by contessa at 9:41 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
He's building a nice little top-heavy Jenga tower. May it all come crashing down very, very soon.
posted by contessa at 9:41 AM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
McCain: "She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America."
posted by kirkaracha at 11:31 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by kirkaracha at 11:31 AM on October 1, 2008
Why What Palin Doesn't Know About the Supreme Court Matters
posted by homunculus at 12:03 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 12:03 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
But, "many times in the past"? What past? The past 30 days?
He just doesn't make sense anymore. I think he's losing it.
posted by homunculus at 12:07 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
He just doesn't make sense anymore. I think he's losing it.
posted by homunculus at 12:07 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ideally --
Interviewer: Senator McCain says you know more about energy than "probably anyone else in the United States of America." So let's start with the basics and work our way up. What is a joule?
Palin: Hmm, I'll have to get back to ya on that one! (winning smile)
posted by naju at 1:41 PM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
Interviewer: Senator McCain says you know more about energy than "probably anyone else in the United States of America." So let's start with the basics and work our way up. What is a joule?
Palin: Hmm, I'll have to get back to ya on that one! (winning smile)
posted by naju at 1:41 PM on October 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
A conservative writer learns what we've been going through.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:49 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by Bookhouse at 1:49 PM on October 1, 2008
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posted by grouse at 11:22 PM on September 25, 2008