Sarahcuda speech open thread.
With updates
I just watched the Palin RNC convention speech, and I am enchanted. She’s serious without being scary. Sarcastic without being nasty. Not to mention, her accent charmed my pants right off.
I blurted out loud at one point to Rupert, “Oh my god! I’m naming all of my children after her!” Which is quite a thing to say for someone who never plans on making any children. That’s how much I like this woman.
Anyway. Some of you have already commented on the speech in the last thread but let’s make this the official Pain Train thread (thanks, Bonnie, for that phrase).
Exit question: did anyone else happen to flip over to MSNBC about 5 minutes after the speech, to see Andrea Mitchell very bitterly questioning Rudy Giuliani? That woman could not possibly have been more revolted and grim.
UPDATES
I’m with Donna B. from the comment thread, and I second-third-fourth her nomination of Piper for Secretary of Infant Hair Care.
If you had the severe misfortune to miss the speech, here it is in full. My favorite bit, which commenter Page says made him happy in the pants (rowr! me too) was this:
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don’t quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren’t listening.
Speaking of happy in the pants, JimK has been nominated and seconded for the Chuck Norris Action Jeans Unique Hidden Gusset Award for this:
Good Lord, I so wanna vote for her. I wanna vote all over her.
Oh god, I can’t stop. So if you didn’t see the speech but don’t have time to watch the whole thing, Right Wing News and Hot Air both have best-of compilation videos.
Jim Carson pointed me to a great one-line review by Jonah Goldberg:
She was put on this earth to do two things: kill caribou and kick butt. She’s all out of caribou.
Okay. Now I have to go learn some chemistry. Even though I feel like I just got a master lesson in it from watching Sarahcuda. The lady has CHOPS.
Sarah Palin will play very well in fly-over country. I love that red meat that she and Rudy threw out.
Fuck Andrea Mitchell. Figuratively.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 pmESTI have watched her be tough. I have watched he be beguiling. It is amazing to watch her be both at the same time.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pmESTShe made me proud to be an Alaskan.
Didn’t watch the speech, but I did see her speech last week when McCain announced her. You are exactly right, Rachel. I cannot wait to watch her destroy Biden in the debates. We’ll see if he even has the fortitude to debate her.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pmESTThe lefties are absolutely flipping out all over the blogsophere!!!!
It’s all the usual stuff - “She’s a liar, she’s not a real reformer, just a base pick, red meat speech, blah blah blah”. They. Don’t. Get. It.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 pmESTI absolutely loved how she eviscerated Nobama with a smile on her face.
Ever since she was nominated I have been waiting breathlessly to hear how she would respond. I’ve read she is tough as nails and tonight she proved it. It takes a strong woman to weather the category-5 hurricane of crap she’s had for the last few days and go out there and punch back. I figured that’s how she would react, but I’ve been screwed so many times by the GOP not fighting back that deep in the back of my mind I had a nagging little fear that she might cry and fall apart.
I am a man and watching her tonight almost made me ovulate.
Yeah, I love her that much.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pmESTThe Vice Presidential candidate is usually the “attack dog” during the campaign.
Note how when Biden is the “attack dog” the press says: well that’s his role.
But note how when Palin goes after Obama the partisans at MSNBC and CNN call her “snide” and “sarcastic.” The press is so in-the-tank for the Dems that they never realize the inconsistent standards they apply again and again.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pmESTGovernor Palin brought it bigtime!
My full review is here in picture form.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pmESTI am going on the record as being insanely jeaolous of you all. I had a 7:00 p.m. meeting with an advisee (ended up being 7:15 p.m.), but I set the DVR this morning, so was unconcerned.
Then I walked through the door. And almost committed a triple homicide. My three lovelies were watching CARTOONS!
“But MIIIIMMM, we didn’t KNIIIIIWW that you wanted to watch the NIIIWWS”!
Nobody’s dead, but everybody went to bed (or home) early. And NOBODY got any homemade peach PIIIHH!
I will see this speech.
You. Lucky. Bahstids.
Also, my satellite is so slow tonight it’s like it’s moving backward. I will take that as a positive sign of the impact of this speech. It does work slower during high-traffic times, or so I am told when I bitch them out for constant time-outs.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:35 pmESTHarry Reid’s office released his statement and used the word “shrill” to describe Palin’s tone. Even the Lefty harpies CNN had on their panel were offended by that stating that they had never heard that word to describe any speech made by a man.
Keep it up, Dems. Please.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 pmESTMe, I’m all Piper for Secretary of Infant Hair Care.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 pmESTYou missed a historic moment. Na na na na na na.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 pmESTDid anyone notice the hockey player was scared shitless? His face looked like “oh fuck”.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 pmESTCrusader:
Good thing you couldn’t see Obama’s face. Palin is the real deal. And she just called “bullshit” on Barack Obama.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 pmESTSecond the motion. That was hilarious. I’m watching on DVR right now and I’m loving it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 pmESTHoly sh*t! The left and the media want to portray her as some Daisy Mae from Dogpatch, yet she walked out there poised and confident as hell without a hint of nervousness.
Haverwilde got it right: tough and beguiling at the same time. Wow!
Didn’t catch MSNBC’s coverage but I was mighty tempted to switch over to CNN and check out Wolf Blitzer’s reaction to Palin’s speech. (He looked as if he’d been sucking on pickles during the pre-game coverage. Heh.)
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 pmESTTo Sarah:
Hey, I think I love you,
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 pmESTSo what am I so afraid of?
I’m afraid that I’m not sure of
A McCain there is no cure for.
I think I love you,
Isn’t that’s what politics is made of,
Though it worries me to say,
I’ve never felt this way
September 4th, 2008 at 12:01 amEST
I was watching CSPAN and there was one point where the camera zoomed in on Palin’s younger daughter (Piper, I believe) holding Sarah’s infant son. I can see the MSM headlines already:
“Sarah Palin, unfit mother! Forces toddler to care for infant son!”
September 4th, 2008 at 12:06 amESTI’m joining the “I am Sarah Palin” movement.
I am Sarah Palin… without the boobies. And the moxie. And lots of other things too.
Ah F__ it, I’m just a weenie limpy ding of a guy madly in love with Sarah Palin.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:06 amESTOh how awesome was Sarah! And the crowd chanting “Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!” First she sticks to her critics with a knife and a smile while her cute daughter, Piper, grooms her baby brother by licking her entire hand and smoothing down his hair. In the end her entire family joined her on stage, including her beaming military son and a very nervous looking future son-in-law (who apparently has Bristol’s name tatooed on his ring finger).
BTW, does anybody else get the feeling that Obama is having VP buyers remorse?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:07 amESTPiper Palin Grooms Trig’s Hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wFt-BTi8jI
September 4th, 2008 at 12:07 amESTThat pretty much kicked ass.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:11 amESTDid anyone notice the hockey player was scared shitless? His face looked like “oh fuck”.
Did you watch the same speech I did?
I thought he looked pretty composed and steady-Eddie for an 18yo, particularly considering that he’s in the midst of one of the most high-pressure moments in modern political history.
How many 18yo’s wouldn’t be sweating bullets? Not bad for his first introduction to the national stage, what with all the that’s-the-deadbeat-who-knocked-up-the-slut-daughter smears going around.
I thought they came across like a solid, middle-class, all-American family.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:12 amESTShe_was_superb!!! I don’t think I have ever anticipated a political speech quite so much - and then had my expectations fully met; and then redoubled in spades!!If the msm expected the smears of the past few days to throw her off, they were sorely disappointed. She as much as told them, “Bring it on, boys, and I’ll gut you like a caribou.”
September 4th, 2008 at 12:15 amESTRudy (who was also great) said it right when he said that obie reached to the past for a v.p. - and McCain reached to the future. She is, indeed, the future of America.
I am a 61 year old male. I’m “getting up there.” I haven’t watched a political convention since …. 1968? And then, only to watch the head bumping on the streets of Chicago. Until Friday, I had no intention of voting this year. No one was going to blame me for any of this crap that was being offered to us all. When Palin was announced on Friday, I wondered what the fuss was all about. I watched her introductory speech, and thought it was pretty good, particularly “for a rookie.”
After all of the crap that has flowed in the last 5 days, I figured that she would have beaten down by now. Nevertheless, I came home tonight prepared to do something that I had not done in 40 years — watch a political convention. I had high expectations, but considering the hammering that this poor woman had taken in the previous few days, I expected a weakened lady.
I sat there with my jaw on the ground. Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that we have a younger, more beautiful, but equally eloquent Lady Thatcher on our hands. She is on a similar plane as Reagan, but it’s different, if that makes any sense. I have never seen anything like her. I am stunned. The press is stunned. There is no doubt in my mind that the entire convention asked themselves before the roll call “can we vote her in as #1 instead?”
Yes, she was THAT good. That family of hers is so “together,” despite all of the stupid “issues” that have been raised. There’s barely a mother in America who won’t strongly identify with Sarah after this show. Stunning. There is no other word to describe her. There is one shot of her little daughter holding the baby, and the daughter is licking her hand to comb the baby’s hair. This shot alone may become Pulitzer material!
Joe Biden has got to be crapping his pants. The democraps are in serious, deep crap. This woman has electrified the base, and will strongly connect with the common person, man or woman. The more you criticize her, who is the epitome of all of us, the more you will ensure her ascension to the #2 spot.
I hate to say it, but I actually hope for some sort of McCain “health crisis.” I want this woman to be my president. SHE is the one that we have been waiting for!!!!!
Wow!!!!!!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:16 amESTVPWN envy!
Not sure I even need to watch it now; that endorsement made my ears ring!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:17 amESTThat was an excellent speech, clean delivery calm demeanor and a trail of bodies all the way out the back door. Sara Barracuda indeed.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:22 amESTPalin is Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Conner, and Princess Diana, all in one package.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:23 amESTThis was this the first political speech that I have ever watched and listened to from beginning to end. It may not seem like much to anyone else, but I even missed the first 20 minutes of the season premiere of America’s Next Top Model to watch her speech.
I am sure you guys saw the tail end of someone being dragged out (or is it drugged out? Hell, they were probably drugged out being dragged out.) I read on the Washington Post page that there were two members of the AntiWar group CodePink who made it to the edge of the stage and were about to run on to it before the Secret Service snatched them up.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:28 amESTI had the same thought today. Only, not the same, I was only going to name one kid after her. One daughter, to be precise, if I ever have such a creature. So quit stealing my thunder, with your “all my kids” fantasy. Some people are so over the top. God.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:32 amESTIs MSNBC still on the air?
And ditto to everything already said about how awesome Palin is. I was one of those “is she ready?” critics going back about 2 months when her name first came up.
- funny thing, that… bloggers were already vetting her two months ago… but the MSM is acting like McCain just made her up on the spot last week… not OUR fault they can’t do their own damn jobs! -
Anyway, I was in the “she’s not ready” crowd. Then I heard her SPEAK, and it all changed for me. I listened to her first speech with McCain, live, during the Rush Limbaugh show. It was like electricity was flying out of the radio into my body - I know it sounds silly, but I actually *DO* understand how some people can react so strongly to it with a great politician. It’s the WOW factor. Obama had it when he hit the national stage. So did Bill Clinton. So did Reagan. But Reagan had substance to back it up - something Willie and Hussein have never shown.
Now it is clear that Palin, too, has the substance. She will be the Thatcher of our generation.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:33 amESTOkay, mythical-history buffs — if JFK was King Arthur of Camelot, than SLP is The Lady of the Lake of Avalon.
I loved the tough-ass women in those legends.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:37 amESTMatriarchial societies RULE!
Doug,
Hear, hear! I’m a tad (too small of one) younger than you. This spring I had the misfortune of outliving my dear wife of 36 years. Sarah is ten years too young, and has the serious eye-candy First Dude to cook/clean. Otherwise I’m available and ready to fall in love again.
Earlier today, I was deflowered, id est, I gave money to a political campaign. The act itself was a letdown, but I feel much better now.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:50 amESTThey don’t dare get it. It would stuff up all their preconceived notions. Hell, they might even have to [gasp!] think!
Anyone know where I can watch her speech online?
We’ve got an election voting day happening here in Western Australia on Saturday, but your upcoming one has actually become interesting!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:50 amESTAfter watching this speech, I think a couple of name changes are in order. First, let’s change Sarah’s nickname from barracuda to Cuisinart! She sliced and diced those Dems and the media with a smile. And we also need to change O’Bama’s name to O’Crap!! Don’t you know Hillary is sitting somewhere, laughing her butt off?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:50 amESTNot only can Sarah Palin kill and field dress a moose with her bare hands.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:52 amESTShe just field dressed Obama tonight.
Sarah Palin is the game changer/winner the “fighter pilot” intended to have hit Obama’s 6 out of the sun.
Enjoy the sudden stop at the end of your “Palin” induced fall Obama.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:54 amESTShe had me panting harder than Sunny and Maggie on a hot Texas summer day. But then there was that ice cold hag andrea mitchell who caused me to vomit a little in my mouth.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:58 amESTI think she was great and the speech was great.
What was more important to me was her complete poise. For days she has been ripped apart, her family has been ripped and every rumor possible was put out there to shake her.
She walks out confidently, looks and acts like she has talked to crowds like this her whole life and doesn’t make a mistake. She talks authentically, rips (with a smile) the dems ticket and hits a home run with the conservative base. How tough and together do you have to be to pull that off?
I love her.
Didn’t you get the feeling she could handle Amadimijad(?) Chavez, and Putin?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:59 amESTSQUEEE! Just saw a clip, and here is the text.
Well, I guess we now know why the new “Artic Blast” Kool-Aid variety is so much tastier, more refreshing, and deeply satisfying than the same old tired “Tropical Punch” flavor.
Hell yeah I’m in line for more … fill up my BigGulp, and point me to the ledge!
September 4th, 2008 at 1:06 amESTI’ve heard her called Ronald Reagan in a skirt, but now I’m leaning more toward Andrew Jackson in Heels
September 4th, 2008 at 1:07 amESTSaracuda is the 45th President of the United States.
About damn time.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:07 amESTTeddy Roosevelt in killer stilettos.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:12 amESTHaverwilde from Alaska:
I love your comment: Palin is tough AND beguiling. And it’s “amazing to watch her be both at the same time.”
Perfect.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:20 amESTAwesome, awesome speech. I was mesmerized.
I agree, folks. We have another Maggie Thatcher here.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:32 amESTJust a couple of points. For those questioning the wisdom of choosing Governor Palin, I saw only three viable choices - Jindal, Cantor, and Palin for the one reason that none of these candidates had been roundly rejected by the voters. Obama hopeychangy Hussein selected Joe Biden, who has been running for pres at least the last 20 years, and had been completely rejected every time.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:34 amESTSecond point, related somewhat to first point - John McCain is old. yes. old. Palin is a “heartbeat yada yada”. But, Barack Hussein Obama will be the first Black president, with its unfortunate and shameful risks. Presidents have secret service detail for a reason, and I believe BHO will need all the dedicated security given and maybe more. Does that make Biden the one who is actually a shorter heartbeat away from assuming power? Biden was NEVER remotely acceptable to the voters.
I’m going through physical therapy for some shoulder surgery out here in northeast Texas. For some reason there are a lot more women than men. Those women, including the Democrats, have been hating the way Governor Palin has been treated since Friday.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:43 amESTI cannot wait to see them tomorrow.
I do believe that Governor Palin hit it out of the park.
Teleprompter malfunction. She did some of this from memory. I was impressed before, but knowing that…WOW
September 4th, 2008 at 1:50 amESTThe most “quotable” political speech I’ve ever heard. That means even the people who hated it won’t be able to forget it, and when you’re in a knife-fight to win (as she is), getting your opponent to feel off-balance, like his entire equilibrium is off b/c he can’t get those barbs out of his head, is just what you want!
It was like watching verbal martial arts, and she’s way past wax-on, wax off, she just gave Obama a swift kick to the solar plexus, in HEELS.
Loved it. Loved her.
Now where can I get a Palin Power t-shirt?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:57 amESTThat is EXACTLY what I started thinking halfway through the speech. Palin has all the great qualities of Thatcher without the bitch-on-wheels factor. Sarahcuda is just STRONG. Not trying to be a man, not trying to beat you down, simply not bending to your will, and fuck you if you don’t like it.
I LOVE that she got the kids on stage, and included the boyfriend of Bristol as though he’s already family. CLASS. Look it up, Obama.
I dislike John McCain. I almost hate him as a politician. I hate his policies, I despise the legislation he gets passed and I think he’s bad for this country and for conservatives and libertarians. BUT. I am willing to WHOLEHEARTEDLY pull the lever for him just because I think Sarah Palin is the future of Republicans and of conservatism and I want her positioned for the big chair in 2012. She’s socially conservative but acts like a libertarian, so we’re cool. She’s fiscally a mad dog conservative. She’s clearly a devoted family woman with a pretty cool hubby, great kids and can shoot a moose halfway across a tundra. In the dark. By throwing the bullet at it. And then field dress it, do her hair and make the office by 8:15 AM.
And she’s utterly delightful to look at. Good Lord, I so wanna vote for her. I wanna vote all over her.
Wait that came out wrong. Or right, depending on your point of view.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:02 amESTWow. That speech was pretty near enough to make me like John McCain. I was always going to vote for him, because I think Obama is a walking disaster, but Sarah Palin has made that vote a lot less painful.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:03 amESTI just spent the last couple hours working up this little item. quiller suggested I put it up for sale at CafePress. I dunno….
September 4th, 2008 at 2:11 amESTSarahcuda makes me love my “ROSLIN O8 - SO SAY WE ALL” shirt so much harder.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:14 amESTI think my poster here aptly captures the convention mood after Palin’s speech. =D
September 4th, 2008 at 2:20 amESTMaybe it’s mean, but Andrea Mitchell’s undisguised despair made me very happy. This is the woman you people have gone to war with, Andrea. Godspeed.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:27 amESTI can’t help it….
September 4th, 2008 at 2:33 amESThttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhhFzE5O5U
I don’t know. I can’t help but think of the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, when the big guy with the Saracen sword (we’ll call him the Obama/Biden juggernaut) is squared off against Indy. Ole Indiana Jones just whips out his big gun and blows him away. That’s what I saw tonight.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:21 amESTSarah Palin is incredible. Quick takes:
(1) It’s her first time ever on the national stage, and she seems utterly at ease, utterly confident, utterly certain that she can own the crowd. And she does.
(2) It is hard for a (truly) beautiful woman to be taken seriously. It is hard for a strong, decisive woman not to be seen as bitchy or shrill or strident. It is hard for a woman to describe her accomplishments without being perceived as arrogant. It is hard for anyone to be funny. Yet she does all of these things with grace and charm.
(3) The teleprompter malfunctioned halfway through — and she didn’t bat an eye. I never would have known if not for the news reports about it. As a matter of public performance, this is incredible — especially when she’s under such a media microscope. It also reveals that she is quick on her feet — a critical skill for any would-be executive. (That, I think, is Obama’s biggest weakness. He’s genuinely talented as a writer, when he has the luxury of time — but he’s a stammering idiot ex tempore.)
(4) She often makes a scrunchy face when I’d expect her to smile. My guess: her smile is so intoxicating that she’s learned to hide it when she’s trying to keep your attention. Seriously.
(5) I hope that John McCain takes the advice of one wit over at The Corner: his opening line should be, “I am proud to accept your nomination as Sarah Palin’s running mate.”
Wow. What an amazing woman.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:15 amESTI did catch the Andrea Martin bit with Rudi; man, was she not a happy camperette.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:13 amESTRegarding children’s naming rights, I said this in an IM conversation last night:
September 4th, 2008 at 6:32 amESTHere speech is (via C-SPAN): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCDxXJSucF4
September 4th, 2008 at 6:34 amESTMaybe it’s because I’ve lived on the west coast most of my life but - what accent?
Yes, she was brilliant and I love her even more.
Also, Rachel, I thought of you last night. They panned to Piper a few times during the speech and I wondered if you were becoming a puddle of goo with all that adorableness.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:44 amESTWith a smile on her face, she smacked Obama right in the mouth, made him a sandwich and sent him packing, all while holding a newborn in one arm and skinning a moose with the other.
I’m in love.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:56 amESTMy husband has been selling Nobama bumperstickers for a while on zazzle. We’ve sold about 500 or so. We did up some Palin stickers last week and had a huge spike this morning. It’s happening!
All moms can relate to this woman. As the mom of a kid with special needs, I heart Sarah. I can’t wait to see her field-dress Biden.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:12 amESTI woke up with a smile and a very great wish to see her field dress Obama, again. I have only one quibble with the comments here– Sarah Palin is not another Lady Thatcher. Palin is Palin and will likely set a new American standard for the next generation. I suspect that for some time to come, women in politics will be measured against her.
There were so many great moments in her speech! One that touched me that I haven’t seen mentioned was her reference to Trig and her statement that all families with special needs children would have an advocate in the White House.
But it was all good.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:13 amESTThe Reuters headline this morning kinda said it for me:
Mocks! Now we’re talkin’.
OH shit. Because the VP candidate traditionally handles the mocking detail, expect to see Biden clumsily attempt to mock Her Royal Palinitude. Oughta be a hoot of a misfire.
HA: We finally got a strong independent woman and they’re worried she won’t have time for her CHIRRUN! Hello? Where are the lefty feminists? It’s totally sexist to even NOTICE Palin’s a woman! It’s akin to noticing that Obama is black — which is RACIST! Like noticing a Canine-American is a . . .
. . . “dog.”
I laughed like hell at the Greek columns dig. It SO reminded me of the toppling 14″-high “Stonehenge” on the stage in Spinal Tap.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:16 amESTI’m going to make one small cautionary note. Wait a sec, I’m putting on my asbestos clothing first… okay, all done. Anyway, as I mentioned in the last thread, I thought that Gov. Palin’s speech was fantastic. I’ve been a fan for a while and had high expectations, which she exceeded. However, don’t forget that McCain is speaking tonight. There’s no way in the world that he can possibly top Palin’s speech. None. And if he coughs or hiccups, the press will point out again and again that’s standing in a pool of warm salt water holding an electric guitar. The possibility exists that Sarah’s ass kicking last night could prove a detriment to McCain tonight, if for no other reason than her bright star could more clearly illustrate the Maverick’s many flaws.
Look, y’all know that I’m not a McCain fan, so I’m sure that you’re taking my comment with a boulder of salt. But I’m old enough to understand how this game is played and I’m telling you that the potential exists for tonight to be a disaster. I hope not, though. As much as I’m against voting for McCain, I’m itching for a chance to vote for Sarah Palin this year and in 2012. I don’t want him to blow it for her (and me).
I saw lots of people making the Eeyore comment to Allah yesterday before Gov. Palin’s speech and I fully expect to hear similar things here. However, I’m preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. If McCain surprises me and doesn’t go on and on about his love of flooding this country with more illegal aliens, he’ll probably do fine.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:19 amESTI wish one of those Code Pink ladies would have made onto to the stage, so I could have watched Sarah cold-cock her. Oh, that would have been beautiful.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:31 amEST“Palin is Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Conner, and Princess Diana, all in one package.”
and much like Sarah Connor told it the terminator,she just told Barack Osama”you’re terminated,motherfucker”
September 4th, 2008 at 7:34 amESTSpeaking of teleprompters, did anyone notice that in several different shots CNN actually showed the teleprompters? In one case they held the shot so long that I could read the scrolling speech on it! Normally, they are NEVER shown. My husband had to point them out in the wide shots of the Obama speech and NBC didn’t show them once last night (yes, I’m enough of a dork I had TiVo get the speech twice so I could see what the talking monkeys would saw about it on each network). I’m not big into the whole liberal media conspiracy thing but WTF was that about?!?
Other random thoughts -
1 - Talking monkey’s snarkily talking about who wrote her speech and mentioning that she read it off a teleprompter. NEWS FLASH to talking monkeys: They ALL read them off teleprompters. Talking about that fact after her speech to make her seem like a puppet is really extra-double shitty.
2 - Finding various female & sometimes black talking monkeys to tell us all how sarcastic and smug she was. Were they watching the same speech? Also the same people talking about how low the bar was set and how she sure met that low bar at least. GEE THANKS for making my blood pressure rise to dangerously high levels.
3 - The female mommyblogger mood seems to be that they are GRAVELY INSULTED that McCain would pick her just because she’s a woman - apparently the Republicans are just patronizing them. No one mentions that just PERHAPS she was chosen to appeal to the base and rural voters, not suburban mommyblogger Hillary supporters. Also, no one mentions that Obama has about 90% of the black vote wrapped up and they’re not all voting for him ’cause he’s black? If it were that easy to get the woman vote you’d think someone would have figured it out by now and put woman on the ticket every time.
In general, I loved the speech - she was hands-down a better speaker than anyone else that night, except Huckabee (who is genuinely a great speaker in my opinion). And she was as good as Obama. McCain might in fact have a tough time following her, but being the nominee he’ll have energy from the crowd with him.
So, my question for the day - who thinks the bar was set low and who thinks the bar was set high? I think it was set absurdly high and she more than made it.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:54 amESTI watched on Public Television. I thought she did good. She’s a fighter, something I have longed to see in a Republican for years.
Minor criticism. She needs to move on from the Bridge To Nowhere she’s delivered that line “thanks but no thanks” one too many times now.
Was I the only one freaked by the little retarded baby? It didn’t move! Even with little Piper messing with his hair, even being flea-flickered around from Willow to Cindy to Todd to… For a while there I thought it might be a baby Jesus prop from the Christmas Play.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:59 amESTThat is what a real American looks like…and it scares the Liberals deep down in their hateful, progressive bones. I am extremely optimistic and looking for an 8 point “bump” in the polls. McCain is a clever bastard.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:16 amESTI agree with so much that’s been said already.
Charming and beguiling…absolutely.
This is a LADY. The whole package. Not a prissy girl and not a butch bitch. She is the complete package.
I was damn near tears…alright I was in tears…early on in her speech, when after describing her family she said this:
“And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
That’s how it is with us.
Our family has the same ups and downs as any other … the same challenges and the same joys.
Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
And children with special needs inspire a special love.
To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.”
Hell I’m at work right now, copying and pasting this and I’m wiping tears out of my eyes. That family is so awe-inspiring. They’re like a really well written television program. All those fuckers over at the Kos, those shit sucking websites and the Obama butthole lickers should be ASHAMED of themselves right now.
I think that’s why the left went right after her family. Because they know how alluring the Palin’s are. Are they perfect? No. Are they at the tippy-top percent of the bell curve? You bet.
If McCain wins this election I hope he sticks to his one term pledge, because I so want a Palin White House.
Eat your heart out Aaron Sorkin, this isn’t some fictional Josiah Bartlett shit, the Palin’s are the real deal.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:24 amESTMy wife and I made a point of watching the pos-speech coverage on MSNBC. It was HI-larious! Matthews seemed to keep his composure, but the rest of them were clearly flipping their shit.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:42 amESTSarah Palin is like another great Alaskan, Elizabeth Peratrovich. Alaska celebrated Elizabeth Peratrovich Day instead of Presidents Day each year.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:45 amESTOh yeah I forgot to mention Susan Butcher too!
September 4th, 2008 at 8:47 amESTBehold the power of true conservatism.
The political pundits have been telling us for years that a conservative can’t win major elections - that a conservative always has to tack to the center. McCain’s nomination “proved” that theory. “See? McCain’s a liberal Republican and he earned the Presidential nomination.” While I disagree that McCain “earned” the nomination, the pundits ignore the fact that the GOP has shriveled as hundreds of thousands of life-long conservative Republicans abandoned the GOP as a party that no longer represented them. Dispirited and uninspired by the leadership’s masquerade as Democrat-lite, Heartland Republicans had resigned themselves to losing not only the Senate, but the House AND the Presidency.
Until… a true conservative stepped onto the scene. What an explosion of excitement, inspiration, and belief on the Republican side! An what an implosion of fear, hatred, and evil on the Democrat side. I’ve never in my life seen anything like it.
THAT is the power of the conservative message - strength, pride, grit, Heartland values, and American sensibility. She is one of us.
No one can ever tell me again that a conservative can’t win anymore because the country has moved Left. That’s a fallacy, and future political leaders believe it at their peril.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:49 amESTYou gotta love it when Rudy GuGu and the Sarah Palin go on stage and kick the ever loving dogshit out of Al’Obama and Crusty McOldster Biden.
I’m sure not only the Liberal media, but the Al’Obama campaign just took a collective shit in thier pants….
Truly an Ohh FUCK moment
September 4th, 2008 at 8:57 amESTI didn’t watch it, but I did just finish reading it. This part made me happy in the pants.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:58 amESTThe base awakens “I’m gonna be bad…but I feel good”
September 4th, 2008 at 9:19 amESTShe didn’t quite hit it out of the park.
The ball completely ignored the laws of physics as it continued to accelerate after leaving her bat.
Just before impact, it had a very distinct vapor trail, and I could swear I saw wisps of smoke curling around the stitches.
It collided with the JumboTron at exactly the speed of sound, deafening all present as the scoreboard exploded into a fireworks display worthy of the Northern Lights.
Yeah, I rather liked the speech.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:21 amESTOnly if the ladies are tougher (in their uniquely feminine way, of course) than the men. (”Come home either with your shield or on it, son; or don’t bother coming home at all.”)
You don’t want to live in a society run by Hillary or Pelosi or any of their “spend it all on schools and make the Air Force hold a bake sale” ilk.
That works fine, until you’ve feminized all the men and you’re overrun by testosterone-soaked barbarians.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:23 amESTMcCain Likey …
“I think I’m having a stroke!”
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Time for the funny!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:25 amESTI have to disagree, a little. I love the Iron Lady, but Thatcher was never that smokin’ hot.
Now, if you put Thatcher’s brain in Princess Diana’s body….um, I’ll be in my bunk.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:28 amESTI am gonna make it short and sweet. I am deeply and madly in love with this woman!LOL No seriously folks.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:31 amESTMs. Speaker, I hereby nominate Mr. JimK for the Chuck Norris Action Jeans Hidden Gusset Award for Excellence in Commenting.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:32 amESTRe: Andrea Mitc hell - Maybe she ate a bad burrito. (Let’s not be meanspirited, now! Heh!)
Wonderful speech! Everybody’s using sports mixaphors like: “She batted it out of the park, right through the goalposts, pulling a hat trick!” and I concur.
Loved the one about the styrofoam Greek columns.
Take THAT, you media warthogs!!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:33 amESTSecond.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:34 amESTI noticed. You were speechless at 12:01 a.m.!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:36 amESTAnd zero was officially divided … and conquered : )
My speechlessness was actually a boneheaded attempt to embed an object (YouTube video,) which I knew damned well I couldn’t do, but Miss Sarah had me all flustered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQMwSB_M1w
September 4th, 2008 at 9:40 amESTPiper was killin’ me with that spit-shine she did on Trig’s hair! Is she straight from 1930s Central Casting, or what? Trying to get her brother and sisters to stand-up at one point, like a little general… I think she’s gonna turn into a new Shirley Temple for the 21st century.
And Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Leave it to a former proscecutor to carefully lay out the so-called qualifications of Barack Obama then filet them to ribbons with a flourish, like he was headlining the grille show at Benihana’s. The mocking, the giggling, the feigned horror at Sarah Palin’s small town in Alaska just not being sophisticated for the urbane Mr. Obama. Hysterical! And then the “How DARE they?” moment. This was classic Rudy, warming up the crowd like a pro. Then he handed Sarah her “WonderBoy” bat, faded into the background, and we all watched her hit that home run outta the ballpark, taking her bases in a rain of sparks and shattered spotlights. Well done!
What more can I say about Sarah Palin and her speech that hasn’t already been said here and better by others? It’s a cliche’ at this point, I know, but we have seen the future of the Republican Party, and her name is Sarah Palin. Keep strong, Sarah! And keep kicking their pansy asses!
Listening to some of the post speech criticism on the different cable networks, it seems the meme they’re going for hardest is that Sarah was sarcastic and sneering throughout. In other words (and notice it’s the women commentators pushing this meme hardest), a BITCH! Oh, they can’t come right out and say the word, can they? But they sure as hell are trying to spin it that way. How very typical. How very foolish.
Before they go much farther with that meme, maybe they should see how many women out in the hinterlands have been called a “bitch” for standing up for themselves or having an opinion, and see how well that went over with them. The media may think they’re being very sophisticated with their use of the adjectives “sarcastic” and “sneering”, but we all know that’s code speak for being a “bitch”, and that, folks, ain’t gonna go down well.
Just for shits and giggles, I took a peek at Andrew Sullivan’s post-speech reactions, and found myself laughing my ass off at his usual shrieking hysterics — taken to eleven on the dial. He was spitting mad that they had the audacity to show those children ON THE AIR, and yet he is not allowed to continue questioning Trig’s maternity. No fair! No fair! Oh, he was virtually turning himself inside out over the fact that various family members AND Cindy McCain were each holding Trig at different times. How dare they?!?
Obviously, when you’re as big a cynic as Andy, you would think of it as merely a photo op, and not bear in mind Cindy’s work with infants and children all over the world. You would dismiss the fact she works tirelessly to help children who have been born with tragic facial birth defects and even brought a dying infant from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangledesh, into her home and heart. If you were a grade A nincompoop like Andy, you would consider the whole scene to be political theater, as opposed to a family sharing the duties of caring for a dozing infant between them. And if you were as in the tank for Obama as Sullivan is, you would obviously curl up into a thumb-sucking ball in the corner over the fact that you would look like an asshole throwing darts at that beautiful American family.
Boo-hoo, Andy… Boo-hoo.
Oh, and for good measure, he had to claim he saw Piper poking Trig in the eye!!! Um, fuckwit, she was trying to brush a bit of fuzz or somesuch from the babie’s brow. I saw her as she was doing it. There was no “poking”, no maliciousness, merely a big sister lovingly fussing over a baby brother.
But you go ahead… Attack the little girl, while you’re at it. I think that is a brilliant plan! Go for it. We’ll see how far it gets you in the reality based world.
And hey, did anyone else notice that Chris Matthews seems to have experienced a Sarah Palin “tingle” running up his leg this morning? Oh, don’t expect it to last, but he was really a twitter this morning…
Then again, perhaps the operative word when talking about Matthews should be “twit”.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:44 amESTHeard ’round the Corner:
September 4th, 2008 at 9:52 amESTPhysics Geek - You are apparently not the only one who thinks Palin’s speech set a standard McCain’s going to have a hard time living up to.
I also saw one (I can’t find any longer) saying that Mrs. Palin shouldn’t complain about the media bringing her family into the fray if she’s going to bring them up on stage like she did. I was livid. Obama’s wife goes out and makes speeches for him, and he says she’s off-limits for criticism, but this jerk says the Palin family is fair game because they were brought onstage during her acceptance speech? ARGH!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:54 amESTI agree 100% She’s shown that she can be aggressive, personable, and can be a strong woman with out emasculating her man. A true Lady of the Thatcher vein and does it all without the pants suit!
Various conservative blogs we’re harping earlier this year and late last on the need for a new Ronald Reagan. She’s here and she’s being groomed as we speak.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 amESTYou sure called that one right, mightysam.
Has the other side never seen a loving, supportive, functional family unit that sticks together through thick and thin and loves unconditionally? Is it so foreign a concept that it’s impossible for them to comprehend, let alone recognize?
Jesus spit-shined Christ.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:02 amESTShe did very well. Hammered the Democrats without being too nasty about it.
But, as Harrison Ford once said, “Don’t get cocky, kid”.
The Left will now pull out all the stops to destroy her. The media and the Dems know she is a killer, and so they have to destroy her and her family right now.
Look for this to get brutal, and quick. I think she’s up to the task, but I’ll say a little prayer anyway.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:11 amESTGee, I sure hope so.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:28 amESTApropos of nothing, my favorite part was when she promised that during their Administration she and McCain would “lay more pipe”. That was hot.
OK, OK, she said pipeline. Don’t ruin it for me!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:29 amESTLast night was a celebration of the American family and that’s just killing the left. After all these years of trying to destroy the very essence of what makes this country great, they are faced with a juggernaut of the classic American Family that makes everyone feel all giddy inside. Everyone except the left who look at the Palin’s and see a threat.
I actually pity the left right now.
Sarah’s comments about her family last night show that Bristol’s pregnancy is not a scandal for that family. It’s an event that has strengthened the love and bond between them.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:30 amESTI’ve had this bouncing around in my head for the last couple of days…to the tune of Barracuda, by Heart:
So, tell me my friend –
Saw the debate today
And had to turn my heart away.
He smiles like the Sun
Kisses for everyone
And tales – it never fails!
They’re lying low in the weeds
Gonna try to ambush me
They’d have this country down on its knees…
Except for Sarahcuda!
Barack says we’re all
Trying to free
Our country, its’ purpose
There’s no right, no wrong, just a UN song –
A name whisper game.
But if the real thing don’t do the trick,
They’ll make up something quick.
They’ll burn us down to the wick,
Make em’ stop, Sarahcuda!
“Sell me, sell you,” they say
Dive down deep to find a way
Nothing…I think they got the blues too.
All night and all weekend,
September 4th, 2008 at 10:30 amESTThey swim without looking back.
Making for the western pools….silly fools.
Zarba said:
Couldn’t agree more. In fact, I hope all conservatives and Republicans will refrain from cockiness. (Remember how arrogant and overweening Newt Gingrich came across when he was Speaker of the House? Even I — a conservative — had a hard time accepting his cheekiness.)
I hope the right will follow Palin’s lead and show confidence and resolve without being snarky. Let the left be the snark-meisters. (That seems to be their specialty anyway.) Part of Palin’s appeal for me was that she is obviously accomplished and justifiably proud of her achievements yet she manages to come off as tough and humble — at the same time.
[Edited to add:] PS—Also, the hockey mom/pitbull quip is an update of one of the Jewish-American Princess jokes that made the rounds in New York during the 80s: What’s the difference between a JAP and a barracuda? Nail polish. Can’t help wondering why they changed from a barracuda to a pitbull. It seems as if the barracuda reference might have suited “Sarahcuda” better.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:33 amESTI LOVE this woman. Last night was the first time I had ever watched any part of a political convention. This woman had me in tears by the time she was done!
The left is scared shit less of this lady and I can’t get enough. She called the media to task and they are STILL WHINING about it this morning. She called Obama on all his bullshit and let this country see what she’s really all about. I WANT this woman in office!
On a more interesting and tacky note, very shortly after her speech was over we heard multiple ambulance sirens. I would like to think they were responding to calls of liberals whose heads had literally just blown up. It gives me a happy.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:41 amESTMy VP candidate can beat up your presidential candidate!
Shameless hucksterism:
September 4th, 2008 at 10:46 amEST
Yes, you were the only ridiculous moron watching the speech. Are you out of your mind? Down Syndrome (I have provided a link targeted toward children; I hope it’s not too advanced for you) children are just as active as any other four month old, who sleeps/rests 13-14 hours per day. They don’t move about on their own much, other than to roll over. Babies often stiffen their backs so they don’t flop about — have you ever been carried in that manner by another human being?
If you are talking about being freaked because you don’t understand the activity and sleep patterns of a typical infant, fine. Educate yourself. If you are talking about that level being attributed exclusively to “retarded” children, you, sir, are an ass-clown.
EDIT: I just watched the end again. The look on Trig’s face is no less inquisitive than any other child at that age. I am going to assume that you’ve never been around infants before, because the alternative explanation to your post makes me want to bitchslap you.
I can’t wait to see photos of him playing on the lawn of his new White House in 2012.
McCain/Palin ‘08
September 4th, 2008 at 10:49 amESTIt’s not just that the Republicans need Sarah - it’s that America needs Sarah (and others like her) to remain a strong, prosperous, vibrant country.
She is our future. Conservatism is an incredibly strong philosophy that has been dissed by the party establishment in order for them to “earn votes”. No wonder Republicans lost seats in the 2006 elections.
I firmly believe that Sarah Palin proves that voters will respond to genuine conservative candidates.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:49 amESTRetarded? Wow…That’s the pot calling the kettle black. I so dispise that particular word.
I much prefer the little one called by his name, Trig, which means: “True and brave victory” in Norse.
I have never heard or read the term “flea-flickered” so I will let that one be, but I have to question…what exactly is the problem with a much-loved baby being handed off to people who so obviously adore him? When I saw Cindy McCain holding little Trig as though he were her own, I was actually jealous that I wasn’t next in line.
Also, I heard a few people on the news question why Trig seemed so “listless” in such noise and pandemonium and know from experience the answer. While in utero, babies are constantly inundated with sounds and movements, sounds equal to that of a freight train rushing by. Similar to the approach of taking your baby for a drive or putting them on a running dryer to help them sleep. Most mother’s are well-aware that babies sleep best when there is plenty of noise around.
Lastly, to refer to any living being, especially a human being, as “it” simply is beyond belief. “It” refers to an inanimate object. “He” has a name and it is Trig.
I know, semantics and all, but geez…
September 4th, 2008 at 10:55 amESTI loved it. I hate it when I clap to the television. Oh well.
A person on local talk radio made a quip that I modified into the following joke: If we can get all democrats to vote like Obama, the next president of the United States will be named Present.
So I am going to start calling Obama “The Presence” since it mocks both his voting habits and the cult of personality
doug
September 4th, 2008 at 11:04 amESTIn other news, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick agrees to plea agreement and 120 days jail. Democrats, keeping it classy!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:26 amESTWell SP’s been mocked for being a “beauty queen”. Guess what? Even more than politics, that’s an arena where every single detail of your appearance and demeanor is scrutinized with a magnifying glass. So, in point of fact, she has talked to crowds like this her whole life.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:30 amESTAdd me to the fan club. I’ve spent the past few days absolutely sickened by the personal attacks on this woman and her family and just wanted her to do well.
She went above and beyond anything I could have hoped for. My admiration for her knows no bounds. She actually has me excited about politics. This is the future of the Republican party and it’s absolutely stunning. If McCain ever gets his head out of his ass regarding illegal immigration I can embrace both halves of this ticket. Either way, Sarah gets my vote.
And Piper is so friggin’ cute it damn near brought tears to my eyes, especially when she was fussing over Trig.
It’s going to be fun watching the left implode over Palin, although I’m not looking forward to how damn ugly it’s going to get.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:34 amESTI’ll take the beauty queen over “hair Plugs” Biden.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:35 amESTI noticed one comment on the utube page complaining, “she didn’t talk about what they were going to do (actually, she did, if you were paying attention), she only talked about what she had done. Well, poor lib, that’s one thing you’ll never catch Barry doing. Because there’s nothing he can talk about having done!
Sarah Palin’s presence in the lower 48 means the Arctic ice cap can finally return.
Sarah Palin fired Jack Bauer because he was too soft in dealing with terrorists.
Sarah Palin’s pageant career ended early so other women could have a chance.
Sarah Palin’s son Track is going to Iraq after the Surge, because a Palin during the Surge would have been unfair.
Sarah Palin wears glasses lest her uncontrollable optic blasts slaughter everyone. (X-Men reference)
Sarah Palin actually has Big Foot in her freezer.
Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt. She has been known to throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.
Sarah Palin once spilled coffee on Joe Biden & one of his $400 ties from Pink.
Sarah Palin keeps her hair in a beehive to hide her ninja weaponry.
Sarah Palin will personally open a homemade can of whoopa** on Ahmadinejad, Putin, and Chavez as soon as she’s done making mooseburgers for her kids.
A grizzly bear once tried to stare down Sarah Palin. Once.
Sarah Palin will send Joe Biden a pre-debate cheat sheet. The sheet will have tips on defending against Kung [beeep] Death Grip.
Sarah Palin became governor because five children left her with too much spare energy.
Sarah Palin will give birth to the man who will lead humanity’s war against the machines. (Terminator reference)
Three of Sarah Palin’s 5 kids came out sideways and she never flinched.
Global Warming doesn’t kill polar bears. Sarah Palin does. Generally with her bare hands.
Sarah Palin was the original “Deadliest Catch.”
Sarah Palin paid her way through school by hunting for Kodiak pelts with a slingshot.
Alaska is the 49th state solely because they knew even in 1959 that Sarah Palin never finishes last.
Chuck Norris wishes he was Sarah Palin trapped in a man’s body.
Sarah Palin got Tom Brady pregnant, and then left him.
Sarah Palin once won the Iditarod without any dogs. She simply willed the sled to victory.
Sarah Palin wears half the makeup that John Edwards wears and still looks like twice the woman he does.
Sarah Palin once guided Santa’s sleigh through an Alaskan blizzard with the light from her smile.
Sarah Palin fishes salmon by convincing them it’s in their interest to jump into the boat
September 4th, 2008 at 11:46 amESTI can picture John McCain and Barack Obama both opening a box of Cracker Jacks. McCain pulls out his surprise and exclaims, Hot Damn! I got a Sara Palin! Hot Damn! What did you get Barack? Obama pulls out his surprise. All I got was a stupid Biden.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:48 amESTWhen I feel cold, you warm me.
And when I feel I can’t go on, you come and hold me.
It’s you and me forever
Sarah smile. Won’t you smile a while for me.
That used to be a song by Hall & Oates. Now I only know it as the soundtrack that plays in my head when she is on tv and I get the warm tinglies.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:52 amESTYahoo “Fact Check”
I would so love someone who has far more intelligence than I to fact check the shit out of Yahoo’s facts.
Dear 14K, I want to marry you and have your babies and name all my babies after you for taking down that buttmunch assbag. Thank you.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:53 amESTrachel, you got it right. sarah’s school’s principal said her nickname was “sarahcuda” not “sarah barracuda”
September 4th, 2008 at 11:58 amEST“THAT is the power of the conservative message - strength, pride, grit, Heartland values, and American sensibility.”
Someone explain this to me, because I grew up in this kind of home, in the middle of the Heartland and my family is liberal. And believe me, my grandparents are strong, proud, hardworking, sensible and have a strong set of values.
How am I so different from you?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pmESTSarah Palin will pry that Klondike bar from your cold, dead fingers.
(I don’t know what that means; it’s just funny.)
http://www.palinfacts.com/
September 4th, 2008 at 12:01 pmESTA little story from last night as my unpolitical wife watched Sarah’s speech.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pmESTShe was praising the speech as we watched. Then she found out that Trig was a Down’s Syndrome baby and she excitedly said, “Shoot, she’s got them surrounded.”
Was there a Yahoo fact check of the Lightworker and the DNC Convention too?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:07 pmESTMy guess is no.
Brooke - we keep telling you that you’re really not as big a Liberal as you try to convince us you are. Your comments here and your description of your family life paint a picture of the “Classical Liberal,” which is a completely different type of person (and more like the current description of the Conservative-Libertarian type), than what most of us here consider to be a “Liberal”.
True, there are a few instances where your interpretation of things said here are pretty far off-base, and then your comments sound more like the Moonbat Liberal type, but when we get past those, you’re pretty similar to many people here.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pmESTWatching Sarah and family take their much earned bows last night, I swear I heard a song playing from my ill-spent suburban youth.
The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying:
Valhalla, I am coming!
Sarah had the crowd eating out of her hand. And, as silly as it may sound, Piper has me wrapped around her little finger.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:24 pmESTMoonbat liberal type…hahahahahah…
All I’m saying is that I have not drank the Barack Obama kool-aid - nor have I had any of the Sarah Palin version. And when people say, “Oh, she so appeals to Middle America” I wonder who they are talking about. My grandparents don’t. My mother doesn’t. My friends in Middle America are perplexed - how does Sarah Palin appeal to Middle America. Because she hunts? Because she has no experience? Because she has just enough experience? Because she’s hot? She’s a hockey mom?
I wish someone would give me a reason of why they are all into Sarah Palin without it sounding cultlike.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pmESTOh, please, kellyrae ANYONE but Princess Diana. I STILL want to ask that little twit what part of the phrase “Dynastic Marriage” she didn’t understand.
(After the classic ‘I got a rock’ routine in “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown):
Republican: “And she’s tough and pretty, and a Conservative! We LOVE her!”
Democrat: “I got a Barack.”
Republican: “And she has executive experience, and hunts, and has a great family!”
Democrat: “I got a Barack.”
Republican: “And we can run her for President on four to eight years, when she’s a little seasoned. This is GREAT!”
Democrat: “I got a Barack.”
September 4th, 2008 at 12:29 pmESTHow about
Sarah, The Arctic Fox?
Love this woman.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pmESTI was JUST NOW writing that, CSP Scholfield…
Thank you for saving me the time!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:38 pmESTIt’s an appeal based on her identity as a “regular person,” Brooke. She doesn’t look stupid with a hunting rifle, a la Kerry; she looks like a natural. She doesn’t talk down to working people, because she’s married to a fisherman/oilman/regular joe. She appeals to every family who’s had a young daughter get pregnant, by saying, “Yup, it’s a shock, but we’ll make the best of it.”
She’s no phony politician, in the way that most national figures are. Her audience identifies with her personally, as well as ideologically.
And if all that sounds too cultlike for your tastes, well, let’s just say she’s Obama’s mirror and call it even.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:38 pmESTI have a new girl crush! There were two very happy women at my house last night! Absolutely awesome!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:49 pmESTAnd if all that sounds too cultlike for your tastes, well, let’s just say she’s Obama’s mirror and call it even.
In the sense that genuine versus phony is a mirror image….
September 4th, 2008 at 12:49 pmESTBecause she did fight corruption in her own party. It takes someone with some serious cojones to go after one of the “good old boys” network. That is one non-cultish reason.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:49 pmESTBrooke - It’s the difference in the way Liberals and Conservatives see The promise of America and the future of the American people.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:53 pmESTWOW!! I knew nothing about this woman and I was initially dissapointed in his calculated pick for v.p. Then I saw her speech and I now think Mccain is no fool, either that or he has found a rare gem. I am now excited to vote for Palin and I will vote for Mccain if that is what it takes to get her in there.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:55 pmESTI have been losing my mind seeing so many Obama posters and thinking my fellow countrymen have lost their minds. She gives me the kind of real hope that Reagan inspired. From Alaska, how perfect!! I agree, it will get ugly in a national enquirer fashion. There is a god.
As a father of several special needs children, I almost cried when Gov. Palin said that we’d have an advocate in the White House. She has my vote whenever and whereever she needs it.
And to the “gentleman” who referenced the “retarded baby” — to put it as politely as I can, eat shit, bark at the moon and die, m*****f*****.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:57 pmESTI’ll have a crack at it, Brooke.
The basic story is that she appeals to us because she is one of us. She knows what it’s like to work for a living, to keep a family together, and to be sneered at by the Barack Obamas of the world. She shares our values. We think we know her, because she’s so much like a supercharged version of our moms or aunts or sisters or wives or whoever. That makes us root for her on a personal level, and it gives us a certain confidence in her priorities as a leader.
And while I suspect you’re going to dismiss it as cult-of-personality stuff, that last is an important point. Over the years, liberals have been all too ready to dismiss “character” as a campaign issue. But time and time again it crops up. The reason for that is simple: the “issues” that typically dominate a presidential campaign almost never turn out to be the issues that dominate the subsequent presidential term. In 2000, nobody talked about the need for strong wartime leadership, because nobody knew then that 9/11 would happen. The same is true of, say, 1988; nobody talked then about building a post-Cold War world, because nobody knew we would need to do it until the campaign was over and the presidency had begun.
These aren’t exceptions; they’re the rule. And because they’re the rule, choosing a President is a sort of guessing game: you have to ask not “what is this person’s position on issue X” but “when some new issue that I haven’t even considered comes up in the middle of the term, will this person’s decisions be in line with my opinions at that time”.
That last question is HARD, and there’s no easy way to answer it. But finding someone who shares your values and your priorities is a great start. That’s why we (or at least, I) am excited about Gov. Palin.
Sorry for the word count, everybody.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:57 pmESTI was initially dissapointed in his calculated pick for v.p.
I sure hope it was calculated, and not a toss-at-a-dartboard thing! But the evidence suggests that, despite all the hysterical leftie histrionics, this was far from a last-minute desperation pick. She’s been on his list for months, since well before he cleared his lead in the primaries.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pmESTBrooke, surely you understand middle America is a figure of speech. It isn’t a place like Iowa or Kansas. Most of us are in or near the middle, the rest are left or right.
As for you being a liberal, do you hang out and comment over at the loony bin known as The Daily Kos? Those dildos aren’t liberals, they fancy themselves as progressives, which is code for Marxist/Socialist. They believe the government should be in charge of most things, if not everything. And of course, since they’re so much smarter and enlightened than middle America, they should be the ones running it.
I reject that. I value freedom, self reliance, morals, character and integrity. The government can’t provide that and Sarah Palin knows it, as does most everyone here.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pmESTSteve: Gotcher back. See 10:49 a.m.
Ass-clown troll.
Ethne: : )
That means a lot to me.
I used to provide care for developmentally disabled children and adults. I also ran a state-licensed childcare facility.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:08 pmEST‘Nuff said.
Is anyone else having trouble playing the videos?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:10 pmESTEven as we speak, Biden’s hair plugs are manning the lifeboats.
Here’s a song for all those masochistic critics who were piling on her last week
Stiletto
She cuts you once, she cuts you twice
But still you believe
The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
But you don’t have strength to leave
You’ve been bought, you’ve been sold
You’ve been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin’,
With your insides bleedin’,
‘Cause you deep down want some more
When she says she wants forgiveness
It’s such a clever masquerade
She’s so good with her stiletto
You don’t even see the blade
You don’t see the blade
She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep,
She’s got so much skill
She’s so fascinating that you’re still there waiting
When she comes back for the kill
You’ve been slashed in the face
You’ve been left there to bleed
You want to run away
But you know you’re gonna stay
‘Cause she gives you what you need
Then she says she needs affection
While she searches for the vein
She’s so good with her stiletto
You don’t really mind the pain
you don’t mind the pain
She cuts you out, she cuts you down
September 4th, 2008 at 1:15 pmESTShe carves up your life
But you won’t do nothng
As she keeps on cutting
‘Cause you know you love the knife
You’ve been bought, you’ve been sold
You’ve been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin’
With your insides bleedin’
‘Cause you deep down want some more
Then she says she wants affection
While she searches for the vein
She’s so good with her stiletto,
You don’t really mind the pain
You don’t mind the pain
Oh man… as a Canadian I’m so jealous…
I want this woman. I want to vote for this woman. She’s jaw dropping awesome! I had butterfly’s in my stomach watching her. Hail… I have seen the first female US president!
September 4th, 2008 at 1:17 pmESTBroken, I think you nailed it here. The main reason for my not supporting BHO is that I want to vote for someone with at least some strength of character. In my life, I’ve made some hard decisions. I have left churches that became offensive to me when they went political. I have resigned from a job when I felt I was asked to do unethical things–this in particular makes Sarah Palin attractive to me. Between that and McCain’s history of genuine sacrifice for his country, I’m willing to let them have my vote, even if I don’t agree 100% with them.
In short, I want to vote for people better than me, or at least as good. BHO and company throw friends under the bus on a dime, ignore politically correct racism, play dirty politics in ways I find morally and ethically abhorrent, and have terrible decision making skills. McCain has backbone to spare; he withstood torture rather than turn traitor. Palin, in the last four days, has had her family smeared in ways that would have driven me ballistic. Not only did she handle it with aplomb, she came back and slapped her attackers down so hard they seem to be in a state of shock–the worst they can say is that she didn’t write the speech. And as it turned out, the teleprompter malfunctioned, so it turns out that speech was pretty much from memory. That’s an amazing testament to her composure under pressure.
Will there be revelations about her in the next 60 days? Of course, and we’ll judge them by their truth. But right now, she is, as Fred said, “a breath of fresh air”.
Sorry for the long-windedness, but for the first time in this election I feel comfortable about voting.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:20 pmESTLast nights sppech proves that Obama is a clown and needs to be stopped.
I mean, these moonbats have the nerves to question Palin’s experience, yet she has more experience than Hussein’s.
I don’t get it.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:22 pmEST14K, thank you. BTW, I love your demotivators! Too bad I can’t see them at work, though.
The Better Half and I have been foster parents for almost 20 years now, and we have adopted four children, all with special needs. Don’t misunderstand me, I have no problem with someone using the word retarded the way it was meant to be used. I use it myself, because my children’s development is retarded, as in below normal. When someone uses the word like it was used above, however, it makes my blood boil.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:23 pmESTSteve,
Thanks!
I know. I have been to your site … you should update more often! : )
I wanted to follow your daughter’s progress, but I do hope all went well with her … and aren’t you the guy who joked about having a perfect, surgically altered, a-hole (I think)?
Agreed on the retarded thing. Although I am guilty of using it in an improper context on occasion. My respect for this amazing woman and her family will remind me to keep that in check (or that is my hope).
EDIT: Did I mention I have a great deal of respect for your, and Sarah’s, choice? Having seen the seemier side of caring for the developmentally disabled (there are BAD caregivers in every field, folks) I am not sure I could bring myself to entrust my adult child to the fear of that uncertainty upon my passing.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pmESTBravo.
I cried when I saw Bristol Palin and her fiance holding hands, looking so scared and yet so brave. There they were and they stood up for their family and endured a million photo flashes and camera lenses and faced true filthy evil and did not cry and did not turn away.
They make ‘em tough in Alaska. This couple is going to be fine, and when their baby is born I hope he comes out with a moose gun in one hand, a knife in the other, and a birthmark that says “I came. I saw. I kicked ass!”
September 4th, 2008 at 1:42 pmESTI don’t have a mentally handicapped child or member of my family, although I have seen families that deal with that unique relationship and it made me feel like I have so much to learn about life.
I did all the crying for you my man.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:44 pmESTYeah, I should update more often, but I usually find myself on other blogs (like this one) either keeping up with the news or LMAO at things like Rachel’s poochies. Sarah is doing better, although she now has a trach and is on oxygen (and probably will be for a while yet). It’s still touch and go, but she’s holding her own. She’s happy, and that’s really all that counts.
EDIT: And yes, I have used the word retarded in a bad context at times myself, and I’m trying to do better. That’s the good thing about being Christian; we’re not perfect, just forgiven.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:45 pmESTOlbermann must be on suicide watch by now.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:47 pmESTBroken quanta: yeah, when I heard about “laying pipe”, I wanted to volunteer too. But my spouse is tough…and hers is even tougher.
I take apart one of her local enemies here.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:50 pmESTSteve:
Sarah? Hear name is SARAH? OMG …
[choke, gasp, sob ... composure]
Wow. I am so glad to hear she’s holding her own.
And the definition of the name Sarah fits them both!
I’ve got tears here, man.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:51 pmESTReality check folks. I love Sarah Palin. She is my Governor. I voted for her. I support her. I will vote for her.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:55 pmESTNone-the-less there is a an unsettledness and apprehension of her, not just the media, but in middle America as well. I am having conversations with folks all over the country and I hear it.
There is a lot of work ahead. She needs to refine her views and her image.
I am hopeful, but it is still a long hard road up hill to the election.
BINGO. I have a feeling those two teenagers are mature beyond their years.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:57 pmESTI hope Gov. and Mr. Palin have instilled their apparent small-town values in their children because they (and others like them) are the future of our country.
I hope when the time comes my boys will demonstrate that kind of poise.
Just recently started reading this blog. My hats off to Rachel for bringing the funny and thought provoking posts, and comments from other posters on a daily basis.
That speech last night brought tears to my eyes. Sarah Palin is truly a skilled, smart, and beautiful human being who put herself out there knowing damn well the Dems would continue to jump on her. I applaud her for coming out swinging at the joke of an excuse for a Presidential candidate Emperor Obama and Plugs Biden. I wasn’t really feeling the love for McCain til he announced his running mate. Not that I would have voted for Obama anyway but I know from conversations with people that was the general buzz. I haven’t been this pumped to vote for someone since my first time in the booth and Reagan was on the ticket.
A little off subject but not necessarily without merit. Brooke… take into consideration that I am a Republican living in the liberal bastion of NY, NRA member for life and have a concealed weapons license in 4 states with reciprocity in 32 other states. Oh and by the way, I am a big ‘ole lessie… which is probably the least interesting thing about me, I leave you with something someone sent me (I would credit the author, but I never learned who wrote it) which pretty much sums up, for me at least, the difference between conservatives and liberals.
The Myth Of Liberal Sophistication
“Of the great body of whimsy upon which today’s liberalism is based, the most intriguing is their abiding faith in their own intellectual superiority. We simpletons who disagree with them see the world in black and white terms; while they alone grasp the nuance, the subtlety, the swirling watercolor that is modern life. Should their hubris ever flag, they need only remind themselves of the many “intellectuals” who are liberal: Professors! Artists! Europeans!”
September 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pmEST14K & Steve -
September 4th, 2008 at 2:07 pmESTMy aunt and uncle used to foster care for kids and adopted several special needs children. From Down’s to Fetal alcohol, they had the gamut. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who have the strength to do so.
fargus - Brilliant. Had me rolling.
14k and Steve … can I ask a not so ‘correct’ question? Are you offended when someone uses the term “retarded” in casual speaking … NOT talking about people or any person in a derogatory manner. It’s a very bad habit that I admit to having … When my dogs do something silly I call them retarded or when I do something silly or dumb I call myself that. It’s definitely something that I’ve done since I was very very young. I even did it once in front of a little girl with downs syndrome and I about fell into the earth. I mean NO offense.
And I wanted to kick the idiots ass who spoke about SP’s son that way.
I’m trying to catch myself before using the word in this way any longer. I do admit to finding myself previously VERY uncomfortable around special needs children and adults. My little cousin has Downs and it was a very hard thing for me to know how to treat her. Which I realize is stupid and I should treat her how I treat everyone else.
I have definitely gotten “better” at my discomfort and SP just helps me get over it even more!!! That little baby could not be more precious and her youngest daughter makes my uterus ache.
I hope no one takes my comments here as mean or cruel…I do not mean them in that way AT ALL. I am just expressing my own personal lack of character in this issue.
You both are amazing people. It takes super special people to raise and work with special needs children. My sweet and wonderful cousin is going to be a special needs teacher and I am in awe of her.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pmESTAt first I thought this was funny:
http://barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com/
then I remembered that people take it seriously…
September 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pmESTSarahcuda! I love it. I’m going to try another demotivator but the last time I did this my comment got tangled with someone elses. Hope it works.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:14 pmESTFound another great source of pics of Sarah-cuda if people want to build some more “posters”
over at JeffHead
I made up my own tag lines, see if you can match them up
September 4th, 2008 at 2:19 pmESTOne Heart-throb away ……
Here is what a Commander in Chief looks like:
No wonder ‘Zero’ is ‘Biden’ his time: Ready Aim, BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM …. Ohhh
Thanks, from ALL of Alaska
Yes Levi, Mama knows how to use a shotgun too.
Aiming low with a scope, because Zero is such a small package, …err… target.
Zero has always wondered what this Executive posture feels like
Sarah-cuda is exercising her ‘limited experience’
Zero posture …. ‘I pledge …’ ??
Castocreations: Like I said earlier, it’s when people use the term retarded like it’s a bad thing is when I get my dander up. In casual conversation, it’s no big deal. Hell, I’ve called myself retarded on more than one occasion. The Better Half calls me retarded, too, but that’s another story . . .
14Karat, you’re a very special person, too. And no, I don’t mean short bus special, just . . . special. BTW, I just jotted a short update on my site to let the five people who actually read my ramblings know where I’ve been.
Edit: I’m being remiss again. Put it down to old age. Ethne, thank you. Your aunt and uncle sound like my kind of people.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pmESTI like the Sarah Connor comparison!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pmESTHere’s a link to NevadaDailySteve’s DM:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2827924381_007c9dffc5.jpg?v=0/
September 4th, 2008 at 2:37 pmEST
September 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pmESTOMG! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor just to be nominated. May I make a suggestion while I have your attention?
PALIN/LUCAS ‘12: SO SAY WE ALL.
I’m jusy sayin’.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:21 pmESTIt is amusing how many of the liberal pundits criticize Palin for being sarcastic. More than anything it reminds me of the way parents with spoiled brats react when their child gets out of line. If little Poopsie hits another child its not really that big of a deal; little Poopsie is just high-strung, and this all comes from the fact that most other children are just incapable of understanding just how wonderful little Poopsie is, and this hurts his feelings. You can’t blame him, and you can’t judge him. But when one of the other little kids has the utter gall to hit him back the parents are OUTRAGED because some filthy little TROLL HIT POOPSIE BACK.
Some people just don’t know their places I guess . . .
September 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pmESTMadame Host, JimK has been nominated for the Chuck Norris Action Jeans Unique Hidden Gusset Award and the nomination has been seconded. All those in favor say “aye”, all opposed say “nay”.
I vote Aye.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:47 pmESTMy wife and I started reading this blog in the last month or two. Lots of fun going on here.
Sarah Palin was a knock-out success last night. She quelled all the fears I’d been having about voting for the McCain ticket. The special needs child advocate thing is huge, I think. The possibility quite exists that such an advocate could be a great help to us (my wife is deaf, and there is a small chance our children could be as well).
Anyway, the main point of my post - the first poll I could find post-Palin speech:
September 4th, 2008 at 3:53 pmESThttp://www.mediacurves.com/Politics/J6992-Palin/Index.cfm
Aye
September 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pmEST(But I’m pretty sure he’s already gotten the award, on the front page, no less.)
Aye.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:05 pmESTSo say we all.
Thus sayteh the bloglord (see above).
Most of you probably know me as one of the more vocal detractors of Senator John McCain on this blog. I had a laundry list of complaints against him (and I mean, literally, I actually wrote them all down one time) and I made no secret of the fact that I did not support him and would not be voting for him.
But in light of McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, I’d like to take this opportunity to say…..I was wrong.
I thought John McCain (and the Republican Party in general) had totally abandoned conservatism. I thought McCain was a liberal Republican with no respect or regard for the conservative base and would “throw us under the bus” if he were elected President. And I was sure that the final proof of that would be when he inevitably chose a very liberal Republican (or worse, an actual Democrat) as his running mate. But I was wrong.
John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his VP nominee has made it clear that he DOES have some loyalty to the conservative base. By nominating a strong, well-spoken, accomplished, highly conservative running mate, John McCain has reassured us all that in fact he DOES, in fact, lend an ear to conservative concerns. Not only that, he’s united the conservative base, ended the infighting on the right, and driven the left absolutely bonkers with rage, exposing them for the hateful bigots and hypocrites they are.
He’s also managed to do what I once thought to be nigh impossible. By nominating Sarah Palin, John McCain has made conservatism popular again. He’s shown that when Republicans act like Republicans instead of acting like Democrats, people will support them again. He’s proven to the Republican Party that if they only start actually acting like conservatives again, conservatives will rally around them again like we used to.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, by nominating Palin as VP McCain has elevated a solid conservative politician to the national stage. Whether McCain wins or loses this election, expect to see Sarah Palin around for a while. Perhaps even as the Republican Presidential candidate in 2012 or 2015.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pmESTDid anybody just hear hoofbeats … is it raining brimstone?
(I’m terrified to look)!
Jesus? IS THAT YOU?
I keed, mightysam, I keed.
Succinctly and eloquently phrased comment, mighty.
Endorsements such as yours, and Doug’s, solidify my certainty that the rest of us are not having a visceral, knee-jerk reaction to her all-encompassing awesomeness.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:14 pmESTOr drowning in “Arctic Chill” flavored Kool-Aid!
Thank you.
Trying one now
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4488/qoqarhptg5jo7.jpg
ok, how does it work?
September 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pmEST“…by nominating Palin as VP McCain has elevated a solid conservative politician to the national stage. Whether McCain wins or loses this election, expect to see Sarah Palin around for a while. Perhaps even as the Republican Presidential candidate in 2012 or 2015.”
Amen to that. She’s here to stay.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:17 pmESTMightysamurai, I salute you, sir, both for your willingness to admit that you were wrong (something the Dems would do good to learn, IMHO) and for your writing. When I grow up, I want to write like you do.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:35 pmESTUm, did about 75% of this post disappear?
*edit* nevermind its back.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:43 pmEST*snort*
Somebody isn’t very familiar with infants…
When mine was 4 months he only cared about eating and being held. As long as he wasn’t hungry, he didn’t care who held him or how much he was passed around. Awake or asleep, it didn’t matter. From what I could see, Trig was acting perfectly normal for his age.
I’m going to be charitable and assume what you said was said out of ignorance and not ugliness.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:51 pmESTI’m starting to believe everyone’s claims that those on the left is in fetal-curling full panic mode. I work in an office with nice people although one (a man) is a huge gossip monger. And sadly I’m seeing my female colleague falling for his gossips even though she swore in the beginning she would only believe what she sees and not what she hears from him. I believed her. I respect her and thought she is bigger than this. But this morning when I didn’t bash Palin’s last night performance, she immediately turned up her nose and said, “We have nothing more to talk about. At least Margaret Thatcher had class”, is signaling that the conversation has come to an end. What the hell?! I didn’t bring up last night’s convention, she and the gossip man did.
I tried to make a point that Palin’s, “what does he plan to do after turning back the water and healing the earth?” was NOT a jab at environmentalism but a jab at Obama’s celebrity status, and it doesn’t help that he was painted in a open, puffy, white shirt while walking out of the water, or that Rolling Stone and countless magazine covers outline his profile with a ridiculous glow, or that some of the nicknames for Obama included “Obamessaiah”. But my colleague refused to hear me out and said again, “we have nothing more to talk about”. So that’s it? I don’t bash Palin and right away I’m supposed to shut up?
We’re pretty good work friends so I tried again and said being VP is the biggest non-job there is and that VPs don’t do anything. She responded that McCain can’t raise his arms and “when” he dies who do you think is going to take over? Maybe I’m naïve but I really didn’t realize there is this real fear of Palin becoming POTUS. I said that it doesn’t happen very often that VPs become Presidents, in fact it’s pretty darn rare. As for McCain’s health status, his mother is still alive and besides, how many times has Cheney had heart attacks and he’s still kicking it? She kept repeating that “we have nothing more to talk about” and I kept saying “I just don’t think it is a big deal, I really don’t think she is such a huge threat.”
Finally I gave up, I don’t know why I tried so hard to salvage our work friendship but now I know why talking politics is against the written rule in our Department.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:01 pmESTLol, she’s planning an assassination. I’m kinda scared of this friend of yours.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:15 pmESTI certainly hope it was a jab at environmentalism. These misanthropes are already enough of a problem. When the idiot politicians start taking real steps to cut CO2, there will be real job losses, real inflation, and real misery. And it will have precisely zero effect on temperature.
Australia is on the verge on economic suicide right now with the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme.
Obama, and even McCain, deserve abject derision for their belief in a theory which hasn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:23 pmEST(Liberal) Brooke:
“How am I so different from you?”
Uh, you endorse the government sticking a gun in my gut and demanding all of my money? Thieves live in nice neighborhoods, too, I suppose.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:39 pmESTI watched the speech on either Fox or CNN, and they didn’t pan to Piper smoothing the baby’s hair. And I remembered wondering why delegates got so excited about Sarah knowing people’s families. Huh?
Now I see- they were all going “Awwww” over Piper. And by golly, it was an MSNBC cameraman who did that. Will wonders never cease.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:42 pmESTLots of Piper Palin videos are now posted on YouTube. I just assembled and posted a “best of” of his kid last night. I slowed down the video to provide a longer glimpse of her many “too cute” moments. There’s no audio, as audio played during slo-mo is too weird. Use my Mac and iMovie, did cross-dissolves, fades, encoded @ 480×360 for best quality, etc. I just noticed that I omitted her “should we stand?” clip. Darn! Maybe I’ll do a second pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksZIWmKcTBg
September 4th, 2008 at 6:04 pmESTI hardly ever read the the Daily Kos….I gladly cop to breezing the HuffPo from time to time, and I am a fan of Crooks and Liars…but seriously, I think the most interesting person commenting on politics right now is Jon Stewart. Funny man, that one. Make of that what you will.
And interestingly I too value freedom, self reliance, morals, character and integrity. But when you start talking morals it makes my hackles go up because I flash back to sitting on a plane in May with a man who was trying to sell me on McCain and said he only voted on abortion and morals/family values. I still think I deserve credit for not saying, “whose morals/values?”
And I don’t endorse the government stealing all of people’s hard-earned money…but there are some people who make a whole lot of money that don’t necessarily earn it.
And when it comes to the environment, can’t we all agree that working to make our planet - or at least this country - as habitable as possible for our children and future generations is probably a good thing?
I just sometimes feel like Sarah Palin is a lesson in irony.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:13 pmESTCBS Evening News tonight said their latest poll shows McCain and Obama in a dead even tie.
Go Palin!
September 4th, 2008 at 7:26 pmESTAnd what gives you the right to decide who makes the money and didn’t earn it? Why should we take the money from those people who are employed and proceed to give that money to people who ACTUALLY didn’t earn it. You didn’t earn this money so we’re going to take it from you, and give it to someone else who also didn’t earn it.
Agreed. But cutting the achille’s tendons of the economy isn’t the way to do it.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:41 pmEST“Don’t necessarily earn it”? What does that mean?
September 4th, 2008 at 7:42 pmESTHeh. You know I just realized I used “in fact” twice in the same sentence. D’oh!
Anyway, since I just love giving people advice they haven’t asked for, I can give you some tips on how to develop good writing skills.
In my opinion, the three key aspects that distinguish good writers from average writers from bad writers is vocabulary, phraseology, and clarity of thought.
Vocabulary means two things. Knowing lots of words, and knowing how to use those words correctly. Having a robust vocabulary is one of the most important skills for a writer to have. Effectively expressing yourself in writing is next to impossible if you don’t know enough words, or you don’t know how to properly use the words you do know. Reading is the absolute best way to expand your vocabulary because it kills two birds with one stone. It simultaneously exposes you to knew words and it shows you those words in a sentence which (usually) shows you how to use them correctly.
Phraseology (literally “the study of phrases”) means knowing how to take the words you know and put them together in such a way as to effectively express your thoughts. And by “effectively” I mean persuasively, elegantly, and eloquently. And alongside brevity, good phraseology is the soul of wit. Contrary to popular belief, expressing yourself on paper is actually quite easy. Doing it well is the hard part, and substandard phraseology is what kills many otherwise intelligent writers. You can write an essay that perfectly expresses your thoughts on any subject, but if your phraseology is lacking it will be so antiseptic and soul-crushingly bland that people may literally to keel over and die of boredom upon reading it. Again, the best way that I’ve found to improve your phraseology is to read and expose yourself to examples of good phraseology. (And don’t be afraid to shamelessly steal a good phrase you find somewhere else and use it for your own purposes.)
Clarity of thought is the big one. A lack of clarity is what kills so many writers that are otherwise highly intelligent. Clarity of thought comes in two parts, which I call internal and external clarity. Internal clarity is the ability to put your thoughts in order inside your brain and understand them. External clarity is the ability to organize them in a persuasive way. For instance, people who say they strongly believe in X but can’t quite explain WHY they believe in X are lacking internal clarity. Whereas people who expound at length about why they believe in X but can only express their thoughts using familiar slogans and talking points are lacking external clarity. External clarity is relatively easy to learn. If you’ve ever taken a freshman comp. class you know all about thesis statements, restrictions, outlines, conclusions, and all those other things designed to teach you external clarity. However, internal clarity is much more difficult. You can’t really “learn by example” like you can with vocabulary or phraseology because true internal clarity has to come from inside you. You can simulate internal clarity by borrowing other people’s thoughts and rephrasing them in your own words, but this can backfire on you. Since the thoughts originated in someone else’s mind your understanding of them will be limited. You can’t examine where those thoughts come from or what experiences influenced them. The most you can do is repeat them like a list of inane political talking points. Internal clarity, true internal clarity, can only come from honest introspection. You have to sit down and puzzle out the thoughts and ideas whizzing around your cerebral cortex. Free writing is a great way to do this.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:49 pmEST>>>>>*snort*
Somebody isn’t very familiar with infants…
When mine was 4 months he only cared about eating and being held. As long as he wasn’t hungry, he didn’t care who held him or how much he was passed around. Awake or asleep, it didn’t matter. From what I could see, Trig was acting perfectly normal for his age.
I’m going to be charitable and assume what you said was said out of ignorance and not ugliness.was awful still (I have 2 kids) for being in such a loud auditorium and hearing his mom’s voice booming over a PA.
Just an observation though so I hope a few of you don’t mind too much if I dont “eat shit, bark at the moon and die, m*****f*****” anytime soon.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:50 pmESTReno,
How retarded would anyone running the cameras being shown on tv be considered for showing video of anytime when Trig would be crying? That could really have that network be viewed as incredibly petty.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:58 pmESTI concur with Amelia. What is this supposed to mean? “Don’t necessarily earn it”? Who gave you or anybody else the right to decide who has and has not earned their money? Who are you to say how much money is “too much” money?
This is a deceptive argument because it implies that anyone who opposes liberal policies actually wants our planet to become uninhabitable. It’s like calling something the “Clean Air Act” or the “Feed The Children Act”. If you’re opposed to them, why, you must be in favor of pollution and world hunger! You monster!
September 4th, 2008 at 8:00 pmESTReno Sepulveda,
Please don’t try to get all self-righteous. That was a shitty and hurtful thing to say, but you said it. So just own your mistake, apologize and move on. Everyone here has a bad day.
It’s that simple, and you obviously know it, or your wouldn’t have come back to check for a response.
Thanks.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:01 pmESTPiper Palin video updated here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBfLM6uBuNo
Brooke: “And I don’t endorse the government stealing all of people’s hard-earned money…”
But you vote that way.
Let’s head over to the whiteboard and parse this sentence:
1) “all” How about “some”? What percentage DO you endorse stealing? 2) What if I didn’t work hard for my earnings? Is there some sort of litmus test? 3) What about savings? There’s nothing hard about saving, except putting it in the bank or the market. Fair game?
Ya see, at age 61, I’m convinced that my years of saving for my retirement, sacrificing goodies today for my security tomorrow, will be a tempting target for the various liberal leeches in government. “You have more than enough! See that slob over there who blew all of his money on fast cars, a jacuzzi, and nice vacations? Also took out one of them fancy sub-prime mortgages and now he’s lost his house. He needs your money more than you do!” This is the foundation of the modern liberal movement: “my stuff is yours.”
Since you are a self-professed liberal, I can only assume that you are aligned with the Messiah and would “only” go after the top 5% of wage earners and “give” it to the other 95%? I love the euphemisms that the commie left employs to mask “theft.”
If your side left me alone and kept your hands out of my wallet, we COULD live in peace and harmony.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:25 pmESTIf you had said that, he’d have answered “my morals and values” without missing a beat. And he’d've been right to. Who else’s morals is he supposed to vote on? If he believes unborn children have an independent right to not be killed, why is he any more wrong to vote on abortion than you would be to vote on your morals?
I’m sorry, but this just drives me batty. ALL people have moral principles, and ALL politically active people use the process to try to force other people to live by those principles. This notion that “different people have different morals, so it’s wrong to try to enforce any morals at all” is both philosophically inept and practically useless.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:53 pmESTWhen people say “stop trying to legislate morality” what they really mean is “stop trying to legislate morality that I disagree with“.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:04 pmESTYou bet, sam. I hate it when people attempt to legislate issues of morality with which I disagree.
Heh.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:22 pmESTAnd there’s nothing wrong with that at all. But you (not you specifically, 14k) should at least be honest about it.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:36 pmESTSnork! I don’t know how many times I’ve done just that to a sentence. And usually the people with whom I am conversing don’t get it at all.
By the time I had read most of the comments on “Should of” everything that I was going to say had already been said by someone else. But it’s one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in a long time, as I’m a fellow grammarian.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:05 amESTYep. Most people don’t understand that pretty much all laws (at least the ones delineating which acts are forbidden) ARE based on morality. Including laws on Murder, Theft, and even Libel and Slander. All that’s different is where people draw the lines past which they say the Government has no business crossing.
For myself, Government has crossed a great many lines it has no business crossing, such as anti-smoking laws, seat belt laws, motorcycle helmet laws, and many more.
Another thing that Liberals don’t get is that a person can hold a moral standard as the ideal, without wanting to make laws regarding all facets of it. People like me want elected (or appointed) officials to have a strong moral compass for the role model they will provide, not so that they will try to pass laws requiring everyone to adhere to the same morals.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:55 amESTAw dang, I completely missed this thread.
See my comments in the next thread up. I’ll have to read all these comments later tonight.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:25 amESTGosh Brooke, isn’t it funny how months of comments we can all (mostly) nod our heads to can evaporate when you PROVE your claim to “liberal” beliefs?
Since you brought it up … I can certainly agree with
In this state over to your left (or right, depending on which way you’re facing) … there’s a group known as the UAW that “don’t necessarily earn it” … but still manage to have driven the cost of a car WAY past any reason. When I see your Obamessiah start talking about that unearned money, and taking it away … then I’ll know that all your talk isn’t simply wealth envy after all.
You bet! Damn Straight! Let’s string up all those freaky envirofreaks that have given us tainted water with their demands to put crap into gasoline. Let’s stand that bastands who gave us wildfires galore in Yellowstone, California, and the rest of the country by screwing with nature. Let’s draw and quarter all the doofi that are sticking wind turbines all over the landscape, costing us billions and giving us nothing but dead bireds and headaches in return. Let’s stone the retards that don’t want us to build clean nuclear plants for cheap energy.
But wait, define habitable? Did you mean to cover the ground with ugly public housing? That would certainly be habitable, but I wouldn;t like that.
Hmm … maybe you need to stop trying to push YOUR morals on me?
September 5th, 2008 at 6:39 amESTBrooke, I don’t mean to pile on, but WTF does that have to do with it? Are you saying that if they didn’t earn it, it’s not theirs? Or that it is somehow less theirs than money earned?
And while you’re at it, please define “earn”. I suspect that will tell us a lot about where you’re really coming from.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:49 amESTIt’s amazing. All you people getting excited about a politician. No, I take it back. It’s no longer amazing. It’s expected. And it’s PATHETIC.
The only reason our country is in the shape it’s in is because of one thing: POLITICIANS. The absolute scum of the earth. Worse than murderers, child molesters, terrorists & rapists.
Why? Because their policies have ALLOWED those things to happen. Crime is TOLERATED, terrorist acts are allowed to occur because pols care more about pandering to the civil rights masses than about protecting the citizens.
Case in point: locally, we have this scumbag who wanted to create a community of women & children where he could “prepare” the children to be ready to have sex with him. He has been charged with (at least) possession of child pornography. And what does the local judge do? Allows him to POST BAIL, which he does, & allows him to go free. Why? Oh, we don’t want to trample his right to bail, do we? He’s not a danger to the community. The LAW allows him to have bail posted. Who created the law? Gee - it must have been the politicians following the whims of civil rights groups, who don’t mind accused criminals walking the streets, as long as they don’t walk in THEIR neighborhoods.
National case in point: the scumbag pols singing “God Bless America” after the 9/11 attacks. THESE are the people who ALLOWED the terrorists to come into the country!
Let’s make it personal. When was the last time a politician did something for you? I’ll answer for myself - NEVER. All they do is take my hard earned money & blow on their pet projects. Bridge To Nowhere sound familiar? I’m sure some university is out there with a “grant” from a pol so they can waste money studying the mating habits of earthworms. Every time I hear of a new “study” I wonder how much of my tax money went to that.
Every election, both sides look to their own political messiah to solve the problems. And during the years that follow, things get worse.Today, my local paper headline is “McCain Promises To Change D.C.”. Yeah, sure. He’s one of the scum who have perpetuated the problems! He’s part of the system, & he wants the system to stay the same!
Here’s a change for him. If elected, have him leave after 4 years, no re-election. Since, I think, he has a military pension, let him live off of it & donate his salary as Prez to charity. After all, Cindy is worth a few mill, she can pick up the slack. Oh, did I mention that he’ll have to pay for his own medical benefits, just like the rest of us?
So now, we come to you people. One exciting speech by a pol, & you fall to your knees in worship. Gee, not much difference between you & the Obama worshippers, is there?
Either left or right, you are just one step down from being as pathetic as your political Messiahs.
This isn’t about starting a flame war on this blog. It’s about MAYBE waking you people up. Haven’t you learned your lesson from past presidents?
September 5th, 2008 at 11:16 amESTNot necessarily earned implies inheritance tax - and my thoughts on it are influenced heavily by one of the great Republican presidents.
Mighty Samurai, you are right in that I planted a deceptive argument on the environment, and for that I apologize. It’s a pathetic point at best, insulting at worst and I mean no offense.
Pete, your current state is my home state (born and raised in Tecumseh) and I am very well aware of the strong-arm tactics that the UAW have used throughout the past, what 50-60 years now? to achieve what I like to refer to as the internal implosion of the American Auto Industry. And I have family members who have directly benefitted from those tactics, so it’s not like I don’t have some sort of investment. I have my own thoughts on how some of that might have been alleviated, but believe me, those would probably be REALLY unpopular here.
As to the argument of “morality” - I don’t expect my elected leaders to be any more moral than me - and it’s not like I’m a woman of loose morals. In fact, and perhaps it’s cynical, I’d imagine that by getting elected to any high office in this country, morals get somewhat sacrificed. I am sure many of us here have looked at a myriad of politicians and wondered what lets them sleep at night.
I have more thoughts on this (damn you people making me actually think about what informs my opinions!), but I actually have to go out and earn a wage. You know, that I actually vote to have heavily taxed.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:25 amESTSo you believe that if my parents have spent their lives working hard, building their wealth and didn’t blow it all the way by the time that they died, then the government (who again has done nothing to earn this money) has more rights to decide what is to be done with this money than whoever my parents decided to give this money too when they died. Because my parents were smart and left me money I deserve to be punished for this by not getting what they hoped would be mine?
Seriously Brooke if you want to complain about people making money and they have not earned it, the government should be number 1 target in your sights.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:38 amESTOK Dale, I’m awake. I hate ALL politicians.
Now what do we do?
September 5th, 2008 at 12:12 pmESTInnocent until proven guilty has no meaning to you does it?
It does. There’s a lady running for the Vice Presidency that helped kill it.
I know! Let’s choose someone to fix our problems. We’ll go and look for a group of people who think they have our best interests at heart, and believe they have plans that will work to fix things. We’ll let them get up and talk about it. Explain how they are the right choice to for us to fix these problems. We’ll all listen to them and we’ll decide on which have the best ideas. Then when its narrowed down to only a few of the best ideas, we’ll again decide who ultimately will get to be the one to put their plan into action. We’ll let them work at it for a time. And in a few years we’ll look and see how well they’re doing. If anyone believes they’ve done a poor job or that they could do a better one they can voice opinions then. And we’ll just repeat the process all over again. And all without any politicians involved!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pmESTOr, how about “people who collect a check from the government should be number 1 target in your sights.”
Personally, I don’t think anyone who draws a cash benefit from the government should be able to vote. They have a conflict of interest, y’know.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pmESTFirst, Dale, you’re a Goddamn moron. And that’s all I have to say to you.
Again, who are you to say they don’t deserve that money? If my parents leave me an inheritance after they die, who are you to say I don’t deserve it?
Buzzion brings up an excellent point. The government has done even LESS to earn that money than I have. What right do they have to tax it?
September 5th, 2008 at 1:15 pmESTI never said my view would be popular, did I?
But I do want to address one thing - I agree that people who collect money from the government in the form of welfare/disability should be exempted from voting. Or really even holding forth an opinion on politics. And I mean that seriously, as I got a lecture against Barack Obama from my SIL who fraudelently collects SSD (and manages to vacation about 4 times a year, including Christmas usually in Aruba or some other resort area). So I’m well aquainted with those sponging off the government…
I think part of my views on inheritance tax are formed by the concept that I’m owed nothing from my parents/grandparents. I say frequently that if my grandparents die with 18 cents left to be split equally among their 3 children, more power to them. My point is that I’d like to see my elders spend what they want or have to on themselves - and if they want to gift to their children money while alive (as many do), I’m fine with that as well. I’d even be cool with raising what I believe is an annual cap of $11,000, as I am fine with people bringing in their children to help manage their estates. Bottom line is that I don’t feel I’m owed anything, so whatever I get, taxed or otherwise, is a bonus.
And of course I also look at our government as being out of whack in fiscal responsibility - but what I consider to be a necessary expense many of you might not agree with. Therein lies the rub…how do you determine what really is a valuable expenditure?
September 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pmESTHere’s a scenario for those in favor of inheritance tax.
Suppose I have a special needs child who will never be able to earn a living for themselves. Suppose I work like hell to build a fortune my whole life, and I manage to save just barely enough to pay for my kid’s needs for (hopefully) the rest of their life.
Under what circumstances would it be moral for the government to come in and take that savings away and put the child in government care when I die?
September 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pmESTI don’t have an issue with that - I would gladly make caretaking trusts exempt from inheritance tax.
Just like I’d exclude family businesses, heck I’d consider tax breaks for small family businesses where they stayed in business.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:34 pmESTAN FYI….:
From David Hulen in Anchorage –
The e-mail below has been bouncing around the Internet since Sunday. It was written by Anne Kilkenny of Wasilla - stay-at-home mom, letter-to-the-editor writer and longtime watcher of Valley politics. She’s a registered Democrat. She was one of the delegates to the Conference of Alaskans in Fairbanks back in 2004. Her bio from the conference is here.
She e-mailed this letter over the weekend to family and friends Outside, and (despite her request not to post it) it went viral on the Internet very quickly, showing up on blogs and Web sites all over. Since then, Kilkenny has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails. She said she stayed up until 3 a.m. last night answering e-mails, and found nearly 400 new ones waiting when she logged on this morning.
It’s posted here with her permission.
***
Dear friends,
So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write something up . . .
Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2 things in common: their gender and their good looks.
You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on any websites, as there are too many kooks out there . . .
Thanks,
Anne
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.
She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She’s smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.
There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
*”Hockey mom”: true for a few years.
*”PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since.
*”NRA supporter”: absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
*”Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation
*”Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
*”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
*pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000″, up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.
Anne Kilkenny
August 31, 2008
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Don’t bet the farm on Palin, you might just lose.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pmESTPaleo Pat:
I saw that last night on Gulf Coast Pundit. Here was my comment:
September 5th, 2008 at 7:40 pmESTNot accurate. She specifically said she would NOT include creationism in the public school curriculum, but she said she would not want the debate to be prohibited and wanted science teachers to be prepared should the issue come up in class.
Of all the anti-Palin memes started by the Obama campaign, this one is my favorite. As if population levels in your district were the same thing as experience.
The operative phrase being “MY definition”.
The only evidence of this “attempt at censorship” by Palin is an off-hand remark by one of her political enemies.
Paleo Pat, I agree it’s not a good idea to bet the farm on Palin, but it’s also not a good idea to believe everything you read in internet chain-emails. No offense.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:07 pmESTUsually, anything. Unless you wanna donate to my “Females for Priapism” fund, and you can take that one, and me, right to the bank.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pmESTBrooke:
Are you freakin’ serious? That is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time. So, according to you, the fact that I have been on disability since 1991 means I have no right to speak my opinion or vote? I’m now a second-class citizen? Who are you that you can determine whether or not my disability is legitimate? Do you think I want to be in this condition? Please grow up and start thinking logically. Neither you nor anyone else is going to keep me from voting or speaking my mind about the candidates. This is not a communist country.
September 6th, 2008 at 12:00 amESTDenise,
I am pretty sure I’m not the only person here who comments who holds that opinion. I’m sorry if it offends you. Being lectured on the evils of Barack Obama by someone who fraudulently collects disability will do that to you. (And I don’t mean you.)
September 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pmESTBrooke, I find it interesting that you single out inheritances as the “unearned money.” So the fact that the parent/grandparents/etc worked and managed to squirrel away money means that the government should get yet ANOTHER slice from that pie they already “shared”.
And you DON’T consider that wealth-envy?
I figure that inheritance tax is about the MOST egregious theft that our governments practice. And, no, I’m not likely to collect a single penny when my mother passes away, she already gifted most of what she had away so that government thieves can’t take it.
September 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pmEST