Sarah Palin and her fake campaign

We try not to post much on Caribou Barbie, but Lawrence O'Donnell was absolutely terrific as he mocked her and Newsweek mercilessly.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sarah Palin is Clueless about Egypt

...and just about everything else for that matter.

Jack Cafferty let her have it in his commentary yesterday.



One part of me hopes that she will run for President. But another part of me knows that the American people are actually boneheaded enough to elect her, so I can't really embrace that idea. I would really like to see the media stop giving this woman coverage, as if she is some who is knowledgeable, relevant or even credible. The free coverage only helps her build a brand that will put money in the bank for her and extend her 15 minutes of fame. No other VP candidate in history (who lost) has received anything remotely close to this kind of coverage...and most of those major VP candidates were actually qualified for the job. Why is the media doing this? All week...I have heard/seen, in one form or another, this constant coverage of Palin in the context of - 'What does Palin think about Egypt'? or 'What does Palin think about Obama's handling of the situation in the Middle East'? As if anyone cares. Why does the media act as if every event has to be validated or analyzed by Sarah Palin? This is a woman who recently forgot to sign her name on a Trademark application. And she thinks she is qualified to be President?

Stop giving this woman coverage.... please.

Does More Civility Mean We Stop Telling the Truth?

Why Republicans Won't Really Change Their Tone

I have been annoyed by the commentary over the last few weeks regarding the tone of the political discourse in America. The mass shooting in Arizona set off a huge debate in this Country, much of it dishonest, about what was/is to blame in general when these events occur. It is true that we don't know what exactly set off Tucson shooter Jared Loughner. However, it is dishonest to say that it was just an isolated incident and the ugly political debate, especially on the right, plays no part in contributing to an atmosphere that makes it more conducive for these sorts of events to happen. This is just intellectually and morally dishonest on a grand scale.

Something else that gave me a headache was this effort by those on the right to make the false equivalence claim - that "both sides are doing this equally".... "both sides are guilty".... yada yada yada. They are attempting to whitewash the last two years, and rewrite history to fit their own narrative post-Tucson. Almost as annoying... the media is playing right along with Republicans/Conservatives who make this argument. Of course both sides say things that are inappropriate... that cross the line, etc. But this idea that all sides are somehow equal in doing so is just laughable. There is no equivalence whatsoever in terms of the number of occurrences, the level of ugliness or seriousness of threats, or the outcomes. Clearly right wing pundits and politicians are at the top in all three of those categories...by far. I have been watching in awe as the media has pretended otherwise....playing right along, as if they are being told what to say. Time and time again I have seen/heard hosts....whether on CNN, NPR, or my local AM news station KMOX - St. Louis (the defacto voice of the Right in the midwest) play along with Conservative guests when the equivalence argument is made...failing to challenge the right in any way.... no follow-up questions...nothing. Beyond ridiculous.

Let's review shall we...

This is not simply about the comments that are being made over the national airwaves, it is also about the context...or the backdrop in which the comments are made. It is the context that matters more here.

And what has been the context over the last two years? Well, this most recent political context took shape in 2008 (and you could probably go as far back as 2007) during the Presidential campaign. Over that period (2007-2009) we know of two major reports that news organizations put out regarding the changing attitudes & changing tone in the Country. One was about the Homeland Security assessment regarding the rise of Right Wing extremism in America, due to the recession and the introduction of a Black President...or Candidate who actually had a real shot. The other report came from the Secret Service, describing the fact that threats against Obama were at unprecedented levels, with 2-fold & 3-fold more threats than his white predecessors. So knowing this.... you would think that the responsible thing for politicians (regardless of Party affiliation) would be extra careful about language and tone, right? But we know that is not what happened. Politicians on the right lost their minds...and the tone got out of control. Open racism was allowed to take root at Republican rallies in Pennsylvania, Ohio & throughout the Country. Despite these reports of increased threats, Palin continued to be irresponsible throughout the campaign. Instead of challenging followers behaving inappropriately...by telling them to stop racist comments.... Palin seemed to ignore them. Instead... she whipped up Republican followers and seemed to focus on a certain part of her base by using certain buzz words that challenged not only Obama's right to run for President...but questioned his citizenship and loyalty to the Country during a time of conflict and deep social/political division. By demonizing Obama & stripping him of his right to be a "real American", taking away his Americanness, suggesting he was a traitor & a terrorist, suggesting he was a socialist, and by dehumanizing him...in a way gives the green light to any number of lone nuts. Remember the context we were (and still are) in.

Everyone is suggesting that after Tucson.... pundits and politicians (especially those on the right) are suddenly going to play nice and behave in a much more civil and respectful manner. But if history is our guide... that is probably not going to be the case. This goes back to this attempt by right wing pundits and the media to frame Tucson as an isolated incident. People are acting as if Tucson was the first incident where a nut engaged in some sort of political violence or targeted a political figure. How media pundits do this with a straight face is a mystery to me. How they get away with it is even more perplexing. Just in the last two years, the number of high profile incidents of a political/ideological/religious nature...or influenced by the national debate at some level, has been unprecedented.

Just in the last 2 years or so... we have had the following (and keep in mind...we have already established the context.... and we STILL had folks taking guns to political events, and politicians suggesting 2nd Amendment remedies... the context...the reality of how volatile the Country was didn't stop those on the right from continuing their madness.)


♦ Jim Adkisson - shot up a Unitarian church in Tennessee. Fueled by Right wing talk show pundits. The rhetoric didn't stop.

♦ Raymond Hunter Geisel - threatening Obama. Republicans didn't stop. Just an isolated incident?

♦ Richard Andrew Poplawski - killed Police officers in Pittsburgh because he internalized rhetoric on the right that told Americans that Obama was coming for their guns. Just an isolated incident? Oh yeah... Republicans didn't stop their rhetoric after this either.

♦ Scott Roeder - Killed Dr. George Tiller (nicknamed "The Baby Killer" by the right). Isolated incident? Republicans didn't stop their rhetoric after this incident either.

♦ James Von Brunn - launched terrorist attack at the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. Isolated incident? The violent rhetoric didn't stop.

♦ Joseph Stack - out of work, anti-government activist flew plane into IRS building in Texas. Isolated incident? The rhetoric didn't stop. In fact, one GOP politician seemed to sympathize with the terrorist, who killed at least one IRS worker in the incident.

♦ Byron Williams - Was stopped by police in Northern California while enroute to attack Liberals. Fueled by Glenn Beck and others in the Right wing media. Isolated incident? Republicans refused to change their tone.

♦ Danny Ray Tollett - Brutally attacked Muslim convenience store workers in Louisiana. Shot 2 Muslims at close range...in cold blooded attacks. Fueled by anti-Muslim theme carried by Right wing media. Isolated incident? Republicans failed to change their tone.

♦ The Denver Plot - see specifically counts 9, 11 and 12 - White supremacists planned to harm candidate Obama. Attack foiled in planning stage. Isolated incident? Republicans continued with their rhetoric.

♦ Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman - Allegedly planned to harm President. Isolated incident? Republicans failed to stop their rhetoric.

♦ Michael Enright - Stabbed NYC Cabbie in the neck because he was Muslim. Ahh what the Hell... just another isolated incident. Republicans continued on with their madness (particularly about the "Mosque at Ground Zero" which really didn't exist...but they knew that framing it that way would scare the Hell out of a lot of people...so they went with it...almost costing a father...a family man...his life).

♦ Charles Habermann - Charged just recently with threatening Rep. Jim McDermott. Just an isolated incident? Republicans carried on.

♦ Gas line intentionally cut at Congressman's home, after wrong address is posted online...with blogger encouraging followers to 'pay a visit to the victim'. Just an isolated incident? Republicans refused to stop their rhetoric that whipped followers into a frenzy over Health Care Reform.

♦ Travis Corcoran - Another right wing radical... praised the shooting of Giffords. Just an isolated event?

♦ Just in the past week, we have the backpack bomb found along the MLK commemorative parade route in Spokane Washington. Luckily...the device failed to detonate. An isolated incident?

♦ Now Conservative pundit/blogger Erick Erickson JUST THIS WEEK suggested that he may use a shotgun to threaten U.S. Census workers...gloating about it on the airwaves. An isolated incident? No condemnation by other Conservative media figures. So this is the change in tone that the goofballs on the news programs have been talking about over the past two weeks? Give me a break!

With the exception of the last three...these are incidents that took place before Tucson. So Tucson didn't happen in some vacuum... There is an abundance of context. This is what makes the behavior of those on the right so vile. And this is not even a full list.... there were threats against Pelosi....and arrests in several other cases. The list is long. Again...as I mentioned...the last two years have been unprecedented in terms of threats of political violence or actual incidents, which matches up with what the U.S. Secret Service has stated regarding their data on the increase in threats.

At what point can we stop using false equivalencies and stop suggesting these events are somehow "isolated incidents" separate from the volatile atmosphere created primarily by those in the world of right wing Conservative media?

I see nothing that would lead me to believe that some magical shift towards civility is going to take place after the tragedy in Tucson Arizona. Republican/right wing pundits are not going to stop what they have been doing for the past few years. This is their bread and butter (getting their followers riled up.... feeding them misinformation, and manipulating people). This is a key part of Republican strategy. Giffords & all the others are considered collateral damage to those on the right. Republicans can't afford to be civil because they have grown so dependent on a certain kind of volatile, ugly rhetoric to maintain media success & energize their political base. It has worked for them (unfortunately). And I see them continuing with that approach. Just this week... Rush Limbaugh... the Supreme Leader of the Republican Party & Conservative movement in America, engaged in more ugly behavior... joking about the way that the Chinese President Hu Jintao spoke during his official State visit to the U.S. Of course the media ignored this...just like it practically ignored the MLK bomb case in Spokane.

By allowing the pundits, bloggers and talk show hosts (the unofficial but true leadership of the Conservative movement) to spew the ugliest rhetoric and lies, the official political leadership and the so-called "stars" within the Republican party can get away with using the plausible deniability argument...and that's exactly what they have done here. predictably, they have used the Hell out of this argument since the Tucson attack. I have mentioned several times, including on my right wing media information page, that this is how the right operates. Of course, no one is actually suggesting that anyone on the right has given direct orders to any extremists or extremist groups.... but they have created an atmosphere conducive to violence...and in some cases, they have indirectly given a wink & nod approval for such actions (in some cases, simply by their silence when violence or threats of violence occur. Silence in this context...after they have worked so hard to rile the crazies up... equals tacit approval).

A few people on Social media (twitter to be exact) suggested that the Right has somehow been let off the hook by Obama after his call for civility. I initially wanted to agree with that. I think that the media at large may let Republicans off the hook, and networks may continue to play the false equivalence game. But I don't think Obama's speech in Tucson means that we shouldn't tell the truth. I plan to continue stating what needs to be said.

Six People Are Murdered and Sarah Palin Plays the Victim - AGAIN.

Well, Caribou Barbie finally made a videotaped statement about the domestic terrorist attack in Arizona.

OF COURSE, she tried to wrap herself in the persona of victim.

I'm really not feeling putting the video here at JJP, so I will link to it.

Here's the so-called key sentence in it, as she tries to bullshyt the whole ' both sides do it' meme:

Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that only serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.

First of all, nobody has manufactured ANYTHING about you, and your creating of a hostile political environment, going back to the 2008 election, when you accused then candidate Barack Obama of ' palling around with terrorists'.

Nobody manufactured you putting 20 members of Congress in a graphic:



here is the Wikipedia definition of BLOOD LIBEL:

Blood libel (also blood accusation) refers to a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, almost always Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays. Historically, these claims have–alongside those of well poisoning and host desecration–been a major theme in European persecution of Jews.

I will remind people, Congresswoman Giffords IS A JEW.

So, in her best Miss Anne'ism, Sarah Palin, after 6 dead, including a child and a federal judge, and many more wounded, including a Congresswoman that SHE put in crosshairs, it is Sarah Palin, attempting to wrap HERSELF in the victim role.
She just doesn't know when to stop.

God bless Jim Clyburn:

Clyburn: Palin intellectually 'not to be able to understand what's going on here'
By Michael O'Brien - 01/12/11 08:37 AM ET

A House Democratic leader on Wednesday lashed out at Sarah Palin, accusing the former Alaska governor of being intellectually unable of understanding why she's faced criticism related to the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that Palin had missed the point by releasing a statement this morning blasting the media for "blood libel" for looking to assign blame in part to her rhetoric after the attempted assassination of Giffords last weekend.

"You know, Sarah Palin just can't seem to get it, on any front. I think she's an attractive person, she is articulate," Clyburn said on the Bill Press radio show. "But I think intellectually, she seems not to be able to understand what's going on here."

Thank you, Andrew Sullivan

Read more »

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on being put on Sarah Palin's ' crosshairs' website

This is from months ago. Please note Chuck Todd being a smartass in dismissing Rep. Giffords' concerns about the ' atmosphere' that was being created, as well as the eery comments by Rep. Gifford.

What Do Foreigners Think of Sarah Palin?

this was so funny and brutal that I just wanted to share.

hat tip-The Daily Dish

first the earlier comments from the Russians this week that they thought it was quite obvious that the recent Wikileaks cabledump was done to embarrass the President and now this.

Pravda On Palin, Ctd
30 Nov 2010 07:52 pm

Since we posted that link, it seems to have disappeared entirely. But the site itself is unavailable too. Maybe we crashed it.

[Update: a new link. Seriously, it's rip-roaring stuff - the kid of thing you don't actually see in the US media, even though Palin thinks she does.]

from Moscow Top News:

Spankin' Sarah Palin: A clown short of a circus

I have already called Sarah Palin a pith-headed bimbo from the back of beyond, in this column. I shall now go one step further. By attacking the democratically elected President of the United States of America at a sensitive time in her country's history, she shows the tact of a boorish drunkard bawling obscenities at a funeral.

If Sarah Palin is not some kind of a massive political joke in the USA, wheeled out to liven up the political scene from time to time with nonsensical and pastiche (one hopes) displays of sheer and utter ignorance, then it is worrying. It is even more so if anyone other than a manic depressive suffering from a chronic lack of lithium takes this...female...seriously.

Hockey Mum Sarah ex-Governess of Alaska is famous for her shrill shrieking style, displaying a pitifully shallow persona which one hopes is stage-managed to give the rest of the world a good chuckle at the Americans' ability and unique quality to make fun of themselves, a real-life female version of Homer Simpson-cum-Belching Barney at Mo's, giving us ever-more hilarious soundbites as she sets herself up as the dumbest woman on Earth.

Just occasionally, one encounters a bar-room idiot whose party piece is belching loudly before falling backwards off his stool, bouncing off the floor on his backside with a background provided by guffaws of laughter, yet who winks knowingly as he is carried out with his feet scraping along the ground and says "Don't worry son, most of it is an act".

The act. It reminds one of Marilyn Monroe putting on the act of the dumb blonde. But an act it was, a character projected by a shrewd, intelligent and charismatic woman with the ability to invent a persona. Sarah Palin, however, is the real-life thing. And it is becoming patently obvious that it isn't an act.

HILARIOUS!!


Read the rest at the link above.

I didn't know Sarah Palin was running for First Lady

She has to be, since she's decided to attack First Lady Michelle Obama.

From Huffington Post.com

Palin Slams Michelle Obama Again, This Time For Anti-Obesity Campaign
From Caribou Barbie on Laura Ingraham's show:

I think she has got a different worldview and she is not hesitant at all to share what her worldview is. And I will take heat again for saying it on your show Laura but she encapsulated what her view of America is, I believe, unless she has evolved and things have changed in the last two years, but she said it on the campaign trail twice that it was the first time that she had been proud of her country when finally people were paying attention to Barack Obama. I think that's appalling. We can think of this infinite number of reasons to be proud of American exceptionalism and it baffles me that anybody would have that view and then allow that view to bleed over into policy.

I'll ask...what other Presidential candidate decides to run by attacking THE FIRST LADY?

Oh, there's so much here. But, let's begin with worldview.

Worldview?

Michelle Obama has a worldview? What worldview would that be?

One in which this country respected working mothers and honored what they do and gave them the support they needed to fulfill their promise and help keep their families on track?

One in which the families of our military personnel were truly respected and not given the short shrift?

One in which the arts were honored and respected, and what the positive that they bring out in our children is honored?

One in which our young men and women are challenged and given the opportunity to get their chance in this country, no matter what their socio-economic background, and how that can be done through hard work and education.

I've followed the First Lady in nearly every public appearance she's made since they went to the White House, and THOSE are the themes that Michelle Obama has repeated over and over.

Proud exceptionalism?

W-T-F is she talking about?

Surely she doesn't count her no-talent, ill-educated, scribble-on-the-hand self as an example of American Exceptionalism.

Read more »

Myth About Sarah Palin's "Real American" Family Values Debunked

The Right loves to promote the idea that their Conservative family values are superior. Sarah Palin does this in just about every speech, when she talks about her mythical "Real America". Of course for Palin, and many others, "Real America" is code for Southern values, rural, Conservative, and white.

But new research from the authors of the book "Red Families vs. Blue Families", shatters this Conservative myth into a thousand pieces. Hear story....

Louisiana Governor Jindal Rediscovers Federal Government- Asks For Aid As Oil Spill Reaches Coast

Huge Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Now Making Landfall

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal Requests Aid From the Federal Government (After Lambasting It).

Where is Caribou Barbie? The "Drill Baby Drill" folks have been awfully quiet during this calamity.

"Every asshole who ever chanted 'Drill Baby Drill' should have to report to the Gulf Coast today for cleanup duty." -- Bill Maher


The current spill could rival or even surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Read more

Sarah Palin Shows More Ignorance - This Time On The Issue of Religion and State

Has she even read the Constitution?

A Challenge To Sarah Palin

I want to offer a challenge to Sarah Palin. Of course she won't (can't) accept such a challenge....but I want to offer it anyway.

I want to challenge her to a general knowledge quiz (100 questions, true and false, multiple choice, short answer/fill in the blank, and one 2-3 page essay question).

This quiz would cover general knowledge in areas of American history, current events, international affairs/international affairs history, geography, The Constitution, basic civics, the functions of government, global conflicts, etc. Nothing too complicated. The material would cover items that a high school student or undergraduate college student should know. It would certainly consist of items that a former Governor and former VP candidate...and likely future candidate for major office should know. I'm talking about 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th grade level stuff here.... the kinds of basic questions that might be found on a citizenship test... perhaps a little tougher, depending on the topic.

None of the questions would be known before the quiz. The quiz could be put together by any neutral high school teacher or college professor/instructor....or a panel of the same. The quiz should be proctored by academics at local colleges/Universities (because i'm not going to travel).... or it could be administered completely online. One caveat... I would be able to maintain my anonymity.

I'm just a guy of average intelligence.... just a blogger/nobody... certainly a Presidential or Vice Presidential hopeful and former Governor and VP candidate should be able to cream me in a challenge like this.

Sarah Palin Is A Complete Idiot

And that's probably why the Right loves her so much. This week she attacked Obama for his position on nuclear weapons.
(notice the Faux News caption).

Obama responded by basically stating the obvious...that Palin is a dimwit.


Sarah Palin is completely clueless about the fact that the START I Treaty, START II Treaty and the recent SORT Treaty were the projects of 3 different Republican Presidents (Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush). Now all of a sudden Obama's work to reduce these weapons is a signal that he is weak on national defense?

Obama's policy change on nukes is modest. It doesn't fully embrace a "No First Use" approach, which is what the U.S. should have adopted. It unfortunately still leaves the "First Strike" option available in theory. But a "No First Use" position, even if it were fully adopted, would do nothing to harm national security. Deterrence, the main purpose of the nuclear arsenal, would still be effective.

Sarah Palin is an example of why the U.S. is screwed as a nation. It's one thing to have idiotic voters... But now we have idiotic and dangerous political figures to match. If these are the kinds of people who the electorate will vote into power... (and this appears to be the case... it has already taken place with George W. Bush).... then the U.S. is in deep trouble.

Once again, stupidity rises to the top in American media and in politics.

Now all of a sudden the U.S. Senate.... which usually approves such treaty agreements without a problem... (overwhelmingly in fact)...is grumbling about the deal. For theatrical purposes... I suspect the deal may be held up...delayed, etc. Republicans will play politics.

At the end of the day, it may not matter much. There is a good chance that Russia may back out of the deal as a way to protest U.S. missile defense plans in Europe, which Obama should abandon. He only partially abandoned a missile defense system for Europe when he canceled a plan to install a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. He should explore a Sea based system (which we already have the systems and technology to deploy)... or scrap the idea altogether.

John McCain Laughs Off Wave of Threats Towards Members of Congress

McCain completely laughs off the threats made against members of Congress and their children. He says Palin's actions are no big deal. According to him, the incidents that we have seen over the past week represent normal politics in America. He defends Sarah Palin's behavior (and by extension...he is defending similar behavior by others that is clearly aimed at ginning up followers to take action on their own....while the politicians use plausible deniability).

The coded language of Sarah Palin is really of no concern. It's all a part of our imaginations. Stop worrying. Go back to sleep.

(Of course he desperately needs Sarah Palin because she is the only hope for him if he's going to win re-election).

This guy is COMPLETELY senile and creepy to me. Maybe it's just me.

You have to see it to believe it.



Yeah... tell that to Congressman Periello and all the other members of Congress and their families, "targeted" by these fanatics. Laugh in their faces and tell them that it's no big deal. Of course Periello is a part of the real world and disagrees with the giggling idiot from Arizona.

It's Her Party: The Brilliance of Sarah Palin

No that's not my title... that came from Joe Klein.

New article from Time shows how Palin has found her niche. But I think it says more about the idiocy of the American electorate than Palin's brilliance or her ability to take on a Reagan-like persona.

UPDATE FROM RIKYRAH:

from a new poll done by WaPo:

most interesting part for me:

Although Palin is a tea party favorite, her potential as a presidential hopeful takes a severe hit in the survey. Fifty-five percent of Americans have unfavorable views of her, while the percentage holding favorable views has dipped to 37, a new low in Post-ABC polling.

There is a growing sense that the former Alaska governor is not qualified to serve as president, with more than seven in 10 Americans now saying she is unqualified, up from 60 percent in a November survey. Even among Republicans, a majority now say Palin lacks the qualifications necessary for the White House.

Palin has lost ground among conservative Republicans, who would be crucial to her hopes if she seeks the party's presidential nomination in 2012. Forty-five percent of conservatives now consider her as qualified for the presidency, down sharply from 66 percent who said so last fall.

Tweety actually being honest about Palin

Sometimes, the truth just has to come out. Watch this clip of Chris Matthews on Sarah Palin. I didn't know that Matthews was capable of this type of honesty.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Nothing is more scary than an empty vessel in power.

She wrote a cheat sheet - ON HER HAND?

Yes, she wrote the cheat sheet on her HAND.

The video:



She had the questions BEFOREHAND, and STILL had to cheat.

I keep on asking the question:

what if a Black PROFESSIONAL politician had done something like this?

Uh huh.


thank you aleth

for Sarah Palin:

Notes on your hand
Notes on your hand
Lookin' like a fool
With the notes on your hand

You got your big speaking fee
Call yourself smart
But you can't answer the man
Without the notes on your hand!

Winkin', smirkin',
Mocking Obama
But your answers are canned
You got the notes on your hand!

Wash your hands!
Get some Purell!
Because you're lookin' like a fool
With the notes on your hand!

Sarah Palin Hired As Fox Analyst - More Proof That Ignorance is Rewarded In America

So if I want to be a political analyst on a major cable outlet, I simply have to show how uninformed I am about the World? That seems to be the standard in this Country. The dumber you are, the more you are rewarded. In most other parts of the World, it is cream that is supposed to rise to the top. But in the USA, Bullshit is often what gets pushed up. Amazing! And people wonder why the U.S. is in the political and social malaise that it's currently in today, unable to function effectively to deal with the problems it faces?

______________

See related commentary by Dr. Marvin King

Why Sarah Palin At Fox News Is Bad News

News that Sarah Palin will become a contributor and part-time columnist at Fox News did not surprise me. Mainly, it represents the further deterioration of two important institutions, the GOP and the American media.

For the GOP, it illustrates how bereft that party is of good ideas that its lodestar is an ideological weakling. And this is the view of Steve Schmidt. The McCain campaign strategist said as much in his 60 Minutes interview where he acknowledged that Palin didn’t even understand who her son would be fighting in Iraq.

Read the rest at The Loop.

McCain Says He "Wouldn’t Know" About The Vetting of Sarah Palin

He Wouldn't Know?

In an interview on the Today Show this week, Senator John McCain emphatically stated that he wouldn’t know whether Palin was checked out or not before he selected her. His comments were in response to pressing questions from Matt Lauer about the new book “Game Change” by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, in which the true level of Palin’s incompetence is revealed…or I should say… confirmed. As many bloggers suspected, McCain knew little about Palin before selecting her as his VP and according to his advisers (who are now talking more freely)….she was chosen before being vetted.



Worse still…. Palin apparently knew little about basic history, or international affairs. We heard bits and pieces about her level of cluelessness during the 2008 General Election campaign, but those stories are finally being told officially by those who were in the McCain/Palin camp.

Palin apparently didn’t understand the Cold War, didn’t know that there were two Koreas or why they were split (What The ....?), didn’t know what the Federal Reserve was, and generally lacked basic knowledge about the World. This is in addition to the fact that she didn't know what the "Bush doctrine" was. The McCain camp had to constantly prepare Palin on general knowledge issues….(foreign policy, general history, etc) before public appearances. And according to Senior McCain advisor Steve Schmidt and others in the McCain camp, there was a belief that Palin was not qualified (ya think?). Some in the McCain camp even believed that she may have been mentally unstable. Wow!

How in the World is She Going to Be a Pundit/Analyst on Fox?

This should never be allowed to happen. Yes, McCain put the Country in peril…. We dodged a bullet for sure. But there should be a structure in place for this very scenario… where a Presidential candidate makes a ridiculous VP choice or where the number one person on the ticket is himself/herself incompetent. When Federal judges and Attorney Generals are nominated… they are rated by the American Bar Association as qualified, well qualified, etc. When top medical professionals are nominated for key positions, they are rated. Why is there no rating system for the most important position in the World? I mean, for any BS job that I apply for, there are several hurdles that I have to leap - interviews, tests, follow-up interviews, more tests…and that’s before I get anywhere close to getting a foot in the door. But a grossly unqualified person can get the most important job on the planet, with access to nukes, national secrets, and all sorts of other levers or power? That’s insane. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates should be tested when they declare their intent to run. They should get a test with 100 questions…of mostly general knowledge material… (multiple choice, True/False, fill in the blank, and 1 essay) that would measure their basic aptitude in current events, civics & government, history, geography, and foreign affairs. Completed exams should be graded by an impartial panel of political scholars or by an international affairs organization or magazine…and the candidate should be given a grade (A- well qualified, B - qualified, C - qualified but questionable, etc). If such a system were in place, we would not have to worry about candidates like Sarah Palin or George W. Bush…. They would never be accepted as legitimate candidates. Neither would have done well on such a test…. Even a basic test with information that a Middle School or High School student should know, or information that might be found on a citizenship exam.

What is scarier still…. Is the fact that most Americans don’t care about this stuff. Most voters are just as uninformed about the World and the issues as someone like Palin…and would therefore have no problem voting for such a candidate. This is what bothers me the most. When you have a citizenry that is largely clueless, how will they be able to tell the difference between a Sarah Palin and an Olympia Snowe? They can’t. Many won’t know when she is saying something completely idiotic. I’m afraid this is only a big deal to political junkies who have a clue about what is going on…. The general public doesn’t care…they are much more concerned with what is happening on American Idol, or with the hot celebrity couple. That’s one of the reasons why the U.S. is screwed.

Caribou Barbie's Farewell Address

thank you mudflats:

What an absolutely beautiful day it is, and it is my honor to speak to all Alaskans, to our Alaskan family this last time as your governor. And it is always great to be in Fairbanks. The rugged rugged hardy people that live up here and some of the most patriotic people whom you will ever know live here, and one thing that you are known for is your steadfast support of our military community up here and I thank you for that and thank you United States military for protecting the greatest nation on Earth. Together we stand.

And getting up here I say it is the best road trip in America soaring through nature’s finest show. Denali, the great one, soaring under the midnight sun. And then the extremes. In the winter time it’s the frozen road that is competing with the view of ice fogged frigid beauty, the cold though, doesn’t it split the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs? And then in the summertime such extreme summertime about a hundred and fifty degrees hotter than just some months ago, than just some months from now, with fireweed blooming along the frost heaves and merciless rivers that are rushing and carving and reminding us that here, Mother Nature wins. It is as throughout all Alaska that big wild good life teeming along the road that is north to the future. That is what we get to see every day. Now what the rest of America gets to see along with us is in this last frontier there is hope and opportunity and there is country pride.

And it is our men and women in uniform securing it, and we are facing tough challenges in America with some seeming to just be Hell bent maybe on tearing down our nation, perpetuating some pessimism, and suggesting American apologetics, suggesting perhaps that our best days were yesterdays. But as other people have asked, “How can that pessimism be, when proof of our greatness, our pride today is that we produce the great proud volunteers who sacrifice everything for country?” Now this week alone, Sean Parnell and I we’re on the, um, on Ft. Rich the base there, the army chapel, and we heard the last roll call, and the sounding of Taps for three very brave, very young Alaskan soldiers who just gave their all for all of us. Together we do stand with gratitude for our troops who protect all of our cherished freedoms, including our freedom of speech which, par for the course, I’m going to exercise.

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