Rundle 08: Waiting for Palin. Oh God.
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Six in the evening and we have re-established the national affairs desk in the peerless Wyld Tymes bar across the way from the Convention Compound proper. We’re all waiting for Palin, who will be appearing at 9.15 pm here about half past one Oz time and whom I will liveblog. We were earlier established in the 5th Ave Starbucks, which has become the de facto blogger central — I have stopped bothering to say “I am not a blogger” — not least for what has become the Jon Stewart perp walk, the diminutive genius strolling through at about nineish each morning for a big coffee, and about half a dozen fan fotos. Starbucks is not going to get us thru an entire evening of Republicans. This is going to have to be done from a bar. Six cars pulled up a minute ago. Twenty riot cops piled out like clowns from a jalopy, and cleared the whole mall. Then they surrounded a building and about six cops on mountain bikes rode inside. Yes, in. No I don’t know why either. Anarchists have occupied the indoor velodrome. Say it in Norwegian and it makes sense. The Convention started again at about 6pm tonight, the rest of the day being taken up by luncheons and bruncheons for goddsake. No shame about lobbyists here, the buffet is rolled out wide as hell. The hot ticket was the AstraZenica lunch, which had caviar, lobster etc piled up on groaning tables, a pure celebration of excess. More movement in the mall outside. Cops lined up at both ends, Republicans sitting in the outdoor gardens getting nervous. Are they in the line of fire? The McCain abortion truck crawls past. A three-ton job covered with pictures of aborted foetuses, and signs saying “McCain shame”. God knows what one stray vote McCain cast for abortion — if the mother is raped and dying perhaps — but this bloke remembers it. Meg Whiteman, the founder of eBay, is speaking to the convention now. The standard platitudes and salespitch — John’s a different breed, tempered in the fire etc etc, he’ll achieve energy independence, this is our moonshot. This is not interesting. This is boilerplate. Earlier we had a woman who was some sort of pretzl entrepreneur. That is not a Steely Dan song. She was Amish and had started some pretzel company after her family lost their crops. Then she lost her 19-month-old daughter, and spoke compellingly of despair etc, and how she had then given her life to giving… I don’t mean to make fun of that, because she was one of the rare people at either convention who sounded real … But what was the nature of that reality — she spoke of giving, of only being alive when you give to others, only being real — which, let’s face it, is hardly a Republican motif. Isn’t it about the individual and making your own way in the world? The giving thing — is, you know, others. But even better she then quotes Alexis De Tocqueville — “America is great because it is good”. Huge applause cheering from people who fell asleep at page 12 of The Da Vinci Code. The boobies. The whole point of the quote in Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is ironic — or let’s be more precise — sardonic. De T had gone to the US to study its prison system. He observed a society building a new order and he worried about their belief that association alone, rather than deep organic roots, could sustain a society. Democracy in America was not a celebration, it was a warning about hubris. You tools. But still the woman’s compelling. She knows what she knows. 8pm. Mitt Romney’s up. Mitt Romney speaks, the sign says. Romney is the awfulness test. If he just makes you want to vomit up your own spleen you’re a human being. Nevertheless he’s giving a good speech, hammering on the liberals. “Is supporting rights for Guantanamo Bay liberal or conservative? It’s liberal!” Cheers. “People are stronger if raised in the family homes with a mom and a dad.” You listening Bristol? Romney going for the hard yards — trying to sell the mortgage crisis etc as a democratic thing. Energy security again. The woman next to me at the bar is a hooker. This is too good. I’m watching Mitt Romney at the RNC and the woman next to me is negotiating an hourly rate and an appointment time. For yeah I sayeth to God, send me a metaphor, and lo there is Jessica, with a white top reading Royal Beauty. God the GOP are kicking hard tonight. And dancing to Life is a Highway. Forget load shifting. These are loads of marbled meat fat sliding around the back of a truck as it goes over a cliff. Waiting for Palin … the roll of the dice … Win or lose on this. Huckabee on now, telling some goddam anecdote I can’t hear cos I’m eavesdropping on the hookers, which is ironic again. There’s two of them but I think one is a sort of girl pimp. Like Romney. Or Bolt. Huckabee should have been the VP pick. He’s got substance he gave credit to Obama, and then rounded on the Democrats, would have got the evangelicals, no problem of cred. A foolish bypass. What is Huckabee saying? Giuliani slamming down the attack on Obama in old NY style. Pretty good. “He worked as a community organiser. (scornful laughter) A what?” Huge laughter. Good get. “Obama is the least experienced leader in a hundred years…on this we agree with Joe Biden.” Laughter. Good get. These guys are too good. They may well upstage Palin. Amateurs mistake. Don’t overload the front end of the ticket. “Drill baby drill!” - Rudy Giuliani, 2008 - Bristol Palin, earlier 2008. Into the John McCain spiel. Boy this must hurt the back of Giuliani’s throat “The Democrats couldn’t mention 911.” It’s a cracking speech though. Real piledriver. This guy will be their lead attack dog. Obama was x…..Obama was y….too much Obama…too much Obama focused… “If i were Joe Biden I’d get the VP thing in writing” Gotta send. Palin coverage continues as liveblog. |
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21 Comments
I disagree, great gonzo article. Nice work Guy. What do Republicans drink?
Sorry I meant the delay in printing what was widely known in the press scuppered Clinton(Hilary) as well
I’ve always thought that kicking butt is one of the oddest sexual perversions around. Some people might like to watch it but I think the yuk factor is way too high.
Oh James. James, James, James. I thought you loved me once.
This is soooo funny Rundle.
‘lame’ is your comment mr chips. (on your shoulder)
Crikey everyone’s a critic, ‘The last two were good. This one isn’t’, Oh really David Sanderson?
The problem with blogs is that you have to sit next to arseholes and listen to what they think…ugh.
Well yes I would hope anybody with a brain would dislike a speech that was so disgusting in its negativity and hate. Or did you miss the bit where Palin denigrated the efforts and achievements of community organizers, and received rapturous applause from what I’m sure was a crowd of devout Christians?
Of course we shouldn’t be too harsh on the media. After all asking questions and being critical is hard work!
Who knows what you mean James old boy. I certainly don’t. All I can gather is that you seem to like that they ‘got’ Edwards and Clinton but you don’t like that they are getting Palin.
Well Jimbo, it is true. It costs the Enquirer too much in libel payments otherwise. As I indicated in my earlier post it is sleazy and abominable but they do have a fairly solid reputation for getting it right. Their last major political victim was John Edwards and I don’t think you would have had any problem seeing his political career go down the drain.
The paradox in all this is that Obama and Biden are the perfect representation of living up to ‘family values’.
McCain (certainly) and Palin (likely) are not.
Is it at all surprising that the media loved Palin’s speech? The soft bigotry of low expectations strikes again.
”..the woman next to me is a hooker…negotiating an hourly rate..” Mate, I hope she’s part of a union and she’s not trading away those hard won ‘award rates’ for something frivolous. Guy, you’ll have to set her straight.
Well suited comment for the moniker Daniel however plainly your hopes were “high” that the media would not in fact “love ” Palin’s speech…..in fact why not be true for once and drop the “Daniel”?
Waiting for Palin. Oh God. How lame. When will a real sub editor jump on. “Mrs Palin-Chips goes to Washington.”
Surely Sarah Palin hasn’t been squaring off with her hubby’s business mate. I’m amazed she’s got time to moose-shoot, cheer-lead and sit in a Senate given the time demands of her marital bed workouts. She’s very physical our Sarah isn’t she?
That’s just your poisoned perception David Sanderson.
In fact I liked John Edwards and so did much of the media.
The media also loved McCain in the past as Daniel reminded us yesterday.
Obama is a gifted orator and if/when he becomes President there will be a seismic shift of perception from within and from without of the US for the good.
The media love Obama far more than the Clinton and even Edwards and as a result he has been allowed to get away without delivering much substance as Edwards was ‘allowed’ getting away with a particularly sordid affair.
McCain, Clinton and Obama are all excellent candidates but only Obama thus far has not been challenged.
What the media will not do this young and very very sexy unknown has…..at last.
You David Sanderson are part of (in the US…the Beltway) left pseudo intelligentsia. John Howard in this country owes this ‘elite’ a vote of thanks. Such patronising displays in the US will see The Dems lose the “un-loseable’.
Keep up your arrogance Daveboy………
Waiting for Palin. Oh God. How lame. When will a real sub editor jump on. “Mrs Palin-Chips goes to Washington.”
“about half past one Oz time”
Hmmm here I was thinking that people actually lived somewhere other than the east.
This is not the first time people at Crikey have made such sweeping gestures.
I take it that would make it about half past 11 WST? Thanks!
It is not true David Sanderson. The rumours about Edwards were around for months and Edwards bare faced lied. The National Enquirer got the photo that incriminated him is all. It scuppered Clinton as well.
Which reminds me of a recent Instapundit joke:
HOW THEY COULD HAVE KEPT THE PALIN PREGNANCY STORY OUT OF THE PRESS: Leaked it that John Edwards was the father … ..
Sarah Palin demonstrated that she is a very effective deliverer of a set-piece speech and that will prove useful to McCain. As others have said most Republicans may end up liking her more than they like McCain. But there are still huge question marks over how she will handle less structured situations where her remarkably limited experience will be put to the test - most obviously when she is interrogated by the press.
In addition the national soap opera aspect just gets stronger day by day. The National Enquirer’s story about a ‘steamy affair’ (I’d love to get the low-down one day on a lukewarm affair - that would be a real novelty) with her husband’s business partner is most likely true. Yes, I know that the Enquirer is a steaming heat of sh*t but it does have a record for accuracy and has come out strongly behind its story when challenged by the McCain machine. I won’t labour the obvious but this story will go down like a dose of castor oil among the family values crowd, her core constituency.
Maybe we will get a teary self-flagellation, tele-evangelist style, combined with a plea for re-admission to the saved and a call for votes as a sign of forgiveness. That would be fun.
H-ly sh-t! I just noticed yet another David Sanderson Special!
The National Enquirer….wait for it…….”does have a record for accuracy” !!!!!!!!!!!
I love it!
The last two were good. This one isn’t
The next 9 weeks are going to be heaven for journos and bloggers…..I particularly liked Jonah Goldberg’s in the National Review:
“She was put on this earth to do two things: kill caribou and kick butt. She’s all out of caribou.”