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Just what is Sarah Palin up to? That’s the question asked by the New York Times on the weekend:
Without leaving home, Sarah Palin will be able to reach much of her political base, courtesy of a soon-to-be-built television studio in her living room paid for by her newest media patron, Fox News. From her house in Wasilla, Alaska, Ms. Palin also sends missives to 1.3 million Facebook “fans,” writes newspaper columns, Tweets and signs copies of her book for donors.
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Her growing cast of advisers and support system could be working in the service of any number of goals: a presidential run, a de facto role as the leader of the Tea Party movement, a lucrative career as a roving media entity — or all of the above.
Despite leaving politics in July, Palin is possibly more visible now than ever. She recently stirred up a media flame war with a post on her Facebook page criticising Obama’s chief of staff for using the phrase “f-cking retards”:
Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the “N-word” or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them – is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking.
… or it was until conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh used it to attack liberals:
“They are kooks, so I agree with Rush Limbaugh,” she said, when read a quote of Limbaugh calling liberal groups “retards.” “Rush Limbaugh was using satire…”
On Saturday night, Palin addressed the growing force of extreme conservatism in the States that is the Tea Party Movement at their National Convention (for a modest fee of $100,000), laying into Obama and labelling them “the future of politics in America”
The speech was met with chants of “Run, Sarah, Run!”, though the aspect of the event that seems to have garnered the most coverage is the notes scrawled on her hand to help her along (“energy”, “budget cuts”, “tax” and “lift American spirits”).
And today, she has come out in response to the big 2012 question, saying she is indeed considering it:
Sarah Palin said she would consider a run for president in 2012 “if I believe that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family,” according to a television interview broadcast Sunday morning.
Palin 2012? Is she ready? Are we?
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32 Comments
she thinks she is ready.
and lots of people thinks she is the gary goods.
i don’t think she can maintain the interest in her for 3 years. it has already descended into tabloid fodder. the news networks only see her as part of the rise of the lunatic fringe.
all tip, no iceberg
Sarah Palin is not the problem. She is a symptom of America’s great afflication.
Whoops - affliction.
“…How’s that hopey-changey thing workin’ out for you?…”
Ouch!
And without a teleprompter in sight.
Obama doesn’t stand a chance no matter who runs against him. He’s got one term written all over him! By election time they will be saying ” is he really worse than Carter”
Must be hard to write a story without doing some basic research guys.
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On Rush Limbaugh using the word ‘retard’, from Palin’s own spokesperson;
Sarah Palin spokesperson Meg Stapleton told Fox, “The Washington Post is trying hard to take the pressure off the White House by creating a side controversy, but it is missing the point: as the Governor has said, it doesn’t matter who says the “r” word: it should no longer be part of our lexicon.”
Limbaugh used the “r” word repeatedly during his daily radio show yesterday. When the Palin camp was asked for comment on Limbaugh’s actions by the Washington Post, they said,“Governor Palin believes crude and demeaning name calling at the expense of others is disrespectful.”
Palin officials say that is the same comment they have given reporters for a host of other instances where someone had used the “r” word and they are not singling out Limbaugh.
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Of course, research suggests that some of the people at Crikey might seek accuracy, rather than partisan Barrack-ing.
Of course Michael James, it is perfectly reasonable and ethical to repeatedly use your disabled child as a tool in a political contest.
Palin’s child is a baby, she needs to spend lots of time with him, therefore Trig travels with his mother and is usually at mot of the functions that she is at. She is also a committed advocate of the rights of the unborn and those with special needs.
She wasn’t the one that claimed that her special-needs child was in fact her daughter’s child, nor does she give oxygen to the so called ‘birthers’ who claim that Sarah Palin was never pregnant.
I put people like that in the same basket as the 9/11 fantasists and the ‘Obama Birt Certificate’ conspiracy theorists. I.e. Several sandwiches short of a full picnic.
I note that the main conspirator of the ‘birthers’ is Andrew Sullivan, a noted left wing blogger who, to this day, still claims that trig Palin is Bristol Palin’s daughter, despite that not being medically possible.
so it’s reasonable and ethical or it’s not? And she’s a committed anti-abortion activists which is not quite the same as being an advocate for the rights of the unborn.
She’s gearing up for a 2012 shot at the Presidency, what else.
A chorus of nutty cheerleaders. You guys practice pyramids on the weekend?
@MPM “And without a teleprompter in sight.”
Yes, instead she had the words “Energy”, “Tax” and “Lift American Spirits” and “Budget cuts” with the word Budget crossed out scrawled across the palm of her hand, because apparently she has trouble remembering her core values. It’s clear this woman is an empty vessel, filled with the ideological gas of her corporate sponsors and political puppet masters.
Obama did not use teleprompters last week when he confronted the Republicans west-minster style, and he stared down that viper’s den, tearing through their empty rhetoric with deconstructive reasoning and formidable intellect.
@Michael James, this is a woman who called for Rahm Emmanuel not only to apologise, but to be fired for using the word retarded behind closed doors. She then downplayed Rush Limbaugh’s use of the same word day in day out on public radio to an audience of 30 million people, and not only using it, but DEFENDING its use as a legitimate insult.
In an interview with Glenn Beck just a few weeks ago Palin herself said she was worried about the United States turning into a country where people couldn’t use words that were “politically incorrect.
Yes, not only is this woman an airhead, she’s a brazen hypocrite spouting contradictory b/s at every turn, and casting aside her principles to worship at the alter of Rush Limbaugh in order to help her deluded political ambitions.
Though to be honest, there’s little point in reasoning with you lot. If you don’t see a problem with Palin being elevated to within a hair’s breadth of the nuclear launch codes then there’s not much I can say.
That corporate influence has hijacked America’s conservative party and the majority of its media channels to the point where that scenario could become a reality shows the terminal state of their democracy.
Well said Jeebus. In Australia we have nutters like Pauline Hanson who pop up and attract those looking for a simplistic answer to their problems (and a funny looking scape goat if possible please). While certain rodent like politicians may foster these nutters for pure political expediency, neither side of politics would ever dream of allowing such a nutter any real power. So it comes that Republicans should question their own leadership that would endorse a woman who is not only uninformed at best and stupid at worst, but rather proud of it.
To those who believe Sarah Palin is a valid presidential candidate, you’ll find a comfy home with News Ltd.
@Jeebus
“…because apparently she has trouble remembering her core values. It’s clear this woman is an empty vessel, filled with the ideological gas of her corporate sponsors and political puppet masters…”
Wow…you’re really reaching now. Is that really the best stupid ad-hom attack you can come up with? You sound like you’re losing it?
“…If you don’t see a problem with Palin being elevated to within a hair’s breadth of the nuclear launch codes then there’s not much I can say…”
NEWSFLASH: The Cold War is over
BWAHAHAHA…do try and keep up.
“…Obama…stared down that viper’s den, tearing through their empty rhetoric with deconstructive reasoning and formidable intellect…”
And still he looked way out of his depth drowning amidst a rapidly dwindling rapture for your one-term Messiah.
Never mind, he could easily get a job at your ABC or better writing features here at Crikey!
Palin predicted that Obama could win a second term, if he “played the war card” and declared war on Iran or took other more aggressive military action.
“People would perhaps shift their thinking a little bit and decide, well, maybe he’s tougher than we think he is,” she said.
@ Michael James
“nor does she give oxygen to the so called ‘birthers’ who claim that Sarah Palin was never pregnant.”
LOL
The Birther Movement seeks to prove that Obama wasn’t born in the United States.
@GEF05, the term has been used for both sets of nutters, those who claim that Obama is not an American citizen, and those who claim that Sarah Palin is not the mother of Trig Palin.
Both groups are equally first class fools.
Asking if Palin is intending to run in 2012 is to ascribe to her an ability to make serious plans that she does not have. There is only a short-term intention - to feed her ego with media and fan attention and rake in as many millions as she can from her celebrity status.
@MPM
An ad hominem attack is attacking a person’s argument by finding something objectionable about the person and unrelated to the argument. JEEBUS was quite right in pointing out her inability to remember small words, simply because she is making a play for right-wing-commentator-in-chief. Since her air-headedness directly impacts on her ability to reason and speak coherently, I think that it is a credible attack. People are screaming “AD HOM ATTACK” much too much lately and is becoming a bit cliched.
@savemejeebus
“…Since her air-headedness directly impacts on her ability to reason and speak coherently…”
I’m not comfortable in you sharing your afflictions in a public forum.
Best to ignore MPM no matter how tempting it is to respond to her provocations. Responding to a troll only feeds her peculiar psychological needs
Trust Palin to take the injunction “talk to the hand” so literally. She obviously picked up a few exam-passing ideas during her school days and is still using them..
@MPM
I don’t see any of my afflictions on show, and I’m not sure how any of what I said could make you feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, to make yourself feel better I suggest you make yourself a great big jug of iced tea, put “I’ve never been to me” by Charlene in the CD player and settle down on the couch with a copy of “Journal to the Self” by Kathleen Adams. It should soothe all that unwanted stress away, and make you understand perceived hurtful attacks dissapear into the ether once you realise you are in control of how you feel and no-one else.
@David Sanderson
MPM is low-hanging fruit and I can’t help myself.
“Asking if Palin is intending to run in 2012 is to ascribe to her an ability to make serious plans that she does not have. There is only a short-term intention - to feed her ego with media and fan attention and rake in as many millions as she can from her celebrity status.”
Wow Mr Sanderson, such in depth knowledge of another person’s personality and unstated future intentions. Normally it takes someone truly close to a person to divine their future intentions when the individual in question has not determined what they wish to do.
In your case however, it would appear that you obtain your information from browsing sites that seem to spend most of their time attacking Mrs Palin.
If however, you can prove your assertions, please do so, otherwise you are little more than a empty vessel for opinions made by her critics, rather than a individual with your own informed decision making abilities.
@David Sanderson
“…She obviously picked up a few exam-passing ideas during her school days and is still using them…”
You sound jealous.
@savemejeebus
“…I suggest you make yourself a great big jug of iced tea, put “I’ve never been to me” by Charlene in the CD player and settle down on the couch with a copy of “Journal to the Self” by Kathleen Adams…”
You sound like you’re talking from experience.
Michael James, it is a judgement of her abilities and motives after having observed her on the public stage for about 18 months. You seem to be happy to make some judgements about politicians and you should not act so hurt that people will make adverse judgements about one of your political favourites.
There are plenty of conservative politicians in the US who are worthy of being taken seriously. Palin is patently not one of them.
Palin picked up $100,000 from her supporters for her own personal use. What kind of politician who is seriously seeking high office does that? Only an unserious self-seeking political celebrity.
@MPM
I was expecting an intelligent and perhaps witty reply. Instead, I got the equivalent of “it takes one to know one”. I give up.
There is no doubt she is positioning herself for a run in 2012 and if her support holds then she will win the republican nomination, but this is a long way off. However, I think ther are large enough numbers of Americans who would be fearful of her with the “launch codes.” Yes, it is still an accurate mataphor.
In light of her recent comments on Iran in her interview with Chris Wallace, I would rather a president who read and understood Niebuhr than someone who needed to be schooled in IR by HK by starting with a map of the world.
@savemejeebus
“…I was expecting an intelligent and perhaps witty reply. Instead, I got the equivalent of “it takes one to know one…”
You got exactly what you deserved.
You bore me witless…I couldn’t be bothered trying.
Just stick to the topic.
BRETT GASKIN: Re Australian politics. “Neither side of politics would ever dream of allowing such a nutter any real power”. Sorry Brett, I have to disagree. When Queensland’s National Party/Country Party, far right-wing nutter Joh Bjelke-Petersen was premier of that state, there was a huge push from the madder elements of the right for him to stand for federal politics. Fortunately it was forestalled, however, Joh was Premier of QLD for what seemed to be a long, long time.
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To the people who can stand Sarah Palin-MICHAEL JAMES’ name springs to mind, although it is the far right-wing(ism) you like, rather than the lady who aspires to lead the Republican Party.
If anyone can seriously believe Sarah Palin is the right woman to have the power to unleash America’s thermo-nuclear, bio-chemical, and awesome military power. They are deluded.
DAVID SANDERSON: In theory I would tend to agree with you. However, don’t forget the republicans will do anything they can to get back into power. It took John McCain (Rep) to select her in the first place. If they think Sarah P has the pulling power they will support her, right up to the white house.
Depressing isn’t it?
@MPM - no teleprompter, but she did read from pages of notes.
@savemejeebus - do you think the likes of Romney and Huckabee would let her win the primaries required to get the nomination? No matter how much ‘support’ she has, I just can’t see it.
The MSNBC ‘Morning Joe’ team called her out this morning, saying that many republicans wish she would sit down and read something. My prediction is that if the other ‘stars’ at Faux News don’t bring her down, the crew members forced to travel to the Wasilla studio on a regular basis will. She has not paid her dues either in the Republican party or with Fox, and at some stage jealousy will force people to act. Either that, or the next 50 000 emails requested by MSNBC will turn up something…
I think Palin might make it, but it won’ t be on the back of the tea party loons. Being stupid clearly isn’t a problem in politics - we have Barnaby and the US had a whole 8 years of Bush, so double digit reading age is not a requirement. This, I think, is because politicians only channel their supporters. The supporters of the Republicans which matter for a candidate are big business, bankers and the military. Palin may not have a problem with these vested interests, after all she is all for going rouge with the drills in the Artic reserve and I am sure she can be convinced a CDO is just a good-old maverick kind of investment. But a bunch of middle aged white, rural libertarians who are againt bail outs, are unemployed because they are essentially obsolete in the modern economy, and are mad as cut snakes? Forget the socialists, no CEO wants that being the power base behind the president. If she’s smart, and I mean in the survival of the fittest kind of way which allows invertebrates to do just fine, she’ll ditch the hicks and get with the money.
Oh Hotmensia if only she’d read from something as prepared and professional as note on paper. No, she read from scribble on the palm of her hand which included corrections (budget crossed out and tax written in) clearly exec material.