Since the moment she stepped onto the national scene, the Left has mocked Sarah Palin. The loathe her and everything she stands for. She is an offensive creature that they just can’t seem to destroy. Now, they’re begging for someone with the Palin Power they’ve mocked for so long – someone who inspires them. Anna Holmes and Rebecca Traister write in the New York Times:
The left should be outraged and exasperated by all this — but at their own failings as much as Ms. Palin’s ascension. Since the 2008 election, progressive leaders have done little to address the obvious national appetite for female leadership. And despite (or because of) their continuing obsession with Ms. Palin, they have done nothing to stop an anti-choice, pro-abstinence, socialist-bashing Tea Party enthusiast from becoming the 21st century symbol of American women in politics.
Imagine that: a woman who places real value on life, sex and freedom – SHE MUST BE STOPPED! She can’t be a real woman! She wants to cut taxes and repeal ObamaCare! The things that make her appealing to conservatives and Republicans are the things that make her public enemy #1 for the Democrats and feminists. Continue reading →
Lots of proverbial ink has been spilled over Sarah Palin and the hypocrisy of the feminists regarding anything involving her. The scum of the blogosphere that is Wonkette published a piece this morning, based on the oh-so-credible tweet of some random minion. The hot topic of the day: Did Palin get breat implants?
The fact that this story was a) written in the first place and b) picked up on by several feminist sites and other blogs is infuriating. It’s clearly not true. This is the photo they use as “evidence”
First of all, she’s got on a tee-shirt, and in the other 2 pics she has on a jacket. It’s all about the angle. The photo below was clearly taken the same day:
She’s always been curvy, and she happened to be wearing a shirt and was caught at an angle that enhanced her bust. Point? It’s a load of crap and totally baseless. So why am I covering it? Good question.
I had a long conversation with a male friend who didn’t understand why I would bother giving credibility to the slime that is Wonkette. I’m aware that they don’t have a thinking audience. I know that they don’t have influence and that no one takes them seriously. I understand my friend’s concern with giving a voice to this, and I considered letting it go.
The reason I chose to write about it was simple: The timing. I would have ignored this if it were any other day. Today, however, happens to be the day after Palin showed how much pull her primary endorsements really do have. Her (mostly female) candidates won across the country, the largest being the Carly Fiorina win in the California Senate race. Disagree with her or not, she has influence, and it’s foolish to pretend that she is anything but a force to be reckoned with politically.
If this were only on Wonkette’s site, I would never have seen it. I don’t exactly frequent there. However, the story picked up some legs. It’s been talked about by the Boston Herald, local news, and all kinds of leftwing blogs. Not to mention the “feminists” who claim that the question prompted “thoughtful discussion.” I picked it up initially via Jammie Wearing Fool.
The willingness to latch onto a complete load of crap like this is indicative of the real issue, which is that instead of acknowledging the power of Sarah Palin and launching serious attacks on, say, her grassroots cred after her establishment endorsements, they’d rather talk about her boobs. It’s demeaning. It’s offensive. It’s totally inappropriate.
I disagree with many conservatives regarding Sarah Palin as a future candidate, but I will defend her to the death when it comes to the way she’s treated in the media. And if another feminist comes to me whining about the fact that I embrace being put on a list acknowledging my appearance while ignoring actual sexism, I will tell them to shove it. For you to have any credibility whatsoever as a feminist, you first need to step up and defend women… even the ones you don’t like.
Update: The response to this has been fascinating for me. The men have called me “Tabster” and told me not to write about it and the women have linked me. Thanks, Melissa.
There’s been a lot of talk about what yesterday meant for the Tea Party movement and specifically, how much Sarah Palin’s endorsements – which she handed out like candy – had to do with the wins and losses. How much of it was anti-incumbent rage? Anti-establishment rage? Anti-big government rage? Melissa Clouthier at Liberty Pundits writes:
I don’t buy the whole anti-incumbent thing. I think that’s a simple simon answer to a more complex question. It’s also a way for the Democrats and Republicans to not take difficult looks at themselves and the position they’ve put themselves in with voters.
I agree. Right now, people resent government as a whole, on both sides of the aisle, and it’s a tough spot for establishment candidates in both parties. There were incumbents who did just fine. Lincoln in Arkansas, despite the rage of the left and a $10 million campaign against her from the unions, managed to eke out a win. Senators who actually listened to their constituencies – a la Jim DeMint – won easily.
But the question everyone’s asking is this: What role did Palin play? I heard someone joke that in this round, she just endorsed anyone with two X chromosomes. I’ve been pretty open with my criticism of her, as well as her establishment endorsements. The honest truth is that I don’t dislike her as much as many of you think I do – I think she serves a purpose in the movement, and I don’t want to diminish the value of her voice or fundraising power. When she speaks, people listen – for better or worse.
That said, when we have the power of Palin and the Tea Party behind the same candidate, they will do well (and yes, I’m consciously separating the two). When Palin decides to endorse an establishment candidate, the vote will be split, and we will likely lose. Case in point: Carly Fiorina. I wouldn’t necessarily make the argument that a Palin endorsement would have won the race for DeVore, but I’m confident that it gave many a pass to vote against their conscience, in addition to deflating the base momentum that Chuck DeVore had built.
Sometimes, it’s best for the big guns to stay far, far away from races.
We also proved that we don’t need a Palin endorsement to win. Tea Party Express, FreedomWorks, and Club For Growth stepped in for Angle, and she easily won the Nevada Senate GOP primary, jumping from single digits to a win in just over a month. I’d be willing to wager that a Palin endorsement for Sue Lowden – you know, since she was the pragmaticchoice – would have been a significant ding for Angle.
All that to say that Palin is significant because she represents a large portion of the movement. In many cases, she still has enough pull with the base to make them rethink their candidate selection. She’s also proven that she knows how to pick a winner. It’s just a matter of whether or not her devotion lies to paying back political favors or standing up for the grassroots – there’s no denying that she’s got power.
That is, unless you’re a lefty. And then you can do nothing but analyze her boobs. Feminist rage: engage in 3…2…1…
Oh right, she’s a conservative. Carry on, Boston Herald.
There are few names that fire people up as much as Sarah Palin.
I’ve watched Palin since her August 2008 entrance onto the national stage. I immediately loved her. I went to see her speak. I daresay she’s part of the reason I became politically active.
As the weeks wore on, the glitter faded. She fumbled her way through things and insisted on making bad choices over and over again. She blew her chances at earning credibility, and I tired of hearing her play the victim. Her “blame the media” strategy only worked for so long – no matter how hard they tried to tear her apart, there came a time where she chose to perpetuate the battle.
Her move to Fox brought mixed reactions. Would she hone her media skills and learn how to handle reporters? Would she expand her knowledge and prove that she could bring new ideas to the table? She hasn’t really done either. She did, however, launch a new show, aimed to highlight and inspire the American spirit. As is usually the situation with Palin, the reaction was much more exciting to watch than the show actually was.
Slate published a piece that I thought was fascinating, if not ridiculous. The writer, Dahlia Lithwick, was surprisingly positive about Palin’s show, expressing appreciation for a less partisan Palin. Her bone of contention? This:
If Sarah Palin wants to be responsible for introducing us to “extraordinary Americans,” I will be the first to applaud her. But she must also accept responsibility for the fact that her words and threats about the ordinary Americans who don’t share her political views have very real consequences, too.
On some level she has a point – you have influence, or you don’t. However, a fluffy show that is designed to lift spirits and make them feel good doesn’t necessarily denote power. Commanding people to raise arms doesn’t either – unless they respond. Palin hasn’t done the latter – and if she had, where is the reaction from these gun toting, violent activists?
Also overlooked is the obvious double standard held by her detractors. If she is as stupid and useless as they portray her to be, how does she have so much power? She can’t be a bumbling idiot that no one takes seriously and simultaneously be the largest destructive force on the Right, running the conservative movement.
The accusations of violence are a knee jerk reaction to the rhetoric being thrown around by the left. The perpetuation in the media is nothing more than lazy reporting. The idea that the conservative movement is a violent one completely motivated by race is unsubstantiated and ridiculous. Those who have made the accusations have begun backpedaling due to consistent lack of evidence. The AP finally discovered that black people are taking heat, not from the Right, but from the the Left. How DARE they turn their back on the government that has worked so hard to enslave them! The only nasty language and threats I have seen have at rallies come from the SEIU thugs and the LaRouches that have shown up at the rallies. I challenge people to show me one video of any of the alleged attacks from a conservative at a rally.
Let’s look at the quote she cites from Palin.
Sarah Palin who urges us to “be inspired” and “celebrate the American spirit” in promoting the show, took a very different tone to her supporters on Twitter in the wake of health reform’s passage last month: “Don’t retreat. Instead — RELOAD,” she chirped, sweetly. She also supplied a convenient map showcasing Democrats to go after in the midterm elections, depicting her targets through virtual gunsights and crosshairs.
Talk about overreacting. Reloading? Does that imply that Democratic Congressional offices have been shot at or something? Oh… wait. This has nothing to do with Palin’s word choice or power to incite violence. She’s looking for another reason to whine about the supposed violence coming from the right, and it’s a waste of space. A map with targets? Come ON… that’s far from dangerous speech. The DCCC did the same thing. Where are the cries of violent rhetoric?! I DEMAND light be shed on this!
Palin, right now, has very little power. She is not in office, nor is she running. She’s quickly losing credibility with her conservative supporters by stumping for McCain and failing to transition from over-hyped VP pick to a viable candidate for national office. Her strongest appeal was always her personality – she’s likable and the reality is that a lot women relate to her. Maybe this show will revitalize her? I don’t know. Ultimately, I don’t think she’ll ever rise to national power, but as long as she’s a whipping post for the left, they’re not paying attention to the people that are actually rallying widespread support. Go ahead and shoot yourselves in the foot, guys. Palin’s not your girl.
For those of you that live under a rock, Palin ventured behind enemy lines, so to speak, and made a long awaited appearance on Oprah, designed to coincide with the release of her highly anticipated memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life. What better place to catapult a book that is already a best-seller into another stratosphere?
Overall, I thought the interview went well. Was it a game changer? Probably not. The people that loathe her will continue to do so. Those that tuned in to be impressed by Palin were happy. Oprah was fair. While I have my issues with the Queen of Talk, I don’t believe that I’ve ever seen her behave in a way that I would consider unprofessional, so I didn’t expect a knock down drag out or unwarranted attack. It was most definitely an Oprah episode – minus the tears.
Palin was clearly on the defense, which she probably should have been – she has been torn apart mercilessly since last August, and she was heading in to what was clearly unfriendly media territory. As Oprah reminded us in her interview, Barack Obama was the first candidate that she had ever publicly endorsed, and Palin was quite obviously aware of that fact. Her guard was up, and predictable questions revealed Palin’s preparation for all the “Oprah” conversation about Levi Johnston, marriage, kids, and the like. The answers were thought out and rehearsed – something you could hardly blame her for. The scars from the brutal media attacks are undoubtedly still fresh. No one will deny that she took a beating in the past year, and getting beneath the surface proved a challenge to even Oprah.
In the end, she came off just fine. Those that generally look to tear her apart grudgingly acknowledged the lack of a complete meltdown. From the Daily Beast (h/t Hot Air):
Never has Sarah Palin appeared so comfortable in her own skin on national television as she did Monday afternoon on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She spoke in clear, easily diagrammable sentences—none of those weird locutions about Putin rearing his head somewhere in the stratosphere over the Aleutian Islands. She was approachable and full of pep. And even with that percussive laugh—the raucous call of an exotic plumed bird during mating season, perhaps—she displayed an appealingly mordant sense of humor.
The bottom line is that conservatives want to like her. Even those of us who remain unconvinced that she should run for national office feel compelled to cheer her on. Sarah Palin appeals to many conservatives because, simply put, she represents an ideal. She is someone who is successful but grounded, ambitious but prioritized, and smart but approachable.
She has single handedly generated more excitement from conservatives – particularly women – than anyone else has been able to in recent years. Organizations such as Smart Girl Politics have seen incredible momentum… a lot of which can be attributed to the energy brought to the table by an Alaskan governor who made it okay for women to be successful, pretty, intelligent… and conservative.
By letting us see him sweat every time she updates her Facebook page, President Obama has inadvertently elevated Sarah Palin’s status. The fact that he needs to take her on publicly – over and over and over again – is a clear illustration of the power that she still has, whether she likes it or not. A housewife with a Facebook page has become almost as terrifying to our President as Fox News is. Should Rush, Palin and Fox join forces, the entire administration may begin to crumble.
Here’s what I’d like to see from Palin: She has shown that her biggest asset is in her fundraising capability. People listen to her, and people watch her – if only in hopes that she falls on her face. There is no sugar daddy on the right funding the conservative groundswell of the past year. If she were to use her platform to support solid candidates and bring in the funds, she could become a powerhouse.
In order to do so, she needs to own her position in American politics. She will always be a whipping post for the Left. They loathe her and everything she stands for. For some of us, that’s just a bonus. The point is that she can’t continue to cater to the failing media establishment or hide behind a contrived shell of herself.
In addition, we cannot, as a movement, allow her to be the iconic figure that Barack Obama is to the Left. Cults of personality are always dangerous – even if they’re on our side. Regardless of her assets, she can do wrong, and she will make mistakes. She already has. If we lose the ability to view our own leaders through a critical lens, we are not helping anyone.
There is a lot of potential for Sarah Palin. I just hope that she harnesses it instead of letting herself get swallowed by the “Oprah” questions and blame games.
Just to be up front: I like Palin, but am not a real supporter of her. I’ve been pretty open about the things I view as her flaws. But she’s been out in force this week and I love it. First, there was the op-ed she published in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Common sense tells us that the government’s attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones. Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy. And common sense tells us to be skeptical when President Obama promises that the Democrats’ proposals “will provide more stability and security to every American.”
Here’s the thing. I have no desire for the government to provide security for me. They are supposed to keep us from getting blown up and/or nuked, and that’s it. There should be no financial security coming from those who destroy everything they touch. There will be no great efficiency. There will be no paring down and elimination of the status quo, as they try so hard to convince us. That is just not the case. No matter how many times they tell us this, no matter how forcefully they try to ram it down our throats, the American people know better. And they don’t trust the government to make decisions for them. Poll after poll has shown us this.
That response is an innate sense of right and wrong, and the God given right to be free. It has nothing to do with these fictitious Nazi bastards that they’re claiming are out to “kill this reform by any means necessary”. Get that through your skulls, Oh Saviors of All That Is Deficit.
Okay. End rant.
As Palin points out, we hear these promises ALL THE TIME. We’re tired of them.
Sarah, keep writing and fighting. This is where you should be.
Apparently MoveOn is SO forward thinking that they have to launch attack ads on a FORMER governor. Because those private citizens are DEFINITELY the ones to focus on, not the lawmakers.
I suppose I’m grateful they’re focusing their efforts on Palin and not, you know, actual issues. Interesting that they consider Sarah Palin a larger action item than, say, health care.
Before you read any further, I have a strict policy of clean language on here. I’m posting some things that are pretty darn vile. So just… beware. Proceed with caution. I am posting some things on here to bring attention to the level of dialog from the left. I want it to be seen in all it’s glory. So, in other words, STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING. I hate the language so much I can’t even describe it to you, so I in no way condone it. That’s all I’ve gotta say.
There is a VERY large difference between dissent and hate speech. Politics has never been a friendly arena. It never will be. But when something crosses the boundaries of human decency, I believe there is a place for all of us to step in. Yesterday, I received an inordinant amount of hate mail (all anonymous) regarding a post I wrote a couple months ago on the Playboy article. I was referred to as a “dumb cunt”, among various other insults… because I see very little distinction between a “hate-f***” and a rape. Unprovoked hatred. Why? Maybe they hate everything I stand for. Maybe they hate women. Who knows.
Regarding Palin hatred, I’ve heard so many people claiming that she just couldn’t handle the challenge, that she bailed because she’s weak, stupid, <insert various insult here>. Wrong. First of all, I don’t believe that is why she quit. Second, what was thrown toward Palin was NOT standard campaign mudslinging. There was no way she could win in their book. On one hand, they hated her so much that they wanted her to crawl into a hole and die. On the other, when she finally steps down, they harass her for it.
Let’s look at the type of language we’re actually dealing with. I’m not talking about “I can see Russia from my house” jabs. Top Definition of Sarah Palin on Urban Dictionary:
Heinous bitch who only go elected because she sucked McCain’s dick
That fatherfucker is such a Sarah Palin that I bet she gets it on with politicians to save face. Or to moisturize face.
And it only goes downhill from there. And this is the source they were making fun of conservatives for not using to look up “teabagging”? There’s a reason I personally do not frequent the site. That language is exactly it.
The granddaughter of Adolf Hitler, Ms. Coulter started at a young “girl” playing with toy soldiers, whom she decimated because each one was either Muslim, gay, liberal, or simply “had it coming”. She did several hours of selfless volunteer work in high school, aiding in programs in her youth group at Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, the Christian based organization “Focus On The Family”, and the prestigious Ku Klux Klan. This lovely woman then excelled onto college at Cornell University, majoring in eugenics. The author of several wonderful books such as “Slander” and “How To Talk To A Liberal (if you must)” are undoubtedly some of America’s favorites. She has also started her own religion, Coulterism, where they believe she is Christ coming back in the image of a woman. They use her classic books as their bible.
Actually no. There is only one word to describe this woman (synonyms: see cunt)
Ann Coulter is a neofascist cunt who will basically do anything that goes by if it has a quarter and a penis.
Conservative blogger and cog in Rupert Murdoch’s propaganda machine.
-An Asian-American who supports internment
-An “Uncle Chong” who kisses up to white people
-Recently “called out” Rachel Ray for supporting terror by wearing a middle-eastern neck scarf
-Spews arrogant, self-righteous, “play the victim” conservatism, fights for the plight of the downtrodden American upper/upper-middle class
-Generally mindless squawking
Now to the blogosphere. I didn’t even scratch the surface in my research, but let’s have a look at some blogs. Godammit I’m Mad has a particular hatred for Palin The most recent article regarding Palin was in reference to her resignation and is titled “You Can Take The Cunt Out Of Wasilla…” part of the closing excerpt:
Now that Mrs. P is threatening to sue the internet for spreading rumors about her reasons for quitting, I can only hope she finds out how many times I’ve called her a crazy bitch and a stupid cunt. A nice lawsuit would direct more traffic here.
The author (who, like most of the internet’s more gutteral inhabitants, remains anonymous) also debated who the bigger cunt is: Ann Coulter or Sarah Palin. Palin won.
The Dail Kos is one of the largest political websites out there, and it’s unabashedly liberal. Here’s come comments from lollydee‘s reaction to Palin’s resignation:
It’s her sex life. Bet money on it. Now, then: how many at a time, and who are they?My first guess? She went back for another ride on her and Todd’s old business partner. Secondary guess: threesome or foursome, with Todd and partner. Busted by disloyal security person, probably one with a grudge.
Perhaps she went into a public restroom, and through the use of a wide stance, made the aquaintance of an under aged paige with whom she intends to fly off to Argentina while wearing a diaper.
They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity…Well, there is such thing as being an annoying cunt and you are well beyond being one of those. You’re the snatch-pie extraordinaire of annoyance.
And later…
Oh, sorry, Willow probably knows a shit-ton about foreign oil and how to barter for pipelines across Alaska, so maybe she SHOULD be in New York to help you celebrate Alaska Day? I won’t even get in to how fucked that is because your retarded kid wasn’t the only one spitting up stupidity due to your dumbass over that one).
And here’s the clincher:
PS: I got chlamydia about two weeks ago and found the constant puss-filled underwear, burning urethra and prostate pinching way more enjoyable than knowing you are allowed to breathe without being paid a stupid tax. If you find a way to make people pay such a tax for being fellow retards of yours, I’ll bury the hatchet, get some pee-hole pills and we can bury our feud. Hopefully you follow this warning better than your whore daughter did pregnancy warnings or like her, you’ll get dicked.
Another anonymous creature of the gutter. He goes by Mr. Guesa, and claims to be 29 years old.
Yes it’s out there now. I think Sarah Palin is a serious candidate for the GOP nomination in 2012 because she is the wet dream of every 60 year old gun owning Bible clinging white man who voted for John McCain because his other choice was to “put a nigger in the White House.” Now these people from places like [ insert a poor county anywhere in the South or Midwest with a population of 90% white or more] who were willing to shout racial epithets every time Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during the 2008 campaign are not really a concern—unless they have money.
This one is particularly fascinating because it’s written by a woman. Her name is Sarah Bloch.
I could go on for days.
Now to the bottom of the barrel. Twitter. All it takes is a simple search of Palin + any vile word out there and it’s a disgusting dose of hatred. One in particular, who apparently gets off on spamming conservative hashtags with his hate speech, goes by cyberczarpol. His name is Michael Collins. Here’s a sample of some of his finest.
Palin pushes a retard out of her cunt every once in a while but pushes retarded ideas out of her mouth all the time.
Nothing any of you say diminishes the fact that Sarah Palin is still a cunt.
Excellent. Now we can tell that homophobic Mormon fuck @MittRomney how we really feel!
@navajoe unfortunately for us @AkGovSarahPalin still spreads her yeast infection all over the airwaves
@dnorris78 Now, take that fucking cunt Sarah Palin with you and you can both go fuck yourselves.
@CyberCzarPol: @ZanP Because she’s a right-wing, constitution hating, douchebag of a cunt.
Stop GLOBAL WARMING! Kill a conservative…
As experienced as @AkGovSarahPalin is, you’d think she could deliver ONE thing out of an orifice that wasn’t retarded
Apparently, this is how he spends his day. Thank you, Michael Collins, for making the collective social media world a little dumber and a little angrier. Naturally, there are a bunch more. Like Mike Middleton, from Nashville, TN
All you fucking Rush-listening douchebags just aren’t going to be happy until you get that idiot cunt Sarah Palin in the White House! And we can COMPLETE our rapid decline into global scourge and finish fucking starving everyone else out and destroying the planet!
Thayalan Reddy, who goes by criticbooks is another that stood out as a particularly hateful human being. This guy is a Christian hater. And honestly, most of the hate mail I get, since I have the AUDACITY to be open about the fact that I am a Christian, is religious. Here’s a sample:
Come on Christian assholes, followers of Dick Cheney and George Bush. Do you have shit for brains that you can’t institute simple reasoning
Hey christians if your mother told you that she was a virgin and that god had “begotten” would you believe her. Obviously yes. Therefore, you must be a retard if you believe that God fvcked Jesus mother.I believe that Levi fvcked Mary and Sarah Palin’s daughter.
But his hooker mother had no sense of guilt, She was in every sense very much like Sarah Palin’s daughter – proud of being a slut. But, the cunning bitch then blamed it on God.Which idiot in his right mind believes such $hit? Do you think that God wanted Mary’s pu$$y.
And then… there are the photo shop masterpieces. I made the mistake of going on Zazzle the other day to find political tee shirts. Here are some of the things I came up with:
The irony in all this? I searched hard for Hillary shirts with things nearly as offensive? Not there. There were some derogatory statements, sure. Some were mean. None were sexual or vile to this degree.
So there we have it. Honestly, this could go on forever. Bottom line: This needs to stop. And I REALLY don’t want to hear about conservatives not supporting women as long as this kind of stuff is floating around your side, lefties. This is meant to draw attention to the level of dialog. Can we PLEASE raise the bar? I have to believe that humans are better than this. Words matter. Tone matters. Photoshopped images matter. I hear that in the past there were civil political discussions. It makes me sad to realize that this is such an accepted approach to political discourse now.
Thank you Palin for talking sense. If she keeps coming out with these, I might change my opinion of her as a national candidate.
Now, some liberals got whiny. A prime example of just how badly she freaks them out. Apparently, Palin has no authority to write op-eds?
It’s quite another to believe that she actually knows or cares sufficiently about cap-and-trade and environmental legislation to care enough to write about it for a major newspaper. And even if she does, what possible justification on Earth is there for the Post publishing her?
The only one I can think of is to “get people talking” about the Post page. To create “buzz.” Well, there’s good “buzz” and bad “buzz.” This is definitely the latter. It’s not only that Palin has no constituency to speak of. It’s not even that she has been trashed by the right, in addition to criticism by the left. She has no authority to write an article like this and the Post has no business running one.
Except, you know, that energy was the one thing that most people agreed was Palin’s strong suit, and she shows considerable command of the subject. You can say a lot of things about her, but she is not ignorant on energy policy. The global warming fear mongers are losing more ground every day, and I think it’s starting to freak them out. With their leader being sued for fraud by 30,000 scientists, I expect the dialog to deteriorate even further. It’s that whole “dog in a corner” thing – when backed into a corner, they’ll come out fighting. They’ll barrage us with the same fear monger tactics they accuse the Right of… however, we are apparently supposed to be afraid of Carbon, which is the foundation of out biological make up, and not, for example, terrorists. Because THEN it’s fear mongering.
Everyone with a brain knows that op-eds are OPINION pieces. The Post can publish whoever they want to. Palin wrote a solid piece, but since she’s Sarah Palin, apparently she has no authority? What grounds do you base that on? She’s a national figure who was arguably brought on to the campaign primarily BECAUSE of her command of energy issues. Why would she NOT be qualified to write a piece in her area of expertise? Oh, right. I forgot. She’s dumber than a brick and can never offer anything valuable to society. Right. I’ll shut up now.
The piece itself was outstanding, in my opinion. My favorite excerpt:
Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.
In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.
The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.
Thank goodness. I so appreciate her tone lately – hinting beyond the GOP to a broader support for conservative principles. I don’t believe for a second that there is one Democrat that would allow her to stump for them at this point, but I think that things are changing, and I’m thrilled to see her make these moves. So, go read her piece. I have said over and over that I don’t think she’ll ever be a national figure, but I would love for her to prove me wrong.
So Sarah Palin. I tried to avoid writing about her resignation, mainly because the coverage was relentless. That was, until today of course, when Michael Jackson’s funeral dominated all major new coverage.
Can I sum up that coverage for you? He’s still dead. I promise. You can hold me to that if you like.
I’ve thought about Palin a lot over the weekend. I like her, despite some of my past criticism. I think she’s smart, her record in Alaska is undeniable, and she’s got a lot of potential. More than anything, I appreciate her small government, fiscally responsible instincts. My main criticism is that she inspires an Obama-esque cult of personality. Her supporters seem to have a hard time acknowledging when she does something questionable – which she has done and will do again should she stay politically involved. While she may be one of the most promising figures on our side, she is not above reproach, and we can’t blame EVERYTHING that comes out of her mouth on the media. Sometimes she is just human, sometimes we are going to disagree with her, and that’s okay. We need to hold people accountable – ESPECIALLY the ones on our side.
In addition, I believe that she has been entirely too silent on particular issues. She has avoided discussing amnesty, in particular, and this is a problem. We need to hear more. This is also okay – for now. She’s new, she’ll develop. But we need to let her do so and not throw her into the Oval Office until we know more – for the sake of her political future, and for our own well being.
I equate her resignation in a way to John McCain’s stunt during the election. When economic collapse hit, he suspended his campaign in order to return to Washington and participate in the original bailout negotiations. That was a huge opportunity. Obviously, he ended up blowing it by refusing to take any stand or have any real role in the process.
I believe this is where Sarah Palin is right now. She has resigned in order to increase her effectiveness. She has a huge opportunity. If she takes this opportunity to begin her 2012 run, her career will completely implode on itself. The act will be rightly viewed as a completely selfish political stunt. If she actually uses the time to help raise money for other candidates, harnessing the draw that she has and using it to raise money for a financially struggling Republican Party, then she’ll come out looking good.
I really don’t think I have an opinion on this either way until I see what she actually does with it. Then I’ll know what her actual motives are… call me a cynic. I think this was a huge risk, and how it turns out is entirely in Sarah Palin’s hands. For now, I have faith that her good instincts will take her away from a 2012 run.
