Tag Archives: Sarah Palin

Wonkette: ZOMG!!!11!! PALIN HAS BOOBS!!1!!!!1!!eleventy!!!1

Posted on June 10, 2010 by | 11 Comments

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.

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Sarah Palin, Women

Tagged , ,

What role did Palin play in the primaries? And why is the Left talking about her boobs?

Posted on June 10, 2010 by | Leave a comment

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.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Sarah Palin, Women

Tagged ,

Sarah Palin endorses Carly Fiorina: Is she jumping the shark?

Posted on May 6, 2010 by | 5 Comments

Sarah Palin just endorsed Carly Fiorina in the CA Senate race.

The initial reponse on Twitter and Facebook was shock from most of the acivists. I suppose many were convinced that Palin was still a “maverick”… which, if we’re being honest, hasn’t been true for a while. She’s becoming the establishment, for better or worse. I fail to see how endorsing Fiorina is “shaking things up”, as she states in her post.

Let’s look at the actual conservative: Chuck DeVore. He’s clearly the best candidate by our standards, and has rallied the troops among the Tea Partiers. The movement is behind him. The problem is that he’s had trouble getting the name recognition – he’s still not rising in the polls. His peak post-Campell was 14% There isn’t a lot of time left for him to gain ground.

Palin may well be making a sane judgment call by stopping Campbell at all costs. Fiorina’s got a solid shot at winning, and Palin could use the political cred that comes with endorsing a winner.

Bottom line is that this is yet another endorsement for a non-grassroots candidate, and she’s going to take another siginifcant hit to her credibility with her base in exchange for picking a winner. Probably would have been a good one to stay out of, Sarah.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Palin: Hate speech monger, Powerless bumpkin, or a breath of fresh air?

Posted on April 7, 2010 by | 6 Comments

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.

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Sarah Palin

Tagged

Palin on Oprah: No tears or jumping on couches.

Posted on November 19, 2009 by | 4 Comments

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.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Sarah Palin

Tagged , ,

I love when Sarah Palin uses her brain.

Posted on September 10, 2009 by | 3 Comments

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.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Health Care, Obama, Policy Issues, Politics, Sarah Palin

Tagged , , , ,

So Sarah Palin Resigned…

Posted on July 7, 2009 by | 5 Comments

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.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in GOP, Politics, Sarah Palin

Tagged ,

Snortworthy Video: Contessa Brewer and John Zeigler Fight

Posted on June 13, 2009 by | 4 Comments

Contessa Brewer gets her feelings hurt. Zeigler on the attack. The whole exchange is just hilarious.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McvC7n6-buo]

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Politics, Sarah Palin

Tagged , ,

Governors And That "Fiscal Responsiblity" Thing…

Posted on February 23, 2009 by | 10 Comments

So. I have expressed discontent with Palin. This Glenn Beck segment has chipped away at that a little… It’s hard not to love her fiscally responsible instincts.

Listen to this segment:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7K7reT4W58&eurl=http://angela-stevens.com/archives/obama-should-follow-sarah-palins-example/&feature=player_embedded]

She pretty much sums it up with this:

“Responsible reductions and prudent use of reserve funds that we had set aside for tougher times will help us weather the storm,” Palin added. “I am committed to working with the legislature to make wise budget decisions and continue to invest in infrastructure that will help develop our resources and our communities.”

Imagine that. When you make good budget choices, you could have a SURPLUS? How about saving money you don’t need at that moment instead of making up new projects to spend it on? “But Palin is an evil polar bear killing wolf hunting right-wing fascist who destroys the planet. And she’s stupid!” No. It’s not an accident that Alaska is doing so well. Say what you want, but Palin is using the resources her state has, and while California has to issue IOUs to it’s people while it cries for federal money, Alaska has money in the bank.

According to Stimulus Watch, California is receiving $23,194,447,831 in stimulus funds. Florida is receiving $15,644,718,723, which is like, reason #438765 to kick Charlie Crist out of the GOP. Alaska? $415,682,000. That’s 17.9% of what California is receiving. To break it down some more, Florida received nearly $1000 per person to Alaska’s $605 per person. California received nearly $700 per person. Even Louisiana, still rebuilding from Katrina, comes in over $20/person below California. Bobby Jindal refused funds above and beyond those that are normal yearly subsidies from the feds.

“Well, let’s be clear. The best thing that Washington could do to help Louisiana and all of our states with our budgets is to get this economy moving again. I think we just have a fundamental disagreement here. I don’t think the best way to do that is for the government to tax and borrow more money. I think the best thing they could’ve done, for example, was to cut taxes on things like capital gains, the lower tax brackets, to get the private sector spending again.”

Have I mentioned that I love Bobby Jindal?

Dems, of course not happy. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley:

“All of us are committed to working with President Obama to pull our nation’s ecoomy out of the ditch that George W. Bush ran it into,” O’Malley said. “If some of the fringe governors don’t want to do that, they need to step aside and not stand in the way of the nation’s interests.”

Right. Roll over and shut up GOP. Stop thinking.

GOP governors in on the stimulus revolt, if only against social programs: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.

Two of their concerns: The restrictions on some of the money could further crimp state budgets, and programs created or expanded with stimulus funds may have to be cut once the stimulus funds are depleted.

It’s called “common sense”. I’m glad there are still a few that use it.

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Bobby Jindal, GOP, Politics, Stimulus

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Identity Politics: Why We Need To Get Past Them.

Posted on January 13, 2009 by | 5 Comments

First, let’s define identity politics. I actually like Wikipedia’s article on it, so I’m linking that. Here’s their definition:

Identity politics is political action to advance the interests of members of a group whose members are oppressed by virtue of a shared and marginalized identity (such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and neurological wiring).

Based on that, I think it’s pretty safe to say that 2008 was the year of identity politics. People latched on to their politicians in a way we have not seen in ages – and I don’t just mean on the left (although I’d argue that they crossed the line from identity politics to hero worship on a lot of levels). Palin stirred up a base like we haven’t seen on the right in a long time. Her supporters were numerous and devout.

While using identity politics to get votes is certainly effective, it’s also dangerous. When groups identify with a particular candidate based on gender, race, sexual preference, etc there is a tendency to project personal bias onto the candidate. The “I am a Sarah Palin” and “Yes we can!” chants weren’t an accident. They were designed to bring people on board.

Here’s the problem – people are attaching themselves to a race, a gender – a person – and not necessarily to what the person stands for. In fact, if the polls following Nov. 4th were any indication, most didn’t even bother to figure that part out. It’s called “branding”, and when people buy the brand and not the product you’re in trouble.

My hope is that conservatives don’t fall into this trap. I’ve been asked a few times this week about Smart Girl Politic’s role – and in discussing that, I’ve stated that my hope is that we go beyond the gender identity politics. We will not support women simply because they are women – they must actively support the things that we value. It is not about gender – it is about a small government that holds it’s people accountable and defends the Constitution. Period.

This is so much bigger than race, gender, and generic “change” rhetoric. Vote based on leadership. Vote based on record. Vote based on life and liberty. When we stop voting based on what we want a candidate to be and look at them for what they actually are, we may eventually see some of that change we’re so hell-bent on begging for.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Obama, Politics, Race Relations, Sarah Palin

Tagged , , , , ,