240 Comments

1. Gordon:

1) Possibly a health problem with her or in the family

2) Possibly she will align herself with the disaffected, Tea Party types who are disgusted with both parties–after all, most of them scorn her and they’re the ones on the inside, wrecking things. Perhaps she’ll form another Bull Moose Party–perfect for someone from Alaska.

Jul 3, 2009 - 4:58 pm 2. Thrasymachus:

The politics of personal destruction triumph. The lesson is if the media machine wants to destroy you they will. Anybody the Obama crew regards as a threat will get the same treatment.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:02 pm 3. Sam W:

Gordon, I hope you are right. The game certainly needs a new deck.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:08 pm 4. rab:

Palin is an unconventional politician because of her honesty.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:14 pm 5. rodney:

The interesting thing about Palin is not what she does but how much she is hated.
I wish her well.
.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:15 pm 6. MarkJ:

“Perhaps she’ll form another Bull Moose Party–perfect for someone from Alaska.”

One interesting possibility: if Palin makes a 2012 bid, her primary target may not be the Democrats but…the GOP. In other words, garner enough support for her own conservative “movement” or party to replace the Republicans, which she very likely (and understandably) scorns as having morphed into “Democrat-Lite,” and then make the real run in 2016 when a “correlation of conservative forces” will have taken place.

Interesting times await us, don’t they?

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:21 pm 7. Gordon:

Mark/6–just what I had in mind. Throw out the RINOs and form a true center-right party. The Repubs disgraced themselves during Bush, absolutely disgusting, and they have little grassroots support.

Palin might do well to study the career of Margaret Thatcher, daughter of a grocer who rose to power in the Conservative Party, of all places. Not a true parallel, of course, but there could be some lessons there. Also, a little touch of Thatcher’s salty personality might help–just a little, just a hint of barbed wire under the velvet.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:28 pm 8. Mongoose:

Not to mention throwing Michael Jackson off the air for the holiday weekend.

Let her go out on the tea party circuit and raise the rafters.

Could be a shred move, really.

But it is unfortunate that it validates the efforts of the Democrats and their MSM minions to attack any opposition. This is just more proof of their Stalinism.

The Republic is in one of the most dangerous periods in its history. Certainly more dangerous than the time of the New Dealers.

I wonder, will real violence wlll not break out before the next election. Things move so fast.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:30 pm 9. Ron Hardin:

It looks like she’s doing a Ross Perot.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:35 pm 10. RWE:

While I was out cutting the grass and before I read Wretchard’s post I was thinking that this would be the perfect move if you were going to start a third party. The statements quoted above sure sound like that.

To me, resigning is another way of saying either “You don’t deserve me” or “I refuse to put up with any more of your crap.” The first one is the prelude to finding people who do deserve her. The second one is the first step in going off to raise rubarbs.

Or perhaps she has just decided to go back to Amazonia. I have always thought that it is just too much of a coincidence that she looks so much like Wonder Woman’s secret identity.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:41 pm 11. programmer:

I have come to dislike the Republican party and the Ivy League conservatives almost, again I say almost, as much as I do the current Democratic coalition. It would cheer me up a great deal if an outsider like Ms. Palin could and would win the presidency. I hope that is what she is about AND that she succeeds.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:44 pm 12. Dave the Kapampangan:

Good for Governor Palin, and good luck to her.

Maybe more people need to be empowered to make positive changes “outside of (BIG, INTRUSIVE) government.” On the other hand, the phrase “outside of (conventional) government” for a politician like Palin might mean the formation of a new political party, which could also get interesting.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:44 pm 13. Salt Lick:

2012 — We must all hang together, or we will surely hang separately.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:52 pm 14. Tony:

She just needs to write an autobiography or two and she’ll be more qualified to be President than the current occupier of the office, y’know, her high school basketball team actually won a championship, so that right there gives her more props.

I feel sorry for her. American media and their small-minded followers actively loathe normal people these days. The rapidity with which the left drummed up hate for this poor woman they had never heard of before was shocking to me. Within just a couple of days of her introduction on the national stage, my liberal friends had received mind-altering emails and believed she was a book-burning monster.

Conservatives think liberals have bad ideas, liberals HATE conservatives, and feel self-righteously justified in their angry venom.

Sarah Palin didn’t deserve that, no one does.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:55 pm 15. Gordon:

One common comment re things like the Tea Parties is, How to turn all this emotion and discontent into something concrete?

Palin need not run for any office in the future. Rather she could serve as a lightening rod, figurehead even, stating what she believes in and nailing her theses to the church door, inviting all who share her beliefs and discontent to rally to her.

Perhaps she could then attract like-minded pros who know how to get things organized. She could appear with new candidates, at fund-raisers, and generally be the voice of the crowd. If this could elect 20% of the House, I believe things would begin to move.

Jul 3, 2009 - 5:59 pm 16. Marcus Aurelius:

I have always thought a path along the lines of St. Ronnie would suit Sarah well and while the paths can not be identical it looks like she may follow along the general idea.

Ronald Reagan, similarly was a quick study and usually found success in any endeavor he took on. Reagan was an actor and then took his acting to the that TV series sponsored by GE where he would explore the issues of the day and from there he learned the issues of the day. So too with Sarah.

She is quick to learn, determined, and charismatic. I spend a lot of effort on various forums trying to convince others she is a genuine talent and has a great future, but then I figure let them learn the same way they did with W.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:00 pm 17. PA Cat:

After reading comments on some other right-of-center blogs, I value anew Wretchard’s and the other commenters’ ability to keep BC discussions thoughtful and respectful.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:12 pm 18. bogie wheel:

The problem with the scenario of her trying to form and lead a third party, esp. for 2012, is that she would then be drawing fire from both the Dems and the GOP. And it would pretty much ensure the re-election of TOTUS, at least if previous 3rd party candidate patterns hold true (and barring persuasive evidence to the contrary, I’m inclined to think they would). If you give her the benefit of the doubt in terms of being a selfless team player, she would be loathe to make a move that would both hurt and help mostly the wrong people on both sides.

Gordon’s idea that she might be most effective as a circuit-riding, loose-cannon type patriot-attracting patriot is an intriguing one.

My biggest caveat in all this is, we do NOT need another cult of personality. The lefties have theirs already, and look where it has gotten us. If Palin is truly a WYSIWYG item, then let’s keep her that way & not encourage her or anyone else to try to build a one-woman movement.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:15 pm 19. sirius_sir:

All I know is there are many disaffected Americans right now, both Republican and Democrat. I think it is a safe bet there are bound to be many more in the not too distant future. Palin is possibly positioning herself to catch the building wave of discontent and ride it.

Alaska, as big as it is, is too small for her now. I wish her well, whatever she chooses to do.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:19 pm 20. Charles:

Palin’s problem was that she could either be governor of alaska or she could support republican candidates for the 2010 election. But she couldn’t do both.

Practically speaking her efforts as alaska governor faced diminishing returns. While her efforts on the behalf of republican candidates faced increasing returns. Everywhere she goes she can draw a crowd of 1000’s.

Heard the head of the governors association say on the tube that he’d discussed with Palin via email her choices and had some advance knowledge of what she would say.

So for the next two years she’ll be campaigning for republican candidates in the lower 40 –earning big speakers fees and collecting political IOU’s.

In the past she has been an avid follower of Newt’s career. Newt has said publicly recently that the likelihood that Obama will be a one term president is growing fast. So likely her model for 2010 will actually be Newt’s 1994 campaign to take back the congress.

The MSM are trying to do to her what they did to Newt back in the 90’s. I don’t think they’ll succeed this time.

As for Obama, he’s planning an african tour that doesn’t include Kenya,

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:25 pm 21. poppa india:

I wonder if Palin’s strategy is to work for candidates she likes for the 2010 elections, both to keep up her exposure and to gather future support from those she helps. The results of that election will be a referendum on her, she’ll have a clearer idea of her support and then decide about the next election.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:26 pm 22. poppa india:

Charles beat me to it (and said it better), I think & type too slow!

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:27 pm 23. wretchard:

If Sarah Palin continues to be politically active she will have a destabilizing effect, the only question being who she destablizes more, the Democrats or the Republicans. Her greatest impact would be if she led “movements”, which by their nature focus on a particular issue and draw support from across party lines. Movements are far more volatile political beasts than electoral political parties. They can grow explosively or get out of hand. Unless they are revolutions “movements” don’t capture power by themselves. However their effect is normally captured by electoral parties.

The real challenge for the Republican Party is to re-architecture itself so that it can derive impetus from the grassroots movements instead of feeling threatened by them. But the Republican Party may have to lose many more hacks and opportunists before it can do so.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:46 pm 24. Tarnsman:

My two cents is that I feel Governor Palin should have remained in office and run for re-election. By remaining in office and keeping her frugal ways of governing the state she could have shown the rest of the nation that while all of the other states were faced with budgets deficits and draconian cut backs in services, her state balanced its budget, put money away in its reserve fund, developed its resources and ‘prospered’ in bad times. She could look America in the eye and say, “Conservative goverance works, Alaska is proof. The media, of course, would do its best to ignore her successes (which they have done so far), but in the course of the campaign the message would still get out. And if the disaster that most of us here at BC believe will happen happens because of Obama’s policies, then she can offer a real alternative and have something concerte to point to. She could stand at the podium in the debate and turn to Mr. Obama and say “Your policies have failed miserably. Mine have succeeded.” He would have no response other than “ah, ummm, well, you know, etc.”

If she is serious about the Presidency then she needs to prove she is a winner (right now the meme is she cost McCain the election and her Republican rivals are beating the drum that she is a loser). If she can’t win re-election then the run for the Presidency becomes moot. However, if she were to win in convincing fashion then the meme from 2008 gets buried and forgotten. She will prove that she can win (and you can bet the Dems and media would throw everything at her).

Of course, the course I’ve outlined is full of risks, and maybe Sarah feels the time isn’t for taking risks. But I am disppointed in her. I want a fighter. Not someone who plays it safe.

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:51 pm 25. Cannoneer No. 4:

Sarah is going to roll a stone into the Statist’s garden that they will have a helluva time getting out.

She may not intend to run for President in 2012, or 2016, or 2020. She clearly intends to campaign and fund raise for other candidates in 2010. If the House of Representatives changes hands in 2010 like it did in 1994, she will get much of the credit for that, and collect a lot of IOU’s.

She has the potential to become the American Margaret Thatcher, and rise to the leadership of a new Politically Incorrect Political Party openly committed to victory in the Culture War, uniting entrepreneurial frontiersmen, Cultural Revolutionaries, American Exceptionalists, libertarians, people who want to be left the hell alone, Gulchers, Constitutionalists, Appleseeds, bitter clingers, Christians, Patriots, blue collar men, married women, suburban marrieds, small business owners, independent professionals, and everybody else who can see the hand writing on the wall.

She does not necessarily have to run for President to wield immense influence.

[Edited to add: I had not read Charles at #20 when I posted this.]

Jul 3, 2009 - 6:55 pm 26. peterike:

I’ve said it before. I want Palin to become a media star. To get her own talk show, to become the white, Christian, Conservative Oprah.

Take it right to the heart of the, a-hem, “Whiskey” coalition.

I have my doubts about her in any case. She is damaged goods. The media has done its dirt (as the Democrats were doing to her in Alaska, with one fake ethics charge after another — tell me it wasn’t orchestrated from D.C.).

But she could still break through if she can speak directly to the people, not through the filter (or perhaps we should call it a “filther”) of the MSM. Get on TV and bring the same mockery to the Left that they bring to her. She could become the voice of the American center-right.

That’s where I think she could do the most good. She will never be elected President.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:01 pm 27. Norm:

From everything I saw and read during the campaign, I concluded that everyone on both sides were doing their best to sabotage Sarah Palin. Hell, I think people in her own campaign had a hand in the attempt. The Republicans running the party don’t like her either.

Jonah Goldberg just did a writeup in Townhall. While I respect him, I thoroughly disagree with him on this one. If she made any mistakes, they were few and far between. For example, I did not get the impression that she is/was whining.

I guess I’m saying I’ll follow her anywhere.

Dunno what she’s up to, but I wish her well.

Now, how many other voters in this country feel the same way, I wonder? We may find out.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:05 pm 28. wretchard:

Most of the free energy that will drive a grassroot movement campaign won’t come from Sarah Palin, but counterintuively, from Barack Obama. Colin Powell is now publicly worried about where the economy is going and is in ‘constant touch with Obama’. Powell should have seen this coming, should have thought of that when he endorsed Barack H. Obama. But it’s too late. Obama got his TARP and if that were not enough, has gone on to propose government health care and now, Waxman-Markey. He’s bought Detroit, put an infeasible Middle East Peace plan in the middle of his foreign policy. He’s staked everything and none of it is going to come off; he’s piled Pelion on Ossa and Mount Everest on top of that. Obama is going to crash and burn. It’s too late to pull out now. No amount of Powell’s staying in touch is going to change that. The President has pulled the control column out of the cockpit floor and thrown it out the window. Yee-ha. Naseem Taleb thinks the financial system is going to crash, when is uncertain, but the if is not. And I think he’s right.

So everything comes down to timing. If Sarah Palin is setting out to catch the raindrops, has she come too soon or too late? Will she make a mess of it? What happens if the thunderstorm starts? All I can say is that interesting times are coming soon.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:06 pm 29. Dave the Kapampangan:

Governor Palin has a big media advantage: the moonbeam media’s obsessive hatred of her.

The moonbeam media can ignore every bit of news that doesn’t fit in with its propaganda mission. They can bury good news from the Iraq war. They can media blackout anything that implies less than sainthood of Nanny Obananarama or Joke Biden.

But the moonbeam media hates Governor Palin, and feels so enraged and compelled to respond to anything she says, that the media cannot omit Palin movements from national audiences like it does for all other non-liberal voices.

If she is able to hang tough and clever, she can basically rope-a-dope the media.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:06 pm 30. Marcus Aurelius:

One of my Facebookies is a classical solifiscon (social liberal fiscally conservative) though the fiscal issues count more for her — that is she votes GOP. I would also characterize her as a “blue blazer” or “country club Republican”. This Facebookie of mine positively HATES Sarah Palin. As we have seen in the VF article and with the likes of David Frum, the hostility seems nearly as poisonous from them as it does from the left.

Oh well, as a lot of commentators are pointing out the Country Clubbers had their way this time around and in hte next go-round they’ll be taking a backseat.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:07 pm 31. dwall:

I hope she campaigns for others for 2010 – Cap and trade and such must be stopped or rolled back, as has happened in other countries once they saw the damage.

Also hope she gets rich with speakers fees and writes a book, with a strong editor.

Maybe Sarah can write a book that sounds like her voice unlike Obama. Wonder if he really did receive help from the likes of ayers or cornel west.

She better hire excellent security because the left does seem to be acting out of fear, if you read the leftie blogs.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:10 pm 32. Wadeusaf:

It really does sound to me that after fighting off some twenty three frivolous ethics complaints and faced with not only a future of two more years of ethics complaints and legal hassles which if fighting them as governor suck not only Alaskan coffers dry but her families bank as well…

Well it seems the governor having had to defend her daughters and her son’s against the slanderous noise of the left…,

Governor Palin has got mad enough to take on the noise and take on the task of helping rebuild an opposition. Remember according to her the Palin family said “Yeah” with one robust “Hell Yeah”. I think they are pretty angry and pretty excited too. No more politics as usual.

Nice.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:12 pm 33. JWT:

Peterike @26,

As a commenter, AFAIC, you are now damaged goods. Giving up on Sarah just as she’s really taking off for the stratosphere!

Sarah has the foresight to realize that it would be nice to have a Republican majority in the House when she becomes President. Right now, her focus is on stumping for 2010 Conservative candidates.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:13 pm 34. whiskey:

First, we saw weirdly Steve Schmidt acting on behalf of McCain (and perhaps Mitt Romney) dumping negative stuff about Sarah Palin on the press, which ate it up. It made no sense whatsoever.

Unless Palin decided to run.

Being governor sucks, right now. First you have responsibility for umpopular cuts to the checks Alaskans get from the oil companies, due to cap and trade restrictions from Waxman-Markey which is a slam dunk with Al Franken. Whoever is Governor will be writing likely NO checks whatsoever. So getting out of Dodge is smart.

Secondly, the strategy Dems have been using is to bankrupt Palin by filing frivolous but ruinously expensive charges regarding conflict of interest, ethics, etc. Leaving now allows her to make money on the speech and book circuit ala Obama and not have to worry about hostile, Dem forces looking at every penny.

Third, you cannot run for President as Governor of Alaska. Time and distance tyranny.

Fourth, the time is now, not another 8 years from now. The Republican field is Mitt (untrusted Mormon aristo) and Huck (untrusted evangelical). It’s a weak field that an outsider ala Reagan can crush. [Beltway idiots don't see opportunities.]

Fifth, Palin knows that the Media will never let up, nor will Letterman, the View, etc. They hate her, they hate her family, they won’t ever stop. EVER. She exists, they want her and her family gone. Democrats are going into overdrive, Huffington Post having “retard jokes” about her son, grandson, etc. Resigning only intensifies the media spotlight.

Sixth, Dems have committed over-reach with both Affirmative Action against White men, and lifestyle restrictions up the wazoo with Waxman-Markey. Demanding 3 minute showerhead devices in all homes. No barbecues. No fireworks, stuff like that. It’s like Prop 13 and Howard Jarvis, not the most telegenic of men, were brought forth by intolerable taxes that left most homeowners forced out of their homes with no where left to go.

If Palin is indeed going to be raising money and speaking at Republican events, then she’s not out of politics, but instead in it to win it. As for “experience” give me a break — President Barack Hussein Obama.

What this all means, is the intensification of the cultural and economic war. Between Men, and single women. Between the Blue collar working class and SWPL Yuppies. Between the media and other elites and the ordinary people. Between Blacks, Hispanics, Gays and Whites. Good times are gone. Papering over differences with money is not an option. Attacks on the US and other western nations a certainty. The way to victory in war (kill all the media) proven to work. With nuclear weapons the wild card and equalizers, all bets are off.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:15 pm 35. Elroy Jetson:

As an Juneau, Alaska resident, I am shocked. But it does make sense. If she campaigns hard for 2010 Congressional candidates and they win big, she becomes the front runner in 2012. She may tap into the Tea party momentum.
As of July 26, she is not on the state payroll anymore, so no griping about “not staying home to do the job Alaskans hired her to do…” Good. The pretense is gone.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:18 pm 36. JWT:

Wretchard @28:

“Most of the free energy that will drive a grassroot movement campaign won’t come from Sarah Palin, but counterintuitively, from Barack Obama.”

Gosh, Wretchard, isn’t that equivalent to saying that most of the brilliant analysis on the blogosphere won’t come from Pajamas Media, but counterintuitively, from the Mainstream Media(?)

Not exactly your best work on that one, Richard.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:24 pm 37. Ron:

More information on “grassroots” supporters gathering across the nation to support Sarah Palin for President in 2012 can be found online at http://www.palin4pres2012.com

Note, the website is in danger of crashing due to the flood of readers and supporters signing up to show their interest in a Palin Candidacy. The GOP establishment had better watch out, Sarah Palin and Ron Paul combined with the power of the internet will remove the stranglehold of GOP special interests and the elites who have brought the party to its knees in defeat in the 2008 elections.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:27 pm 38. Promethea:

I hope Sarah Palin will be able to give the Republican party a kick in the butt so they decide to get serious about winning on a free enterprise, less government platform.

I don’t care if she does it as a Republican or as a leader of a new movement, so long as she gets non-statists energized to get elected. Americans need people who can fight to win and who can collect money and talent to be used against the Evil Ones like George Soros, the Tides Foundation, and other wealthy malefactors.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:35 pm 39. wretchard:

Not exactly your best work on that one, Richard. Maybe not my best work, but it’s what I believe. A lot of the times what drives a movement isn’t a Mousavi or an Aquino but what they are against. In this case, my guess is that Barack Obama himself is the issue. And if Sarah Palin fails or is brought down by the Left, that doesn’t end it. It would end it, if it were about Sarah. But ultimately it will be about Obama and his policies.

Here’s my prediction. If the movements take off we’ll see a bunch of new political figures we never suspected existed come to the fore. I hope I’m not giving the impression that I am against Ms. Palin’s moves. I think the potential is great. However, it’s important to realize that we still don’t know what she intends. It’s a still a developing story. But whichever way it goes, the crisis remains. That’s the source of energy. That’s the driver.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:38 pm 40. peterike:

JWT: Peterike @26, As a commenter, AFAIC, you are now damaged goods. Giving up on Sarah just as she’s really taking off for the stratosphere!

I had a good laugh at that. Really!

Believe me, I hope she can succeed. I like her a great deal. But politically, I think she will have a very hard time winning a national election because as several people have commented: many people just HATE her.

Back on one of the Michael Jackson threads I said it would be an interesting question to ask people: “Who is weirder, Michael Jackson or Sarah Palin?”

A LOT of people would pick Palin. That’s how sick and twisted and brainwashed they’ve become. That’s how far we’ve gone to making normalcy the new freak show.

The media roar in the face of a Palin Presidential bid would be overwhelming. Perhaps I’m pessimistic, but I still don’t think the Right has any chance of getting ahead of the media roar when it wants to roar. And they will be full-guns shooting for Palin every minute of every day.

That’s why I think she can best serve trying to counter the media at their own game. I think having her attend Tea Parties is a great idea. She will double, triple and quadruple the crowds. Even the MSM will have a hard time ignoring it (though they will, of course, mostly ignore it).

She needs a platform to cut through the Cone of Silence they will construct around her. Not to mention the Cone of Lies.

The soft middle of the electorate still largely gets its impression of the world through television. That’s where she needs to be.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:40 pm 41. Kingston53:

I have been to some of the Tea Party protests and seen the energy. Though I witnessed a pretty disperate assembly, the common themes were a dislike for big government, big taxes, and big change. The problem with the Tea Party movement has been lack of focus. Glenn Beck has been heavily promoting this movement but is an imperfect spokesperson. Palin has all the essential traits – she follows a no nonsence practical approach to governing that distains big government, she truly believes it is her duty to serve all the people she represents, is a fiscal conservative with strong traditional values. We have not heard the last from this woman.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:45 pm 42. bogie wheel:

Predicting that the Left would go after Palin was an easy call (see above). Already Newsbusters is reporting “a blog just published at the Huffington Post is disgracefully titled Palin Will Run In ‘12 On More Retardation Platform.” It was written by comedian Erik Sean Nelson.

FWIW, the link no longer works. Was the post yanked by HuffPo?

At any rate, just the excerpt you cited was about as tasteless and vile as, say, Nelson’s post on Carrie Prejean. IOW, tasteless and vile appears to be his mode of operation.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:47 pm 43. Gaffe Prices:

Mark my words, she will be elected by 50 states in 2012, 0bama will claim he has 57, and one more to go, but they won’t from our 50 states.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:47 pm 44. andrewdb:

@dwall – excellent security? Maybe for IEDs – I trust her to be the much better shot.

Jul 3, 2009 - 7:54 pm 45. filbert:

Recall Palin’s rise to power–after two terms as a small-town mayor, she was appointed to the Alaska gas & oil commission (a big deal in Alaska) and resigned rather than compromise her ideals by sweeping corruption under the rug. Then she turned around and took on the Alaska state GOP old-boys-school to run for Governor–and won.

I think she intends to take on the national GOP old boys school and build her own organization and power base.

She’s done it once, on the state level. I think she is planning to do it again.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:03 pm 46. Kinuachdrach:

Let’s not get too hung up on individual personalities. Something becomes clearer by the day — it is the US system of governance that has gone off the rails. The personalities are merely the symptom.

Barack Obama’s peculiar agenda would be no issue if the US Congress were protecting its perogatives, if the US Supreme Court were upholding the Constitution, if the States were beating back Presidential infringements on their rights.

Obama may be the virus, but his attacks are successful only because the body is already weakened. Sarah Palin is not penicillin, but if she can take advantage of her history to trigger a national debate about the reforms we all have to undertake to heal the body politic, she will have accomplished more than most Presidents. And if it is not her, let’s Hope that someone else can trigger the mass movement required for Change.

Let’s wish the lady (& her family) well.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:05 pm 47. cottus:

Liberal Democracy is not the end of history – democracy is evolutionary and comes apart when voters get wise to voting themselves largesse from the public purse, yadayada.

One can hope that Ms Palin will come up with something altogether new – a new party, a new country (Alaska), a new constitution. What we have now is junk.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:19 pm 48. Eggplant:

Kinuachdrach said:

“Obama may be the virus, but his attacks are successful only because the body is already weakened. Sarah Palin is not penicillin, but if she can take advantage of her history to trigger a national debate about the reforms we all have to undertake to heal the body politic, she will have accomplished more than most Presidents. And if it is not her, let’s Hope that someone else can trigger the mass movement required for Change.”

Kinuachdrach’s analysis is insightful. As of today, the American conservative movement is dead in the water. Somebody needs to revitalize it.

Unfortunately, Palin does not have the horsepower to go all the way in defeating the Messiah in 2012. So far there is NOBODY who seems to have that distinction. By 2012, our economy and national security will be smoldering wrecks. It is obvious that Obama and the liberal Democrats are utterly incapable of doing anything about this. It is vital for the nation’s survival that a new conservative standard bearer appear who can defeat the Messiah.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:22 pm 49. Fat Man:

So far all we have is projection. I haven’t the vaguest idea what the lady is going to do, or why. Whatever she decides to do, will will be in Obamanation for at least 18 more months, and it isn’t going to be pretty. If BO is lucky, he will get a Republican Congress in 2011 to save him from himself. If we are unlucky he won’t and 2012 will be a clusterfarg of unprecedented proportions.

I don’t care who is president. We are a country of laws not of men. What is important are principles and dedication to them.

That government is best which governs least.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:24 pm 50. RCM:

http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/07/ed-rollins-says-timing-of-palin.html

This is Ed Rollins in his giddy reporting to CNN on how “there must be something wrong” for her to do this.”

No kidding, Ed, ya think? Just look at how she’s being hounded by the folks who are scared sh*t-less over her popularity.

Then he gives the laugher about three-fourths the way through and says that her doing this smacks at her being a quitter…and the dim mach? “Republicans are not a party of quitters.”

No kidding Ed, really hadn’t noticed that particular insight ever since we nominated McCain. Everything the Republican party has done in the last six or so years has lead me to believe, yeah, they’re not quitters, they’re just inhibited by their religion…they’re devout cowards.

They didn’t quit after Nov 20 – they dissolved. What a jack-leg!

Somebody hold my coat.

———————–

My take? I think she’s going to WAR…I think she’s pissed…our own Joan d’Arc.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:25 pm 51. Charles:

22. poppa india:

You can’t believe the number of threads that I post to after everyone else has left. The only difference this time is that I have work of my own that I urgently need to get done:-)

23. wretchard: Right now this is just politics as usual. If Obama’s luck runs out — then yeah some serious political realigning would occur. Much as I’d like to see that happen– I recognize that Obama is a lucky guy. Right now, left to his own devices — he’s blowing the most important Statist job of his administration. That is — to ween the USA off dependence on foreign oil. But who knows. The work goes on. The pace of invention accelerates with or without Obama. Someone could invent something neat that just crashes through a dozen energy price/performance barriers and change the world in a flash. And there would be O’s face catching reflected glory especially if the an energy fix takes money to scale. That might be a job for the feds. But the feds are running out of money fast as they fritter away reserves on stupid stuff.

You had a post a couple weeks back on identity politics vs policy politics. Both obama and Palin turn on both radically and emblematically so. The difference between them is that obama creates a white screen in his words upon which people project their dreams while his actual policies are something else –in fact they’re not really american. — Palin works to embody the american dream itself in her words and policies. Her speech today mentions that the chief job of alaska is to bring the USA energy. She played the role of deal maker to bring Exxon into the deal to bring gas to the lower 40–so her actions and her words match. (That said, the amount of gas that’s been discovered in the lowered in the lower 40 makes alaska gas unnecessary unless the US starts to export gas to Europe–which is not a bad idea.)

What’s behind that white screen?

I don’t know whether I heard it here or over at Free Republic–but someone mentioned that while Obama wears the mask of an American — he’s really an African colonialist; The sort that works in the governments of Africa that use western aid to pay their government salaries, to send their children to school in europe and vacation there themselves. The sort that have learned to make a living by bumming off the west. However, that’s really all they understand about money. Money comes from the west. You can get money by dancing the dance of the bird with the broken wing. After that, everything else falls in line. The trouble with being an American president is that there is no one you can feign a broken wing for — except God and the American people. As president that doesn’t work with Him–or the American people.

Judging by videos of Michael Jackson’s practice performances two days before his death–he was in pretty good shape for a 50 year old. While he was not stuck with needles it does look like his doctors didn’t do a very job with him.

24. Tarnsman:

I would prefer that Sarah were a man. She is a fighter. So is her Mr.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:27 pm 52. RaviT:

The left’s attacks on Palin are over the top, but, c’mon–she is dumb, and I mean Joe Biden level dumb. The GOP and conservatives can do a lot better than her.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:37 pm 53. bogie wheel:

Charles @51 -

If there be only a lower 40 then where is John McCain a senator from? And can I have Idaho for my own personal ranch, please?

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:42 pm 54. bogie wheel:

Ravi –
Given the level of support and enthusiasm for Palin from just about every post above, you may take a volley for that statement.

I would only ask: Examples, please? And how do you distinguish between “raw” and “dumb” at this stage of the game? Biden, after 36 years in the Senate, is pretty well established as an idiotarian. However I don’t think I’ve seen enough of Palin to make a determination like that about her. Super-G she is not. But again, we don’t need Super-G. We just need someone of above average intel and superior character who can attract more of same. Character more than intelligence.

A Super-G IQ and low character applied to the fiscal crisis will get you, these days, just about a bucket of warm spit.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:49 pm 55. RaviT:

Look at the Couric interview.
It’s stupid (IMHO) for us conservatives to lash ourselves to an idiot just because the left hates her. OK, the left-wing attacks on Palin are nutso. That doesn’t alter the fact that she’s way below what we can aspire to, in terms of knowledge and ability. I don’t even trust her as a conservative, b/c she’s so driven by whims. She’s not solid. C’mon, guys, we can do a lot better. Romney/Jindal/Cantor just as examples.

Jul 3, 2009 - 8:58 pm 56. buddy larsen:

I listened to her speech twice. it is different, it is pretty much a conversation with the listener. it’s far more penetrating the second time around. There’s a lot of character and personal strength in evidence. She’s no dummy –far from it. Note her use of the qualifier “choose to” and “chose to” when she speaks of admiral people and why they are admirable. She’s on to something big –she’s onto a message of a willing relinquishment of the attitude that has been so weakening the right –the “irony of it all”. The ‘once-removed’ nature of our contact with the ‘old’ America –our strange artificial contact with our own selves. The doubt.

She embodies an alternative way to ‘be’. That’s why they hate her so –she’s outside their game. She just made it official today, that’s all that happened.

She’s gonna be the litmus for somethin –dunno what yet

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:03 pm 57. Ned:

I believe it was Mark Twain who said: “The fools in town are on our side and that’s a big enough majority anywhere.” Sarah is doomed by that majority and can only be a Barry Goldwater. I hope we have a Reagan waiting in the wings, but even if we do, can we last that long?

Ned

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:04 pm 58. Jim Nicholas:

Sarah Palin has been described as a ‘quick study’, and I have the impression that is true. That is why I could support her in 2008 in spite of her limited knowledge about many subjects important to the office of President. I hope that she uses some of the time that is freed up by her resignation to do a great deal of serious studying about national and international issues. If she can combine her charisma and basic outlook with a depth of knowledge about the range of problems a President faces, she would be a still more imposing candidate than she was in 2008.

I wish her well.

Jim Nicholas

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:06 pm 59. Jack Okie:

There is another thread running parallel to, and interwoven with, the Tea Parties: the 10th Amendment movement. I reject the idea that our Constitution is junk – it just needs to be observed

I predict Sarah Palin will indeed campaign and raise money for certain Republicans: Those who are serious about restoring the balance between the states and federal government. I predict she will encourage people who ordinarily wouldn’t run to seek office, not only for Congress, but as state legislators, governors and attorneys general. I predict she will lead the charge to shape up and shake up the GOP from the bottom up.

She can lead, but it’s going to take yeoman work on the part of many, like the Tea Partiers, who haven’t really been active in politics before. Think Army of Davids ™. There’s already a lot of effort among the states going into 10th Amendment laws. In fact, somebody on another blog said the Alaskan legislature was about ready to submit their law to the governor.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:07 pm 60. wretchard:

“Obama may be the virus, but his attacks are successful only because the body is already weakened. Sarah Palin is not penicillin, but if she can take advantage of her history to trigger a national debate about the reforms we all have to undertake to heal the body politic, she will have accomplished more than most Presidents. And if it is not her, let’s Hope that someone else can trigger the mass movement required for Change.”

That’s exactly right. We don’t know what Palin is going to do, but it won’t matter if the object of interest is the movement, AKA, the national debate. Sarah P. strikes me as one of those people whose intuition is stronger than her conscious cognition. Cory Aquino was like that. As President she was a policy disaster. But in the moment history gave her, she understood that there was nothing for it but to fight. Irrationally, against all odds. And the tragedy was that because it was so irrational, and she was so unschooled, that the great and the wise steered clear of her. (My dear friends the only time I met Cory in person was when she served me coffee, as guest at the Aquinos in Newton, MA. She was a housewife.) In consequence, she was surrounded at her moment of victory by mediocrities, poseurs and even re-badged Marcos men, because the better people had disdained association with her. What she had though, was an unbending personal honesty and an almost preternatural instinct for the moment. Her moment.

I don’t know whether Sarah Palin is honest or even competent. But what seems clear to me is that a moment — I’m not sure whether it is the moment — but a moment is here. And some otherwise well qualified conservatives are too clever by a half, or too cautious from experience, to jump in. There is a tide in the affairs of men, if taken at a flood … well you know the rest.

What will happen is anyone’s conjecture. But my guess is that something should happen. The stars are aligned. The hour is awaiting its man — or woman.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:15 pm 61. Charles:

53. bogie wheel:

Yahoo Answers
Resolved Question
Show me another »
“the lower 40″ what does this idiom mean?
It cant be the lower 40 states because there’s 48 not 40
…………
Best Answer – Chosen by Asker
The stock phrases “lower 40″, “front 40″, “back 40″, and “40 acres and a mule,” which are sometimes heard in American movies, reference the quarter-quarter section.

* The “lower 40″ in a quarter-section is the one at lowest elevation, i.e. in the direction that water drains. The “lower 40″ is frequently the location of or the direction of a stream or a pond.
* The phrase “40 acres and a mule” was the compensation apocryphally promised by the Freedman’s Bureau following the American Civil War.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_System.
………..
That said — I meant 48

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:18 pm 62. Anodyne:

“C’mon, guys, we can do a lot better. Romney/Jindal/Cantor just as examples.”

You left out Sanford, Tex.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:20 pm 63. RaviT:

Wretchard,
Well-written as always.
*Almost* enough to convince me.
I can’t take the obviously painfully low IQ and trashy family–LOL–sorry. Give me a Reagan or a Dole any day.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:20 pm 64. Beth:

I think that many misunderestimate Sarah Palin. She’s smart to get Sean Parnell in there before the next election. Those frivolous lawsuits were meant to bleed her dry and she knew that was not good for Alaska. She’d already done most of what she intended and she knows that Sean can take it from here.

She made complete sense to me. Loved her swipe at lame duck governors who “milk it.” No wonder the Country Club Republicans want her out. She’s on a mission.

RaviT, I wouldn’t judge Palin’s intelligence by the Couric interview. I’m sure you could probably tell an interviewer allll the newspapers you read every day. But could you run the state of Alaska with an 80% approval rating?

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:22 pm 65. filbert:

It appears to me that Palin is planning to do it her way this time–not be tied down, mis-handled (and perhaps mis-briefed by hostile McCain staffers?) but surround herself with HER people. The national GOP establishment has done little or nothing for her, and I don’t think she feels she owes the GOP powers-that-be much of anything. In other words, I think she’s in the same outsider situation as she was in Alaska.

And I also think it is likely that she’s really quite royally angry with how she and her family have been attacked and denigrated, and believes she needs to be in a better position than Governor of Alaska to do something about it.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:28 pm 66. wretchard:

RaviT,

I don’t mean to endorse Palin. I wish someone else would jump in. But it’s my belief that once things get started leaders emerge. They come out of the crucible. You don’t pick them from the sidelines. But it’s important for folks to be close enough to the action that if, Sarah P. falters and drops the standard, someone can pick it up. Sometimes the most important thing is simply to get momentum. To do something. So the situation must be that if people don’t think Sarah P. is up to it, and they may be right, then it behooves them to get in and risk failing. This is like the last scene in the Graduate. The wedding is going through and either we throw the flowerpot into the gathering and make off with the bride, or watch things happen from a distance.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:31 pm 67. hunkpapasioux:

This, along with the relentless coverage of the child molester’s death, autopsy and funeral are a telling commentary about our national culture.

Here is a woman who was minding her family when some friends talked her into running for town council. She, much like GWB, is a truly decent individual, flawed though she (and he) may be, who genuinely acted in a role of stewardship. And how have they been received by the howling apes on the left?

As much as I hate that she’s leaving her post, I personally don’t blame her for pulling out. The attacks on her family are criminal. The amount of monies wasted in Alaska on frivolous charges is something that absolutely runs counter to her personal views on the role of government.

But it sickens me that our political culture has come to this.

We are in a war for our national survival with a deceptive enemy that does not understand the existential threat they pose.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:31 pm 68. Lifeofthemind:

Having listened to Ms Palin’s speech a few points come to mind. BTW, I once met her briefly.
1) Letterman should find a hole to crawl into. The Lady is angry and she is telling her supporters to be also.
2) She is an attacker, she carries the ball through the enemy, she gets in their OODA loop. She knows how.
3) Wretchard is correct about the pillars of the economy and more being ready to fall. Palin could exploit that.

The concern I have is that we are in the position of expecting Obama to permit a crash to happen that would give Palin an opening. That is like the commentators who confidently expect Obama to permit al-Qaeda to set of a nuke in the U.S. just because he “hates Jews and Whitey,” even though he knows that will empower his enemies. The problem with such visions are many but consider first that they are purely reactive. People both claim a dee suspicion of armchair psychoanalysis as a left wing indulgence and pseudo-science while at the same time claiming that their analysis of Obama justifies relying on him to make suicidal mistakes.

What if this is considered by Obama and his sponsors? They have shown themselves capable of sophisticated advance planning and a willingness to expend great resources to attain their goals. What if China does pony up the $3,000,000,000,000 to float Obama past the next election? On paper they would face ruin for doing so but if we assume the worst, not the best, about the intentions of China and Obama then it would make sense for them to delay the American implosion until our physical as well as financial resources have been stripped.

Also I hope that this does not become an opening for the Ron Paul movement to climb onto the Palin bandwagon. That would be bad for Ms Palin and for the conservative cause. Dr Paul’s supporters, more than he is himself, are largely more toxic then Ms Palin.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:36 pm 69. RaviT:

Wretchard,
Yes, good point!
Somebody’s got to stand up to Obama and the leftward drift/surge. I’m dubious it’s Palin, but you’re right that a leader is needed!

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:37 pm 70. Anodyne:

“I can’t take the obviously painfully low IQ and trashy family–LOL–sorry. Give me a Reagan or a Dole any day.”

And how high is Dole’s IQ?

On a more serious note, Reagan got things done because he had what it took to get things done, to get folks to buy into his agenda. He was no John von Neumann and yet he was, effectively, quite influential. Perhaps Palin will likewise do some great things, but maybe not. But to trash her because she isn’t wonkish (or wasn’t prepared by for an interview with a louse who hasn’t so much as run a lemonade stand) is short-sighted and a little silly.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:40 pm 71. RCM:

Buddy@56: Beauty!

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:43 pm 72. bogie wheel:

I have watched the interview(s). And since I make videos for a living, including interview videos, I know that you can make just about anyone look like anything when you have complete control of the video, audio and editing processes.

Note that there were two locations for the interview series, the street questions and the studio questions. Palin comes across as much more halting and hesitant in the street portions than in the studio portions. And guess which one CBS chose to lead with both times? You got it. The portions where Palin does the worst. Gee, it’s like CBS was wanting the national audience, curious to get their first glimpse of Palin, to get the worst possible impression of her in the first 60 seconds, after which they would laugh, or jaw-drop, and dismissively change the channel.

For anyone dogged enough to hang around till the very end, there was the Kissenger footnote delivered by Couric. Not by Kissenger himself, mind you, but by Couric *saying* that Kissenger said X. Again, it’s so handy when you have control of the video and audio (or in this case, the lack thereof.) How do we know that Kissenger in fact said something that directly conflicts with what Palin said? We’ll have to take Couric’s word for it.

Look, I see a ton of nervousness (esp. in the street questions) and about half a ton of not-well-trained-in-interviews delivery from Palin. But I don’t see an idiot. Her answers in the studio portions are pretty fluid and coherent. She understands the questions, processes them, and replies in lengthy, complex sentences (filled with about 1/10th the “ums” and “uhs” of Tom Hanks, whom I’ve transcribed raw interviews of) in which she makes coherent points. Some of the points may be debatable, but that is not the same as saying they are incoherent. In sum, it’s a freshman effort. But not an idiot freshman.

(See the sweet but dumb jock in “Election” for a portrait of a likable idiot truly out of his depth in a political contest. Yah, “just a movie,” and a caricature at that, I realize, but before one goes about bandying and plastering strong caricature-type labels like “idiot,” one should establish what the bottom rung is. And it ain’t Sarah Palin IMO.)

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:46 pm 73. RaviT:

Wow, if you think Bob Dole and Sarah Palin are even remotely comparable, I’m not sure where to start. This is a crisis in American conservatism. We need to uphold some minimum standards. The left is always ridiculing conservatives for being dumb; there’s no need to cater to that prejudice by actually having dumb leaders.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:47 pm 74. F:

Lots of tea parties scheduled tomorrow. My bet: LOTS of PALIN signs. F

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:52 pm 75. Kingston53:

I agree with post 45, she means to shake things up. I have thought of myself as a republican for 40 years but have grown tired of the weakness we display in defending American values and Americas interests. I wanted Bush to tell the traitors to go to hell. He just sat there and took a beating. Cantor? Romney? Pawlenty? Have you really seen any evidence that these guys have the guts to take the fight to the other side? Sarah is tougher than all of these guys. I would love to see her kick their girly man butts.

Jul 3, 2009 - 9:59 pm 76. Anodyne:

“Wow, if you think Bob Dole and Sarah Palin are even remotely comparable, I’m not sure where to start.”

Perhaps one could start with Dole being unable (during his glaringly successful Presidential bid) to admit the simple truth that cigarette smoking was generally unhealthy (though quite enjoyable, IMHO). Again, what lead you to believe that Dole has a high IQ?

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:03 pm 77. bogie wheel:

Well, one thing we do know …

Sarah Palin will never be caught cheating on her wife!

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:03 pm 78. Josh:

#28 wretchard – what the heck is Colin Powell supposed to tell Obama about the economy – what does Colin Powell, General and Secretary of State, know about the economy?

Unless “economy” is a codeword for income redistribution, and Powell is counseling against it. Or for it, who knows.

You and some others seem to be suggesting the future is these splinter “movements”, … well, perhaps, but these have no history of success in the US.

And, um, about Palin her own self? I have no more idea than anyone else.

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:05 pm 79. Joe Hill:

“Her greatest impact would be if she led “movements”, which by their nature focus on a particular issue and draw support from across party lines.”

True ‘dat but I can’t see Sarah being the Al Gore of some limited conservative cause. I think the resignation was just plain practical. He has limited financial means and is being dragged up on specious ethics charges every time she leaves the state or travels outside of Juneau. Out of office she has much more freedom.

The Republican Party is a dead letter and the Democrats have enacted policies that are so manifestly stupid and harmful to the nation and the world that they are going to end up a small rump holding mostly majority minority districts. Political realignment in this country is inevitable. You just have to look at California to realized the currnt tribal warfare is not serving any electoral majorities best interests.

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:05 pm 80. Anodyne:

“We need to uphold some minimum standards. The left is always ridiculing conservatives for being dumb; there’s no need to cater to that prejudice by actually having dumb leaders.”

Translation: We’ll let the Left choose our leaders. They may field idiots/incompetents of their own and savage quality candidates of ours, but we’ll risk everything trying to convince them we’re worthy of their “praise”. Jesus, isn’t that how we ended up with McCain?!? And there’s wonder why the “conservative movement” is in tatters.

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:09 pm 81. Alice:

Sarah Palin is indeed a “quick study”, and much brighter than many of her critics — even some of them here.

Wretchard has hit the sweet spot of analysis on this surprise announcement, and several commenters have come close to the bulls’ eye. Palin sees a huge window of opportunity — opened both by Obama and his slavish followers, and by Charlie Crist and the country club repo-RINOs.

The Tea Party movement is in its infancy. Wait until Sarah starts to give it sustenance and energy. It looks like things are getting ready to move.

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:11 pm 82. NahnCee:

I attended a Tea Party this afternoon. Speaker after speaker after speaker said essentially the same thing, “Something *must* be done about what the current administration is doing.” Only one speaker had a suggestion as to what that “something” might be: throw out all the incumbents (Republican and Democrats) in 2010 and start all over again. Which strikes me as taking too much time AND if the system is, indeed, broke then why on earth would we try to bandage its little fractured limbs with a bunch of new greenhorns who will doubtless become very shortly just as greedy (and lustful) as the old incumbents?

There is a great amorphous energy out there. Wretchard is right when he says that it just needs a focus to coalesce around. But right now you have thousands and tens of thousands of aggrieved and fearful taxpayers who care enough to get up off their couches and attend a political event … and other than waving a bunch of flags and pledging allegiance, absolutely nothing concrete is accomplished.

If and when David Letterman becomes fired, I will know that this movement, whatever we choose to call it, is now firming up and dangerous. And if Sarah Palin is strong enough to lead the charge, then power be to her.

Maybe Obama will wave to her kitchen window when he is visting Putin in Russia.

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:28 pm 83. Roy Lofquist:

Two psychiatrists pass on the street. “Good morning”. “I wonder what he meant by that?”.

Just listen to the lady. Palin is that rarest of animals – WYSIWYG.

She got interested in small town politics because of friends’ concerns. She ran for the city council and served two terms. She didn’t like what was going on so she challenged the mayor and his cronies. Hasta la vista, baby. Appointed to the Oil and Gas Commission she didn’t like what she saw and gave up a fairly lucrative position and brought down the Chairman of the State Republican Party. Next, Governor Murkowski and his cozy arrangements with the oil companies.

She does not have an ideology or a political philosophy. She, more than anyone since Reagan, is a Russell Kirk “conservative”.

http://www.kirkcenter.org/kirk/ten-principles.html

She is not politically ambitious but she has extraordinary energy to slay dragons.

It will be interesting. She has infected the taproot of us ordinary folk. The ones who do not read the NYT or WAPO. Just listen. Who’d a thunk that Ronnie would come back as the hottest chick on the planet?

Jul 3, 2009 - 10:37 pm 84. Dave the(modest) Genius.:

Resigning as Alaska Governor is/was the correct thing to do if she has any other ambitions at all. Anything that that job could do for her, or us, has already been done. Now the geographic situation along with some legal considerations, have taken over. So while resigning is a gamble, it is a gamble that has to be taken.

As to Sarah’s weakneses vis a vis the Presidency: Her weakneses are in the how to get elected department, not in the how to be President department. I do not mean that she already knows all the ends and outs of that job. I do mean that she will approach the demands of that job putting her trust in God and keeping her powder dry.

(Who on the other hand showed NO weakness in getting elected but is clueless as to the substance of the Presidency? Do you have to ask?)

As far as I can see, her talents would be best employed organizing and inspiring Rs and signing up new ones. For with their help the GOP will have to clean up its act, especially in the monetary/fiscal areas.

I see no way she can start up a new party and replace the one she has. Neither she nor anyone else. If a third party could rise to prominence, we would already see signs of its starting to do so without any help from any incumbent. To try and start something with any individuals big name is to tie all fortunes to those of that individual and guarantee failure sooner or later. Usually sooner. (See Bull Moose Party and R Perot for examples. Not to mention George C. Wallace.)

Wretch mentioned Cory Aquino and 1986. She had nothing to do in arranging the People Power Revolution. Fidel Ramos was the brains. HOWEVER: It could not have come off
without her bringing in that preternatural something or other to the event. Same thing could have been said about Samuel Adams and
Patrick Henry in 1776. Sarah Palin brings
that same indispensable quality to us today, or so it seems to me.

As to the people nominally on our side who cannot stand her: I used to hear the same things about Ronald Reagan between 1972 and 1980. In fact, those sorts were SO relieved that Gerald Ford beat back the ursurpers challenge in the 1976 primaries. And see, see how George H. W. Bush won in Iowa in 1980 by
denouncing Reagan’s “voodoo economics”.

Back in the early 1940s, there was no shortage of experts who said that there was no way an upstart named Patton could possibly know anything about tanks for Heaven’s sake.
Serious Marines said that this Chesty Puller guy knew nothing about how to employ machine guns on Pacific atolls. And you should have heard what they said about Jimmy Doolittle, land-based bombers and aircraft carriers.

Well, those naysayers could have been right back then. They might be right now. They were in fact right about the hotheaded William B. Travis and what he would do with his small command. If Sarah proves to be another Buck Travis, what does it matter? There are worse places to die than the Alamo.

So go do your thing Mrs Mooseburger. I’m with you. Now who else is coming?

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:06 pm 85. Charles:

56 Buddy Larson

Here is demgraphic map of the USA. Its put out by NumbersUSA. It shows the population growth over the last 20 years. All the high growth areas are places where illegals and legal immigrants have moved into—or Americans have moved to.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:08 pm 86. GerryP:

Ravit,

I think you are making a serious mistake in estimating that Palin has a low IQ (or mayby not a “high-enough” IQ) – whether measured by Stanford-Binet, the GRE score (better) or whatever.

Have you noticed that one of the marks of the higher IQ is mental quickness? They finish tests first and leave the room, maybe 20 minutes ahead of the next to finish. They laugh first in the movies, long before most notice something funny has happened.

Now think of Palin on the stump and how quick she was, rather than when she got trapped on Couric’s couch in an interview that had alread begun, and which was going in a way she might not have anticipated.

Remember how quick and deft her responses were to hecklers on the stump? Remember the quick response to an anti-military heckler, saying something about how he had a right to disagree, which was being protected at that minute by her son and the sons of others there, in Iraq?

During one period I was interviewed on TV a lot, and a couple of times ran into a “Couric.” They set you up in the most dishonest way, saying how much they want to give you an opportunity to really make your case to the public, being friendly as a puppy at that point. Then the instant you start the actual interview, they attack you, being totally opposite to how they came on in the Green Room. Their aim is to catch you so much by surprise that you are stunned into speechlessness. That makes sure you have no clue, no opportunity to prepare for the real interview. It can work, really well. But not because you have low IQ, but because you are a rookie. You just haven’t learned yet to anticipate that kind of dishonesty.

Thinking of Couric, does that sound familiar?

Palin sounded better today than she ever did on the stump. More complex reasoning, bringing a lot of information to the public, in order, understandably, even though she was talking (and thinking) fast. And without notes or teleprompter as was noted by some. Her strategy in resigning might not work, but it was apparently designed to move beyond the obstacles the opposition had placed around her.

Combined with being a fighter and having good character, I think her IQ is more than high enough. Washington was bright enough, but not as much as his more brilliant colleagues. Yet he was indubitably superior as a President to those who followed him.

It takes IQ, but it takes a lot more. I suspect she has both.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:24 pm 87. dtmack:

80 Anodyne
“Translation: We’ll let the Left choose our leaders. They may field idiots/incompetents of their own and savage quality candidates of ours, but we’ll risk everything trying to convince them we’re worthy of their “praise”.”

You hit it right on the head.

I think SP will probably not seek National office, but who knows? She confounds people, and I think the main reason is that she is a “normal person”. Maybe she’s decided that she doesn’t want to spend the next 3 years memorizing the names of every corrupt leader in Central Asia so she can field gotcha questions during the next campaign.

OTOH, this looks a lot like something she’s done before. If memory serves, she was appointed to the Alaskan Oil and Gas commission, or whatever it was called, after a loss in an election. She resigned because of corruption within her own party, and was declared politically dead then, and we see what happened.

I’ve read some CW articles that this nullifies her as a political force, but I don’t think so. I think she could announce tomorrow that she will not seek any political office in the future, and then schedule a speech the following week to SRO crowds. Her supporters love her, and I think if there was an outpouring of anger it would be at her tormenters, not her.

If she renounces office herself she has the potential to be a Kingmaker in the GOP. Any candidate would have to kiss Sarahs ring, if that’s how she wants to play it. I think McCains weasels better shore up their contacts in the Democratic party, if they don’t already have them.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:27 pm 88. Bobster:

My theory, perhaps to simple, is that Gov. Palin had three demands on her time. Her family, her job as governor and a national political role. She has made a go at doing all three over the past nine months, but with the travel time it was to much.. To do any job well you have to have the time to do it well. If you are stretched, something has to go. Tod and the kids are keepers, so it was either the presidential campaign or the governorship. Anounce it on the Friday before the holiday weekend, take your lumps and move on.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:43 pm 89. whiskey:

JWT –

Who was Howard Jarvis? A man possessed of great charisma, beauty, and political intuition? Hell no. Howard Jarvis was an angry old White guy (even then that was considered a minus) who had enough. And organized a movement created by Jerry Brown and the huge increase in taxes post Reagan.

Wretchard is correct — Obama is creating, real, permanent enemies. Not just for himself, but for the entire political class and especially Dems. People will lose their houses out of taxes and such that eat away at their ability to pay for everything. People will lose their cars. People will become dirt poor, after being rich. And they will rightly blame Obama, Dems, the Media, and elites. This is just with the tax regimes of Waxman-Markey, let alone the economic crash resulting from that.

They’ll want an accounting, and not a restoration but Chavezista like punishment and seizing of those with. The Geffens, the Dowds, the Bill Kellers, the Pinch Suzlbergers, the Speilbergs, the Gates, the Buffetts, the Jobs, the Courics, and the Kobe Bryants of the world and their money. To be given to them. To make them whole.

Obama has made most of the country dirt poor without killing them. Identity politics of the worst kind is the obvious temptation, made all the easier as the elites played their own and said that the Jeremiah Wright-Barack Obama kind is “OK because they’re Black.” Machiavelli said that was stupid. Obama is stupid. He’s not a real American. Not culturally. Not physically. Not mentally.

It’s entirely possible that the NEXT President could be a military commander after a series of nuclear strikes on the US killing most of our leadership. Or an unknown local state leader who starts a Tax Revolt in the Mountain West. Or someone entirely outside of politics — John Voight, or Fred Thompson recovered from his illness, or heck Mike Ditka. The situation is so fluid, so unknown, that the wildest bets are likely to pay off. Allahpundit thinks Obama is a lock for another term, because the Media likes him. No one will be listening to the media because they will be too poor. And the Government will have a giant sign out: NO WHITE MEN ALLOWED. See Robert Reich. Look at what the recession and immigration and the fall of National Health has done for the BNP — vaulted them into national prominence from obscurity.

As a practical matter, the Left, Huffington Post, the media, tabloids, Letterman, Conan, Kimmel, Fallon, SNL, 30 Rock, etc. will not lay off Palin or her kids. They can’t. They won’t. They’re not capable of it. They’ll continue to attack, and attack, and attack, so Palin’s only exit out of this is to win the White House and use it to silence the critics Obama-style. Letterman is likely to do a skit a night about Palin being “slutty” or her younger daughters that is outside the lines. And get away with it to uproarious laughter. Women HATE HATE HATE Palin. At least, younger ones.

This means in effect total political war. With the Palin forces or those like them, practicing what has been given. It means dragging every bit of dirt about Letterman, about Couric, about Obama, or every disgusting rumor, and printing it as fact. It means leveraging the Gender Divide even more (Reihan Salan has some idiocies on that in his article in Foreign Policy’s website). Men love Palin, for the same cultural reasons women hate her (and Letterman hates her).

As a practical matter, both media itself (the financial underpinnings of broadcast and cable networks) have to be attacked by consumer boycotts of sponsors, lawsuits, and the personalities themselves from Letterman to Tina Fey destroyed. These are the political innovations and weapons I expect. For example, digging up dirt on Fey should be easy (she’s in Hollywood) and ridiculing Youtube and other type videos easy to make. Applying Alinsky right back at them. Letterman’s even easier.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:53 pm 90. davidt:

It is heartening to see so many positive Palin posts here, unlike elsewhere around the web.

Anyone who thinks Palin is slinking away with her tail tucked between her legs is in for a big surprise.

As to third party or independent runs for the Presidency, remember Perot was in the lead at one point. There was a general dissatisfaction with the political establishment in those days, but nowhere near the level we have now. Palin has what it takes to be the leadership of those dissatisfied.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:55 pm 91. ledger:

@ 45 filbert

“Recall Palin’s rise to power–after two terms as a small-town mayor, she was appointed to the Alaska gas & oil commission (a big deal in Alaska) and resigned rather than compromise her ideals by sweeping corruption under the rug. Then she turned around and took on the Alaska state GOP old-boys-school to run for Governor–and won.”

That is an interesting observation. Speed and agility have huge advantages.

I assumed that she want to start early to build a war chest to match the Obama gang. It will take millions upon millions to dislodge Obama.

She has all the right stuff. She is photogenic; a women and appears to have honesty and faith – The exact opposite of Obama (he is actually an ugly man who misspeaks at every turn and is transparently untruthful).

She must rid herself of McCain’s stuffy old staff. She needs young vibrant creative people who will scratch the eyes out of her adversary if necessary. If Palin plays her cards right she could very well be in the White House in 2012.

Jul 3, 2009 - 11:56 pm 92. hollymer:

I think this is a brilliant move as she is now free of the distracting “ethics” lawsuits; she can now be a catalyst for ideas on a changed America. She knows what is wrong, as do we all, and she is in a position to make a difference. Maybe she can help focus the tea party movement. I am not convinced she even wants to be President; she can make a bigger impact if she just redefines fiscal responsibility. I think she is wonderful and I am an Ivy League educated, socially liberal but fiscally conservative woman.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:11 am 93. Subotai Bahadur:

I do not claim any special insight into what Sarah Palin is going to do. She may do anything from give up on politics to starting what will be a campaign for the presidency. I know that I hope that she will fight. I am not picky about whether she does so as a Republican or as something else; because while “Third Party” movements traditionally do not do well [with the exception of a funny little organization that started in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1854, was a major force in Congress in 1856, and which took the presidency and both houses of congress in 1860. I think they were called something like Republicans. And yes, I also realize that it triggered a civil war. I also realize that we have been engaged in a Cold Civil War for decades, and it may get hot soon.]; the Institutional Republican party is now only capable of 3 things: trying to match Democratic Party corruption, trying and failing to ingratiate itself with the Leftist elites, and attacking its own base reflexively on all issues. It is a lost cause absent total reconstruction.

Name one other Republican besides Palin who can draw enthusiastic crowds? Name one other Republican who would stand up to the Democrats on any issue, facing the personal attacks? Name one Republican candidate who has a hope of doing either of those things that is not opposed by the Republican establishment. The RNCC and RNSC exist primarily to keep Conservative Republicans from running for office and only secondarily to hold or expand the number of elected Republicans. They would rather lose seats than elect a Republican who will fight back.

I admit that I have grave doubts as to the future of electoral politics in this country. Pervasive ballot fraud, the absolute disinterest of any authorities in enforcing election laws, and the absolute abdication of Congress from any real lawmaking function [voting for massive bills which literally no one has read because the Leader says to means that they are nothing but rubber stamps for the regime] indicates that the days of a Republic with representative democracy are numbered, and that number is not a very big one. The rule of a president with absolute contempt for both American citizens and the institutions of this country does not bode well. The fact that the only positive stands he has taken in the foreign policy field have been in support of dictators trying to steal elections or install themselves outside of constitutions indicate where his mind is.

But if there is to be a future for electoral politics in this country, it seems that Sarah Palin, for good or ill, is a focus of that possible future. If the Leftists running this country chase her from the field of battle, or if she is defeated by the Institutional Republicans; there is no one else on the horizon who might rally Americans electorally. There are no other Republicans in a leadership position who can rally the base and who have not been compromised with collaboration.

Later today, I am going to speak at our local Tea Party. I am going to be counseling specific [peaceful] confrontations with the members of the Incumbency Party. I have no real hope that it will have an effect. But all peaceful means must be tried first. The primary “text of the sermon”, however, is going to be drawn from the writings of one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty. If Sarah Palin makes a fight of it, it may mean that peaceful means have a chance to prevail. I’ll grasp at that straw until it is proved futile.

Subotai Bahadur

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:11 am 94. Robohobo:

programmer @ 11: “I have come to dislike the Republican party and the Ivy League conservatives almost, again I say almost, as much as I do the current Democratic coalition. It would cheer me up a great deal if an outsider like Ms. Palin could and would win the presidency. I hope that is what she is about AND that she succeeds.”

You got it! I have to come the point that I loathe the elitist bastards on both sides of the fence. Professional politicians, blogosphere elitist pundits (wretchard excluded, Vodkapundit not), MSM TV and radio and print journalists, etc. have all just gotten to the point they are insufferable. They are all so out of touch with the real America it is jaw-droppingly stupid.

wretchard @ 23: “The real challenge for the Republican Party is to re-architecture itself so that it can derive impetus from the grassroots movements instead of feeling threatened by them. But the Republican Party may have to lose many more hacks and opportunists before it can do so.”

I differ. I think they are too far gone and deaf to the real citizens in the heartland. Too elitist. Too isolated. Too used to the perks of beltway membership. They need to shuffle off into history and we need a new party of the people.

@ 28: “What happens if the thunderstorm starts? All I can say is that interesting times are coming soon.”

Can’t you hear the thunder? Oh, that is correct, your homebase is Oz. Beleive me, I see it on the streets. Lots of laid off workers trying to get by. It is going to get bloody. Rope. Tree. Journalists & politicians & elitists. Some assembly required.

There are people emptying food banks in LA these days. Soup kitchens are not far behind.

Eggplant @ 48 or so: “…far there is NOBODY who seems to have that distinction…”

Eggy, it is not a person, it is and has to be all of us! The 0bamanation, The Won is NOT a savior, there is only one of those. This is to Patriots and citizens who believe in American Exceptionalism! Get thee to your local Tea Party tomorrow and be LOUD! Get involved!

RaviT @ 63 referring to Palin: “I can’t take the obviously painfully low IQ and trashy family–LOL–sorry.”

RaviT, would you like to rephrase and try not to prove all the comments disparaging elitist snobs true? ‘Cuz you know what you sound like?

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:29 am 95. 49erDweet:

23. Wretchard said: “The real challenge for the Republican Party is to re-architecture itself so that it can derive impetus from the grassroots movements instead of feeling threatened by them. But the Republican Party may have to lose many more hacks and opportunists before it can do so.“That last part is the rub. Republicans cannot intentionally “lose” their hacks and opportunists. It just goes against their grain, somehow. So imo they won’t and thus the best thing SP can do is absolutely gut the GOP after the 2010 campaign and either take it over or form a modern and unencumbered 3rd party for 2012 – and let the old fogies in the country club set either give it up or become increasingly insignificant in the next conservative administration.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:29 am 96. Doug:

Bobster,
And, she’s got lots of studying and confering to do to widen her admittedly parochial Alaska perspective.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:34 am 97. buddy larsen:

Calling people like the Palins ‘trashy’ is what trashy left-wingers do, so i’m pretty sure ole raviT is a fraudiT.

Let’s not out-think ourselves here, weighing who can or can’t neutralize crocodile vipers like Couric and crew. Screw those people, they wouldn’t bother to pee on us if we were on fire & begging ‘em to.

Listen to the lady’s words, not to what our punchy and flinchy beat-up pug reflexes are warning us we gonna be hit with next.

Listen to the words, and note the demeanor –that determined face and lean-forward posture (and i noticed today, she’s trimmer and leaner –she’s working out & it shows) –and let’s quit flinching like some poor kid in a Dickens novel.

Here’s two nice fresh breaths of air:

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:37 am 98. Doug:

49er,
Cornyn is doing the same thing W did, favoring “centrists” over conservatives as though you can repeat the same behavior and expect different results.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:40 am 99. RCM:

Subotai Bahadur @ 93: “Name one other Republican besides Palin who can draw enthusiastic crowds? Name one other Republican who would stand up to the Democrats on any issue, facing the personal attacks? Name one Republican candidate who has a hope of doing either of those things that is not opposed by the Republican establishment. The RNCC and RNSC exist primarily to keep Conservative Republicans from running for office and only secondarily to hold or expand the number of elected Republicans. They would rather lose seats than elect a Republican who will fight back.”

What strikes me the most in your very spot on post…is that I’m hearing some of those denigrating voices right here on this board. And do you know what is especially troubling? In their condescention, they offer not a single candidate that can do what you just outlined; only that Palin is wanting.

We are not only leaderless, we are rudderless; and not one Republican male in this country seems to have the balls to fill in the leadership gap for which these Polly Annas feel wont to poo poo the one female who actually seems up to the task.

At least she has the guts to “cowboy up” to the task, while the rest of our shooting stars can’t control their urges – and that at a time of incredible risk for the party and moreso for the country.

Weak.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:42 am 100. Doug:

Buddy,
But I do hope she reduces the frequency of wearing her hair stacked on her head.
Looks much more like a unique, beautiful, individual with it down.
Doesn’t fit the stereotype as well.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:44 am 101. RCM:

For those of you who think an “outsider” cannot take over the aparatus and beat the machine, think Obama and Clinton. How could anyone beat the Clintons?

It would be better for a GOP takeover, if possible. If not, we all better get busy, because then it’s up to us to build the machine and organization that is necessary to win elections.

And we think she’s got a lot to learn? Whew!

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:52 am 102. Karen Yvonne:

Hey, I like that updo. Pin it up out of the way and forget it.

“…know that it’s no more politics as usual,” says Sarah. Whatever her plan is, if it’s anything like what a lot of us are hoping for, I’m ready for my marching orders.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:55 am 103. buddy larsen:

people are afraid she’ll energize the left and get out the vote. But hell, 110% of ‘em voted LAST time, so what are we worried about –that Palin will make it 115% ?

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:59 am 104. Kirk Parker:

RaviT,

Bob Dole? The Senator from ADM? Mr. Go-along?

Yep, you’re right, not comparable to Palin at all-but not for the reasons you think.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:03 am 105. Doug:

“No amount of Powell’s staying in touch is going to change that. The President has pulled the control column out of the cockpit floor and thrown it out the window. Yee-ha. Naseem Taleb thinks the financial system is going to crash, when is uncertain, but the if is not. And I think he’s right.”

Wretchard,
I think he’s right about the crash, but wrong on his prescription for the cure.
He thinks foreclosures are bad, and wants to come up with something new in which the banks have some stake in the equity.
(they already do – the mortgage!)
Foreclosures are established, and work just fine, California being a perfect example with lots of sales, about half being foreclosures.
(In the medium to lower price ranges – the high end market has yet to capitulate)

I cannot recommend “Dr. Housing Bubble Blog” too highly.
Much information, frequently with lots of helpful graphics.

Dr. Housing Bubble Blog

Here is a rejoinder to Taleb’s argument:

Modified Loan Default Rates
If we extend this out to another year and break the data out by Alt-A, subprime, and prime I bet you would see in some categories a 90 percent plus re-default rate.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:04 am 106. Doug:

(cont.)
The data is telling us this is a waste of time. It seems like people are hell bound to repeat the lessons from Japan.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:05 am 107. buddy larsen:

raviT’s got his references out of whack –just like those KGB guys that were all over this blog during the Invasion of Georgia last August. “I am Joe, Republican from Kansas, home of Ty Cobb, hitting in .421 of 1933, and i am support of noble Russian peace make in Georgia!”

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:42 am 108. buddy larsen:

I am Bill Smith jingoist from Bronx and i hate knee slap liberal and i dance like Britney Spear when running dog of Georgia quit to genocide on noble peasant of North Ossetia! Goodbye must be go to have hots dog and mustard and coca cola now. Also no way Sarah Palin good. I like Ike.

but seriously, Palin is way smarter than i, and my IQ is over three thousand. no the problem with Palin is if you take the ‘L’ out, her name is ‘Pain”. I think Charlie Gibson was working his way toward that when they cut off the interview too soon, after only 400 hours, and he hadn’t quiiiite gotten there yet, thjo you could see in his expression it was starting to dawn. That ‘L’ thing i mean, not the gas from lunch.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:52 am 109. Doug:

He lost his cool when, on the fourth occurrence of replacing his eyeglasses on his nose, he almost poked his left eye out.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:06 am 110. mac:

If things continue to deteriorate the way they appear to be doing (17.6 U6 unemployment rate and rising fast), 2010 is not going to be a good year for The Won and Co. Since I think they’re actually going to get worse faster, I suspect the nation is going to be ready for anything other than “hope and change” next time they get to the ballot box.

I remember that Margaret Thatcher got elected at a time when Britain had just about reached the end of its economic rope. Labour knew they were handing her a real sack of economic garbage when she took over in 1979. They were thinking she could not help but botch the job. The reality of her performance surprised them considerably.

Let’s hope that America can do something like what Britain did because continuing on the same path we are now traveling is simply not possible. I would love to see Sarah Palin be our Margaret Thatcher.

One more thing to remember about that Thatcher premiership, however. She was forced to fight what was effectively a low-grade civil war with the unions (particularly Scargill’s miners) and actually had to physically break the main opposition before she truly had the upper hand.

I was in Scotland at the time and I remember seeing the hundreds of police with riot shields fighting the even larger numbers of miners for days on end. There were police being sent to the hospitals by the dozens; there were undoubtedly even more miners injured. Make no mistake, the decision about who was going to run Britain was fought to a knock-down, drag-out finish at the pitheads of Britain’s coal mines. Had Thatcher’s will failed, she’d have been ousted quickly after.

Something like that may well have to happen here.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:10 am 111. Doug:

Mac:
30 hour work week!
—
“One more thing to remember about that Thatcher premiership, however. She was forced to fight what was effectively a low-grade civil war with the unions (particularly Scargill’s miners) and actually had to physically break the main opposition before she truly had the upper hand. ”
—
Well, that rules out any of the “men” in the GOP, unless Rudy could run.
Palin/Rudy!

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:19 am 112. buddy larsen:

except our rank and file could just stay home, and send their maids & butlers out to the picket lines.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:21 am 113. Doug:

Palin’s getting out before she can be tarred with the scandal coming to Alaska:
They’ve enjoyed bogus billing for half a century.
Hawaii is the 49th State.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:38 am 114. Doug:

Many think there is something mysterious about the hatred she engenders.
I think shooting wild animals is by itself reason enough.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:49 am 115. Lifeofthemind:

buddy larsen,
Thank you, I needed the smile.
Do you think we will start getting the Georgian wine reports again in the next couple of weeks?

Doug,
Palin/Giuliani sounds good to me. Rudy would be good for NY Governor but given his health and the fact that he is making money for the first time in his life he may decide to give it a pass. He would be President or VP today if it wasn’t for Bernard Kerik.

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:15 am 116. Doug:

Democrats Continue to Stay Classy…

Sarah Palin Nak..

HuffPo contributor Michael Seitzman wrote a sick hit piece earlier: “I want to have s.. with Palin on my Barack Obama sheets”

This was just the latest attack on Sarah Palin and her children. Most of the attacks, of course, were ignored by the state-run media. But, when David Letterman cracked r… jokes about her 14 year-old daughter the poor media was forced to report on it.

Why is this not surprising?

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:38 am 117. vb:

My bet is that Palin is going to concentrate on issues where the blue dogs are vulnerable and therefore likely to buck the Pelosi crowd. If she can create some cracks in the majority by appealing to the average voter on pocketbook issues, she will strengthen the Republican will to fight. I don’t think she is concentrating on her own career right now. I think it’s about issues. That’s how she advanced in Alaska.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:12 am 118. 907ie:

I think Sarah’s way ahead of the curve.
Face it, you guys, the way things are going there isn’t going to be a 2012 election!
She’s good with a rifle, that’s what’s going to count!

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:17 am 119. Neil Craig:

Sounds to me that the “positive change outside government” remark does indeed mean establishing a movement & probably a think tank for new ideas. If so she is quite right to decide that she would not serve Alaska well by keeping the paycheck for that job. However it takes somebody with both integrity & guts to do it.

I think she does have to start campaigning early because with the media so uniformly hating her she has a much bigger wall to break through than other candidates – however once she has got through it & proven that (A) she has ideas that will work & (B) the MSM are scum who will tell any lie about her, then she is essentially fireproof against anything they throw.

I was very impressed when she said that a McCain/Palin Presidency would start building nuclear plants in January” & have no doubt that if that had been done & none of Obama’s silly spend & regulate bills gone through America would now be out of recession.

I expect the building of a genuine programme of new ideas, perhaps in combination with Newt, together with a running commentary on what Obama should have done instead of what he does. I also expect the building of a campaigning network, probably heavily using the blogsphere. I expect a programme containing a commitment to inexpensive nuclear power & relatively balanced budgets & hope for commitment to major cuts in bureaucracy (perhaps an Amendment allowing regulation to be challenged purely on the grounds that their cost is disproportionate to any benefit), a commitment to encouraging economic growth by the methods used in the fastest growing rconomis (low busines taxes & economic freedom), a rational examination of evidence on global warming & substantial ongoing funding for an X-Prize Foundation.

In which case in 2012 she would walk it & deserve to.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:30 am 120. Marcus Aurelius:

Here is John Coyne writing for National Review:
“Reagan seems somewhat out of step with the new political stirrings, a man very much of the Sixties. . . For a decade he has been a central symbol of everything that is best in what we call the conservative movement, and if his approach and his ideas are obsolete, then so are those many of us who believe in him. And it’s never much fun to be a middle-aged anachronism.”

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTY0NjAzODcwMzgzYmI4OTk4ZmJhM2NkZThlODQxODY=

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:15 am 121. concrete:

I think possibly Palin could effectively run again for the Repubs, and fairly soon. How about governor of NY? Would love to see her kick up the moldy dust in Albany.

Drill baby drill. NY has natural gas. Marcellus Shale. And a market for it but the powers that be in Albany put a moratorium on drilling. duh.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:16 am 122. RAH:

1. I got the impression that being the Governor and the strict ethics and the frivolous complaints was constraining her too much.
She is taking a break and has set up the Alaska administration and leaving it in hands she trusts. She got the tasks she wanted done as Governor in record time and now can concentrate on other things.
For a normal politician this would be a career killer. But Palin is not a normal politician. She breaks the mold. She is a celebrity and she did not seek that. The interest in her is extreme. Since when would a Governor resigning not from a scandal get this much attention?
She hinted that she wanted more freedom to travel and to do fundraisers and help GOP candidates get elected. If she really wants to do that in time for 2010 she had to get out now to allow time to help the GOP for 2010.
I expect she will wait until September and then get out in the fundraisers circuit. If she plans to get Congress realigned in 2010 she will need to work more closely to the GOP headquarters. I expect that coordination with Steele will come soon and with the NRC Senate and Representative committees. Also she will help governors and other candidates directly. She was extremely helpful for Chambliss in the fall. She was the strongest draw and outweighs any other GOP presidential hopeful.
In retrospect I do not think this move hurts her at all. She certainly does not think like a normal politician but I believe that she puts her duty first and her new duty id too improving chances for GOP realignment in Congress and Senate.
I expect that Spectre will regret this move of her and the GOP candidate for his seat will win with her help.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:16 am 123. Joe Hill:

“The media roar in the face of a Palin Presidential bid would be overwhelming.”

True dat but as the politician said I don’t care what you say about me as long as you spell my name right.

Palin derangement syndrome is a well known phenomena but what does it mean in the end other than she can make news whenever she wants? In 2012 there is going to be a totally unelectable failed president on the ticket and what on the Republican side? It will either be a real conservative or they will be finishing third in the electoral college. There IS going to be political realignment. Neither party wants to talk about many issues that deeply concern the American public for fear they will be toxic in this climate of identity politics. A democracy cannot function that way.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:30 am 124. James:

If I may be picky: Obama is not a virus. He’s a symptom; and he’d be nowhere and nothing without the support of that sea of Americans who also put an overwhelming majority of economically illiterate statists in the legislature.
While it is true that the MSM (not limited to the news) are an often malignant influence on our politics and culture, I suspect that they too reflect more than control us.
So: How does one change a culture?

Me? I think we won’t change the culture unless people change one by one. What seems to be slipping away is self-discipline and integrity and a sense of responsibility. It sounds rather like we need a religious revival–and we won’t get that if we focus on politics.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:39 am 125. Marcus Aurelius:

William F. Buckley Jr. once observed he’ld rather take the Boston telephone directory than the Harvard faculty directory and select the first 50 people to govern.

It isn’t elitism it is arrogance we detest.

It is that same arrogance that makes Palin not so much hated for herself but for the small town social conservative (and small town folk in general). Those people who go to the local stock car races on Friday night instead of the local chamber orchestra. Those who in the third week of November retreat to the deer woods with their .30-06. Those who instead of sleeping in on a Sunday morning wake and go to church, those who don’t need political operatives getting them out on the streets to promote the candidates who represent their views.

These are the people that claim the coasts can do just fine without flyover country. Hahahahaha (nowhere do I claim flyover country can do w/o the coasts there is a reason why secession is frowned upon) but then the posses of the cities would be gunning for the locally grown food rather than the drugs and the nouveau aristocracy would fare badly.

Here is the Onion Story:’Midwest’ Discovered Between East And West Coasts — http://www.theonion.com/content/node/31079

Doug’s idea of bringing Giuliani on as a VP is good and one that hadn’t occurred to me. I’ld much prefer Rudy as a secretary of defense, DHS, or AG, but in this case I’ld be okay with him as VP.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:51 am 126. JFSanders:

85. Charles: I suspect this chart is more relevant to the conservative cause.
Birth rates

@ RaviT: I don’t care if she is dumb as stump as long as she will run the country according to the laws of the Constitution as it was written and understood by the framers. If she will cut down the tree of bureaucracy to the look of a telephone pole and then starve it for water to preclude any regrowth. If she will restore the power to the states and repeal the 12th, 14th, 16th,17th, 23rd, 25th amendments. So as to kill the statist roots of power. As it stands now Federalism is deceased and Nationalism/Statism has gained supremacy. Educate yourself man!

114. Doug: Maybe you should go hug a polar bear, once would be enough I think…

124. James: It does seem that we NEED the coming depression to awaken the dulled senses. To cut through the fog of an opiate induced trance. It will weed out the dead wood and lead to new growth or it will kill the tree of Liberty to the ground. Then our next generation will grow old without ever tasting the fruit of ones own labor. And the memory of individualism will fade into darkness. Until one day the state becomes complacent and forgets to weed his slaves. Then the small green shoot will grab hold of the ground and begin it’s long hard fight for survival and prosperity. And one day G_d will be there to see his vision for mankind rekindled. And thus the cycle goes on.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:51 am 127. twobyfour:

She reminds me of another Sarah, Sarah Connor.

I know, Sarah Connor is a fictional character… But Sarah Palin is not. The Demonratic Terminators are out there for real, to get her, but she will make a mooseburger outta them, now that she has stepped outside the usual game. Something’s almost up and she can intuitively catch its front ahead of arrival.

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:24 am 128. AWH:

to paraphrase what I wrote earlier on this subject:

while this is an incredibly risky move, she does get advantages from this:

1. She gets away from having to deal with the endless stream of unwarrented ethics complaints brought by the Democratic shills in Alaska. They weren’t going to succeed, but they kept her from focusing on a bigger agenda and spending the needed time. Also, by getting her hand picked Gov. into place as her replacement he gets to build a political base of his own and raise the likelihood of him getting elected. If a Democrat had been elected, it would have been a constant thorn in her side with continual hearings designed to embarrass her in any future campaigns.

2. She suddenly has time to take on advisors and study up on the “wonkish” subjects she needs for a national campaign while taking a national role. She could be on television every weekend if she wanted in a good way – either fundraising or leading other initiatives…

which brings me to ..

3. The timing of this allows here to take a big role in attacking the Cap & Trade legislation. It is a huge issue in the national consciousness – one she knows a great deal about and one that public is very skeptical about. It puts her in the national eye, on the right side and in an area where she has great expertise. She couldn’t do this if she was a governor and the timing of this issue won’t let her take another year to finish her term. Instead, she needed to act now if she wanted to get in front of this. Not to mention being able to step into a tea party movement that does not yet have a focal point or leader.

A conservative rout for Cap&Trade might also make National healthcare die a quick death. In addition, Palin needs a national win in something that shows her to be capable and a leader to dispute the lies that have been spread about her by the media and her opponents – this issue can do that for her.

I think this might be the plan.. but, if she was Governor, she couldn’t take the lead on this. Her speech did make about 5 points that sounded like a traditional conservative platform with a federalist/libertarian bent – one that fits well with the tea party movement and one that effectively refutes much of the mis-information that has been spread about her (and one that I think creates an effective coalition in the republican party).

JMO…

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:00 am 129. NahnCee:

“Obama is not a virus. He’s a symptom…”

I think Obama *is* the virus. If he bought the Presidency using overseas oil money and is dancing puppet-like to whoever pulls his anti-American strings then HE is the problem, not the system.

* * *

“… i noticed today, she’s trimmer and leaner –she’s working out & it shows…”

Anchoress theorizes that one reason Palin may have quit is a serious illness, which also causes weight loss, except then you’re called “skinny” and “drawn”.

* * *

I like Sarah’s hair piled up on top of her head. It’s flattering, gets it out of the way, and is neat and adult. When she wears it down she looks like a highschool cheerleader, which may be why trolls like RaviT think she’s dumb.

* * *

For some reason I think Tina Fey can be converted to the side of the Force. I’m not ready (yet) to string her upside down at the same time Letterman meets his just reward. If nothing else, she’d be great as a stand-in for Palin if that ever became necessary. SHe’d also probably be a pretty good speechwriter.

* * *

Both Guiliani and Fred Thompson are making candidate sounds again. Are they both too damaged (or old) to team with the lovely and vivacious Ms. Palin?

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:00 am 130. Tarnsman:

Concrete, Rudy is running for Governor of NY. Sarah doesn’t need to be a carpetbagger like Hillary. Besides, we need her down here in CA. ^_^

Whiskey, not all women HATE Sarah. Just the ones that aborted their children. My mom, aunt and my two sisters adore her. And I known plenty other women that admire her.

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:03 am 131. toad:

I notice the North East crowd is talking up Romney for 2012. Lots of luck with that. He is just not that popular in the rest of the country. He is from the wrong area.
That hoo haa over who on McCain’s staff “leaked” to the Vanity Fair assassin kind of missed a point. I and a lot of others that I’ve spoken to, don’t care. McCain was a Rino that got vote only to oppose Obama. Cross over votes, the Media, and the North East Crowds adoration of Romney put him into the candidates position. As far as his RINO staff goes, “Neca eos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet.”

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:10 am 132. AWH:

One other thought on this. The conventional wisdom is that you use an elected office as a power base to expand into the bigger office, both for keeping in the public eye and to ensure that they have a position to fall back on if they lose.

– Palin doesn’t have to worry about being in the public eye. Her star power is partly responsible for that, but mostly her enemies have ensured that she will stay there… they can’t help themselves.

– she doesn’t care to have a fall back if she loses. She’s not a professional politician or at least has no intention of having a cushy Senator’s seat for 20 years.

When Cortez set off to conquer a world, he didn’t make sure he had an escape route and a cushy job somewhere else. He burned his ships to make sure his troops knew that the only way home was to win.

Of course, he wouldn’t have won without the disaffected/angry tribes who were the subjects of the Aztecs, but maybe the Tea parties are those people for Palin

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:15 am 133. twobyfour:

Meghan Stapleton on FOX yesterday:

“She will always think outside the box. She will never accept politics as usual and I bet you right now they haven’t even recognized the fact that she just passed one in for an easy lay-up. She saw their block and she went around it and that is how she operates. She will get the job done. She will make the difference. Don’t stand in her way.”

Jul 4, 2009 - 9:50 am 134. buddy larsen:

Take her at face value. She said she had to put the people of Alaska first, so she did. She’s not a liar nor a spinner, which is a quality (or okay maybe just a practice but what’s the diff?) beyond rare.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:02 am 135. Doug:

“Murkowski, whose father was the governor when he lost to Palin in the 2006 Republican primary, was dismissive of the announcement.

“I am deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded,” she said in a one-sentence statement.”
—
Brilliant.
Typical GOP

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:04 am 136. trangbang68:

Buddy-#107/108 are knee slappers and why we love you. Has anyone seen Mike Sylwester and RaviT in the same room.
Bob Dole=Mclame= fossilized,old white empty suits who stand for nothing. Left to the GOP wardheelers and amoral apparachiks like Dickless Morris and Mrs. Carville what will we get in 2012, the last surviving Spanish American war vet. Ed Rollins is a five star a-hole. Who cares about his take.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:07 am 137. buddy larsen:

doug/135; well, you can tell it didn’t come from a Democrat –there’s no cursing and mis-spelling.

trang/136; couldn’t agree more –oodles of respect for Dole and McCain as Americans of high merit but they ain’t gwan win no ‘lections. Spanish/American War –Remember the Maine! Now there’s a 2010 slogan!

actually tho, kinda relevant, as S/A War gave us Teddy, who gave us Bullmoose, which split party and elkected the Progressive Era Amendments–by which we strangle ourselves.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:07 am 138. Neil Craig:

One sign of how politically savvy she is is her looks. Ok as a cheerleader she was beautiful & she is still very good looking however she hasn’t let it hold her back. Beauty is not an advantage in politics because it makes it more difficult for people to empathise & this applies even moreso to women, particularly for the female vote.

So what is her most prominent feature – the one thing you could recognise in any cartoon?

The glasses. Most women would choose contact lenses & be thought pretty but not to be taken seriously. She went for glasses & not just any glasses but big, black, intelligent looking, intimidating glasses.

That woman is smart & self confident & competent & determined & doesn’t think the world owes her a living (as “leftist wimmen” usually do) & wants to do something rather than to be something. If any American politician can save western civilisation it is her.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:12 am 139. trangbang68:

Whiskey is right from what I’m hearing. People are sick to death of the entire political class. Put a D or an R after their name and they are largely seen either as idiots (you want to make retard jokes why not start with Pelosi or Sheila jackson Lee or Bawnie the purple sodomite.); or they’re corrupt grifters.
Palin offers a face on the pitchfork mob screaming “throw all the bums out before they drive the car off the cliff”
Erik Shawn Nelson is a fat ugly toad with bad glasses. Ha-ha-ha…..
The other Huffpo “wag” wants to have sex with Palin. Dream on lame-o. You couldn’t pick up the scabies falling off Sandra Bernhardt….
Ha-ha-ha.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:15 am 140. buddy larsen:

yikes –my monitor –quick –the bleach!

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:27 am 141. Doug:

“Beauty is not an advantage in politics because it makes it more difficult for people to empathise…”
—
Actually, for me it makes it easier, as it reminds me of all the beautiful women who cling to me.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:31 am 142. buddy larsen:

Yes, they beat on your door so hard, sometimes you have to open it and let them out

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:33 am 143. davidt:

Unlike most polititians Palin didn’t get into politics as a get rich scheme or to be that special someone everybody fawns over.

She got into politics in order to do what was needed to be done.

Remaining Governor is what most polititians would do in order to advance their career. In Palin’s case it would be a hinderance to doing what is needed to be done, ie, save the country.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:35 am 144. Doug:

All true davidt, but that does not stop Buddy from fawning over her.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:44 am 145. red:

RAvis said that Palin was dumb and said::::

Look at the Couric interview.
It’s stupid (IMHO) for us conservatives to lash ourselves to an idiot

Ravi, as brilliant as you are, if the first time you were interviewed in front of millions of people you were asked obviously hostile questions, your appearance would be that of a drunken retard.

Palin erred in one way. When Couric asked what newspapers she read, Palin should have responded in a way that wasn’t the polite politician, but the American everyman..

“Katie, do ya think I’m stupid because I don’t live in New York. Do you think ever American that doesn’t read the New York Times is stupid?”

I think Palin has learned the lesson of when not to be polite.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:54 am 146. Cannoneer No. 4:

The Outlaw Sarah Palin

Hell is coming to breakfast.

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:03 am 147. CorditeSmoke:

Whatever. With SP’s future in mind, she has already been baptised in the fire of battles.
In my mind’s eye, her message will (from her POV) always be paramount,as she may step out onto the center of the public stage. We all may see SP, will we hear?

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:11 am 148. The Anchoress — A First Things Blog:

[...] Club: If something resembling a crisis does break out in the next six months then Sarah Palin’s “unconventional” or “puzzling” [...]

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:16 am 149. dtmack:

AWH

Both of your posts are thought provoking, especially 128 (and especially point 3). I never thought of it that way, but what you say makes sense.

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:27 am 150. David Thomson:

“Yet, it has been obvious that Alaska is a difficult place from which to participate in the national debate…”

And also raise money to pay your never ending legal bills! Sarah Palin was apparently deep in debt. She was only able to raise 20% of the $500,000 required to respond to those insane ethics investigations.

Jul 4, 2009 - 11:47 am 151. dtmack:

OT, but…….

I just want to say that I find this site the most interesting, and it’s refreshing to see commenters who are actually discussing ideas in an intelligent way. My first stop on the internet.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:05 pm 152. SmartyJones:

Loved Rikard’s article. Strikes me as almost perfect in tone and questioning.
This thread has been amazing. Having come from some others including the New York Daily News, the vitriol is such you would think that Sarah announced she’s entering a race, not leaving the political field. For the moment anyway and that moment is one she clearly needs. But for all the reasons we just don’t know. We really don’t.

But I suspect that Obama’s worst nightmare is about to come true. President Bush has maintained grace and dignity while under almost constant carping attack from Obama since November’s election. He has no class. He shows it on a regular basis.

Let’s see how he takes returning fire. It takes no imagination to know that Obama will react in classless fashion sooner than later. He will attack Sarah not unlike Letterman. And he will attack Americans for not signing on to his left wing agenda.

The fallout from the mess this nation is in economically and globally is about to hit and hit very hard. We all sense it. Rikard scares me to death because I share it. But when I hear someone else voice it, the reaction in my stomach is quite different.

Thanks to all for the fine contributions to this thread. Good work guys. Many of you suspect the clock is running out. Sarah clearly does too. 2012? That’s a lifetime away. The battle to save the Republic is now.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:10 pm 153. Eggplant:

Robohobo said:

“… it is not a person, it is and has to be all of us! The 0bamanation, The Won is NOT a savior, there is only one of those. This is to Patriots and citizens who believe in American Exceptionalism! Get thee to your local Tea Party tomorrow and be LOUD! Get involved!”

As George W. Bush was beginning his military response to 9/11, the moonbats and paleo-communists associated with ANSWER began orchestrating noisy anti-war demonstrations. Their actions were deeply repellant and bordered on treason. However the MSM gave the anti-war demonstrations good coverage because the paleo-communists knew how to do entertaining street theater and the MSM was sympathetic to their cause.

It’s understandable for conservatives and patriots to say:

“Now it’s our turn!”

However there’s a big difference. The paleo-communists and moonbat lunatic fringe are a tiny minority of the American public and except for making silly displays for the MSM’s benefit, they have no real political clout. On the other hand, the conservatives and patriots do represent the American mainstream. Because of the sour economy, our Messianic president and the elite who put him into power, there are a lot of really pissed off people out there. The situation is only going to get worse as the economy further deteriorates and Obama makes a bigger jackass out of himself. There’s the old saying:

“Never summon a demon unless you know the spell of dismissal”

The Tea Party movement is trying to summon a demon but I’m not convinced that they know the spell of dismissal. Get a responsible leader out there that an angry public can follow and I’ll agree that the Tea Party movement can bring about positive change.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:47 pm 154. jms:

Here is another possibility:

No one seems to know what is in the climate change bill, but I’ll bet a dime to a dollar that there’s some carefully crafted language in there that is intended to bankrupt Alaska.

The biggest problem for the Democrats is that while they are driving the rest of the country into bankruptcy, Alaska has this pesky problem of having a serious conservative governor, a balanced budget and a functional government and social services. 3 years from now, with the rest of the country thrashing around in bankruptcy and financial catastrophe, Sarah Palin would have the ultimate trump card — a prosperous, thriving Alaska to contrast with the rest of the depression-wracked nation and the President and all of Congress would be in big trouble.

If this is true — that Waxman/Hartley is designed to bankrupt Alaska — and she is aware of it, then what she is doing is not only the tough choice, but the right choice. Not only is she stepping out of the range of a nuclear missile aimed squarely at her Governorship, but she is also doing the very best she can to protect the citizens of Alaska from the collateral damage. Not to say that they won’t do it, but now the authors of the climate change bill have little political reason to target Alaska for financial destruction.

At any rate, she leaves Alaska at the perfect time — She leaves a balanced budget, fully funded social services and reformed, good government. Her fiscal legacy as Governor is currently unblemished. Better to leave now than at the end of her term — facing probable deficits from the effects of a year of Waxman/Hartley. No political benefit will acrue to her detractors by focusing financial attacks on her successor, and if her successor stumbles, that would only make Palin look that much better and more competent. Alaska may well actually benefit from being taken out of the Palin crosshairs.

Like GWB, Sarah Palin is much, much smarter than her enemies want the public to believe.

Jul 4, 2009 - 12:56 pm 155. Sven Willitend:

I think Sarah Palin realizes she can be a powerful political and cultural leader without necessarily running for elective office. She has a book deal, can hit the lecture circuit, campaign for others in 2010 and maybe wind-up hosting her own national TV talk-show from Wasilla. From this electronic podium she can have Oprah-like influence on her national constituency, urging them to get involved in local politics and push-back against the influence of the cultural elite in the media and in the schools.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:20 pm 156. buddy larsen:

jms/54; –i’m pretty sure you are onto something. Energy is the weapon currently very successfully shooting America to pieces; whomever is wielding that weapon (and the usual suspects are usual for a reason) has a real “Alaska problem”.

Clues to this enemy offensive are everywhere, from the broad and hyperviolent “ridicule Palin” attacks by a state media being given marching orders at the highest levels (clues, see everything from the secret ‘journo conference calls’ exposed six months ago to the meet & greet to pay & play WaPo scandal playing today) all the way to itty bitty items like the “us conservatives’ comsymp on this very thread trying to gin up Palin ridicule. It’s BIG and it’s aimed at freezing Alaskan energy reserves long enough to bust out the current American economy –and the Dollar. Remember Lenin’s point that the fastest way to destabilize a nation is thru currency debasement (and Soros’ open ambition to end the Dollar’s reserve status ‘in order to level the playing field’ as he says) –and Alaska is in the long-term debt markets as a major Dollar prop.

Palin has a campaign image, a mother image, an American blue collar image, many images –but the one Palin initiative that you can bet is freaking the energy/Dollar commandos attacking America has got to be her incessant rhetorical returns to the energy problem and the part that Alaska is (almost literally) fighting to play in fixing it.

I can easily see, under certain circumstances maybe not too far away, as Gov of Alaska stumping populist on energy in a 30% unemployed America living in the dark cut off from power, her name coming up in some ‘Litvenenko Solution’ planning session.

So I think her move yesterday was brilliant. After all, we need a live leader –martyrs, like ‘moral victories’, are for the loser.

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:35 pm 157. buddy larsen:

“Palin & Perry”
“Peas in a Pod”
“Two P or Not To Be”

oh, just turns me loose on Palin & Rick Perry!

Alaska & Texas, Not Broke and Not Broker!
Not Taxed and Not Taxter!
Low Regs and Lower Regs!
Open Shop and Opener Shop!
Jackpot Tort Frowned and More Frowned!

hmm i may be tailing off there at the end….

Jul 4, 2009 - 1:55 pm 158. NahnCee:

The thought crosses my mind to wonder if people suggesting Palin limit herself to an Oprah-like presence in the failing dinosaur media might possibly have an ulterior motive in trying to derailing her from any further politicking, such as saddling up and riding the wild Tea Party phenomenon.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:00 pm 159. LFMayor:

WYSIWYG is exactly what the elitists fear the most. False, decietful people with plastic facades (and smiles) melt under pressure when the real world decides to roll over in its sleep. They can’t bear the thought that there are actually others who are genuine in their intents and self-projections as it reminds them of their own deficiencies.
Now the final stroke which remains is for all of these people who normally wouldn’t have even bothered to be shown a direction. Sarah Palin is exactly the type of person to pick that heading. All of us knuckle draggin, cousin marrying flyover state rednecks will be listening because she talks just like us.
She’s genuine, we can smell it and know it’s so. As for the Eloi, well, they must have some ability which allows them to sense as well. I doubt if they can get a whiff of it through their daintily perfumed hankies. (Robo, I’m feeling that disdain of yours myself a bit today).

At last, some hope and change I can believe in!!!

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:03 pm 160. a:

To second Ron Hardin (#9): will she splinter anti-Obama vote?

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:05 pm 161. trangbang68:

Building a cabinet in my backyard this hot sweaty monsoon Tucson day (try 100 degrees with humidity), I turned on a radio station playing non-stop patriotic music and it dawned on me, it’s not all over for America.
The sobsisters in the media, the corrupt and venal in DC, the skanks and sensitive guys in Hollyweird don’t share the real narrative of America.
What scares the heck out of the left about the Palins is they are the kind of folks who built our land by their blood, sweat and tears.
Our history didn’t start at Woodstock or in the fevered mind of Herbert Marcuse or Noam Chomsky. It started in Lexington and Concord
and Patrick Henry’s words “I regret I have but one life to give for my country”, It is Jim Bridger and Kit Carson and John Muir crossing fearful wilderness in search of a dream. It’s Andrew Jackson beating the Brits in New Orleans, Lincoln’s stirring words of freedom, Carl Sandburg’s immigrants building Chicago, “the City of Big Shoulders”. It is Cotton Mather and Harriet Beecher Stowe and
James Fenimore Cooper and Herman Melville and Babe Ruth and visionaries like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
It is American jarheads and G.I.’s huddling at sandbag altars at Belleau Wood and Iwo Jima and the Argonne Forest and Chosin reservoir and Hue and Tay Ninh City and Fallujah and Tora Bora laying down their lives for freedom.
Can we take the best shot from psychotic Muslims and delusional leftists and stand tall and proud? Hell, yeah. God bless America!

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:05 pm 162. Karen Yvonne:

Neil Craig/138: Beauty is not an advantage in politics because it makes it more difficult for people to empathise & this applies even moreso to women, particularly for the female vote.

So true, so true. I agree, this is somebody who wants to do something rather than be something. It’s another indication of Palin’s character. It can be very tempting to rely on the faux power you think you have but throughout her career, she hasn’t allowed her looks, or more to the point other people’s reactions to her looks, to derail her in the slightest.

I hope and pray she accomplishes all she is setting out to do. If anyone is up to it, she is.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:10 pm 163. buddy larsen:

damn trangbang –that was good !

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:18 pm 164. Robohobo:

Doug @ 114: “Many think there is something mysterious about the hatred she engenders. I think shooting wild animals is by itself reason enough.”

And you probably think that steaks are grown in plastic wrappers. You betray your biases city boy.
[snark on]
I am going to make up a sign for my house:
“Because my next door neighbor believes guns and hunting are for savages and that guns cause crime, I am going to honor his beliefs and not protect his home with my guns!”
[snark off]

I should be clear, my neighbor, in fact, is more heavily armed than I. {grin}

Just remember that if the SHTF and we do go all “Terminator” or some type of post apocalyptic world the story “A Boy and His Dog”. You will want the skills I have to be able to eat.

I just spent the morning on a nice warm and muggy day in central NM working the ‘Victory Garden’. Bush and pole beans are harvesting now. Looking to 2nd harvest of radishes within the next 2-3 weeks. Corn has tassles and ears forming. Had the first of the Roma tomatoes the other night. All the seasonal and hard squashes are heavy with bloom. Do you all remember what a ‘Victory Garden’ was? In WWI & WWII people planted them to release commercially grown food stuffs to the Europeans and military uses. It is necessary now because of the economy.

Happy Independence Day! God Bless us all.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:28 pm 165. Sam W:

Nathan Hale not Patrick Henry for the “one life to give for my country” quote. He was a spy and a Yale graduate.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:29 pm 166. Insufficiently Sensitive:

If they didn’t fear Palin why would they bother to focus every available “comedian” on her? Is it out of contempt, or fear?

It is fear, and has been ever since she appeared as candidate for VP. She’s the anti-liberal, by temperament and worse, by lifestyle. She does not make learned arguments in WaPo op-eds, which liberals could parse and twist; she just lives like a free American in Alaska, twenty years behind the left-dominated statist trends considered correct in media and academia. And by those positions, she’s a whole lot closer to Thomas Jefferson than to Tom Friedman. And a whole lot closer to the millions of Americans whose opinions the NYT and WaPo and the TV networks and NPR spend 95% of their waking hours shoving artifically to the left.

From this perspective, the fear of Palin by the lefties is delicious.

Jul 4, 2009 - 2:38 pm 167. Al_Batross:

“damn trangbang –that was good!” buddy larsen@163.

Yes, it was. And whatever Palin is going to do, I wish her well, and hope that the things which have failed to destroy her have made her stronger.

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:09 pm 168. Sven Willitend:

Nahncee: “..wonder if people suggesting Palin limit herself to an Oprah-like presence in the failing dinosaur media might possibly have an ulterior motive in trying to derailing her from any further politicking.”

Palin is not giving up; she wants to move ahead on her own terms as a wonderfully effective communicator, however that unfolds. This would not preclude her pursuing elective office sometime in the future, if she chooses.

Jul 4, 2009 - 3:28 pm 169. SlightOfHand:

Uh oh! Looks like trouble!

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/03/rumors-fly-about-palins-iceberg-scandal/

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:16 pm 170. Mongoose:

Slight of hand: From that site:

“Remember that based on the public record, Palin is a wildly unethical public official, guilty at a minimum of numerous instances of abusing her authority as governor. And a lot of very damaging information has come out about her in the last few days — though mainly embarrassing information about her character rather than new evidence of bad acts. I would not be surprised if this latest round of revelations shook something else loose that we haven’t heard about yet.”

Pure Left-Wing Agitprop. It could have been written by Pravda.

That is nothing slander and libel on the face of it, and if they would have said as much about a private citizen they would be up to their eyebrows in litigation right now.

It is, of course, the exact opposite of the truth. But you knew that, didn’t you? How indecent. How immoral.

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:33 pm 171. Doug:

How typical.

Jul 4, 2009 - 4:51 pm 172. The Greenroom » Forum Archive » What Else Was She Supposed To Do?:

[...] II: Additional comments from the virtual contrarian/radical caucus: Fernandez Kristol mamapundit VDH [...]

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:06 pm 173. Derek:

In all the discussion one major point has been missed.

Obama won because he had $600 million dollars.

Obama is extraordinarily vulnerable right now as Wretchard has outlined.

There is absolutely nothing to gain from currying favor with the Republican establishment. Which Republican establishment?

Romney got the point last week. He attacked whatever hair brained scheme-of-the-day from the White House. He too was a target from the same republican and democrat seat warmers.

Just a dumb question. Why hasn’t anyone run an ad with some of the more strange bits from the Waxman-Markey bill? Lash Obama to the mast of the Washington establishment.

Is no one getting names at the Tea Party gatherings?

Whoever grabs the mantle will wear it. Romney or Palin so far, seem to see an opportunity.

The Naseem Talib clip from a few days ago had I think the most important point; the ones deciding and prognosticating missed the events of last fall.

If Palin is smart, or Romney is smart, they will seek out those who saw it coming, who saw the republican collapse coming, who intuit the situation, and mine that wisdom.

Derek

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:17 pm 174. Lucy:

I like Sarah. I trust Sarah. When Mark Levin said “Palin’s running for President. Get used to it” I felt relief. An adult came home. There was a glimmer of hope. There isn’t another Republican on the scene who hasn’t been involved in some kind of grubby scandal and has her charisma.

And for anyone who thinks Sarah cost McCain the election, McCain and his minions cost her the election.

Jul 4, 2009 - 5:44 pm 175. twobyfour:

“To the extent several websites, most notably liberal Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, are now claiming as ‘fact’ that Governor Palin resigned because she is ‘under federal investigation’ for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation,” Van Flein [Palin's attorney] said in a statement. “This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law.”

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:25 pm 176. Joan:

Doug, you are too funny! Aw, go on. Keep a tryin’…

Seriously, though. When Palin first appeared I could not believe the trash throwers that immediately showed up as though on some demon’s cue. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen on on the internet. (Hate sites and porn excluded, of course). I’ll never forget it.

Doug, your smear machine attempts don’t work here. You merely remind us of that horrible stuff. Ewwww.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:25 pm 177. Subotai Bahadur:

#146 Cannoneer #4

From your mouth to G-d’s ear.

And no, not alone. Not by any measure. To the uttermost extremity.

Subotai Bahadur

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:33 pm 178. 329:

Palin/Patraeus 2012 – you heard it here first

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:37 pm 179. Norm:

Fiddle faddle; twobyfour, you beat me to it!

And that quote came from her lawyer. Absolutely a Declaration Of War. The same AP article claims she is answering to a Higher Calling. I am amazed AP printed that lawyer quote, by the way.

The fact that her announcement was a Friday Surprise was in itself enough to convince me personally that she is not fading away, and has big plans. Otherwise, timing would not be so critical.

Boy, I bet the Tums and Pepto Bismal is flowing in the White House, and NYT tonight.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:40 pm 180. Kirk Parker:

Derek,

“Obama won because he had $600 million dollars.”

I think you need to show your work. For just one counterexample, he could have offered the entire $600M to me w/o getting my vote.

Jul 4, 2009 - 6:45 pm 181. Doug:

“There is absolutely nothing to gain from currying favor with the Republican establishment. Which Republican establishment?”
—
Totally agree, Derek:
The wing that still kisses Powell’s Butt even after he sucks up to the Marxist?

—
Joan, I think you got the wrong guy, or wrong take.
If you can point out where I did that, I’ll apologize.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:17 pm 182. Doug:

I think it’s important to keep in mind that “the Republican Establishment” can be completely dominated and neutralized by ACORN backed up with billions, not to mention the full, well tuned, connected and funded Chicago Machine.

Gonna take a lot more than that.
Something like Sarah, talking a straight Mark Levin line.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:23 pm 183. Joan:

Doug,
My bad. I see now where I went off the track. Skimming with little time to pay attention is an accident waiting to happen.
My apologies. (But let that be a lesson to any lurking trolls!!)

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:38 pm 184. buddy larsen:

damn, cannoneer!

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:39 pm 185. presbypoet:

I’ve wondered how different history might have been if Ross hadn’t “dropped out”, when he was leading in 92. Look at the vote totals if he gets 10% more, with 5 % off each of the others. That is what he lost by looking like he wasn’t serious. I suspect that if he had been that close, more would have voted for him if it looked like he had a real chance to win. Perot still got 20% of the vote with two giant factors reducing his vote, the crazy drop out, and with that, the fact he could not win, and many people who only vote for someone with a chance to win.

Fast forward to today. Sarah has three years to organize those angry with what is happening. A target rich environment, with a hollow man in charge, puffed up by a dying media that won by showing us it cannot be trusted. Now the internet allows uncontrolled communication.

Can we do it? No one knows. The left certainly fears her. If we do nothing, we are sure to lose. When Moses led the slaves out of Egypt, and stood at the shore of the Red Sea, it looked hopeless. We have a leader today promising to lead. Do we want to be slaves? Do we want to be free? All we are offered is hope. Will you step out into uncertainty? If we do nothing, slavery is assured. We live in interesting times.

Jul 4, 2009 - 7:46 pm 186. buddy larsen:

You’re already a slave, presby –a debt slave –you owe six hundred thousand bucks (and counting up faster and faster) to the global crime syndicate. By the time you finish this sentence it’ll be another meal’s worth.

The best you can do is bust this sh*t up for the sake of the next generation.

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:03 pm 187. Eggplant:

Lucy said:

“And for anyone who thinks Sarah cost McCain the election, McCain and his minions cost her the election.”

It is believed by many including myself that McCain was within Obama’s OODA loop shortly before the economy imploded. It is also believed that the timing of the economic implosion was way too convenient for Obama. Our current economic difficulties are the consequence of decades financial misconduct (the bad guys merely popped a bubble). However if the economic collapse was deliberately triggered as an “October Surprise”, it is possible that the people responsible did not fully realize the consequences of their actions.

Unfortunately after the economic collapse, Obama’s victory was assured. Sarah Palin could have had Abraham Lincoln as her running mate but she still would have lost the presidential election.

Jul 4, 2009 - 8:19 pm 188. Robohobo:

Eggplant @ 187: “…the timing of the economic implosion was way too convenient for Obama.”

I am not sure whether this delves too far into tin-foil-hat territory but it is believed that the financial crisis may have been triggered by foreign banks and/or investors selling off massive US debt at one short period. Soros has been known to do just this kind of thing.

Just sayin’ is all.

Jul 4, 2009 - 10:03 pm 189. Neil Craig:

Regarding mentions of the possibility of Palin getting an Oprah like V slot. his need not be necessary. Remember the unknown British politician, Danial Hannan who got millions of hits when he put his speech to Gordon Prown about how incompetent he was on Facebook

Imagine Palin doing that – weekly. She can say anything she wants, the advertising will pay for the rest of her campaign, she will get 10s of millions of viewers almost all supporters & even the NYT couldn’t ignore it (remember when they refused an op-ed piece from McCain but not Obama).

Jul 5, 2009 - 4:51 am 190. Jack’s Newswatch » Blog Archive » Fernandez: Northern surprise (2):

[...] [More] See Also: [...]

Jul 5, 2009 - 5:12 am 191. David S:

Sarah Palin is a gift that keeps on giving for the left. Watching frantic & confused GOP response is quite entertaining. She has 0 chance of winning a national election, but it will be great sport to watch her cripple the GOP for a generation.

A party with so little remaining credibility shows that even when you may think you have reached the bottom of the barrel, somebody will find a way to keep digging. I hope Palin remains prominent – nothing but a bonus for the Dems.

Party on!

Peace.

DS

Jul 5, 2009 - 7:54 am 192. joe buzz:

The only question is; what time slot will FOX give her?

For those of you that claim that she is not too smart:
Would you rather support a genuinely honest person of mid level intellect to build a team to lead a country or a subversive genius? Not that there are any subversive geniuses involved in politics….just asking.

Jul 5, 2009 - 7:56 am 193. AWH:

wow, it only took this long for a Lefty Obamabot to get to this thread. with something similar to this “Sarah Palin is a gift that keeps on giving for the left.” in their response… Of course the question is.. if she is so good for the left, why to they spend so much time trying to stop her?

Anyway, whether or not this “David S” is on the payroll for Obama or one of his supporting fringe groups is irrelevant, certainly the site he links to has all of the liberal talking points. I suppose it’s better than trying to pose as a conservative, but we have to assume those are about too.

Jul 5, 2009 - 8:47 am 194. bogie wheel:

To add to what AWH said -

“David S”’s claim of a “frantic and confused GOP response” basically proves he didn’t even bother to start reading this thread. He just monkey-scampered up to the Clubhouse, dropped the flaming bag of dogpoop, rang the doorbell, and ran.

You stay classy, Dems.

(And why bother with the thinner-than-used-tissue veil of a “Peace” sign-off? The left doesn’t stand for peace … just victory for the anti-American side.)

Jul 5, 2009 - 9:46 am 195. bogie wheel:

joe buzz –

I don’t know if I’d go for “mid level” intellect for POTUS … I’d like a few notches above the average IQ because the job is so fracking complex … but I agree with your general points that (a) the ability to pick a bright and effective team would relieve the individual POTUS from having to be Einstein, and (b) character is in the final analysis a weightier qualification than intellect.

There are quite a few outstandingly bright, even brilliant, people who hang out on this blog (host included), and you would think that if anyone could spot a dunce it would be these people. And yet there has been only one person to proclaim Palin stupid, and all that person could say in the way of backing up or explaining the claim was “Watch the interview – she’s a moron.” Everyone else, including the super-brights, seems to pretty much have solid confidence in Palin’s intellectual abilities based on what has been seen so far.

Jul 5, 2009 - 10:04 am 196. bogie wheel:

P.S. Tarring conservatives & Republicans as “dumb” is now a generations-old lefty tactic. The Photoshopped “Palin SAT scores” (as in, not hers) of 425 Verbal, 416 Math that were blasted around the internet last October, was just another instance of smear tactics in the grand tradition of Reagan as Actor-Dunce, Quayle as Potatoe-Dunce, and GWB as Chimpy-Dunce.

The lies say less about conservatives (actually, nothing at all, since they are lies) than they do about the values, tactics, and self-image of the left.

They think they know how (but they don’t, not really).
They don’t bother with why (when that should be one of the first questions to be asked).
They just know that they know, and they know they are right (while they ceaselessly accuse the other side of being the fundie zealots).

Somewhere, a long time ago, some school teachers evidently failed to explain what “Knowledge is power” really means.

The donks really, really need a new tune to play. The “DUH” record is worn out.

Jul 5, 2009 - 10:15 am 197. Neil Craig:

I have seen no evidence she isn’t very bright. Her record in fixing Alaska stands for itself. The ability to pick bright subordinates requires you be bright yourself & even her opponents don’t deny she has that quality. In the famous interview all she did “wrong” was to admit not knowing something of the top of her head but that she would find the information. Such honesty shows she was not (then) sophisitcated in dealing with coastal media & Washington double dealing but that is a learning phenomenon not inate brains. She could spot a polar bear coming faster than Hilary but then that is because it is her environment.

And did anybody vote for Obama for his brains?

Jul 5, 2009 - 10:23 am 198. filbert:

Palin is lawyering up against the smear campaign. (PDF).

“I aim to misbehave.” — Cpt. Mal Reynolds, “Firefly”

Jul 5, 2009 - 10:37 am 199. NahnCee:

Does anyone have any idea if the organizers of the Tea Parties across the country are getting names of participants to start setting up a (revolutionary) database? The one I attended over the weekend asked that people register in advance so they have my e-mail address because of that, but of course they didn’t take names at the door and anyone could have walked in without signing up. There were also a couple of petitions being passed around and signed; I wonder if anyone will skim those for possible database names.

Jul 5, 2009 - 11:53 am 200. bogie wheel:

NahnCee –

I joined a local group via Meetup back in February, the impetus of which was not Rick Santelli but Glenn Beck. Our first meeting, at a local restaurant, was for a screening of Beck’s “912 Project” show. Our group meets on a monthly basis. We also attend the Tea Parties but those were a separate and subsequent item.

There is, to my knowledge, no one organization template. This is being cobbled together as we go, at the local level. We pay out of pocket, as we go, to rent meeting places. (So much for the charges that Fox News // Dick Armey // Karl Rove are giving marching orders and funding to everyone.) But regarding my area of the country (Pennsylvania), the “Tea Party” site that we refer to functions more as an event announcement site than a message/chat/planning site. We use the Meetup site and e-mail for that.

You can see what there is near you:

http://www.the912project.meetup.com

And that is just one of many such groups whom you are seeing at the Tea Parties.

Jul 5, 2009 - 12:35 pm 201. buddy larsen:

(ht for Diodorus story to mencius moldbug)

The Greek, Diodorus, recommended that the best way to beat a demon is to dig a pit, about the diameter of the two of you combined, and a depth that neither may climb out except by standing on the other.

then, you jump into the pit, and wait there until the demon comes by and drops in.

Then, fight him, but let him defeat you, and… *

[and from here the remainder of the ancient manuscript is lost]

…the story made me think, that’s what Miss Sarah is doing –offering to experiment and see if she can find the lost instruction of Diodorus.

Jul 5, 2009 - 2:12 pm 202. Rurik:

Sarah Palin is like Mosby or Forrest; when they disengage and break contact that is exactly when its time to start really worrying about what’s going to happen next.

And remember, she’s a WOMAN, and her beloved children have been insulted, abused and tormented. She’s not going to forget or forgive. Grendel’s Mother – but pretty. That won’t be so pretty if you’re on her bad side.

And who is the GOP’s leader? Who cares? We don’t need no steenking leaders! It is still three years before the GOP nominates a candidate. Pick your leader now, and he will be eviscerated long before then. Just encourage everybody to pile on and concentrate on THE ENEMY not internal rivalry. By the summer of 2012 the most effective attack dog will have revealed him(her?)self. Of course The Washington Pravda would like the GOP to concentrate on in-house struggles, which is why we should not.

Jul 5, 2009 - 4:22 pm 203. buddy larsen:

David S addresses his sneers to the GOP –little realizing how far beyond the GOP has grown (now that we see for the first time the enormity of the negative cost/benefit) the people’s hot nauseated reaction to the David S types and their slobbering visions of endless blocks of enormous buildingsful of incredibly over-paid, under-worked, clock-watching, pension-hustling, public service-union, giggling-at-the-proles, can’t-be-fired, tinpot-dictator government “workers”.

Jul 5, 2009 - 4:38 pm 204. peterike:

David S has soiled the Belmont sheets before. He’s just a sniveling little fraidy cat that pops in every now and then to let us watch him wet his pants. But you have to feel sorry for the twerp. Read his sputterings and you quickly learn that every single thought in his head has been placed there by the Liberal agit-prop machine. He’s a windup toy, a chattering parrot that spits back what its owners tell it, but can never get out of its cage.

Jul 5, 2009 - 6:46 pm 205. John Samford:

“I have my doubts about her in any case. She is damaged goods. The media has done its dirt (as the Democrats were doing to her in Alaska, with one fake ethics charge after another — tell me it wasn’t orchestrated from D.C.).”

That won’t work against a private citizen. You can smear a sitting politician, but try that against a private citizen and you will have to prove to the Judge that what you said is true. If you can’t, you are owned.
If Letterman had treated a private citizen the way he treated Sara, he would be living in a box under the Brooklyn Bridge today, when he wasn’t out dumpster diving.
So that is one reason to resign. The best reason is the one Sara gave, that resigning is the best thing she could do for the citizens of Alaska.
Besides, any point guard that has led her high school team to a state championship, sinking the game clinching free throws on a broken ankle, knows that when you are trapped in a full court press, you pass the ball to an open team mate.
Now she has 3+ years to raise money and support then stage a preemptive attack on the Media. She wins a multimillion dollar settlement against HuffyPo and CNN for Libel and it will make the rest of the MSM think twice about running smear campaigns. Most Libel cases take a long time, so 3 years it not really that long.
I was watching FOX and I thought I saw/heard Karl Rove say he was going to work for her campaign. I wasn’t really paying attention, so I could have heard it wrong, since I haven’t found it on the net and Rove working with Palin in an election campaign would be the biggest news out today. At least in my mind. Rove will at least cancel out Axelrod. Political junkies like me are drooling at the very thought of the two best political manipulators in the business having a showdown. IIRC, neither has ever lost a campaign. Sara can beat hte Usurper. If Rove can offset Axelrod, it should be a pretty good election.

Jul 5, 2009 - 6:48 pm 206. buddy larsen:

steel cage death match alright –for all the marbles, too.

Jul 5, 2009 - 8:14 pm 207. presbypoet:

Just finished reading Dean Koontz latest book “Relentless” . Recommended reading. Interesting metaphor for what we have been talking about here. Maybe more than mere metaphor?

188 Robohobo,
What makes me think the economy didn’t stumble, but was pushed, was the run up in oil prices. Someone spent a lot of money to raise oil prices. Every time before we have had a spike in oil prices, we had a recession. They didn’t realize that by pumping up gas prices, it would help pop the housing bubble. The first wave of foreclosures took place in California in distant suburbs where people no longer could afford $4 gas for a 100 mile commute, so housing prices dropped, and you know the rest of the story.

I suspect they were just trying to drive down the economy as part of the plan to elect the one, given how bad it will be getting, no one will ever want to take credit.

Does anyone know if it is possible to find out just who pushed up oil prices? Is there any public trail?

Jul 5, 2009 - 11:07 pm 208. VoteTheDay:

The reasons of Palin resignation are controversial. What could be the real cause of her decision? Vote on the most possible one – http://www.votetheday.com/america/palin-resignation-424/

Jul 6, 2009 - 1:38 am 209. Roderick Reilly:

“”"”"”Anyone who thinks Palin is slinking away with her tail tucked between her legs is in for a big surprise.”"”"”"

Yeah, I hope you’re right, but I don’t think so. Palin folded, and she’s no “barraccuda,” much less a “pit bull.” Her vicious enemies have won this battle convincingly. We are on our own, thank you very much.

I just don’t see the silver lining so many of you posters here do, and, frankly, I want my Presidential hopefuls to have serious governing experience, so giving up a governorship after only 2 and a half years does not make for good Presidential material, to me. I’m also a bit put off by the Sarah adoration that sometimes mirrors the creepy cult-like admiration of our current President. Only an Obama gets to flit about through life, never finishing anything substantive in relation to his lofty goals, but the Palins of the world don’t. I don’t care if she’s a “quick study,” because it means she doesn’t know jack shit about the world at large as it stands now. “Quick study” only counts when a solidly-grounded, well-informed candidate or President needs to be filled in on the minutiae of certain military strategies, or cabinet-level agency policy or something, but you don’t “quick-study” the world in a year or two so you can be a competent President. We have one of those clowns right now, remember?

Jul 6, 2009 - 10:06 am 210. mark_b:

Barack Obama is not a “Quick Study”. He pulled all of these programs from up his sleeve, not out of his butt.

His political agenda was set when Jimmy Carter was president.

Jul 6, 2009 - 10:42 am 211. Neil Craig:

This no experience” line has been pushed so long it has sunk into the consciousness of those who think they don’t listen to the MSM.

She has experience as Governor. Granted only either the smallest or biggest in the Union depending how you count but the point is it is the top job. That means more actual “buck stops here” experience than not merely a 1 term but a 10 term Senator. Moreover in 2 1/2 years she has undoubtedly done more than most Governors do in a couple of terms.

As for needing the job as a base – that is nonsense – Nixon lost California & from that base took the Presidency. Kennedy had piloted a PT boat. Truman was a political bosses gofor. FDR had served 3 years as Governor & before that been ASSISTANT Secretary to the Navy.

The next 3 years will give her a chance to study international relations & the useful & parasitic bits of Washington – things on which she genuinely is weak (otherwise she wouldn’t have been caught out by Biden’s blatant lying during their debate about his & Obama’s having messed in the Lebanon war to stop al Quaeda). She could not do that from Anchorage & if she had stayed would have been attacked by the MSM for that.

The fact that, as a private citizen, she has more rights to defend herself from defamation will also put that fight on a more level field.

This is a very clever game changing move.

Jul 6, 2009 - 11:03 am 212. AWH:

Mark_b,

So true about Obama, he memorized enough facts to give the illusion of a “balanced approach”.. i.e., on one hand, we have this approach.. on the other hand we have this…blah, blah, blah.

As you note, his viewpoint/agenda was set long ago. The only addition has been an illusion of open mindedness to fool people. The problem is that his agenda was a foolish one to begin with and it’s only his stubborness and pride that prevents him from adjusting to the world as it changes (witness his need to continue to “engage” with the Iranian regime despite the huge changes that were occurring and his inability to formulate an alternative approach).

As for Palin, on domestic issues I trusted her viewpoint and instincts more than McCain’s, Obama’s or Biden’s. And her track record of success in governing is more extensive and successful than any of them. Indeed to find a more successful governor you have to look very hard — and probably have to pull out another foreign policy neophyte.

Roderick says, “I don’t care if she’s a “quick study,” because it means she doesn’t know jack shit about the world at large as it stands now.” I’m trying to figure out what that means, exactly. Biden is a guy who seems to “know” a lot about foreign policy, for instance, yet the reality is that he’s been wrong about every major issue of the past 30 years. Does she not know a lot about the State Department’s view of the world? Well, if not, that is a good thing. Does she not know a lot about the NYTimes’ view of foreign policy? Again, not a problem for me… So in which areas is she deficient? I tend to believe she was only deficient in terms of media handling and savvy. The viewpoint that she is too inexperienced and has too little governing experience is one that is useful to the Left, but only when applied hypocritically.

The time she has now is more than enough to learn what she needs to know to appoint the right people and to figure out who is full of BS (maybe the most important trait a president can have).

Jul 6, 2009 - 11:04 am 213. Roderick Reilly:

I’m not comparing her to Biden, as I’m well aware of Biden’s buffoonery. I want her to know more than she does about what’s actually going on in the world. Why is that so much to ask of someone who wants to be President? I’m not asking her to be a “philosopher king,” I’m merely asking her to be more than what we usually get for White House hopefuls in terms of solid knowledge that is necessary to be an effective world leader. For instance, in her debate with Biden, she did not catch him or correct him on his blunder of stating thet “we drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon.” It was so blatantly obvious a stupidity that, with her reputed repartee skills, she should have caught him on that, but she didn’t know enough about Lebanon to do so. It’s nice, and useful, that she demonstrated a solid knowledge about energy policy, but that was all she wanted to — and was able to — talk about.

I’m not your enemy, I’m not the bad guy — I like Sarah Palin, and wish her well. I would vote for Palin if Obama is the other choice. What I am is playing devil’s advocate, an obviously thankless task. She, and other “conservatives” have demonstrated an abysmal ability to counter the national liberal attack machine. She was not prepared with Charles Gibson, she was NOT prepared with Katie Couric. I don’t give a flying rat’s ass how much “video editing trickery” those two media goons used to “make her look bad.” If she had the skills, knowledge and confidence during those interviews, it would have come across despite heavy media editing. She did not demonstrate those skils or that knowledge, or that confidence.

“”"”"Does she not know a lot about the State Department’s view of the world? Well, if not, that is a good thing.”"”"”

Are you kidding me? She damned well better know what the State Department’s views are, and also those of the CIA, because those insidious, treacherous organizations are something she would have to deal with, and it would be nice to have a President whoc can bring those saboteurs to heel. Lord knows Bush didn’t. She better know that Washington’s bureaucracy views Republican administrations as occupiers, and Democrat ones as liberators. She better understand, and put in her staff others who understand that, and are ready to fight it effectively. I’m not asking her to become a Washington insider, or to be “sophisticated,” or blend in with the elite. I want her to be who she is with a much bigger arsenal of knowledge and experience than she currently has. And what the hell is wrong with wanting presidential wannabees to NOT flit about from one venue to another? I don’t care that that seems to be the new paradigm for modern national-level politicians. I’m happy that she has accomplished a lot in her 2 1/2 years, but I for one, would like to continue accomplishing in a governing venue. I’m tired of celebrity-politicians treating national governance as a big toy to aggrandize themselves, and us people as a commodity, and frankly, if Sarah Palin is one of those who wants to float into the White House with a lot of smiles, promises and charisma, then she is merely part of the problem, and not a solution.

She is deficient in certain regards, ladies and gentlemen, and you folks are deluded if you think this can be glossed over.

Jul 6, 2009 - 12:44 pm 214. buddy larsen:

presby/207; good lord, yes,yes yes yes there is a public trail.

Jul 6, 2009 - 1:29 pm 215. davidt:

If you read her statement concerning her resignation, Palin resigned the Governorship of Alaska primarily because her being Governor was harming Alaska, through no fault of her own. The political attacks upon her were costing the state millions of dollars and occupying most of her and her staff’s time and effort.

Palin loved serving the people of Alaska as Governor. Giving that up in order to best serve her constituency demonstrates real character, dare I say Presidential character.

Jul 6, 2009 - 2:05 pm 216. veracious:

It’s clear to me that the current crop of politicians and their political parties are defunct. If there are no man leaders who are not sportified, entertainified, toyified, purchased, nullified and/or wuzzified, then I support a woman who can set a sane _course_ -duh. Especially one that comes out swinging against the twisted filth and outright lies and liars, MSM inc.
…
Real leaders don’t allow the torture of truth and law and character and righteousness. They defend it, to the death if need be. This is especially true in a political debate or news conference.

For me and my family, welcome Margaret Thatcher II.

Jul 6, 2009 - 2:19 pm 217. David S:

@194. bogie wheel:

“David S”’s claim of a “frantic and confused GOP response” basically proves he didn’t even bother to start reading this thread. He just monkey-scampered up to the Clubhouse, dropped the flaming bag of dogpoop, rang the doorbell, and ran.

Oh, really? Because “frantic and confused” seems to pretty much sum up what I saw here and elsewhere on the web. Palin supporters are frantic to defend her, and the rest of the GOP is confused about why she would do this, and what she intends to do with herself.

You stay classy, Dems.

Yeah, after you brought your scatalogical interpretation to bear, you have every right to mock me for being “classy”. One thing that you sure can’t claim to be. My comment came late in the thread because I was actually enjoying the holiday, and the evident desperation as the comment thread wore on.

(And why bother with the thinner-than-used-tissue veil of a “Peace” sign-off? The left doesn’t stand for peace … just victory for the anti-American side.)

I use a “Peace” sign-off on all my PJM posts. You must be new here. You can define the “left” in whatever terms you want – heck, you can do the same with “peace” – but you can’t deny the sentiment expressed. If you think advocating “peace” is the same as supporting “victory for the anti-American side”, you have a very twisted vision of America’s place in the world. As long as you think war is the answer, I will keep my sign-off, thanks.

Peace.

DS

Jul 6, 2009 - 2:21 pm 218. buddy larsen:

David S, you should quit worrying about yourself. The real problem is the attitude you represent –it’s going to get us into a war. Your frame, your line of thinking, is as old as humanity, and whenever it reaches critical mass, people start dying wholesale. Refresh yourself on the history –read the material. Your peace sign-off is a war sign-off –THAT’s why the ire. It ain’t personal.

Jul 6, 2009 - 2:38 pm 219. David S:

@218. buddy larsen:

David S, you should quit worrying about yourself. The real problem is the attitude you represent –it’s going to get us into a war.

I’d love for you to explain how my attitude could get us into a war. This should be very enlightening.

Your frame, your line of thinking, is as old as humanity, and whenever it reaches critical mass, people start dying wholesale.

Really? Seems to me you’ve simply confused perfection with improvement. I believe that humans can and should strive for continuous improvement. Apparently you have a more cynical view of the human condition.

Refresh yourself on the history –read the material. Your peace sign-off is a war sign-off –THAT’s why the ire. It ain’t personal.

Simply asserting that black is white does not make it so, buddy. My peace sign-off is a peace sign-off. I often get a response of “war” on this board – for some reason the idea of peace is threatening to some folks here. Odd, considering that most claim allegiance to the “prince of peace” himself.

But if you can’t handle it, just avert your eyes.

Peace.

DS

Jul 6, 2009 - 2:51 pm 220. AWH:

David S. is a lefty troll. He’s probably assigned to this site and his rotation came up again today. Look at his blog to figure out what he’s all about. All of the lefty talking points are there in full display, I searched but didn’t manage to find an original thought anywhere on the site. It hardly matters if he’s being paid to troll here or not, either way he’s too stupid to make a difference in a real debate. Hence the incredibly shallow “Peace” as a sign off.

If Palin is such a boon for lefties, how come you can’t stop talking about her. If she was the perfect candidate for your side to beat, you’d ignore her and hope she won. But, I’m sure I’m wasting my time with logic. Anyone who thinks that Christian Fundamentalists in the US have anything in common with Fundamentalists in Iran is too stupid to use logic. In reality the threat to our republic is idiots for whom a statement of “Peace” suffices for taking the steps necessary to actually maintain that peace.

Jul 6, 2009 - 3:03 pm 221. buddy larsen:

Not your attitude personally, David S. Heck, i don’t even know you. It’s ‘you’ en masse. For example, the lampoon of a religion –or as here, Jesus –via a symbol which experience teaches is in practice almost always a proud boast of hypocrisy dressed up in n accusation (such as a dichotomy of ‘perfection’ and ‘improvement’), has gotten so familiar that many have little patience with it. Anybody, anybody that can spell the word could also use it, and would, if all they were after when they engage on these topics is an inexpensive ride on a high horse.

Jul 6, 2009 - 3:22 pm 222. David S:

@220. AWH:

David S. is a lefty troll.

Pleased to meet you, too.

It hardly matters if he’s being paid to troll here or not, either way he’s too stupid to make a difference in a real debate.

For the record, I’m not being paid, other than any revenue that might come from my blog (fat chance, I know). Denigrating my intelligence is hardly “a real debate”. Aside from proving your own ignorance, did you have a point?

If Palin is such a boon for lefties, how come you can’t stop talking about her. If she was the perfect candidate for your side to beat, you’d ignore her and hope she won.

Do you not understand what a “boon” is? “Something helpful or beneficial” – that’s why the left can’t stop talking about her. She is the perfect candidate for the left to counter – she does most of the work herself. Ignoring her won’t help her to keep up the pace. The left needs her to be front page and center to make sure Romney, Huckabee, et al, don’t achieve significant inroads. It’s completely logical, and Palin makes herself such an attractive and high-profile target, it’s irresistible as well.

But, I’m sure I’m wasting my time with logic. Anyone who thinks that Christian Fundamentalists in the US have anything in common with Fundamentalists in Iran is too stupid to use logic.

Yeah, I suppose the fact that they both believe in the same holy texts as the original basis for their religious belief in divine revelation doesn’t indicate anything in common. To draw such a conclusion surely would indicate stupidity. You can’t see that there are at least a few things in common between the philosophies that support both of these strains of religion? A belief in the divine origin of the Old Testament is a pretty big thing to have in common, IMHO. Parallel political and military aspirations are just icing on the cake.

In reality the threat to our republic is idiots for whom a statement of “Peace” suffices for taking the steps necessary to actually maintain that peace.

Helping folks understand the nature of their delusions is a large part of making peace. If you can’t even see the obvious, undeniable common elements in Fundamentalist Christianity and Islam, you truly are going to be a difficult case.

Peace.

DS

Jul 6, 2009 - 3:32 pm 223. buddy larsen:

David S, i think it’s *you* having trouble with ‘boon’. Reread the comment. If she is a ‘boon’ clearly it’s because she helps her opponents –not the other way around, which is of course, unbeknownst to you, precisely what is happening.

Jul 6, 2009 - 3:39 pm 224. NahnCee:

boon
loon
tune
june
spoon
croon

David S. is one of the above.

Jul 6, 2009 - 4:01 pm 225. David S:

@223. buddy larsen:

Tell me what you think the numbers say.

There is room for different interpretations, but the conviction that Palin has any chance of attaining national office is a symptom of rose colored glasses.

But don’t let me disabuse you of your notions regarding Palin. Firmly convinced of her viability you will expend much effort that might have gone into a potentially successful candidacy instead. I wouldn’t want that. Forget I said anything…

Peace.

DS

PS – Palin would do the GOP a huge favor if she became invisible. She plays well to the base, but the base is not where the GOP is in trouble. Just sayin’

Jul 6, 2009 - 5:48 pm 226. presbypoet:

re 207 & 214
Buddy,
If there is a trail of who drove up the price of oil, why isn’t it open knowledge in the sane blogsphere. We need to know. It is vital we know who did it, and where we can get the pitchforks.

A note on peace.
Belonging to a denomination heavily contaminated with Liberal-christians, (not quite the same as liberals, tho many are both, and attending a Jesuit run church that still reeks of liberation theology, it is clear that this religion is sure Jesus was a pacifist. It ignores his tossing out the moneychangers, and tries to ignore the O.T. It is interesting how similar is the theology of peace and justice priests and liberal Presbyterian ministers. It has led me to understand they follow the same religion, a religion that worships pacifism, “peace” and “justice”, the “teachings” of Jesus.

When you are sure you must be a pacifist, you are against guns, police, military, and “peace through strength”. That pacifistic cult informs the political liberal focus, by bringing that theology into it’s world view. In the same way evangelical Christians bring their Christian view into their politics, Liberal-christians do the same. What is interesting is how many non-christian liberals don’t realize much of their world view is liberal-christian theology.

Jul 6, 2009 - 6:52 pm 227. peterike:

David Stupid: Yeah, I suppose the fact that they both believe in the same holy texts as the original basis for their religious belief in divine revelation doesn’t indicate anything in common. To draw such a conclusion surely would indicate stupidity. You can’t see that there are at least a few things in common between the philosophies that support both of these strains of religion? A belief in the divine origin of the Old Testament is a pretty big thing to have in common, IMHO. Parallel political and military aspirations are just icing on the cake.

Wow. Just wow. The mind reels. I love when the stunningly ignorant comport themselves as a vortex of crystalline insight. I do find it amusing.

Dave dude, take the next slow boat to Iran and go have that little conversation with the Mullahs. See how that goes, why don’t cha?

Meanwhile, on Sarah P, what this guy says:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/07/sarah_palin_the_best_is_yet_to.html

And here’s a sign off you might want to consider Dave old bean…

Liberty!

Jul 6, 2009 - 7:43 pm 228. buddy larsen:

Presby, it’s pretty intricate. A good place to start is, read the biography section of the wiki on Gary Gensler. It’s after 11pm here & i’m not up to the effort to lay this all out –it takes some words. You had mentioned california, it occus that the Americanthinker site ref’d above has somme things you should read, too –re Golden West & Wachovia & Soros & Dick Fuld. I know, none of this is oil, but it locates the path foryou. The PERAB has a half dozen of the folks who cooked up the idea, pay attention to Donaldson, Lufkin, Jeanrette and UBS, as well as the financial legislation, all of the yr 2000. these things off the top of my head will set a stage where you will see, this whole thing has been people –people doing two things at once, two complementary things, 1) electing a cadidate via showing up capitalism by exploiting its freedoms past the natural sustainable zone of endeavor (where the control is a market loop that punishes extreme behaviour –ie, the now scoffed, ‘let the market control itself’ –which it cannot do in the short run faced with a well-set-up Cloward-Piven attack), and 2) getting unholy rich in that short-run (the otc derivatives –see gensler’s bio –gensler, the new head financial regulator for the O, who now proposes new rules to halt the things his own old rules put into motion), all the while smearing the capiltalist system into a crescendo timed to the election. The perfect blow-off, and global, continental, generational to boot. remember the the one eyed king –you can trade an eye for both your rival’s –and be king.

Pay attention to who put who where in the SEC and FINRA, and where they are now (hint PERAB). Who set up the flood of max-lev MBS in Europe in the two years before the election. and of course the Fan Fred MBS generator. oh, it’s beautiful, how it worked. how it’s working.

Oh, and read this interview –it’s as frank as Mein Kampf, another item that was ignored as too nutty to take seriously.

Scan the last year of archives at that American Thinker site –some very interesting mtrl there.
Read the Mitchell Report at deepcapture.com
Read the essays on international energy via ref’s to same in the titles at the JR Nyquist site.

I’m just scratching the surface here. Legal financial crime, a novel concept in itself, has cascaded over illegal financial crime and has practically made it too insignificant to much worry with. And what is ‘legal crime’? Well, friend, we’re all in school right now, and are all being taught it. When we are broke enough and docile enough, we’ll graduate, and hit the salt mines.

David S –great –i’m glad you caught on –the more you rag on her, the more others will love her, so the reciprocal must be as true; the way for you to really hurt her is to praise her. I yam so happy to have you on the team now, I’m gonna follow your egg sample and start signing off with my own infinitely moral word.

Food.

Jul 6, 2009 - 10:18 pm 229. Thomas Jackson:

The amount of time the Left spends attacking her and the increasing volume demonstrates how much they fear her. Has any Republican been attacked the way she has ever?

On the other side of the coin the perversity and venom of the LObamanazi attacks demonstrate their true nature and level of civility.

Seldom has a movement stooped to such levels. There is no limit to the bottom of the Left’s sceptic tank and they intend to plunge to the very bottom.

Just listen to Liz Trotter’s incoherent and rabid braying on Fox to see how unhinged the Left is.

Jul 6, 2009 - 11:06 pm 230. Gary Rosen:

“but you can’t deny the sentiment expressed”

Sure we can. It signifies what an insufferably pompous self-righteous ass you are. By the way, what exactly did BO accomplish in his adult life prior to November 2008 that was greater than Palin?

Jul 7, 2009 - 12:11 am 231. buddy larsen:

Right, Gary. The sentiment expressed is undeniable –just as presby was complaining about just above, re the peaceful Protestants. Lovely sentiment which can’t be denied, but which is unfortunately wholly irrelevant to one’s skull while it is being split asunder by some unsentimental cossack or jihadi.

Water.

Jul 7, 2009 - 12:45 am 232. buddy larsen:

“Tell me what you think the numbers say”

July 7, 2009
GALLUP: Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say their views have grown more conservative. “Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven’t changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.” Hmm. Can this be true?
Posted at 3:34 am by Glenn Reynolds

Virtue.

Jul 7, 2009 - 12:56 am 233. David S:

@232. buddy larsen:

The Democratic Party is the one with ideological balance – you can find plenty of conservative, moderate and liberal voices in the big tent. The GOP, on the other hand, has been seeking ideological purity, and has almost completely alienated anyone outside the “conservative” box.

If you think 4 in 10 voters is enough to win elections, more power to you!

Peace.

DS

PS – Looking at longer-term trends will give you a little better perspective.

“So far in 2009, aggregated Gallup Poll data show the divide on leaned party identification is 53% Democratic and 39% Republican — a marked change from 2001, when the parties were evenly matched, according to an average of all of that year’s Gallup Polls. That represents a loss of five points for the Republicans and a gain of eight points for the Democrats.”

Jul 7, 2009 - 7:02 am 234. AWH:

David S.

The problem you have is that your president’s policies are immensely unpopular. It is only a matter of time before those policies are attached to his own personal polls (IMO this is the reason for the rapid change he has proposed, he needs to get things into place before people realize his true ideology and his popularity reflects their opinion of his ideology). Your congress already has historically low approval ratings, and in the coming elections you won’t have a situation where 57% of Obama voters think that the Republicans control congress.

The above poll shows only that the country becomes more conservative AFTER the elections are finished and the liberals stop pretending to be “moderate” (i.e., after they stop lying).

Again, they key point here is this: you aren’t here to change our minds, because you haven’t given us a substantive argument on any of these questions. Instead, you’re here giving us advice out of the goodness of your heart — specifically, that we shouldn’t support Sarah Palin, because? because? it’s for our own good, not yours? … yeah, right. (is there something in your morning talking points instructions that can explain that?.. I suspect not)

Jul 7, 2009 - 7:13 am 235. Neil Craig:

A point I didn’t realis because I am in Britain where holidays are different – she made this announcement on Labor Day weekend which just happens to be the day that would give opposing politicians least chance to make use of it. From now on all the options are hers & she can initiate every move. Now the MSM theory is correct she is a pretty little airhead, driven insane, probably by one of these women’s things that come round every month & clearly make the little dears incapable of anything outside the kitchen.

What are the odds of this “breakdown” happening exactly on probably the most useful day of the year? Because obviously, unless she is a very smart operator indeed, that is a pure coincidence.

Jul 7, 2009 - 7:40 am 236. David S:

@234. AWH:

“The problem you have is that your president’s policies are immensely unpopular.”

Your argument depends on a false premise. Obama’s genius so far has been to let congress craft legislation – his policy priorities are broad and enjoy similarly broad support, and by not advancing specific proposals, he makes no untoward commitments. Every one of his broad policy initiatives enjoys support from a majority of Americans – to claim Obama’s “policies are immensely unpopular” is not just overstating the case, it is a counterfactual narrative.

“Your congress already has historically low approval ratings, and in the coming elections you won’t have a situation where 57% of Obama voters think that the Republicans control congress.”

Congress had much worse approval ratings last year. Climbing back from 14% approval just a year ago is not an easy task, but so far the Democrats are doing a pretty good job under the circumstances.

“Again, they key point here is this: you aren’t here to change our minds, because you haven’t given us a substantive argument on any of these questions.”

You didn’t pose any questions. I’ve provided a substantive and well-cited argument that explains why Palin is not viable as a national candidate, and demonstrated that your arguments regarding Obama’s and Congress’ popularity are self-deception at best. I may not change your mind, but there are some here who still have the capacity to open their mind – and even if I reach just one person, that’s progress.

“Instead, you’re here giving us advice out of the goodness of your heart — specifically, that we shouldn’t support Sarah Palin, because? because? it’s for our own good, not yours? … yeah, right. (is there something in your morning talking points instructions that can explain that?.. I suspect not)”

Yes, I really am here sharing my perspective out of the goodness of my heart – hard as that may be for you to believe. You should support Palin if you think that is the right choice for you – but keep in mind that she’s got a pretty solid track record as a quitter. I think this country is at its best when both parties are relatively healthy. Palin’s prominence in the GOP is a very bad sign for the Republican brand, especially given the complete lack of interest in policy shown by the GOP so far this year.

I’m not telling anybody what to do – you can throw your support to whomever you choose – but blindly supporting Palin is flogging a dead horse, and nobody likes that kind of spectacle. Just thought you should know what it looks like to those of us who live outside the red fog.

Peace.

DS

Jul 7, 2009 - 8:05 am 237. buddy larsen:

Thanks for the helping hand, David S –appreciate the altruism, and hope to return the favor someday.

Raw Materials.

BL

Jul 7, 2009 - 10:33 am 238. Gary Ogletree:

The lady who draws the crowds deals the cards this time. Free to come and go, to pick and choose. It’s Gen. Palin now and the fight is for the survival of our country.

Jul 7, 2009 - 2:33 pm 239. presbypoet:

This talk of Palin as quitter, got me to thinking of battle, and the indirect approach. The unimaginative sees the enemy and charges ahead into their guns. We have Fredricksburg, and the western front of WWI. The creative general sees the enemy, and sees how to strike their flank.

Grant at Vicksburg left his supply line, and struck into the heart of Mississippi to come at Vicksburg from the east. I see Palin abandoning her “supply line”, to strike into the flank of her/our enemy. As long as she was tied to the governorship, she was like Grant tied to the river. It was only by taking the risk, that she like Grant can win a decisive victory.

A politician, tied to elective office cannot understand why someone would discard such a prize. For she, not impressed by the trinkets of authority, can open her hand to escape the monkey paw trap.

This is not the first time she has done something like this. Her resigning from the commission, striking out into “wilderness” to take on the Republican party in Alaska & run for governor was a similar decision.

Jul 7, 2009 - 4:00 pm 240. Al_Batross:

“by not advancing specific proposals, he makes no untoward commitments” David S@236

That may be ok, until a harsh reality check arrives from somewhere, and decisive action is called for.

Jul 7, 2009 - 4:28 pm

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