Patterico's Pontifications

11/26/2010

Palin Reacts to Mocking of Her Korea Comments by Mocking Obama

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 10:33 am



On Wednesday, Sarah Palin was interviewed by Glenn Beck and made a reference to our North Korean allies. Beck quickly corrected her, and the effect was that of a slip of the tongue rather than someone who didn’t know the difference. Several liberal outlets quickly and predictably jumped down her throat.

Now she comes out on her Facebook page with a guns-blazing response. Her post is titled A Thanksgiving Message to All 57 States

My fellow Americans in all 57 states, the time has changed for come. With our country founded more than 20 centuries ago, we have much to celebrate – from the FBI’s 100 days to the reforms that bring greater inefficiencies to our health care system. We know that countries like Europe are willing to stand with us in our fight to halt the rise of privacy, and Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s. And let’s face it, everybody knows that it makes no sense that you send a kid to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma and they end up taking up a hospital bed. It costs, when, if you, they just gave, you gave them treatment early, and they got some treatment, and ah, a breathalyzer, or an inhalator. I mean, not a breathalyzer, ah, I don’t know what the term is in Austrian for that …

You’ll have to go to Palin’s entry for the various links, but you have no doubt guessed what she’s doing: amassing a comprehensive collection of silly-sounding Obama gaffes.

It’s a righteous slam, and I hate to harsh the effect with criticism — but she quickly segues to a dissertation about the double standard at work. It’s a valid point, but comes off sounding whiny.

This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say she has a poor way of reacting to criticism. It’s a perfect opportunity to react with pure humor — and she starts well but finishes weak.

That said, click the link and enjoy a few minutes of Obama gaffes. Bookmark it for the next time someone tells you Bush or Palin are uniquely prone to verbal missteps.
 

191 Responses to “Palin Reacts to Mocking of Her Korea Comments by Mocking Obama”

  1. “It’s a valid point, but comes off sounding whiny.”

    Meh, given the fuss the left made about her one word slip of the tongue, which she corrected, I think it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  2. Sarah Palin called President Obama “a big pussy” after he pardoned two turkeys on Wednesday……SHOCKING story at:

    http://spnheadlines.blogspot.com/2010/11/palin-obama-weak-on-crime.html

    Peace! 🙂

    Al Dente (9dfaae)

  3. There is a fine art to knowing precisely when one has said enough to make their point undeniably clear. The vast majority of people overdo it and blather on which unfortunately can cause their main point to get lost in all the superfluous verbiage.

    With that, good for Palin for pushing back. However, I believe she should have stopped after the first paragraph that highlights and links to Obama’s verbal gaffes and misstatements. It was clear, effective, made the point, and no further attack/explanation was necessary. The beauty of laser-like subtlety is underrated. I wish she would delete everything that followed the first paragraph.

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  4. Me, too, Dana. The danger to anyone in the public eye is that they can believe their own PR flacks. That is certainly a problem with POTUS.

    At least GWB didn’t care what people thought. That is independent of policy.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  5. Gaps in her knowledge – Fox News

    For a true display of illiteracy, see here

    ajb (c2726a)

  6. She’s pretty thin-skinned for someone who’s constantly purporting to be a badass.

    Leviticus (81d4a2)

  7. Well no, Dana, because it is not enough to ridicule the buffoon in the White House, but point up the bonafides that the SRM ‘unexpectedly’ forgot to bring up, She learned from the campaign that a good offense is the only proper defense.

    narciso (9d0688)

  8. And the fool ajb, ‘removes all doubt’ by citing the
    now debunked Gorlin claim

    narciso (9d0688)

  9. …(here I go blathering on, but…) It occurs to me, too, that by keeping just the first para, she would have given her readers the benefit of the doubt. Her supporters would have known precisely what she was talking about and would have been on the inside joke. The media that reads her FB Notes (and we all know they do!), would have also gotten it, and been put on the defensive by the nicely targeted subtle jab.

    It makes me nuts she is consistently allowing herself to be put on the defensive, instead of assuming a position of power and control by going on offense.

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  10. Eh, apologies for out of control commas…

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  11. I think, Dana, that she is just emulating POTUS in this area. Like Dennis Miller said, it isn’t the color of BHO’s skin that is of concern, but the thinness of it.

    She should be better.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  12. She’s going to force the GOP to pick a Presidential candidate to front run pretty quickly… and she is going use her fan base to shape who they choose

    SteveG (cc5dc9)

  13. Meh, given the fuss the left made about her one word slip of the tongue, which she corrected, I think it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny.

    I think it’s whiny to say it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny.

    Anyway, we all know you’re just disagreeing with me to prove to Torquemada that we’re different people.

    I understand the temptation to get whiny when unfairly attacked; I succumb to it myself far too often. But it’s a rhetorical mistake and it’s becoming habitual for her.

    Still, it’s a great collection of links.

    Patterico (43506f)

  14. I would be happy to go for a week without a demand for attention from either Obama or Palin. They’ve becometwo sides of the same coin.

    MayBee (138edc)

  15. Palin loves herself some killin’

    ajb (c2726a)

  16. Patterico, I think that Palin is reacting to the very clear bias that she has experienced at the hands of the press. Hence the overkill.

    What she needs is someone who is a seasoned advisor who will not be afraid to tell her “less is more.”

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  17. Well we can always rely on the wit and wisdom of Joe Biden, or Harry Reid, John Kerry, Janet Napolitano, Eric Holder, Stephen Chu, Ken Salazar you know the ones who actually have power to determine the future of our lives, our fortunes,
    who have only been partially checked.

    narciso (9d0688)

  18. MayBee—isn’t that something right out of Greek mythology: to become like the people you claim to detest?

    But you are right. They both are getting thin-skinned, at least in little media snippets. All we see is Short Attention Span Theatre about politicians these days.

    And that is a nonpartisan issue.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  19. Reminder #1 (in perhaps a series) why the less than perfect candidate is unacceptable:

    1. Never, ever, make a verbal gaffe. Your opponents will never let you live it down, your allies will always disagree on how you tried to weather it. After the discussion on whether you pushed back too hard or not enough, you will be criticized on the tone and extent of your (too hard or too soft) pushback. Remember too, that a brief reference rather than extended discussion is always best, except for the voters who didn’t get the brief reference; then, you have the choice of ignoring those who “didn’t get it” or to give a fuller explanation. Either way, those who “got it” will complain, and those who “didn’t” will be split between thinking you are condescending by giving an explanation and those who think you are being elitist if you don’t. At some point during or after the extended discussion on how the gaffe was handled, it will be pointed out how good it would have been to not make the gaffe in the first place. If you counter with, “Sorry, everyone makes gaffes”, everyone will roll their eyes (roll your eyes, everyone) and say, “but not that bad”. Whatever you do, never engage this, for no matter how you answer it you will be called petty and thin skinned.

    So, just remember, you must be perfect, or have a delusional mass media working on your side.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  20. Meh, given the fuss the left made about her one word slip of the tongue, which she corrected, I think it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny.

    I concur.

    Topsecretk9 (ab69ad)

  21. Whiny? C’mon. You can see her rolling her eyes and winking thruout. Sarah doesn’t do politics the way “it has always been done,” and that drives the left, the media lapdogs, and apparently many here, crazy. For the rest of us, it is refreshing to see someone take on all comers and show them for the snarky, elitist, or old school mealy-mouthed back stabbers they are. Go Sarah!

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  22. “6.She’s pretty thin-skinned for someone who’s constantly purporting to be a badass”

    I think a better handle for you, boitoi, would be “My Struggle”.

    gary gulrud (790d43)

  23. Palin thin skinned? She just kicked the LSM’s butt with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.

    Read some of the blogs and media that have been making hay over why her tongue slip on Korea “proves” she is “too stupid” to be President.

    I’ve seen bloggers run half a page over something someone said about them that was unfair and untrue and that’s not justiably considered whiny. Haven’t you? (cough)

    This was a brilliant response by the smartest candidate in the race. It’s time more of the other smart people acknowledged that without a backhanded whine attached to it. 🙂

    DaMav (6ab8ce)

  24. “I think a better handle for you, boitoi, would be “My Struggle”.”

    – gary galrud

    I don’t get it. Maybe you are old.

    Leviticus (81d4a2)

  25. “It’s a valid point, but comes off sounding whiny.”

    Meh, given the fuss the left made about her one word slip of the tongue, which she corrected, I think it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny

    ….I think it’s whiny to say it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny

    “..I think it’s whiny to say she sounds whiny.”
    I concur

    I think it’s whiny [(to say it’s whiny) ad infinitum] to say she sounds whiny.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  26. I find it amusing that people feel qualified to give her advice, including Patterico. She has endured far more slings and arrows than she has returned.

    IMO, she has two objectives: to return the country to constitutional conservatism and to shame the mainstream media into getting back to some semblance of journalistic integrity.

    Just like she said when she resigned, “if she dies, she dies”. She may lose a few battles, but she’ll continue to fight the war even if it doesn’t end up in the White House.

    RefudiateObama2012 (f82fbb)

  27. Sarah Palin is absolutely great in some ways. Her beliefs are the right ones, her attitude is great, she has charisma and looks great. But whether fair or not, her opponents have been successful in defining her public image.

    On Fox & Friends this morning, the hosts were noting President Obama’s dropping poll numbers among different groups, and how his re-election numbers were pretty bad at this point. But they also noted that, when polled against former Governor Palin, he wins in a landslide.

    If Mrs Palin is our nominee two years from now, she’ll win most of the Republican vote, but the odds are that she’ll bomb with independents, and we can’t win without them.

    I have no doubt that she’d be a better President than Barack Hussein Obama, but I sure can’t see her as a better presidential candidate than Mr Obama. And you have to be the better candidate before you get a chance to be the better president.

    The Dana who likes Sarah Palin, but who thinks she'd be a disaster as a presidential nominee (bd7e62)

  28. She’s pretty thin-skinned for someone who’s constantly purporting to be a badass.

    Comment by Leviticus — 11/26/2010 @ 11:01 am

    I think you bring up an interesting point: It seems that *any* reaction Palin has toward those who attack her is automatically perceived as more evidence she is thin-skinned.

    So what would have been a more appropriate or effective response, or is it best that she ignore these? And if she ignores them, does she then risk being labeled afraid, wimping out, unsure of herself, or worse, clueless?

    On one hand, the natural inclination is to defend; on the other hand, too much defense apparently gives the appearance of thin-skinned. Is it a no-win for her because she is…Palin?

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  29. She’s pretty thin-skinned for someone who’s constantly purporting to be a badass.

    You know a lot her for somebody who claims she’s irrelevant.

    Jim Treacher (e041de)

  30. I wonder how winking polls.

    MayBee (138edc)

  31. I think it’s whiny [(to say it’s whiny) ad infinitum] to say she sounds whiny.

    Infinity plus one no takebacks.

    Patterico (43506f)

  32. …Is it a no-win for her because she is…Palin?…

    Do you even need to ask, Dana?

    That’s the source of the frustration.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  33. How is the leg, Mr. Treacher? Great to see you post, and I enjoy reading your comments over at TDC.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  34. If you want to see Sarah Palin as a presidential candidate, you need look no further than Christine O’Donnell as a senatorial candidate. In a strongly Republican year, a Republican candidate who had positions most conservatives and a majority of the independents approved in the last election got absolutely destroyed by a lackluster Democratic nominee because the Democrats successfully defined Miss O’Donnell as a whacko. It didn’t help that Miss O’Donnell really was a whacko!

    That’s where Mrs Palin is today: an opposition-defined whacko, who does all sorts of things to confirm the image of herself as someone wholly unserious and un-presidentibili: doing “reality” shows, a daughter on Dancing With The Stars, anything to do with Levi Johnston (admittedly out of her control). Everything she does to make money goes right, but everything she does to depict herself as a reasonable candidate goes wrong.

    The Dana who wishes this wasn't the case (bd7e62)

  35. She’s tied with Obama on Zogby and trails by single digits per the top pollsters. Where’s the ‘landslide’?

    Making up a single digit difference in two years is hardly an insurmountable challenge. It’s worthy of consideration as we move into candidate selection but ought not be overweighted.

    After all, two years out from 2008 the experts, insiders, and top pollsters were in near consensus that Hillary was on her way in a cakewalk.

    DaMav (6ab8ce)

  36. Is it a no-win for her because she is…Palin?

    I’m not sure how to think of that question.
    She gets a lot of criticism (too much!) because she is Palin.
    She gets a lot of attention (too much?) because she is Palin.

    As someone who neither loves nor loathes her, I find it more exhausting than anything.

    MayBee (138edc)

  37. The much better looking Dana asked:

    Is it a no-win for her because she is…Palin?

    Yup! Might not be fair, but it is still true.

    The realistic Dana (bd7e62)

  38. Heh. MayBee, exhausting it is. She makes us all whiny!

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  39. Thanks, Eric. Knee’s not great and I’m waiting to hear when my second surgery is going to be. But it’s been such a great November that it’s really lifted my spirits.

    As for reality shows… how unpresidential! Now if you’lll excuse me, I gotta set my Tivo to record Obama on Mythbusters.

    Jim Treacher (e041de)

  40. I’m actually trying to help, folks — not that it’s likely that she’ll see my comments, but it’s intended as constructive criticism.

    It’s a simple fact of rhetorical technique that responding to a gaffe like this by making light of it is more effective. She gets off to a good start and then lets the bitterness creep in. Works for her fans, as virtually any approach would. Won’t work with people who don’t already love her.

    We can’t expect rhetorical perfection from every candidate. A Ronald Reagan (or on the Dem side, a JFK) comes along once in a long while. But Palin could improve, I think. I say this as someone who expects her to win the nomination, and wants her to win if she does.

    Patterico (43506f)

  41. Didn’t we just find out that members of a recent presidential administration regretted – no, admitted error in not responding to the lies and slanders of the Left and MSM (sorry about repeating myself)?

    And this after many in the non-Left complained during those years about how that same administration needed to respond to those same lies and slanders?

    Humph… Ms Palin does respond and that’s good, but she does it wrongly. And so now she’s whiny… Man, that girl can not win for losing.

    jdm (2dcb0b)

  42. Let’s look over the last period of Republican hegemony, in an electoral landscape that was almost Boschian for Democrats in ’68, Nixon barely squeaked through, as a result he had to negotiate down any conservative principles, before the Democratic house. He did better in ’72 against McGovern, but they found a way to check it. Ford was a well meaning sort, but he acquiesced to readily to the Democrats, a lesson his aides, Cheney and Rumsfeld took to heart, in the future.

    Reagan was the gold standard, maybe Baker, Connally, could have won, but it would have been a very status quo election, Bush basically ‘refudiated’ the Reagan method in ’88, hence leading us to Clinton, and W, despite having voiced the soothing tones of compassionate conservatism, nearly had the 2000 election stolen from him. McCain had he won, would have been HW redux in many ways, although there would have beena stronger counterweight out of the Naval Observatory,

    narciso (9d0688)

  43. I think she should invite her critics to go fishing with her.
    They could be the “bear bait”.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  44. Patterico, you know what is interesting to me? That most of us can come up with strategies that make more sense than her advisors give her.

    So what are the job requirements to be a political advisor?

    I want people running things to be smarter than I am about politics. And I’m not seeing it anywhere right now.

    Maybe I’m even less smart than I feel.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  45. Comment by Dana — 11/26/2010 @ 11:49 am

    GW ignored the attacks upon his person, and what did that get him?
    The Sarahcuda is not following that route.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  46. Comment by Eric Blair — 11/26/2010 @ 12:24 pm

    Do we even know if she has, in fact, political advisors?

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  47. GW ignored the attacks upon his person, and what did that get him?

    Currently, it is serving him well. He is not in office, notrunning for anything, and has a best selling book. Much like Sarah Palin.
    At this point, any attention either of them draws to themselves is completely optional. Palin has made the choice to draw a lot of attention to herself.

    MayBee (138edc)

  48. If you read the Draper piece, in the times, you wouldn’t ask a question like that, for general
    data she has RAM, a 36 year old former scriptwriter
    and keeper of the C4P blog, on foreign policy she
    has Schueneman, the McCain staffer who defended her in the blizzard of lies orchestrated by Schmidt and Wallace, in economic questions, she has recently signed up a Dutch journalist, Livestro, who I have been in contact with, and a few others

    narciso (9d0688)

  49. I was going to note that ajb/AJB eats its own boogers, but it seems superfluous. Make the palin go away, please.

    JD (109425)

  50. Reagan never whined about the press. He just made fun of them, “There you go again.”

    The media bias is a given and we just need to deal with it. The world is not fair.

    She needs some so called gravitas if she is to be taken seriously as a candidate for higher office.

    Arizona Bob (f57a20)

  51. I thought the explanation was unnecessary, too, until I read some of the comments on that posting. Some of them are apparently under the impression that the mistakes are hers, in spite of the explanation that follows them. The explanation may be necessary to prevent another headline about her “stupidity.” When you know they’ll take any opportunity to disparage you, it seems to me better to make it clear what you’re doing. It disgusts me that it’s necessary, but we’ve seen too many examples to ignore the possibility.

    Dave v. (74a89d)

  52. What is gravitas, accepting the cap n trade scam, equating critics of the GZ Mosque and the jihadist
    fellow travellers, maybe acquiescing to the UAW’s
    looting of pensions in a certain state

    narciso (9d0688)

  53. How did Sarah fit that whole Facebook post on her hand?

    /sarc

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  54. __________________________________________

    This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say she has a poor way of reacting to criticism.

    In general terms, Palin also has too much of the outer quality of a happy-talk newscaster (which, after all, was her former line of work) or reality-show celebrity, so that gives more than a few people pause.

    Nonetheless, I’d have a million times more confidence in her in the Oval Office than the current occupant (aka Mr. “Goddamn America”). But my sentiments and those of a large variety of other people in this country apparently don’t mesh. So I hope Palin remains a needler of the left, but ultimately in 2012 chooses to be an opinion-shaper and rightist promoter from the sidelines.

    Mark (3e3a7c)

  55. “You know a lot [about] her for somebody who claims she’s irrelevant.”

    – Jim Treacher

    Where did I say she was irrelevant? I think she’s highly relevant; I just happen to think she’s somewhat unintelligent and thin-skinned.

    Leviticus (81d4a2)

  56. Reagan never whined about the press. He just made fun of them, “There you go again.”

    Yes, and he was able to scold and dismiss the press without seeming to ever take their accusations, etc, personally.

    Palin seems to take everything re the press, personally – whether justified or not (because it doesn’t matter). It seems that’s where she stumbles. Maybe she’s been so injured that it’s rendered her unable/unwilling to not get her hackles up every time they make a move. If so, it’s unlikely she would be able to withstand or deftly handle the immense increase of biting sting and criticism that would come with being a presidential candidate.

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  57. _____________________________________

    I just happen to think she’s somewhat unintelligent and thin-skinned.

    As compared with the wonders in the current White House Administration? Teleprompter Obama (notorious for both his arrogance and sensitivity to slights) and Slow-Joe Biden.

    Mark (3e3a7c)

  58. Actually Palin didn’t correct herself; if you listen to the clip it sounds like she never noticed the slip in the first place, and didn’t realise there was anything to correct until after it became an issue and she listened to the clip herself. It seems to me from listening to it that she meant to say “South”, and heard herself say “South”, and when Beck corrected her by interjecting “South Korea” she thought he was just echoing her rather than correcting her. She seemed to be totally unaware that her mouth had actually said “North”, presumably because it had just said “North” a few seconds earlier when she was condemning the North’s aggression. This was a true slip of the tongue, rather than a slip of the mind.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  59. She is a bit of a caddy bitch, like the ones you want to slap silly at the Ralph’s on Pacific Palisades Park, but what good female politician isn’t?

    Again, I am tired of the same ol’ type of Politicos so good for her. Just like Babs unnecessarily talking smack about her.

    Torquemada (a8a9b2)

  60. Well it does matter, and would the criticism be worse, if she were a de jure candidate, one doubts it, it would be equally stupid and shallow, that is
    certain, from the “Funemployment’ Times of Mr. Rutten, who really thinks he is the regional Bin Laden expert, Kyle Palmer’s paper has become a mirror, dragging the state into Ctluthu’s sand box, where you get green energy and useless ESC’s, the pot referendum is kind of superfluous,they are already stoned out there

    narciso (9d0688)

  61. strike Park

    Torquemada (a8a9b2)

  62. Well, and the whole thing was ridiculous anyway. Oliver Willis said this proved she didn’t know who our allies were actually in this issue, but if you listen to even his short clip, she is very clearly saying NK is the enemy about 3 times before once slipping up and saying they were our allies.

    Who HASN’T done that?

    Aaron Worthing (b8e056)

  63. I read where someone commented that Sarah’s thanksgiving facebook post was an “instant classic” and I thought no. No really it’s not.

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  64. Palin has mentioned her admiration for Reagan and Thatcher repeatedly, but she’s missing out on the indelible characteristics they both possessed regarding criticism from the press and their opponents. Reagan let it all slide off his back while making them look like fools, while Thatcher promptly exposed and then dismembered their arguments, with the same result. Both leaders evinced confidence in their positions and never reacted defensively – that’s what confidence is all about.

    I still remember watching Thatcher destroy the Labor party during the weekly debates in the House of Commons – you could see it on C – Span. Here’s just one snippet that demonstrates her superb grasp of facts and the ability to persuade others of her viewpoint – she’s discussing the terrible idea of abandoning the British pound in favor of an European currency, an idea whose time has come again:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTYDxyvBXBI

    Dmac (498ece)

  65. “She’s pretty thin-skinned” I don’t think so, at all. She’s just not going to take the Progressive’s crap!

    Doug (8eb13d)

  66. Meanwhile they promoted this yutz to presidential status, and they still hid him in the DNC, tell me
    a sane or even correct Democrat in the whole party
    establishment;

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/lying-eyes-dean-on-sarah-palin-she-can-look-you-right-in-the-eye-and-say-things-that-arent-true/

    narciso (9d0688)

  67. Beck: How would you handle a situation like the one that just developed in North Korea?

    Palin: Well, North Korea, this is stemming from a greater problem, when we’re all sitting around asking, ‘Oh no, what are we going to do,’ and we’re not having a lot of faith that the White House is going to come out with a strong enough policy to sanction what it is that North Korea is going to do. So this speaks to a bigger picture that certainly scares me in terms of our national security policy. But obviously, we’ve got to stand with our North Korean allies – we’re bound to by treaty….

    Beck: South Korean.

    Palin: Yes, and we’re also bound by prudence to stand with our South Korean allies, yes.

    I think it bears noting that irrespective of her gaffe, this is insipid senseless babble what the woman is spewing. Her answer is we have to “stand with our South Korean allies, yes.” What does that mean? Duh we have to stand by our allies. She knows there’s “a treaty.” But how would her response to North Korea’s provocations have differed from what we’ve seen from the administration?

    We’re none the wiser.

    She keeps fronting like she’s the second coming of Ronald Reagan and all she can do is spew vague meaningless insipid bibble babble in a friendly media venue.

    She should have just said, “I don’t understand the question.”

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  68. Patterico:

    “…but she quickly segues to a dissertation about the double standard at work. It’s a valid point, but comes off sounding whiny.”

    If Palin doesn’t respond, the uncorrected narrative lives on carried with great fanfare by the legacy media. If Palin responds too briefly, her point could or would be misconstrued by those who pay little attention to facts and are not inclined to research them or who are swayed by pundits with headlines of their own as they aim to manufacture news. If Palin produces a “dissertation,” it apparently annoys those who are essentially allies.

    Why is it that it is Palin to the exclusion of all others, apparently, who cannot ever say the “appropriate” response (as determined by friends and foes alike)? Why is the bar so exceptionally high?

    Look. Palin responded as she must because her most ardent critics, namely the legacy media and its incarnate liberal bias, will twist whatever she says/writes to keep her pidgeonholed as the ignorant rube. That is their goal and we all know this. Palin must provide explicit context to her responses to make any attempt at slicing and dicing her message readily apparent. She knows, as the media expert she is, that her critics have the magnifying glasses and knives out for any hiccup, wink, or burp. What you might and do call “whining,” I’d call due diligence and mandatory blowback.

    She is the most attacked person in politics, so it’s fully justified and rational for her to mount the needed defenses to protect her position and reputation. Too bad piranhas, even those who merely nibble, join in with the attempted kill. Somehow, however, this elephant isn’t going down like so many that preceded her. How refreshing.

    She is the tip of the spear in drawing out manifestly unjust critique and I figure many Americans are grateful for this unofficial service. I won’t be the one to nitpick her style and appreciate the Rorschach test she provides.

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  69. I thought the response was effective because it undercut the premise of the hostile coverage. That premise was that she is not intelligent, but her reply was both very clever and totally devastating.

    nohype (428b10)

  70. Oliver Willis is dummerer than the pallet of Snickers bars he eats daily.

    JD (b98cae)

  71. Sarah Palin is an idiot.. Making her the GOP presidential candidate would be such a gift to the Democrats. I really don’t understand why she’s still news.. Beats me.

    The Emperor (c5c7d5)

  72. She is the most attacked person in politics,
    Her participation at this point in time is completely optional I can come to no other conclusion than that she likes the back and forth.

    MayBee (138edc)

  73. #67
    HF you note a good point. I don’t have the secret decoder ring some seem to have but that was about as lame an answer as possible.

    In some ways she was fortunate that she did have the gaffe as it took attention from the non-answer she provided.
    But the narrative from her defenders is that it is a devastating display of her superior intelligence and knowledge of how to manipulate the media….

    vor2 (42c033)

  74. MayBee:

    “…than that she likes the back and forth.”

    That could well be true. Kudos to her for engaging the fight and exposing tactics. That she would actually enjoy it is icing I hope she, um, relishes.

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  75. It’s a righteous slam, and I hate to harsh the effect with criticism — but she quickly segues to a dissertation about the double standard at work. It’s a valid point, but comes off sounding whiny

    I knew this was coming — the “whiny” nonsense. There always has to be a caveat when Palin defends herself (and it’s usually this one); everytime Palin hits back, this forms part of the critique at the critique. It’s as if we’ll allow Palin this measure of self-defense and no more, as if some of decorum-protection kicks in — but only for Palin and never for the wildly disproportionate and vicious MSM. Why can’t Palin step-up the critique to identify the double standard? In my view, the culture needs far more reminding of this standard, not less.

    This response wasn’t remotely whiny, indeed was pitch-perfect, combining sarcasm with helpful and necessary elucidation of the problem for the many who need it.

    rrpjr (fce29d)

  76. “I don’t have the secret decoder ring some seem to have but that was about as lame an answer as possible.”

    vor2 – I’m not so sure, I thought Obama’s let’s round up the lawyer’s so we can protest to the U.N. and geez, maybe by push for bilateral talks with NK was going nowhere and Bush’s six party talks were not such a bad idea were pretty freaking lame myself.

    Mocking the biased coverage when it is in the wrong and doing it in the devastating fashion she did is never a bad thing.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  77. Look, she’s easy on the eyes and she is an independent woman. Her heart is in the right place but, between her TV show, her reactionary nature and her “Quitting” her Governorship of alaska, meh she really isn’t Presidential. She’s a great addition to the media counter culture, but Presidential, not so much.

    pitchforkntorches (888cb1)

  78. “…I just happen to think she’s somewhat unintelligent and thin-skinned.”

    Un-informed, or stupid?
    If you found your name in the news countless times per day, and always in a negative manner, how thick would your skin be (we’ve seen that it is fairly thin just in the conversations here, many of which have magnified your breadth of un-information without the benefit of an edited Couric interview)?

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  79. Palin need to be careful what she had to say. She didn’t do too well about her Korea comment. She need to study Geography and learn about names of the countries.

    m (fc559b)

  80. Too thin skinned. Never complain, never explain. Or something like that.

    Everyone makes a slip of the tongue like that, we have all done it..and yes we know there is a double standard, but this constant harping on that double standard is tedious. The liberals will bash you when you say something like that..who cares? That is what they do..bash people. As Kos himself was known to say, Screw em.

    Terrye (7d99e4)

  81. I really don’t understand why she’s still news.. Beats me.

    Comment by The Emperor

    Yes, we know. Reading People Magazine doesn’t tell you much about her.

    Mike K (568408)

  82. I just happen to think she’s somewhat unintelligent and thin-skinned.”

    “Thin skinned”? Really? You must have a special sort of criteria. I’m in my 40s and have never seen a public person experience the same amount and type of hate that Palin has, or even one that has handled one-tenth of it with one-tenth the grace.

    rrpjr (fce29d)

  83. I like what she said and did. People who comment on ‘Patterico’ are some of the most intelligent, well-read and articulate posteres I have seen, so I do understand those who think it was ‘overdone.’ I just disagree, that’s all.

    And I harken back to the brilliant wrestling booker Jerry Jarrett, who ended a storyline argument on subtlety with his writing committee, thusly: “You can’t imply anything to morons.”

    TimesDisliker (eb7dff)

  84. Terrye:

    “The liberals will bash you when you say something like that..who cares? That is what they do..bash people. As Kos himself was known to say, Screw em.”

    And that entirely expected, classical response unfairly tarnished Quayle and GW Bush and, consequently, the GOP. Not by itself, of course, but the damage was significant. Rove opted for “screw ’em,” too. Look how well that turned out for the Bush legacy – one that only survived to the nearly ruinous level it did because support outside the White House picked up the slack.

    Palin learned from those mistakes whether it was measured or innate. She’s not opting in to the “expected” Pavlovian response the Left dearly hopes she’ll adopt.

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  85. I thought Obama’s let’s round up the lawyer’s so we can protest to the U.N. and geez, maybe by push for bilateral talks with NK was going nowhere and Bush’s six party talks were not such a bad idea were pretty freaking lame myself.

    you should be Sarah Palin’s phone-a-friend option

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  86. Bush used up his E tickets on Iraq.

    He took so much criticism, especially after WMDs were not found in the first few weeks, that he was forced into an alternative position, hence…
    1) Iran was left up to the EU to ‘negotiate’ for years. Iran constantly bamboozled and stalled, making the pointy headed Western intellectuals beoome the eunuchs we all feared, simply by demanding that the U.S. come into the negotiations. Bush had no choice but to decline.
    2) Leaving the NK problem to the ‘golden tigers’ of the East, and Kim Jong Il playing the same game demanding U.S. negotiations. No upside for the U.S., especially after getting hung out to dry by western allies, media and fifth column.

    We’ve seen how the ‘Axis of Evil’, Iraq, Iran and NK, have played out. Bush’s quote and speech remind me of Larry Miller’s quote, “when I told them (I wanted to be a comedian) they all laughed. Well, nobody’s laughing now!”

    TimesDisliker (eb7dff)

  87. Thumbs up Happyfeet!!

    The Emperor (c5c7d5)

  88. Palin probably did say more than she needed to make her point with most people, but one of the benefits of today’s social media is no one is limited by soundbites or the confines of print media. It also made me chuckle to read how Palin said more than she needed to … on an online blog post with dozens of comments and a multitude of words dissecting what she said.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  89. Sarah Palin is the Miss Teen South Carolina of American politics! As dumb as they come…

    The Emperor (c5c7d5)

  90. Ditto, like the Mousavian telegram message to the Ayatollah, which outlined in 2005 before Mahmoud’s
    election how they had fooled the P4 + 1, in retrospect, Iraq was the easiest with only 25 million, Iran with 60 million, a fully committed
    air force, navy and missile capacity would have been much harder, and North Korea would have been
    prohibitive in deed.

    narciso (9d0688)

  91. Yes, we know. Reading People Magazine doesn’t tell you much about her.

    Comment by Mike K — 11/26/2010 @ 2:55 pm

    What the….?

    The Emperor (c5c7d5)

  92. From the comments at HotAir re BHO’s split lip….

    “…Palin is more of a man than Obama is. Of course, I realize that isn’t saying a lot.”
    gary4205 on November 26, 2010 at 5:23 PM

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)


  93. Yes, we know. Reading People Magazine doesn’t tell you much about her.

    Comment by Mike K — 11/26/2010 @ 2:55 pm

    What the….?

    Comment by The Emperor — 11/26/2010 @ 3:48 pm

    This, folks, is a prime example of why Palin’s technique of responding and then explaining the response was required. Implying something isn’t always enough.

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  94. Comment by The Emperor — 11/26/2010 @ 3:43 pm

    Miss Teen SC is a “rocket scientist” compared to some who are read here.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  95. re: “insipid babble”

    Palin points out that the larger problem here is a lack of confidence in Obama. Does he have the will, wisdom, or resolve to push the North hard enough to deter them from continued violence?

    She offers as evidence the fact that Americans are asking ‘what are we going to do?’. This is indeed a sign of lack of confidence in the leadership. If anyone has said, “Don’t worry, Obama will know how to handle this” I certainly haven’t seen it from any credible source.

    Palin thereby puts the Korean issue into a larger context of a problem with confidence in the President on national security.

    One can agree or disagree with the specifics of this position, but it is only ‘insipid babble’ if her point went sailing over your head.

    Palin is smarter than most of her critics. Those who offer only disdain are perhaps unable to grasp her points and rebut them.

    DaMav (6ab8ce)

  96. “This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say she has a poor way of reacting to criticism.”

    “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” source – ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  97. That Shakespeare. What a maroon. Misspells “I think.” How ever did anyone subscribe to his “brilliance?”

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  98. Mr. DaMav … how would Palin handle a situation like the one that just developed in North Korea?

    That was Beck’s question.

    She oopsidentally blithered the answer to a different question which unfortunately hadn’t been asked.

    This sorta undercuts her stated reasons for being loath to sit down with Katie Couric I think.

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  99. Evidently I didn’t make my objection clear. I have absolutely no objection to her being clear about what she is doing. Most people are low attention and if he felt she needed to explain the joke, more power to her.

    It’s the whining about the unfair media coverage — a point which is absolutely valid but which sounds bitter coming from her if not leavened with humor.

    Obviously everyone here eats up the complaining and thinks it will wow the independents, so who am I to carp?

    Patterico (1f7edc)

  100. The only people that beat Sarah Palin in dumbness are those who come here to defend her. If this woman is all the GOP has, to beat the Dems come 2012, then it’s gonna be such a ride for the Dems..

    The Emperor (c5c7d5)

  101. “… how would Palin handle a situation like the one that just developed in North Korea?”

    She’d probably arrange a meeting with KJI, and take her halibut-bopper.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  102. “you should be Sarah Palin’s phone-a-friend option”

    Mr. Feets – We already talk all the time. She is not at all vapid, vacuous, or vampy, but a delightful phone-a-friend, vivacious, intelligent, serious and concerned about the direction of our little country. You betcha.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  103. She isn’t stupid because of the gaffe. But she is stupid.

    Micawber (66ce27)

  104. 68. Comment by AnonymousDrivel — 11/26/2010 @ 1:42 pm
    75. Comment by rrpjr — 11/26/2010 @ 2:08
    78. Comment by AD-RtR/OS!
    83. Comment by TimesDisliker — 11/26/2010 @ 3:07 pm
    93. Comment by AJsDaddie

    88.Palin probably did say more than she needed to make her point with most people, but … It also made me chuckle to read how Palin said more than she needed to … on an online blog post with dozens of comments and a multitude of words dissecting what she said.
    Comment by DRJ

    As I said in #19, and others above touched on similar themes, whatever she did or did not say, and why or why not, she is catching flak for it.

    I was once told that when giving constructive criticism to focus more on encouraging more of what is good rather than harping on the part that is bad.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  105. I thought your point was clear, Patterico, but I don’t see how you can separate the way the media treated Palin’s misstatement with how it responds to Obama’s verbal gaffes. In other words, how can we ignore the unfair media coverage, even if it is “only” directed at Palin?

    This isn’t a Palin issue to me, it’s partisan. I agree it’s funny when politicians misspeak, as all of them do albeit to different degrees. It’s not funny that the media treats their misstatements differently depending on whether there’s an R or a D after their name. If it’s whining to continually point that out during the next 2 years, then you can call me the world’s biggest whiner.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  106. Mr. Feets – I think you need to get out more, not just for vegan pancakes and barbecue. Real Americans are waiting to meet you and share their opinions.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  107. “The only people that beat Sarah Palin in dumbness are those who come here to defend her.”

    Lovey – Only an idiot would call Sarah Palin dumb. I salute you.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  108. “so who am I to carp?”

    Nobody, we’ve been focused on the sammins. Carps are different fishes.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  109. If, 2000 years ago, they’d had our present technology and our present 24/7/365 news-and-gossip circus, I wonder if there would have been a “Jesus of Nazareth Bloopers Compilation”?

    Beldar (34fa57)

  110. Obviously everyone here eats up the complaining and thinks it will wow the independents, so who am I to carp?
    Comment by Patterico — 11/26/2010 @ 4:33 pm

    I don’t know what you are talking about. No one is saying she is necessarily doing the right amount of complaining, or that the complaining will be helpful in wowing independents. What many of us are saying is she is being held to a standard of threading the needle of perfection in her responses.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  111. Patterico:

    “Obviously everyone here eats up the complaining and thinks it will wow the independents, so who am I to carp?”

    Maybe she is setting the table not for the politics of a presidency but for a more substantial goal: justice. Or maybe both. And she did leaven her response with humor. Granted, humor can be interpreted multiple ways. I’d say she was being dry-witted. You would say “bitter.” Still others “sarcastic.”

    And this is all kind of the point. She must elaborate where others might assume a lighter, briefer retort. Even here it is clear she must buttress her humor lest the Cliff’s Notes edition be misinterpreted as bitter animous. She cannot offer just humor because it will not be reported as such. She’s being factual and comedic both (IMO); yet she’s in the bullseye for anything and everything no matter how how direct or tangential.

    You’re free to carp just as we’re free to provide counter-carp. And there’s no need to clarify your objection as it’s superfluous. I mean, how could anyone possibly misconstrue your original point?

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  112. Rest assured, everyone who was ever considered bipartisan, impartial, et al and threatened any of
    the left’s projects were savaged Mitt, Jeb, Ken Starr, (in part savaged by Moldea, the man who he
    steered his mob in football expose), who had been
    considered the right man to oversee the Packwood inquiry. Cheney was considered sober but with a sense of humor, but was painted as vindictive and evil, similar treatment for Rumsfeld, one of the
    most capable former CEOs and public officials around, it’s ‘nature of the business’ to cite Glenn Fry from an unrelated song.

    narciso (9d0688)

  113. As Anonymous Drivel mentioned above, Karl Rove said his biggest mistake was not responding more persistently to Democratic and media attacks on the Iraq WMD issue. Instead, the White House set the record straight but decided not to “relitigate the past,” i.e., they decided not to harp on the subject. That didn’t work and ultimately it was the harpers who prevailed.

    Is Palin right to harp on media bias? I don’t know. Maybe it will be her undoing because people will view her as a strident harpy. But I have a good idea what Hillary would do if she had a do-over, and I suspect it would look a lot like what Palin is doing.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  114. Beldar, you are making a good point. I would prefer to think that there would not have been a “Jesus of Nazareth Bloopers” Compilation, but there could well be a “Favorite Distortions, Misquotes, and other MUS (Made Up Stuff) about Jesus of Nazareth”.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  115. Carpses are a fabulous opportunity for brokedick America to earn valuable foreign currency.

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  116. Dmac (#64 — 11/26/2010 @ 1:23 pm): Thanks for that link to Mrs. Thatcher. Half-way through it, I suddenly imagined how it would have turned out if she, at the height of her skills, had had occasion to debate Barack Obama, on the very best day of his and on any topic whatsoever.

    What would be left of Obama’s reputation as a “great public speaker” would thereafter resemble Dresden in late February of 1945.

    Beldar (34fa57)

  117. That is desolate imagery that still gives him too much credit – I would think it would be more like the back-side of the Moon.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  118. And yet they chose to jettison her, after the greatest winning streak they had in 50 years, ultimately this is why the Tories were out in
    the wilderness for more than a dozen years, in that period, the left wing opposition that she couldn’t
    completely checkmate, did their demolitio work on her

    narciso (9d0688)

  119. Is Palin right to harp on media bias? I don’t know. Maybe it will be her undoing because people will view her as a strident harpy. But I have a good idea what Hillary would do if she had a do-over, and I suspect it would look a lot like what Palin is doing.

    Given what we’ve seen from Hillary, if she had a do-over she wouldn’t be capable of the humor that Palin’s reactions typically have (albeit possibly thwarted by her simultaneous whiff of bitterness).

    Palin, by nature, is a cheerful optimist. Not so Hillary. She is an entirely different breed, and full-frontal shrill attacking is how I think she’d play.

    Dana (8ba2fb)

  120. “Maybe she is setting the table not for the politics of a presidency but for a more substantial goal: justice. Or maybe both. And she did leaven her response with humor.”

    AnonymousDrivel – I am in agreement. She has not signaled a run for the presidency, but I have no problem with her signaling to the left and the media that she is not going to put up free shots at her through distorted crap. The McCain Campaign reined her in and she does not have to be reined in right now.

    I don’t see it as being thin-skinned or whiny, I see it as serving notice she is holding people accountable for fair treatment and not rolling over. Hey, at least she hasn’t felt a need to open a snitch line like Obama.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  121. As I read #75, I find myself realising that Governor Palin is being treated remarkably similarly to the way Israel is treated … the MSM and the Dems lob usually-ineffective missiles at her on a regular basis – and then whine whenever she responds effectively, often on that same basis of “Look at that disproportionate response !” …

    One of the more telling corroborations of this comparison is how, when the opponents are asked “What should she/Israel have done, instead ?” the most common response is along the lines of “Well, the attack didn’t *really* do any harm, so it should have been ignored.” …

    As is said in #104, “… whatever she did or did not say, and why or why not, she is catching flak for it.”

    Alasdair (205079)

  122. I agree with the host… an affirmation he’s no doubt spent many sleepless nights awake hoping for…

    she starts off well and should have just left off the last half…

    I’m aware of this because I’m usually better off if I ditch the last 9/10’s and don’t let what is running through my inner piehole to exit out into the land of “I wish I had that one back”.

    That said, she is much more polished than she was 2 years ago.

    SteveG (cc5dc9)

  123. DRJ,

    FWIW, thank you for #113. That’s what I and I believe others have pointed out. We don’t know if Palin has it right, we do know that no matter which way she goes, a number of people will not like it, but there are valid reasons for it being done that way.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  124. Better to go down with the ship after a valiant fight, than to just strike your colors after the first shot across the bow.
    I think when all is said and done, the media is going to come off feeling like Captain Pearson, who thought he won a battle, only to lose his ship, HMS Serapis.

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  125. DRJ:

    “If it’s whining to continually point that out during the next 2 years, then you can call me the world’s biggest whiner.”

    Agree with your whole post. The only change I would make is not that Patterico et al. can call me the world’s biggest whiner but that I would insist upon it as it’d be a horse that demanded posthumous beating.

    See, at this point, it’s not actually “all about Palin” after all. It’s about the malconstructed narratives permeating classical media that have dominated elections for essentially generations. Palin is the proxy, a conduit of released anger and frustration, that is being tapped under a new media paradigm. She’s giving what’s growing into a silent plurality – if not suggestive majority – a voice that had been underrepresented and muzzled. While the core (and nuance) of her positions should and must be reasonably debated and critiqued, the parameters of that debate must be uniform. They haven’t been for decades and the pendulum is swinging back, energized by different megaphones.

    If some hear a whine, tough. The megaphone’s volume isn’t going away.

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  126. Honestly, it’s like they forgot the ‘macaca’ round against Allen, with Larry Sabato’s own unique contribution, or Mulholland’s gotcha moment on Herschenson, or not even going down memory lane, Gloria Allred’s one two punch against Whitman, the facts didn’t matter then, did it.

    narciso (9d0688)

  127. AnonymousDrivel,

    I’d never thought of it that way but I think you’re right that Palin is a proxy. Nevertheless, it still amazes me that the left and the media have tacitly agreed it’s okay to treat Palin and her family this way. The only consolation is they will undoubtedly give similar treatment to whoever is ultimately chosen as the GOP Presidential nominee.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  128. It’s that damn Silent Majority raising its’ angry head, again!

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  129. Well she’s readily punctured the pretensions of the ‘Unicorn Rider’ enough times, he’s run out of gauze and alcohol. The only concern is often she has been
    left there all alone, when she carried the line of Ayers and Wright, on ‘death panels’, missile defense, et al, Jindal was the healthcare wunderkind
    yet he was absent for the better part of a year. Others followed her lead on the GZ Mosque, but were too inflammatory in style,

    narciso (9d0688)

  130. If we can expect the left and the media to give similar treatment as what they give the Palin woman to any GOP nominees without respect to merit, perhaps the less gaffe-prone and more articulate of the potential nominees might have something of a strategic advantage in a contest against bumble in 2012.

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  131. If we can expect the left and the media to

    Redundancy Alert!

    AD-RtR/OS! (7ae1ad)

  132. Only an idiot would call Sarah Palin dumb. I salute you.

    Comment by daleyrocks — 11/26/2010 @ 4:53 pm

    Yea whatever.. we know why you have to support her even when she’s such an embarrassment to your party. The reason is simple, she is a Republican and it is your duty to support bs, as long as it is Republican bs. You need to rise above that and call it what it is. One question for you mr daley-who-likes to rock, would you support Sarah Palin for President? No? thought so. Point made.. Move on… And to your point, “Only an idiot would call Sarah Palin dumb” Really? Do you really mean that? I had real hopes for you… 🙁

    The Emperor (6d92d8)

  133. @Beldar
    I wonder if there would have been a “Jesus of Nazareth Bloopers Compilation”?

    Eukenius’ Eructifications would have proposed that the modest temblor post-crucifiction was acceptable, but the rending of the temple veil was petulant and suggested an unbecoming propensity to whine. 😉

    DaMav (6ab8ce)

  134. DRJ@127,

    Yes, your conclusion is spot on and it has been this way for my and my parents’ lifetimes and probably before that (though I have no direct personal exposure to the pre-Drivel inequity). The GOP has had to survive a weighted, openly hostile environment. It survives in spite of the legacy media. Just let that sink in. Imagine honest reportage and where the country would be today if we had always had it. I suggest we might actually have a conservative party instead of the increasing shades of statist duopolies.

    And to be fair, I didn’t mean to overstate Palin’s proxy component. She is clearly more than that as so many approve her message particularly given the state of the nation and of media. But a not insignificant number of people just hate her because, well, I guess I just don’t know why. It’s beyond policy disagreements and has evolved into, as Krauthammer has diagnosed, that Derangement Syndrome. Fighting for Palin and through Palin seems just to be a natural response to what I will call counter-culture.

    AnonymousDrivel (1631e8)

  135. Daley: time to worry.

    “…I had real hopes for you… …”

    That sounds kind of skeevy. I could be wrong, of course.

    Eric Blair (9571f6)

  136. MD in Philly:

    I was once told that when giving constructive criticism to focus more on encouraging more of what is good rather than harping on the part that is bad.

    You know I agree with you a lot and this is no exception. I was taught the same thing and I believe it’s generally wise. However, I’m not sure what I’ve been taught necessarily works when it comes to Presidential politics.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  137. Patterico, what you see as a thin skin, I see as a Palin who learned from the prime mistake that Bush and Rove made during their time in the White House. Remember, they never, ever responded adequately to the Democratic meme, relentlessly applied, that the Bush White House lied us into war in Iraq.

    Palin has learned that only relentless counterattack, using all levels of artillery, can overwhelm the Left and its handmaidens in the media.

    Unlike the Establishment GOP, Palin treats the news media as the enemy because she does not make the mistake of assuming otherwise. In this, she is ahead of Romney, Pawlenty, and the other Bushtards, who assume that they can buy the media’s friendship. Palin knows that the media will always try to destroy the Republican candidate; so the best defense is a good offense.

    Attack! Attack! Attack!

    section9 (a49193)

  138. Patterico #40:

    I’m actually trying to help, folks — not that it’s likely that she’ll see my comments, but it’s intended as constructive criticism.

    I absolutely believe you are trying to help and, what’s more, I think it does help Palin and other GOP candidates to discuss these issues.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  139. I help too

    happyfeet (42fd61)

  140. Also, let’s not forget that even Ronald Reagan had trouble getting his message past the media gatekeepers and had to use some unusual methods. As Bill Bennett said in his chapter “Reagan and Revival” in America, the Last Best Hope (Vol 2, page 495):

    Reagan took care to send many church conventions videotaped messages of support and empathy. It was a way for him to bypass the major television networks whose anchors and reporters arrogated to themselves the role of information ‘gatekeepers’ and deliver his message unfiltered and uncensored.

    Reagan’s Office of Public Liaison repeated the drill with business groups and friendly professional associations. Reagan earned the title of Great Communicator because of his skill on television, but his detractors hardly realized the manifold ways he would reach out to Americans through such traditional organizations as the Boy Scouts, 4H, and the Future Farmers of America.”

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  141. You are an overachieving helper, hf.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  142. If it’s whining to continually point that out during the next 2 years, then you can call me the world’s biggest whiner.

    I am a HUGE fan of calling out media bias. Did it seem like I wasn’t?

    My main point is, if you yourself are the target of the bias, I think it is more rhetorically effective to combat it with humor.

    Obviously my opinion has been rejected by the consensus view.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  143. I think the jury is still out on what is more effective. That’s especially true where the jury is 55 million people.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  144. I’m actually trying to help, folks — not that it’s likely that she’ll see my comments, but it’s intended as constructive criticism

    Fair enough, but you’re wrong. That’s what some here are saying. It’s wrong criticism. She should be encouraged to take these people on in the exact manner she’s doing it — part eviscerating, part educational. She’s right on both counts. The attacks are gross and malicious hypocrisy, and a betryal of the purpose of reportorial journalism in a republic. No one is saying this except her. Romney and the rest just play BOHICA, like Bush did, like all of us for as long as I can remember have done. The Left would be nothing without the media. She’s the FIRST candidate who has ever challenged them.

    So many condescending and misogynist comments here. I should be amazed, but I’m not.

    rrpjr (fce29d)

  145. She’ll win the primary.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  146. She’s the FIRST candidate who has ever challenged them.

    Yeah? I thought Nixon did. But I admit I was a little kid then so I am relying on stuff I read.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  147. I don’t agree that Patterico is wrong. As he suggests, Palin’s comments might backfire with independents and moderates. On the other hand, I wonder if her willingness to make the media the issue might not help her overall. I guess we’ll see who guessed right in the next 12-18 months.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  148. The key here to return to the point, is that she did a comprehensive job of illustrating the double standard.

    And she’s right.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  149. To view the attacks here as pure hypocrisy you have to absolutely dismiss the McCain advisors’ criticisms as outright and complete fabrications.

    They may have been but I am not 100 percent certain of that.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  150. I really really supported her when McCain picked her.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  151. Her Facebook post was unique, brilliant, tonic. When has anything like it ever been said or seen? We should be celebrating it full-throatedly from the top of of ramparts!

    rrpjr (fce29d)

  152. Where’s Christoph? He can straighten us rubes out.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  153. Romney and the rest just play BOHICA, like Bush did, like all of us for as long as I can remember have done

    OK. Here is what I recommend then.

    1. You support her going balls out.

    2. She loses badly.

    3. You find a way to blame it on people like me.

    4. You never take responsibility for anything.

    It worked out beautifully for you in Delaware and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t repeat that resounding success.

    Patterico (8d95f0)

  154. You mean the same advisors that admitted after the campaign, they had given up in the weeks after the Lehman Bros collapse, who thought Obama represented some idealism like Robert Kennedy, pshaw, if anyone was in that vein, it was more likely her than him. Despite some of his later political stances, he had real integrity, something you can’t really say for
    much of the Democratic politicians, kind of why was for Guiliani,

    narciso (9d0688)

  155. See, here’s the thing. Right now on CBS News website the number 1 ranked most popular click is “Sarah Palin Mistakenly……”

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20023899-503544.html?tag=pop

    I had not commented earlier on this thread about her Facebook Post because frankly I was torn. But after contemplating whether I had ever seen any of Barry’s gaffes magnified in this manner (or even mentioned) on a mainstream site and thinking not—-and also after reading the hateful comments attached to the CBS story– I think she absolutely had to come out swinging. And I am glad she did. I continue to hope she does not run for president but I am glad that she (and Breitbart too in his own way) have decided enough is enough with the repugnant selective journalism coming from our elite media overlords.

    elissa (ab7968)

  156. ______________________________________________

    Only an idiot would call Sarah Palin dumb. I salute you.

    Notice how a variety of liberals don’t say anything about the dumbness of our current vice president, Joe “FDR-spoke-on-TV” Biden, and, for that matter, the uh-er-uh-uh-ah extemporaneous speech patterns of Barack Teleprompter Obama.

    I won’t say anything about the bold-faced liar that is Hillary Sniper-Fire Clinton, since I guess being a liberal used-car salesman (or saleswomen) isn’t a sign of dumbness.

    Mark (411533)

  157. OK. Here is what I recommend then.
    1. You support her going balls out.
    2. She loses badly.
    3. You find a way to blame it on people like me.
    4. You never take responsibility for anything.
    It worked out beautifully for you in Delaware and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t repeat that resounding success.
    Comment by Patterico — 11/26/2010 @ 7:41 pm

    Where did that convolution come from? How do you know what I do or don’t take responsibility for? What’s “Delaware” got to do with anything — what’s it got to do with a direct and substantive engagement with the media over their excesses and lies? Ridiculously incoherent and off the point.

    rrpjr (fce29d)

  158. No, he’s still a senior statesman, advisor on Obama’s Afghan policy, and most notably Iraq policy; the country he wanted to splinter into three parts, not too mention his sage advice on swine flu containment, (don’t travel, he got that from watching the Stand I think) And we can’t forget
    ‘recovery summer’ or ‘we have to spend money in order not to go bankrupt’ well you get the picture.

    This was the MENSA candidate that the people of Delaware returned 6 times to the Senate, three times after Maureen Dowd ? revealed his problem
    with citations,

    narciso (9d0688)

  159. Regarding McCain-Palin, I suspect staff from both sides thought they were being fair and objective in protecting their candidate. After Kerry-Edwards lost in 2004, John Edwards didn’t have much nice to say about John Kerry:

    At the same time, Mr. Edwards has begun criticizing major tactical decisions of the Kerry-Edwards campaign last year, saying he disagreed with them at the time. Mr. Kerry’s campaign advisers disputed those recollections, and described Mr. Kerry as irritated by what appeared to be a calculated effort by Mr. Edwards to distance himself from the losing campaign.

    Even if their staffs don’t see eye-to-eye, at least Palin set aside her differences long enough to campaign for McCain after their loss. She was criticized for it but I thought it was the decent thing to do.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  160. Not nearly the same, DRJ, did the Kerry camp, leak
    misgivings about Edwards during the campaign, call him a primadonna, as one in the McCain ontourage, Wayne Berman did, calling her a diva. Did anything
    like the wardrobe story, that was fed to the press,
    in part to undercut any ground that had been made during that period. She still does admire McCain’s
    service record, and his sensibility; although she is self aware enough to realize that the buck did
    ultimately stop with him

    narciso (9d0688)

  161. I suspect there’s a lot of infighting in Presidential campaigns, narciso. Everyone involved is high profile and there’s a lot at stake. However, I also think the tactics may differ when one candidate is a woman.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  162. – I think O’Donnell was a candidate with problems.
    – Some wanted O’Donnell’s supporters to shut up and go home and let “their pick” Castle win the nomination and get the election.
    – The Republican voters of DE said, “We’re picking our candidate, not letting you tell us who to vote for while ignoring us.”
    – The general population of DE, who had repeatedly voted in Biden, known to make repeated blunders in his own words and copy the words of others, voted in another person of the far left unidentified as a person of the far left.

    Moral of the story:
    1. You can make the moral to be whatever you want it to be and no one can prove you wrong.
    2. Perhaps the party leadership and membership in a given locale/state communicate prior to primaries, where good candidates can be put forth, with active discussion of why they are the best candidate, and the primary yield a popular and strong candidate.
    3. Assume the public is poorly informed, or perhaps “well misinformed”, and overcome it.

    On a good note, the most common ad for Sestak I heard immediately prior to the election was talking about how radical Toomey was on abortion, that he “sounded just like Sarah Palin”. Well, Toomey got elected “anyway”.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  163. To clarify, I’m not saying all political infighting is fair or even that the candidate’ staffs worry about being fair — especially if they follow the maxim that all’s fair in love, war and politics. They can leak and gossip about each other and still feel like they are being fair and objective, because that’s the way the game is played.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  164. Sarah Palin is Teddy Roosevelt in a sports bra and high heels, and damn proud of it! Teddy annoyed members of his party, members of the opposition, and is today fondly remembered as one of our greatest Presidents and a visionary as far as the conservation of our natural resources goes.

    Bully, Sarah! Give ’em hell until they beg for mercy!

    Eric Eikenberry (17e055)

  165. Not that it really mattered in the long run, almost all GOP candidates except for Roth in 1994, ran at the 40% mark, but next time, it might advantageous
    to actually answer some of the policy complaints that created the need for a primary challenge, instead of trying to tear the candidate apart long distance, yes there was some of this in the other camp, however, the media only focused on one side.

    Expanding further, Angle was the default candidate, when Lowden clucked her way into obscurity. Much as Maes, when McInnis self destructed, and after Penry had been forced out, monthes earlier. A certain scion of another prestigious family, call them the Metelli of
    the Klondike, had to be punished for her insolence

    narciso (9d0688)

  166. Even if their staffs don’t see eye-to-eye, at least Palin set aside her differences long enough to campaign for McCain after their loss. She was criticized for it but I thought it was the decent thing to do.

    This may be the most telling point. She is decent. She represents what I consider to be the most important value of America, its basic decency. Our country is far from perfect, but it’s also by far the best thing going, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we’re overwhelmingly good, decent folk.

    The MSM are not. The radical left are not. And most emphatically the current administration are not.

    GWB for all his faults (and from my conservative viewpoint he had many) was and is a decent man who believes in this country. If Sarah runs in 2012, I will loudly and proudly campaign for her. And I’ll tell you this: I will NOT do the same for any milquetoast RINO. If some Republican decides to show even a hint of testicular fortitude and stand up for conservative American values, they will get my vote, but right now there isn’t a hint of that among the entire pack of GOP front runners.

    Sarah Palin may be handicapped, perhaps fatally, by a combination of initial poor political performance and her ongoing lack of kowtowing to the RINO establishment. She is an irresistible target for the radical Left which will do anything to deflect attention from what may be remembered as the most horrendous 24 months in American politics. For that reason, she might decide it would be better to act as pundit and lightning rod to help draw fire from a viable conservative candidate, but that can only happen if one appears!

    If the GOP field stays the same as it is today, then she is to me the only true conservative candidate. There are one or two outside possibilities, but do you think either West or Rubio has a chance of getting elected even if they choose to subject themselves to the pain of a Presidential bid? I rather doubt it.

    And if that’s the case, if there is no new Reagan out there, then I hope to see Sarah run. Because then it will be about us. It will be up to us, you and me and the rest of us who call ourselves conservatives, to get out and take the message to those around us, to beat down the bias of the MSM and to counter every Leftist talking point. In essence each of us will need to be a walking conservative commercial.

    And that’s as it should be. We rely too much on our candidates, anyway. It shouldn’t be the candidate, it should be the platform, and it should be our job to educate our neighbors on why the platform is important, more important even than the candidate. Identity politics needs to die an ignominious death and we need to make it about the real question: limited government and personal responsibility vs. nanny state and an ever growing public sector. Take that to the people and let them decide, and if they decide for the latter then perhaps this grand experiment has seen its end.

    If America’s promise were to ultimately fail because a socialistic dependent populace chose bread and circuses over the no-nonsense conservative policies of Sarah Palin, then at least we could serve as a warning the next fledgling group that fights for liberty. Better that than to go out with a whimper by electing RINOs, and to watch as an ever more diluted GOP drifts inexorably left until the difference between the parties is no more than the difference between Greece and Portugal.

    Ah, these are indeed interesting times. I hope all of us who claim conservatism as our cause are willing to really fight for it for the next 24 months. Either way, November 2012 will be a watershed moment for us all.

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  167. A thought on responding to criticism by politicians:

    I agree with the sentiment that GWB is a decent human, and as such tried to rise above the personal pettiness, and that in the end it did not serve him or the country well.

    I think overlooking criticism and defusing it with humor are admiral personal qualities that rise above the appearance of pettiness.

    But, in the job as President, one has a responsibility to lead and govern. Part of that responsibility is to communicate truth and dispell error. So, I think Palin and anyone else has a responsibility to “push back” in an appropriate manner. Now, the humor aspect may indeed be a very helpful tool in that and rising above the pettiness (or being thin-skinned), but there does need to be an explanation component that stands on truth and tells why it is important, not for the President, but for the people and the nation to “really understand” the cheap shots.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  168. – I’m not so sure, I thought Obama’s let’s round up the lawyer’s so we can protest to the U.N. and geez, maybe by push for bilateral talks with NK was going nowhere and Bush’s six party talks were not such a bad idea were pretty freaking lame myself.

    Mocking the biased coverage when it is in the wrong and doing it in the devastating fashion she did is never a bad thing.

    Comment by daleyrocks — 11/26/2010 @ 2:10 pm

    the issue was North Korea. What exactly did she say that added to the issue in the way of a plan?
    Whining about bias certainly doesn’t offer anything.
    And your response is taking the all too familiar “but Obama…..” to any Palin criticism. And when that doesn’t work the old “sexist” card is played by the very same people that decry the “racism” card.
    I’d be a helluva lot more impressed if she could offer some substantiative answers when asked.
    The Palin fans have an extremely irritating habit of implying that there are only two choices for Americans. The country is truly doomed if that is the case.

    vor2 (42c033)

  169. This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say she has a poor way of reacting to criticism. It’s a perfect opportunity to react with pure humor — and she starts well but finishes weak.

    So, she should follow your examples of reacting to criticism? You know, Patterico, I’d find your criticism of pots so much more credible if you weren’t such a willing kettle.

    bains (152e9d)

  170. The Palin fans have an extremely irritating habit of implying that there are only two choices for Americans. The country is truly doomed if that is the case.

    Actually, conservatives are the ones that state firmly that there are only two options: conservatism or socialism. Personal liberty or nanny state. Private enterprise or public dole. There are indeed only two options. It’s just that the GOP, under the gentle (and not-so-gentle) nudging of the MSM, has drifted so far left that anybody espousing anything close to run-of-the-mill conservatism is seen as a rogue.

    We middle-American conservatives didn’t do that. Liberalism did that. The MSM did that. The elite country club GOP did that. Open borders multi-culturalism did that. Oh sure, we allowed it, the same way that we let the teenager drive the car after he nagged long enough, but we didn’t run the country into the tree.

    And now that we have to take the keys away, we’re getting the same reaction. You’re trying to tell me Palin’s positions aren’t Presidential? Cripes, a Magic 8-Ball would do better than what we have now, and at least with Palin I’m comfortable that she’ll be more likely to do what I would have done than anybody in this administration. And if we’re going to screw up, I’d rather it was by somebody who believes in me as much as I believe in them.

    Because that’s what separates conservatives from elitists, either in the Democrat party or the country club GOP: conservatives believe that left to their own devices Americans will do right more than wrong, good more than bad. We don’t think we need to be protected from ourselves, and we darned sure don’t need to be dictated to by those who would consider themselves our betters.

    Maybe someday we will have more choices. Maybe someday the Federal government will get out of the way and let the States act as the social experiments they were meant to be, in which each State can enact its own rules and people can choose where they’d rather live and we can see what works and what doesn’t. But today there is no such thing: we’re too busy being dictated to by a Federal bureaucracy that would dictate not only what kind of light bulbs we buy and what kind of car we drive, but would threaten us with fines and jail if we don’t buy the insurance they want us to have!

    So yes, right now there are two choices. Traditional American self-determination and “we won’t know what’s in it until we pass it” rule by the elite. I’ll choose the former.

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  171. #93 AJsDaddie’s comment is Brilliant!

    “If a wise man contends with a foolish man,
    whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.”

    T D (7d9cc1)

  172. “the issue was North Korea. What exactly did she say that added to the issue in the way of a plan?”

    vor2 – The question was not a plan, but “as lame an answer as possible” as you called it in your original comment.

    “HF you note a good point. I don’t have the secret decoder ring some seem to have but that was about as lame an answer as possible.”

    I merely pointed out her response, which included a lack of confidence in the White House’s ability to do the right thing and a positive commitment to stand by our allies, was not as lame as Obama’s response.

    If you want to move the goal posts, feel free.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  173. Daleyrocks,
    there is no moving goalposts. The response as you noted is nothing different than what she normally says: to paraphrase “White House and Obama bad but other than common sense conservative platitudes I can’t offer any real ideas of substance”

    vor2 (42c033)

  174. “there is no moving goalposts.”

    vor2 – Sure they are; you are now adding specifics about why you thought it was a lame answer which you did not provide earlier for clarification, plus adding sexism and racism innuendos. Her answer was fine for me and contrasting it against Obama’s usual fecklessness makes the concern she pointed out all the more real. Obama basically admitted his cowboy bilateralism was not working with North Korea and that Bush’s six party approach was better. Palin was dead on.

    “The Palin fans have an extremely irritating habit of implying that there are only two choices for Americans.”

    That sounds like Jazz Shaw.

    If you don’t like Palin, that’s fine with me.

    daleyrocks (df87cd)

  175. So, she should follow your examples of reacting to criticism? You know, Patterico, I’d find your criticism of pots so much more credible if you weren’t such a willing kettle.

    Did I say she should follow my example? No. Did I say I have fallen prey to the temptation to whine at times? I did.

    And how has that worked out for me when I have?

    If I were (thinking of) running for President what advice would you give me?

    Patterico (e3f168)

  176. bains, was your comment about the issues? Or about scoring a cheap point?

    If the former, sounds like you should be on my side here.

    Patterico (e3f168)

  177. Someone on this thread compared Sarah Palin to Teddy Roosevelt.. Wow. Just wow.
    Anyway, as far criticism goes, I think it is wise to respond to lies and damaging things said about your person. If it is a lie. Your silence will be viewed by some as an admission or agreement. You need to step out and challenge it. Even Jesus did not keep quiet when His detractors said terrible things to defame His name and undermine His ministry. He shot back saying what needed to be said to counter those lies. You see, words have power. If a lie is told a number of times, it will soon be accepted as the truth. So it is proper to challenge and refute lies said against your person. Especially if you are a politician. This is not the issue here with Sarah Palin. The issue is about a gaffe she made in her comment about North Korea. This is not a case of someone claiming she said what she did not say. She made the mistake and corrected herself. Ok. She also referred to others who made similar gaffes in their speeches. All she needed to do was to smile, make fun of herself and move on.. Seeing she already has a clay feet on being perceived as dumb and uninformed, she should try not to feed into that notion by taking herself too seriously. Or trying to say ” oh this fellow also did it or that person also did it”.. In her case, less is more. Where knowledge fails, we turn to charm for help.

    The Emperor (732dd2)

  178. Leading the worlds gretist country and complaining – always a good combination

    Humor works and wins over converts

    no one likes whiners

    in general

    people like to laugh, not to listen to unpleasant tiny advice from someone who is on another book tour

    EricPWJohnson (73bef6)

  179. 87.Thumbs up Happyfeet!!
    Comment by The Emperor — 11/26/2010 @ 3:34 pm

    — Is there any room for you to put your thumbs ‘up happyfeet’? or is your head in the way?

    Icy Texan (cbc068)

  180. Thank you, EPWJ, for your concise and pithy assessment of our current POTUS.

    Icy Texan (cbc068)

  181. If I were (thinking of) running for President what advice would you give me?

    Don’t be an elitist. Speak from your heart. Make me believe that you believe in me, and in America. Kick the MSM and the GOP elite in the teeth every chance you get. Absolutely do not pander to the pundits.

    Prove that you would do what I would do, or at least something that I could defend to AJ as being in his and America’s best interests (because unlike the radical Left, for us those two are pretty much the same thing).

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  182. The first part is funnier parody than a vast majority of the commenters, pro or con, could compose. That kind of writing usually comes from people condsidered smart or clever. So she’s either a decent writer or she knows one. I’d dare to say that there’s not a ranking figure on the left that could have responded this quickly, this sharply, and with humor.

    Birdbath (8501d4)

  183. I’d be a helluva lot more impressed if she could offer some substantiative answers when asked.
    Comment by vor2

    vor2, not sure what America you’ve been living in. The key to being a popular politician in the eyes of the MSM and beltway is to say vague things that sound nice and mean nothing (or anything) and still lie in the process. At least that’s the Obama way. Any you’re right, Palin isn’t good at that.

    MD in Philly (cac12c)

  184. I recommend Robert Kaplan’s essay first published in the Atlantic about five years ago, “Media and Medievalism.” He cites as a defining power of the totalitarian state the power to ask the questions and demand answers. He points out how the media, among its other abuses, has assumed this power with very little challenge. But why do we accept their questions or right to ask them? Why do we never question them? Why do we never demand answers from them? It was astonishing for me in 2008 to watch the half-dozen Republican presidential candidates submit to “debate” after debate in which they were simply hectored with the same loaded and contumelious questions, as if out of some profound and solemn obligation to be abused.

    Palin is developing a refutation to the media. This is incredibly brave and important. It could reformulate the rigged “game” the Left has been playing in our discourse for generations – the single most destructive influence on our society, which has saddled us with Carter, Clinton and Obama and God knows how many morbidly damaged social policies.

    If Palin is so dim and backward and inadequate, how is she doing this? How is she, almost singlehandedly, reducing a supposedly informed, sophisticated and privileged class of elite interrogators to flailing rage?

    rrpjr (3ee422)

  185. If Palin is so dim and backward and inadequate, how is she doing this? How is she, almost singlehandedly, reducing a supposedly informed, sophisticated and privileged class of elite interrogators to flailing rage?

    Comment by rrpjr — 11/27/2010 @ 6:52 am

    The important thing here is that the message is more important than the messenger. It’s just that Sarah Palin gets the message. Palin’s America is about liberty and hard work and self-determination and moral values.

    It wouldn’t work if she were espousing the standard nanny state talking points of the Left (although in that Bizarro world she would be the darling of the MSM and would be invited to co-host the View).

    But it also wouldn’t work if she were the poster child of Bush’s Democrat-lite brand of big government Republicanism.

    The reason she is destroying the MSM so handily is because we want to hear what she has to say. That is “we” as in “We the People”. At times Palin does ramble, at times she does gaffe, at times she does show weakness in her understanding of some positions. But she has two things going for her: she’s getting better, and she believes in us.

    AJ could do worse than Sarah Palin as the next President.

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  186. AJ could do worse than Sarah Palin as the next President.

    Comment by AJsDaddie — 11/27/2010 @ 7:30 am

    And to clarify, I mean that AJ could do worse (far worse) than having Sarah Palin as his next President.

    AJsDaddie (27f0de)

  187. Perhaps the most villified politican, reguarly-attacked female in recent times has every right to defend herself.

    I, for one, want to hear what she has to say. I believe what she says. As for other “chosen ones” in the Republican party…not so much.

    Unwarranted and vicious attacks on Palin and her family require regular and consistent answers from her. And much more so because she is a conservative. The media and also the elites on the right don’t like her success. One works dishonorably and unprofessionally against her and over blows most anything about her. The other does not defend her.

    GWB was villified and rarely answered the false charges. Therefore we were left with a weakened President based on lies, half-truths and attacks. (And some missteps of his own.)

    Go Sarah. The elites can’t stand the thoughts and actions of ordinary people who don’t play along with the status quo and wink-wink relationships in Washington.

    Sharp Right Turn (c9f012)

  188. That kind of writing usually comes from people condsidered smart or clever. ……. I’d dare to say that there’s not a ranking figure on the left that could have responded this quickly, this sharply, and with humor.

    Comment by Birdbath — 11/27/2010 @ 6:41 am

    Exactly Birdbath. And I would venture to guess that, in the eyes of squishy “moderate” Republicans, if Mitt Romney or some other RINO establishment GOP-type had written the same words, they’d be considered a genius in their ability to suppress the media’s lies with such artistry and finesse.

    Sharp Right Turn (c9f012)

  189. Her best defense here is going to be the “gaffe” route.

    imdw (5973d8)

  190. Trust the voice ^^^ of experience on this one.

    Icy Texan (a8367b)

  191. Jennifer Rubin at Commentary’s Contentions Blog….

    “Sarah Palin has the ability to make news anytime, anyplace. She did that with the upcoming interview in the New York Times Magazine and in additional comments in which she explained the difficulty of remaining governor while bogus ethics charges and real security concerns plagued her. (”I don’t have the funds to pay for my family to travel with me, and the state won’t pay for it, either. I can’t afford to have security at my home — anybody can come up to my door, and they do. Under the laws of Alaska, anybody can file suit or an ethics charge against me, and I have to defend it on my own. I’m going into debt.”)…”
    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/381539

    AD-RtR/OS! (e2c6d2)


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