Palin says she has "Fire In the Belly." Is it just gas?

[Profound Gibberish]

So where is she on the Gingrich Scale of Electability?

[joebuck20]

Fire in the Belly, wasn't that the name of the controversial artwork that banned from the Smithsonian earlier this year? It's sounds like ol' Sarah is being a bit sacrilegious to me.

[msmith537]

It will take more than bellyfire to be the next Baryshnikov.

[An Arky]

She's an idiot. That should be enough to marginalize her, but a lot of Americans are also idiots, and her idiocy resonates with them. I'm thrilled shitless to share citizenship with these people, really. :rolleyes:

[Boyo Jim]

Electability for what? She could conceivably win the nomination if she wins enough primaries, and be devastated in the general election. That makes her a perfect Republican candidate.

There's also some speculation that she might also make an independent run as a Tea Party candidate. That would be even better, as practically every vote for her would be taken from the Republican candidate.

Electability as President? ZERO, and that's being generous.

[Boyo Jim]

It will take more than bellyfire to be the next Baryshnikov.

This rings a bell. A movie quote?

[msmith537]

This rings a bell. A movie quote?

The Simpsons:D

[Boyo Jim]

The Simpsons:D

Was that the one where Lisa got the high-tech dancing shoes?

[msmith537]

Was that the one where Lisa got the high-tech dancing shoes?

It was the episode where Bart learned ballet.

[Chefguy]

Maybe she's pregnant again.

[Budget Player Cadet]

Is anyone else hoping she gets the nomination? Because it really seems that she should be unelectable. She's just so... vacuous. There's nothing to her. Has she ever brought up any actual campaign points? She's purely figurehead. Can something like that be elected?

...Well, this is the states we're talking about.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Maybe she's pregnant again.

...Damien....

[runner pat]

Maybe she's pregnant again.

Or an infection.

[River Hippie]

Is anyone else hoping she gets the nomination? Because it really seems that she should be unelectable. She's just so... vacuous. There's nothing to her. Has she ever brought up any actual campaign points? She's purely figurehead. Can something like that be elected?

...Well, this is the states we're talking about.

I do not underestimate her. I'm not sure she could be elected but around here she would get a lot of support.

[Bijou Drains]

Speculation that she may run in Arizona for Senate, she just bought a house there

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/sarah-palin-moving-to-arizona-for-u-s-senate-bid-in-2012/

[Boyo Jim]

She's stalking her daughter, who moved there recently.

Does Todd stay in the Alaska deep freeze? Not much chance to continue his snowmobile racing career in AZ.

[Frostillicus]

Speculation that she may run in Arizona for Senate, she just bought a house there

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/sarah-palin-moving-to-arizona-for-u-s-senate-bid-in-2012/

Please, please, please challenge Grandpa McCain (R- Get Off My Lawn!) in the 2016 Republican primary. That would be priceless, to see McCain's Frankenstein come back to devour him.

[pseudotriton ruber ruber]

Please, please, please challenge Grandpa McCain (R- Get Off My Lawn!) in the 2016 Republican primary. That would be priceless, to see McCain's Frankenstein come back to devour him.

I'd like to watch them fighting over who is and who isn't mavericky today and yesterday and tomorrow and what mavericky means and why it's a good thing when they do it but a bad thing other times and why they're victims of lamestream media obsession with maverickyness anyways.

[Profound Gibberish]

I'd like to watch them fighting over who is and who isn't mavericky today and yesterday and tomorrow and what mavericky means and why it's a good thing when they do it but a bad thing other times and why they're victims of lamestream media obsession with maverickyness anyways.

Ditto! ;)

[Chronos]

I agree that'd be amusing, but it'd probably be more likely for McCain to retire then.

[Sam Stone]

I just want to nominate 'fire in the belly' as the most obnoxious catch-phrase of the last election cycle, and hearing it repeatedly used by politicians and pundits in the ramp-up to the next election is already very annoying.

Oh, and Palin doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. If she's thinking of running, it'll probably because she's determined that running and losing will still be better for her celebrity status than not running and being increasingly marginalized/forgotten.

My best guess is that she'll play coy, never ruling out a run, making increasing noise about a possible campaign, using her PAC money for an 'exploratory' committee, 'keeping her options open', yada yada yada until she can't possible milk another ounce of publicity out of a non-campaign campaign, then she'll announce that reluctantly she's decided not to run for personal reasons. That way she doesn't have to risk losing or being made to look like a fool in another interview, while grabbing as much gravitas as a 'serious' candidate as she can.

[Really Not All That Bright]

I give her four Gingriches. That's somewhere between Howard Dean post-squeal and Charlie Sheen after blow but before hookers.

[Sam Stone]

I like your ratings system and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Boyo Jim]

I give her four Gingriches. That's somewhere between Howard Dean post-squeal and Charlie Sheen after blow but before hookers.

Which of these is the low end and which is the high end?

Also, Charlie Sheen before or after drinking Tiger Blood?

[Really Not All That Bright]

I like your ratings system and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Okay, but I only give my newsletter a two-Gingrich shot at making it to the third issue. Two Gingriches is about equivalent to Hilary Clinton's odds of becoming RNC chair.

[Boyo Jim]

See, I misunderstood. I thought the higher your Gingrich rating, the less chance you had of succeeding.

[Little Nemo]

Sarah Palin's chances of ever being elected President ended on July 26, 2009 - the day she resigned as Governor of Alaska.

If she were ever to come close to being nominated, every opponent (in both parties) will bring the subject up. How can we elect her to the Presidency if she couldn't handle being Governor of Alaska? What happens if she can't take the pressure? What happens if she quits again?

[Boyo Jim]

... What happens if she quits again?

America will heave a sigh of relief.

[RTFirefly]

She's got zero chance. Bachmann's in, and she's basically a more articulate version of Palin (albeit no less crazy). Both of them running would be a fight over the same base of votes, and really they'd both lose. All Palin can do is screw up Bachmann's act and, via the bank shot, improve Pawlenty's prospects somewhat.

But I don't think she's running. As of the end of April, she'd made ZERO visits to early primary states.

Barring a surprise late entry like Rick Perry, the field's major players are set: Romney, Pawlenty, Bachmann. Using a very flexible definition of 'major' but still not flexible enough to include Huntsman or Gingrich.

[Onomatopoeia]

Barring a surprise late entry like Rick Perry, the field's major players are set: Romney, Pawlenty, Bachmann. Using a very flexible definition of 'major' but still not flexible enough to include Huntsman or Gingrich.Have Bachmann and Romney announced?

[RTFirefly]

Have Bachmann and Romney announced?No. But their actions speak for them.

[MovieMogul]

Speculation that she may run in Arizona for Senate, she just bought a house there

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/sarah-palin-moving-to-arizona-for-u-s-senate-bid-in-2012/I heard that it's not because she's running for the Senate, but that she might need a POTUS campaign headquarters somewhere more centrally located in the US (compared to AK) and that AZ is a state she already has strong support in.

[Steve MB]

Oh, and Palin doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. If she's thinking of running, it'll probably because she's determined that running and losing will still be better for her celebrity status than not running and being increasingly marginalized/forgotten.

My best guess is that she'll play coy, never ruling out a run, making increasing noise about a possible campaign, using her PAC money for an 'exploratory' committee, 'keeping her options open', yada yada yada until she can't possible milk another ounce of publicity out of a non-campaign campaign, then she'll announce that reluctantly she's decided not to run for personal reasons. That way she doesn't have to risk losing or being made to look like a fool in another interview, while grabbing as much gravitas as a 'serious' candidate as she can.

Depends -- if her people figure that the victimization card will still play, she'll do a few interviews and announce that she's not running because she's sick and tired of "what color is the sky?" gotcha questions from the lamestream media.

[campp]

Speculation that she may run in Arizona for Senate, she just bought a house there

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/sarah-palin-moving-to-arizona-for-u-s-senate-bid-in-2012/

Oh crap, she's running for Jon Kyle's seat I guess. :rolleyes:

We do not need her here. Oh crap. :(

[Maus Magill]

Run, Sarah, run!

[Merijeek]

Depends -- if her people figure that the victimization card will still play, she'll do a few interviews and announce that she's not running because she's sick and tired of "what color is the sky?" gotcha questions from the lamestream media.

The problem with her current grift is that she occasionally has to go through the effort of turning the crank on her money machine.

Facebook posts aren't generating enough money anymore, and last I saw she's having some of her big speaking fee events get cancelled.

So, she plays the "I'm running for something. Or am I?" game to remind her followers that she's still significant. And she'd better play it soon and often, because holy hell her looks are drying up pretty quick.

-Joe

[Boyo Jim]

Shit, she'll do some kind of "tundra to desert" reality show. I can think of lots of funny scenes, like being completely mystified when her moose hunt comes up dry.

Whether she runs for the senate or the White House, or the mayor of Scottsdale, she will get a deal to turn it into a reality show.

[Little Nemo]

Whether she runs for the senate or the White House, or the mayor of Scottsdale, she will get a deal to turn it into a reality show.I know campaign restrictions are becoming increasingly farcical but would it be possible for a "hypothetical" network to legally run a reality show about an active political campaign?

[Boyo Jim]

I know campaign restrictions are becoming increasingly farcical but would it be possible for a "hypothetical" network to legally run a reality show about an active political campaign?

Hadn't really thought about it, but it probably wouldn't be an issue if it aired either after the election or after she quits the race.

Which give me an idea for a new reality show called "Quitters". :p

[Knorf]

I really hope she runs. She'd bring the most sheer entertainment value to the race since H. Ross Perot.

But her actual electability is pretty close to zero.

[gonzomax]

I really hope she runs. She'd bring the most sheer entertainment value to the race since H. Ross Perot.

But her actual electability is pretty close to zero.

Perot had some interesting ideas.

[Boyo Jim]

Perot had some interesting ideas.

He had interesting ears too. And your point? :p

[Knorf]

I'm working on parsing what "interesting" means to gonzomax.

[ElvisL1ves]

Seriously, give Perot credit for rubbing both "real" parties' noses, and the voters', in the deficit problem that neither was addressing. Without his pressure, and the resulting proof that the people really did want the problem addressed, I doubt you'd have seen Clinton put eliminating it nearly as high on his list.

Which is all a far different thing from saying there was much feeling among the voters that Perot himself should have been the one to do it. And it's even farther from saying Palin similarly has a serious, or even coherent, agenda item, even as an "outsider", to push forward.

[Profound Gibberish]

Grab your Popcorn--the new Palin movie is coming!

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/25/palin-movie-coming-to-theaters-this-summer/

[Little Nemo]

The upcoming Sarah Palin movie is called The Undefeated?

Does Palin think she's the Vice President? Has she noticed that John McCain isn't hanging out with her anymore? Or that Barack Obama is on the news all the time?

Okay, scratch that last one. I'm pretty sure Palin doesn't know what's on the news.

[RTFirefly]

Grab your Popcorn--the new Palin movie is coming!

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/25/palin-movie-coming-to-theaters-this-summer/Stephen K. Bannon, the guy responsible for the movie, sounds like a wingnut version of Leni Riefenstahl (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0052442/).

And calling it The Undefeated - that's pretty cheeky, re-using the title of a John Wayne movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065150/).

I'm putting my money on "so bad, it makes Atlas Shrugged look good."

[Boyo Jim]

Atlas cried.

[Really Not All That Bright]

See, I misunderstood. I thought the higher your Gingrich rating, the less chance you had of succeeding.
If it made sense, it wouldn't be the Gingrich Scale.

[Little Nemo]

Maybe that can be her campaign slogan, "I was never defeated. I just quit."

[RTFirefly]

From Balloon Juice (http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/05/25/so-much-awesome-in-one-place/), a bunch of alternative titles for Palin's flick:

From Here to Inanity
Citizen Vain
Red Yawn
The Aleutianist
The Scum Also Rises
Lost in Translation II
We’re Just Not That Into You
Chariots of Liar
Also Too: Electric Boogaloo
Brainspotting
Mentl
From Within Sight of Russia With Love
Not-Hur
The Devil Wears Mukluks
Swindler’s List
Juneau II: Post Partum
Mooseferatu
Dopey’s Choice
John McCain’s a Series of Unfortunate Events
The Lyin’, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Driving Miss Crazy
Grizzly Madams
Inarticulate Proposal
Mother, Uggs and Greed
Despicable Her
Chariots of Bile
Jackass 4
Brain Simple
The Lying Game
The Woman Who Knew Too Little
True Grift
Clueless
Fahrenheit All of Them
They Call Me Sister Fibs
The Incredible Sulk
The Iquitarod
The Big Shill
12 Million Angry White Men
Legends of the Fail
Something Wicked This Way Comes

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

It seems there is a chance that the Cunt from Wasilla may run for president, after all. This is a quote from the Drudgereport:

Sarah Palin will hit the road this Memorial Day weekend on a tour of the Northeast -- with a stop in New Hampshire -- aboard a red, white and blue bus emblazoned with the words: "One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty & Justice For All."

There's also a Washington Examiner that claims she is currently the second choice for the Republicans. http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/05/poll-palin-near-top-re-shaped-gop-field

Looks like the GOP is hell-bent on committing political suicide.

[Knorf]

Looks like the GOP is hell-bent on committing political suicide.
That's fine with me. At this point, they deserve no less.

[Linear Crack]

It seems there is a chance that the Cunt from Wasilla may run for president, after all.

Well, anything is better than the Cocksucker from Kenya. :rolleyes:

[Jack Batty]

Well, anything is better than the Cocksucker from Kenya. :rolleyes:

And that would be Mercedes N'gatal'uuu'taa who starred in such classics as, "Haley's Sal-Assey", "Blowing for Rice", and "Behind the Green Tent Flap." Classics, one and all.

[Icarus]

Is this a great country or what?

That we can even be having this discussion is remarkable. Truly, anyone can grow up and think they can run for President, and be taken seriously by some segment of the population.

[gonzomax]

Palin is the best candidate the Republicans could offer. She is bright, heavily experienced and shows great diplomacy. She is dignified . When she quit as Governor ,it was not her fault. The press was not nice to her. Palin would be great at running the economy. She has a deep understanding of it and would be just peachy.

[appleciders]

If Palin enters, it'll be damn hard for anyone but her and Romney to get any media attention. If that's the case, I strongly predict that either she or Romney will end up the nominee. Romney will have to campaign pretty far to the right to get the nomination, which is probably bad for everybody.

[Whoo69]

This woman's trying to have it both ways: She 'hates' the media (or at least the "lamestream media") but loves all the attention! Why else would she say so many ridiculous things?? Surely a person who was governor of Alaska knew what the hell a blood libel was before we explained it to her? I'm not religious at all (have no Jewish relatives, either), and even I know wtf a blood libel is.

And now she's coming out with some really absurd documentary or movie about her life? Oh, god... Shoot me now

Ironically, it's entitled Undefeated. Undefeated, about a woman who was defeated in 2008 and quit her job halfway through! Undefeated at what, Wasilla beauty pageants? She certainly was 'defeated' by 5 colleges before finally graduating at her 6th.

[Merijeek]

This woman's trying to have it both ways: She 'hates' the media (or at least the "lamestream media") but loves all the attention! Why else would she say so many ridiculous things?? Surely a person who was governor of Alaska knew what the hell a blood libel was before we explained it to her? I'm not religious at all (have no Jewish relatives, either), and even I know wtf a blood libel is.

I didn't. Then again, I also didn't try using it in an attack on someone, either...

You...you...masticating thespian!

-Joe

[Ca3799]

Well, I guess she's getting all mavericky and doing things her own way- you know, "shakin' things up"! I'm sure she thinks she is bypassing the establishment and taking her case directly to the 'real Americans' that are her base.

It will be interesting to see how a Presidential campaign consisting of a movie and a road trip in a bus will pan out. I think it will look a lot like the "Atlas Shrugged" movie.

I find her "folksy charm" repulsive, but it sure rings a bell for lots of people. I don't think she can find enough of those people to get her a job in the White House, though. The more she talks, the more normal people dislike her.

[smithsb]

Oh man, I can see it now - PALIN - BACHMANN 2012.

I know I have Pawlenty - Bachmann in my custom thingy but I'm open for CHANGE !!

Speaking of Pawlenty; where has he gone? Passed by Herb Cain? What's next, dropping below Freddy Krueger, the gay candidate?







(yes, I know the spelling is different but I can't pass it up)

[Merijeek]

It will be interesting to see how a Presidential campaign consisting of a movie and a road trip in a bus will pan out. I think it will look a lot like the "Atlas Shrugged" movie.

But will it have the part where Jesus and Ronald Reagan come down from Heaven and annoint her as the Chosen One?

-Joe

[Frostillicus]

Palin is the best candidate the Republicans could offer. She is bright, heavily experienced and shows great diplomacy. She is dignified . When she quit as Governor ,it was not her fault. The press was not nice to her. Palin would be great at running the economy. She has a deep understanding of it and would be just peachy.

She's as bright as a 25 watt bulb.

[Boyo Jim]

If Palin enters, it'll be damn hard for anyone but her and Romney to get any media attention. If that's the case, I strongly predict that either she or Romney will end up the nominee. Romney will have to campaign pretty far to the right to get the nomination, which is probably bad for everybody.

If Newt keeps throwing out bombs like "right wing social engineering", and recantations a few days later, he'll get plenty of media attention.

[Boyo Jim]

She's as bright as a 25 watt bulb.

Yes, but a really bright 25 watt bulb.

[gonzomax]

I'm working on parsing what "interesting" means to gonzomax.

Reall?. He warned about NAFTA. he talked about the whooshing sound of jobs being sucked out of America. He was prophetic about what the corporations had in mind.
I suppose he was running before your time , so you don't know better, but he warned us about the economic problems that followed.

[gonzomax]

Politics can create monsters. Palin was half way there with her "pretty girl" entitlements. But she has handlers that butter her up every day , telling her how important even her tweets are. Every place she goes she has an audience that paid to see her perform. She swims in a sea of right wingers. She is shocked when people criticize her , and since they are not like the people she deals with every day, she believes they are outliers.
Somehow she thinks quitting was completely justified and all have forgotten it by now.

[gonzomax]

Perot in 1992, was for balancing the budget. He was protectionist to some degree about the economy and urged fairness through tariffs. He was pro choice. He was a fan of the EPA.
Sure he had ideas.

[Knorf]

My memory is that he babbled a lot and lived and spoke nothing but clumsy clichés, particularly in the debates, but in speeches also. "If yer car's not runnin', why, you've gotta LOOK. UNDER. THE HOOD!" (wild applause.)

I'll take your word for it that there was something there, but it was buried under a lot of nonsense.

[Maus Magill]

Perot in 1992, was for balancing the budget. He was protectionist to some degree about the economy and urged fairness through tariffs. He was pro choice. He was a fan of the EPA.
Sure he had ideas.

He also claimed that Bush was going to ruin his daughter's wedding. I'm voting batshit.

[gonzomax]

He also claimed that Bush was going to ruin his daughter's wedding. I'm voting batshit.

So. I did not claim he should be deified, But he actually presented charts and attempted to educate people about the economic costs of both Dem and Repub policies. But if you choose to totally ignore what his warnings were because of a stupid wedding comment. you can.

[RTFirefly]

Yes, but a really bright 25 watt bulb.My blue canary night light is brighter than she is.

[Boyo Jim]

I'm sure your canary is, but even the bulb?

[Maus Magill]

My blue canary night light is brighter than she is.
The one in the outlet by the light switch?
So. I did not claim he should be deified, But he actually presented charts and attempted to educate people about the economic costs of both Dem and Repub policies. But if you choose to totally ignore what his warnings were because of a stupid wedding comment. you can.

Oh - he was a smart man, no doubt. You don't become a self-made billionaire by being dumb. He was just crazy, too.

[SaharaTea]

I don't think she's running. She couldn't even handle being governor of Alaska, for chrissake. There's no way she has the stomach for a demanding presidential campaign and the accompanying media scrutiny. This bus tour is nothing more than a lame attempt to stay relevant.

[gonzomax]

The one in the outlet by the light switch?


Oh - he was a smart man, no doubt. You don't become a self-made billionaire by being dumb. He was just crazy, too.

http://www.realchange.org/perot.htm Of course you can. He did data processing for the government and was ruthless enough to buy pols and get rich off it. His wealth came from Medicare and Medicaid contracts.

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

SaharaTea: I thought of that when I made that post yesterday. However, she has all these adoring Republicans telling her they want her to run for president. All that mindless adoration may have convinced her she does have the stomach for the job. She hired that filmmaker to produce "The Undefeated." Politicians have egos as big as those of opera divas, if not larger, and she may have convinced herself that she be president. As for media scrutiny. I suspect that in Palin's world every media outlet but Fox is the "lamestream media" that is "wee-wee'd off"* because they can't deal with a hockey mom.
Frankly, if I were a Republican there's no way in hell I would want her running. You might as well as cede the 2012 election to Mr. Obama.

* The last time I was in Arizona I read an artical where she actually used that phrase.

[Jack Batty]

As per usual, I logged my 10 minutes of Rush outrage while tooling around at lunch-time, and he told his faithful followers that he is sure of the fact that the White House is most afraid of Palin being the nominee. Because -- his reasoning -- they know they can beat a liberal Republican; they know they can beat a moderate Republican; they know they can beat a Republican pretending to be a Republican (the endangered white RINO); but they also know that they can't beat a conservative Republican -- of who Palin is the shining star.




I disagree.

[Profound Gibberish]

So why isn't Rush running? He has such great ideas on how to run this country and his talents are going to waste ;-P

[Boyo Jim]

I don't think she's running. She couldn't even handle being governor of Alaska, for chrissake. There's no way she has the stomach for a demanding presidential campaign and the accompanying media scrutiny. This bus tour is nothing more than a lame attempt to stay relevant.

By now she's convinced herself that the governorship was not a big enough job for her, and it cramped her style in too many ways. I thinks she loves the idea of her own fleet of limos, planes and helicopters. Plus a nice house to redecorate.

I think the most frightening possibility about her is that she thinks it will be easy to be president, and if she can skin a moose she can handle the Chinese. You just gotta be "tough" enough, :dubious:

[a35362]

He has said he wouldn't want the cut in pay.

Really, he said that.

[a35362]

Curious: does anybody think these new books about Sarah Palin are going to hurt her or not make any difference?

I speak of

The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power by Geoffrey Dunn (http://amzn.com/0312601867)

Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years by Frank Bailey (http://amzn.com/1451654405) and

The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin by Joe McGinniss (http://amzn.com/0307718921)

Would any of her fans pick up one of these and have their eyes opened?

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

a3562: I suspect they will make little difference to her hardcore followers. After all, they were produced by members of the "lamestream media," cowardly Communist Nazi faggot traitors who hate all real Americans like Palin and her adorers. Rush, Savage, et al. will be working overtime to assure their listeners all is lies and Sarah is just wonderful.

[Boyo Jim]

Curious: does anybody think these new books about Sarah Palin are going to hurt her or not make any difference?

I speak of

The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power by Geoffrey Dunn (http://amzn.com/0312601867)

Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years by Frank Bailey (http://amzn.com/1451654405) and

The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin by Joe McGinniss (http://amzn.com/0307718921)

Would any of her fans pick up one of these and have their eyes opened?

No.

[Knorf]

Would any of her fans pick up one of these and have their eyes opened?
Of course not.

[villa]

Is anyone else hoping she gets the nomination? Because it really seems that she should be unelectable.

I'm a big no on that for two reasons:

First, I remember all too well sitting around when Lil Georgie got the nomination, being smug with fellow liberals about how the meant a Democratic landslide. And second because I actually want a GOP without the hatred for certain groups, and particularly without the mistrust of intellectuals that Palin and her ilk represent.

[Boyo Jim]

I'm a big no on that for two reasons:

First, I remember all too well sitting around when Lil Georgie got the nomination, being smug with fellow liberals about how the meant a Democratic landslide. And second because I actually want a GOP without the hatred for certain groups, and particularly without the mistrust of intellectuals that Palin and her ilk represent.

I agree with your first point, because I remember feeling the same before Ronald Reagan's election. OTOH, Reagan was a trained actor and could stay on message and deflect dangerous questions smoothly. Palin is far more likely to self-destruct, very publicly and loudly.

As to your second point -- the GOP hate stuff will be there with or without her. And maybe the only way it gets purged (or put back in a closet, more likely) is if her or someone like her is nominated and crushed so thoroughly that the party actually learns from it.

[Onomatopoeia]

I actually don't think Palin will run.

That said, I really hope she does. If she gets the nomination, I see one of two possible scenarios:

1. Obama beats her so badly that the GOP retools; best choice for the country as well as the Republicans, although they don't see it.

2. Palin beats Obama; highly unlikely in my opinion. However, if Obama is unable to beat a simpleton like Palin, I'd say he doesn't deserve to be president anyway.

[Ca3799]

She hasn't even started her bus tour and she's already annoying people.

She's starting her tour at the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally in DC, but the organizer says she's not an official invited guest and certainly not a speaker, but she's invited to attend as a participant. He is unhappy with her politicizing his rally which he says in for POW/MIA and military service member support, not politics.

[China Guy]

Well, I guess she's getting all mavericky and doing things her own way- you know, "shakin' things up"! I'm sure she thinks she is bypassing the establishment and taking her case directly to the 'real Americans' that are her base.

It will be interesting to see how a Presidential campaign consisting of a movie and a road trip in a bus will pan out. I think it will look a lot like the "Atlas Shrugged" movie.I think she's secretly a Ken Keasy fan and trying to remake the Merry Pranksters complete with a new koolaid acid test.

[Boyo Jim]

I'll bet the bus is going to shuttle her between events, hotels, and airports. She will fly a nice charter plane from city to city, and the bus is just there to provide a "just plain folk" touch. She is not going to travel cross country on a bus.

[The Tooth]

As to your second point -- the GOP hate stuff will be there with or without her. And maybe the only way it gets purged (or put back in a closet, more likely) is if her or someone like her is nominated and crushed so thoroughly that the party actually learns from it.

Doubtful. She made the McCain campaign a farce, and what did the party learn from that? Be crazier, apparently.

[Boyo Jim]

Frankly, the McCain loss will look like a triumph compared with what a Palin loss will be.

[appleciders]

We're all overlooking a giant boon that a Palin nomination will bring. We'll get to watch her in three Presidential debates. Remember how funny she was when Biden debated her (and by that I mean stepped back and gave her enough rope)? We'll get to watch all of that again.

[Ca3799]

We're all overlooking a giant boon that a Palin nomination will bring. We'll get to watch her in three Presidential debates. Remember how funny she was when Biden debated her (and by that I mean stepped back and gave her enough rope)? We'll get to watch all of that again.

I dunno. Is participating in the debates a required activity?

[pseudotriton ruber ruber]

I dunno. Is participating in the debates a required activity?

I see Palin as re-defining "campaigning." No debates, no hand-shaking and schmoozing tours of Iowa. Just Facebook, twitter, Fox soundbites, and if she gets her clock cleaned, she goes "The lamestream media wouldn't cover me because I refused to play their game, so I'm quitting. Still undefeated, btw. See ya."

[Boyo Jim]

I can see her in a debate. Some question comes up that she is totally clueless about (very likely the first question), and she rants for a bit about the unfair nature of the arrangements and the bias of the moderators, storms off the stage, and Tweets about her "triumph".

[Knorf]

We're all overlooking a giant boon that a Palin nomination will bring. We'll get to watch her in three Presidential debates. Remember how funny she was when Biden debated her (and by that I mean stepped back and gave her enough rope)? We'll get to watch all of that again.

I dunno. What if she does a lot better this time?

[appleciders]

I dunno. Is participating in the debates a required activity?

No, but she'll look like a fool if she does blow them off. Don't you remember how when McCain tried to halt campaigns to deal with the financial crash, one of the big criticisms leveled against him was that he was trying to protect Palin from the VP debate? And that was only the VP debate, which isn't a big deal. Blowing off the Presidential debate wouldn't alienate her hardcore base, but it would offend a lot of moderates and centrists who haven't made up their minds yet.

I dunno. What if she does a lot better this time?

While I grant you that there's room for improvement, her soundbite populism probably won't translate well to a long-form debate.

[Knorf]

Concerning Sarah Palin's debating skills:
While I grant you that there's room for improvement...

AAAAAaannnnd the "Award for the Best Use of Understatement" goes to:

appleciders!

*applause, applause*

[Rhythmdvl]

I wouldn't underestimate her debating skills.


When she was a candidate, she came on to the scene with knowledge of little else beyond Alaska (I'm generalizing here, bear with me). She was wholly unprepared.

Now, she's had a couple years of commenting on every issue someone would listen to her about. Whereas she was purposefully ignorant before, she is much better informed now. Is a debate going to cover esoteric questions of issues past, or is she going to be asked about current events?

Not that what she says will be intelligent, but a few winks and commentary will go a long way.

[gonzomax]

Better informed? She has been a birther . How does that show anything but an opportunist? She is saying whatever appeals to the lowest rung of the Republicans. Why you guys don't hide in shame when she speaks, I can not guess.

[Rhythmdvl]

Um, yeah, better informed. A few years ago, she'd have been stumped by the simplest question. is Pakistan a country or a type of luggage? If it were multiple choice, she'd have a shot.

Now, has she shut her yap about anything? Sure, there are relatively obscure things in the papers that don't show up on Fox's radar, but by and large she's been (made) aware of current events like she never has been in her life.

Again, this doesn't mean her inner-processing monkey is improved. But a wink, a bit of red meat sloganeering, a lack of a blank, stammering stare, and repetition of a past-used Fox talking point and her current capacity for debate dwarfs her previous ability.


ETA: 'Better informed' doesn't imply any truthiness or integrity. I don't think she honestly believes there were any birther issues or question of citizenship. Not a chance. But she was not only aware of the issue, she was aware of how to get her mug in the papers about it and aware of how to play to her base.

[Crane]

She may refuse to debate - that will reinforce her image with the base.

Crane

[Knorf]

I don't think Palin has any really intellectual curiosity. She's an opportunist. In a real debate, she'd lose badly against anyone halfway competent. But presidential debates are far, far more about image and how the candidate appears to the public personality-wise than whether he or she has any command of actual issues, which I doubt Palin does or ever will.

[Crane]

Exactly, so she will simply refuse to debate.

Crane

[River Hippie]

If she got the nomination I think Obama should preemptively announce he will not debate her.
That would put her in the position of having to DEMAND debates.

Then he could accept.

I think the primary debates for the nomination would be the hardest for her.

[Little Nemo]

If she got the nomination I think Obama should preemptively announce he will not debate her.
That would put her in the position of having to DEMAND debates.

Then he could accept.

I think the primary debates for the nomination would be the hardest for her.Huh? If Obama was stupid enough to make such a announcement, Palin would jump on it with both feet. She wouldn't respond by demanding a debate - she'd go around telling everyone that this proved that Obama was afraid to debate her. She'd get all the credit of winning the debate without having to appear in one.

[River Hippie]

Huh? If Obama was stupid enough to make such a announcement, Palin would jump on it with both feet. She wouldn't respond by demanding a debate - she'd go around telling everyone that this proved that Obama was afraid to debate her. She'd get all the credit of winning the debate without having to appear in one.

Once she said that Obama was afraid to debate her, he could then agree and she would be locked in to a debate. If she never commented at all and no debate took place, then Obama would have shot himself in the foot.

I understand what you're saying. She'd love to avoid the debates and probing interviews .

[Rhythmdvl]

Debate shmebate. Debates at that level are all about style, appearance, winking skills, the ability to sneak in one-liner jabs, and eek out talking points. They are so far from actual debate as to need a new term. In that context she'd not only hold her own against Obama, she'd come out far ahead with her base (energizing, prompting more donations, etc.) and possibly sway a few down-home folksy types who watch Good Morning America and think they're watching a daily news show.

I wish you people would stop looking into her eyes. That's how she lulls you into complacency.

[Chronos]

Quoth River Hippie:Once she said that Obama was afraid to debate her, he could then agree and she would be locked in to a debate. Nuh-UH! He already said he wasn't going to debate-- That counts! I already won, so now I don't need to debate him! Neener neener neener!

Quoth Rhythmdvl:...and eek out talking points.A very apt misspelling, given Palin's rhetorical style.

[Little Nemo]

Debate shmebate. Debates at that level are all about style, appearance, winking skills, the ability to sneak in one-liner jabs, and eek out talking points. They are so far from actual debate as to need a new term.Synchronized sound-bite delivery?

But even at that level, Palin's not good at it. She lacks the ability to ad-lib a good line of bullshit.

[Crane]

Yes, and that is why she is staying out of the media. The media is talking about Palin not to her.

Much of her competition has self destructed while on camera.

No matter how you figure it, Palin is one of the top three contenders for the Republican nomination. She must be doing something right.

Crane

[Little Nemo]

No matter how you figure it, Palin is one of the top three contenders for the Republican nomination. She must be doing something right.Well, sure, but I don't think getting Barack Obama re-elected is her intent.

[ElvisL1ves]

No matter how you figure it, Palin is one of the top three contenders for the Republican nomination. She must be doing something right.Or the others, and their party, are doing something even worse.

[gonzomax]

She has been pushing her face in front of every news story since McCain picked her. She has some kind of recognition. Mostly for quitting as governor and saying many dumb things. She tweets like a spoiled teenager and pretty much acts like one.
She looked good in leather at the bike rally though.

[Crane]

Yes - she addresses only her base. She doesn't need you.

Crane

[gonzomax]

Yes - she addresses only her base. She doesn't need you.

Crane

In a presidential election she would have to broaden her appeal. But she has been so much a FOx talking pointer, that it would be very difficult to do. Besides, she quit. How does she make that go away?

[elfkin477]

Shit, she'll do some kind of "tundra to desert" reality show. I can think of lots of funny scenes, like being completely mystified when her moose hunt comes up dry. No! She can't leave AK, it'd make my prediction of her being eaten by a bear while taping a reality show not come true :(

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Yes - she addresses only her base. She doesn't need you.

Crane



...Which is why she's not running. At least, I don't think so. She may very well toss her hat into the ring, but she'll fundraise like crazy, decide that it's not worth it with a series of tweets and a press conference blaming the "Lamestream media" and then try to play kingmaker.

[ElvisL1ves]

No! She can't leave AK, it'd make my prediction of her being eaten by a bear while taping a reality show not come true :(Sorry to break it to you, but: She's buying a house in Scottsdale. (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/05/29/20110529scottsdale-sarah-palin-house-buzz.html) Speculation about her plans is rampant, but does not include Alaska.

[Chronos]

There are bears in Arizona, too, right?

[gonzomax]

Palin would kill the money making brand if she ran. She would get creamed and lose a lot of her draw. Teasing about it energizes her followers, both of them. It still allows her to speak in front of right wing groups for big bucks. But actually running would subject her to well deserved ridicule. We can treat her like a spoiled clown when she is galvanizing a few political nuts but having her as president it too crazy to imagine.

[Boyo Jim]

Palin would kill the money making brand if she ran. She would get creamed and lose a lot of her draw. Teasing about it energizes her followers, both of them. It still allows her to speak in front of right wing groups for big bucks. But actually running would subject her to well deserved ridicule. We can treat her like a spoiled clown when she is galvanizing a few political nuts but having her as president it too crazy to imagine.

I disagree. She can run some kind of sham campaign during the primaries, and the do a song and dance about "I stood up to make sure the voice of Real America is heard". Then she goes back to Fox.

She would have a lot more problem if she actually wins the nomination and has to go up against Obama, though.

[Rhythmdvl]

What's the over/under on some sort of false flag operation during the bus tour?

[Boyo Jim]

What's the over/under on some sort of false flag operation during the bus tour?

What exactly are you thinking of? Some kind of "groundswell of grassroots support" that "convinces" her to run? Or something else?

[Steve MB]

What exactly are you thinking of? Some kind of "groundswell of grassroots support" that "convinces" her to run? Or something else?

Or some staged "meenie librul dirty trick".

[ElvisL1ves]

It's mainly to fuck with Romney. Why else would she and her bus be in New Hampshire the same day he formally announces there?

[Boyo Jim]

I really hope somebody follows that bus. I'd bet it's dropping the off at the entrance of a comfortable corporate jet, and picking them up at the next airport or hotel.

[Rhythmdvl]

I really hope somebody follows that bus. I'd bet it's dropping the off at the entrance of a comfortable corporate jet, and picking them up at the next airport or hotel.

I'd do it, but I don't have the financial resources. But to prove that I'm serious, I'm going to go stand in the feminine hygiene aisle and stare at the shelves for the next month. Same thing; just less travel.

[gonzomax]

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/06/sarah-palin-badly-mangles-the-story-of-paul-reveres-ride-in-statement/
Learn from Palin as she describes the ride of Paul Revere.

[Boyo Jim]

It's clear now that the French gave us the Statue of Liberty to warn us that the British were going to take away our guns a hundred years before. It's a lucky thing they didn't ring the bell at his house first, or he wouldn't have been able to fire all those warning shots.

Thank you Sarah!

[Jack Batty]

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/06/sarah-palin-badly-mangles-the-story-of-paul-reveres-ride-in-statement/
Learn from Palin as she describes the ride of Paul Revere.

-- not intended as a factual statement --

[Merijeek]

Thank you Sarah!

Did she get to the part where Reagan did a Neo thing and stopped the bullets that were fired at Revere?

-Joe

[Merneith]

“…he who warned the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh, by ringin’ those bells and, um, makin’ sure as he’s ridin’ his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that were gonna be secure and we were gonna be free. And we were gonna be armed.”

Because even people who can't view the video need to here this.

[Really Not All That Bright]

I'd do it, but I don't have the financial resources. But to prove that I'm serious, I'm going to go stand in the feminine hygiene aisle and stare at the shelves for the next month. Same thing; just less travel.
I imagine this is a brilliant joke, but I can only parse it as "watching douches". Please explain.
Because even people who can't view the video need to here this.
If Palin was a real Patriot, she'd be riding around America on a horse!

[Boyo Jim]

Did she get to the part where Reagan did a Neo thing and stopped the bullets that were fired at Revere?

-Joe

Oh no, different place. That's when the British were charging up San Juan Hill in San Diego, on All Saints Day.

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by Sarah Palin on Paul Revere
“…he who warned the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh, by ringin’ those bells and, um, makin’ sure as he’s ridin’ his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that were gonna be secure and we were gonna be free. And we were gonna be armed.”In a related story, Tina Fey says she won't be returning to SNL to impersonate Palin.

"How the hell am I supposed to parody that?"

[ElvisL1ves]

IOW "I can see every Middlesex village and farm from Old North Church!"

[Profound Gibberish]

The most telling thing about this whole Paul Reveere thing is that she steadfastly refuses to believe or admit she made a mistake. She could have laughed it off with a "It was long day, that was a silly answer, oh well. . . ." and no one would really care.

But, to defend her error and say that she knows her history reveals what I have heard for quite awhile: She is never wrong. Ever. Now don't you want THAT in a leader?

In addiiton, calling it a "gotcha question" (Q: "What have you seen here today and what will you take home with you?") just again shows that she is a pure idiot.

Good riddance, Sarah, I think your trip was very beneficial to the voting public ;)

[JimH52]

Palin is in it for the money, plain and simple. She is a camera hog with the IQ of a toe nail.

[Knorf]

Palin is in it for the money, plain and simple. She is a camera hog with the IQ of a toe nail.

Aren't you being a bit hard on toe nails, here?

[Boyo Jim]

Not the growing part -- the part that gets cut off and tossed in the trash.

[China Guy]

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/06/sarah-palin-badly-mangles-the-story-of-paul-reveres-ride-in-statement/
Learn from Palin as she describes the ride of Paul Revere.Wow, while the reports on this read pretty poorly, watching Sarah deliver that history lesson live was cringingly painful. Sounding less Presidential every time she opens her mouth.

[RTFirefly]

What, not Scottsdale?

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/06/22/report-palin-quits-bus-tour-halfway-through-retreats-to-alaska/

WASHINGTON – Amid diminishing media interest, Sarah Palin has quit her high-profile bus tour halfway through and returned to Alaska with her family, according to RealClearPolitics.

The move puts a damper on widespread speculations that Palin's "One Nation" bus tour, which launched on Memorial Day, was a precursor to a potential White House bid for 2012. Palin never made it to her scheduled stops in the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

RealClearPolitics, which originally broke the story about the bus tour, reported Wednesday on Palin's "extended hiatus." The remaining legs of her trip, according to Scott Conroy, are "in limbo" as "Palin and her family have reverted to the friendly confines of summertime Alaska."

[Ca3799]

I was just wondering today what happened to the Palin bus tour.

So she quit. Again.

I'm gonna miss her ringin' those bells for Freedom. Or lanters. Or bullets . Or whatever it was she was going to ring!

[Knorf]

Sarah "Never a Quitter" Palin: Presidential material, all the way.

Wait, wait: not "never a quitter." "The Undefeated" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/sarah-palin-movie-amc-national-theater-release_n_874760.html).

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight....

[Chronos]

So how's she trying to spin this one? She stopped campaigning for President to focus more time on campaigning for President?

And is anyone ever going to pay her for a public speaking engagement again, if there's only a 50-50 chance she'll even show up? This just doesn't make any sense, from a point of view of running for office, getting attention, or raking in money. All I can figure is that what we're seeing is just plain a genuine meltdown.

[Merijeek]

So how's she trying to spin this one? She stopped campaigning for President to focus more time on campaigning for President?

And is anyone ever going to pay her for a public speaking engagement again, if there's only a 50-50 chance she'll even show up? This just doesn't make any sense, from a point of view of running for office, getting attention, or raking in money. All I can figure is that what we're seeing is just plain a genuine meltdown.

She needs a vacation from her vacation. Clearly.

-Joe

[Fear Itself]

nm

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I'm guessing the dwindling media attention is what did it. She probably envisioned her short bus tour as becoming some kind of snowballing media event, building more and more attention and excitement along the way until it reached a crescendo in Iowa. She's as big a pure famewhore as we've ever seen in politics, and not getting the kind of fevered media attention she craved was making her dopesick. She wants to run, but she doesn't actually want to have to pay for the publicity like everybody else. She wants it for free. She wants to campaign without having to spend any money or answer any questions. Both of those things would be unfair to her.

She'll get nuts for attention again soon, especially if people like Bachmann keep getting it, and she'll find some other stunt to get it. She won't be able to help herself. I think she desperately wants the attention of running for (and in her delusional fantasies) becoming POTUS, but she doesn't want to work for it or earn it. She just wants to be anointed. That will never happen, but don't expect her to stop trying to make it happen.

[Boyo Jim]

I'm guessing the dwindling media attention is what did it. She probably envisioned her short bus tour as becoming some kind of snowballing media event, building more and more attention and excitement along the way until it reached a crescendo in Iowa. She's as big a pure famewhore as we've ever seen in politics, and not getting the kind of fevered media attention she craved was making her dopesick. She wants to run, but she doesn't actually want to have to pay for the publicity like everybody else. She wants it for free. She wants to campaign without having to spend any money or answer any questions. Both of those things would be unfair to her.

She'll get nuts for attention again soon, especially if people like Bachmann keep getting it, and she'll find some other stunt to get it. She won't be able to help herself. I think she desperately wants the attention of running for (and in her delusional fantasies) becoming POTUS, but she doesn't want to work for it or earn it. She just wants to be anointed. That will never happen, but don't expect her to stop trying to make it happen.

I think Gingrich got into the race with a very similar rationale, though with an "intellectual" twist. I think he expected Republicans to come running to him with open arms as some kind of savior candidate, and they would make him the nominee by acclamation. He is still waiting for them all to realize his potential, but "working" for it is beneath him. Some day soon... they will come begging for him, once they realize what a once in a century candidate he is.

Uh huh.

[Sam Stone]

So how's she trying to spin this one? She stopped campaigning for President to focus more time on campaigning for President?

And is anyone ever going to pay her for a public speaking engagement again, if there's only a 50-50 chance she'll even show up? This just doesn't make any sense, from a point of view of running for office, getting attention, or raking in money. All I can figure is that what we're seeing is just plain a genuine meltdown.

Did she have to cancel any paying events? Did anyone even know where she was going? I thought the media complaint was that her bus tour stops weren't being revealed in advance. Did she have any scheduled speaking engagements at all?

[RTFirefly]

Did she have to cancel any paying events? Did anyone even know where she was going? I thought the media complaint was that her bus tour stops weren't being revealed in advance. Did she have any scheduled speaking engagements at all?According to RealClearPolitics (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/06/22/palin_bus_tour_takes_extended_pit_stop__110313.html):

Though Palin and her staff never announced a timeline for the remaining legs of her trip, aides had drafted preliminary itineraries that would have taken her through the Midwest and Southeast at some point this month. But those travel blueprints are now in limbo, RCP has learned...And:
Her political action committee's website still greets visitors with a stale banner, announcing the nationwide bus tour beginning "[t]his Sunday, May 29th."
I'm debating whether the most apt comparison is to Amy Winehouse, or Spinal Tap's farewell tour.

[pythonzzz]

Via PZ Myers:

"She's done. She's been on this cross-country bus tour to promote her folksy ways, and now she has quit halfway through. This is a woman with a very short attention span and a complete lack of discipline and focus; she couldn't complete her governorship, she can't finish a bus tour, there's no way she could cope with a grueling presidential campaign. And if, by some bizarre fluke, she were to actually get elected, I think she'd get bored halfway through the presidential oath of office and decide to go moose hunting, instead."

[Knorf]

I'm not even convinced she could complete a moose hunt without quitting.

[Profound Gibberish]

I cannot find any other news site mentioning her quitting the bus tour. Guess I will have to get the straight dope from the Daily Show.

[Merijeek]

I cannot find any other news site mentioning her quitting the bus tour. Guess I will have to get the straight dope from the Daily Show.

She's accomplished everything she set out to do and Jesus and America and only dead buses flow with the traffic and apple pie god bless Reagan.

-Joe

[Profound Gibberish]

That, my man, is some Profound Gibberish.

[pythonzzz]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/sarah-palin-reportedly-quits-bus-tour-halfway-through.php?ref=fpblg?quitter

[Little Nemo]

I'm guessing there was a shiny object in Alaska.

[Fear Itself]

Newsflash: Palin renames cross country tour, now the Iquitterod Trail.

[Merneith]

TPM says Palin just sent out an update seeming to deny that she quit: (http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/sarah-palin-reportedly-quits-bus-tour-halfway-through.php?ref=fpblg?quitter) (scroll down)

Late Update: Palin denied Wednesday that she had quit the tour, re-tweeting a link to a Fox News write-up of the report: "SarahPalinUSA I did? Hmm, glad I have media to let me know my plans. They never cease to amaze MT "@foxheadlines Palin Ends Bus Tour http://fxn.ws/ip0mgb"


I thought that line about calling her The Undefeated was a joke - but her PAC (whatever that's supposed to be) is handing out copies so she must agree with that portrayal of herself. Ick.

Sarah Palin: Often in error but never in doubt.

[Knorf]

The truth is, the sooner people stop paying attention to that dingbat, the better.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I don't actually see a denial in there. Is she back in Alaska or isn't she? Is the bus still going or isn't it?

This reflexive attacking of the media for simply accurately reporting what she says and does becomes more tiresome every day.

[Chefguy]

I noted somewhere recently that both Sarah and Bristol have trademarked (copyrighted?) their likenesses, names, etc. The marketing blitz must not be far behind: get your Sarah bobblehead dolls with your next Happy Meal!

[Fear Itself]

The truth is, the sooner people stop paying attention to that dingbat, the better.If we stop, she might not get nominated.

[Sam Stone]

The news article I read said that her tour was 'on hiatus' because she was back in Alaska.

Is this stuff about her quitting coming from her? Did she say she was quitting and is now backtracking? Or was the 'she's quitting' meme the result of someone seeing her head to Alaska and spinning it in the worst way possible?

It's not unreasonable or unheard of for someone on a national tour to take a short break and head home for whatever reason. Lots of people do that. Maybe a relative is ill, or she had an engagement in Alaska, or even her kids were exhausted and wanted to get home to see their friends, so they're take a one-week break or something.
...
Okay, I tracked down the source article at RealClearPolitics, and it says absolutely nothing about her quitting. It says that her tour is 'on hiatus' because she went back to Alaska, but provides no specific information from anyone in Palin's camp. In fact, the article speculates that this just may be the result of that movie coming out, and she may have gone back to Alaska to help promote it, or that she may be simply avoiding raining on some politician's parade (probably Rick Perry) by showing up in Iowa or New Hampshire while he's announcing his candidacy.

So unless we hear from Palin that she's actually quitting the tour, this appears to be another case where a non-story was blown out of proportion in an attempt to smear Palin, and then liberals like you guys swallowing the hook and running with it.

I swear, you guys are secret Palin agents or something. You keep making people who don't want to defend her have to defend her.

Hey by the way Dio, where's that dirt that you swore up and down would be found in her E-mails? The media is awfully quiet about those now, aren't they? As it turns out, yet another lame attempt to attack her has turned in her favor and garnered her even more sympathy. The left is like the gang who couldn't shoot straight when it comes to her.

How many other governors do you think could have 24,000 of their E-mails poured over by their enemies without giving up at least some amount of ammunition to them?

For a Governor inundated with non-stop ethics charges after she ran for VP, her E-mail record seems awfully clean, wouldn't you say?

By the way, how many of those ethics charges have gone past an initial hearing to see if there was anything to them? Are any of them still pending?

[Merneith]

Palin just posted on Facebook saying she had to go back to Alaska because she's been called for jury duty*. And of course, Alaska, sitting up there next to Russia and Canada, doesn't have fax machines or phone lines so she couldn't get herself excused. She couldn't mail the form back because it would have taken forever what with the dog sleds and all.

Anyway, here's her post, http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150214727228435

And an article about the whole kerfluffle, with various and diverse links and quotes and 8x10 color glossy pictures, at Huffpo - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/22/sarah-palin-bus-tour_n_882678.html

As I said myself at the end of the east coast leg of the tour, the summer is long, and I’m looking forward to hitting the open road again. The coming weeks are tight because civic duty calls (like most everyone else, even former governors get called up for jury duty) and I look forward to doing my part just like every other Alaskan.

I wouldn’t think it to be such a slow news day that, what with numerous wars and serious economic woes concerning Americans, a bus is driving news stories today. The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes. In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions – certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.

Love that "when the time comes".



*Can you imagine? Man that'd be almost as bad as looking over at the witness box and seeing Nancy Grace on your jury.

[Little Nemo]

So unless we hear from Palin that she's actually quitting the tour, this appears to be another case where a non-story was blown out of proportion in an attempt to smear Palin, and then liberals like you guys swallowing the hook and running with it.Some of us don't need to wait until Sarah Palin tells us what we're supposed to think.

[Jack Batty]

Either way, not much of a tour if you take two weeks off to jet home. Fucking Allman Brothers never jetted home in the middle of tour!

[Diogenes the Cynic]

The news article I read said that her tour was 'on hiatus' because she was back in Alaska.
If she's back in Alaska, then the story is accurate. She quit.
Hey by the way Dio, where's that dirt that you swore up and down would be found in her E-mails?
I never said there would be any dirt in her emails.

[Rhythmdvl]

Either way, not much of a tour if you take two weeks off to jet home. Fucking Allman Brothers never jetted home in the middle of tour!

They sure as hell don't ride motorcycles.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

The jury duty story is almost certainly a lie. You don't have to immediately rush back for that. You get several weeks of advance warning, and where is she getting this "two weeks" from? She wouldn't have to show up for several more weeks, and then when she did, it would take her five minutes to get out of it. She wouldn't have been seated on a jury yet, so she's full of shit. No way her story's true. She made it up entirely out of her asshole.

[Rhythmdvl]

nm - duplicate post

[Rhythmdvl]

The jury duty story is almost certainly a lie. You don't have to immediately rush back for that. You get several weeks of advance warning, and where is she getting this "two weeks" from? She wouldn't have to show up for several more weeks, and then when she did, it would take her five minutes to get out of it. She wouldn't have been seated on a jury yet, so she's full of shit. No way her story's true. She made it up entirely out of her asshole.

I think she acts in implausible ways just to set traps. Not all of the goofey shit she pulls is 'planned', but enough to get by.

[Sam Stone]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.

[RTFirefly]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.Do you pull this shit in every thread, Sam?

Specifically, this speculating about what we libruls would say in some hypothetical situation, and criticizing those words you put in our mouths.

I tell you what: why don't you just stick with taking issue with what we actually say, rather than making shit up and taking issue with that.

Or be a good boy and run along now.

[Knorf]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.

What nonsense.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.
I don't care if she gets out of jury duty. I don't want her on a jury. She didn't go back for jury duty, though. That is a lie on her part. When you get called for jury duty in the US, you don't have to immediately drop everything and go, and it's not for two weeks. You're making up a phony, imaginary attack on poor Sarah just like she does.

[Frank]

When you get called for jury duty in the US, you don't have to immediately drop everything and go, and it's not for two weeks.
Alaska appears to have a slightly different system (http://www.courts.alaska.gov/jury-trial.htm):
In Anchorage, where the population is large and many trials are held each day, the term of service is either 5 consecutive days or, if you are selected to serve on a jury, the length of the trial.

In other courts, your term of service is either 30 days, 90 days or 1 year depending on the population of the area. In these courts, you may have to call in several days each month, and you may be selected to serve on more than one trial. The most days you might actually have to be present in court is 30 per year.

On the other hand, a juror must be:
5. in possession of the person's natural faculties (normal abilities to reason);

[Merijeek]

I don't actually see a denial in there. Is she back in Alaska or isn't she? Is the bus still going or isn't it?

This reflexive attacking of the media for simply accurately reporting what she says and does becomes more tiresome every day.

But it's really her only trick. What else is she going to use.

Besides, she only said that the bus was going to tour America! It's not like the bus flew home is it, you LSM commie?

-Joe

[Boyo Jim]

If she gets on a jury she will quit half way through the trial.

[Maus Magill]

I'm willing to believe her that she has jury duty. That is an easily verifiable excuse. I'm sure as soon as the judge excuses her1, I'm sure she'll restart that bus tour.

1 - This is not an attack. I don't think there a judge in the world who would want a former governor/media magnet sitting in a jury box disrupting the courtroom with her very presence.

[Algorithm]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.

Well, I guess Palin can't nail her own hands to the cross, so I'm sure she's glad for your help here.

[Onomatopoeia]

I don't think there a judge in the world who would want a former governor/media magnet sitting in a jury box disrupting the courtroom with her very presence.Yep. That's my thinking as well.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Alaska appears to have a slightly different system (http://www.courts.alaska.gov/jury-trial.htm):


On the other hand, a juror must be:
You still wouldn't have to show up immediately, though. You get a few weeks advance warning. You don't have to show up the day after you get the summons.

[Maus Magill]

You still wouldn't have to show up immediately, though. You get a few weeks advance warning. You don't have to show up the day after you get the summons.

You're assuming she has the ability to plan ahead. I'll give her credit for wanting to appear for a jury duty summons, but not for that.

[Jas09]

Must be a long Jury Duty:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/palin-cancels-planned-trip-to-sudan/2011/06/20/AGhV3CgH_story.html

[Chefguy]

If she's back in Alaska, then the story is accurate. She quit.

I never said there would be any dirt in her emails.

People seem willing to conveniently "forget" that there were 8,000 emails that were redacted by her former staffers.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

People seem willing to conveniently "forget" that there were 8,000 emails that were redacted by her former staffers.
As I recall, that was exactly the point I made about the released emails. I didn't expect to see "dirt." I knew it had been redacted. I said I had no doubt they'd find "stupid," but that's not the same as "dirt."

[tnetennba]

Of course, if she tried to get out of the jury duty, you guys would be whining that she thinks she's better than everyone else, or that she wants everyone else to be patriotic but she puts her own desires ahead of her own civic duty.

LOL

[Chronos]

Yeah, but that's only a third of them! If she were really as bad as those evil libruls say, wouldn't you think that her evil would show up in at least half of the e-mails? She's clearly exceeding expectations!

[Profound Gibberish]

So apparently this bus tour had a beginning, but no real defined stops, goals or ending. And the tour will continue. . .sometime in the future. Maybe. But don't question if it is still a going concern because that's just the kind of tricks the lamestream media pulls--by asking questions. I think this One-Nation-Wandering-Somewhere-On-The-East-Coast is going to put the nail in her coffin.

[Merijeek]

So apparently this bus tour had a beginning, but no real defined stops, goals or ending. And the tour will continue. . .sometime in the future. Maybe. But don't question if it is still a going concern because that's just the kind of tricks the lamestream media pulls--by asking questions. I think this One-Nation-Wandering-Somewhere-On-The-East-Coast is going to put the nail in her coffin.

Nah, it'll change nothing. You only need to look at this thread's resident factophobes (hi sam!) to see that.

-Joe

[Sam Stone]

That's hilarious. I'm the 'factophobe' in a discussion where people are declaring that Palin 'quit' despite not having any evidence that that's the case, and people claiming that she's lying about jury duty without having any evidence for that either.

I simply pointed out that the mere fact that she's currently in Alaska is not evidence that her bus tour has ended, and that in fact the source news article says nothing about the bus tour ending.

And for that, I'm the 'factophobe', and the rest of you are all beacons of rational, evidence- based thinking. Uh huh.

[BobLibDem]

So apparently this bus tour had a beginning, but no real defined stops, goals or ending. And the tour will continue. . .sometime in the future. Maybe. But don't question if it is still a going concern because that's just the kind of tricks the lamestream media pulls--by asking questions. I think this One-Nation-Wandering-Somewhere-On-The-East-Coast is going to put the nail in her coffin.

She achieved her goal- she rained on Romney's announcement parade. Next chance she gets to crap in his face, she'll take to the road again. Not that I mind or anything.

[tnetennba]

I simply pointed out that the mere fact that she's currently in Alaska is not evidence that her bus tour has ended, and that in fact the source news article says nothing about the bus tour ending.

She stopped doing something for what sounds like hastily constructed, made-up reasons and has not resumed doing it. To call that something other than quitting is flat-out Clintonian.

[Knorf]

That's hilarious. I'm the 'factophobe' in a discussion where people are declaring that Palin 'quit' despite not having any evidence that that's the case, and people claiming that she's lying about jury duty without having any evidence for that either.

People started talking about her quitting because there were news stories that reported it as such, for example on Fox "News"* before the story was changed to "jury duty." But how else can you best interpret her having bailed suddenly on her tour, with a very flimsy explanation, and with no clearly stated itinerary for continuing the tour? On "indefinite hiatus" is tantamount to quitting in any real world sense. *The original Fox "News" story said, "Palin Ends Bus Tour."

In any case, Dio is correct that there was no need for her to immediately return home for being called to jury duty, since that's not how it works. Also jury duty is usually excused if a person is indisposed by being, for example, on tour out of the state.

The "jury duty" excuse rings false.

[Knorf]

Might I also add that there are good reasons to assume the "quitter" conclusion given that Palin was entrusted by the people of Alaska to be their executive, but quit that important position of responsibility halfway through her first and only term, with comparably hare-brained explanations.

[Merijeek]

Might I also add that there are good reasons to assume the "quitter" conclusion given that Palin was entrusted by the people of Alaska to be their executive, but quit that important position of responsibility halfway through her first and only term, with comparably hare-brained explanations.

Quit with the facts. He'll end up cowering under a bed somewhere.

-Joe

[Sam Stone]

Those aren't 'facts'. Quitting the governorship has nothing to do with the supposed 'fact' that she quit her bus tour. If you had said, "She's a quitter, so in my opinion she's quitting", that would be fine. It's a value judgment, or an estimation of her character.

But when you state "Palin quits bus tour" as a fact, based on the evidence that at this moment she has popped up in Alaska, then you're not dealing in fact. Sorry, you're just not. You don't know why she's in Alaska, how long she'll be there, or anything else pertinent.

And I didn't say "Palin is NOT quitting!" I merely pointed out that you have no basis for a factual claim that she has quit her bus tour.

The original link to the story in this thread, was from a website called "The Raw Story", which used as its cite this story (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/06/22/palin_bus_tour_takes_extended_pit_stop__110313.html) from RealClearPolitics, which does NOT say she quit. It says her tour took an 'extended pit stop' while Palin went back to Alaska for unspecified reasons. Nor did it say how long she'd be there.

Further, speculation in this thread was that she was bailing out on promises for speaking engagements, and that she was having a 'meltdown' - despite the fact that there was no evidence for any of that either.

And in fact, since this thread started, Palin herself has come out and said that this is a temporary hiatus, and that the tour is continuing. So in fact those of you who said she quit were WRONG, so continuing to claim that you had the facts on your side is simply bizarre.

And of course, now some of you are speculating that her stated reason is a lie, despite having no evidence of that...

I'm one of the only people in this thread who has stuck to the actual facts. The rest of you are just wallowing in the usual Palin hatred and making shit up to make her look as bad as possible.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

When did she say the bus tour was continuing?

I don't see anything not factual about reporting that she quit her bus tour and went back to Alaska. Those things factually happened. Palin trying to spin it as a "hiatus" doesn't change the facts. She's never going to go back to that bus.

[Sam Stone]

If Mick Jagger is on a World Tour with the Stones, and takes a flight back to England to appear on a TV show, would you say he 'quit the tour'? Celebrities do this all the time. Palin has a lot of business dealings, and a lot of commitments. There's a movie about her coming out in two weeks. She's got the money to fly wherever she needs to go, whenever she needs to go. The fact that she jumped on a plane and headed to Alaska means almost nothing. She might have a business meeting there, or she might have to prep for publicity for the movie opening, or do a photo shoot with Alaska as backdrop for an upcoming book cover, or maybe she'd been asked to appear in person for a screening of the movie in her home town, or whatever.

The real 'fact' here is that you are speculating. You're making assertions with nothing to back them up other than your own opinion. That's fine, so long as you don't confuse your opinions with FACT.

[Fear Itself]

That's fine, so long as you don't confuse your opinions with FACT.:D

[a35362]

But we don't trust her. She can say anything. Maybe she is telling the truth, but she's always so secretive and twitchy self-defensive. We just don't trust her.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this "jury duty."

[Chronos]

Is jury duty a matter of public record? Might there be an official State of Alaska website or the like where we could verify the story?

[River Hippie]

Why won't she just release the long form jury summons and end all this speculation?

[Steve MB]

If Mick Jagger is on a World Tour with the Stones, and takes a flight back to England to appear on a TV show, would you say he 'quit the tour'?

Not if he let people know when and where he would resume it, no.

[Sam Stone]

Not if he let people know when and where he would resume it, no.

So if he didn't offer that information, would you treat it as FACT that he had quit the tour?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I would, yeah. It's also a fact that Palin quit her short bus tour.

[a35362]

Is jury duty a matter of public record? Might there be an official State of Alaska website or the like where we could verify the story?

Alaska Won't Disclose If or When Sarah Palin Has Jury Duty (http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/06/alaska-wont-disclose-if-or-when-sarah-palin-has-jury-duty.html)

[MPB in Salt Lake]

Next chance she gets to crap in his face...

I am sure John McCain would pay good money to have Sarah Palin crap on HIS face....

[RTFirefly]

So if he didn't offer that information, would you treat it as FACT that he had quit the tour?Well, of course. If he had been on tour, and gone off and done something else, and there was no indication of when the tour would resume, then the tour, at a minimum, would be in abeyance. Maybe it would resume someday, but in the absence of any scheduled dates, one would have to say Mick ended the tour. They might resume touring sometime in the future, but that would be a new tour.

Look, Palin announced a "nationwide bus tour." So far, she's done one corner of the country, then flown back home, with no announced plans to continue. She isn't doing what she said she'd do.

[Knorf]

The real 'fact' here is that you are speculating. You're making assertions with nothing to back them up other than your own opinion. That's fine, so long as you don't confuse your opinions with FACT.

Yes, it's speculation. But it's also reasonable speculation based on past behavioral precedent and any reasonable person's interpretation of the facts.

FACT: Palin quit being governor of Alaska. One could speculate fairly that this might be a behavioral trend for her, especially given her lame explanation for quitting.

FACT: Palin abruptly left her bus tour, without presenting a plan for resuming the tour in the future. One could reasonably speculate that she has quit the tour. (Fox "News": "Palin Ends Bus Tour.")

FACT: No jury summons in any state in America requires you to immediately return to your home state to answer the summons. One could reasonably speculate that a jury summons, whether there actually is one or not, is not the best explanation for why Palin abruptly ended her tour.

[Frank]

If Mick Jagger is on a World Tour with the Stones, and takes a flight back to England to appear on a TV show, would you say he 'quit the tour'?
Nobody would think twice about it. The Rolling Stones play in Philly on June 20th, Jagger flies to England on the 21st for an interview, and returns on the 22nd in time for the announced show in Baltimore.

This is not what Palin is doing. She doesn't have any schedule at all, as far as I can tell. It would be very simple for her to say, "I'll be returning to the bus tour on July 16th, in Dubuque, Iowa." She didn't do that.

And now she's criticizing the coverage FOX News gives her? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

[Merijeek]

FACT: No jury summons in any state in America requires you to immediately return to your home state to answer the summons. One could reasonably speculate that a jury summons, whether there actually is one or not, is not the best explanation for why Palin abruptly ended her tour.

Because it's one of those duties that a True American Patriot MUST answer. Is there anything more True American? More Real American? It's in the Constitution, the same document that guarantees the right to arm bears and hate socialists.

-Joe

[Little Nemo]

I'm one of the only people in this thread who has stuck to the actual facts. The rest of you are just wallowing in the usual Palin hatred and making shit up to make her look as bad as possible.If this is all just media bias, how come we don't see regular reports about other conservative candidates acting like idiots? If the liberal media is lying about Palin, wouldn't they also be telling the same amount of lies about Romney, Huckabee, Trump, Gingrich, Huntsman, Cain, Pawlenty, etc?

But for some reason the only person whose campaign has to explain on a regular basis "what the candidate meant was..." is the Palin campaign. Have you ever considered that the reason there are so many stories about Palin being incompetent may be because she's incompetent?

[pseudotriton ruber ruber]

If this is all just media bias, how come we don't see regular reports about other conservative candidates acting like idiots? If the liberal media is lying about Palin, wouldn't they also be telling the same amount of lies about Romney, Huckabee, Trump, Gingrich, Huntsman, Cain, Pawlenty, etc?

But for some reason the only person whose campaign has to explain on a regular basis "what the candidate meant was..." is the Palin campaign. Have you ever considered that the reason there are so many stories about Palin being incompetent may be because she's incompetent?

Stop picking on Sam! You're all ganging up on him, telling lies about him, because he's trying to be honest and to tell the truthiness about Palin, and you don't like truthiness so you twist his factual statements into false opinions because you're haters and who elected you anyway to attack Sam? Let the people judge who's telling the truth here--the people know you're all liars. And you know it.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Stop picking on Sam! You're all ganging up on him, telling lies about him, because he's trying to be honest and to tell the truthiness about Palin, and you don't like truthiness so you twist his factual statements into false opinions because you're haters and who elected you anyway to attack Sam? Let the people judge who's telling the truth here--the people know you're all liars. And you know it.Which people?:confused:

[RTFirefly]

Which people?:confused:The right-thinking true patriotic Americans, of course!

[ElvisL1ves]

But for some reason the only person whose campaign has to explain on a regular basis "what the candidate meant was..." is the Palin campaign. No, there's Bachmann's, too. Ed Rollins' job is to do just that, as he acknowledges himself (http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/bachmanns-campaign-manager-were-going-fact-check).

Not that that detracts from your point any.

[ElvisL1ves]

The real 'fact' here is that you are speculating. You're making assertions with nothing to back them up other than your own opinion. That's fine, so long as you don't confuse your opinions with FACT.Have Saddam's WMD's been found yet? :rolleyes:

[Rhythmdvl]

When did she say the bus tour was continuing?

I don't see anything not factual about reporting that she quit her bus tour and went back to Alaska. Those things factually happened. Palin trying to spin it as a "hiatus" doesn't change the facts. She's never going to go back to that bus.

Sucker's bet. Not saying that she'll continue for sure, but I think there's a high probability that this is a stunt. She's an idiot for many definitions of the word, but not so much in others. Even if this wasn't a planned New Coke, all she had to do is get on the bus for a couple events, claim she meant it all along and decry the media.

This has nothing to do with the obvious conclusions drawn (e.g., she quits and cancells lots of events, yadda yadda yadda), or any rational thought process. It's targeted at those who buy her books and pay for her events.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

That's a good point. It wouldn't surprise me if she went back to the bus for a couple of cities just so she and her sycophants can say the media was wrong.

[Rhythmdvl]

Tricky question--was this planned from the start? Did she get a summons and hold it, knowing that an 'interruption' in her 'tour' would generate news when she left, speculation for a cycle or two, then news again as she produces the summons? Would her continuing tou have continued to garner as much press? I don't know how the timing overlaps, but could the idea have initiated before Obama released his birth certificate?


I don't think she's smart, but I do think she's devious.


Sam, I'd love to hear your opinion. Starting with your assumption that she never planned to end the tour, did she simply fly back for jury duty, or do you think the media is playing into her hands?


(Sorry for typos-I'm on a new phone and not used to the interface)

[Merijeek]

That's a good point. It wouldn't surprise me if she went back to the bus for a couple of cities just so she and her sycophants can say the media was wrong.

No need. The media is, by definition, regardless of actual actions, wrong and at fault. Even the (allegedly) reasonable folks like Sam (though I believe his 'reasonable' qualifications come from his ability to use correct spelling and grammar) are reflexively defending her in opposition to the facts.

Why bother with another boring-ass trip through a bunch of boring-ass towns in New England? Her appreciation of history? Laff.

-Joe

[Sam Stone]

Sam, I'd love to hear your opinion. Starting with your assumption that she never planned to end the tour, did she simply fly back for jury duty, or do you think the media is playing into her hands?


(Sorry for typos-I'm on a new phone and not used to the interface)

To be honest, I haven't given it all that much thought. I just don't think it's that surprising that she wound up back in Alaska. It could mean she quit, or more likely her kids were tired of traveling and so is she, so they just packed up and left, intending to come back after a while. She has put out no itinerary and she's not telling the press what she's doing, so who knows?

If she's got jury duty, that might be real, but all the same she's using it as an excuse to get home and take a break. So she's leaving early, and she'll come back late. Or maybe while she's at home the media spotlight will leave her, and she'll just quit the tour.

Another possibility is that she's halting for a couple of weeks to take advantage of the publicity around her movie. It comes out July 15, and it's getting wide release by a large distribution company. I think it's about even money that the real stunt here was for her to get out on the road before the movie came out to get her name back in the headlines. Then she takes a break, lets everyone go bananas with silly attacks, then show up in the lower 48 a day or two before opening night. Max publicity for the movie. Then she finishes the bus tour, except now she's really promoting the movie.

Say what you want about Palin's political knowledge or lack thereof, but she does have a gift for self-promotion. This strikes me as a promotional gambit more than a run for office, and you guys are falling right into her trap by giving her all that attention, and more ammo that she can use to attack 'the lamestream media' and play the victim card.

But it doesn't surprise me one bit that she had to go home, whether she's quitting or not. People do have obligations and she has a lot of business to do. As I said earlier, the really powerful people in showbiz can halt a tour for a couple of days to jet across the country for a TV interview and be back for the next night's show. It happens all the time. So Palin jetting back to Alaska didn't strike me as anything to get worked up about at all.

Wait for her to announce that she's quitting, and you can go at her with both barrels, without the risk of showing your ass if you jump the gun and you're wrong.

In the meantime, it's kind of important to remember that this is a freaking bus tour. Why is everyone acting like Palin is retreating from the Hun? If she wants to discontinue her silly bus tour, who cares? Who cares that it even exists? Who cares if she finishes it? If the media and the internet people would just bleemin' ignore her, she would go away.

All I can say is, God help us all if she does run for office and gets the nomination. Not because she'd be a terrible president (although she probably would be), but because the partisans on both sides of the political fence will go nuts. The internet will light up like a Christmas Tree. God, that sounds tedious already.

[Knorf]

I don't really disagree with anything Sam Stone just wrote.

[Fear Itself]

Wait for her to announce that she's quitting, and you can go at her with both barrels, without the risk of showing your ass if you jump the gun and you're wrong. So what if she never makes such an announcement, yet never resumes her tour? Can we call her a quitter?

[pseudotriton ruber ruber]

Like she ever announced that she was "quitting" as Governor, either. So until she makes that announcement, using the most pejorative term possible, we're mischaracterizing or speculating on what she does, and she gets to quit or continue her mission to bring truth to light via bus as she chooses and to bitch about all the attention she receives? Got it.

[tnetennba]

All I can say is, God help us all if she does run for office and gets the nomination. Not because she'd be a terrible president (although she probably would be), but because the partisans on both sides of the political fence will go nuts. The internet will light up like a Christmas Tree. God, that sounds tedious already.

I assure you that a Palin presidency would be worse than your discomfort from hearing people talking about the Palin presidency.

[River Hippie]

The more I see of Bachman the more I think I'd vote for Sarah before I'd vote for Michele.

(If someone had a gun to my head of course.)

[Little Nemo]

Say what you want about Palin's political knowledge or lack thereof, but she does have a gift for self-promotion. This strikes me as a promotional gambit more than a run for office, and you guys are falling right into her trap by giving her all that attention, and more ammo that she can use to attack 'the lamestream media' and play the victim card.Have the Palin partisans been reduced to this? Asking people to stop picking on Palin because that's what she wants?But it doesn't surprise me one bit that she had to go home, whether she's quitting or not. People do have obligations and she has a lot of business to do. As I said earlier, the really powerful people in showbiz can halt a tour for a couple of days to jet across the country for a TV interview and be back for the next night's show. It happens all the time. So Palin jetting back to Alaska didn't strike me as anything to get worked up about at all.So you're arguing that the reason that Palin walked out on the Governorship and her speaking tour is because she had some obligations she needed to take care of? Wouldn't being Governor or having a speaking tour count as an obligation?

Worst case scenario: Palin gets elected President. China wants to invade Taiwan. To take the United States out of the picture, a Chinese agent planted in Alaska sends President Palin a jury notice. President Palin takes off to Alaska to respond to the summons while Taiwan falls. Vice President Bachmann declares sends troops to Thailand.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

You'd have to pick a different example. Sitting elected officials are exempt from jury duty. Point taken, though. You would think fulfilling her term as Governor was an "obligation," yet she decided that it was more important to the country for her to go make money for Sarah Palin and play second banana to Bill O'Reilly part time on Fox News.

[Boyo Jim]

There's a good chance she can see Taiwan from her porch too. So she better keep an eye on it.

[Little Nemo]

You'd have to pick a different example. Sitting elected officials are exempt from jury duty.So the only obstacle to this plan is Sarah Palin's knowledge of how the law works?

[Knorf]

So the only obstacle to this plan is Sarah Palin's knowledge of how the law works?

That's a non-trivial obstacle.

[Little Nemo]

That's a non-trivial obstacle.Really? I recall that Palin was unable to remember what the Vice President did - at a time when she was running for the office.

[runner pat]

Really? I recall that Palin was unable to remember what the Vice President did - at a time when she was running for the office.

You can't recall knowledge you don't have.

[Merijeek]

There's a good chance she can see Taiwan from her porch too. So she better keep an eye on it.

She can see the Pacific Ocean from her porch. Taiwanese can see the Pacific Ocean from their porch as well. Sic Semper Gloria Fi, they can see each other.

Not much for basic math, are ya?

-Joe

[Maus Magill]

Really? I recall that Palin was unable to remember what the Vice President did - at a time when she was running for the office.

You can't recall knowledge you don't have.

She was totally right about that.1 Just like she was totally right about Paul Revere.2 She also didn't quit her bus tour.3



1 - As long as you suitably torture the meaning of the phrase "in charge of."

2 - Get out the waterboards for "Ringing those bells" and "warned the British."

3 - Actually, This one might be correct. It's more like: "Postponed for a bit, becuase the TV cameras weren't following me as much. And when they were, they were unfairly reporting what I said, instead of what I wanted to say."

[Little Nemo]

You can't recall knowledge you don't have.You're right, I can't. And that reflects poorly on Palin. My knowledge is based on facts. Palin, on the other hand, often does "recall" knowledge of things she doesn't know. Which means she is less qualified to hold political office than I am. And I'm not qualified to be President.

[RTFirefly]

Apparently Palin showed up in Iowa yesterday (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sarah-palin-in-iowa-will-she-or-wont-she/2011/06/28/AGA9lYpH_story.html), but there was no mention of a bus anywhere in the story.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

She's here in Minnesota today. Her idiot daughter is signing her book at Mall of America. I was going to take my kids to the amusement park there, but had to abort and go to the zoo instead because the mall was mobbed with retards wanting to get a glimpse of their queen.

I wonder if Bristol's even read that book she "wrote."

[Merijeek]

Apparently Palin showed up in Iowa yesterday (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sarah-palin-in-iowa-will-she-or-wont-she/2011/06/28/AGA9lYpH_story.html), but there was no mention of a bus anywhere in the story.

Very few people know this, but a Jury Summons in Alaska has a loophole that allows one to skip it if they're in Iowa. Weird, huh?

-Joe

[Knorf]

Really? I recall that Palin was unable to remember what the Vice President did - at a time when she was running for the office.

I meant that ironically.

Or literally, if you take the quote I responded to out of context.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Everything we know about Sarah Palin is wrong. Her name isn't even really Sarah Palin.

Fortunately, the Truth (http://electnomorespys.blogspot.com/) has been revealed at last!
Sarah Palin's identity is fabricated. Obama was positioned to win the election by a landslide. I think even McCain was picked as the opponent for Obama. If you want to get a guy elected, why not elect who he is going to run against? This is why I think Sarah Palin was strategically planted as McCain's running mate. By fabricating her history, Al-Qaeda or NWO, wouldn't know if she was on their team which would create chatter and flush out those who are part of Obama's "organized community." They continued with this online code and wrapped it around "Sarah Palin" to gather intelligence.

"Sarah Palin" claims to be a Maverick. John McCain claims to be a Maverick The person in the Rich Jerk videos online appears to be Dallas Maverick's Mark Cuban. Sarah coined the term "mama" grizzly. Under investigation for insider trading of company called Mamma was Mark Cuban. The first forum to attack and hack me online was a forum called Friends In Business Scams 101 with the owner named Mama. Cuban is also known for financing a movie through Magnolia Pictures named "Redacted." This is anti war movie that many thought was treasonous. I imagine the release of Sarah Palin's emails, many of which were "red"acted, was timed with the Mavericks's playoff games.

Sarah Palin's siblings names are Heather Heath Bruce and Molly Heath McCa(n)n. Palin's daughter "Piper," also the name of a plane, share a birthday with actor Bruce Willis who played "John McC(l)ane," the guy who fights the terrorists in Die Hard who were really about robbing the place. This code appears to date back for a very long time, right now is when the last piece of the puzzle was about to fall into place.

It appears that Sarah's entire background is fabricated. I'm not sure how they did it, but Alaska is about half the size of the continental United States. It's also one of least densely populated, most remote areas in the US. It wouldn't be difficult to build a background for her, and swap her name in anywhere the real Alaska Governor's name existed. The feds had several months to pull this off. When Sarah was announced as McCain's running mate the voice they used was similar to the voice used in video to announce Dan Kennedy, another online expert claiming to be a copywriter.

Sarah's last name is short for palindrome. McCain's favorite band he claims is ABBA, a palindrome. So who's name is a palindrome? SOROS. George Soros has been credited with collapsing several nations currencies in Europe. Soros has spoken publicly several times about a "new world order." He's also behind hundreds of companies and foundations that appear to employ and empower radicals. The feds appeared to act as the research arm to Glenn Beck's show helping explain the connection Soros has to organizations such as; The Tides Foundation, The Apollo Alliance, Open Society, and hundreds of others. He's also connected to over 30 major news organizations. Even Mark Cuban, posing as the Rich Jerk on Youtube, can be seen wiping his rear with $100 bills. To most people, this would appear that he just has so much money, to me it has double meaning. It represents the devaluing of our currency.

[Formatting copied from original]

[Profound Gibberish]

So was that stolen from Glen Beck?