# Help Me Demonstrate Sarah Palin Is a Moron **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551 "2010-08-26T16:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/21 "2010-08-26T17:48:25Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I think this - > > > [@](#): > > > > Flunking a high school civics midterm: > > is an excellent example of this - > > > [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > > Anyone who, by this point, doesn’t realize that Sarah Palin is a complete fucking moron who has no business in any elected office, down to and including County Dogcatcher, is probably not going to be swayed by reason or evidence. > > except in the other direction. > > Regards, > Shodan I’m sorry, but we’re looking for examples of Palin’s ignorance, not yours. Try again. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/22 "2010-08-26T17:51:31Z")
[The Odd Lies of Sarah Palin](http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/11/the-odd-lies-of-sarah-palin-a-roundup.html) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/23 "2010-08-26T17:52:40Z")
I suppose I was a little unfair to Mrs. Palin. Let’s include some context. Specifically, let’s look at her understanding of the Vice President’s job the month _before_ she was offered it: > [@](#): > > As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/24 "2010-08-26T17:53:14Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > The Katie Couric interview where she couldn’t even identify what materials she reads. Here is what is so excellent about that. It’s not that she perhaps forgot the name of a newspaper or two. When questioned about what was viewed as naivete, or complete lack of curiosity about the world, considering she never even had a passport until the previous year, she rebutted that she’d formed her opinion from reading. She’s always been a working gal whose parents never gave her money for exploring Europe, but she educated herself, which formed her view of the world. When asked what, exactly, she’d read that informed and shaped her view of the world, she said this: [QUOTE=Sarah Barracuda] I’ve read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media. [/QUOTE] If your question is, “What, specifically?” that was Couric’s too! [QUOTE=Sarah] Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me all these years. [/QUOTE] :dubious: When pressed… [QUOTE=Palin] I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news, too. Alaska isn’t a foreign country, where it’s kind of suggested, “Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C., may be thinking when you live up there in Alaska?” Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America. [/QUOTE] Okay, lady, we get that there are newspapers in AK. You said your view was formed by reading newspapers, books and magazines. Which? Oh wait, you answered that already; all of them. With a great appreciation for the press too! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/25 "2010-08-26T17:56:28Z")
[She thinks Iraq was behind 9/11](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103789.htm) McCain’s own campaign manager claims [“she knew nothing”](http://www.alan.com/2010/01/11/game-change-palin-didnt-know-difference-between-north-and-south-korea/): > [@](#): > > McCain Campaign manager Steve Schmidt claimed, “She knew nothing.” She had to be taken through World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and Palin was not aware there was a difference between North and South Korea. She continued to insist that Iraq was behind 9/11; and when her son was being sent off to Iraq, she couldn’t describe who we were fighting. She didn’t know the difference between North and South Korea, for fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/26 "2010-08-26T17:56:44Z")
Well, reading every newspaper certainly does evidence great appreciation for the press. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/27 "2010-08-26T18:03:52Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > “Remember, only dead fish go with the flow”. That’s actually part of the title of the most recent book by liberal (and for me somewhat tedious) commentator Jim Hightower: _Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish can go With the Flow_. Came out in 2008, so pre-dates her resignation speech. Is that from where she copped the line? No idear. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/28 "2010-08-26T18:05:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [She didn’t know the difference between North and South Korea, for fuck’s sake. Wait, wait I know! One’s north of the other, right? Now, if I only knew which one. It’s a conundrum. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/29 "2010-08-26T18:07:58Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > > [@runner pat](#): > > > > “Remember, only dead fish go with the flow”. > > That’s actually part of the title of the most recent book by liberal (and for me somewhat tedious) commentator Jim Hightower: _Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish can go With the Flow_. Came out in 2008, so pre-dates her resignation speech. Is that from where she copped the line? No idear. [This musician](http://www.tresorberlin.com/data.pl?release=Tresor.230MP3) appears to have been using the phrase in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/30 "2010-08-26T18:26:49Z")
I have to admit, I had to check wikipedia to find out _why_ the Korean peninsula had been divided, though I never had a problem understanding the differences between the two republics. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/31 "2010-08-26T18:46:54Z")
Didn’t Sarah Palin also put herself and her son at tremendous risk by flying back to Wasilla despite a ruptured amniotic sac? I think comedian Doug Stanhope put it best: “How do you expect America to get behind you when even God hates you?” ---
**Author:** ![godix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/278dde/32.png) [@godix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godix)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/32 "2010-08-26T18:50:22Z")
Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/33 "2010-08-26T18:50:30Z")
There was a thread a while back about the inherent correctness of the VP being “in charge” of the senate. While the nuanced accuracy is debatable, only the most vulgar partisan could claim that she was anything more than a broken clock. To sit back and fling claims that pointing out the absolute absurdity of her statement is tantamount to ignorance is extremist–extremely blind or extremely disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/34 "2010-08-26T18:51:53Z")
> [@godix](#): > > Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. If you wish to dispel my reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus, I invite you to do so now. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/35 "2010-08-26T18:54:58Z")
> [@godix](#): > > Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. I’d suggest you re-read the OP. [QUOTE=OP] My main problem is that I have an unfortunate habit of forming opinions and then forgetting the exact evidence that caused me to form that opinion. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/36 "2010-08-26T18:55:25Z")
[She mocked fruit fly research, calling it a waste of money that could be better spent on things like Down Syndrome, despite the fact that experiments on fruit flies are done to improve our understanding of how humans work.](http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=palin-takes-on-fruit-flies--and-los-2008-10-27) I experiment on fruit flies, in the interest of full disclosure. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/37 "2010-08-26T18:55:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@godix](#): > > > > Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. > > If you wish to dispel my reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus, I invite you to do so now. If you take away everything she has said and everything she has done, you haven’t got a damn thing-admit it!! ---
**Author:** ![godix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/278dde/32.png) [@godix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godix)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/38 "2010-08-26T18:56:26Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@godix](#): > > > > Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. > > If you wish to dispel my reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus, I invite you to do so now. If you wish to present a reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus instead of taking part in a thread that STARTS with that as the base belief then proceeds to desperately seek out evidence justifying the pre-made conclusion, I invite you to do so now. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/39 "2010-08-26T19:03:00Z")
> [@godix](#): > > If you wish to present a reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus instead of taking part in a thread that STARTS with that as the base belief then proceeds to desperately seek out evidence justifying the pre-made conclusion, I invite you to do so now. We’ve already had a thread or two for that, you know. ETA: I suppose it would be fair to say that this isn’t the correct forum for this thread, and if that’s your point, I agree it should be moved. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551/40 "2010-08-26T19:03:07Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@godix](#): > > > > Whatever happened to basing your opinion on fact instead of trying to find facts to support your already existing opinion? You do realize those lists of logical fallacies you see floating around aren’t meant to be a checklist of things to do in a debate, right? If you want examples of ad hominem, willful confirmation bias, cherry picking, appeal to belief, appeal to ridicule, hasty generalizations, or other examples of idiocy in public communication, I’d suggest re-reading the OP rather than looking through Palin’s speeches. > > If you wish to dispel my reasoned, evidence-based conclusion that Sarah Palin is an ignoramus, I invite you to do so now. Heh. Upon first glance, I thought that was directed to Palin, and not the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-demonstrate-sarah-palin-is-a-moron/551551.md?page=3)