# Isn't Sarah Palin basically a female George W. Bush? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561 "2008-09-14T15:38:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/1 "2008-09-14T15:38:46Z")
I wrote this [in another thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=482904&page=2): > [@](#): > > This interview is just further confirmation of what I thought of Gov. Palin: she’s a female George W. Bush. They both seem to a little dim and in over their heads; they both just recite talking points without seeming to actually understand what they’re talking about; they both have phony reputations (Bush as a “compassionate conservative” in 2000, Palin as a “reformer” now); both are willing to tell an utter lie, no matter how obvious it is or how many times it’s been debunked; they both seem to be abusers of executive power; they both try to get by on some “ordinary guy/gal” type of charm; they both excite the hell out of movement conservatives. > > I sure over the next few days, we’ll hear from the Limbaugh’s and the Hannity’s and the Kristol’s about why the interview didn’t matter, or how she’s being attacked by the “liberal media,” or how Americans like having a VP as dumb as the rest of us. Having lived through 7 years of Bush, I’m pretty confident that I know how a Palin presidency (a heartbeat away) would turn out, and I want no part of it. So I ask, aside from gender, how is Palin different from Bush? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/2 "2008-09-14T15:46:39Z")
An excellent (and scary) [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html) in the NYT today. She’s really no different from W, just more charismatic. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/3 "2008-09-14T16:16:35Z")
Palin does have some similarities to Bush but he had a lot more experience of national politics at this stage of his campaign . He was educated at Ivy League universities. He belonged to a major political family and saw the Presidency from the inside. He was the governor of a major state. He had an experienced political team and was groomed as a presidential candidate for at least a couple of years. Palin was a political non-entity just two years ago and though she is good at reading prepared remarks it showed in her interviews with Gibson. What’s more the McCain campaign isn’t nearly as efficient as Bush’s. There appears to be one Palin-related gaffe or falsehood almost every day. The latest is McCain’s claim that Palin didn’t ask for earmarks as Governor which is of course completely false. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/4 "2008-09-14T16:20:35Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > So I ask, aside from gender, how is Palin different from Bush? She is a lot like him, only LESS qualified. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/5 "2008-09-14T16:33:11Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Palin does have some similarities to Bush but he had a lot more experience of national politics at this stage of his campaign . He was educated at Ivy League universities. He belonged to a major political family and saw the Presidency from the inside. He was the governor of a major state. He had an experienced political team and was groomed as a presidential candidate for at least a couple of years. > > Palin was a political non-entity just two years ago and though she is good at reading prepared remarks it showed in her interviews with Gibson. What’s more the McCain campaign isn’t nearly as efficient as Bush’s. There appears to be one Palin-related gaffe or falsehood almost every day. The latest is McCain’s claim that Palin didn’t ask for earmarks as Governor which is of course completely false. Ivy League, membership of a political family, governorship of a major state, do not necessarily make a good President. Palin is certainly as qualified for the job as Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/6 "2008-09-14T17:13:22Z")
If Palin is qualified she is doing a fine job hiding it. In her Gibson interviews, there wasn’t a single important issue where she came across as knowledgeable or authoritative. McCain is trying to portray as some kind of energy expert but she made a huge blunder saying Alaska’s share of the US energy supply was 20% (it’s less than 5). The fact is that Alaska isn’t a very important or representative state. It has a tiny population and it benefits hugely from a high oil price which hurts the rest of the US economy. What does Palin know about the federal budget, Medicare, nuclear energy, the sub-prime financial crisis, nuclear non-proliferation, NATO expansion or global warming? There are probably hundreds of bright high-school students who know more about the big issues than Palin does. ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/7 "2008-09-14T17:22:26Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Ivy League, membership of a political family, governorship of a major state, do not necessarily make a good President. Palin is certainly as qualified for the job as Obama. Perhaps you didn’t notice the thread title, the OP’s post, or several posts after that, but the apparent purpose of the thread is to compare/contrast Palin to Bush. Not Obama. There are numerous other threads on that subject. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/8 "2008-09-14T17:31:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Ivy League, membership of a political family, governorship of a major state, do not necessarily make a good President. Obviously. The article linked by **Chefguy** might as well be titled “Palin: Bush in a Skirt”. Obsessively secretive? Check. Intolerant of dissent? Check. Prefers to fill important positions with marginally competent cronies? Check. I expected it to say she likes to clear brush and once nearly choked on a pretzel. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/9 "2008-09-14T17:36:43Z")
> [@Camus](#): > > Perhaps you didn’t notice the thread title, the OP’s post, or several posts after that, but the apparent purpose of the thread is to compare/contrast Palin to Bush. Not Obama. There are numerous other threads on that subject. Considering that Obama is not a member of a political family and has never been a Governor, I’m guessing **aldiboronti** meant to say Bush. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/10 "2008-09-14T17:47:29Z")
to interrupt the serious comparison, no one yet has anagramed Sarah Palin? anal parish ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/11 "2008-09-14T17:59:22Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > …but she made a huge blunder saying Alaska’s share of the US energy supply was 20% (it’s less than 5). Okay, but let’s be fair 20% is 1/5th, and 5% has a five in it, so she may have gotten the numbers confused. Not that that’s encouraging… As far as other differences with W., Has she ever managed a professional ball team? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/12 "2008-09-14T18:31:45Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > She is a lot like him, only LESS qualified. Took the words right out of my keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/13 "2008-09-14T18:33:17Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Ivy League, membership of a political family, governorship of a major state, do not necessarily make a good President. Palin is certainly as qualified for the job as Obama. It is not her lack of Ivy League credentials. It is 6 colleges in 5 years credentials that compares unfavorably. If you place stock in education she is not close. She was mayor of a village and ran it like a vindictive martinet. She was petty and tyranical. She brings nothing. ---
**Author:** ![A\_shameful\_cracka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_shameful\_cracka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_shameful_cracka)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/14 "2008-09-14T18:35:03Z")
If we allowed presidents to have three terms and this was a Palin vs. Bush election, not only would I consider Bush the lesser of two evils, I would actually drag myself down to the polling station, hold my nose, and vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/15 "2008-09-14T18:37:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > An excellent (and scary) [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html) in the NYT today. She’s really no different from W, just more charismatic. Dang. I was gonna link to that. [Here](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/opinion/13sat1.html?em)’s today’s editorial which reflects most of my opinion much better than I could say it. And [here](http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=669109&hp)’s a column by “Sarah Palin” in this week’s **The Stranger**. (_“What’s the difference between Van Halen and Aerosmith? Van Halen have pit-bull lipstick around the bases of their wangs!”_) ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/16 "2008-09-14T18:42:04Z")
Except for the ideological relationship with Neo-Conservatives that served with her Father during his Presidency and Vice Presidency, being the son of an East Coast power-elite Father who was a Congressman, CIA Director, Vice President and President. Except for the personal connection to Texas oilmen, and an Ivy League education that culminated in a membership in the Skull and Bones Fraternity. No…she’s not just like George Bush. She’s like what George Bush’s fake persona was striving to make people believe he was like.\* George W. Bush was very charismatic. Charisma is about getting people to do what you want by force of personality, not about making people give you the googly eyes of adoration. George W. Bush was one of the most charismatic Presidents we’ve ever had. He got by on almost entirely charisma. \*And quite successful I might add. He convinced you. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/17 "2008-09-14T18:42:17Z")
> [@Tamara+](#): > > to interrupt the serious comparison, no one yet has anagramed Sarah Palin? > anal parish A plan, sir? Ha! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/18 "2008-09-14T18:50:12Z")
A hip, a snarl. Las piranha. An alpha sir. Anal rips? Ah. His anal? Par. Liar! Ah, snap! Iran has pal. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/19 "2008-09-14T18:57:01Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > **Isn’t Sarah Palin basically a female George W. Bush?** No. She is a brainless religious-right ideologue with a pretty face. IOW, Sarah Palin is basically a female Dan Quayle. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561/20 "2008-09-14T19:04:13Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > George W. Bush was very charismatic. Charisma is about getting people to do what you want by force of personality, not about making people give you the googly eyes of adoration. George W. Bush was one of the most charismatic Presidents we’ve ever had. He got by on almost entirely charisma. Waitaminnit, now. George W. Bush is no Ronald Reagan. He never got anything by the force of his **own** personality, only by those of his allies and backers and handlers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-sarah-palin-basically-a-female-george-w-bush/463561.md?page=2)