# Sarah @!?#@! Palin in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World? (WTF!) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045 "2010-05-02T17:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/1 "2010-05-02T17:29:30Z")
I wish I were dead, so that I could spin in my grave. Used to be, failed VP candidates just faded into the history books. (Successful ones too.) But this “soccer mom” just won’t go away. Her gathering in of all the Dittoheads that have been hanging their heads in shame when the Big Gasbag turned out to be a drug addict has kept her afloat just like a turd that won’t go down the toilet. The best thing about her: if (and maybe when) she’s the GOP candidate for president or VP in 2012, Obama’s a shoo-in. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/2 "2010-05-02T18:05:16Z")
_Time_’s been _People_ with a red border for a long time now. Who cares? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/3 "2010-05-02T18:25:57Z")
Right up there with Lada Gaga and Ashton Kutcher. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/4 "2010-05-02T18:26:09Z")
What are you pitting? Time magazine, for saying Palin’s influential when she isn’t? Or the world, for making Palin an influential person? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/5 "2010-05-02T18:27:54Z")
For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/6 "2010-05-02T18:43:16Z")
Say what you will about her (I think she’s a boil on the ass of the body politic), she has had influence, good or bad. Look at how much we all talk about her (me included). If you can get me to read the first part of “Pain came knocking at my door, and its name was Comcast” as "Palin came knocking . . . " every time I see it, you’ve had plenty influence. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/7 "2010-05-02T18:45:11Z")
Being talked about isn’t the same as influence though… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/8 "2010-05-02T18:58:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). And it didn’t include their 2005 Person of the Year? I’m miffed. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/9 "2010-05-02T22:39:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). I see I’m off that list this year. Yay me! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/10 "2010-05-02T22:40:30Z")
> [@Gustav](#): > > Being talked about isn’t the same as influence though… In politics, it sort of is. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/11 "2010-05-02T22:44:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). Ha! I thought you meant this as a joke, but there it is. I suppose Time means it as a joke. A real list of the least influential people in the world would be like a 5 billion and something way tie for first among all of us normal schlubs. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/12 "2010-05-02T23:00:44Z")
You know who [who else](http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/images-3/hitler-time-magazine-cover.jpg) Times magazine chose as one of the Most influential people of the Year? But honestly, Palin’s certainly brand of folksy anti-Obama populism has certainly been influential over the last year. I don’t know how much that has to do with the woman herself, but I’d say putting her amongst the top 100 most influential is at least arguable. Influential doesn’t necessarily mean good. Plus she was governor of her own state for almost half the year! thats gotta count for something. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/13 "2010-05-03T00:16:15Z")
Most influential in the US is a stretch. Most influential in the world is crack smoking babble. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/14 "2010-05-03T01:25:49Z")
There was an article in the Washington Post this weekend discussing the huge influx of GOP women candidates this year. The article attributed this, in part, to the influence of Sarah Palin. Her VP candidacy, the rallies, the fact that she’s on the news (and discussed on message boards) every day… Certainly there are other reasons why the GOP is fielding a record number of women candidates, but I agree with the Post that Palin sortof greasing the skids a bit is not all that far-fetched. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/15 "2010-05-03T01:36:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). Yeah, [I saw that one](http://commontater.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/time_person_of_year.jpeg) 😉 > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I see I’m off that list this year. Yay me! Look again, grasshopper. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/16 "2010-05-03T01:44:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For what it’s worth, Time also has a list of the [least influential people](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389_1985284,00.html). Reading that now and, am I showing my age, but when did Time become a tame version of _Cracked_? What’s with the pithy attempts at snark? Am I really old for remembering Time as a respected news magazine? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/17 "2010-05-03T02:52:42Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Reading that now and, am I showing my age, but when did Time become a tame version of _Cracked_? What’s with the pithy attempts at snark? Am I really old for remembering Time as a respected news magazine? It’s just part of a backpage [column](http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1985389,00.html) by Joel Stein, who is a _Time_ humor (or at least tongue-in-cheek) writer. The name of his column is “The Awesome Column.” It took me a while to get used to him, but I really enjoy his column these days. For some reason, he seems to have pushing the envelope recently, IMHO. His column seemed a lot more subdued in the past. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Ha! I thought you meant this as a joke, but there it is. I suppose Time means it as a joke. A real list of the least influential people in the world would be like a 5 billion and something way tie for first among all of us normal schlubs. From the column: > [@Joel Stein](#): > > …First of all, the list I made (which you can read in full at [time.com/leastinfluential](http://time.com/leastinfluential)) does not actually consist of the least influential people in the world. Those would be infants, people in comas and North Koreans who aren’t Kim Jong Il. And it’s not a list of those with the most negative influence: the underwear bomber, that tattooed chick who messed up Sandra Bullock’s marriage, Jay Leno. My list is, technically, the Least Influential People Who Used to or Ought to Have Influence… ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/18 "2010-05-03T11:01:52Z")
You think her being named as influential is bad? You should read what she wrote for Glenn Beck’s influential person article. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/19 "2010-05-03T14:00:47Z")
She almost single-handedly drove UHC off the rails with her death panel comments, then kicked sand in Obama’s face with “how’s that hopey-changey thing workin for ya”. If the Dems had not rallied to finally pass the bill, Obama’s presidency might have been a lost cause. I hate her, but she carries lots of influence. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045/20 "2010-05-03T14:30:14Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > The best thing about her: if (and maybe when) she’s the GOP candidate for president or VP in 2012, Obama’s a shoo-in. I recall similar statements being made about a certain Texas bumpkin not too long ago. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-in-time-magazines-100-most-influential-people-in-the-world-wtf/538045.md?page=2)