# Scum and villainy: Republicans already throwing Palin under the bus. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420 "2008-11-06T05:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/181 "2008-11-07T18:15:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I guess you never finished the 8th grade either… you’re a little short there. > > [List of sovereign states and dependent territories in North America - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_countries) > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > The situation is a trifle more ambiguous than your list implies. I personally would say that the North America includes Central America, but not everyone agrees. The question wasn’t really what the countries in North America are, though, was it? I thought the question is, what countries are part of NAFTA? Not all the countries named are part of that agreement. Although a candidate for office should have a very good grasp of geography, it’s also important to focus properly on the question. Although not knowing anything even basic about NAFTA would be a failing in a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/182 "2008-11-07T18:17:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This reminds me of a concept that I was reminded of with the passing of Michael Chrichton --the Murray Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect. The problem with his theory is the paper isn’t written all by the same guy. I consider the St. Paul Pioneer Press a decent newspaper (if a bit conservative and too obsessed with local issues) but would read the articles with little skepticism, I will however never agree with Chris Hewitt’s moronic movie reviews. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/183 "2008-11-07T18:20:27Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The question wasn’t really what the countries in North America are, though, was it? I thought the question is, what countries are part of NAFTA? Not all the countries named are part of that agreement. Although a candidate for office should have a very good grasp of geography, it’s also important to focus properly on the question. Although not knowing anything even basic about NAFTA would be a failing in a candidate. No, but GD was responding to a post that said “countries in North America”, not “countries in NAFTA”. He responded to clear that up, and I gave him his point back. Incidentally, anyone who thinks North America doesn’t include Central America is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/184 "2008-11-07T18:23:56Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > So.. a couple of “well said” responses for Campbell Brown’s comments, and then we go back to commenting on the Palin allegations as if they were all true… despite Brown’s statement that CNN had found some to “be patently false.” And as I noted in a parallel thread, she doesn’t bother to indicate which allegations are false or how they came to that conclusion, which I would be interested to know. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/185 "2008-11-07T18:56:09Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The question wasn’t really what the countries in North America are, though, was it? I thought the question is, what countries are part of NAFTA? Not all the countries named are part of that agreement. Although a candidate for office should have a very good grasp of geography, it’s also important to focus properly on the question. Although not knowing anything even basic about NAFTA would be a failing in a candidate. Well, this is the problem. We don’t know what the question was, or how Palin allegedly failed in answering it. As things stand the accusations are absurd. Which isn’t to say they couldn’t be true, but we have no particular reason to believe that they are. It beggars belief that a state governor wouldn’t know which countries are party to NAFTA, but if the question were about which North American nations have free trade agreements with the US then not knowing the answer would hardly be surprising. I know that there are some trade agreements with other American nations, some of which I presume are north of Panama, but I couldn’t give you a list or much indication of how broad the agreements were. I wouldn’t expect any national politician other than congressional reps and senators serving on relevant committees to have that sort of information at their fingertips. I do have to say that the mind boggles at the viciousness of these attacks so soon after the election. Apparently no one wants to take responsibility for their failures - except, notably, the senator from Arizona who in defeat has demonstrated a great deal more character than he did while campaigning. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/186 "2008-11-07T18:59:09Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > That’s only because she has supported her husband’s party that has proposed joining Canada. I thought it was to have Alaska secede and form its own nation altogether? Oh, and **ETF** , Huckabee alarms me-from what I recall, he’s more like [Rick Santorum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_huckabee#Public_image_and_personal_life). I was extremely relieved when he dropped out of the race. [Here’s more](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Mike_Huckabee): -He supports teaching creationism -He opposes both gay marriage AND civil unions, AND gay adoption as well -He doesn’t seem to give a rat’s ass about SOCAS Keep him as FAR away from the White House as possible, as far as I’m concerned! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/187 "2008-11-07T19:14:45Z")
The story about Palin and Africa was supposedly from her aides. Her staff has started coming out with these type stories. There are more. You can attribute it to the repubs savaging her to make her go away. You can believe it and use it to flesh her out. But you can not blame dems or the evil liberal media. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/188 "2008-11-07T19:37:27Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > And as I noted in a parallel thread, she doesn’t bother to indicate which allegations are false or how they came to that conclusion, which I would be interested to know. For the purposes of this thread, it really doesn’t matter if its true or false. The McCain campaign is throwing her under the bus - and Fox News is riding shotgun. As anyone who has tried to defend the “Al Gore never claimed to have invented the internet” meme knows, or has said “actually, Jerry Ford was pretty athletic” - it doesn’t make any difference. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/189 "2008-11-07T20:04:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This reminds me of a concept that I was reminded of with the passing of Michael Chrichton – [the Murray Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect.](http://www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-whyspeculate.html) Michael Crichton must not have been – and by extension you must not be – familiar with the phenomenon known as “confirmation bias.” Given the shitty science in his novels, the former does not surprise me. Regarding the latter, I don’t recall your having spoken much about science on these boards, so a passing ignorance is equally unsurprising. But you have the advantage of not being dead, so you at least have the chance to be educated. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/190 "2008-11-07T22:19:55Z")
Too good not to share: [the Conservatives continue to eat themselves](http://www.redstate.com/diaries/erick/2008/nov/05/operation-leper). ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/191 "2008-11-07T22:35:29Z")
I can imagine this dialog (the response is attributed to Harry Truman) “Fox News??!! I thought they were my friends!!” “If you want a friend in politics…get a dog.” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/192 "2008-11-08T00:24:53Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Too good not to share: [the Conservatives continue to eat themselves](http://www.redstate.com/diaries/erick/2008/nov/05/operation-leper). Wow, the GOP’s immune system has gone _nuts_. This round’s on me! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/193 "2008-11-08T00:51:20Z")
The far right talking point fax seems to be spewing out that Palin’s problem was an unfair and elitist media. [Here is Ruben Navarette](http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_10907028) today. > [@](#): > > Palin had to contend with sexism and elitism. At first, she was criticized for her parenting choices and then for not being able to name her choice of newspapers or Supreme Court cases with which she disagreed. Charles Krauthammer had something almost identical. It seems it is elitist to expect that a candidate for VP knows fuck-all about national and international affairs. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/194 "2008-11-08T01:09:30Z")
They’re throwing sarah under a bus, but I don’t care if they backed it over her a few times. [She is upset about people slinging mud at her](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/07/campbell-brown-defends-sa_n_142043.html) and says they are taking things out of context. Kinda like what she did with accusing Obama of palling around with terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/195 "2008-11-08T01:23:42Z")
Huh?? What? I’ve been asleep. Long election week for me. > [@bengangmo](#): > > While I am not a journalist I am a Public Relations Director - I ahve always considered “off the record” to be based on trust rather than a legal requirement. If a journalist spills an off the record comment then obviously they will never be trusted again - but the “victim” would have little recourse. > > There is a thread somewhere here that backs this up… Yes, I am unaware of any legal involvement in ‘off the record’, ‘background’ and such. These are professional ethics issues that don’t involve any specific legal requirements. On the other hand, I’ve known reporters (and fired some) who have lost everything by breaking that rule. In the industry it’s supposed to be as sacrosanct as confession for the Catholic Church. It can frequently lead to asking the right questions of others but it should not, under any circumstances, lead to the reporter sharing that information with anyone other than the top editor at whatever news outlet for which you might work. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/196 "2008-11-08T01:28:34Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I thought it was to have Alaska secede and form its own nation altogether? Wiki [Alaskan Independence Party - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Independence_Party) > [@](#): > > The Alaskan Independence Party is a political party in the U.S. state of Alaska that advocates an in-state referendum which includes the option of Alaska becoming an independent nation. The party also advocates positions similar to those of the Constitution Party and Libertarian Party, supporting gun rights, privatization, home schooling, and limited government. The party has appeared on the ballot in Alaska in all state elections since 1970.[citation needed] > > It has been alleged that some of its members in the past have also proposed that the state explore the possibility of joining Canada. Some other members have expressed opposition to joining Canada in its present form but are open to the possibility of joining an independent Western Canadian state including the Yukon and Northwest Territories.[citation needed] Neither of these scenarios have ever formed any part of the party’s platform. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/197 "2008-11-08T01:43:33Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They saw where things were going and also saw that Palin was positioning herself as the new Queen Bee of the GOP. The people who actually run the GOP (the business interests) did NOT want an actual, sincere populist conservative Christian to get the bit in her teeth. They knew they had to undercut her. Though they did leak a few bits and pieces before election day, the major stuff (like in the Newsweek article) was being held back until after. They do NOT want Sarah Palin to be the frontrunner of the GOP…she’s not from the correct wing of the party. This. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/198 "2008-11-08T03:13:31Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > She is upset about people slinging mud at her. That explains the shower and towel. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2008, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/199 "2008-11-08T07:02:36Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > He’s also immensely likable – heck, I like him, and I’m a gibbering liberal. Of all the possibilities for 2012, he’s up among the top ones that worry me. I’ve seen Huckabee’s name on a list of possibilities for chair of the RNC. That’s what worries me–he could be the GOP’s Howard Dean. (Whatever you thought of Dean as a candidate, you can’t argue with his success as DNC chair.) ---
**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:** [November 8, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420/200 "2008-11-08T07:17:16Z")
From **Voyager’s** link: > [@](#): > > Palin had to contend with sexism and elitism. At first, she was criticized for her parenting choices and then for not being able to name her choice of newspapers or Supreme Court cases with which she disagreed. I don’t think she got nearly _enough_ shit about her decision to get on an all-day flight after having premature rupture of membranes in her high-risk pregnancy. I would have thought much better of her if she had just turned out to be covering for Bristol. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scum-and-villainy-republicans-already-throwing-palin-under-the-bus/471420.md?page=11)