# So when is Palin giving back all the clothes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457 "2008-11-06T15:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/321 "2008-11-11T20:57:17Z")
‘Some acts’ and ‘almost universally’ are far from the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/322 "2008-11-11T20:57:20Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > When someone can produce evidence that it’s perfectly normal for a campaign to buy drawls for not only the candidate, but the candidate’s entire family (including a daughter’s boyfriend), then I’ll stop thinking that this whole thing is a ridiculous embarrassment for the RNC. > > I mean, you can convince me that Sarah needs some special understuff. VPL isn’t good on a vice-presidential nominee. But Todd and the kids too? Does anyone really care that little Willow has VPL? Didn’t the girls usually wear dresses and skirts anyway? They could have worn moose pelts and no one would have known! > > All defensive arguments fall apart when we see that Barack Obama did not charge the DNC for his family’s undergarments. > I think this scandal should be called “Under-Gate”. Yea who cares, you can’t smell their crotches on TV anyway right? Look, I don’t disagree that her clothing went overboard, but there is a lot more to it and it happens in nearly all Presidential campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/323 "2008-11-11T20:58:25Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > ‘Some acts’ and ‘almost universally’ are far from the same thing. You can retool this comment to yourself as well. [QUOTE=mswas] But of course based on your contributions so far I am certain you’ll see a debate over the semiotic value of superlatives in this debate. [/QUOTE] If it makes you feel better I’ll change ‘almost universal’ to ‘a metric fuckton of acts’ ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/324 "2008-11-11T21:01:03Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > You can retool this comment to yourself as well. In what regard? My point is simply that you claimed it was almost universal. One cite you provided said that it was some acts and another named 3 specific ones that were considered ‘memorable’. That makes it sound to me like it is an unusual thing. ---
**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 11, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/325 "2008-11-11T21:06:35Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Sarah, keep avoiding the question about the clothes. It’s some pointless fluff that the haters care about intensely but in the end no one is really going to care. I wonder how many of the outraged people were outraged by John Edwards $ 400 haircuts. I doubt there is much crossover there. I suspect Edwards paid for his own damn haircut. Cindy McCain wore enough jewelry during the convention to bail out AIG, but it was hers and no one objected. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/326 "2008-11-11T21:07:51Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Sarah, keep avoiding the question about the clothes. It’s some pointless fluff that the haters care about intensely but in the end no one is really going to care. I wonder how many of the outraged people were outraged by John Edwards $ 400 haircuts. I doubt there is much crossover there. It was a campaign promise. I could care fuck-all about how much money the RNC wasted decorating her, and whether or not they violated campaign finance rules. You stand in front of the American People and make a specific declaration of your intentions regarding these clothes, you damn well follow through. It shouldn’t take weeks of pressuring from the media to get you to do it either. If the McCain/Palin campaign wasn’t simply an exercise in dishonesty, this whole issue would have been taken care of with a 5 second statement to the press on Nov 5. “Ms. Palin’s campaign wardrobe will be auctioned off to benefit the March of Dimes on December 15, at the Waldorf Astoria, NYC.” Of course, nobody in the campaign actually intended to follow through, the whole charity auction concept was a throwaway statement in an attempt to deflect criticism. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/327 "2008-11-11T21:08:08Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I suspect Edwards paid for his own damn haircut. Cindy McCain wore enough jewelry during the convention to bail out AIG, but it was hers and no one objected. He had two of those $400 haircuts paid for by the campaign as well as a $250 visit to a day spa. He used the same hairdresser he always does, why the campaign paid for those two instead of him I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/328 "2008-11-11T21:16:50Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Yea who cares, you can’t smell their crotches on TV anyway right? Um, what? Even if they were so busy that they couldn’t send off their laundry (and if this is the case, a small baby with special needs had no business being in this environment), surely Palin isn’t so damn broke she couldn’t buy some Hanes and Fruit of the Looms with her own credit card. And what about Todd? What kind of man accepts free underwear when he’s fully able to buy his own? > [@](#): > > Look, I don’t disagree that her clothing went overboard, but there is a lot more to it and it happens in nearly all Presidential campaigns. I hate to do this, but CITE? If this was par for the course, it wouldn’t be in the news. And Obama and McCain would also be laughing stocks because they would be just as guilty. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/329 "2008-11-11T21:20:19Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Um, what? Even if they were so busy that they couldn’t send off their laundry (and if this is the case, a small baby with special needs had no business being in this environment), surely Palin isn’t so damn broke she couldn’t buy some Hanes and Fruit of the Looms with her own credit card. And what about Todd? What kind of man accepts free underwear when he’s fully able to buy his own? > > I hate to do this, but CITE? If this was par for the course, it wouldn’t be in the news. And Obama and McCain would also be laughing stocks because they would be just as guilty. Do I need to cite $ 400 haircuts by John Edwards? I mean I’m not going to go all investigative journalist for some tit for tat BS on this forum. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/330 "2008-11-11T21:21:27Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > In what regard? > > My point is simply that you claimed it was almost universal. One cite you provided said that it was some acts and another named 3 specific ones that were considered ‘memorable’. That makes it sound to me like it is an unusual thing. I don’t think it makes it sound unusual. But just for you: [Hyperbole](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole) ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/331 "2008-11-11T21:24:12Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > It was a campaign promise. I could care fuck-all about how much money the RNC wasted decorating her, and whether or not they violated campaign finance rules. > > You stand in front of the American People and make a specific declaration of your intentions regarding these clothes, you damn well follow through. It shouldn’t take weeks of pressuring from the media to get you to do it either. Weeks eh? From where I’m sitting the election was last week. I think 7 days of busy schedules is not such a big deal to get this stuff dealt with. Maybe she’d have more time to go through the clothing if she wasn’t having a microphone thrust in her face asking her about it every day. 😉 I’m sure she’ll sort it out telekinetically from Miami for you though. > [@](#): > > If the McCain/Palin campaign wasn’t simply an exercise in dishonesty, this whole issue would have been taken care of with a 5 second statement to the press on Nov 5. “Ms. Palin’s campaign wardrobe will be auctioned off to benefit the March of Dimes on December 15, at the Waldorf Astoria, NYC.” Of course, nobody in the campaign actually intended to follow through, the whole charity auction concept was a throwaway statement in an attempt to deflect criticism. Of course because all of this is just the campaign meltdown where disgruntled employees speak out of school. It’s a pretty common occurence. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/332 "2008-11-11T21:25:35Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I don’t think it makes it sound unusual. When something is specifically called out as memorable, it does to me. > [@](#): > > But just for you: > > [Hyperbole](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole) Then why didn’t you just say that the first time someone questioned your use of ‘almost universal’? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/333 "2008-11-11T21:26:30Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I suspect Edwards paid for his own damn haircut. Cindy McCain wore enough jewelry during the convention to bail out AIG, but it was hers and no one objected. I’m wondering if Mr. **mswas** started seeing starbursts during the debate… -Joe ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/334 "2008-11-11T21:27:24Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > When something is specifically called out as memorable, it does to me. In my viewing of riders I’ve seen it fairly commonly. _shrugs_ YMMV The links I posted also talked about how it’s not uncommon. > [@](#): > > Then why didn’t you just say that the first time someone questioned your use of ‘almost universal’? I did. I consistently overestimate the intelligence of this board. I thought my sarcastic quip about semiotics and superlatives would get the point across. I guess I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/335 "2008-11-11T21:28:44Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Weeks eh? From where I’m sitting the election was last week. I think 7 days of busy schedules is not such a big deal to get this stuff dealt with. Oh, I didn’t realize that they had scheduled the auction already. When is it? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/336 "2008-11-11T21:29:45Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Do I need to cite $ 400 haircuts by John Edwards? I mean I’m not going to go all investigative journalist for some tit for tat BS on this forum. Even if we accept that a service and a tangible good are the same thing, do you not really see the difference between giving something to the _candidate_ and giving something to the candidate’s familial entourage? A better analogy would be if John Edwards’ wife and kids also got $400 haircuts and spa treatment. If you can find evidence of something like this (bonus points if it happened with impunity), then you will be successfully defending Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/337 "2008-11-11T21:32:22Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I consistently overestimate the intelligence of this board. I thought my sarcastic quip about semiotics and superlatives would get the point across. I guess I was wrong. Perhaps just say what you mean next time, I know I would appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/338 "2008-11-11T21:47:50Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Look, I don’t disagree that her clothing went overboard, but there is a lot more to it and it happens in nearly all Presidential campaigns. So you keep saying, but you have yet to offer evidence. And the reaction of the RNC puts to lie the notion that this sort of thing happens in nearly all Presidential campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/339 "2008-11-11T21:57:42Z")
> [@](#): > > And if there is an open door in ‘12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I’ll plow through that door. “Country first”, eh, Sarah? > [@mswas](#): > > Whatever, if you don’t recognize this as prurient recreational outrage… There are suggestions that a candidate has received something worth $150,000, ultimately paid by political donors. There is plenty of fluff in the story. I don’t care who picked them out. I don’t care if it’s Saks Fifth Avenue or L.L. Bean. I don’t care if it’s baby jumpers, home renovations, or cash in the freezer. But there are laws against politicans receiving “gifts”, because we don’t want the giver to come back later and expect a private favor from a public servant. It’s not “prurient recreational outrage” to make sure politicians meet their ethical and legal responsibilities. All she has to do is find the clothes, make sure they (or the proceeds from their sale) go to a reputable charity, and you’ll hear no more about it from me. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457/340 "2008-11-11T22:01:39Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Do I need to cite $ 400 haircuts by John Edwards? I mean I’m not going to go all investigative journalist for some tit for tat BS on this forum. Then you’re lucky that some people are more diligent than you are about looking for cites: [Edwards reimburses campaign for haircuts](http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-04-19-edwards_N.htm) I don’t give a good goddamn if Palin wants to keep the clothes that the RNC bought for her, as long as she pays for them. The campaign and the RNC were the ones who hastened to assure the public that all Palin’s new clothes would be sold for charity, because they were afraid that voters would be turned off by the lavishness of their spending when contrasted with Palin’s “simple hockey mom” image. And Palin’s the one who has repeatedly said that the clothes aren’t hers, they belong to the RNC. So no, they don’t get to shrug it off now that the campaign’s over by pretending it’s a trivial matter that nobody cares about, and I think honest Republicans should be ashamed to encourage that kind of irresponsibility and unaccountability. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-is-palin-giving-back-all-the-clothes/471457.md?page=18)