Login HereSarah Palin proved last night she's more qualified to host a game show than be Vice President of the United States.
She looked directly into the camera and delivered one canned line after another with nary an "um" or an "uh," but her complete inability to do anything other than insert prepared speeches into more or less appropriate places became clear when Gwen Ifill asked the candidates about their personal limitations:
IFILL: Let's talk conventional wisdom for a moment. The conventional wisdom, Gov. Palin with you, is that your Achilles heel is that you lack experience. Your conventional wisdom against you is that your Achilles heel is that you lack discipline, Sen. Biden. What id it really for you, Gov. Palin? What is it really for you, Sen. Biden? Start with you, governor.
PALIN: My experience as an executive will be put to good use as a mayor and business owner and oil and gas regulator and then as governor of a huge state, a huge energy producing state that is accounting for much progress towards getting our nation energy independence and that's extremely important.
But it wasn't just that experience tapped into, it was my connection to the heartland of America. Being a mom, one very concerned about a son in the war, about a special needs child, about kids heading off to college, how are we going to pay those tuition bills? About times and Todd and our marriage in our past where we didn't have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through as they sit around the kitchen table and try to figure out how are they going to pay out-of-pocket for health care? We've been there also so that connection was important.
But even more important is that world view that I share with John McCain. That world view that says that America is a nation of exceptionalism. And we are to be that shining city on a hill, as President Reagan so beautifully said, that we are a beacon of hope and that we are unapologetic here. We are not perfect as a nation. But together, we represent a perfect ideal. And that is democracy and tolerance and freedom and equal rights. Those things that we stand for that can be put to good use as a force for good in this world.
John McCain and I share that. You combine all that with being a team with the only track record of making a really, a difference in where we've been and reforming, that's a good team, it's a good ticket.
IFILL: Senator?
BIDEN: You're very kind suggesting my only Achilles Heel is my lack of discipline.
Others talk about my excessive passion. I'm not going to change. I have 35 years in public office. People can judge who I am. I haven't changed in that time.
She does not know what "achilles heel" means. Watch it. She Does. Not. Know. What. It.Means.
Forget the tight stripper skirt, forget the metallic eyeshadow inappropriate for anyone over the age of 40, forget the cloying sitcom delivery, the lies, the cruel and calculated needling of Biden by calling his college professor wife a "school teacher" and saying "she'll get her reward in Heaven" (to a man whose first wife died in a car accident) -- she's an idiot.
I cannot believe that we are seriously thinking of placing this dodo bird within reach of the Presidency.
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OK, just posting a comment fixed it
as i said last night: An Idiot vs our Very Serious Senator MBNA.
palin knows nothing and biden knows a lots but gets all the big questions wrong.
very sad that this is the best our country has to offer.
Forget the tight stripper skirt, forget the metallic eyeshadow inappropriate for anyone over the age of 40, forget the cloying sitcom delivery, the lies, the cruel and calculated needling of Biden by calling his college professor wife a “school teacher” and saying “she’ll get her reward in Heaven” (to a man whose first wife died in a car accident) — she’s an idiot.
Forget the tight stripper skirt? This only applies to Sarah, right?
Everything else -> happy to oblige.
I was yelling at the time, “she doesn’t know what it means”! She is officer material for sure.
Scary, isn’t it. Her reference to American exceptionalism strikes a popular, though mistaken,chord. It permits us to do anything and anything we do, be it torture or pre-emptive war is right because we are the ones who are doing it. Exceptionalism speaks to a deep need in many Americans. It’s insecurity to be sure, but there’s nothing to be done about it, especially in ten second sound bites.
She’s a cross between a fucking infomercial, a high school pep rally and an ad for sex talk.
I tried to succinctly put into words how she makes me feel, and this is what I came up with: “How could any self-respecting person want to be talked to this way?”.
Particularly, how could any self-respecting man want this? Middle-aged ones who have schoolteacher fetishes, who want to be spanked with rulers, or put in dog collars and pissed on. That’s what I’d say to any man who liked her verbal chastisement. And women? Did you see the rape kit commericial immediately following the debate? Devastating. I’m surprised our corporate overlords allowed it on tv.
Palin jumped the gun and read closing argument (no cue cards for weakness or inexperience).
fuck, jane. the callousness of the “reward in heaven” line didn’t hit me till now. ouch.
thank god i didn’t take a drink every time she said “also”.
LOL!!
She’s insane. She lives in a giant beauty pageant. This is still high school and she’s the queen bee in the mean girls clique. I hate it,but there it is. She’s every ugly and stupid female stereotype. Thanks Mrs Palin,thanks a whole freaking bunch. Just…sigh. She’s a condescending little twit. The fact that she hasn’t been laughed off a stage yet really alarms me. WTF?
I’m all for hammering the dolt but I really think “she’ll get her reward in Heaven” meant teacher get shitty pay.
You are correct.
Ifill is one tough customer, huh?
LOL.
You are right Tommy, Biden’s first wife died in the accident. To say what she did was crass.
Why would she know such a pagan reference.
Well, against the popular sentiment, I thought she was fine. Palin did exactly what she was told to do and I don’t think it was Gewn’s job too pursue it. If Biden wanted to he could have but it was not in his interest. That bullshit last night probably changed zero minds. I hate to be repetitive but it don’t mean nothin.
that’s probably true, raven, but there’s some real mean in that woman. notice her complete lack of empathy to biden getting choked up about his son.
Jane, she brings in two important demographics: the fundies and the eye-candy vote.
I didn’t say she wasn’t a heartless, bible thumping trollop.
It must have been all of that foreign policy they stuffed into her head the last few days, there was no room for a name like Achilles. “Achilles? What country is he a leader of? I don’t remember meeting him at the UN the other day.”
Maybe they don’t teach about Greeks in Alaska? (can’t see Greece from Juneau). I don’t think she knows who Achilles was. That look of utter non-recognition on her face, but the garbage that had been stuffed into her brain came out instead.
I felt she gave away her game plan in the very beginning when she slipped up w/ the comment ..” I may not answer the questions the way you or the moderator wants”..Actual meaning: “I am not prepared w/ enough facts so I’m gonna spew what they taught me over the last 3 days all over the stage and hope I impress someone w/ my cute smile and winks!”
i watched her bullshit about “exceptionalism” and “city on the hill” last night and wanted to scream. we’ve been here before, with a (literal) cheerleader, “joe six-pack” type. look where we are now: trillions of dollars and millions of lives wasted.
that woman is so 1999. i despise her.
“Winky and Wrinkley”!!
I giggled out loud, SO loud that the dogs jumped.
That’s the newest best for certain, Jane.
How I DO love your wit!
The LAST best one I read for Palin was “Bible Spice”.
omg
In this most important election ever in history, I’d be a nervous wreck were it not for the humor of the brightest and best progressive voices to be found.
Thanks.
LOLOL
She did “fine” in some tactical sense in which the bar is through the floor, but I’m confident I’m not alone in finding her persona repellent.
Meanwhile, Biden mauled McCain all night.
I meant Ifil.
Come, come, Palin’s confusion as to this term is perfectly understandable.
Mavericks have hooves, not heels.
Other than “white flag of surrender” I found that to be the most disgusting thing she said all night. I don’t think that went over well. And it wasn’t a slip up, it was rehearsed. Brilliant.
Me neither; Jane, you’re on to something there. At the time I just heard it as “well, we don’t have to actually do anything for teachers”. In another part of my brain I knew his wife had been killed in a car accident, but didn’t quite put two and two together in real time.
It was already clear she didn’t know Biden’s story, but wow, now that you point it out. And I recall clearly she was grinning while she said it. If that little clip gets played all day now after how Biden closed…wow, ugly. Kerry-and-Cheney’s-daughter ugly.
I thought McCain was Tinkly …
“hello, I am here to buy a car”
“we have this wonderful couch right here, have a seat why donctcha?”
“but I want a car”
“we have this couch”
Golly she has so much wonderful experience as a governor of a huge energy producing state. WTF have we had for the last 7 2/3 years.
Tommy !
there is the loser in this debate, I also thought palin out performed her expectations, however john got brutalized and she was not a stop gap
… and it costs $700 Billion, but don’t worry … Paulson will get you approved …
Just want to mention that most of the folks I work with, at both jobs, probably don’t know what an Achilles Heel is either.
Winky, Blinky and Wrinkly
Wink’em, Blink’em and Rob
“She does not know what “achilles heel” means.”
So I guess asking her to compare McCain’s campaign to Sisyphus is completely pointless.
She tried to make her questions too clever by half and she did nothing to insist on respect from the openly insulting Palin. Ifill is useless, my least favorite of the MSM mediocrities wheeled out as sages.
I found the presidential debate much more charged, the format better, the anger emanating from McCain galvanizing, and the candidates wililng to engage each others’ arguments.
Particularly ironic considering she is one.
Tell them that’s an egregious lacuna in their education.
ding!
tommy! great to see you back on the threads. have been following esten’s news on the carepage.
best and hugs to you and all your family
Equally pointless to ask her how she navigates between Sylla and Charybdis.
I think it was like Arnie in the Terminator when the guy knocked on the door of his hotel room. There were several responses that popped up, one of them being “Fuck you asshole”, but that didn’t seem appropriate here, so she used the next closest one. They were all canned anyway, and I give her points for being a quick study.
And you are right. She did not know what “Achilles hell” mean’t.
Damn. Just how long have they been “teaching to the test?”
Her reason for asking Biden if she could call him Joe, was so that she could deliver the “say it ain’t so Joe”…line.
The Republican Party does not care about this country. What they care about is shifting all the money to their corporate friends and cronies. They crave the ever increasing power they’ve accrued, thanks to Democrat congress.
That the corporate powers would nominate and present a simpleton to be a stroke away from the president is not a surprise.
They’ve largely succeeded and certainly have muzzled any real patriots.
This was posted on a ‘pharma’ blogsite out of UK. Even they seem comfortable poking fun at McPalin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h81a8HJI2s
If she paid attention at all, she’d go into a talk about STDs.
I bet she’s on the phone with Mary Kay right now, wanting to know why they haven’t made Achilles Heel Cream available to her for her sub-franchisers.
Why would they want her to say that ??!? For the sake of setting the stage for a bunch of
bullshi$non-sensical gibberish!??! If I’m a independent voter(not) listening to that I’m reaching for the remote to change the channel knowing shes not going to be honest about anything for the rest of the debate…at least she didn’t throw the stupid lipstick comment out there again!Debate coach : “No fuc**g lipstick comments tonight (wacks knuckles w/ large heavy ruler)!!!!!
Sarah- “But its funny..(tears well up)”
Good Morning Jane and Firedogs -
Raven @ 17 we agree. and, none of the Media types are letting go of the Michigan pull out as the more significant story
Tommy Yum - great to see you !
Jane - your earlier comparison to the Kirstie Alley character in Drop Dead Gorgeous (a cult movie at chez cbl) got eerily close last night when she used an actual line from the script with the exact same tone - “Proud to be an American !”
although at several points I thought she was gonna sell me some Spacebags®
She does not know what “achilles heel” means. Watch it. She Does. Not. Know. What. It.Means.
Cut her a break, Jane. She’s only been at this, what? Like 5 weeks?
Tommy! Love to you and your family.
zactly. I guess he should have said “Piss off, lightweight.”
Teachers in public schools here in Illinois, near St. Louis, start at $35k and max out at $66k. I wouldn’t call that “shitty pay.”
roflmao!!
OT - on the house floor now.
barney frank up now to
sell out the taxpayersbail out wall street - the rule for the bill having passed. i didn’t hear how much debate there would be - something like 2 hours i thinkNot familiar with that movie, but I was afraid she was going to start singing That Song.
good point! that was the only time she used biden’s first name…
that was her lamest line of the evening, which is really saying something. she seems to be a 70s sitcom catchphrase generator:
“in what respect, charlie?” (canned laughter)
“i’ll bring ‘em to ya!” (salacious “oooohs” from audience)
but “say it ain’t so joe there you go again?” nope.
I thought the “how we do it in Alaska” crap would get old real fast with “Joe Sixpack.” Stow it, kid, this ain’t Alaska.
Also, I wish Joe Biden had said, “No, it might be easier if you just go ahead and call me Charlie.”
No she doesn’t know what it means. She “doesn’t blink” you know.
Meanwhile I was rather surprised to see gay marriage brought up as it hadn’t figured in the last debate or in the presidential campaign in any way whatseover.
Obviously Gwen is thinking about her pal Condi. They’re the Lindsay and Sam of the Beltway, you know. Have been for some time — and only Bob Somerby has written about that fact.
Yes, not “speculation,” FACT.
Will the question be asked of the Top-o-the-ticket items at their next go round?
I doubt it.
I would. No, not “would.” I do.
house sellout:
cspan is reporting on 90 minutes of debate, no amendments allowed, vote could be as early as 12:30p but may be delayed.
A pathetically botched line.
house sellout - rangle up:
the president has called on us.
most of us have agreed that paulson et al have given us fair warning.
Here’s a question:
We know the downticket R candidates have all run from Bush, how long before they start running from McCain/Palin, as well?
Fat Cat Rangel’s up now
All of Palin’s answers were attempts to string together as many of the memorized talking points as she could recall at that particular moment. The question was rarely relevant to her answer. I actually had a difficult time stopping my laughter several times.
the catchphrase generator generated by Lieberman
*nods* She got it, too, so that she always held the edge in respectful discourse. He had to respectfully call her, governor. She got to use Joe, hatefully/spitefully. I thought Biden made a mistake when he didn’t ask for reciprocity or decline.
My husband commented on the eye-candy vote when she was first announced. By the way, my husband, the guy that voted for Bush twice, is now a committed Obama/Biden voter. He can’t stand the Fundies.
I’m sharing both “Winky and Wrinkly” and “Wink’em, Blink’em, and Rob” with friends. They are perfect, but not in a beauty pageant way. >g
Mort Kond-dicky referred to Biden’s wife being killed, then “corrected” himself and said “or injured” in a car accident. See, the point he was making was that Biden’s thing about being a single dad wasn’t authentic because he only became a single dad afetr the accident. schmuck
house sellout - rangle:
i hope and pray…
it would have been nice to have hearings etc so we could try to understand….
I agree, her responses were all canned. As someone said on the previous thread, it was like the Chatty Kathy doll where you pull the string on the back and response #38 comes out. It was just pure luck that some of her responses just happened to relate to the actual question in some cases.
great to see y’all too!
gonna try to be “productive” now…
Heather Wilson on CNN “we can’t have capitalism without capital”
In fairness, she probably heard it as “Achilles! Heel!”
Funny name for a sleddog, though.
what i want to know is when are the dems going to run from bush’s policies?
That did get old pretty quick. She came off pretty parochial.
“Also, I wish Joe Biden had said, “No, it might be easier if you just go ahead and call me Charlie.”
“Governor, you can call me Al, and I’ll call you Betty.”
thing is alot of them weren’t even memorized. she was reading.
hilarious, with some wonderful performances (Alley, Barkin, & Janney)- all our Minnesotan friends consider it a documentary
that went over like a stinky fart.
bom dia pups
blunt:
we need to come together. incredibly significant.
new way to valuate these assets.
bill is not a bailout. taxpayers are going to invest $ and get a return.
For all that teachers do and are, it is shitty pay.
One of the funniest, yet cogent, remarks I’ve read were by an Americablog commenter (discussing the overall debate):
Ouch. I think my brain is bleeding from that. Did she dump the dictionary into the word processor and hit puree?
Her biggest problem from the get go was that she didn’t know enough to decline the offer to be on the ticket. She is one of those people who are so sure that they have all the answers, know everything and have no self awareness that maybe, just maybe they aren’t qualified or experienced enough for a position. She is a dolt enamored of herself.
blunt:
stabilize the market.
this bill has every kind of oversight mechanism conceived of by government.
[me: hahahaha, what a fucking liar.]
really
I don’t think the Joe Sixpack characterization of American voters will necessarily appeal to people…Joe Sixpack types don’t like to be referred to as Joe Sixpack….same as redneck. Her “folksy” cliches are insulting…
the only time I yelled at Senator Biden -
“how we do it in Alaska” -
should have asked the Czarina of All Energy why selling it to Asia was “how they do it”
Putin/Palin’s stupidity is a distraction from Biden’s intelligence.
but they get all summer off ! /s
What does the metaphor - Lindsay and Sam of the Beltway - mean, please?
i READ THIS MORNING somewhere that a mic on stage caught her asking Biden “is it ok if a I call you Joe tonight”
Just to remind who Sarah Palin is, my Palin file:
you are correct firedog !
per the CNN gadget, the first time she said it was the most dramatic downward spike for the men all evening. they were all ok with her painting middle class scenarios, but the second she identified herself as such, the lines would drop
I wanted him to tell her,
“With all due respect governor, this isn’t Wasilla and this ain’t Alaska
Thanks for the liveblog, selise.
I can’t watch those sellouts.
“how we do it in Alaska” wreaks of Alaska is somehow “different” than the rest of America…that’s why her family has been all about Alaskan independence…
Her cliches are insulting and OLD. Seems to me that we were saying “say it ain’t so, Joe” waaaaaaaa back.
She needs some new ones - I’m sure the McC campaign has plenty.
pete stark up:
this is paulson’s way to scare us just like powell scared us about iraq.
[me: go pete!]
Regarding Alaska’s exceptionality, or ‘how things are done in her state’ she didn’t quite bring the audience up to speed on reality:
Palin wants to drill in Alaska because (1) the State of Alaska gets a cut of every gallon pumped out of the ground up there, and (2) every man, woman, and child gets a “dividend check” from the Alaska Permanent Fund, which is a state run system to collect even more money from big oil. The average Alaskan gets about $2000 a year. Personal responsibility or government entitlement????
So, do they want to drill because they have the answer to America’s energy problems, or because they’re greedy in Alaska? Can she authentically castigate Wall Street greed or even Main Street greed from Alaskan greed?
For all intents and purposes, the Alaska Permanent Fund is a scheme to bride Alaskans into voting against the environment and for more big oil projects. Is there any wonder Palin and many Alaskans want more drilling? It fattens their wallet, even though it damages their environment and contributes to Global Warming. Her simplistic and disconnected response to global warming was appropriately addressed by Biden.
I’ll have to check it out. Thanks.
Ifill was awful. She failed to enforce the rules of the debate and her questions did not force the participants to think on their feet.
Did Ifill buckle to the Right’s pressure or is she a poor moderator?
So now palin is a fucking genuis because she can memorize the same three lines? Give.Me.A.Break!
Thank you for bringing that up. I was disgusted with her response. Can you imagine that kind of blunder in diplomatic talks?
My bet is that it was the McCain campaign’s line, and the connotation of the line is a reference to corruption in baseball…
coble up:
last week i voted no. because i wanted a chance to think.
last week my calls were all against this bill, but this week guess what? they are for it.
inaction is not an option.
actually was pleasantly surprised at how close Tweety got to it -