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Palin the Post Turtle is a must read!!
This was posted as a comment, but it deserves its own entry, email this out as much as you can! It's hilarious.
The link to the original comment, by Libertine, is here.
And the posted story is this:
Turtle Soup?While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid.
The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a 'Post Turtle'".
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.
The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top - that's a 'post turtle".
The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with".
Comments (14)
As amusing as this story is, it falls into the "urban myth" category of anecdotes.
I first heard this story, I believe, from a Jim Hightower report about 6 years ago, but the old rancher was describing George W. All the elements are exactly the same, only the target name has changed.
The "post turtle" is a venerable country cousin of the myriad fish out of water memes that pop up any time one side wants take aim at the experience level of the other in a folksy kind of way.
September 27, 2008 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Um, bjorn, I believe it's what us here country folk call a joke.
September 28, 2008 1:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, it's probably more of a parable than a joke, at least in the technical sense.
Obviously, it's a "joke". My point is that it is exactly the same joke right down to the doctor suturing up the wise ole ranchers hand.
And if you google "post turtle" you'll discover that a certain democratic presidential candidate was filling the "insert inexperienced politian" spot in the viral emails back in June.
September 28, 2008 1:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
ah yes, but Sarah Palin and that little gem were obviously born for each other ;)
September 28, 2008 5:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting point about it being equally applicable to GWB and SP ...... because that's how I have increasingly come to see her: GWB in a dress. Charming in an everyday sort of way, incurious, no deep thinking, not looking ahead, very 'confident' and 'certain' (with no particular reason for being so), dismissive of any opposing point of view, lively and funny ....... and a perfect, perfect 'front' for (I'm convinced) some far more serious people who want and take the 'real' power. (Of the two, frankly, I find Bush to be the nicer person.)
Definitely 'post turtles' - both of them. Only an unthinking populace would start to imbue a turtle so elevated as something wise and to be honored and followed. Most rational folks would, I hope, simply put the poor thing back down on the ground and let it go its way.
September 28, 2008 2:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
One could imbue the turtle with some sort of magic or supernatural powers, as no one ever explains how the turtle got to be on the top of the post.
September 28, 2008 2:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not magic. Usually it's some sadistic old bastard.
September 28, 2008 8:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I love the story because it made me laugh and, particularly after the Palin/Couric interview, it succinctly captured and used humor to reinforce an already existing, strong narrative.
However, one thing I worry about is that, post-Couric interview, expectations about Palin for the debate may now be *so* low that she can't help but exceed them.
So I am of two minds about the story. Reinforce the narrative and further reduce expectations? Or wait until after the debate to push this narrative further (using this or other stories or facts)? I am not sure which is better.
September 28, 2008 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
David Plouffe came out with a statement yesterday that Palin is a "terrific debater". He points to youtube videos of her Gubernatorial debates (I thinkg she showed up for 2 or 3 of the many they had). Consensus is she looks not bad in them. The one I watched was too boring to get very far. I agree that as long as she doesn't fart and can pronounce a few key words, like nuclear, correctly people will be impressed based on the incredibly low expectations people have. That is if she doesn't back out....
September 28, 2008 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I still don't get it... In this parable is Sarah supposed to be the post or the turtle?
September 28, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Um this same joke went around - but about Bush, for years.
September 28, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bush actually won his party's nomination. So the "dummy who put him there" is vague, it's not any one specific person, and it's perfectly arguable that Bush got there on his own skills. In Palin's case, however... >grin
September 28, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Prefer the Mayan turtles balancing the world on their backs.
September 28, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love the joke and the parable.
As amusing as the joke is, I hope that the Biden team is busy helping him prep for the debate, and busily trying to trap him into speaking when he doesn't need to. Sometimes when someone says something so nonsensical, silence is the best answer of all - not Biden's strong suit. And also getting him ready in case there is a true surprise coming, and a true debate.
September 28, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
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