Speechless
I rarely post twice in one day, but, wow. Just . . . wow.
If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media
Palin believes that the press is abridging her First Amendment rights by exercising its own First Amendment rights.
Wow. The sheer agressively ignorant abyssal stupidity of this statement almost defies comprehension. How is it possible, how is it conceivable that anyone with such a staggeringly deficient understanding of basic elementary school civics could possibly be the vice presidential candidate of a major party?
Freedom of the press is going to destroy freedom of speech, if we don't watch out.
For the last eight years, we've repeatedly been smacked with actions and statements from the present administration that leave you saying "Jesus, I knew they were stupid, but I wasn't capable of imagining that they were that stupid until they did that." Then we adjust our defintion of how stupid they are downward accordingly, think we know how stupid they are and then they do or say the next damnfool thing that makes you say Jesus, I knew they were stupid, but I wasn't capable of imagining that they were that stupid until they did that." And you adjust you expecations downward again, think its hit bedrock and then comes the next stupid thing that makes you realize you were still overestimating them.
That's the story of George W. Bush and the neocons for these last eight years and then suddenly, someone is thrust onto the national stage who makes Bush look like a nucyuler fucking physicist and a constitutional law professor all rolled up into one brilliant package.
It just hits hou like a ton of bricks. This woman is running for the Vice Presidency of the United States of America and its evident she has less understanding of the Constitution than a 12 year old in a decent school district and, indeed, its questionable whether she's ever even read the thing all the way through. And yet, a significant faction of the group that considers itself the brains of the Republican Party thinks she's their best bet for 2012 or 2016. God save us, all.
Sarah Palin, working hard to Define Readiness Down...
October 31, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's nukyaler, not nucyuler.
October 31, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dontcha come back at me with your fancy, elitist AP Stylebook proper spellin' buster. I'm talkin' straight to the Real America here in terms of things that they can understand, because we grow good understandin' people in our small towns and rural areas and isolated little farms in the middle a' nowhere where unspeakable acts of violence and depravaty are committed on unsuspectin' travellers who come in from big cities in the dead a' winter thinkin' they're better than us with their IPods and their banks that take ATM cards an their outbred gene pools. ;}
October 31, 2008 9:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Freedom of the press is going to destroy freedom of speech, if we don't watch out."
Her ability to spew that kind of Orwellian nonsense is exactly what endeared her to the right in the first place. The scariest thing I've seen this Halloween is a Republican telling me how she's looking forward to Palin running in 2012.
October 31, 2008 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually that was me paraphrasing. Its far too coherent to have come come out of her mouth.
October 31, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I commented on another post with the same topic, I thought everyone overreacted about the VP running the senate and the clothes things, but this is something completely different. This was what came to mind when I heard what she said (courtesy of that guy in Billy Madison):
Mrs. Palin, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
October 31, 2008 11:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've commented before that Palin (and the McCain campaign) are merely the next logical way-point down the dark and ugly road the GOP embarked on under Nixon. Palin is the next step down that road after Bush. Identity politics over basic competence. Style over substance. The elevation of Sarah Palin, or someone exactly like her, was as inevitable as the elevation of Bush in 2000.
The beast that is the Republican base has become so anti-intellectual, so insular, so mindlessly fearful and hateful that the conservative intellectuals are either jumping ship or being forced out of the party under threat of death.
The GOP is rapidly and dangerously radicalizing, sort of like the plutonium core of an atomic bomb compressing to critical mass just before the uncontrolled chain reaction begins. The only question in my mind is whether they destroy only themselves, or will they be able to take the nation with them.
November 1, 2008 12:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
At least Nixon performed a percentage of national service vs. 100% service for self. His rapprochement with China, the EPA and the decency to resign. Watergate was chickenshit compared to the current Republican mode of operation.
Today's Republicans will violate any law, promote any lie, and commit any crime if they believe it will advance their political agenda. At the same time any action to oppose them they claim to be unpatriotic, indecent and illegal.
November 1, 2008 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's review just how much Palin values education. Her oldest son is a high school drop out. Upon learning of her daughter's pregnancy, she pulled her daughter out of high school for months. That same daughter will now wed (shotgun!) the father, a high school drop out. Palin is toting her other two young daughters around the country; surely those two girls are falling behind in school. She doesn't value education for her own children! Why would we expect her to know anything herself?
November 1, 2008 8:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I declared Gov. Palin unqualified for the office of President within 24 hours of her nomination (I'm sure I've left record in here somewhere that I did so). For me personally (A self-described moderate 'leaner', a little disaffected by the Dem. primary), she was the stake in the heart of any possibility that I might vote for Sen. McCain.
I've seen nothing in the intervening weeks to suggest I was wrong: Despite a rather entertaining, quirky personal style and an interesting, off-beat background, she has essentially no clue (as best I can tell) about any aspect of real governance, or the workings of genuine democracy.
I beg to differ on one point: I don't think anyone should entirely dismiss her FUTURE prospects out of hand. She has a lot to learn, but it's not impossible that she COULD learn it, given effort, inclination, and time. Meanwhile some of what she ALREADY 'knows' cannot be TAUGHT. She does have a gift for relating to crowds, a strong TV presence, and a certain LIKEABILITY quotient. We've had 2-term Presidents who didn't start out with a whole lot more than that.
November 1, 2008 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now there's a comment appropriate for Halloween.
November 1, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Some people are willing to violate the constitution to shut you up Sarah? You betcha'!
November 1, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink