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Sarah Palin: What almost happened was no game

Barry Everingham

by Barry Everingham

29 Apr 05:35am

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Filed under: American Politics, Barack Obama, Politics, Sarah Palin

45 comments

There’s a very thin line in picking winners at the horse races and on political election days, and the Americans must be eternally grateful Sarah Palin never did become that heartbeat away from the world’s top job.

It was her fault, but she does look good in the jacket

Well some Americans, anyway.

Since Barack Obama was handed the keys to the White House, red neck America has been in full flight – not only is the President a Democrat, he’s a black Democrat. Let’s have a Tea Party, um, party, and see what we can do, cried the masses.

And guess who has come to dinner? John McCain’s running mate, the former Governor of Alaska, so derided by not only mainstream America is the 2008 run up, but also by such luminaries as Dick Cheney (she’ll last two weeks) and George Bush, who had never heard of the Republican Governor of Alaska!

A new book by two of the United States’ most respected journalists have shed old light on Palin. And any of her countrymen and women ,who are mistakenly getting out the pedestal she once climbed, should read Game Change before she’s allowed on it ever again.

John Heilemann (New York Magazine) and Mark Halperin (Time) covered the 2008 Obama and Clinton and McCain and Palin stoush and seem to have interviewed everyone who was involved.

A would-be US President who couldn’t explain why North and South Korea are separate countries and when asked by Katie Couric if she agreed with the “Bush Doctrine” asked “in what respect?” , doesn’t seem to be too well suited for the job.

And when Ms Palin was being briefed by team McCain, her pronunciation of “nuclear” came out as “nuke-u-lar” (well George. W Bush shared that with her so it could be a Republican thing).

The foreign briefings unearthed so many deficiencies that the policy guys needed to start from the beginning to get her up to speed – the Spanish Civil War, WW1, WW 2, the cold war, and the global war on terror.

Funny people the Republicans – when names before Palin’s were canvassed for the number two job, they were rejected on extraordinary grounds.

Mike Bloomberg was divorced, was pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-gun and is a Jew!

Rudy Giuliani twice divorced and was living with a gay couple while ho sorted out accommodation.

Joe Lieberman – Mc Cain’s closest mate had two things against him; he’s a Democrat and Jew.

So it was Palin and the rest is history.

The Tea Party?

It’s really time to pack away all those cups and saucers and eat up the scones and cream and read Game Change, before it’s too late.

Most commented

45 comments

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    • Nigel Catchlove says:

      06:27am | 29/04/10

      Thankfully democratic nations exert a self-preservation mode where the utter nutters fail to get elected.  Different sides of the politcal spectrum but in recent history the US had Palin and Australia had Latham.  Both would have, for differing reasons, been a disaster.

      Reply

    • cityboy @ Sydney says:

      11:34am | 29/04/10

      If McCain/Palin had been elected the world would now be in the Great Depression which would make the one of the 1930’s look like an…......um….......Tea Party!

    • Nora Charles says:

      11:34am | 29/04/10

      Well, you’ve failed on the first hurdle Nige - Australian did elect Rudd.

    • Peter Simmons says:

      03:55pm | 30/04/10

      How come we got Rudd?

      He backed Latham.

    • Eric says:

      07:05am | 29/04/10

      What a silly story.

      Obama’s approval ratings are currently at 44% and sinking fast. Americans regret electing him. Since he thinks Austrians speak Austrian, Afghans speak Arabic, and that there are 57 states in the US, Obama is hardly a great example of knowledge.

      Dismissing the Tea Party as a pointless fringe movement is soooo six months ago. That was before the safest Democratic Party seat in the US went Republican. Let’s see what happens in the November elections for Congress and Senate.

      Reply

    • A-Bomb says:

      11:45am | 29/04/10

      Austrians do speak Austrian. Some of the Austrian dialects are almost unintelligable from the official language of German, so much so that they could be almost considered another language. Same with some of the German dialects in Germany, not to mention the way the Swiss speak German.

    • Ryan says:

      01:52am | 01/05/10

      A-Bomb: no offense but that is just about as dumb as saying that Americans speak American. Austrians speak German, with a dialect and some of their own slang but its still German. The Swiss on the other hand, they speak French, German, Italian, French and English.

    • bec says:

      07:09am | 29/04/10

      She did have a sassy wardrobe, though.

      Reply

    • Elphaba says:

      10:09am | 29/04/10

      I agree, that was one thing she got right.  Sassy indeed.

      I was surprised when McCain picked her.  I thought “How interesting, a strong female running mate.  This will be good.”

      The she opened her mouth….

    • Rebecca says:

      07:53am | 29/04/10

      The ascendency of Sarah Palin highlights everything that is wrong in American politics. While our political system isn’t perfect, there is little doubt in my mind that we would ever let someone as dangerously incompetent anywhere near that level of power.

      Reply

    • KH says:

      08:07am | 29/04/10

      Er, Tony Abbott? I’m sorry, but he isn’t much better than Palin, and its starting to look like there is a good chance we could actually get stuck with him as PM.  I wonder how hard it is to emigrate to Canada?

    • BTS says:

      08:23am | 29/04/10

      The Labour Party track record so far has been far from competent.

    • Roflmao says:

      09:33am | 29/04/10

      ROFL - “we would ever let someone as dangerously incompetent anywhere near that level of power”. We elected a PM who initiated a scheme that killed at least 4 people, has/is resulting in homes burning down, wasted billions on handouts and failed schemes started but never delivered (fuelwatch, grocerywatch, solar, ETS, .................etc,etc), rolled back effective border control policies to encourage increase illegal immigration, and you think we have the high ground on electing competent Leaders? You were being scarcastic, right?

    • Macon Paine says:

      09:58am | 29/04/10

      @ KH
      Snarkyness aside If your really that worried KH you probably wouldn’t like it in Canada either, they have a conservative government atm.6

    • Hamish says:

      11:50am | 29/04/10

      Considering our current PM has managed to stuff up everything he has touched, I’d say this comment is pretty inaccurate. Are you saying Palin’s more incompetent than Rudd? When she was Governor in Alaska she actually didn’t stuff up a lot of things.

    • James1 says:

      12:34pm | 29/04/10

      Tony Abbott is Karl Marx next to Sarah Palin.

    • H of SA says:

      12:53pm | 29/04/10

      KH,

      Its not like TA is close to that level of power….look at how badly the federal govt is performing - and look at how the polls still show a thrashing for the opposition this year. That tells you Australia’s verdict on TA’s PM chances.

    • KH says:

      01:11pm | 29/04/10

      Roflmao - the government did not ‘initiate a scheme that killed 4 people’ - they initiated a subsidy scheme, that some greedy people thought they could use by setting up a dodgy business employing idiots with no training to do incorrect installations of insulation for a cheap price, then claim the maximum back and make profit.  “The Government” cannot police every single person individually - they can only know about dodgy contractors after a disaster occurs, just like we do.

    • Mavis says:

      08:26am | 29/04/10

      The pea-brained analysis above is far more dangerous to our society than Palin might have been. Dozens of yanks say “nukular”. So what?

      The left’s vilification of Palin is shrill mob behaviour and very dangerous. Conversely the left beseaches us to love Kristina Kenneally’s hairdo? That is dangerous.

      Australia missed out on Latham but has copped Conroy, Tanner, Roxon and Belinda Neale. Nutters and destroyers.

      Reply

    • Matt says:

      11:05pm | 29/04/10

      Dozens you say Mavis? Well then.

      I’m not sure there is a vast left wing conspiracy to elect Labor based on hair style (otherwise Palin would have been an instant winner and Rudd would have been wiped out). But surely it’s reasonable to expect that your Vice President would have more foreign policy experience than living in relative proximity to Russia?

    • Brett says:

      08:31am | 29/04/10

      It reminds us not to put so much stock in those in government.  There have been many goofs in government over the centuries.  And while people jostle for “power”, life’s real story goes on unfolding despite them.
      (Oh, and get yourself a proof-reader.)

      Reply

    • observation says:

      09:01am | 29/04/10

      surely these are 2 parties at the end of each extreme- Obama, the first black sitting in the oval office and at the other end- ‘hick country female’ trying to take the reins under a psuedo monika of the original Boston tea party

      watch the middle ground- these 2 parties will garnish the support at each end of the voting parabola but the public will look more for the norm- they will want a norm ......and thats not the beer bellied tele watcher from the 80’s!

      Reply

    • Gary Cox says:

      09:40am | 29/04/10

      I always thought it funny that the very people that bang on and campaign about equal representation of females were the same people that pretty much bought down Palin. Fair enough she mightn’t have been the the sharpest tool in the shed but neither is Obama as its panned out. The left wing dominated media present people as they want us to see them. So they make Palin look dumb, Barack look smart, Bush look dumb, and Rudd look like a typical good Aussie bloke.  We really have no idea what any of them are like. Fair suck of the old sauce bottle Barry, looking forward to your next article on painting the members of the Monarchy as old and pompous.

      Reply

    • Sherlock says:

      09:47am | 29/04/10

      I absolutely love Sarah Palin. Anybody who puts the left into this sort of apoplexy is my kind of woman.

      The author is a fine example of the self appointed moral and intellectual superiority of the left. Barack Obama’s failures as president isn’t the fault of poor leadership it must be “red neck America in full flight”. Of course the author simply deems anybody who dares have a different opinion to himself as being part of “red neck America”. This is another trait of the left. If you can convince yourself that the person who disagrees with you is not capable of holding a rational opinion then you can ignore what they say thus saving yourself the onerous task of having to assemble a cogent argument to back your own opinion on any matter. It’s far easier to dismiss your opponent then actually having to argue your case.

      This is what he’s doing with Sarah Palin. Look how she pronounces “nuclear”, accordingly she, and her supporters, are obviously morons therefore we can simply dismiss them. No arguments are necessary. All we have to do is pounce on anything that we can make them look stupid with.

      Look at the difference in how Obama and bush are treated. Obama has made quite a few gaffes that are simply ignored. Any similar mistake by Bush was played over and over and over sometimes even set to music.

      The right are interested in the issues and are prepared to argue their point. They’re not interested in simply belittling their opponents. This is why the left lost the climate change debate. While they were busy attacking the sceptics personally, the sceptics were attacking the science. While the alarmists were busy playing the man the sceptics were focused on playing the ball and scoring goal after goal.

      This author is no different. While he and his comrades on the left are busy playing the man (or in this case the woman) the Tea Party continues its focus on the ball and will continually pick up more and more support.

      Reply

    • BTS says:

      11:23am | 29/04/10

      The Media in this country, like the US, hold these similar beliefs and values.  It’s a collective ego trip in the belief that they only contribute to the improvement of society and are the key influence in changing our world.  Sort of like Alice in Wonderland - a fantasy world, far, far away from reality.  Changes occur based on the issues.  Tax, Health, Education, Safety, Jobs - always have, always will.

    • H of SA says:

      12:27pm | 30/04/10

      Can I humbly suggest that its not just leftist but the mast majority of human beings who would back their intellect above Mrs. Palins

    • ytr says:

      10:19am | 29/04/10

      We know Palin’s no genius but we’d still prefer her to a progressive. I hope this shows the leftists how much we despise your policies and that we have no intention of leaving your ideas in place.

      Reply

    • James1 says:

      12:38pm | 29/04/10

      It does show that you would rather destroy your own country than have a marginally competent leader.  Pretty unpatriotic, if you ask me…  You know what they say, if you don’t like it, leave.

    • stephen says:

      01:52pm | 29/04/10

      Barack Obama is a progressive because he wants free health care for all Americans, and he wants a secure nuclear arsenal, and he wants to deal with Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud (from Iran), and he wants a steady but compliant Euro, and at some stage he’s gonna have to deal with his country’s gun lobby.
      Sarah Palin is a conservative, and what is she going to conserve ?
      None of the above, plus Wall street.

    • David C says:

      10:45am | 29/04/10

      And who thinks there are 57 states in the US? Surely not Obama

      Reply

    • Hamish says:

      11:01am | 29/04/10

      This article is poorly written. It appears to have no real focus except possibly plugging a book, although the author didn’t write the book so I’m not sure what the point is at all.

      Is it just so the author can demostrate his superior morality and intellect? I mean, why did the Punch publish this article?

      The problem with armchair socialists sniping at the Tea Party is that they are popular partly because pretentious commentators hate them (and middle America generally). They are also a very strong grass roots movement focused around government profligacy and excessive control. They are actually quite a broad-based movement encompassing many different groups and demographics, but hey let’s just write them off as dumb rednecks.

      People like the author will then probably have the temerity to wonder why Obama loses the next election. Must be those dumb redneck racists.

      Reply

    • Bengeck says:

      12:02pm | 29/04/10

      Americans for prosperty (sp?) a for profit Tea party movement. it’s only goal is to make money, look up who backs them. they don’t care about big goverment or anything like that it’s all about making money.

      Tax day Tea party protests got a whooping est 1000 ppl at one event in DC. the other in Texas i beleive it was got a ground breaking est500 ppl there. at both events when police where asked about crowd numbers they halfed that. and where quted as saying “we don’t count crowds who are under a 1000.”

      at the same time a free consert in the pack in DC got an est 10,000.

      So yes the tea party has a huge base…...

    • Timbo says:

      12:18pm | 29/04/10

      Why   the Republicans didn’t go with Denny Crane I will never know!

      Reply

    • Randal says:

      02:19pm | 29/04/10

      This piece if so typical of the left’s fanatical hatred of Palin, filled with hearsay and mistruth’s to lead the reader to the conclusion that Sarah Palin is nothing more than a dumb ‘red-neck’,  and then further support this view by falsely claiming that she has been shunned by mainstream America.

      The reality is Barry (as you well know - or at least should know) is that nearly 3 million American’s purchased her book “Going Rouge” which would seem to strongly suggest that she is not as ‘on the nose’ with the mainstream as you would suggest.

      Perhaps you should ask yourself a question Barry.

      How many copies of “Game Change” do you think will be sold versus the sales of Palin’s book?

      As it is in that answer that you will discover what are the actual views of ‘mainstream’ America may be towards Palin, and why she will be a leading player at the 2012 election.

      Reply

    • MB says:

      04:00pm | 29/04/10

      lets not pretend, the right wing of politics has a bankruptcy of ideas.  why they continually embrace stupidity is beyond me. 

      Palin cannot compare to Obama in terms of intelligence.  the man graduated at the top of his Harvard law class and was a professor of constitutional law.  Palin on the other hand thought africa was a country and went to 5 colleges in 6 years.  that’s why smart conservatives like David Frum are ostracized from the movement.  if you suggest joe six pack may be wrong on fiscal or foreign policy, you are a left wing commie nazi Stalinist…umm baby killer who wants to take over the world.

      Please, Obama is governing like a center right president and Kruddy is a mainstream centrist.. its just the right wing has gone so far out there everyone is a Bolshevik in comparison.

    • BTS says:

      04:29pm | 29/04/10

      All the degrees in the world, don’t bring you street smarts.

    • H of SA says:

      05:33pm | 29/04/10

      Its not like the tea party is displaying much evidence of street smarts either BTS

    • James1 says:

      09:14am | 30/04/10

      All the street smarts in the world does not bring intelligence.  Only an increased level of proficiency in glassing.  I mean, really, you might be able to avoid getting beaten up, but does that qualify you to run a country?  To cope with many sources of information, and make fast decisions on the basis of a synthesis of this information?  Ms Palin could not even give her opinions on the Bush doctrine - the basis of US foreign and defence policy for nearly a decade.

    • Ziggy says:

      05:07am | 01/05/10

      Obamas academic records have been sealed for years. So don’t assume he actually did graduate top of his class.
      When will people learn that lack of factual knowledge is easily fixed by learning but leadership capability is another thing. Palin has it in spades. All she needs is a swift education to bring her up to speed.
      Attilla the Hun was no academic but he got things done.

    • 3 legged rabbit says:

      09:30pm | 29/04/10

      To say Obama is governing on the centre right when he has brought in a health care system that offers no option other than to be forced to buy health care from private health insurance, hello!!  I am sure as a proud leftie you are happy to continue bush’s war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also the work done in the left wing media invoking race when you oppose socialist notions and ETS or carbon trading anyone?

      The Tea Party represents a renaissance of right wing thinking that is against foreign wars, high debt, illegal immigration, “too big to fail” for the banksters and generally against free trade regimes that seek to destroy the middle class.

      Can any bigots on the left refute the concerns of the Tea Party? If you want to go to the source look up Ron Paul as he is the soul of what the Tea Party is about.

      Reply

    • MB says:

      10:13am | 01/05/10

      lol, the tea party asks for lower taxes and the reduction of the deficit at the same time? they ask for the reduction of the deficit without touching defense spending or medicare, well thats 80% of federal spending lol.

      No the tea party is a bullshit scared WASP middle class movement.  they see an ‘exotic’ intellectual president, a female speaker of the house,  prominent gay and jewish house democrats in Barney frank and Anthony wiener and are scared that their hegemony on power is finally gone.  The same thought process tried to stop the civil rights act, which was actually filibustered by the same rhetoric.

      Its funny how the teabaggers are quiet about the massive government intrusion in the form of the Arizona immigration bill, where the police can ask you to prove citizenry based on their suspicions, or the fact that republicans blocked debate on financial reform, yet were willing to bash GS on the CSPAN cameras…. where is the outrage teabaggers?

      Funny how it is almost exclusively white, (apart from token asians and black folks).  they have massive credibility gap going

      The same bigots on the left brought in womens suffrage, and civil rights. the same bigots on the left have represent almost all the ethnic minorities ( all the black and 90% of the Hispanics) in congress.

      the bigots on the right tried to block civil rights and womens suffrage twhilst now taking credit for it.

    • Dean says:

      09:54pm | 29/04/10

      Whilst were bashing people who get facts wrong, it was Charles Gibson, not Couric who asks Palin about the Bush doctrine.

      PALIN 2012

      Reply

    • James1 says:

      09:51am | 30/04/10

      What if we turn our attention to bashing people who get their grammar wrong…

    • Ziggy says:

      11:42am | 30/04/10

      Gibson(not Couric) got the Bush doctrine wrong. Palin was correct in her response.
      Time magazine are convinced because they include her on their list of most influential leaders. Love her or hate her she is going to have a major say in 2012 and 2016 on who becomes President.(she won’t).

      Reply

    • James1 says:

      12:20pm | 30/04/10

      How so?  I had thought that Palin’s question in response to a question on her views on the Bush doctrine was a clear demonstration of her ignorance of US foreign policy.  Otherwise she would have immediately told Gibson what she thought of a policy which emphasised preemptive, unilateral strikes against perceived security threats in other sovereign nations.

      On Time magazine, they also made Hitler man of the year once…

 
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