[GeneV]

We have a winner. Its amazing how much the press loves her lets be serious if they knew it wouldn't get the increase in papers sold, or website hits or blog postings or television watchers do you think that she would be as significant as she is or as insignificant as the last few losing vice presidential candidates are ? Is she really any worse than any other politician out there or is it just that the media knows they will get an upswing every time they mention her that they keep her in the public eye? Would she have the pull with the right if the left didn't act like chicken little every time she spoke?

I'd agree about the media, but, yes, she really is worse than other politicians in terms of being truly out of her depth. Other politicians may make misstatements, but the thing that is missing in Sarah Palin is any demonstration of intellect, wisdom or any accomplishment or even any interest in governing that would qualify her to lead her party or be nominated for the office of VP. There is nothing to balance out the nonsense. You can take the perceived faults of a GW Bush, a Biden, a Beck or even some of the concerns about Obama put them all together into one person and cube them, and you have have Palin. She is a creation of John McCain's advisors and the media.

---

Last edited by GeneV; 02-10-2011 at 07:08 AM.

[Nesster]

[JohnInIndy]

I'd agree about the media, but, yes, she really is worse than other politicians in terms of being truly out of her depth. Other politicians may make misstatements, but the thing that is missing in Sarah Palin is any demonstration of intellect, wisdom or any accomplishment or even any interest in governing that would qualify her to lead her party or be nominated for the office of VP. There is nothing to balance out the nonsense. You can take the perceived faults of a GW Bush, a Biden, a Beck or even some of the concerns about Obama put them all together into one person and cube them, and you have have Palin. She is a creation of John McCain's advisors and the media.

You're wrong. Biden is still dumber than Palin.

[GeneV]

You're wrong. Biden is still dumber than Palin.

Thank you for that well-reasoned response.

[jogiba]

You're wrong. Biden is still dumber than Palin.

You are wrong, Palin is the dumbest person on the planet today that is thinking of running for the most important job on the planet.
"But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies." --Sarah Palin, after being asked how she would handle the current hostilities between the two Koreas, interview on Glenn Beck's radio show, Nov. 24, 2010



[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E[/YT]
Joe Biden was a United States Senator for over 30 years before being elected Vice President of the United States.

Joe Biden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[shooz]

The people that follow her around with a microphone are even dumber.


Don't worry about John. He is conflicted.

[Parallax]

You are wrong, Palin is the dumbest person on the planet today that is thinking of running for the most important job on the planet.
"But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies." --Sarah Palin, after being asked how she would handle the current hostilities between the two Koreas, interview on Glenn Beck's radio show, Nov. 24, 2010

I am by no means defending Palin here. I wish she would just fade into obscurity, but if misspeaking is proof that someone is dumb....................

Full List - Top 10 Joe Biden Gaffes - TIME

[GeneV]

I am by no means defending Palin here. I wish she would just fade into obscurity, but if misspeaking is proof that someone is dumb....................

Full List - Top 10 Joe Biden Gaffes - TIME

Again, you can go through anyone's list of sayings after decades in office and find a nice list of bloopers. The real question is what the total package is. Likewise, it wasn't primarily GWB's misstatements that made me question his intellectual suitability to be president. Actually, I don't think he was "dumb," either. His biggest fault (shared by Palin) is that he just did not have the interest in governing or the curiousity and interest in acquiring the knowledge required to lead.

[Parallax]

Again, you can go through anyone's list of sayings after decades in office and find a nice list of bloopers. The real question is what the total package is.

That was my point, exactly. Palin is completely unsuited to hold a leadership position of any kind; but the fact that she misspeaks occasionally is not an indicator of that. It only shows that she is human.

[les3547]

That was my point, exactly. Palin is completely unsuited to hold a leadership position of any kind; but the fact that she misspeaks occasionally is not an indicator of that. It only shows that she is human.

My impression is that her problem is more than "misspeaking." My take on her is that at every turn she is looking for an opportunity to attract followers, and is shamelessly unconcerned whether what she says is accurate, fair, or sincere in that effort.

I know most all politicians are willing to spin facts to their advantage. But every once in awhile someone comes along like Palin (or Joseph McCarthy) who is so self-serving, so devoid of integrity, so willing to harm the whole to benefit themselves that they become hated by observers who see what such people are up to.

It isn't about being a bit thick-headed; at least with mere thick-headedness there is still the possibility of things said being sincere (e.g., I think GW was sincere even if not so bright, and for that reason I like him personally even if I disagree with his ideas). However Palin is evilly clever and ignorant, lacking in any and all concern for anyone but herself, and perfectly willing to ruin our country with her pathetic leadership abilities for no other reason than to benefit herself.

[Jasvox]

Palin was the person less than 3 years ago who was quoted to have thought Africa was a country and now she is giving Obama criticism and foreign policy advice via her Facebook page and Youtube about Egypt. That is not a gaff, but just a clear sign of intelligence. She will be hero to some, but then again, so was Charlie Manson, James Earl Ray, and Silvio Berlusconi.

Jason

[GeneV]

My impression is that her problem is more than "misspeaking." My take on her is that at every turn she is looking for an opportunity to attract followers, and is shamelessly unconcerned whether what she says is accurate, fair, or sincere in that effort..

Yes, the problem with Palin is that she is not just misspeaking when she says the things that cause one to question her ability to lead. When she was asked which papers she reads and she says "all of them" but can't name one in a follow up, it is clear that the first answer was a lie, not just a misspeak. And she doesn't even know the names of major papers to clean the first possibly misspoken quip up. All that garbage about seeing Russia from parts of Alaska and Putin "rearing his head" over Alaska was just irrelevant and ignorant as a foreign policy credential as well as being misspoken (how does one "rear" one's head?). She was the mayor of a town of less than 10,000, then the half-term governor of a state with fewer people than my little city (which has had some losers as mayor). She brings nothing to the table that merits her fame, fortune or political statute.

[stevewig]

Yes, the problem with Palin is that she is not just misspeaking when she says the things that cause one to question her ability to lead. When she was asked which papers she reads and she says "all of them" but can't name one in a follow up, it is clear that the first answer was a lie, not just a misspeak. And she doesn't even know the names of major papers to clean the first possibly misspoken quip up. All that garbage about seeing Russia from parts of Alaska and Putin "rearing his head" over Alaska was just irrelevant and ignorant as a foreign policy credential as well as being misspoken (how does one "rear" one's head?). She was the mayor of a town of less than 10,000, then the half-term governor of a state with fewer people than my little city (which has had some losers as mayor). She brings nothing to the table that merits her fame, fortune or political statute.

Generally, Gene, I agree with your comments but I have a slightly different take on the Palin phenomenon. I believe that it results from America’s fascination with physically attractive people, in general, but women in particular.

In other words, I believe that if Palin was as “ugly as sin” she would not be going anywhere politically – and the media interest would be zero!

Now I am not saying, by any means, that ugly means failure in politics from a career perspective but when you are ugly you need to have something extra to attract the public adoration and there are many such examples of this but I will choose Winston Churchill as a politically neutral example.

So in the end, whose fault is it for the Palin syndrome?

WE THE PEOPLE – and for the same reason that “PEOPLE” magazine exists, even though the purchasers of this type of publication are the same people that blame the photographer for taking the photographs of celebrities.

Because WE THE PEOPLE love to watch and look at physically attractive people – and, apparently and incidentally, we also demand that every movie has a sexually explicit portion in it regardless of the subject matter of the movie.

If Palin ends up in a position of power it is WE THE PEOPLE who is to blame – not Sarah!

[les3547]

Generally, Gene, I agree with your comments but I have a slightly different take on the Palin phenomenon. I believe that it results from America’s fascination with physically attractive people, in general, but women in particular.

I think you are right about that, and that it's our fault for letting ourselves be swayed by mere physical attractiveness.

On the other hand, while good looking people may use it to their advantage, I've known some (in the workplace, for example) who use it, along with all other manipulative means they can employ, to unfairly acquire advantages or avoid responsibility. I remember one lady I worked with who had half of her fellow employees doing her work for her; and anyone who finally woke up to how they were being played and tried to expose her found out just how cleverly nasty she could be at back stabbing.

Palin strikes me as that sort of personality. Willing to use her relative attractiveness to appear trustworthy but wholly out for herself, and God forbid if you call her on it . . . she turns vicious faster than a shark in chum.

[GeneV]

Generally, Gene, I agree with your comments but I have a slightly different take on the Palin phenomenon. I believe that it results from America’s fascination with physically attractive people, in general, but women in particular.

In other words, I believe that if Palin was as “ugly as sin” she would not be going anywhere politically – and the media interest would be zero!

Now I am not saying, by any means, that ugly means failure in politics from a career perspective but when you are ugly you need to have something extra to attract the public adoration and there are many such examples of this but I will choose Winston Churchill as a politically neutral example.

So in the end, whose fault is it for the Palin syndrome?

WE THE PEOPLE – and for the same reason that “PEOPLE” magazine exists, even though the purchasers of this type of publication are the same people that blame the photographer for taking the photographs of celebrities.

Because WE THE PEOPLE love to watch and look at physically attractive people – and, apparently and incidentally, we also demand that every movie has a sexually explicit portion in it regardless of the subject matter of the movie.

If Palin ends up in a position of power it is WE THE PEOPLE who is to blame – not Sarah!

I agree with that too. Looks sell. Her lack of intelligence is not her main selling point, but it doesn't seem to hurt much, either.