Interviews with Alaska and Washington-based GOP political professionals who are familiar with the Palin operation describe the governor’s team as a gang that couldn’t shoot straight, a staff whose failure to execute basic political maneuvers too often entangles the governor in awkward and embarrassing situations that could have easily been avoided.
The state of confusion is compounded by two separate Palin spheres that don’t communicate with each other, one based in the governor’s office and another based in the D.C.-area, where Palin’s political action committee is located—and the incongruous presence of a high-profile Democratic trial lawyer among her political advisers.
The lawyer, John Coale, is a former supporter of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign who became a Palin confidante as his wife, Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, interviewed the former GOP vice presidential nominee and her family numerous times during and after the election.
Their presence around Palin has become Topic A among many of her allies as well as other Republican insiders who are mystified as to why an anti-abortion rights conservative who ran against Washington elites is now turning to a pair of capital insiders for counsel.
So exactly how many special interest groups is the Governor pandering to now?
- Supporting the killing of wolves from helicopters and gassing their pups in the den. That covers the hunters, Neo-Nazis, and helicopter pilots.
- Appointing pro-choice advocate Morgan Christen to the Alaska Supreme Court. That covers the pro-choice groups.
- But then she supports passing a bill that requires parental consent before allowing an underage girl to receive an abortion. That covers the religious right, the anti-abortionists, and the pedophiles.
- Appointing Wayne Anthony Ross the new Attorney General. That covers the gun nuts and those that are just plain......well nuts.
- Agreeing to be interviewed by Greta Van Susteren and FOX News repeatedly. That covers scientologists, fake news junkies, and the low hanging intellectual fruit.
- Fighting to keep Polar Bears off of the endangered species list. That covers oil companies and of course Stephen Colbert.
- Supporting her daughter, who is an unwed teenage mother! Well you know that kind of panders to me. Damn she is tricky!
I think what is very apparent is that Caribou Barbie is doing her level best to garner support from as many places as possible but cannot seem to figure out that when she turns one group on, she is invariably turning another off. So she keeps running around like a chicken with her head cut off making new friends, and then running back to make sure the old friends still like her, before running off to prostitute herself to a brand new group.
God it must be exhausting! And the really sad part is that it is not even working.
"Supporting her daughter, who is an unwed teenage mother! Well you know that kind of panders to me. Damn she is tricky!"
ReplyDeleteThere's not been much to laugh about this weekend, but this is just hysterical! Thanks for the laugh!
Anonymous - and proud of it!
I couldn't help but grin through the whole Politico article. That's our Sarah!
ReplyDeleteSee, that's the true purpose of Sarah's staffers - to take the blame when anything goes wrong. If she can't blame the media or bloggers, then her staff messed up. She, of course is on top of everything, with a prop Blackberry in hand.
My 2 cents: the reason her staff "makes mistakes" is because they genuinely do not know from day to day what her schedule is going to be.
She wakes up in the morning, and if the event is a photo-op, or an opportunity to look good to conservative voters in the lower 48, she will probably take action. Anything, and I mean anything else, and it is put through the Palin "do I feel like showing up?" And that answer could change from hour to hour.
(If someone on this blog is interested in extra credit, it would be interesting to count the number of aids that have assisted GINO in her rise to power. True zealot believers who are willing to take any kind of abuse, or a string of starry-eyed idealists who leave abruptly when faced with the cold reality of ruthless ambition?)
The fact that they are all a little off-kilter before they even load the guns doesn't help, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they are all a few bricks short of a load before they even fire the guns doesn't help, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteGryphen, you know I heart the immoral minority, but I gotta ask about the *pedophile* thing - I mean, that's a bit of a low blow, no? I don't see the connection. Should that be toned down a bit?
ReplyDeleteWell by keeping these children from having access to reproductive advice from medical professionals, and don't forget the law may keep the teens from even being allowed to talk to a doctor without parental consent, they protect those who are targeting these children sexually.
ReplyDeleteAnd from my experience that could be anybody from a neighbor, to family member, and even the fathers themselves.
But whoever they are they are pedophiles and scaring children away from seeking medical care for fear their parents will have to be notified keeps that kind of scum from being identified and brought to justice.
Oh and by the way Helen I appreciate your input.
ReplyDeleteI certainly have no problem with anybody who may disagree with me on something I have posted.
I agree with Bonnie. I think her staff have no direction because GINO's agenda "personal" of course, changes not only from day to day, but more likely from hour to hour. I too would love to know the admins she has gone through, and thrown under the bus, which we know is getting crowded. This is a woman that simply is out of her league, and isn't smart enough to know it.
ReplyDeleteYou see I never thought of it like that. I guess I would assume that it would be better for pedophiles if the kid could go get a quiet abortion (without consent), then the child would be more likely to keep quiet and the ped would get away with it. If a pregnancy is forced to come to term, it seems more likely the ped will be exposed, no? Anyway, it's all very twisted, and the ped connection was not obvious to me as I am a layman when dealing with these issues.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am firmly against this proposed bill in every way.
And in some instances you may be right Helen. But let me share a little personal story with you.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager I met a girl who lived on my block, but did not go to my school. Or any school for that matter.
She stayed home all day taking care of her baby "sister". Well one day she and I snuck a little kiss and decided we liked each other. Anyhow she told me in secret that even though she was only fourteen she was not a virgin and to prove it pointed to her baby "sister" and said "That's really my baby".
It turned out that she was being forced to sleep with their father and when she turned up pregnant the family simply claimed it was the mother's baby. Her mother obviously knew everything and helped cover for the father.
I will never forget that when I asked why she did not simply run away she said that she was afraid that if her father did not have her, he would turn his attention to her younger sister, who was only twelve at the time.
By the way when the father learned about our shared kiss she was no longer allowed outside and they moved away shortly thereafter.
If I would have known enough to get her to a medical professional I could have saved that whole family from that bastard.
Perhaps now you know why I have never let go of the "babygate" story.
See G, this is why I read this blog and admire what you do.
ReplyDeleteYou have this story, you carry it with you and make it a part of who you are and what you do.
I don't know if you know how special that makes you, but its pretty damn special as far as I'm concerned.
Yes, I am glad I probed - this is why. Because you have been familiar with this behavior, it is like a "no brainer" for you. But it wasn't obvious (at least to me) in your reference in the post, and I thought it could be interpreted as a "smear". By giving this much more detail, the scenario is crystal clear about when a parent definitely would not give permission for abortion, medical help etc, besides the obvious religious reasons. I'm not naive by any stretch, yet there is always something for any of us to learn, on any given day isn't there! By the same token, you can understand how others might think that this law might in some (probably very limited) instances have the positive affect of "outing" ped activity - I guess more like the hit and run type - a babysitter or relative, not a parent. Ugggh. Okay, now that we've had to go there and back, I'm thinking doing my taxes tonight won't be so bad@
ReplyDeleteThank you for clarifying your position, Gryphen. That "parental consent" bill seemed to me to have a dark, oily feel behind it. So who has final say over a girls body? Her or somebody not-her?
ReplyDeleteI too, am waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding babygate.
(P.S. Andrew Halco just put up the blog "Auto pilot", that in France of days long past, would be considered the glove direct, in GINO's face.)
Sarah's high-school-crony state administrative staff "the gang that couldn't shoot straight" and "not-ready-for-primetime players"? I wouldn't have believed it! (j/k)
ReplyDeleteReally, it gives you pause...remembering the RNC campaign staffers who felt it was in their best interests to complain only ANONYMOUSLY about Palin's unpreparedness and interference from her own staff.
And how it was HER staff that let that Montreal disk jockey/prankster telephone call go through, after the pranksters jumped through security hoops for TWO DAYS? That still makes me laugh.
I have the feeling that despite all this high-powered help, she'll STILL screw herself into the ground with all her machinations.
Sarah Palin has proved herself to be inept in every arena she enters. I have no doubt that whatever she tackles next will be a fiasco, too.
ReplyDeleteSo much for the power of her "magical thinking." (Thanks, Joe McG.)
Does that mean as progressives that we should sit back and relax? No.
But if I were a betting person, I would bet that every arena she attempts to enter now, be it Re-Election for Gov. in AK, the ill-conceived "Sarah! 2012" campaign, or co-hosting a talk show with Greta on Fox --any or all of it will become an epic fail. I think she's gotten about as far as winking will take her now, thank goodness.
Gryph,
ReplyDeleteI wrote about this from the opposite viewpoint, i.e. she's antagonizing everyone.
The strange thing is that both work. Which shows that she really doesn't know if she's coming or going.
Add the Halcro post about auto pilot and voila: it's all as clear as mud in Saraland!
Re the Parental Consent Bill, one of the many, many Palin statements that haunts me to this day, was that she believes an abortion is not warrented even in the case of rape. Can you imagine the horror and damage to a child forced to carry the baby of a rapist by a rabid Pro-Life parent?
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Gryphen - you rock!!
The fact that Sp went to 5 colleges in 5-6 years says something.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that she hired a deputy commissioner and a lobbyist. During her tenure as mayor says something.
SP now has to do everything and is not managing her time very well.
Another issue. She was in Anchorage to announce the new AG. Isn't she suppose to be in Juneau during the legislative session? The distance between the 2 cities is 568 miles. She could not fly that day due to the volcano. SO, she would have to be in Anchorage Wed. to also be there Thurs, unless she drove.
She never intended to go to the legislative meeting. It would be interested to see again how absences Sp has from Juneau during the working session of legislation.
Please let me know if I am wrong.
I do agree with Bonnie, and to be honest with you I do see Sarah showing some very bipolar tendencies and/or manic depression symptoms almost on a daily basis. My mother was bipolar, and Sarah fits the pattern. Maybe she's not fully there yet, but I wouldn't doubt it. Bipolar people can be very manipulative and actually turn shit around on you so quickly and adeptly, that they will make you think you're the crazy one.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, Sarah is paying the price for her romper room administration full of her high school buddies and inept loyalists. Even John Coale and Scientology can't help her anymore...only some lithium can.
To quote Charlie Brown: "Good Grief!" Can you IMAGINE SP trying to deal with the current economic crisis if she can't even manage an effective staff? The mind boggles.
ReplyDeleteAs wretched a GINO as SP is, I think she would make a pretty successful sports broadcaster, which is the field she wanted to enter in the first place.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should all hold a picture image of SP having fun in her ideal new life: professional sports commentator.
If Palin's Very Best Friend Greta VS, or a friend of Greta's is reading this, please see how angry and miserable Sarah is, being expected to be "transparent" and "accountable" and knowing things like "ethics", and facts and boring old policies. Can't you find poor Sarah an "in" with Faux Noise? Believe me, EVERYONE would be SO much happier!