This is my liveblog of the 60 Minute segment. It contains my reaction to to just about everything I heard, as I was hearing it.
They just Googled her? Google? THAT is how they did research before picking Sarah Palin?
Holy crap! No wonder they did not know a damn thing about her!
It was God's plan? So he planned for Palin to virtually destroy the Republican party? Open Sarah up to worldwide ridicule? And force her to quit her post as Governor when she was just about halfway through? Gee, thanks God!
And then they had to cram 12 years of public school education, which apparently Palin ignored, into just a few weeks of candidate prep? And her own father is a school teacher? I guess even then NOBODY could tell Sarah anything.
Ooops Sarah I guess your poor interview with Katie Couric wasn't the "perky ones" fault.
Damn! Not only does Schmidt say that Sarah was a liar, he says she is STILL lying! See? I told you people!
Yep Todd was a member of the AIP, and the campaign would not allow Palin to lie about it. Well good for them!
Oooh, you know I have had some experience with this "other Sarah". THAT is the Sarah who returned to Alaska from the campaign. Broken, defeated, and overwhelmed.
And nothing has really changed. Sarah is still easily overwhelmed, she is still trying to alter reality to fit her vision, and she is still her own worst enemy.
Essentially she is the perfect person to represent the teabaggers. The teabaggers are nothing more than angry rhetoric and uneducated ideals and Sarah Palin was born to be their symbol.
Ooops there's more.
Palin picked purely on her physical appearance.
Beware the terrible VP candidate!
There are a few more over at the CBS site. I picked the ones that I thought were the most revelatory.
Anxiously waiting for crazy Facebook rant!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
God 1 - Sarah 0
ReplyDeleteYup - I watched it also , too.
ReplyDeleteI watched CBS and was so happy that they admitted that she was a liar and is still lying.
ReplyDeleteBut, Gryphen, It looks as though you and your resources are going to need to break the "babygates" story and all the other "gates". I don't think that the MSM will go into those....just my idea...But, now seems the right time to break her wide open, now that the iron is hot...just saying
Yes, the 60 Minutes interview was surprisingly good! I have a few questions for you, Gryphen. Is Meg Stapletongue in or out of the lying for the queen business? There was some indication recently that she had been thrown under the bus, but it seems that her name and mouth still keep popping up. What is the current status of the compound? Have you seen it lately? Is there any further news of the Bristol/Levi custody case?
ReplyDelete(Susie here)
ReplyDeleteWell, the 60 Minutes interview was good; they had all the best stuff in the promos this week, but there was some new material there from Steve Schmidt. He seems like a straight-shooter, just sticking with the facts and not embellishing or stretching things. I found him to be completely believable, but I'm wondering how all of Sarah Palin's fans will badmouth him this week for saying unflattering things about her.
The part that struck me the most was when he mentioned that SP didn't seem nervous when questioned about how she felt about becoming world famous as the Republican VP candidate, and she stated that she wasn't nervous because "it's God's plan" for that to happen. Absolutely astounding!
Thanks to you and the other pajama-clad bloggers for helping make at least some of the general public awars of her lack of qualifications,and for staying on the case even when the MSM weren't. I feel like I owe you all a round of bunny slippers.
ReplyDeleteAt least a few more people may NOW know a little more about her.
ReplyDeleteBut really, nothing new here...
Interesting......same strategy as Team Levi. No knockout blow---but just enough dirt to back up that she is a chronic liar, uninformed/unqualified, more than a little strange, unreliable and hint at being a little off mentally.
ReplyDeleteBut since this is on a "news" show like 60 Minutes (versus gossip shows) and attached to a book by credible journalists that might be the opening for more MSM inquiry.
An Anon person posted here on IM back in July that the Dems and Repubs both have serious dirt on her but would let her be the puppet and earn some money from book & speaking for a while, then she's gone.
But now that she is such a threat to mainstream Repubs (via stirring up the tea baggers) they may need to be more actively taking her down.
But does seem to be unfolding like the Anon poster said...stay tuned.
They were so close to McCain-Lieberman. That explains everything.
ReplyDeleteAnd "It's God's plan" LOL! I wonder what John "Agents of Intolerance" McCain thought of that?
*whispers* "So she thinks I'm God?"
I am so happy that Schmidt said the Couric interview was not a 'gotcha' interview. Most people know that but having it said on 60 Minutes and knowing it cannot be 'scrubbed' is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed that noone (I can understand why Couric didn't) brought up the Supreme Court's ruling on the Exxon Valdez spill that happened just prior to the interview.
I would have liked to have heard Schmidt's reaction to Sarah doing the wink at the end of her debate production. For the life of me, it just seemed so unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteI want to know more about the "other Sarah". I had pictured her having tantrums and yelling at people but the downcast, glazed eyes is something else. Is he hinting at drug use with all his little tidbits of information? The erratic behavior, not eating and weight loss... Also sounds like teenage behavior.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gryphen, for liveblogging the January 10, 2010 segment on "60 Minutes." I had the same reaction, "They Googled her? Really?!? They Googled for a Vice Presidential candidate! One lawyer using Google and no trip to Alaska? OMG, I enjoyed hearing that from Steve Schmidt. His comments put a different spin on Palin's claim she was billed for $50,000 of Veep vetting. Meanwhile at Casa de Palin: "Slander! Libel! Whatever...must sue...must contact attorney...must post a Facebook rebuttal...Meg pick up, pick up...note to self, kick Levi for Schmidt stabbing me in the back again...so much to do, so little time...why is God testing me, waaaaah?!"
ReplyDeleteSarah's ability to remain calm, radiant, and confident in situations where most people would be nervous is a huge part of her appeal and charisma. Think about her at the Convention; she was glowing with joy, not a sign of jitters despite being thrust onto the world stage for the first time.
ReplyDeleteOne of the signs of a sociopath is a lack of fear or nervousness. They've done brain imaging studies and discovered that even when they know an electric shock is coming, sociopaths show no fear. See, she really is "wired different." And, yeah, she's also mentally unstable.
I'm not sure why she was so breathy at her resignation speech. Most saw it as fear; I read it as anger. Who do you think was the target of that anger?
The juicy stuff didn't make it on air. If you really want to see it, go to the 60 minutes website and click on the sidebars. The have six "extra" clips all less than 2 minutes long. It confirms staffers were scared of her becoming VP, regretted their decision to choose her, etc. These guys were brutally honest.
ReplyDeleteThey found her on YouTube.
And it was all about winning. Not about the best candidates for the job. Just about winning. They chose Palin because she was photogenic; she popped on the screen.
Gryphen writes: "And nothing has really changed. Sarah is still easily overwhelmed, she is still trying to alter reality to fit her vision, and she is still her own worst enemy."
ReplyDeleteThis just brought to mind her quick departure from the Hawaiian family vacation because the photo ops weren't under her control. I can just hear her yelling, "C'mon, Piper! We're outta here!" as she drags the poor kid by the arm to the private jet.
I got a good chuckle out of this one. Posted this at Bree's, but thought I'd share here too...
ReplyDeleteSARAH PALIN IS A STINKIN QUITTER
WHO DOES NOTHING ELSE BUT LIE ON TWITTER
HER FOLKSY PERSONA IS ALL AN ACT
SHE IS AN EVIL WITCH, AS A MATTER OF FACT
SHE IS AS PHONY AS, A TWO DOLLAR BILL
HER LITTLE BEADY EYES JUST MAKE ME ILL
DONT BE FOOLED BY THE SMILE AND WINKS
SHE IS AS ARTICULATE AS, A KITCHEN SINK
SHE CANNOT READ, WRITE OR SPEAK
HER CREDIBILITY IS EXTREMELY WEAK
SHE BEGS HER FRIENDS, TO WATCH GLENN BECK
A GOOD INDICATION HER MIND IS WRECKED
A DISGRACE TO WOMEN, ACROSS THE NATION
LETS SEND THIS B**** ON A LOOOOONG VACATION!
LIKE THE GOP, SHE LOVES TO LIE AND SMEAR
SHE GETS OFF ON SPREADING, PANIC AND FEAR
AVOID HER LIKE THE PLAQUE, SHE’S A NASTY INFECTION
SHE’S ONE GOOD REASON, MCCAIN LOST THE ELECTION
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteIF everything is God's Plan, then Obama winning the election was also HIS plan. Why are you trying to dispute God's decision? Why are you doing everything to fight our POTUS? By doing so, you are going against everything that God had intended.
Why do you hate God and America so much?
Mentally unstable - Wacko
ReplyDeleteMentally limited - Stupid
As for it being "God's plan" well the only conclusion I can come up with is that God didn't want McCain and "America's Sweetheart" in the WH.
I wonder if Sarah Palin & family watched 60 Minutes tonight. Thank you and all the other Alaskan bloggers for exposing the "Real Sarah" to the rest of us in the lower 48's. Keep up your good work, she's still not out of politics yet.
The vetting-by-google process might explain why so many sites were being scrubbed, post haste! This little factoid proves that the GOP has the "goods" on the hypocrite in lipstick ~ and will more-than-likely use it if she forces their hand...
ReplyDeleteGryphen: What do you think of the speculation that the Republic Party always surrounded her with family in an effort to keep her mental status stable?
ReplyDeleteI am in the "mentally challenged" category with her. She's always been a bit off and erratic.
The idea that they vetted her from YouTube was stunning.
No the interview contained nothing new however:
The interview was an attack by Republicans on their 2008 category and it was carried out on a National News Show 60 minutes on the MSM.
sayrah honey....
ReplyDeleteSure hope you're wearin' that "thick skin" tonight!
8~}
Same reaction from me. I wondered if, when they vetted on google (it's making me wince as I type it), did they hit the full search, or just "I'm feeling lucky"?
ReplyDeleteJust got done watching 60 Minutes.
ReplyDeleteA few things struck me: (1) I think the Republican Party is letting Mrs. Palin know that they do not consider her a viable candidate for them. Period.
(2) The Republican Party is putting the Teabagger Party (as they first crowned themselves) on notice that they do not want their fringe elements in the Republican Party (and the Nation). As such, they are forcing Mrs. Palin to shut up (or be just a Republican fundraiser for them, not herself) or put up (and declare herself on the Teabagger Party slate or commit to the obvious that her PAC is just a fancy self-funding scheme).
(3) It was very obvious there was much more to this interview. I do not believe we saw the “juciest” (spelling?) parts, only what was known and speaks loud and clear. It would be even more interesting to know what was said that was not broadcast (yet).
(4) Mrs. Palin has been put on notice that there will be more to come if she continues her book tour appearance of gathering support to run as POTUS in 2012.
Since Mrs. Palin always refuses to “sit down and shut up”, or in this case learn, we can expect to see her to formally announce her candidacy and the formalization of the Teabagger Party. Willow was very clear in her “look and words” in the Walters interview that Mrs. Palin thinks she can run for POTUS.
This will also force Rupert Murdoch to either fully support Mrs. Palin or to back off and come back into the Republican folds. I cannot believe that major industries (defense, automobile, what is left of steel, and even the health) would actually support a Teabagger Party and Mrs. Palin. In the end the Teabaggers do not like elite people and once they gain power, they will not like the true rich which control these industries and the exorbitant salaries the top executives receive.
The Republican Party is trying to save itself and in the process, just may save this Nation from the extremists who are trying to form and promote the Teabagger Party.
So God was the one who slammed that door in Sarah's face.
ReplyDeleteExcellent.
Anyone who thinks Sarah was not "vetted" should read the following:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/0...
The GOP knew, and they went with her anyway.
There is so much more to this than the self-serving version dished out by Schmidt -- although his disclosures are welcome, they are far from sufficient.
Sarah Palin is a fraud and a hoax.
ReplyDeleteThese are facts. Period.
I can hardly wait for your follow-up on this! I can see the Palinbot heads exploding after seeing this interview. I'll be waiting. I think tomorrow will be the day for lots of popcorn and soda (diet, of course.)
ReplyDeleteIt is now 2010, a year of Congressional elections and rising Republican expectations. Thus, my first comment is that Schmidt's comments may have just as much to do with Schmidt as with Sarah Palin. That is to say, Schmidt is a campaign manager. Campaign managers make their living by managing winning candidates. Because SP was a bad candidate, to Schmidt in a professional sense, it could reflect on him in a way different from how it reflected on McCain. For McCain, it meant horrible judgment. For Schmidt, it could be interpreted as bad coaching. If Schmidt wants to earn good moolah coaching a winnable Republican candidate this year (or in 2012), he MUST come out and say these things now, to help clear his own reputation and convince someone to hire him. Right now, he is like the trial lawyer who just lost the big case. Whether it was a good case or not, he lost it. And lawyers sometimes win bad cases, just as campaign managers sometimes successfully manage bad candidates. Sarah was a horrible candidate but Schmidt does not want that to bar him from future employment – in 2010, 2012, and beyond. He MUST market himself, and if that must be done at Palin's expense, so be it. (And no, I am NOT even one iota a Palin fan.) Schmidt does not speak for the Republican party, which may very well see a reason for running Palin in 2012. In fact, at this point in time, Schmidt and the Republican party may well have a conflict of interests as far in terms of airing Palin's reputation.
ReplyDeleteMy second comment is that Romney must also see her fail, and get out of his way, NOW, so that he can get into the lead for 2012. Romney can not become inevitable as long as Palin is in his way.
My third comment is that I think I read that James Dobson called McCain upon learning of the Lieberman choice and basically said he would keep the base from turning out the vote unless McCain chose Palin. I think Dobson is just one of the unseen powerful players in this fiasco, along with Kristol, et al. I don't think our presidential candidates are able to act on their own, any more than our presidents can act on their own. I think they are both managed by the puppeteers who act behind the scenes. By effectively manipulating the base, Dobson has been calling the shots for the Republican party in some areas for many years now.
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI have been telling you to sit down and shut up since last November, but you keep ignoring the message. Pay attention to the slamming doors! Oh, and for My sake, put some pants on that poor baby of Bristol's, will ya?
Love, God
yeah, I was pretty shocked to hear that they were "googling" to find someone other than lieberman. that is pretty damning. schmidt will probably regret saying that.
ReplyDeleteso interesting that she wasn't a main person being considered for vp. some like to say that's why she faked her pregnancy, but I think this google nugget sez that's not the case. apparently she wasn't even on the campaign radar screen until the googling. hahhaaaaa yeah, that's how awesome you are, sarah! a last-minute second choice! LMFAO
It turned out as i expected. Why did they chose copper for the interview? I would have liked Andy roony then it would have compared to a rant on junk in the kitchen drawer.
ReplyDeletejust posted this at palingates also too:
ReplyDeleteI was pondering the timing of this, when it occurred to me - who is publishing the book? so I googled - surprise, surprise.
In ‘Game Change,’ Insight on the 2008 Campaign
is harper the same as harper collins?
I think this explains the rush for sarah's book to come out (originally supposed to be out in spring '10). she most likely would not have had a best seller if this Game Change book came out 2 months before hers. hc would have been sucking wind on that huge payout they gave sarah if they didn't do something to remedy the situation.
Anchorage Daily News posted an article about the "60 Minutes" segment, but lo and behold, no comments section was included. Just like all of the most recent Palin centered articles. Wonder why?
ReplyDeleteAlso, too Ms. Palin is a coward! She bans reporters from her speaking gigs. Not only is she a big fat liar, stupid, mentally unstable, she is a coward hiding behind her ghost-written facebook. She only goes on conservative radio talk shows and Faux News. She can't take real scrutiny from MSM...in other words she's scum.
ReplyDeleteShe is no doubt in a real sh!t-fit over 60 Minutes tonite!
ReplyDeleteI missed watching it this evening, and to be honest, I think it was better that I watched the video online instead.
When I heard that bit about the Google, my reaction was WTF!?! And I backed it up, to see if that was what he really said. Same thing with "God's Plan"--I backed it up to confirm what I thought I was hearing!
I could not have done that on the tee vee!
Waiting now, for reports of her Twitter and FB ghost-writer's response! It will definitely be an interesting week!
A co-worker of my wife, a kind and generous women, recently stated that she loves (yes, LOVES) Sarah Palin because she is a strong and principled women with the same conservative values she has. My wife and I are progressives and it is type of thinking that is scary. This 60 minute interview and the subsequent news articles will not change the thinking of people like this because they don't pay attention. I do hope that some of those who haven't paid attention, start to pay attention, and start to realize the true nature of the nightmare McCain unleashed.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Schmidt is telling the whole story. I do think that the McCain camp didn't know much about her and that is why they used google. I do think that the rebiblicans put her name in play to join the "team". If they didn't take her it would have been over. They must have had to swallow hard but they took her on board.
ReplyDeleteSchmidt speaking out now makes me think that the GOP is tired of being pushed around by their far right religious base. The ultra conservatives forced Sarah Palin on McCain. Not only did McCain lose, there were big time losses in the Congress and Senate. Even Michael Steel cannot see winning back the house. Just using the example of the extremes taking over the NY23 election ought to be a warning.
ReplyDeleteAs for Sarah saying that she was "chosen" as part of "God's plan," she seems to have missed the message when she and McCain lost. Sarah has bragged about looking for the door to open just a crack so she can push her way in. When the door was slammed in her face, how come she missed the hint?
Anony 8:01
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with all you said. Very well done.Schmidt as you said is covering his ass but the real culprit here is McCain. He put this country at risk for letting this happen and he should be held accountable
One word tells the whole tale - LOSER.
ReplyDeleteHoo Boy!
ReplyDeleteThose last two CBS clips you posted for us Gryphen really sealed her fate. Why weren't they included in the main broadcast, I wonder?
They put the country at risk knowing how mentally unstable and mentally limited Sarah Palin really is. Instead of "Country First" it was "McCain First". He'd do anything to get elected and thank God it backfired on him.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I just don't buy the google story. There's a lot of information out there indicating the religious right leaders - those with power & money - were the ones driving the selection. I think Schmidt is covering for them so he'll continue to play a role in king or queen maker. That's his profession & he's protecting it.
ReplyDeleteThat they did not include the clip saying the McShame camp wanted a way for her to step down should they be elected would have made this a HUGE story.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way Schmidt described the "other Sarah". It sounds like she's taking uppers, probably to lose weight, then crashing afterwards.
ReplyDeleteA couple of observations here.
ReplyDelete1. I had not given much thought to the fact that John McCain had FIVE MONTHS to choose a vice presidential candidate and waited until desperation set in to make a decision based on a Google search.
2. I cannot imagine why they didn't shut Palin down when she started the "pallin' around with terrorists" and they saw the shit storm she was stirring up.
3. Why they didn't insist that she NOT put her children on display at every event. No other candidates did that to the extent she did.
There is no reason to believe Schmidt is lying or exaggerating the issues about Palin, since we've all learned exactly what she is in past year.
The McCain campaign got what they deserved in having to deal with her on a daily basis. It would have been better to go with someone else who might not have helped McCain win, but they certainly would not have the the history they have to live with today.
While I am NO fan of Sarah Palin and consider her emblematic of a dominionist lunatic fringe that MUST be purged from our system, I would offer a respectful disagreement with your assessment of the "Teabaggers."
ReplyDeleteIt is this very kind of disdainful dismissal of the opposition that got the Democrats the name of "elitists," and because of it eight years of George Bush. I and many others were deeply offended by the Dem's references to "flyover country" and "red-staters." god forbid - I was one of those who voted for Bush - largely because of a feeling that the Democrats were, indeed, pseudo-intellectual elitists.
Much - most - of America is "just plain folks," and many believe, as I do, that the federal government is not only leading us down the wrong road, but that they are bleeding us to death with taxes. That wouldn't be so bad if the money was used for something beneficial, rather than military adventuring and bailing out the Wall Street fat cats.
Dismissing the "Teabaggers" is in my opinion a big mistake. They are not unwashed hicks. For the most part they are people who are just plain fed up. I'm prolly more liberal than you in some ways, Gryphen, but as I look around me, I can see why they feel as they do.
Jim
Anon at 8:01, just read "The Family" and you will know that what you wrote is only part of the story behind our politics. The religious folk have meddled in our political scene for over 100 years, sometimes more successfully than others. They are under the veneer that is American Politics.
ReplyDeleteNoteworthy comments from PM's Progressive Alaska blog.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
I agree... except for the fact that I believe that she suffers from an axis 2 psychiatric problem... she "doesn't lie" because the "truth" is what she says it is. Another telling point (IMHO) is the remarks about her "eyes glazing over", sounds very much like what happens to some severely borderline personality disordered folks... when reality crashes in on them they MUST retreat from "it" or they risk a complete, albeit, temporary psychotic break. Hence her eyes glaze over and she loses contact with her surroundings as she retreats into herself. Not really good in a supposed leader!
January 11, 2010 1:10 AM
Andree McLeod said...
With all this said, which legislator has the courage to introduce a bill to make sure Alaskans are never left abandoned again?
Reports are being made public that Palin's "head" wasn't in the right place and that she suffered some form of mental breakdown after the Couric interview. BUT, at the same time, she and others refused to consider Alaska's welfare and ignored AK Constitution Article 3, Section 9 , which states that the lite gov step in as governor in case of a governor's temporary absence.
The State of Alaska had absolutely no one at the helm to take care of its business...as emails show that higher ups were only concerned with the welfare of Palin's nantional campaign.
So, who will step up to do the right thing for Alaska during this legislative session? Anyone?
January 11, 2010 2:02 AM
@hdtracy
ReplyDeleteTwo Dollar bills are not phony: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill
Think you meant a Three Dollar Bill. Just saying.
@9:38 pm
ReplyDeleteI think you're right - Dr Dobson had earlier refused to endorse McCain (citing his affairs) and would NOT support Lieberman. It was reported during the campaign that McCain was furious that he was denied his first choice for VP, and some even suggested he picked Palin as payback. In any case, Schmidt opened with the fact that 5 days out, the response to (intentional) leaks re Lieberman was bad. Schmidt shifted some of the blame, gently, to the GOP. 5 days before the convention! The party would reject the nomination!
Anyhoo, there's some more blame to go around... Next, Schmidt specifically named Rick Davis as the one finding the 'Palin popping' interview with Charlie Rose. Again, reports during the campaign suggested that Rick was hated by many McCain staffers, and many thought his judgement / decisions were questionable. 'Suspending the campaign' to fix the economy was one. This could be the GOP gently throwing Rick Davis under the bus as the token campaign scapegoat.
Here are more details from her least favorite (so far) book:
ReplyDeleteThe gossipy new campaign book that has the political world buzzing portrays Sarah Palin not just as an ignoramus who believed Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11 but also as possibly mentally unstable.
"Game Change," the 2008 deconstruction, says the stress of vaulting onto the national stage caused Palin to have wild mood swings.
"One minute, Palin would be her perky self; the next she would fall into a strange blue funk," the authors write.
The morning of her ill-fated CBS interview with Katie Couric, Palin - "her eyes glassy and dead" - was unresponsive to attempts to prep her as she was being made up.
"As they were about to set off to meet Couric, Palin announced 'I hate this makeup' - smearing it off her face, messing up her hair, complaining she looked fat," the book relates.
Palin went on to give answers to Couric that were so incoherent the interview permanently damaged her.
Palin went into a tailspin. She stopped eating or sleeping, and drank only a half a can of diet soda a day, recounts the book written by John Heilemann of New York magazine and Mark Halperin of Time magazine.
"When her aides tried to quiz her she would routinely shut down - chin on her chest, arms folded, eyes cast to the floor, speechless and motionless, lost in what those around her described as a kind of catatonic stupor," the book says.
"If I had known everything I know now, I would not have done this," the book quotes Palin as saying.
She talked often about her baby, Trig, who spent most of the time in Alaska, and some John McCain aides thought she might be suffering postpartum depression.
When the campaign took her to Arizona to prep for the veep debate, McCain's staff made sure a doctor friend was on hand "to observe her," the book says.
Palin's spokeswoman Meg Stapleton has dismissed the book's allegations as inaccurate gossip from people who weren't there.
"The governor's descriptions of these events are found in her book, 'Going Rogue.' Her descriptions are accurate," Stapleton said in a statement Sunday night to 60 Minutes." "She was there. These reporters were not."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/01/11/2010-01-11_new_book_game_change_sarah_palin_believed_.html#ixzz0cIz05lUc
I just realized something about Sarah and vetting. You go through more of a background search to work for Taco Bell, then Sarah did for VP.
ReplyDeleteCarrie
Right after the "60 Minutes" piece, I started flipping around the channels. At the same time I was wondering about what John McCain's position might be on this, or if they would try to get a reaction from him, I came upon his and Joe Lieberman's wrinkly visages on CNN. I was stunned to see the two of them, apparently joined at the hip, being interviewed by John King, from JERUSALEM! This pissed me off on so many levels. You just know that this is his pitifully obvious attempt to "stay above the fray" (when you know the reason Schmidt was talking was because he got the OK from McC), then McCain hightails it out of there, so he can be in Jerusalem talking foreign policy (in a feeble and somewhat late attempt to look "presidential" and perhaps save his Senate race), and who's he standing there with? His first pick for a Vice Presidential running mate, and real "soul mate" Joe Lieberman! Anyone else see all the hidden messages there?
ReplyDelete1.) I am so over Sarah Palin; she means nothing to me. I am so "above" that 60 Minutes piece.
2.) Look how presidential I am, over here in Jerusalem, talking foreign policy and criticizing the President.
3.) And look...I'm back with my old girlfriend, Joe Lieberman!
Could he be any more transparent than that. He can't even speak to foreign policy issues without JL standing by his side to correct him if he goes astray!
It is amazing how truly despicable McCain is--just by seeing how desperate he is to distance himself from Sarah Palin!
Hmm so if Palin was really only picked a week before the convention, then it is pure coincidence that she announced her pregnancy the day after McCain won the nomination?
ReplyDeleteI do believe Schmidt is telling the truth and is absolutely accurate in everything he revealed. I also believe he is telling the truth for the sake of his own future and best interests. In fact, he may already be in line for a campaign management slot with a future Republican candidate, and this is how he demonstrates his usefulness. Romney, Pawlenty and others would love nothing better than to have Sarah marginalized.
ReplyDeleteMany posts indicate that this interview revealed nothing new. Actually, it was far more important than startling revelations. This was a fellow Republican with inside information about Sarah who revealed how inept she was. Steve is an inside Republican political operative. He is not the liberal media elite.
If you are at all interested in the psychology behind the Teabaggers and Sarah Palin, check out http://theauthoritarians.com. A Canadian professor wrote a book about it, and it's available for online reading. Here's what it's about:
ReplyDelete"...how traditional conservatism has nearly been destroyed by authoritarianism. It’s about how the “Religious Right” teamed up with amoral authoritarian leaders to push its un-democratic agenda onto the country."
Sister Sarah's following has baffled me for so long, and after reading a few chapters of this book I had one epiphany after another. The author not only delves into the psyche of the followers (Teabaggers, Sea of Pee'ers) but the Leaders (Queen Esther) as well. He also includes a postscript to the 2008 election which is very very interesting.
I always thought Sister Sarah faked her pregnancy with Trig as a cover-up. I am now convinced that it was done to position herself as the best choice in terms of McCain getting the support of the religious right, which he desperately needed.
The 60 Minutes interview will not change the minds of Sister Sarah's fans one iota--they will simply banish Steve Schmidt from their world and label him a traitor. Nor will anything else. They have been brainwashed and will follow her like lemmings til the day they die. She needs them because they give her the power and money she craves. They need her because she gives them a voice in this world that is so scary to them.
As long as John McCain is in public office he will never ever say anything bad about Sister Sarah because he would lose the religious right. But once he's a regular citizen, watch out...
A different perspective showing how the Republican talking heads are much better at this than we are. This morning, the news shows are hitting Reid very hard, the Obama-Biden feud, the Hillary issues, etc. They are giving a pass to how the McCain campaign 'googled' the person who could be President, how she was mentally unstable, how she was in no way, shape or form ready for the Presidency. This should scare the hell of the country but instead we are talking about Reid's stupid comments. Yeah, that liberal media sure does the job for conservatives!
ReplyDeleteYeah, McCain blatantly used Sarah Palin, but then the little mad woman is such a conniving, nasty piece of work that only with her contribution could they have together attempt this fraud.
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin is the only malfunctioning plane McCain has crashed.
God's will was done!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's been sick to death of the Republican Party. God is Great - he destroyed them. Good job God. How creative of you to pick Palin.
ReplyDeleteLivvy
My opinion on her shut-downs for prep work is that she felt that "God" would just guide her in her words and nobody needed to tell her what to say, and it was all a waste of her time to try to "learn" any useless facts since she already felt she knew enough. The disconnect between her opinion of herself (astronomically inflated) and the reality of what professionals thought of her abilities must have caused some major seizure-like activity in that mushy little brain of hers.
ReplyDeleteWhack job and diva--absolutely.
Mentally limited--oh yes.
Sarah, you can fool yourself all you want, and yep you're gettin' lots of money now for knowin' nuthin', but are you PROUD of yourself? Really?
Proud of yourself for lying about the circumstances of Trig's birth?
Proud of yourself for lyin' through your teeth about why you resigned?
Proud of yourself for pulling your children out of school repeatedly whenever it suited your needs?
Proud of yourself for sticking your littlest child in front of the cameras as a badge of your alleged superiority?
Proud of yourself for calling your "son" a derogatory term, then denying having said it? I believe Levi. I believe you said it. His word against yours? Your word has been proven to be worthless. I'm goin' with Levi.
Anon @ 5:07 AM says the Republican talking heads are diverting our eyes away from their party's total nincompoopery vis a vis Sarah Palin and John McCain ------- YES! Wasn't this to be expected? Harry Reid says negro and the political world comes to a screeching halt?
ReplyDeleteJust wait until Keith Olbermann comes on tonight to put everything into perspective... why can't he or Lawrence O'Donnell be on morning noon AND night?
SunnyJane:The let her have her kids there because they felt her family kept a lid on her insanity, she needed them as insulation.
ReplyDeleteAnd McCain DID choose someone, Lieberman. It was the religious wackos that told him NO so he had to punt and with his temper, I am sure he just said, WHATEVER, WHOEVER, the Moose Lady, I don't care.
FlynnD: I know LOTS of people who commented that Obama was light skinned and didn't talk black, and that was the ONLY kind of black man who could get elected and that was a good thing. Not racist, just being realistic. NO way we elect Michael Vick!
ReplyDeleteHer glassy eyes and head down are not, imho, indicative of mental instability but of stubborn behavior often seen in 2-y.o.'s. I can picture her doing the same with daddy-kins when she didn't get her way as a youngster.
ReplyDeleteIs Schmidt's interview a piece of political payback? Absolutely. Does she deserve it? Damn straight she does. She made her bed with untruths and great exaggerations; let her sleep in it.
What I find troubling, among other things, is how little she apparently knows about our form of government. Isn't chuckles heath a retired social studies teacher? How could his daughter not know even the basics?
On teabaggers... most are regular Americans. Very ordinary people who struggle on their to make ends meet and who are very angry about all this money - their tax dollars - being spent to help other people make ends meet or to buy yet another vacation home in West Palm Beach. The real problem with teabaggers is that so few are aware that they are being played and used by veteran anti-liberal political operatives. They are woefully unaware that they are puppets in a high-stakes political game.
Jessica Rabbit for V.P.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 7 am - no thanks; s'error palin is cartoonish enough already. We need someone real to lead us. Obama is the right guy at the right time.
ReplyDeleteLilybart:
ReplyDeleteAnd what kinda good ol' boy "white" was eastern-bred and educated George W. Bush talking? Why does Sarah Palin more and more affect that annoying fake dialect that makes her so "real" to her drooling devotees but drives most others nuts?
I heard her say, "I ain't your mama" on stage at one of those daytime rallies. She did let things slip. But she spewed venom for McCain, i.e., she read speeches someone put in a teleprompter. She announced her pregnancy the day after McCain's announcement. I think there was a plan to move the beauty queen into that position. Palin was at the convention in TX to say she wanted to be considered as VP. Didn't she stay with leaky fluid to say so? So why wasn't she vetted by the GOP then? Now, I am to believe that no one looked at her record until a few days before the RNC convention? One lone attorney on the internet? Seriously?! I think Lieberman was a decoy. Hagee endorsed McCain early on, and at first McCain was pleased but when the criticism started, McCain denounced and Hagee withdraw that endorsement.
ReplyDeleteI googled, too, and I found where she scratched $2M from the Alaskan Special Olympics' monies in 2008. That was enough for me; some advocate for children with special needs, indeed.
Thanks Gryphen!
Dsmyre: I wouldn't be surprised if Palin wasn't popping amphetamines to prop herself up. The fact that she could "crash" so easily is one indication of a person doing lots of speed and not maintaining or getting rest (Schmidt says they were doing 15-16 hr days). If she thought of herself as "fat" before the Couric interview, it also must mean she was trying to lose weight (thus, only drinking diet sodas and eating "energy" bars), and "diet pills" (i.e., amphetamines) would have probably meant she was crash-dieting.
ReplyDeleteI remember one time in the 70s (when I was much younger) when I was at a neighbor's and stupidly snorted cocaine all night with them. Got no sleep, and when I went to work the next day, started really coming down and had to leave after only 4 hrs because I was so damned depressed and sick, really. Any kind of speed can give you that kind of reaction when it's overdone. Of course, when you're on speed, you feel bulletproof, euphoric and full of "false" energy. This is its draw, and one I'm glad I didn't succumb to.
I agree with Jim (above) about the Teabaggers. They are the closest party we have to grassroots and "the people" Both parties are trying to shoot this grassroots group in the foot and I think the American people who have never rallied, are using this group as an opportunity to tell government that we absolutely have to stop the spending!
ReplyDelete@Chris 4:59 Thanks for that link!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks really good! And you can read for free :)
Thanks again.
Lilybart and other comments have the run up to Palin being picked correct. I have been commenting for many months about the run up and Dobson and Graham's involvement. In the run up to the election there was an article written about the Palin pick. I do not know the name of the magazine or web site but considering I read Time Mag every week I'm sure it was referred to in or by Time. The GOP knew that following Bush, Cheney was not going to run so they had a top ten of "up and coming" candidates. Palin was sort of on the low end of the list. Then she starts to get noticed because of the pipeline deal, taking on the corrupt politicians, etc. and all those other headlines that have now been proven false. Her mentioning of God's work all the time gets the interest of the religious clans and thus they have in the making a true conservative almighty God fearing good looking young white woman to help lead the party. Dobson mostly starts pushing her interests to anyone that will listen. There are Dobson family fishing trips to Alaska, he talks about them on his website, in which he meets Palin numerous times. When Palin first talks about her pregnency with a ds child she talks to Dobson and Gramham, again this is out there in the news cycle, not behind the scenes. McCain is moving through the primaries and Dobson does not give him any support. McCain is then choosen as the candidate and over and over again he is behind in the polls, the months roll on. Dodson and co says he will give McCain all the religious right votes (approx 1.5 mil)but he wants Palin as vp. McCain always wanted Leiberman and thinks that the poll numbers will eventually turn in his favor. They do not and McCain finally decides on Palin with very little time to check her history. McCain takes Dobson's word and then sends in lawyers, etc. to clean up some of Palin's loose ends in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteThis is also why the truth of Palin not being preg with Trigg will sink her like a rock when it is exposed. She dangled that ds pregnancy and carrying through with the birth in front of Dobson and Gramham noses like it was a diamond. They took it 100%.
I was disappointed that Schmidt didn't come right out and admit that picking Palin was the dumbest thing he ever did and that we dodged a VERY big bullet when McCain and Palin lost. As someone who still wants to be hired as a political consultant, I think he was employing a bit of CYA. After all, WHY would you ever hire the stooge that made the biggest political blunder in the history of both politics and blunders?
ReplyDeleteThey obviously picked Palin because of her photogenic good looks. They also obviously assumed that since she was elected Governor of Alaska, that she simply couldn't have any major skeletons in her closet. They didn't realize what the state of politics in Alaska really is. I've come to respect the Alaskans that I've met online on this and other blogs, but I'm sorry, MANY of your fellow Alaskans are knuckle dragging, cousin loving imbeciles. Palin should never have been elected dog catcher, let alone governor.
How much you want to bet that no candidate for POTUS of VPOTUS ever again escapes a thorough vetting?
Chris@4:59am thanks indeed for the link to the Authoritarian website.
ReplyDeleteI just posted this at Shannyn's site, but....What I find incredible, as always, is that no one has ever said to Schmidt, “what about your responsibility to the American people to have a competent, viable candidate as Vice President, which if elected, would be one heartbeat away from holding the highest political office in the world?” What the McCain campaign did was blatantly immoral, and the fact that he continues to defend his choice of Palin for the ticket is something that I continually find reprehensible.
Chris- Suggest AZ make McCain a private citizen ASAP. The minions will follow her until another charismatic leader comes along and then will flock to the new leader.
ReplyDeleteI just read this, some of the best comments here.
ReplyDeleteWhere to start:
Sarah does not always tell the truth or the whole truth: but neither do Schmidt and the Republican party.
As was said above the religious right wing forced Sarah on McCcain and the nation.
Now that the real Sarah is exposed, they don't have enough spine or honesty to admit what they did in this fiasco.
They were trying to put this woman in the Vice Presidency of the United States.
They were doing it for their own purposes.
They did it to benefit the Republican party.
Now they are busy hiding what they did.
If they are not made to take responsibility for what they did, they will do it or worse again.
S.P. is an example of what is wrong, and must be dealt with in the courts of opinion and law.
The people behind this also need the same.
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteThere's a Japanese saying, "Whether the axe falls on the mellon or the melon on the axe, it's the melon that suffers.
It doesn't matter why or who or how Palin was selected by Schmidt.
It doesn't matter if she looked like a deer in the headlights prepping for the debate, she pulled it off.
And lying? Probably. But did you here former Obama supplicant Jack Cafferty's latest rant? He pretty much said Obama said things on the campaign trail to get elected. Actually, he called Obama's campaign rhetoric "Crap".
You've got a real back problem much bigger than Palin has--or the people that support her. She's ticked off a few old farts in the party. Obama is losing the media.
He's screwed CNN and you're even beginning to hear rumblings on MSNBC.
Public approval of his health care plan is down below 40%. The economy is not rallying and internationally he's no longer the second-coming of JFK. There aren't going to be any more annointings in France, Germany, or the U.K.
Put simply, while the ballistrades of his fictional empire are burning you're more obsessed with bringing down Sarah Palin then you are trying to salvage his presidency.
When was the last post you made that was a rallying cry to get behind the man you put in office.
This is your 24-7 Palin pit stop.
It's not a search for truth any more than a public defender trying to get a rapist off is pursuing justice.
It's a witch hunt and we all know how they turn out.