Bush and Palin represent what is worst about American democracy and exceptionalism.

During an American election the rest of the world sweats as the Americans figure out which guy will become president. Bush and his "team" screwed up royally on 9/11 and threw thr rest of the world into chaos. Some will say 9/11 was an unavoidable security breach that couldn't have been prevented. I suggest those people reread the 9/11 comission report and specfilically concentrate on the Tennant/Bush relationship. also remember that Clinton's team CAUGHT terrorists on the US border on a Friday night. It has been established that the US Attorney-General, a woman, was coordinating efforts on the phone REAL-TIME. If I recall Bush wass trying to start a conflict with China and rice was giving a speech on missle defense. Not only was bush incpmpitent but his priorities extended to enriching the military class at the expense of national security! Breathtaking.

Sarah was an extension of this. what would they have her do if McCain died? Resign in favor of someone compitent or would they get Cheney out of mothballs? A couple of zaps with a defibulator and he should be as good as new.

Both Sarah and Bush wouldn't survive any modern Parlamentary system where all leaders are expected to answer questions day in and day out. Many parlaments broadcast speeches daily. Both Buah and Palin would never be able to survive parliamentary question time. It is a weakness of the modern American system.

The outrage by some salon readers at Joe Conason's Palin assessment is confusing.

That Palin came so close to Vice Presidency is terrifying. That smitten ideologues, with a consistent track record of bad calls, had such pull in the process is more terrifying.

Conason is merely pointing out two important points from which we need to learn; Palin is the emporer with no clothes and pseudo-intellectual conservative operatives have used up their get-out-of-jail-free cards.

Don't shoot the messenger folks.

Sorry for the offense kristinp - you shall be addressed properly from now on.

Oh, and if a comic can pretend to be a Senator, a governor wanting to be POTUS is not out of the realm of possibility.

And notwithstanding your opinion of her, it can happen. I had and continue to have a very low opinion of the current POTUS but he was elected inspite of my objections.

So he is my POTUS - and my children and 6 grandchildren are economically speaking - toast!

Thanks BO.

...because he is a senator.

He's a graduate of Harvard and is, as a person, multidimensional.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand, isn't.

Regarding your various fakeries........I'm a big advocate (and hopefully practitioner in just a couple more months) of expatriation. I just happen to know of a little spot in Europe where you can usually walk at least a couple feet without someone trying to pump your wallet while force feeding you bullshit. We have a good President now, but that's about all we have going for us here.......

V V

That's so touching that you're so concerned about who Republicans choose as the leader of their party. What's it to ya'? You're not a conservative, why do you care so much about the health of the Republican party? Oh! Because that person could potentially become our president? And by extension a disaster for your particular value system of how a government should be run? Fair enough.

(To be perfectly honest, out current "emporer"-in-chief ain't exactly a prize either. Neither was his predecessor. I don't care for either one. In equal measure.)

Don't delude yourselves. We've had some pretty disastrous Presidents in our history -- even in the last 30 years.

You people should just be honest with yourselves: Palin ups your blood pressure (and simultaneously gives half of you an erection) because she gives off the fragrance of cowhide from your television, and that makes you uncomfortable.

You're completely missing the point. That Sarah Palin got as far as she did is due to the lack of accountability in this country. Cheney & Bush & Co. have never been held to account for their crimes, the mindless media that cheered on the Iraq war have never been truly held to account for their garbage, and the people who helped choose Palin have not been held to account, except a small slice to McCain, who will never likely run for the President again.

THAT'S the point he's making, Palin is just the illustration for the point.

--Ron

LOL!

I'm watchin' le Tour every day now on Versus. Cheryl and I went over there to witness it in 2004. I didn't wanna come back.

Good description.

Graduating from Harvard is a good cred...

Have you ever pondered the difference between knowledge and wisdom? What do see as the difference?

Get the answer correct you will see the difference between Senator Franken and Governor Palin.

The losers who promoted her will promote something else stupid. I think this article could have focused more on their other mistakes than simply Sarah Palin. I, like other Salon readers, are Palined-out.

In fact, it would be really good if Salon would write some sort of expose on the various methods the Republican leaders use to try to degrade the Democratic Party message and promote the dumb ideas/people the GOP imports. Consider it a crash course to us on wingnuttery and which methods work best to offset the dumbest ideas. Who knows, a future president may be reading this site and can glean some techniques.

LOL !! He seems to have erased the past 8 years from his memory! Will someone remind him that Bush was the one who got us into this economic mess? I would but I'm laughing too hard at this obvious lack of memory. Or maybe it's intelligence? Hard to tell from here...

So you want to live overseas - very cosmopolitan of you.

Have you ever live abroad for an extended period of time?

I did - 7 years in South America and I reveled to return to the US even though Carter was POTUS.

Remember the adage: "the grass is not always greener . . ."

Good luck - will you at least be paying taxes here so you can contribute to my social security benefits?