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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Yep, Joan, you're right. The Lieberman decision is an abomination. It's also politics by way of Machiavelli. Joe's new role as the “Democratic Caucus Punk” will be way more valuable to Team Majority than the pissed-off, spiteful contrarian that we all know Joey would be had it not turned out his way. Hard to swallow in the short run, good for us all in a clinch. And his new leash and collar are awfully becoming, don't you think?
The Democrats should never have allowed and encouraged Lamont in 2006. That idiocy was the original sin. Naturally an angry Lieberman wanted revenge and called the party's bluff. It would have been idiotic to discard a powerful and safe Senate seat and feed the GOP; at the same time, the "pardon" is embarrassing. This is what happens when you take a shot at a king and miss. I think the party made the right decision.
Why do I like Sarah Palin so much?
First, I've written before about Rocky. Recall the scene early in the movie where Rocky is at a low life bar, Apollo Creed comes on the TV screen, and the bartender disparages Creed. Rocky takes offense. Apollo Creed "took his shot," Rocky explains, and became heavyweight champion of the world.
So it was with Sarah. She took her shot and became governor. And then VP nominee. I might or might not be able to beat her at a game of trivial dispute, but despite making a nice living at what I do and having taken a few entrepeneurial chances in life, I have never done anything like her. I honor what she's done. Everyone else in her party, including her rival governors, should too.
In terms of intelligence, and grit, let me say this. I have been in a local speaking club, and can tell you that if you take people off the street, probably not more than one in ten is capable of speaking in a small group of people and doing so articulately. Maybe one in a hundred could do so in a sports stadium, or conduct a debate with a three-decade senator in front of 70 million people, and pull it off. So, when you combine that with Palin's executive experience, she's in the top 1 percentile off the bat, in terms of political talent. People need to remember that when they say she's stupid or ignorant. What they're really saying is: I'm on the high end of that 1%, and she's on the low end. And of course, when they're saying it, most of those critics have never stood up in front of 70 million people and debated a thirty year senator themselves, or governed a state; they're just imagining they could do so.
As far as incitement and so forth, again, I just have to say, I went to one of her rallies in Indiana. The crowd was there to see Sarah Palin, not the Republican candidate and not Barack Obama's opponent. The speech could have been given by Rutherford B. Hayes or Benjamin H. Harrison: keep the government small, taxes low, and allow the country to thrive. As far as "willful" ignorance, the reports I read said that Palin, as a state official, worked her heart out with briefing books and note pads to get up to speed on everything she could on federal and international affairs, all while tending to an infant child and dazzling crowds like the one I saw on the road. In 60 days, she gave it all she had. I know liberals are sore over the Obama community organizing criticisms at the RNC speech, but as I've written before, his campaign manager started the fight by disparaging her work as small town mayor. And, I suppose, if you thought she seemed smug or cocky in criticizing Obama, I'll grant you that one. Put that one quibble aside, and look at everything else about her. It's grace, charm, intelligence, grit, and talent all the way.
The crowd I saw loved her for the same reasons I do. If she came back to Indiana tomorrow, for a charity fund raiser or some similar event unrelated to politics, most of those same 12,000-plus people would be there and would give her the same ovation. Her favorite movie is Hoosiers; she's a small town basketball champion thrust on the national stage with middle American virtues, values, and real life experiences; she's got spirit, drive, smarts, and charm in spades. She's just an all around admirable person.
Aren't you glad you asked?
You can have your new president and whatever might transpire under his leadership. I'll even make a deal. If there is no new major effort to bash and destroy Sarah Palin's reputation, I will go away for awhile and focus on other things. But I'll keep my password in case I need it.
This article
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/us/politics/19clinton.html?_r=1
indicates that Hillary Clinton may be actually torn about Sec. of State. It is has a source (one of Clinton's advisors) emailing The Times about her own process in this thing. Could it be she will turn it down?
It is rather mind-boggling that someone wouldn't want such an appointment, but I'll bet you anything that if she takes it that it won't be contingent upon Obama's extracting from her a promise that she will not run in 2012.
(Also, Bill Clinton was paid over $400,000 for a single speaking engagement.)
Also the article mentions her campaign debt. I have seen mention of this several places, so I am almost certain that it remains an issue.
I hope she that -- if the decision is really hers to make at this point -- that she chooses to do the job that she feels most enthusiastic about. Only she really knows of Sec. of State would actually suit her. No one can say that she hasn't been close enough to the exercise of power at this level to make an informed decision.
She should NOT let Bill make it for her.
At this point though, I take most of what I read about this with a grain of salt.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
