Palin Resigns

[bascule]

it is a bit of a sorry statement on American democracy.

 

The fact someone like Palin can get elected to any public office in the first place, not to mention governor of the state or a vice presidential candidate, is a bit of a sorry statement on American democracy.

[Sisyphus]

The fact someone like Palin can get elected to any public office in the first place, not to mention governor of the state or a vice presidential candidate, is a bit of a sorry statement on American democracy.

 

It makes a bit more sense when you consider Alaska's relatively tiny population. For comparison, the whole state has about 1/30th as many people as the New York City metro area (otherwise known as The Fake America). So I tend to think of Alaska politics as more similar to something like county politics than what I am used to thinking of as the state level.

 

Of course, the American colonies in 1776 had only about 4 times the present day population of Alaska, and we were able to put together a pretty good group of leaders, so who knows.

[GutZ]

I think the question is, Was these ethical allegation based on her decisions as politician, and whether or not there is merit to allegations.

 

Also why did she not get support from her party? Why is no one speaking out on her behalf?

 

If it is true that someone is trying to bury her and she feels that her position is causing it, I would accept her resignation as possible legit solution, but it seems there is more to the story than what is being presented.

[Severian]

Are you suggesting it is not within her rights to resign the position voluntarily?

 

Of course not.

[Pangloss]

The fact someone like Palin can get elected to any public office in the first place, not to mention governor of the state or a vice presidential candidate, is a bit of a sorry statement on American democracy.

 

I know exactly how you feel.

 

[iNow]

I know exactly how you feel.

 

But, do others realize it?

 

 

Listen... No matter how much you might disagree with the policies and agenda of Obama, at least he's not a total booger eater like this moron.

[Pangloss]

And events proved me wrong about Franken, at least on the surface; he's turned out to be at least making the effort of listening to conservatives and their concerns and being respectful about it. Palin on the other hand, not so much.

[bascule]

And events proved me wrong about Franken, at least on the surface; he's turned out to be at least making the effort of listening to conservatives and their concerns and being respectful about it. Palin on the other hand, not so much.

 

He's also one of the only Democrats with a spine, actually willing to ask the tough questions.

[jackson33]

With all due respect, Palin has been making a name for herself, not listening to the opposition, unless she happens to agree with them. Honesty in rhetoric, thanks to Palin/Beck, would seem to be the motto of the day.

 

Aside from this Palin, continues to amaze me on her ability to energize both advocates and opponents of Conservatism.

 

I won't go over 20 plus years of Al Frankin comments, made as a comedian, but it is interesting to see how accepted he is here, as a political figure, yet Palin is not.....

[Phi for All]

I won't go over 20 plus years of Al Frankin comments, made as a comedian, but it is interesting to see how accepted he is here, as a political figure, yet Palin is not.....

Personally, I think Franken is more accepted as a smart individual with a great political education (Harvard cum laude, PoliSci). You can't really say that about Palin. Smart wins out on a science forum, even though many of us nerds think Sarah looks hot.

[Pangloss]

I would give some credence to that, jackson, if I thought she had an iota of political or policy savvy in her repertoire. I just don't see it. She's a figurehead at best, and rabble-rouser at worst.

[toastywombel]

With all due respect, Palin has been making a name for herself, not listening to the opposition, unless she happens to agree with them. Honesty in rhetoric, thanks to Palin/Beck, would seem to be the motto of the day.

 

Aside from this Palin, continues to amaze me on her ability to energize both advocates and opponents of Conservatism.

 

I won't go over 20 plus years of Al Frankin comments, made as a comedian, but it is interesting to see how accepted he is here, as a political figure, yet Palin is not.....

 

Jackson, you seem like a fairly intelligent individual. It amazes me that you seem to defend the platforms put forward by right wing politicians in the United States. I mean seriously? Of course I could go out and find articles and information showing about Palin is absolutely corrupt and self-serving. Of course that would not be enough. You would find articles supporting your claims and then the topic would stray from point to point, with you taking an ideological stand to the right nearly every time.

 

Furthermore, Frankin has made some comments as a comedian that may not be "politician approved", however what popular comedian has not? Frankin seems somewhat involved in our world. I have listened to Frankin on the floor, he is a rather educated man who has a sharp debating style. Palin, on the other hand, could not list a single paper or publication that she read on national television. The funny part is that Palin went to college for guess what? Journalism! Furthermore, lets get real. Palin was Governor of the second least populous state with the most federal funding per capita for one term. She has been under numerous ethics investigations and is either rather forgetful, incredibly obtuse, or a liar. This is obvious by the numerous contradictions one might see if they reviewed her career. This might be why she is not accepted as a credible political figurehead here.

 

I remember watching Chris Mathews after it was released that John Edwards had a child out of marriage. I remember one of the commentators mentioning that Edwards was not much a reader. I am not a huge fan of Chris but he said something very appropriate for the situation, and I am paraphrasing of course. He asked how people like Edwards and Palin, who both were relatively close to becoming President and big political figures, made it all the way up the political ladder without being avid readers.

 

"Aside from this Palin, continues to amaze me on her ability to energize both advocates and opponents of Conservatism."

 

I would like to comment on this statement last because it is quite possibly the most appalling. It is appalling that a political figurehead can amaze you simply by their ability to energise their base and their opposition. This statement says absolutely nothing and it reads like an atrocious Fox News talking point. I mean really one could fit almost any political figure head into that statement by replacing the subject and the political affiliation of the subject. Observe:

 

"Aside from this _______ continues to amaze me one his/her ability to energise both advocates and opponents of _________."

 

I cannot imagine the criticism you might cast on me if I tried lending credibility to Obama by saying,

"Aside from this, Obama continues to amaze me on his ability to energise both advocates and opponents of progressivism."

 

Or how about this?

"Aside from this, Hitler continues to amaze me on his ability to energise both advocates and opponents of fascism."

 

Or

"Aside from this, Lincoln continues to amaze me on his ability to energise both advocates and opponents of abolition."

 

Or

"Aside from this, Chairmen Mao continues to amaze me on his ability to energise both advocates and opponents of Communism."

 

Hopefully you are getting the point here. Nearly anyone who is either charismatic, wealthy, powerful, or in the spotlight at the right time could fit into this rather "say-nothing/sound-good" statement.

[CaptainPanic]

Just a few remarks and opinions from me... not necessarily a response to anything mentioned before:

 

1. Palin, in the Republican party, is the puppet of some other people.

2. Palin seems reckless, unpredicable... and therefore not always controllable by those other people

3. There were some mentions of the Tea Party. What if Palin and a bunch of other conservative people would simply found another party? Dump the progressive republicans, and form some ultra-conservative fundamentalist extremist party... which may actually get enough votes to be of significance?

 

I really hope this #3 will happen. Split up that republican monster into at least 2 groups. Form coalition governments.

 

It would be hilarious if Palin was the reason that the USA finally dropped the obsolete two-party system, lol.

[Severian]

J

Of course I could go out and find articles and information showing about Palin is absolutely corrupt and self-serving.

 

I challenge you to name a single politician who is not corrupt and self-serving? An honest politician is a contradiction in terms.

[bascule]

I won't go over 20 plus years of Al Frankin comments, made as a comedian, but it is interesting to see how accepted he is here, as a political figure, yet Palin is not.....

 

Possibly because thus far Franken has an excellent track record as a Senator (at least in my book) and is one of the few stand-out Democrats who actually isn't sucking right now. Also, what kind of argument is that? He was a comedian and therefore doesn't have the requisite background to be a politician? I remember this actor who got elected president... you might remember him as Ronald Reagan.

 

Palin on the other hand? She bankrupted her state then quit, after being roundly blamed for having compromized McCain's campaign. She doesn't exactly have a great track record as a politician behind her.

[Phi for All]

I remember watching Chris Mathews after it was released that John Edwards had a child out of marriage. I remember one of the commentators mentioning that Edwards was not much a reader. I am not a huge fan of Chris but he said something very appropriate for the situation, and I am paraphrasing of course. He asked how people like Edwards and Palin, who both were relatively close to becoming President and big political figures, made it all the way up the political ladder without being avid readers.

This was one of my earliest criticisms of Bush II. There were several articles early on about his demand for condensed versions of all briefings because he wasn't big on reading. We saw shortly afterward what happens when presidents don't read their daily briefings.

 

I prefer someone in the highest office who does their own reading and has the smarts to make decisions that aren't based on someone else's version of what is important. I didn't like a lot of what Clinton did while in office, but the man was extremely well-read and informed about what was going on in his administration.

 

I challenge you to name a single politician who is not corrupt and self-serving? An honest politician is a contradiction in terms.

Those terms are pretty subjective. I personally think some of the "deals" politicians are forced to make seem pretty corrupt, but many think that kind of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" deals are just the normal compromises inherent in the system. I suppose as long as a politician isn't lining their own pockets (or future status) or those of their family and friends, they shouldn't be termed corrupt.

 

Self-serving? How can you fairly apply that to anything? If a politician does anything that helps society yet also gives him a great photo opportunity, is that self-serving?

[npts2020]

I challenge you to name a single politician who is not corrupt and self-serving? An honest politician is a contradiction in terms.

 

If you are going to say that abut Mohandas Gandhi I would like to see some references of proof. Or are you going to claim he wasn't a political figure?

 

IMO Palin is simply the Republican attempt to co-opt the "tea party movement". She has already stated that she doesn't want to be part of forming another party. The biggest problem, I think, is how much media attention she gets. What other vice presidential (or presidential for that matter) has ever gotten this much coverage from a supposedly "liberal" media?

[jackson33]

toasty; While addressing all the posters, you rather well presented post #37, (though I disagree) has influenced my general reply.....

 

 

Offered as my opinions only;

 

From the 1960 US Election, I have felt the person nominated and elected to the only US Office involving all States, is basically perceived the most acceptable by the general public, based on an appearance and the message delivered at that time. That is there has been little attention paid to qualifications, other than what may sink into the electorate through media.

 

Since then, I've always favored or opposed (campaigned) candidates on their affiliations or access to those that would be and generally are more qualified than the candidate him/herself. To demonstrate this, during the 2008 primaries, I favored Ms. Clinton on electability and her access to people in her husbands administration, switching only to McCain, after the Obama electoral victory. While I never thought McCain was electable, he certainly had access to people to serve, which Obama did not, proving it over his first year.

 

Palin, is such a person, in my opinion, currently with a modest electability factor and would no doubt draw every currently inactive Conservative, into service. That said, qualified yes and for that reason. Intelligence and education are not equal in my mind or have they ever been. I have no idea how many folks I've known with College degrees, even Doctorates that showed very little intelligence, even in their own field. Frankly, Obama made too many errors in what should have been basic facts, during his campaign and is one such person. I will however hold back on Palin's intelligence, while she acclimates to the mainland political/media reality. She did very well, at the Tea Party Meeting and well on Fox News Sunday, certainly holding her own. Some of you have suggested Al Franken is more qualified, to me simply not worth a reply, as he is already well over his political head, most certainly not electable and will likely be a one term Senator.

 

 

npts quote;

IMO Palin is simply the Republican attempt to co-opt the "tea party movement". She has already stated that she doesn't want to be part of forming another party. The biggest problem, I think, is how much media attention she gets. What other vice presidential (or presidential for that matter) has ever gotten this much coverage from a supposedly "liberal" media? [/Quote]

 

Palin, is a current threat, not only to Obama, but media itself. Think about it, a female, from Alaska, who hunts (assume with a gun), five kids, yet juggles a job and has the attention of millions of people. Absolutely NO, the tea party has declared through several people, they have no intention of creating a third party. With Palin or some one like her, running as either a Democrat or a Republican, will carry the majority of its members, IMO. I've said it before, but it would not surprise me to see Hillary beat out Obama and a Clinton vs. Palin choice in 2012. It's not even a long shot...

[bascule]

I challenge you to name a single politician who is not corrupt and self-serving? An honest politician is a contradiction in terms.

 

That's usually coupled with a certain degree of political savvy, as opposed to being the political equivalent of a sideshow freak

[Pangloss]

I could go out and find articles and information showing about Palin is absolutely corrupt

 

Absolutely? That means definitive proof that cannot be refuted or explained away. Please provide this proof.

 

 

Jackson, you seem like a fairly intelligent individual. It amazes me that you seem to defend the platforms put forward by right wing politicians in the United States. I mean seriously?

 

...

 

I would like to comment on this statement last because it is quite possibly the most appalling. It is appalling that a political figurehead can amaze you simply by their ability to energise their base and their opposition. This statement says absolutely nothing and it reads like an atrocious Fox News talking point.

 

This kind of appeal to ridicule is not an acceptable argument here at SFN. It's not your place to read between the lines of someone's post and then ridicule them for it. I'm asking you to desist from such comments in the future. Thanks.

[bascule]

Palin, is a current threat, not only to Obama, but media itself. Think about it, a female, from Alaska, who hunts (assume with a gun), five kids, yet juggles a job and has the attention of millions of people.

 

Juggles her job as a part-time Fox News commentator?

 

Absolutely NO, the tea party has declared through several people, they have no intention of creating a third party. With Palin or some one like her, running as either a Democrat or a Republican, will carry the majority of its members, IMO. I've said it before, but it would not surprise me to see Hillary beat out Obama and a Clinton vs. Palin choice in 2012. It's not even a long shot...

 

*headgib*

 

That sounds about as possible as a Ron Paul / Dennis Kucinich ticket

[jackson33]

That sounds about as possible as a Ron Paul / Dennis Kucinich ticket [/Quote]

 

bascule; vs. is short for verses, opposed, not on one ticket.

 

Yes, Palin does receive a FNC paycheck, probably not much or possibly piece work, but she is rarely live in studio. Even the recent Tea Bag thing and Fox News Sunday was done, at her location.

[Sayonara]

bascule; vs. is short for verses, opposed, not on one ticket.

 

Versus.

 

Unless it's a poetry-off.

[toastywombel]

Absolutely? That means definitive proof that cannot be refuted or explained away. Please provide this proof.

 

 

 

 

This kind of appeal to ridicule is not an acceptable argument here at SFN. It's not your place to read between the lines of someone's post and then ridicule them for it. I'm asking you to desist from such comments in the future. Thanks.

 

My comment seemed quite well received by Jackson, and when I said I could go and find articles showing how Palin is absolutely corrupt, you might notice that I added that he could find articles to say just the opposite. My point was that with politics, you can find any poll or article or review on the Internet to back up your statements.

 

I feel that my post was completely acceptable.

 

Let me also note that I enjoyed reading your reply Jackson.

Edited February 9, 2010 by toastywombel

[The Bear's Key]

I challenge you to name a single politician who is not corrupt and self-serving?

Ming Campbell

Nick Clegg

Cory Booker

 

To name a few.

 

Seriously, you expect no one with real integrity ever thinks of serving fellow citizens by government office in honest fashion?

 

 

Intelligence and education are not equal in my mind or have they ever been. I have no idea how many folks I've known with College degrees, even Doctorates that showed very little intelligence, even in their own field.

I certainly agree with that, having met several people who are book-intelligent yet often respond to adversity/problem-solving with distress, in a juvenile manner, and/or with a naïve "grasp" of the important/relevant variables.

 

And Sarah Palin fits that description to a tee except maybe for the book-intelligent part