The Palin Phenomena

[Gob]

Sarah Palin fires up Tea Party rally


By Joe Dwinell and Hillary Chabot
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - Updated 7h ago


A roaring Tea Party crowd cheered on Sarah Palin on the Boston Common today as she slammed President Obama promising it’s “nothing a good old fashioned election can’t fix.”

Palin, wearing a lipstick-red leather jacket, urged “less government” and “cut spending” and do more than “stall the spending spree we’ve been on.”

Check out reader-submitted photos from today’s Tea Party Express rally.

The common-sense hockey mom praised Bostonians for electing upstart GOP star U.S. Sen. Scott Brown as she stood in the shadow of the Democrat-controlled State House.

“Bostonians have never been afraid to stand up for their freedoms,” Palin said. “Shoot, look at what Massachusetts did in January. You shook up the U.S. Senate.”

She called for taxes to be cut so families can “keep more” of what they earn. She tossed in a call for “drill, baby drill” and to stop America from “bowing to Saudis.”
It was a speech aimed directly at the Democrats and it was the fuel that pumped up the Tea Party Express crowd.

The turnout – clearly well in the thousands – went beyond expectations, Tea Party organizers said. The crowd filled the Common to hear Palin who took the stage before 11 this morning.

Palin took to the stage to pound away at “Obamacare” and the borrowing that will tax future generations, she said.

“The first test will be at the ballot box in November,” she said, calling on Tea Partiers to get out the vote.

Almost everyone said they came today to catch a glimpse of the conservative shooting star, but she’s not the only draw.

Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee told the story of her son, Mark, who was killed2 in Iraq. She broke down in tears to remember a boy she lost to war who stood in the line of fire to save his squad.

“He did that for each and every one of you today,” she said of her son’s death. “We’ve got political insurgents in Washington, D.C. And will you have the same response my son did? ‘Roger that. Let’s go get ‘em.”’


http://news.bostonherald.com/news/polit ... position=0

Ok, can one of our American chums explain why Palin isn't a laughing stock?

Why do your press not tear her to shreds?

Why do your political leaders not have a field day at her expense?

I know she appeals to the hard of thinking, but seriously...

[Crackpot]

It's not nice to make fun of the mentally challenged.

[Sue U]

Most of us are just tired of pointing and laughing at America's Queen of the Grifters.

But there's still plenty of snark to be had:

http://wonkette.com/tag/sarah-palin

ETA: Plenty of additional stuff tagged "snowbilly." Also.

[Big RR]

She's kind of like the Wavy Gravy of the right.

[@meric@nwom@n]

Ok, can one of our American chums explain why Palin isn't a laughing stock?

Why do your press not tear her to shreds?

Why do your political leaders not have a field day at her expense?

I suppose one reason might be because she has a potential to actually be in charge one day. Not by my vote mind you, but don't dismiss the fact that a lot of people believe in her. And they are people with spending power. I don't agree with them but I also don't dare dismiss them. Never underestimate the power of the uninformed disgruntled element.

[loCAtek]

Not much potential, IMHO she was why the McCain campaign broke down.

I think she's more on the level of Rush Limbaug; a muck-stirrer that pleases the masses, but doesn't have any real purpose.

[Big RR]

I like to think that the ameircn people are too intelligent to elect her into any significant office, but then I recall the tale of W and how he at least tied Gore and Kerry (the second after they saw what harm he could really do despite his "aw shucks" atitude", and I'm not so sure. And the scary thing is that a President Palin would make me yearn for the good old days of W.

[Gob]

I must admit (you know what a cruel bastard I can be) that I'd love to see Palin do a world tour.

[BoSoxGal]

She can see Russia from her kitchen window - why bother traveling?

Only the USA matters, anyway - YOU BETCHA!

[Miles]

Palin is an idiot. She is under the false hope that the Tea Party is going to become a viable political party and run her for president. She may run again but even the republicans aren't silly enough to hitch their hopes to her. Perhaps she and McCain can switch positions and run for president and vice president with the independent party.

[Gob]

Splitting the Republican vote? That would be a good thing!!

[Crackpot]

that all depends who the Democrats are running. I don't know if you've noticed but the Democrats have a pretty solid track record of running a complete tosspot whenever they think they have an election in the bag. (and thus losing the election)

[Miles]

that all depends who the Democrats are running. I don't know if you've noticed but the Democrats have a pretty solid track record of running a complete tosspot whenever they think they have an election in the bag. (and thus losing the election)

I do think the the 'complete tosspot' in this case would be Palin.

[Crackpot]

What about Kerry and that unfortunate soul they ran for senate in Mass.?

[Gob]

[Econoline]

Nice paydays for Palin since she left office
After speaking fees, TV bucks, why try again at politics?
April 15, 2010
BY RICHARD ROEPER Sun-Times Columnist

Remember when Sarah Palin told us she was quitting as governor of Alaska because she's not a quitter, and she explained what her mission would be in the weeks and months to come?

"I'm gonna do some huntin' and some fishin' for sure, but I'm also gonna make me a boatload of dough," Palin said.

"What with the book sellin' and the public speakin' and whatnot, I'll be making way more money than any of your losers in the lamestream media!"

Oh wait. She didn't say that. What Palin said in part was:

"I choose, for my state and my family, more freedom to progress, all the way around . . . I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks . . . travel around the state, to the Lower 48 . . . and then I thought, that's what's wrong. Many accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck and 'milk it.' . . . That's not how I am wired."

Damn straight. The last thing Palin would ever do is hit the road and draw the paycheck.

Ahem.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sarah Pay-lin
Sarah Palin was earning $125,000 a year as the governor of Alaska. Had John McCain not tabbed her to be his running mate, one imagines Palin would still be governor and would be gearing up for a re-election bid in November.

Heck, if McCain had won the presidential election, Vice President Palin wouldn't be as high-profile as Rogue Superstar Palin -- and she certainly wouldn't be making anywhere near the dough she's raking in as an author, public speaker and television personality. (It's funny how Palin delights in ripping the mainstream media, even as she cashes big paychecks from . . . the mainstream media.)

Since resigning from office last summer, Palin has made more than $12 million "through television and book deals and a heavy schedule of speaking appearances worth five and six figures," according to a "conservative" estimate from ABC News.

The ABC estimate comes from publicly available records and news accounts. Based on my own analysis of those records and news accounts, conversations with TV insiders and my knowledge of the going speaking rates for a number of high-profile figures, I'd agree that the $12 million estimate is on the low side. I'd put the figure at $15 million.

A Palin aide told ABC News that Palin "is now a private citizen. As a result, her fees and earnings are private."

True enough. And you know what? This is America, land of opportunity, and if Sarah Palin can pick up $75,000 or $100,000 or more for trotting out her folksy conservative shtick to the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and various tea parties, God bless.

It's not like Democrat politicians haven't cashed in big-time after leaving office. By some estimate, Bill Clinton has made more than $40 million in speaking fees since leaving office. In 2007, the Smoking Gun obtained the standard speaking contract for Al Gore's "Environmental Multimedia Lecture," which stipulated a $100,000 fee, plus expenses for travel, accommodations, security and per diem.

Six pages of Palin's standard contract have been made public after students at Cal State Stanislaus found the documents in a Dumpster. Much fun is being made of Palin's requirement that two unopened bottles of water and "bendable straws" must be waiting on the podium, but why not? Those un-bendy straws can be tricky. With the bendable models, you're much less prone to gettin' a poke in the eye.

The jet set
Palin also requires a private aircraft that "MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger . . . for West Coast events," according to the contract. This kind of thing comes as a shock only to those who truly believe Palin was ridin' around in that big bus on the book tour and lovin' every minute of doin' the regular gal thing. (It was reported that Palin's Going Rogue bus at times was nothing more than a big shiny prop, as Palin was actually going from stop to stop on a Gulfstream 2 private jet at the cost of $4,000 an hour.)

Again: Palin is hardly the first politician to fly to a locale, get on a bus or a train, and act as is they've been riding all night just to get there. As long as she's upfront about her newfound wealth, as long as she doesn't play the "I'm gettin' my clothes at the same consignment shop in Anchorage" card too much, earn away ma'am.

Sarah Palin is a multimedia superstar. Millions of Americans want to read her book and see her speak in public and watch her on TV. Good for her.

But I wonder: Will Palin ever want to run for any office again, knowing that she'll be looking at such a drastic pay cut?

Of course, she might just be saving up those big bucks now, so she can afford to run for office later...

[Gob]

P T Barnum had it right.

[Sue U]

So, I fear, did H.L. Mencken.

[Guinevere]

I think all the intelligent people in the US (and world) no matter what their politics, just need to ignore this woman and *maybe* she'll go away. I guess not if Barnum and Mencken are correct, but one can hope.

[Gob]

Nothing makes you more interesting in politics than feeding the prejudices of the stupid.