Palin; USA's best stand up comediene?

[Gob]

SARAH Palin’s foot-in-mouth disorder has managed to shock once again.



The former US vice-presidential candidate, who famously said you could see Russia from Alaska and called North Korea an ally, has said waterboarding is like “baptism for terrorists”.

The 50-year-old was speaking at a National Rifle Association event Stand And Fight rally in Indianapolis at the weekend, when she made the controversial comment.

The former Alaskan Governor was criticising the Obama administration for instating counterterrorism policies that “coddle adversaries”.

“Come on. Enemies, who would utterly annihilate America, they who’d obviously have information on plots, to carry out Jihad. Oh, but you can’t offend them, can’t make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen,” she said.

“If I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptise terrorists.”

But it wouldn’t be the first time she has shocked the world with a gaffe or seemingly outrageous statement.

[Joe Guy]

Palin is a gift of political comedy to the world. It would be a real treat to see Dan Quayle come back and join Palin to run for president & vice president.

They are both equally qualified for either job. She is dumber than a doorknob and he IS a doorknob.

Sarah Palin...................................................Dan Quayle

[Econoline]

Christian backlash (and a petition) from the group Faithful America...among many others:

For Christians, torture is not a joke or a political punchline, but a ghastly reminder of the suffering of Jesus upon the cross. By equating it with Holy Baptism -- the act by which we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection -- Sarah Palin is blasphemously twisting our faith into a weapon of hatred and violence. No media outlet should cover her remarks without reporting on how sincere Christians of all theological and political persuasions are appalled.

[dgs49]

Gee, what can you say about a bit of commentary that begins with a preposterous, intentional lie? Sarah Palin never said what he says she said. It was actually comedian Tina Fey, who was impersonating Ms. Palin on Saturday Night Live, who uttered the line that is now widely attributed to the former Alaska governor.

With that bit of malicious nonsense in the first sentence, why would anyone read any further?

[Joe Guy]

Gee, what can you say about a bit of commentary that begins with a preposterous, intentional lie? Sarah Palin never said what he says she said. It was actually comedian Tina Fey, who was impersonating Ms. Palin on Saturday Night Live, who uttered the line that is now widely attributed to the former Alaska governor.

Tina Fey (as Sarah Palin) said she could see Alaska from her front porch. The author was correct in saying that Palin said you could see Russia from Alaska.

Watch this clip....

[Long Run]

Sarah Palin gives plenty of fodder for those who want to pay attention and skewer her; and her water-boarding statement qualifies for criticism. But as dgs pointed out and Joe you confirm, she said you can see Russia from Alaska, which is a factually correct statement. Thus, the author appears to have made a mistake in including an accurate statement along with one of Palin's gaffes (North Korea is our ally, though even Palin knows this to not be the case, which is why she corrected herself a second later; just as I will give Obama the benefit of the doubt that he knows there are not 57 states in the US). Thus in saying Palin said another dumb thing, he compares it to a factually accurate statement (you can see Russia from Alaska) and a clear misspeak, rather than using one of the things she said that was clearly inaccurate or stupid. I guess he could try to argue that saying you can see Russia from Alaska, while accurate, is a stupid thing to say since it doesn't qualify a barely experienced politician to know complicated foreign policy issues like Russia, anymore than a barely experienced politician who is the child of an African father, born in Hawaii, and lived in Singapore would be qualified to deal with such issues. However, that is not what the author did; instead of just criticizing her ridiculous statement about water-boarding, he got lazy and included two inapt examples which kind of makes him inaccurate and an easy target to criticize as well.

[Joe Guy]

Palin's statement qualifies as foot in mouth because of the question she was answering:

Charles Gibson asked - What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks does this state give you?

She always looks as though she is completely unprepared for any interview. You can tell she has practiced a few buzz words but she doesn't know how, when or where to apply them.

[Long Run]

She always looks as though she is completely unprepared for any interview. You can tell she has practiced a few buzz words but she doesn't know how, when or where to apply them.

Exactly. She shows she in not the one we want running things not by any gaffe -- which all politicians have more than a few of -- nor is it the little sound bite -- again all pols have at least a few they'd take back. Rather, it is the limited understanding she exhibits and the sometimes lost look or manner that let you know she is not that knowledgeable. I still think the author missed the mark trying to use examples common to all politicians rather than just honing in on the bad and foolish argument she made to the NRA.

[dgs49]

Palin is not a heavyweight policy wonk. Would she be any worse than what we now have in the WH? I can't even imagine how.