By Ted Belman
For those of you who live on Mars, last week was a big week for Sarah Palin. The following announcements were made:
-
1. Stephen Bannon has made a two hour documentary film on Palins record and VP run. It aims to set the record straight. Sort of like a Mr Smith goes to Washington type story. He says it will go off like “an atomic bomb”.
2. Starting this weekend Gov Palin is taking a month long bus tour of historic places on the eastert seaboard. Sort of like a whistle stop tour. She has decorated the bus in red, white a blue emblazonned on it with the slogons “One Nation” and “We the People”.
3. Before the tour starts she is participating in the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally in Washington involving 250,000 bikers including sarah and Todd on one of the bikes. The event is to honour veterans, a cause close to her heart.
In her most recent Facebook post below she attacks Obama’s Egypt policy.
Should we be borrowing money from China to turn around and give it to the Muslim Brotherhood?
Given that we are running massive deficits and are drowning in more than $14 trillion in debt, and despite not knowing who will rule Egypt until its election this fall, this strange strategy may be the end result given President Obama’s announcement that he is committing $2 billion to Egypt’s “new government.” It’s part of a $20 billion foreign aid package laid out with the Group of 8 countries in Europe today.
Now, given that Egypt has a history of corruption when it comes to utilizing American aid, it is doubtful that the money will really help needy Egyptian people. Couple that with the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood is organized to have a real shot at taking control of Egypt’s government, and one has to ask why we would send money (that we don’t have) into unknown Egyptian hands?
Throwing borrowed money around is not sound economic policy. And throwing borrowed money around the developing world is not sound foreign policy. Foreign assistance should go to American allies that need it and appreciate it, and for humanitarian purposes when it can truly make a difference.
Considering the Obama Administration’s continued strange strategies on the economy and foreign policy has us counting down the days to the next election. November 2012 can’t come soon enough.
Ted…you asked about Palin and my questioning her fitness for the office.
My instinct is that you may be disingenuous and really know that she is an ignoramus but I may be wrong and you might seriously think that shes the best America has to offer…so…here goes.
The worst part of that now infamous Couric interview(the one she whined and whined about)wasnt the appalling admission that she basically didnt read newspapers it was when Couric asked about HAMAS and Palin thought that they were an ally of America-this was truly astounding-off the radar for anyone seeking high office…she tried to over her ignorance by droning on about Ahmedinijad,clearly unaware that he and Hamas were soul mates,basically suggesting that America hd ti supposrt the democratically elected Hamas so as to thwart Iran.
There is too a whole raft of comments from mc cains campaign organiser,Steve Schmidt,as to her ignorance and about she had to be ‘educated’re the cold war,WW1 and WW 2 and as he famously said…’she knows nothing’.
Nicole Wallace,who was either a Bush speechwriter or aide,ha called her unintelligent and uncouth, amongst a host other derogatory comments re her abilities.
Charles Krauthammer,about six months back on the O Reilly factor said of her ‘The Katie Couric interview she originally had was not a gotcha interview. There were fairly simple questions she had trouble answering.
‘I would have hoped she’d spend the next years getting really deep into policy and becoming an expert the way a lot of other candidates have done as they mature and approach the presidency. She hasn’t.’
Krauthammer had also correctly pointed out that Obama was unqualified to be president before the 08 election but went on to suggest that a palin candidacy merely helped him and again I quote…’The vice president’s only constitutional duty of any significance is to become president at a moment’s notice. Palin is not ready. Nor is Obama. But with Palin, the case against Obama evaporates’.
George Will,former Reagan aide and current WSJ colimnist recently said….’The threshold question, not usually asked, but it’s in everyone’s mind in a presidential election. ‘Should we give this person nuclear weapons?’ And the answer [in Palin’s case], answers itself.”..he too has repeatedly questioned her capacity to be president.
David Brooks has said that she represents ‘a fatal cancer to the Republican party’
Kathleen Parker,David Frum,Ray laHood,Peggy Noonan,Karl Rove -the list is endless-too much to even scratch the surface….Republicans of every shade from moderate to neocons think shes a joke….so,I’m waiting for you to show me examples of critical analysis by her or deep intellect or original thinking and please remember that not them nor me or even liberals have ever questioned the intellect of people like Gingrich or deMint or Bachmann so you’re flogging a dead horse there….and by the way,,you do do irony…dont you ????
and finally to quote Barbara Bush on Palin….’shes a lovely lady,she loves Alaska,I hope she stays there’.
Welcome to Israpundit.
Stanley-Laura….Whether I am a ‘phony’…who can say.We all have our own subjective interpretation of sham and authentic.However on the anti Israel/agent provacateur you are both wrong and terribly judgmental and terribly unfair.I am a 50 year old Irishman living in Portugal who is by nature what you might call ‘liberal’or more likely libertarian.But I have spent my entire life in my own small way supporting Israel’s right to exist with no caveats or conditions-unreservedly.A poster her condemned the Guardian newspaper-I read it from age 17 or 18 and have not read a word of it this past decade solely because of its horrific anti Israel stance-even tho I still miss the culture review !
I have lost countless friends and colleagues over the years because of attempting to counter the immense misinformation about Israel and its right to exist.I have argued relentlessly against the cliched mouthing by the left that one can be anti Israel and not be anti Semitic….this is of course not so as much of the anti Israeli feeling is simply anti semitism by another name.
If I go to any public event in Europe and I see any pro Palestinian/anti Israeli protest or pamphleteering I am the first one(and usually the only one)to ask them why they’re not protesting outside the Russian or Chinese or Iranian embasssy,etc,etc.
Much of liberal Europe is staunchly pro Palestinian and woefully ignorant of the present facts let alone the history of Palestine,which I have spent a lifetime learning about.
I have been called a JEW lover as a derivative term by work colleagues for refusing to accept the PLO version of history and once even for breaking regulations at work re visas for a Ukranian who held and presented an Israeli passport and assisting him.I dont want a fucking medal for this and am embarrassed to even have to mention ordinary human decency as though it were some form of amazing altruism.But some of you here on this site have no real idea how deep anti Israeli feeling is in most of Europe…by both liberals and Conservatives…the holocaust itself could far more easily have happened in France and as Irish writer,James Joyce(whom as anyone who is familiar with him will be aware was not remotely anti semitic)said in 1922,we(in Ireland)…didnt persecute the Jews..we didnt let them in.
So I apologise for underestimating the intellect of Sarah and for thinking her grossly unqualified for president and although I disagree with Obama entirely re Israel…will not speak of him as though he were dirt an accept that he IS a christian and we would all do well that it was a christian nation that ELECTED Hitler but I understand well how christians dont like to take responsibility for the actions of any direct or indirect part of their doctrine or culture….but however much you wish to abuse me(feel free to)because I express a different opinion to you and because I believe the world is way too complex to follow right wing or left wing ideology wholesale and unquestioned-please do not call me in any way anti Israeli and not just because it offends me but rather because it is completely erroneous-thank you.
Stanley,
Debate is Freedom of the mind.
Think about it.
Ira.
It is quite obvious that “sideline” is an agent provocateur. Does he really think that we conservatives are such fools that we cannot recognize the democratic party stink emanating from his words. Why waste time debating him or her.
I posted the poll stats from her site not her criticisms. Since you are critical of DS, why don’t you ans, and refute her criticisms and not the messenger. I’ve been following DS for a few years and she has been shown to be right a lot more than not. Her style and in your face attacks may not be to your liking but counter her criticisms if you disagree. Rush from another POV is equally as critical of Republicans as is Levin.
You can attack Sarah Palin as much as you like, it doesn’t faze her or those who support her. She is a fighter and a leader and is a far better combination of what leadership is running the US right now. She is a woman of our time and I am convinced that this is her destiny!
57 states. There are 57 Moslem states. When Obama said there are 57 U.S. states, this slip of the tongue proves he is a Moslem.
palin may be, or not ready for the presidency. however, she has had more experience in public office than our community organizer president, she is definitely nor stupid. no one took obama to task when he spoke of 57 american states in one of his speeches, and remarks concerning islam’s role in the founding of this great country, etc. etc. which show his lack of knowledge of history, for he is definitely rewriting it. out of willfulness, or ignorance? he knows not history , economics or love of country. he mesmerized the young with the slogans of hope and change., but what do they really mean?
i don’t know who the republican candidate will be. however, for this country’s sake, and for israel’s sake. he needs to go.
How sad.
Palin is NOT going to be the next president.
Intelligent people never make to the top.
This is why I support Gingrich, He is smart (by far)enough politician, But fool enough to want this job.
I wish I could vote.
Ira.
Sidelines. There you go again. You think that it’s enough to make your case to mention Couric. It isn’t. What do you know of her record both before or after Couric. What criticism do you have on her written words or speeches since. Are you of the mind that her accomplishments both before and after are indicitive of dumbness or do you think she accomplished nothing. Come on, put some meat on the bones. Support your dim view of her. Show us at least that you know what the accomplishments are.
Well, We’ll see shortly won’t we?
I concede she has nothing to lose except a lucrative FNC contract by running but I don’t think she will. If I’m right where you going after her? You’ve put all your eggs in one basket.
So many posters here who think that conservatives have to be dumb…must be buying into palins old party trick of putting down learning just because she was too stupid to name a newspaper to Katie Couric and anyway the idea that ALL conservatives are so stupid to think that Palin is the best we could do is sad although I do understand that there are a lot of self hating conservatives out there.
On the subject of christian evangelicals and intolerance..you must be living in a bubble if you dont get that one baby.Those evangelical nuts have now made it impossible for a smart,genuine conservative like Mitch Daniels,etc to even seek the GOP nomination,with their holier than thou,moralising litmus tests as to how ‘pure’ a candidate is.Incidentally some of the users here would be much better off in a liberal party as they dont really like free speech in reality unless its mouthing off Fox news talking points with which they agree with….and as regards Palin running for the nomination…she may be well below the average intelligence of American politicians but she has the sly,self serving cuteness of a fox so you can bet with near certainty that she wont give up her gravy train to make a fool of herself debating with intelligent people like Pawlenty or Romney or Paul.
Oh…and some pesky liberal reporter might have the cheek to ask her what books she’d read recently…imagine the darn gall of them…to ask someone running for the most important job in the world,whether they’ve read a book ! Damn liberal gotcha journalism…next they’ll be wanting to know if she knows how many states there are !
Yamit, I beg to differ.
Palin more than anyone has attacked Obama on his record. She attacks him and his policies in every speech she makes. McCain wouldn’t attack Obama in ’08 and wouldn’t let her do it either.
While it is true that the media will try to shift the focus on her like they have been doing for three years, what more lies can they tell. Sooner or later they will have to deal with her policy prescriptions.
You rarely see a serious critiqueof her positions which by the way are supported by a majority of Americans.
The polls are the result of being constantly hammered without foundation or they refect the agenda of the pollsters. Until she formally declares and starts to debate, I wouldn’t worry about her numbers, which are not bad considering the hammering she has taken.
But is she electable. If the republicans think she is not they won’t nominate her. If they do, they will. Once she is nominated the GOP will stand behind her.
She will be campaigning not only against Obama but also against the Washington elites of both stripes. She will appeal to many people who want to clean house. She will not campaign as an extremist. This got her elected as Governor and will get her elected as President.
The coming election in 2012 should be about Obama and his record. Were Palin to run and be nominated the election would be about her. I really believe she is the first choice of favorites of those opponents Obama would prefer to run against.
After 2 and a half years with all of her media exposure and the polls all so negative, she should be at the bottom of the Obama opposition field. Too polarizing: Those that love her like Ted and those who hate her. Seems there aren’t too many sitting on the fence waiting to be convinced.
I don’t care what she states as policy positions, few pay much attention to them anyway. I like her personally but I also liked Bush jr. personally but never thought him qualified or worthy of being POTUS. Were palin to be nominated you could see a large group of Republicans and independents sitting 2012 out. Obama still has a lot of unspent TARP money to lavish and spread around plus what ever he can raise personally. Even if he falls short of the $1 billion he should have a formidable war chest. Can anyone really believe Big donors will support Palin, or traditional GOP major donors will flock to her?
Donors invest in who they think are winners and have a good chance at the WH. Obama will get no matter who he runs against, lots of free media coverage and from all of the MSM that coverage should be positive for Obama.
The Palin detractors keep making unsubstatiated calls on why or what Palin is doing.. As a student of her words and moves, she has been running since she resigned her governorship. The evidence keeps mounting yet various people choose to ignore it. Her supporters firmly believe she is running. Palin would not be milking them for money or time, if she were not in good faith about her potential run.
The link Yamit posted is to Debbie Shlussel. What a surpise that she would post something negative about Sarah. As to sideline, that person is a fake a phony and a fraud and not likely a supporter of Israel and simply is trying to divide true supporters of Israel.
Sidelines: Why masquerade as a supporter of Israel, or conservative causes, when in fact you are an obot-an ignoramus? Your moongod can do no wrong huh?
Insiders say she won’t run?
A Palin confidant said he is 95% certain she won’t run. Ms. Palin’s image among the broader public has dimmed in recent months, polls show.
The April Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that 25% view her favorably, while 53% view her unfavorably. Only 9% felt very positively toward her, a low in Journal polling, while 41% viewed her very negatively, a new high.
Ms. Palin still places in the top tier when GOP voters are asked their choice for president. She was second, at 15%, in a Gallup survey of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents released Thursday, trailing only Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, with 17%.
Gallup said Ms. Palin was the top choice among voters most concerned about social and moral issues, while Mr. Romney’s support was more broad-based, including a larger share of voters concerned with government spending and the economy.
Still, the confidant of Ms. Palin said she doesn’t want the negative scrutiny that would come from a run, and she doesn’t want to jeopardize the lucrative speaking, broadcasting and book-writing career that has followed her unsuccessful run for the vice presidency.
Ms. Palin is a contributor to Fox News Channel, which ended its contracts with several other Republicans when they began to campaign for the White House. “We are not changing Sarah Palin’s status,” said Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming for Fox News, on Thursday. Fox and The Wall Street Journal are owned by News Corp.
Thank you, Ted for calling Sideline an ignoramus. Had I posted that accusation, you would have deleted me.
Sideline, you said,
Please tell me how old you are, Sideline, and what relationship you have to evangelical Christians that you feel qualified to talk about their “intellectual basis”. I have moved in evangelical circles for about 40 years now, and have seen only unqualified support of Israel from them during all this time. There is no “political” reason for this, because this group is not politically unified; and I am completely at a loss as to what you mean by “internal social reasons”. “Internal” relationships among evangelical “society” are governed by Torah as expounded in the New Testament. If you want to make a point on these matters, please explain yourself.
As for Sarah Palin, Ted is quite right in saying that she is anything but an “ignoramus”. She was a very successful governor of the largest state in America, which is no small accomplishment; and she has the respect and enthusiastic support of tens of millions of Americans. I agree with Ted, that your slander against her is nothing but an “ad hominem” attack — a display of faulty logic, used by people who have no logical arguments to back up their case.
Sideline. It is you who is the ignoramus. Palin is anything but. I follow everything Palin writes and says and she has my full support for President. You can disagree with her policies and think she is not up to the job but do not make unsubstantiated attacks on Her. Don’t characterize her with ad hominen attacks. If you want to attack her on this site make sure you support you case with links.
As for the evangelicals you call “right wing religious fundamentalists” I welcome their support.. I would far rather have them in my corner than liberal Jews who want Israel to capitulate in the name of peace.
I dont agree with much of Obama’s middle east policy and even though I would always put Israel’s right to exist above all other considerations in any negotiations…it really is sad and even pathetic to see that so many people think or pretend to think that an ignorant fool like Palin could bring anything worthwhile to the tabl in support of Israel-outside of blind opportunism,that is.
And as a secular supporter of Israel,I find it alarming that so many Jewish people can possibly believe that American born -again Chistians would genuinely be on ‘their’side.
For the last number of years it has for different political and internal social reasons suited the evangelical Christians to apparently support Israel,it has little intellectual basis for doing so.
American fundamental Christians may pick Israel over crazy Muslim extremists but their interpretation of ALL of life’s problems both political and personal is much closer to fundamental Islam than it is to either secular Jewish thinking or even orthodox Judaism.
The very idea that Israel can only win their ongoing battle against Arab intolerance and fundamentalism by allying themselves with ignorant,uninformed,boorish,intolerant right wing,anti education,anti articulation American Christian nuts is risible and the exact opposite of the knowledge and wisdom and tolerance which is the bedrock of Judaic cultures immense and unparalelled contribution to the human race.
If Palin or that other fool Herman Cain criticises Obama’s recent speech re 1967 borders…does anyone really believe that either one of them would have the slightest clue as to whether it was similar or different in any way from Ohlmert’s previous blueprint ????
The last thing that the state of Israel needs as a lynchpin for its survival is right wing religious fundamentalists to fight its corner…a social group who have been at the heart of most social injustices of the past 500 years….talk about irony !!!