68 replies to this topic

[rucus7]

I have been living outside America for five years. Maybe I am out of touch. Will someone please explain America's seeming infatuation with Sarah Palin?

[lvdkeyes]

I, also, have been living in Thailand for 5 years. It beats me why anybody would be enamored with this clueless woman.

[Bob]

It beats the hell out of me, it really does. Everybody I know thinks she's a shallow bimbo and we find it difficult to understand why she has any significant popularity. On the other hand, seeing how people answer Jay Leno's "Man on the Street" questions and knowing that Rush Limbaugh is the #1 radio show in the US and that the National Enquirer is the #1 selling newspaper, maybe US citizens are a lot dumber than even I suspected.

My US home is in a small (65,000 people) rural county in Michigan and I was dumbfounded to learn years ago that several hundred people in our county were tithing 10% of their gross earnings to Jim and Tammy Bakker. My first look at those two led to what I thought was the very easy conclusion that they were simply con artists pedaling bullshit for money......but enough people in the US alone bought into that nonsense to send them hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Go figure.

I do believe, at least scientifically, in Darwin's theory of evolution; however, it doesn't seem to be working very well...hehe.

[lvdkeyes]

Some of it may be blamed on the "no child left behind" concept of education. Any dumb bell can get a high school diploma and go on to college with some money and not have a clue as what is going on around him/her.

Years ago my mother was mailing a package from Chicago to Astoria, Oregon, where my sister lived. The postal clerk told her she had to put the country on the package. My mother asked her why that was necessary since it was being mailed within the US. The clerk was astonished when my mother pointed out that Oregon was in the US.

I have had cashiers in fast food restaurants who could not make change when the register failed to work properly. An EKG technician in a hospital where I worked came to the desk and told us that we needed to notify the doctor that his patient had irregular hear rhythms. The patient had been dead for over an hour.

I know a retired teacher in the US who has a Master's degree plus hours who didn't know the word was marmalade, not PARMALADE and didn't know that the small fish in a tank were not GUFFIES.

Any need to go on?

[Beer Chang]

Bob, on 22 November 2009 - 03:06 PM, said:

It beats the hell out of me, it really does. Everybody I know thinks she's a shallow bimbo and we find it difficult to understand why she has any significant popularity.

Here's one explanation of her appeal.

http://www.nytimes.c.../22dowd.html?em

As for me I have no real objection to lightweights full of populist rage becoming Congressmen where they can do little damage. But President, gimme a break.

[rucus7]

My chief concern is that in a subliminal way she may be considered, the great white hope in response to Obama's mixed racial heritage.

[Bob]

Read the article that Beer Chang linked. Here's one quote from that article which is a bit illuminating (and puzzling at the same time):

As Judith Doctor, a 69-year-old spiritual therapist, told The Washington Post’s Jason Horowitz at Palin’s book signing in Grand Rapids, Mich., “She’s alive inside, and that radiates energy, and people who are not psychologically alive inside are fascinated by that.”

[Now, I have no clue what a "spirtual therapist" might be or why a supposedly educated newspaper reporter would quote her....but there it is, for what it's worth!]

The bottom-line for me is that Palin appears to be woefully undereducated with respect to the realities of the nation and the world and she even has trouble putting together coherent thoughts at times. I would have guessed she was a "valley girl" from California.

[WannaGo]

Dowd's right on with in referring to Palin's visceral appeal. She's charismatic and superb at projecting that "aw, shucks, I'm just a regular ol' American just like you" image that appeals to people who'd rather not have to think too hard. And she doesn't try to offer them real ideas and progressive policies, but instead parrots their own fears and insecurities back at them, which makes them feel validated. In other words, she's the perfect politician for stupid people...of which we have far too many.

[Bob]

WannaGo, on 23 November 2009 - 06:03 AM, said:

In other words, she's the perfect politician for stupid people...of which we have far too many.

Hehe. We've got way too many stupid people and stupid politicians.

[Wino]

This article points out some inconsistencies in Sarah Palin. She is trying to portray herself as a regular, average American or “hockey mom,” but is jetting around the country on the sly.

http://www.sphere.co...jet-controvers/

[lvdkeyes]

Now it appears that a quote in her book is attributed to the wrong guy. Wouldn't you think that would have been checked before going to print?

[Wino]

Everyone can make an error. Ask Al Gore.

[Wino]

I know many people do not like Sarah Palin, but this guy went too far. He threw tomatoes at Palin but missed and hit a police officer instead. He is in trouble.

Dec. 8) -- A man faces charges for allegedly throwing tomatoes during a Sarah Palin book signing at the Mall of America on Monday.

According to local channel FOX 9, Jeremy Olson, 33, allegedly threw two tomatoes from a second-story balcony, aimed at the former vice presidential candidate. The local CBS station, WCCO, said Olson hit a police officer instead.

The red, juicy projectiles missed Palin, who was in the massive Bloomington, Minn., mall to sign copies of her new book, "Going Rogue."

Olson was arrested on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct, the TV station reported.

Get the full story from FOX 9 and WCCO .

http://news.aol.com/...gning-at/807236

[Beer Chang]

Civilized society is orderly and tomato throwing should not be tolerated.

But got to admit, I would have loved to see Sarah get smacked.

[Wino]

I agree, in a civilized society everyone has a right to voice their opinion without threats of tomatoes and shoes. Although sometimes, a part of me, wishes these nuts might hit the target every once in a while.

[Wino]

I think the recent attack on Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is definitely something that should not be tolerated. The poor guy was said to be hit by a souvenir model of Milan cathedral while signing autographs. In some reported accounts, he suffered stitches, broken teeth and a broken nose. This is way over the top.

[rucus7]

Beer Chang, on 09 December 2009 - 01:07 PM, said:

Civilized society is orderly and tomato throwing should not be tolerated.

But got to admit, I would have loved to see Sarah get smacked.

I have to agree, seeing the tomato find its mark would be satisfying. The down side is she would get an out-pouring of sympathy.

[Wino]

I understand Sarah has a new job with Fox. The conservatives are going to love her.

[lvdkeyes]

Doesn't it figure that Fox would be the network that would hire her? I am glad Fox isn't on True Visions.

[Beer Chang]

In Bonfire of the Vanities aomeone chucked a half empty bottle of mayo at the mayor of New York.