TYT: Sarah Palin's Speech Meant Nothing!

[ihavenobias]

Sarah Palin's Speech Meant Nothing!
By Cenk Uygur

We go through this strange dance every four years, where we all agree to a fiction. That fiction is politics. We, the people who cover politics, know that this is all a show and yet we all implicitly agree to not let the American people in on it.

Sarah Palin is given credit for a great speech Wednesday night. But why? We all know she didn't write it. It wasn't her thoughts, her ideas or even her decision. She read the speech they gave her like a good little student. She is not the decision maker. She is an actress, that's all. And we all agree to pretend she is the person who meant the words she spoke in that speech.

This is a huge fraud we perpetrate upon the American people. It is particularly egregious in the case of Palin because we all know she had absolutely nothing to do with that speech other than to deliver it. At least we presume McCain contributed to the ideas behind his speech, even if he didn't write the specific words (at least we hope that he at least contributed the ideas, but we're not even entirely sure of that).

So, it turns out Sarah Palin reads well from a prompter and the media declared it a "grand slam." Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and Chris Wallace all proclaimed, "A star is born." Ironically, that is exactly what she is -- a star, an actress. Do we care what's behind the screen?

This is all doubly ironic because the McCain campaign have been complaining about how Obama is a "celebrity" and that giving a good speech doesn't mean you're ready to lead. But then Palin gives a good speech (which by the way was not really a good speech because it was a purely negative message that didn't relate to the lives and problems of real people at all) and, voila, she is judged ready to lead. Is anyone awake?

I was the first one to say because I saw that she had a very good camera presence in her few television appearances and she did some things as governor that could appeal to independents. So, let me be the first to warn in the other direction. Her speech meant absolutely nothing. It proves zero, zilch, nada about her. It proves she was a surprisingly undervalued sports anchor...

[doc03]

1. I was finally able to watch her speech on

youtube last night. I don't see where it was a Grand Slam or even a great speech, all it was was a bunch a one line Republican't talking points and after each line the crowd reacted as scripted. She was a Journalism major, is used to public speaking and worked as a sports reporter so she can read a script. I think you could have taken most any of our local news anchor women and they could have done just as well reading the lines. We have some local news women that look better than her too but I wouldn't want any of them to be President. I actually heard two people this morning hoping McCain dies and she becomes President. I think McCain better get a food taster and lots of protection because the Fundies may take him out if they think God wants them to.

on edit: This women is frightening, I can't imagine her as President. Does the Anti-Christ necessarily have to be a man?

[ihavenobias]

11. Funny

:)

[CherylK]

2. I agree with you!

But are most people smart enough to see through her?

:scared:

[pleah]

3. K&R Are people awake?

She may be a good actress, but she is still batshit crazy. Of course, the rethugs won't or can't see it.

[malaise]

4. Great post

K & R

[OhioChick]

5. K&R

:kick:

[bdamomma]

6. she was chosen because of her incompetencies

all the better for them, (the neo cons) to manipulate and mode her, they don't want qualified people in positions of power we should all know the dangerous game that they are playing.

[intheflow]

7. Reminds me of the Rita Hayworth quote:

“Every man I knew went to bed with Gilda... and woke up with me.”

That's the difference between the perception and the reality of movie stars, we think we know them based on the roles they play. Just like many will think they know Palin by that speech. I'm not a huge fan of TYT, but Cenk nails it with this essay.

K&R

[CherylK]

8. Bump!

:kick:

[Az_lefty]

9. she's a cheer leader with a pretty face...that's it.

[ihavenobias]

10. The funny thing is when I read that I immediately thought

.

[CherylK]

12. Bump!

:kick:

[Captiosus]

13. My mom called earlier today just to talk about Palin. Hilarity.

My mom calls me and starts the conversation:

Cap's Mom: "I just realized why I hate Palin."

Me: "Ok?"

CM: "She's the embodiment of everything I hate in a woman."

Me: "What do you mean?"

CM: "Well, she trots up on stage like she's better than male politicians when she's clearly acting just like them. She thinks everyone should give overlook the way she acts all bitchy because she's a woman and then complains when they don't. She wants special treatment because she's a 'hockey mom'. What the hell is a 'hockey mom'? Is a 'hockey mom' the the same kinds of parent who take their kids to games and then yell and scream at coaches like spoiled brats when their children don't get enough 'playing time or when the team is doing bad and they think that their kids can magically make the team do better so they berate all the other kids on the team? I got so fed up with 'baseball moms' who did that shit to you when you were a kid. You don't see me asking for consideration for anything because I was a 'Scouting mom'. Then she has the gall to tell people that women don't have reproductive rights and she's the final authority on it because she's a woman? No thanks! She's the worst person McCain could have picked and quite possibly the worst person I've seen in politics in my 65 years! Anyway, I just wanted to call you and tell you I figured out why I dislike Palin. How are you, today?"

[trthnd4jstc]

14. I disagree that her speech meant nothing.

Gov. Palin showed that she is an excellent actress, who can manipulate peoples emotions, and possesses charisma. She deftly told believable lies against Sen. Obama, that definately energized the Republican base. Her speech helped the Republican Party. It also showed us that we need to take her seriously.

Defeat McSame, and Caribou Barbie in November!

Obama/Biden for 2008!

[Jazzgirl]

16. Believable lies how?

Please explain. BTW, who cares what energizes the puke party base. They aren't going to vote for Obama anyway.

[trthnd4jstc]

18. I agree that the Rep. Base won't. I listened to her speech and read it twice.

Here is what I will give you Jazzgirl:

She said in her speech: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/sarah-palin-rnc-conventio_n_123703.html

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening."

In the above she allude that you have actual responsibilites as a mayor, but not as a "community organizer". I have known two community organizers, and both carried quite a bit of responsibility, as well as our candidate carried responsibility.

She said the above in such a manner that a non-reasoning person could have just not questioned the honesty of it.

The the other bit about the religion and guns: It is unfortunate that Sen. Obama stated that. I do believe that was unwise for him to have said, and I would admit, I personally can understand his sentiment. But, there is a half truth in Sarah Palin about this also, Sen. Obama's statement was taken out of context, as if the Pukes care.

Then she said, "As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment.< br>
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone."

We both know that this is a lie. Sen. McSame has changed his stands quite a bit, making him look like a waffle, over the last two years. In fact his changing of his stands on some issues took what respect that I had for him away.

Finally, for this post, she stated, "But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.

I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network."

The above sentance, "But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart." is funny as hell, and a complete lie. In fact if you count it, 3 lies. Republicans, for the most part, do not govern with integrity, good will, and a servant's heart. I will give them the clear convictions. A sevant's heart is funny as hell, especially after BuchCo's Oligarchic Regime.

Then, in the next paragraph she had stated that she, "I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network." I think this are most incredible of her lies. She abused her office as Govenor of Alaska, and as Mayor of Wasilla. She worked special interests, worked with lobbyists, and worked with big oil companies.

She said the above lies, and I am certain even more, in that speech of hers. She spoke these lies with conviction. And for the people who do not use their minds to deconstruct other's statements, when a lie is spoken as the truth, it becomes believable. And that believablity is not just with her base Jazzgirl, that believablility was with some independents.

I support Obama for President. I wish for him to win. I hope that my fellow DU'ers understand this.

[VOX]

17. Yes. She shouldn't be taken lightly; she's being paraded to alter the packaging of the RW message.

The GOP ops -- Rove, etc., know that the aging white-man business has played out its string. Sara Palin is the new face of the right wing -- a little younger, more charismatic, a bit more charming and engaging, and so on. But even with its bright new packaging, the content is the same old RW crap: "liberal media," guns are good, "abortion" is bad (God knows they'll never call it "a woman's right to choose"), gay is bad, torture is okay, and all the rest of the miserable stations of the right-wing cross.

She may be winsome to some (particularly those who don't follow this stuff so closely), but I find her repellent -- all the God-and-guns business; her allowing and encouraging some complete fabrications regarding her past; and being an all-out, rampant careerist, now matter how many corpses she leaves in her wake.

And no, I am *not* criticizing women here; rather, I've got a low-level, long-term anger with how the GOP manipulates thought with its window dressing of minorities and women.

[Jacobin]

15. The pretend democracy in this country is much more visible every 4 years

As you correctly pointed out, it is simply kabuki theatre, a Potemkin village. There is plenty of that to go around with both parties. Republican conventions just don't try to hide it as much as their constituents (those who vote, not those who rule) tend to be not very bright

[Seldona]

19. Kicked.

Outside the redmeat for the base, there was NOTHING in her speech. Considering the redmeat is bs, that makes her entire speach hollow as a old tree.