Thatcher and Palin: The Iron Lady Meets the Pitbull in Lipstick

[Better Believe It]

Thatcher and Palin
The Iron Lady Meets the Pitbull in Lipstick
By LAURA FLANDERS
June 16, 2010


It's a political cartoonist's dream: Sarah Palin is reportedly planning a trip to England to meet her political idol, Margaret Thatcher. The Iron Lady, Britain's first female prime minister, the infamous union-buster of the 80s meets the Pitbull in Lipstick.

Thatcher is now 84 and out of public life, yet her reputation still looms larger than life over not just British but world politics, and meeting her may help Palin burnish some Serious Politician credentials as she stretches for that Reaganite mantle that's still political gold among Republican voters. Thatcher, after all, had what they call a very special relationship with Reagan, bonded by their mutual love of privatization.

Palin's attempts at credibility-by-osmosis may be enough for a section of the base, but they won't help her win over anyone in the middle. Thatcher didn't trade on her femininity or any folksy accent, personal drama, or $150,000 wardrobe. She didn't need an army of consultants. Instead, she sold her politics. Palin, on the other hand, is the woman who famously couldn't name a newspaper she reads.

It's a grim day when feminists are comparing Thatcher favorably to another female politician. Yet when I picture Thatcher and Palin's meeting, I can't help but imagine Thatcher rolling her eyes and saying "You've got to be kidding me."

http://www.counterpunch.org/flanders06162010.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I can't get over Palin's delusion of being a world leader who visits former world leaders.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Blockhead meet Fathead.

[Dr.Phool]

33. Iron Lady Meets Iron Head.

[JuniperLea]

3. Why would Thatcher bother?

It will be interesting to see if this meeting actually transpires.

[Captain Hilts]

4. If in her senses, Thatcher wouldn't get within ten feet of Palin. nt

[JuniperLea]

5. That's what I'm thinking too...

I hope the old girl is up to a sturdy "oh hell no" because that's the best response. Palin is so ridiculously full of herself.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Thatcher is a lot of things, but 'stupid' isn't one of them, if she's got enough marbles.

Next thing you know, she'll be chasing after Liz Windsor, who DOES have all her marbles and must loathe Palin as much as you and I do.

QEII: No way I'll get near that idiot.

[DeschutesRiver]

10. Thatcher has alzheimer's/demetia. Recently, she thought her dh Dennis was still alive.

So right now, no, she doesn't have many marbles.

Since Maggie's mind is no longer fully functioning in the present, I doubt she really knows who Sarah Palin is. So I am wondering what the real motivation is of those who set up this meeting between a grifter and a drifter.

[CTyankee]

26. Like everything Palin does, it is a cynical publicity stunt.

Thatcher is gaga. I can think of no reason her family would allow Palin to exploit an old woman who has Alzeimer's. My mother had dementia in her final two years and I protected her fiercely. No one could go and visit her in her assisted living facility without my permission...

[DeschutesRiver]

28. So why would her family allow a visit with Palin? I can't figure it out.

I agree - if this was my parent with this condition, or anyone I loved and was charged with caring for, I would protect them at all costs. I sure wouldn't allow some cheesecake like Palin to use my mother as a stunt vehicle, but that is exactly what is happening.

I remember there was some sort of controversy with her son, but can't recall exactly what right now. I am wondering if Sarah Palin bought her ticket to see Thatcher with some of those big bucks she's suckered others into paying her for idiotic speeches. Someone who is in charge of deciding such things for Thatcher agreed to this meeting. Who, and why? Bet there is some interesting story behind it on that non-Palin side of the fence.

[CTyankee]

29. Charging money to have your mother interviewed when she is not competent?

Her kids must be hideous people to do this, if that is true!

I am just disgusted...

[DeschutesRiver]

30. Just to be clear, I don't know that they are charging admission.

Just throwing out the only thing that makes sense to me, even though it is evil.

I googled this a bit - Thatcher is 84, in very fragile health, and per her daughter Carol has had dementia for 8 years now. Her son Mark was a mess - was convicted and fined for helping to stage a coup in another country, has had failed businesses for years, lived with his mother because he couldn't support himself and his former classmates thought he was thick headed. I am wondering if he has anything to do with this ridiculous meeting.

Found on article that said "British pundits are having trouble seeing much common ground. "Thatcher did not suffer fools gladly," says Ed Pilkington in The Guardian, whereas "Palin has struggled not to play the fool."

The article also said "What might they talk about? Not much, given the 84-year-old Thatcher is known to suffer from dementia, "to the extent that she now believes herself to be living again in Grantham, where she grew up as a grocer's daughter," says David Cairns at the First Post. A meeting with Thatcher is more likely to yield an opportunity for photographs than substantive discussion."

http://theweek.com/article/index/204055/sarah-palins-quest-to-bond-with-margaret-thatcher?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

If Thatcher were not suffering from dementia, it sounds like Palin would regret meeting her, because she is the ultimate fool on issues, and Thatcher would let her have it. As it is, Palin is just using this woman as a photo-op - a woman who in her undemented days wouldn't have given this fool the time of day. It is really sad.

[CTyankee]

32. That is so sad. But even if no money were exchanged it would still be a pretty

awful thing to do, letting your sick old mother be used by that cynical viper Palin. Somebody should protect her dignity...

[DeschutesRiver]

37. I agree. nt

[Dr.Phool]

34. Maybe she thought she was the Queen.

Or Pinochet.

[DeschutesRiver]

36. lol. With Palin, you never know. nt

[JuniperLea]

12. I love Liz!

I can't help myself. She's like a Jersey cow... born and raised for one thing, and one thing only... she had no choice, but she does it with grace. She and Palin shouldn't occupy the same city... hell, the same continent! :rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

22. Liz Windsor's welfare/work program is pretty arduous. She's done it well.

Funny, the three of the most famous British women - Liz Windsor, J.K. Rowling and Susan Boyle have all been on the dole.

I don't think Helen Mirren and Judi Dench have been, but I might be wrong.

But, imagine, Liz Windsor has been sleeping next to a bright red phone and getting daily briefings since, what? 1953????

She actually wasn't bred for it as he dad wasn't supposed to be king. It landed on her when she was about 11 or 12.

[Mike Daniels]

6. The reality is if Palin had looked like Thatcher she wouldn't have even been considered as a VP pick

And that should be obvious to anyone who has three brain cells to rub together.

[truebrit71]

7. As I said the day McLame thrust that wolf-killing *itch onto the scene..

..I've seen that face before..like Thatcher, she has the friendly-face of fascism..

I despise them both..one for what she did to my homeland, and the other for wanting to do the same thing to my new homeland..

[Dawson Leery]

9. Reagan was American's equivalent of Thatcher.

Believe it or not, Palin is must worse than either.

[truebrit71]

15. Yup. Because she is stupid. Reagan was senile and Thatcher was just evil..

..

[FionaMcG]

11. What would palin possibly want to talk to Thatcher about? What does she

want to do? Brush each others hair and chat about shopping and the weather?

I think it's a safe bet that Thatcher will be very busy that day.... or any other day that palin figures out how to use her passport. I cannot imagine that an icon such as Thatcher even knows who palin is.

[Javaman]

13. Thatcher also has Alzheimers.

I would love to be a fly on that wall.

Besides, reps for thatcher have already come out and said that they never agreed to such a meeting.

it's more of failin quitters wild ass imagination.

remember, it's not about facts with quitter, it's about message. Even when that message is scatter brained crazy ass wrong.

[mitchum]

14. When one takes Thatcher's own dementia into consideration, this is a true meeting of the minds

[truebrit71]

17. ROFL!!

:evilgrin:

[CTyankee]

27. Let's not be unkind. Alzheimer's is punishment enough, IMO.

I didn't like her either when she was PM and I held her accountable. But she's old and sick in the head so we must have some pity for her. Besides, it's bad karma...

[asjr]

16. I thought Maggie had met up with Ronnie

in the hereafter ages ago.

[truebrit71]

19. Sadly no...David Camerwrong the new PM had her over for tea at No. 10 the other day..

...I threw up a little bit in my mouth when I heard about that..

[asjr]

20. Did they have have to lace her tea

with something?

[Catshrink]

18. Has Thatcher or her family if she's non copus mentus, agreed to this?

[HipChick]

31. reeks of a hoax

http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/06/thatcher-and-palin-out-of-frame-out-of-bounds.html

[jennijohnson]

21. Maggie Thatcher is an Oxford Graduate who read Chemistry..

I loathe the woman but she has nothing in common with Sarah Palin. She didn't rate other women in politics either.

[Hubert Flottz]

23. Now that the former PM's mind is failing I suppose she's getting

closer to Sarah's low level of smarts. Poor thing.

[ikri]

24. Evil hateful woman

But Thatcher is intelligent and knowledgeable about science. She was one of the first international leaders to recognise the threat of global warming.

“Even though this kind of action may cost a lot, I believe it to be money well and necessarily spent because the health of the economy and the health of our environment are totally dependent upon each other”.

Maybe they can discuss a few other conservative ideas, like abortion where Palin can ask her why Thatcher voted in favour of legalising it. Or gay rights, Palin can ask Thatcher about the number of gay men given high profile roles in her government.

The only things they have in common are their fiscal policies (well Palin's advisor's policies) and their gender.

[jennijohnson]

25. That is true...Her government introduced Lead Free petrol

which gave us the Clean Air Act in 1995, they were quick to get rid of CFC's in aerosol's in 1989.
I don't ever remember any doubt about the hole in the ozone layer either.
Things like abortion, the Death Penalty and gay rights have never been party issues. They are free vote issues,
meaning that MP's can vote according to their conscience. Many Conservatives in the UK are against The Death Penalty and support
abortion rights. David Cameron is to the left of many Democrats and so was Thatcher on some issues.

[tammywammy]

35. Thatcher's suffering from dementia

Palin visiting her, if it even happens, is really pathetic and sick. I would have said the same if she had tried to visit Ronald Reagan toward the end of his life. Nancy must not want to give Sarah the time of day or you know Palin would be all over that too.

[spanone]

38. all part of the thug plan to 'legitimize' her....an impossible task