or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
November 15, 2009
New Tomdispatch
The Palin Effect
How Sarah Palin Made Herself Indispensable While Destroying the Republican Party
By Max BlumenthalSarah Palin's heavily publicized book tour begins in earnest this Monday, but weeks before, her ghostwritten memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, had already vaulted into the number one position at Amazon. Warming up for a tour that will take her across Middle America in a bus, Palin tested her lines in a November 7th speech before a crowd of 5,000 anti-abortion activists in Wisconsin. She promptly cited an urban legend as a "disturbing trend," claiming the Treasury Department had moved the phrase "In God We Trust" from presidential dollar coins. (The rumor most likely originated with a 2006 story on the far-right website WorldNetDaily.)
In fact, a suggested alteration in its position on the coin was shot down in 2007 after pressure from Democratic Senator Robert Byrd. Nonetheless, Palin did not hesitate to take up this "controversy," however false, since it conveniently pits a tyrannical, God-destroying, secular big government against humble God-fearing folk. In doing so, of course, she presented herself as this nation's leading defender of the faith.
In a Republican Party hoping to rebound in 2010 on the strength of a newly energized and ideologically aroused conservative grassroots, Palin's influence is now unparalleled.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at November 15, 2009 11:12 AMIn doing so, of course, she presented herself as this nation's leading defender of the faith.
if as seems inevitable there are few or no 'solutions' concocted by Obama & the Dims by 2011--and especially if the employment and home-mortgage crises remain unsolved, as they invariably will-- and if there is wide-spread, increasing impoverishment--as there will certainly be--then the chances of a religious demagogue like Palin or Huckabee rising to the top of the GOP slop-heap are way better than 50/50. And if that IS who is the GOP nominee is, the chances of their prevailing in the general election, under those conditions, are pretty nearly certain...
Obama was chosen by the Owners to make 'white' people forget how much they hated the Busheviks by giving them somebody to hate more...
Posted by: woody at November 15, 2009 01:41 PMSince '08 GOP convention I've figured the clever Republicans knew it would be better not to win.
woody: Huckabee or one of the military brass, probably. Dear lord, this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, isn't it.
Posted by: Cloud at November 15, 2009 04:43 PMWhy will it get better, Cloud?
And really, Palin is the best thing the Obomb has going for him politically, other than unlimited corporate funds and a deep voice. The mainstream, i.e. Daily Show, binary political spectrum, the continued laughing at Palin and Bush/Cheney, reinforces in the Donkey mind that they are really clever for being on the Obomb's team, and persuades many an ignorant or impotent (impotent to escape their binary cage) fence-sitter to join them. The "lesser-evilists," that bane of civilization, are masturbating to Sarah Palin posters every night, and it's not just because of her school marm charm.
Posted by: Marcus at November 15, 2009 06:01 PMHonestly, I don't see why you people keep picking on Palin. She's just a tool of the imperialist state, and she's doing the best she can. I know that deep down within, she's really on our side. We just have to give her a chance, instead of all this harping from the left!
Posted by: Duncan at November 16, 2009 09:53 AMI don't see how what I read amount to her "destroying" the Republican party. Upsetting its structure, yes, but...
Conversely, Marcus, Obama's probably the best thing Palin has going for her.
Posted by: Save the Oocytes at November 16, 2009 03:49 PMSoC - Their celebutante sex appeal tops the list of their political attributes, but otherwise, yeah, the binary system holds itself in place, almost as if there were really only one power in party....
Uhoh!!! Watch out, I just invoked the Lesserevilist genie with my impertinent comment, and he's coming in for another crash landing!!!!
Posted by: Marcus at November 17, 2009 11:02 AMSoC - Their celebutante sex appeal tops the list of their political attributes, but otherwise, yeah, the binary system holds itself in place, almost as if there were really only one power in party....
Uhoh!!! Watch out, I just invoked the Lesserevilist genie with my impertinent comment, and he's coming in for another crash landing!!!!
Posted by: Marcus at November 17, 2009 11:06 AM
