Palin’s Been Punked?
Popcorn alert! I said yesterday that those of you who were placing wagers on whether Palin would show up at the speaking engagement that’s been announced in Hong Kong needed to make an adjustment. Normally the going odds if you’re betting whether she’ll show are 50/50. Maybe she will, and maybe she won’t. Like plucking petals off a daisy… She’s coming….she’s coming NOT.
The appearance in Hong Kong will be the first time she’s actually been paid to speak, so my take was that this dramatically increased the odds that she would be speaking. This isn’t some lowly Anchorage church group where she’s speaking for free, this is big time global finance, baby.
Now, at the same time, chins across America hit their desks as people asked, “Why?” Why would these people who presumably have some kind of handle on what they’re doing ask Sarah Palin to come speak on geo-politics? (I’m again resisting the inevitable Russia joke.) It just doesn’t make sense!
Unless you believe The Business Insider with this scenario, which is the only one that seems to make sense. She’s been promoted from National Joke to INTERnational Joke.
Hopefully Sarah Palin realizes she’s been invited to Hong Kong as a practical joke.
CLSA, the Asia-focused broker who invited Mrs. Palin as keynote speaker for an Asian investment conference, is well known for their cheeky takes on investment research.
In the past, they’ve polled Asian fortune tellers for index targets, hired anime cartoonists to draw Japanese research, and generally love to push the boundaries between entertainment and analysis. They are a real research firm, it’s just that they love to sprinkle in some hilarity every now and then as a smart marketing gimmick.
Sarah Palin is this year’s big laugh for them.
Her invitation as keynote speaker in Hong Kong is so ridiculous that its absurdity can’t be accidental.
WSJ: Palin ” who’s never been to East Asia and isn’t exactly famous for her mastery of public speaking or her expertise in finance and international affairs ” might seem an unusual choice for an event that, according to CLSA, is Asia’s premier investment conference providing unrivalled corporate access to 1,300 global fund managers from 32 countries, representing more than $10 trillion in funds under management.
AP: “Our keynote speakers are notable luminaries who often address topics that go beyond traditional finance such as geopolitics,” company spokeswoman Simone Wheeler said in a statement. “We just felt it would be a fabulous opportunity for CLSA clients to hear from Mrs. Palin,” Wheeler said, adding that CLSA approached Palin with the offer.
This is the straight-faced professional comedy which CLSA does so well. Palin probably doesn’t know what she’s in for. If you will, she’s being “Borat’ed” and doesn’t have the Asia knowledge to realize it.
Practical joke? Big laugh? Hilarity? Marketing gimmick? Borated?
Well, THAT’s a game changer. This makes the Sarkozy faux phone call prank look like child’s play.
I think that once this hits the Palin radar, we may experience a cancellation due to “circumstances beyond her control.” Or perhaps the old stand by, “Speaking engagement? What speaking engagement? We never committed to that!”
So, has she signed a contract? Will she show? Whose fault will it be THIS time?
Stay tuned…
[h/t – ADN]
[poll id=”15″]
I just tried to post an entirely original comment but received a message that I was posting a duplicate comment.
I am actually a little freaked out that a group of serious, rich investors are interested in anything Sarah Palin has to say, willing to pay her a big fat speaker’s fee. I am sure she is not being punked. I am willing to bet that the event organizers understand their audience and this audience wants to understand the phenomenon that Sarah Palin represents.
Investors want to understand the forces going around disrupting town halls, throwing tea-bag parties (how bizarre is it that reactionary conservatives use the image of tea-bagging . . . don’t they know that ‘tea-bagging’ is a vulgar slang, referring to a sex act involving a man’s testicles?!).
It is sad, and scary, that this frightened fringe represents a threat to our social order.
I am sure Palin was invited to this event because the rich people attending it want to size her up. Some of these rich people are going to be donating campaign money in 2012 and they want to check out the race horses.AND they want to understand this movement, to see how it might affect their profits.
Palin’s rise is coming on the same crest as tea-baggers and town-hall disruptions. Remember how she growled that Obama was palling around with terrorists and how the crowds responded by calling for his murder? That is her base, the angry mobs inciting violence.
We are all wise to pay close attention to this frightened, and frightening, fringe. This is why the rich investors hired Palin to speak. They want to size up the geopolitical situation.
Sarah gets paid $100,000 for 20 minutes, to read someone else’s speech, or deliver her own word salad. I guess the question of who got “punked’ is in the eye of the beholder. Sarah has never hesitated to make a fool of herself, and now it is for big bucks.
CLSA paying a compeltely unqualified ditz to appear, as a joke or not, tells me they lack respect for their company, their clients and themselves. Not anyone I would want to do business with.
It doesn’t matter if Sarah delievers the best speech money an buy. It will still be funny and she will still be a joke. When somebody like Bill Clinton is invited to address a group like this, they are expecting unique, interstesting insights that can only come from someone with his intellect and lifetime experiences. Sure the thoughts may be integrated into a speech with the help of pros that flows better, explains things more clearly and adds some humor, but the insights themsleves come from the speaker. Everybody knows Palin has nothing of value to contribute on matters of international financing. If she manages to say anything that sounds intelligent on the subject, it will still be funny coming form her, because they will realize the words are written for her. And really, who could she find to write something that these people would find worth hearing? This isn’t a political speech, or a talking point disguised as editorial. This is a group of people who are at the top of their field. They have read all of the books, and heard all of the talking points. They are looking for something they haven’t heard. A paid speech writer can’t deliever that. And if by chance her handlers find a group of brillant economic thinkers to work with a speech writer to come up with something, it will still be funny to hear Palin try to deliver them. There is no way she can win. She will still be the joke.
I don’t think its as much of a Punk’d, although that prob has something to do w. it, as it’s PR/Marketing genius, they’ve just brought so much attn: to their company, so I’m pretty sure however much $$$ they’re paying Palin they’ll make back with new clients and or leads.
“Palin Derangement Syndrome”: If anything, that describes See4Pee and TS fan to a T.
I think we should be using that term to describe them as often as possible, to the point where it becomes the reality, rather than how the right-wingnuts use it. Thanks, Michelle Malkin… 🙂
If this makes Murdoch, FOX, and Beck look like fools, so much the better.
Even in Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ, there’s an article about the stimulus having a positive effect 🙂
(BTW, whenever a friend says “Wall Street Journal”, please be sure to correct them by saying “You mean ‘Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal.'” Just so everyone’s clear it’s not an unbiased source of news… makes the stimulus news even better…
I hope someone makes some sort of recording!
She was punked before… by radio DJs. She isn’t bright…
Aussie Blue Sky: I hope someone reminds Palin about the abortion issue. It’s the one topic she will show up at an event for instead of crapping out. Indeed, it’s the only Supreme Court topic she knows. She won’t be able to keep her trap shut about it, even moreso than usual. That way, if this whole thing is a joke, it can become a bad joke when she tries to chastise the whole crowd and say her values are better than theirs. Laughed at AND booed for bringing her holier-than-thou attitudes to the Orient? She’ll deserve it.
Maybe she’ll talk about “youth in asia” and “debt panels”
I can’t understand why she isn’t irrevolkably tagged as a hypocrite. Traveling to Chinese soil should absolutely horrify her “pro-life” values and supporters.
Oh wait. She’s BRILLIANT! She will take on their 1 child law and its consequences – 1/3 of the pregnancies in China result in abortion. Trig would never have been born because no one can afford a retarded child – he would have been a late term forced abortion. Children are financially responsible for their aging parents.
Chinese women of means used to be able to bypass the law by having their babies in Hong Kong but they are no longer allowing that.
Yeah, that’s the ticket: Sarah to lecture Chinese on the evils of abortion.
I found this on HP and spit my coffee……….
Borat has been hired as a body double to do some pageant/pagan walkin, and blowing a few toots from the flute..
Here’s the REAL scoop. The GOP does not WANT palin at all. But she’s being forced on us by the likes of Murdock, Limbaugh, etc. WE ARE SMARTER than that, but now we might be stuck on the losing team forever, until she someone has an honest heart to heart and tells her she’s a bimbo.
Very funny. A PUMA blog doesn’t see the irony in writing this about The Mudflats:
Alaskan PDS bloggers Shannyn Moore and The Mudflats try to postpone their irrelevancy by repeating the story. Unfortunately for them, their 15 minutes are over.
PDS stands for Palin Derangement Syndrome. They got that from Michelle Malkin. Who is, as you know, a pro-Hillary Democrat.
http://tinyurl.com/mfuuqw
I agree that Murdock has way too much power in this country (and in the world). He is controlling the message to the American people by feeding them a diet of lies through his network of Fox and Friends.
It’s really frightening that he is setting the tone for policies in our country. This shouldn’t be happening. It’s not right.
Gone is any real objective journalism. He just spews venem across the airwaves and newspapers, and pollutes the brains of American’s who suck it in without questioning the source. It seems dangerous to allow one business entity to have such powerful control.
Look at the anger and hatred that he is stirring up. I know this sounds harsh, but he will destroy this country as he puts a wedge between people and divides Americans through angry, violent actions.
You can see the cracks of the divide right now. It will only get worse. He is happy to drive that wedge down even further with Palin’s hateful words.
“People who should be institutionalized are paid big bucks to spread lies and spew hate” I don’t know about the others that Lori of Los Angles mentions but Mr. Beck appears to have run off the rails. The stuff he says is just plain nutty. Does anyone really believe that carp?
Even this serious group seems to not be able to see past her looks.
I hope you are right and she’s there for enertainment but with no media allowed who would know.
Besides, someone will write her a good speech and she’ll recite it and call it a success……..
OOOOPS! My mouse button stuck, sorry for the double post.
I shouldda known better or at least expected it! In a moment of weakness and boredom last night, I watched Glen Beck while waiting for supper to finish. Couldn’t believe that he had his knickers all in a twist about a conference call involving the National Endowment for the Arts. Seems as if was about artists of all types using their art as a medium to promote the President’s programs. Even showed 2 posters on Health Care, well done, I think, to make his point (which I never got). He seems to feel it’s a conflict of interest to do this when the organization is government funded. When I Googled this, I found that he has had it in for the organization for a long time, so this is nothing new. Anyone else see this?
I shouldda known better or at least expected it! In a moment of weakness and boredom last night, I watched Glen Beck while waiting for supper to finish. Couldn’t believe that he had his knickers all in a twist about a conference call involving the National Endowment for the Arts. Seems as if was about artists of all types using their art as a medium to promote the President’s programs. Even showed 2 posters on Health Care, well done, I think, to make his point (which I never got). He seems to feel it’s a conflict of interest to do this when the organization is government funded. When I Googled this, I found that he has had it in for the organization for a long time, so this is nothing new. Anyone else see this?
@163 North of the Range
Spit out coffee- seriously!
So would this new chapter mean Real America is under the bus, too?
~~We believe that the best speaking gigs are not all in our own pro-American cities…We believe that the best speaking gigs are in these cool conferences that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the Real Big Spenders, being here with all of you hard working very invested, um, very, um, pro-financial city of this great world.~~
So Mrs pro-“life” will attend a function in the land of forced abortions and say not a word against it.
Her principles are so shallow she has sold them at the first opportunity.
@JSinChicago: There is no evidence in Palin’s history that she has the ability to commit to the massive amount of work that would be needed to bring her up to “plausible”. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but I think it’s unlikely. BTW, I do not think she is stupid, at all, but she is almost unbelievably undereducated, and has so far shown no interest in changing that.
Comparisons with Bush miss the key point that W spent 12 years being the son of the VPOTUS an then POTUS, and therefore surrounded by very smart people who really wanted him to succeed, so Dad would owe them. Oh, and he started out rich.
@strangelet
Agreed. I seriously doubt this will be some kind of public joke, it may have given them a laugh when they booked her, or they may be seriously interested in what she has to say, but I don’t see them humiliating her. I’d guess that a requirement in her contract was that there were to be no questions, because that is likely how she’d make a fool of herself, and she’ll show up, wave, wink, read a speech and cash a check.
I like to think it’s just a prank, I like to think that she is nothing to worry about but it’s much less her than her entire group of negative, fearful, ranting lunatics that are ruining this country’s discourse right now. I wish they would all stop thinking a single news source is acceptable but the more I wish that the louder (and crazier) they seem to get. Hopefully it will all die down soon…and they can all go home and realize that their house is still standing, their church is still open, they’re grocery stores are still selling their favorite fruits and “their country” is safe and sound.
@97 trisha — Unfortunately, the “make big bucks on the celebrity speech circuit” thing has been with us since long before Quitty.
Personally, I think the notion that she was punk’d is a little bit of wishful thinking. I stand by my belief that CLSA booked her as a “novelty act”, which would be in keeping with their marketing style.
The difference is, I don’t expect CLSA to go out of their way to make fun of her. I’m not visualizing Asian backup dancers dressed as naughty librarians (well, I guess I did visualize it, but I doubt it’ll happen). They just want the media ferment to bring attention to their conference (and that’s working, eh?).
And the attendees can have some fun betting on what she’ll wear.
I expect she’ll show up (I would guess her fee at $50-75K, plus expenses, but these guys are high rollers, it could be more), and give a perfectly ordinary speech on global energy markets.
Professor, I agree completely.
I suspect she is being paid a lot of money to do publicity for Sarah’s Book of Fairy Tales. The investment bankers (rhyming slang for ‘wankers’ btw) won’t care, as long as her skirt is high enough – although as long as they’re looking up her skirt they won’t appreciate her facelift. They might appreciate the lipo, though.
Seriously, if hundreds of thousands of dollars from the GOP to groom Palin for VP didn’t bear any fruit, why would it be any different now? Palin does not take direction; perhaps she is unable to. McCain and the RNC found that out. I hope Murdoch is trying with Palin–I really do. He will fail and have wasted quite a bit of money in the process.
I am predicting it here–that Palin cannot be “repackaged” as a national politician at this late point in her career. Maybe she can be an occasional pundit on FOX, but she could never handle the hard long hours nor the discipline of even her own weekly TV show for very long.
Thanks Lori – I was hoping I wasn’t turning into another loony like Beck and his ilk! You are right on being vigilant but not letting fear get the better of us.
Speaking of Beck, I just read an article on today’s show over at Media Matters and he’s still going on about going to do something/reveal some info. He talked of his being afraid – also for his family – living behind walls and gates and all that. I think he’s going to try to blame something else on Obama just to rile it up more.
What with Murdoch’s group, the ultra-religious groups, birthers, deathers, tenthers, secessionists, Republicans, and all those others who probably aren’t even registered to vote but have alot to say because it’s a black man in the WH…….we sure have a great deal to be vigilant over and lots of talking (educating) to do with the people we know.
I just looked back in on that Asian Sentinel site that carried the punking story, and read some of the comments. All I can say is thank God for this site where people can voice their thoughts but aren’t put down and courtesy and civility are the norm. The hatred being spouted is incredible.
Thanks again!
Murdoch feared Obama from the beginning because Obama talked about the media congloms not servicing the 4th estate/an informed electorate.
They know he’s not a corporatist, and fear he will try to pass a bill reversing Reagan’s reversal of the media monopoly law. It all comes down to money. Palin, Beck, et al are tools of the corporate media conglom dictators.
Our power comes in our pocketbooks. IF we don’t buy what they’re selling or the people who pay to put their junk on the air, we can make a difference.
Personally, I fear what a laughing stock Palin will make of America as a whole during her “speech”. I can’t help but think our national security could be compromised by her bumbling self-promotion.
Scratch the “be afraid.” Be viligant, keep educating family and friends. Keep boycotting the sponsors. Sorry, fear is never the answer for those of us who want to be effective.
GreatGranny2B – Yes, OF COURSE we should be worried about Murdoch – I cannot even count the ways. He gives me nightmares. He controls the message (and the minds) of the million+ folks who watch FOX. He makes “legitimate” stars of the worst excuses for human beings on the planet
(Glenn Beck, O’Reilly, Coulter, Malkin, Cheney, Rove…….and now he likely has Palin). People who should be institutionalized are paid big bucks to spread lies and spew hate to huge audiences. Be afraid.
I should be heading to nod-land but Palin won’t go away yet, so I’ll share some of my random thoughts.
There is a difference between illiterate and uneducated. Until now, many of Palin’s ramblings appear to be a mix of both. I think she has the ABILITY to learn anything she sets her mind at, and that’s the dangerous thing with her, because with the proper tutoring she can probably learn and retain a great deal.
And my mind continually reverts to the children. If she is with Murdoch or his team of *trainers*, and going through an intense makeover of her mind, speech, body, wardrobe, etc., the children were probably verboten.
The majority of people are fairly forgiving when it comes to a politician being divorced, especially if it the politician is a man. Sarah would probably get over the hurdle of being a divorcee……….. but only IF she appears to be a good mother – by her *judges* (the general public) standards, not her own.
Then I keep thinking about Murdoch and that he’s estimated to be worth about $4 BILLION. Although he’s Australian by birth, he became a naturalized citizen in 1985 – legally, only US citizens can own television stations. We already know that he’s been connected with CLSA, but until I googled his name, I had no idea just how diversified he is and so many are media-related types of business – all over the world, including Turkey. It almost like he’s got a dang monopoly!
He’s been involved in countless scandals and lawsuits and always seems to come out the victor. He’s also known for his heavy involvement in politics, vendettas against some, and tales of secret meetings with some of the world leaders. This paragraph from Wickipedia certainly gives food for thought!
In early summer 2008, a “tentative truce” was brokered during a secret meeting between Barack Obama, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes (President of the Fox News Channel) at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.[39][40] Obama had initially resisted Murdoch’s propositions, despite senior News Corp executives having recruited the Kennedys to act as go-betweens.[40] Obama resented Fox News’s portrayal of him “as suspicious, foreign, fearsome – just short of a terrorist,” while Ailes said “it might not have been this way if Obama had more willingly come on the air instead of so often giving Fox the back of his hand.”[40] A “tentative truce” was agreed upon; Obama would be portrayed more favourably, while Obama would be more willing to appear on Fox.[39]”
I guess Obama was never fond of him to begin with and the relationship certainly hasn’t been warm and fuzzy ever.
Murdoch has had 3 wives (the last about 1/2 his age and Chinese) and 6 children. His list of assets is incredibly long – and astounding that he has a finger in EVERY pie! Here’s the link if someone wants to take a look:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_News_Corporation
Here’s another statement about him from one of the financial magazines:
“Murdoch has used the U.S. government’s increasingly lax media regulations to consolidate his hold over the media and wider political debate in America. ”
That article goes on to talk about him being a neocon and warmongerer, an intimidator and an oil imperialist, and that he uses his political influence to his corporate advantage. Also, that he is the REAL political boss of NY, not the mayor of NYC or the governor.
Okay – I’m not going to extract all this stuff – it is giving me shivers down my spine! This is the link if anyone wants to read more:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/07/b122948.html
These are the headers that are making me nervous about that man:
MURDOCH THE DEFENDER OF REPRESSIVE REGIMES
MURDOCH THE APOLOGIST FOR DICTATORSHIPS
MURDOCH THE PROPAGANDIST FOR DICTATORS
MURDOCH THE ENABLER OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS:
MURDOCH THE HIDER OF MONEY IN COMMUNIST CUBA
MURDOCH THE UNION BUSTER
MURDOCH THE CORPORATE TAX EVADER
MURDOCH THE LOVER OF OFFSHORE TAX HAVENS
MURDOCH THE ABUSER OF TAX LOOPHOLES
This guy is dangerous and I think he’s got his own agenda for having much more control than is safe for our American values and liberty. I’m afraid he’s going to use whatever power he has to destroy Obama. And if our suspicions are correct, he’s starting with using Palin.
Golly gee – when I first started this posting, I had no idea what I was going to come across and where my thoughts would lead me when I googled his name.
Am I being paranoid or should people be worrying about him and his power?
Sauerkraut, Carrie, as in Stephen King’s “Carrie”, not that nut case Prejean
Well, they have done it again in the sea of pee. Last week, Sarah was MLK.
This week , guess who? She is Teddy Kennedy! bwaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaa!
And they are discussing whether or not the Hong Kong gig is a joke or not.
Covering their bases in case it is – Some hope it IS a joke, because that would PROVE Obama is behind it, needing to DISCREDIT her! bwaaaaaaaaahaha!
Again, she wins either way in the pee zoo. They even envision her on the flight to China, head on Todd’s shoulder, because those Palin’s are so in love.
I’m voting Ix-Nay on SP showing in HK. Where’s the NO SHOW pool?
Re: Palin 2.0, I wish Murdoch good luck. You can’t teach an odd gov new tricks.
in the wise words of Han Solo…………..i got a bad feeling about this.
murdoch makes strange people ‘stars’ all the time……….and some people seem to love that action. not sure i have heard of any of those stars becoming politicians (mostly the other way around).
but pass the popcorn all the same.
(wonder what the odds are in vegas on this one?)
I take solace in the fact that, historically, Sarah Palin is a self-correcting phenomenon.
liar, liar, pants on fire..She’ll be a no show…lmbo
@ Aussie Blue Sky #136
You are right. It is like the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.
114 lynnrockets Says:
September 1st, 2009 at 4:54 PM
SHE is simply a constant source of comedy entertainment. Every maneuver that SHE and her team makes seems to fall apart in some sort of disaster. SHE’s like that kid “Pigpen” from the “Peanuts” that used to walk around with that cloud of dirt surrounding him. Bad luck surrounds HER like some sort of aura. I’ll never forget when she dropped the puck at the St. Louis Blues game and the team immediately went on a 10 game losing streak. You just know that no good will come of this Hong Kong trip.
————————————————-
Sarah Palin bringing her bad juju to the home of feng shui . . .
Oh, my.
66 zyggy Says: September 1st, 2009 at 2:46 PM
and if it turns out to be a prank, let’s hope she doesn’t do a Carrie on them
_____________
Whatever do you mean?
She’ll get a boob job?
Or she’ll pose in skimpy undies?
After reading thru the comments, I’m thinking that you need to add another choice… as in:
I’m not coming because you all are mean and I don’t like people making fun of me.
I’m more inclined to believe that when it comes to geo-politics, Sarah Palin is the uninformed punk.
SP has been selling off part of Alaska, for a while; to the gas companies, R. Perry, church, friends, family and who knows who else(? ) I’m sure Murdock got in on the action and SP has given him something; along with, Hannity. These are Investors; what piece of document does she have that she can give to CLSA? It would be nice if we had someone there to photo-op this engagement. I trust SP as far as I can throw Mt Rushmore.
SP isn’t happy with the Alaskans. Don’t be surprise what the AK Officials might uncover in the weeks to years, ahead. Sarah’s father is opening up the doors for her to be in Idaho, if she chooses. It’s her birth place and would have more supporters. She could probably could get a Political position, in the State. She have to make her book and life interesting.
Everyone needs to watch their heads and duck going under the bus!
@Lori in LA: I know we all assume she is incapable of learning anything new and communicating coherently, and there is certainly no evidence to the contrary. But she has probably never been as desperate as she is now. There was never a need for self-improvement in the past because she always managed to get whatever she wanted with a wink and smile, and enough bullying and intimidation behind the scenes to keep everyone in line. The more she got away with, the more convinced she was that she was capable of doing anything, and controlling everything.
So the tools she already possessed were adequate for the small pond environment she operated in, but clearly could not sustain her as a small fish in a big pond. She had probably never experienced anything remotely close to the negative reaction from people who were able to figure her out and expose her hypocrisy, unrestrained by any threat of retaliation. I would imagine she felt like she was drowning at times. Add to that all the stress in her personal life, and you have a woman on the edge, either ready to crack, or willing to submit to something new out of desperation and fear of failure.
I guess what I’m saying is, how do we know what she is capable of if she was never really put to the test? The campaign last fall was not really a test for her because I think she truly believed that she was right and everyone else was wrong, and it would all work out for her in the end. Well that didn’t happen, and then it only got worse from there. Since then, she’s been operating in unchartered territory, digging herself deeper and deeper into the hole she created. Maybe all that was enough to convince her that she need some new tools in her arsenal if she was going to win the next battle.
Given the extraordinarily low bar that has been set for her, it wouldn’t take much to make her look like a genius. Maybe if she can just get to GWB’s level of intellectual discourse (an oxymoron, I know), she’ll be seen as presidential enough by ‘mainstream’ conservatives. Just imagine what Bush was like before all that tutoring by Condi to prep him for the run. And he used to wink sometimes too, there also.
Although I actually have better things I need to be doing, I will still chip in here just for the entertainment value.
CLSA – it just does not seem plausible that such an outfit would put any credence in Palin’s view on anything let alone geopolitics. So if there is a joke involved here, it is on Palin.
OTOH they are trying to do a real service to their clients, that is give them a clear and unfiltered idea of what an enormous disaster it would be if this woman ever rose to political prominence in the US.
OTOH they are religious nut cases of the same ilk as Palin and think she is on a mission .
OTOH it is just a scam to rope in some RW revenue. Late in the game to announce the keynote speaker for a major conference of this type. Maybe their numbers are down this year and they are looking to boost their numbers by inviting the pit bull with lipstick.
Does she even get it that some percentage of her audience is certain to be communists? Does she get that almost all of her audience is almost certain to be ASIAN? They might be a little sensitive to her evident racial bias. $10 trillion in capital? Can it be assumed that these people might be interested in and perhaps even aware of the financial wreackage in Palin’s wake?
Final scenario, the whole thing is really on the up and up. Someone at CLSA is off their meds, but she’s the pick and whoever her RW handlers and promoters are think that somehow this pole dance will give her international credibility, or at least Asian credibility. I don’t think we have anything much to worry about if this is true… of the 1300 attendees she will be able to fool perhaps a score. The rest will spread the word far and wide that she is tundra barbie. Too bad, tundra is rather nice. Just after the freeze and just before the thaw.
IMHO, she will bail if she finds out she will have to share the stage with a black person.
I hate to say it but I believe that Palin will speak (and collect at least $150K). She will sound intelligent (since her speech will be written by a professional: paid for by Sarah Pac or another fund established to make her into something that she is not), and she will not be held accountable by answering soft-ball questions from the media or more hard-ball questions from the audience since it will be in her contract that she won’t have to. Sarah Palin will win as she has so often in the past.
And that is the true danger of this individual. She wins not because she is right or because she is knowledgeable. She wins because she has the look, she has that “it” thing and she can spin and manipulate her audience. The sum total of her talent is that of a total fraud.
I, like many, love to be right. On this particular line of thinking, I hope that I am wrong.
Lol! This gets more interesting and curiouser. There are many good comments and theories here. #126 has a novel take on the whole thing.
He he…..Whatever happens, it is going to be popcorn time.
She has been vetted. We all know more than anyone in the McCain campaign did. A clever person(s) will know how to use SP. She is so fragile that the puppeteer is very powerful.
This could be a cheap way to get rid of a contender to the international market place. What would a couple hundred thousand mean if they could wipe her out?
This will be a very interesting scenario with big bucks, dominionists, political gurus, media moguls, and many others playing her. There is no place to hide.
“colibrimoon Says:
September 1st, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I still can’t believe that we are checking her Facebook page for the latest info, what is the difference between being on Facebook and having a blog?”
What’s the difference? Probably about ten years, a high school diploma and a full time job.
Aside from the hilarity factor, I’m sure a strong reason for inviting her was their certainty that she would never actually show up and speak. Her track record speaks for itself. Or doesn’t speak as the case may be.
I’m sure they already have an alternative lined up and ready to go.
Maybe William Shatner. He can probably fly for free via Priceline. Not only will he show up, but he’ll be entertaining too. And more coherent. He’s more knowledgeable on geopolitics too. He’s Canadian, you know.
the image of Henry Higgins coming to rescue Eliza Doolittle is EXACTLY what I keep thinking about regarding Palin.
I was thinking along the lines of Faust and the devil and what they did to Margareta. She however is an innocent destroyed by the devil for Faust’s pleasure.
Sarah’s no innocent. But Murdock is certainly a Faustian individual and is certainly motivated by evil and greed. Then he also plays the defil and it is Sarah, like Faust, who is willing to sell her soul for greed and power.
Maybe Piper and the other Palin children are the Margaretas of this scenario.
I hope they stay in Alaska and let her go on her way. They will need a life time to heal from Sarah their Pit Bull Mommie Dearest.
I still can’t believe that we are checking her Facebook page for the latest info, what is the difference between being on Facebook and having a blog?
fern @ 108 And it is an attempt to start making the case that she has the qualifications for national office.
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I agree that’s what she is thinking by accepting this deal. However, I’m not getting how speaking to a group of businessmen is foreign policy experience.
Geez, someone could pay me to jump out of a cake for businessmen in Hong Kong, but that doesn’t mean I have foreign policy experience. Sounds about as credible as seeing Russia from her home.
Palin says, Gee Charlie, I went to Hong Kong to entertain a bunch of men….so now I am an expert in Asian trade relations, also too.
Maybe she’s going as a comedienne? I mean deliberately funny, not accidentally, sincerely, excruciatingly embarrassingly painfully funny. Maybe…?
Nothing positive about the USA will be mentioned in her “prepared-for-her” speech. She will bash your president ,his health care plan ,monetary policies etc etc all in the name of her Christ. I hope those in charge ( the Whitehouse)have a little talk with Sarah and explain that her political opinion on anything ,domestic or foreign,will not be tolerated outside of the USA. That is why you have Hillary.
This is a disaster just waiting to happen.
I went to the FaceBook page but you can only read so much of that stuff. A LOT of them were busy counting her FaceBook members, many about something Glenn Beck is saying about a Plan ( conspiracy) to take him off the radio and it is all being done by the WH… blah blah.
As of an hour ago the Facebook fans are congratulating her Trip to Asia.
Along with that are comments that ‘ that site ‘ is confirming the trip. I won’t go there to see what it says, but they confirm through THEM… by Meg.
The other story as per Fox news webpage…..
“Palin Snubs Republican Women’s Convention” {Mavericks don’t need the GOP}
“Despite an invitation to speak at the conference, Sarah Palin, former vice presidential candidate, and until recently Alaska governor, decided not come to the National Federation of Republican Women’s 35th Convention, according to the organization.
An estimated 1,200 Republican women leaders will attend the three day conference, and some of those are want Palin to reconsider.
“It is disappointing,” says Barbara Davis, who heads the Melbourne, Fla. chapter.” We were hoping that she would come.It would have benefited her to attend.”
106 honestyinGov:
And remember one of her recent excuses was a “hair emergency.” At least there is another goodie to bring up if she ever runs for anything again.
#102: js in chicago
Now, will someone please convince me that this scenario is ridiculous, impossible, highly unlikely – whatever – so that I can go back to laughing instead of freaking myself out even more!
_____________________________________________
Wish I could, but I tend to agree. I think Palin sold out to the highest bidder and the image of Henry Higgins coming to rescue Eliza Doolittle is EXACTLY what I keep thinking about regarding Palin.
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. Say it again, Eliza…again. Now say, Hong Kong! Excellent….now say, I’m running for President.
I feel like I am living inside a Hollywood movie. Sigh.
102 JS in Chicago:
Your scenario is probably more on target than off. So I guess we’ll all stay a little freaked till the next couple of elections are past and hopefully the repugs will once again see their platforms go up in smoke.
SHE is simply a constant source of comedy entertainment. Every maneuver that SHE and her team makes seems to fall apart in some sort of disaster. SHE’s like that kid “Pigpen” from the “Peanuts” that used to walk around with that cloud of dirt surrounding him. Bad luck surrounds HER like some sort of aura. I’ll never forget when she dropped the puck at the St. Louis Blues game and the team immediately went on a 10 game losing streak. You just know that no good will come of this Hong Kong trip.
Nebraska Native: Just a matter of time before the fireworks begin.
Hello…now she finally has an excuse to ger her first passport. Imagine all of the ‘International experience’ she’ll aquire now that she’ll actually leave the country.
I can actually hear her at a future speech: “I’ve traveled to Hong Kong dont’cha know, wink…”
JS in Chicago: We’ve seen the real Sarah and won’t be fooled by the “Stepford Sarah”. Remember the movie Stepford Wives? Where the wives are all perfect with no soul?
Fern: She is making her debut in the international arena and yep, yep, it feeds her pocketbook and ego but to the rest of world she is still a laughingstock.
“At some point, she will have to face questions from the Press and/or audiences. ”
No she wont. IF she were to TRY to run for office, yes. Maybe!
But to read speeches, no Q&A is required. She’ll make a few million in a few dozen speeches. That is what she wants.
When Sarah was scheduled to speak to the Republican Women in Simi Valley, was there a contract in place? The Republican Women surely thought that she was coming when they sold all of those tickets. I checked out their website then, and the deal was no-refunds, and they were forced to make refunds.
Only someone who quits her job as governor would put people in such an embarrassing position. To do this in Hong Kong would be even worse, where appearance and “face” are all-important. To make them “lose face” would be a huge disgrace. On the other hand, her speech may well be a disgrace, too.
Murdoch’s communications empire spans the globe.
So does his wealth and influence. He has taken great strides in the direction of worldwide “Gleichschaltung”,(“even switching”) which, loosely translated, means “forcing into line”. This was one of the first misdeeds of Hitler’s Third Reich. All news, from daily papers to radio stations, followed the party line. Journalists, Authors and Academics who did not were jailed, books were burned. All of this before the Kristall Nacht.
These tactics have been copied by every dictator since.
Now think and do not take this man, his followers and their power lightly. I am very uneasy with all of this.
Remember his yacht anchored in Juneau during the crucial days of SP’s resignation? I seriously doubt that vessel merely happened to be there by coincidence. There are more machinations going on than any of us can imagine. No, I am not a conspiracy nut, merely following history’s lessons.
My apologies for being today’s Cassandra…
New Jersey.. truer words were never spoken! It is indeed popcorn time 🙂
Oh, I doubt she will cancel on this one – it feeds her pocketbook, but more important, it feeds her ego.
And it is an attempt to start making the case that she has the qualifications for national office.
“At some point, she will have to face questions from the Press and/or audiences. ”
No she wont. IF she were to TRY to run for office, yes. Maybe!
But to read speeches, no Q&A is required. She’ll make a few million in a few dozen speeches. That is what she wants.
BTW, has anyone in AK seen Trig?
just askin’….
trisha: If she decides to go marvericky on Murdock, you can bet he’ll put the screws on her. He can either make or break her with his money and power.
I don’t think he’ll put up with her tantrums. She may be the Diva but Murdock is the Devil Incarnate.
ADN confirming the speech now. First thing… Meg… and her reputation…
Why would we believe Meg… has she ever told the truth… Ever ? Hmm
Follow the timeline. Sean posted his story at 1:52 at ADN. So that means it had to have confirmation from Meg a few hours before that 1:52 so he could write the story and get it ready. SO… Meg confirmed a few hours before ( maybe 11: 00 ) the ‘punked ‘ story is out there. Once she agrees… they can leak the joke maybe because Meg is on record as confirmation. They could have let the rumor be out there a few days more even if Meg didn’t confirm.
But…WHO has the credibility issue…? ( based on the past )
If they now realize they have been punked already, what have they got to lose but make this a He said… She said issue. ( they did that last week with the Church) It’s like playing chicken.. who backs down first.
Meg ‘ IF ‘ she can produce a contract might have proof that there is a contract but that merely shows how much CSLA were willing to pay to go along with the Joke. And if they produce a contract it shows the price.(I think Meg wanted to keep that secret )
Go forward a few weeks… if Sarah wants to keep them to that contract ( and CSLA says it is a Joke ) and shows up it shows how much she can be bought for. She has no credibility now… it would be even further weakened. Advisors( if smart ) would tell her don’t go.
Is she willing to say she will go and be bought at whatever price… to be the butt of a joke..? That makes it even worse.
As I see it Meg and $arah have no graceful exit here. It’s a Lose-lose situation.
And if they ( CSLA ) pay for a speech that is not written yet… they will tell her what she has to talk about as well to fulfill the obligations of the contract. What if they tell her to talk about something ridiculous like how to ride snowmobiles or whatever it is. It’s their money. So instead of CSLA backing out they make it so difficult that Meg and $arah put out a release ( excuse ) saying there are ‘ problems ‘ and back out.
For someone looking down the road for future speaking engagements and credibility…. this looks bad whether she goes or she doesn’t.
They handled this the way they are running SarahPac. Inept comes to mind.
JS in Chicago – You may be right, as far as you go. But consider this: At some point, she will have to face questions from the Press and/or audiences. She will not have that well-written script to deliver. This is where it will all come apart. She will not face reporters and speak without the teleprompter – because she can’t – no matter how much coaching.
The other engagements she passed on probably didnt’ offer her enough money, I’m sure this one will offer her tons. Murdoch’s writers will write up a great speech for her, just don’t ask her questions.
It’s got to be a hoax. Who in their right mind would want the lipsticked dipstick to be taken seriously?
@Visitor #65: ADN and Meg is your source? Until it’s confirmed by the ghost on Facebook, with Van Fleabag’s seal of approval, they never heard of it 😉
Here is my worst case scenario: She really was invited for ‘infotainment’ purposes (perhaps with the help of Murdoch’s connections), but then shows up and wows the crowd by delivering an intelligent, well-written (not by her) speech in a highly engaging and (newly acquired) professional manner.
Impossible, you say? There’s no way she would submit herself to the amount of coaching required to pull this off? Given what we’ve seen of her emotional state in the final weeks of her quitter/twitter frenzy, it’s possible she got to the point where she finally realized – or someone was able to convince her – that if she was going to have any political future on the national stage, she would need to submit herself to a higher power (temporarily of course) in order to achieve her goals.
I personally think that power and control are just as intoxicating to her as money. If someone who embodied all those things that she desperately longs for – say, someone like Rupert Murdoch – presented himself at just the right moment, like Henry Higgins coming to rescue Eliza Doolittle, it’s not so far-fetched to associate her disappearance these past few weeks with the making of the next ‘Manchurian Candidate’. After all, it would be a perfect role for the power-hungry Murdoch, given his genius at forging the symbiotic relationship between politics and the media (not to mention Palin would be easy on the eyes for old Rupe). If the rumors about her marriage being over are true, it would appear that her life really has come apart at the seams, making her even more vulnerable to the power of persuasion, and all the enticements that a figure like Murdoch could offer her.
Now, will someone please convince me that this scenario is ridiculous, impossible, highly unlikely – whatever – so that I can go back to laughing instead of freaking myself out even more!
In the meantime back at the ranch – foxnews politics – has an article up titled “Palin Snubs Republican Women’s Convention.”
Not a live link – you will have to make the dots into, well – dots!
http://www(dot)foxnews(dot)com/politics/2009/09/01/palin-snubs-republican-womens-convention/
“We don’t know what’s going on with her,” says Barbara Knauff, a NFRW member from Leesburg, Fla, .”She’s not the kind to go quietly into the night, but she’s smart. She’ll come out when she can make the greatest impact.”
Uh, Ok….??
LisanTx: I honestly think she is not well liked by the majority of Repubs but they can’t publicly say that. The Repubs in NJ don’t want her to campaign for their candidate in the Governor’s election and she wasn’t invited in Virginia either.
I wonder how long it will take for Palin to go all mavericky on Murdock?
Then again, it appears Palin can be bought, so maybe she will just do as she is told and take the cash.
BuffaloGal and pvazwindy–I voted above that “somehow they’re serious” and now they say they are serious and that she is signed up with WSB. Ugh. Murdoch is trying to make her into his tool. She will be the keynote speaker–therefore, she doesn’t have to speak about economics or investments (much). She can read a nice vague speech written for her, with the minimum of “complicated stuff” and with alot of rhetoric. She will be fine (unfortunately). Remember the campaign? She can read a speech.
I’m disappointed that WSB signed her, but I didnt’ realize they have also signed so many R’s–even Newt, Bush, Condi, etc.
You mudpups see through her, but many people do not. Since I live in a red area, I am around people who love her. I am concerned what Murdoch or other puppet masters can do. Hopefully, the other R candidates with knock her out in the primaries.
Gawd, what has our country become when an ignoramus who quit her job as governor—even before completing one term—is signed to the Washington Speakers Bureau, and can ask big bucks to read a speech that was written by someone else.
What kind of message is that for our children?
Don’t worry about spending your time and money on education kids, and hey, don’t worry about fulfilling your promises. Just spend all your money on plastic surgery and designer clothes so you look good. Believe me, people will pay you millions…just look at Sarah Palin.
Sad….very sad.
Gang,
I’m no braniac, but it occurred to me that the meeting format may be one that allows no questions. She will have the opportunity to do a “facebook” in person. Who knows how this was rigged and what money changed hands to broker this deal. Sickening.
GlobalVillage: Rupert and Sarah may be birds of a feather but Rupert is 72 years old with a brain and alot more experience than Sarah. I’m sure when he says jump she has to ask how high. If she thinks she can use and then lose this man I think she is in for a rude awakening. She’s dealing with a shark.
In this article Meg S. confirms that Palin will be there and that she has been added to the Washington Speakers Bureau but she has not been added yet.
http://community.adn.com/node/143284
Whether investing or betting, one should do their due diligence to lower risk. Without knowing just how much money she was offered, it is difficult to place an accurate bet. I believe the greater the financial incentive, the greater the chance is that she will show. Punk factor be damned.
@88 Southpaw, that is a most excellent idea.
How about it, lynnrockets? You write the words and maybe we an get Dr. Chill to do the graphics
Marnie, I think her personal staff will remain dummies and incompetents because she doesn’t know the difference.
anadventurer – Whats to feel sorry for? She’ll take the money and run laughing all the way to the bank. She doesn’t care if she is a laughingstock just as long as she rakes in the money. She has her adoring “groupies” who worship her to feed her ego. The only thing she doesn’t have is a conscience and a soul. Another thing, she is being told what to do and how to do it, now how “mavericky” is that?
SKY @ 2:22 PM – Brilliant speech. Are you sure you aren’t the ghostwriter everyone’s been trying to locate?
Watching from New Jersey, Vaughn and GreatGranny2B. I agree with you all about the Murdoch influence. She will find out that when you sleep with the devil, you have to take part in whatever double dealing and skulduggery he demands of you. But wait, that’ll be a cinch for Sarah, she’s a graduate of the university of life, majoring in Throwing People Under the Bus. No wonder her and Rupert make such a great couple.
AKM another graphic idea for flyinyoureye perhaps:
Remember that pupeteer scene from the Sound of Music…The Loney Goatherd?
Well I can see our little SP bouncing around, pigtails and all with rupert murdock pulling the strings from above on Snow Flake whilst she flops around the stage.
Knowing how we all love and appreciate your excellent graphics around here 🙂 !
@78 After SNL made a joke about Todd and i n c e s t, she went on anyway – SNL was the “big time,” after all. I think she will happily accept that she is there for entertainment value, go along with the “joke,” and take the money and run.
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I agree that she will take the money and run. But, I kind of disagree that she will accept that she is there for entertainment value. I don’t think she “gets it”. Palin is like Stewart Smalley from SNL who says, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
Remember, Palin believes that she is “the Choosen One” and she has a “higher calling”. I think she is so delusional that she doesn’t get that people are laughing at her….or even…that they have a reason to laugh at her. OMG…. She actually thought that the President of France was calling HER.
Why would he call a VP candidate? She believes it because, in her mind, why wouldn’t the President of France call her? She thinks she is that important and that influential to the world.
Meanwhile, newspapers across the globe are laughing their heads off with a big…..HUH?
She’ll read a speech. She wont understand it. She wont/can’t take questions. She has nothing to offer except her name. She wont last long at this new game. She will make a few bucks until she runs out of $100K offers in a few months.
Very funny stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7afnLCQVI
Also too, being paid to travel to Hong Kong to speak to a group of businessmen is not foreign policy experience.
Just saying.
If she is under Murdoch’s thumb now, it is a safe bet that she has a top-notch attorney provided by Murdoch, rather than Van Flien. Murdoch’s too smart to not have everything water tight.
She can never be the GOP “great white hope” because she’s female. They will use her to the party’s advantage, but will never elevate her to top status. Sarah’s fans don’t understand it’s not the liberals who will bring her down. Mitt Romney and other serious conservative candidates will personally see to it she never rises again.
Maybe she’ll have “sexy time” like in Borat.
Nan
But this is a lot more personal. This is like the captain of the football team asking the plain girl to the prom, then setting her up as Queen of the Fuglies once there. If SP is or has been dealing with “issues” then for this to be a “prank” would be the last thing she’d need.
On one level I agree there is a cruelty here. But the plain girl knows she’s plain. I’ve been the butt of that kind of joke, (not to the prom), I had a mirror, and I have a brain. I said thanks but no thanks.
Palin has not brain, or if she has one she doesn’t use it. She has set herself up for just this kind of situation. Not just from prankster but from the RepoTaliban party that is willing to use her and others like her (Duhbya for example, who may yet end up in the Hague).
Don’t cry for Sarah, cry for her family, cry for her victims, all those that she as used and abused, all those who may come to suffer if she ever gains any power again. (There is nothing to keep a RepoTaliban Presidency from appointing her, say, Secretary of Education. Is there?)
Pray for her soul by all means. Maybe we all should. pray that she will open her mind and heart to the real Christ of love and forgiveness. But save pity for those that the Sarahs and RepoTalibans bulldoze.
If Rupie boy is trying to set her up for a run for POTUS there’s no way he can
keep her away from the media for another 3 years. Well not unless he wants her to look more of a fool than she already does.
Being she’s supposedly being paid—there must be a contract. That would mean the Meg is likely right; and Sarah will hold up her end of the deal.
Of course, she could still find a way out of it—some health excuse, etc.
Should be fun to watch.
Six figures is a lot of money. I say she WILL go (and I said she would NOT go to Anchorage church). After SNL made a joke about Todd and i n c e s t, she went on anyway – SNL was the “big time,” after all. I think she will happily accept that she is there for entertainment value, go along with the “joke,” and take the money and run. I do NOT think she plans to run for any political office in the future, and she may even spout some self-depreciating jokes about finances (written for her). Anyone still giving to sarahpac should know that their hard-earned money will go to real candidates who plan to stay in politics – NOT going to sarah the candidate. Then they should think twice about contributing – IF I were a sarah fan (choking on those words) – I would not donate to this PAC, knowing my $ is going to McCain, Bachmann etc. A clown gig is a-ok with sarah if the price is right. Levi said it – she is out for the money now, nothing else.
Funny that Palin was a no-show for a prolife event, but will be travelling to Hong Kong where probably millions of babies are aborted every year by goverment order.
Seems Ms. Palin’s ethics and values are for sale.
Nan – Well said.
Sarah is to give the keynote address. I think that means there’s a good chance the invitation was serious. The anime, fortune teller, etc. were always later in the forum for diversity. There is a risk that some in attendance will take Palin lightly – she is a laughingstock in much of the world – but I think she will have a good speechwriter, have anxiety meds if needed and won’t be humiliated.
@63
She has been dark for a while now so now I sorta startin to feel sorry for her.
____________________________________________
Why?
She has a multimillion dollar book deal and Murdock is most likely priming her for either a Fox program or to be a GOP puppet in 2012. In the meantime, a women lacking in education, knowledge, and as a governor who quit her job—-she will be making millions of dollars in speaking fees. Why are you feeling sorry for her?
Remember — Van Flien has to second Meg’s acceptance.
Yep, she’ll show because of the money and also Daddy Murdock will whip her a** if she doesn’t.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Send In The Clown!
I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Keep us posted, Akmuckraker!
36 0whole1 Says:
Of course, she could hire competent staffers, if her paranoia will allow for that. And the horse might talk.
Seriously. Sarah will never willingly surround herself with people who are smarter and more capable than she is. Her ego won’t allow it.
My guess, like most of yours is that she is being forced to study and work with competent Repug animal trainers, and accepts it only becasue she knows that she has to.
But her personal staff will remain dummies and incompetents. She needs that reassurance of her superiority.
LOL, first Palin got punk’d by that Canadian posing as Sarkozy, now she’s been punked again!
I hope Sean ISN’T laying any bets…..oops
Meg has been wrong before. I hope Sean is laying any bets on her say-so!
and if it turns out to be a prank, let’s hope she doesn’t do a Carrie on them 😉
Ok, she’ll be at this one
Posted by Alaska_Politics
Posted: September 1, 2009 – 1:52 pm
Comments (2) | Recommend (1)
From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage —
Sarah Palin’s spokeswoman, Meg Stapleton, says the former governor will indeed be speaking in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong-based brokerage firm CLSA said this week that Palin will be the keynote speaker at their annual investor’s conference this month.
But, given recent history, it seemed prudent to make sure Palin was actually on board.
Stapleton also confirmed reports that Palin has signed with the Washington Speakers Bureau to handle her paid speaking engagements.
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/143284
AKPetMom
She will either be a joke, or the next great hope for the GOP puppet masters.
Ah yes. My new name for Sarah. The Great Blight Hope.
She can run again as VP with Darth Vadar Chaney, who by 2010 will only be kept alive by his insurance paid pace maker. All Sarah needs to do is pull his plug and she’s the Pres.
No. Wait. Darth is already only being kept alive by his insurance paid pace maker. If I were him I’d stay away from some of the more ambitious RepoTaliban Pres wanna bees.
She has been dark for a while now so now I sorta startin to feel sorry for her. Just like GWBush was just a dumbo actor in his own bad play.
Nan, I’m sure they would genuinely love to have her. But only out of curiosity. And that’s her own fault.
I haven’t read a single comment yet because I don’t want to get off track. I will read them in just a minute, but wanted to get this out before I read the words “Can’t think of anyone more deserving” or words to that effect.
If it’s true, then I’m really uncomfortable with it.
To my mind, it’s one thing to be a couple of idiot radio pranksters pulling a fast one (the fake Sarkozy phone call). If CLSA has done anime to illustrate some of their research, ok. Seems goofy to me, but I bet it kept the target audience’s attention. Asking fortune tellers for thier suggestions, same deal.
But this is a lot more personal. This is like the captain of the football team asking the plain girl to the prom, then setting her up as Queen of the Fuglies once there. If SP is or has been dealing with “issues” then for this to be a “prank” would be the last thing she’d need.
I think what I’m saying is that a joke is one thing while public humiliation is utterly and totally something else.
Nan
LisanTx@ 49 –
I think we were both yelling ” nooooooOOO ” at the same time, reading about Palin and the Washington Speakers Bureau. What is the criteria for being on their roster?
Honesty in Gov ( forgot which number your post was!) Rachel isn’t “following” me on twitter so I don’t have a way to send her the info other than via MSNBC. dang! I think someone from DailyKos might be following tho. I’ll post it when it get over there again.
14 InJuneau Says:
September 1st, 2009 at 12:16 PM
nswfm CA–IF she shows up and then they don’t pay her, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that she sics Van Flea on them in a NY minute with threat of a lawsuit…
Apparently the organization is actually a legit bunch of really big investors. With a really bid sense of humor. So van Flea would be just that a flea.
Pay, and she’ll play.
Or pray.
I think the funny thing in all of this is that *any* organization at this point could claim that Sarah is going to show up at their event, and when she denies that she never committed people will be inclined to believe the prankster’s explanation rather than $P’s take on events.
In other words, she’s cried wolf a few too many times and has lost all credibility. Somehow despite all this I still think she’s going to show, even if her speech is going to be the ‘entertainment’ for the evening.
It is a little disturbing to think about an international business organization inviting Palin just for the purpose of enjoying her making a fool of herself. But then I remember the hubris it took for her to accept the VP invitation, clearly believing that she was actually worthy of it, and seeing the parallel here with Palin accepting an invitation to speak at a prestigious event completely out of her intellectual range, and again, due to that same unabated hubris that seems to prevent her from doing any realistic self-assessment, and I don’t feel bad for her at all. Her hubris led to her humiliation last year, and there has been no indication that she learned a thing from the experience. Maybe if enough of the world laughs at her ridiculousness, she will finally have to face up to the fact that all that laughter is not the result of an Obama plot against her.
Oh, wait – Obama has people in Hong Kong, too, doesn’t he … “MEG! I’ve got this figured out!”
It could be simple hedging. Just when I thought they could never be elected president, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and G. W. Bush highlighted my wishful thinking. Palin, having the least appealing qualities of the last two and none of the good qualities of the first one, promises to be riotously popular with the bottom-feeding two-thirds of Republicans and a big hit with Never-voted-in-my-life-but-Palin-is-like-me troglodytes.
Asian traders who look for any edge against a competitive USA might see considerable promise in the election of one such as Palin.
They deserve her.
Trisha
Either someone adjusted her meds,
I think that’s why she is in hiding. Her Repug handlers are trying to find her brain and connect to to her mouth somehow. (Maybe another Witch Doctor?)
But its been months and they apparently haven’t found it yet, so maybe they will give it up and let her self destruct.
maybe she did-http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/news/speaker_news.cfm?Id=320
There’s no content on her page but , the Washington Speakers Bureau is saying that Palin will be listing with them , exclusively :
http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/news/speaker_news.cfm?Id=320
Of course she will show up. An hour with hundreds of people focused on her and she gets paid big bucks.
Nooooooo,
http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/news/speaker_news.cfm?Id=320
Washington Speakers Bureau lists her name on their site now, but no content.
Nooooo; how can they do this? Oh yeah, money.
Just saw Shannyn’s HufPo article.
If I hadn’t grown up with Bible Belt guilt – I’d be praying for this.
If she now show’s will they pay her? Does her contract subtly acknowledge tht if it is a joke and the joke works, she will have earned her pay, show or no show?
Even if it’s not a joke and she finds out it might be, will she cancel, and THAT’s the joke?
If she shows up to speak with they sit there and listen? Will there be an audience if she shows?
Please, let somebody have Squawked this to Sarah so that her head’s about to explode with fury and What Ifs.
Is there Justice in this world?
‘The Political Carnival’ has the story up as well.
With a H/T to Mudflats and AKM.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2009/09/did-hong-kong-punk-palin.html
Buffalogal…. would a Tweet to Rachel through PalinTruthWatch be appropriate?
Daily Kos would surely run with it as well. Does Wonkette know…?
Sarah has not been added to this list.
http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/
A punking or not, I’ll bet she is more than a little paranoid about it now…
By the way, is she in confusion or seclusion?
One can only hope she is being punked. That would be the icing on the cake for this past year of her racist rhetoric.
tee hee!
ROFLMFAO!
I just checked the list on the Washington Speakers Bureau, and she isn’t listed.
I would really enjoy the hilarity that is Sarah Palin if I didn’t believe that she’s a souless narcissist capable of great evil. It scares me that I can actually envision a scenario in which she is a candidate for the presidency. I’m clinging to the hope that the Repub insiders who she crossed during the campaign probably despise her so much that they would sabotage her candidacy. I think about this way too much.
Oh boy, this is effin fantastic!
The only thing is that Palin admitted publicly tat she reads all of the Alaskan blogs.
So my dear, you let the cat out of the bag.
But it’s all good fun anyway.
Maybe she won’t believe your blog. She’s so freakin paranoid, maybe she’ll think YOU are the one punkin her.
LOL’s
Please, keep us updated.
*IF* she is being (expensively) punked, potentially we would not hear about it, because ‘no media allowed’ at the function…
On the other hand, if they want her punked and realize that she will have at least ONE if not more ghostwriters write her screech, then they could punk her another way: Change her topic at the last minute (like when she is in the air already), and have an open session before/after her screech, where she will have to stand up and give answers to unscripted questions…
We don’t know what amount of compensations was offered. All we heard was that B. Clinton got $250,000. This is why her attorney will have to verify any engagements, so the compensation will be strong. I did read somewhere that she is now listed with the Washington Speakers Bureau. That needs to be checked.
Well, I *HOPE* it is a joke. But if it is, it would be an EXPENSIVE one for them – supposedly 6-figure screeching fee as well as – you betcha also, too – a shopping spree in Hong Kong for as many ‘fakes’ as she can pack in.
(Of course, she does not know she has to declare everything over $400 she buys overseas – and no trying to cheat like she did with her declared ‘gifts’, where the ‘hundreds of unopened boxes’ turned into ‘a couple of T-shirts and bibles’, a jade bowl from the Ambassador of China turns into a glass bowl, etc – Customs agents know their goods!)
Heh-heh-heh. This made my day.
One supposes that public figures get pranked like this all the time. One also supposes that their staffs normally vet incoming invitations. $P’s staff failed the faux-Sarkozy, and they failed here with Wrong Kong. She doesn’t seem to can these people, so I can only assume — especially if this gets lots of play — she’s gonna get pranked A LOT in the next 2 years.
Of course, she could hire competent staffers, if her paranoia will allow for that. And the horse might talk.
I’ve been following that link all day, too. Hil-freakin’-larious!
Oh, AKM, you missed one of the options/excuses/reasons for her no-show!
And that’d be:
“Sorry, my lessons in how to speak HongKongish had to be cancelled because my instructor got Swine flu. Also, too. {head tilt and wink} But you can bet I’ll be there next year, and, alwo, too I’ll be the best darned HongKongese speaker money can buy. And, you betcha! {wink, wink}
beth.
I do think she will show up. Let’s not forget that Rupert Murdoch has connections to CLSA. He’s her puppet master – how else to explain her being incommunicado for this length of time? It takes money and organizing to get 85% of a book written in about a month and to keep her whereabouts unknown – not even a siting! And you can bet that if he has agreed to back her, then he’s going to get his money’s worth or she’ll definitely suffer for rebellion. It appears that her family are already suffering, if the reports of Todd and Willow living in Palmer are true. Yes – I surely do see Murdoch’s hand in this.
Someone will write the speech for her using little words and she’ll deliver them and then consider herself with enough gravitas to lead the free world — she is too dumb to know how dumb she is. However when you consider Bush was President for 8 years the precedent is established — the American public has elected stupid before – she’s hoping they do again.
She has been cruel and unrepentant of her cruetly toward many, many others. This feels like karma to me, biting her where it’s supposed to hurt. Too bad, so sad!
Look, she already knows she is being laughed at so if someone is willing to pay for her to go to Asia and then also pay a speaking fee and take the kids also because you really don’t know that this is a Ha Ha joke and even if it is I get paid.
@WakeUpAmerica.
I am sorry but I have no sympathy. She is probably a mentally ill woman, intent on dividing America. She is too dangerous to waste your time and sympathy on. Just look at what she has done to the health debate!
I say that Sarah is a real expert on economics. Let me list some examples of how she started with practically nothing and turned herself into a multi-million dollar enterprise (I hope that she has copyrighted her name and brand):
1. Showed up at the convention last year with an empty suitcase and left with $150,000. wardrobe.
2. Includes underwear for the kids and The First Dude
3. Started with an empty lot, awarded a contract for a sports complex that her town couldn’t afford and ended up with House Beautiful
4. Accuses people of insulting her or her family as a clever way to attract donations to PAC
5. Accuses people of filing ridiculous complaints against her as a clever way to attract donations to her Legal Defense Fund
6. Read some refrigerator magnets at a truck stop, jotted them down, quoted them in some tweets and now it’s going to be a million dollar best selling book
7. We haven’t even mentioned movie rights to that famous book
8. Husband has an expensive hobby, got corporate sponsors to give him (and the family) lovely gifts, included monogrammed jackets, more snow machines than he can ride in a week, and he didn’t even come in first this year. PS Do they keep the machines or sell them? IRS wants to know.
9. There really is no family soap opera despite all of the tabloid headlines. The stories and rumors are total fiction, but a wonderful way to keep her name in the headlines. Sure beats Michele Bachmann’s PR.
10. As she once remarked in regard to Andrew Halcro’s command of facts and figures, “It doesn’t matter.” Knowing about economics, globalization, energy, politics, you name it– it doesn’t matter as long as Sara looks good, winks, waves, and wears sexy shoes.
11. My own secret theory of how Sarah was chosen to be this year’s speaker is that the committee had the list down to a few names: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Carrie Prejean and Sarah. Somehow Sarah split the vote and narrowly won. As for the others, at least Britney can sing a little.
12. Sarah had better cash in quickly while she still has some celebrity and people want to pay money to look at her. It will fade as soon as people discover that she didn’t do much and has little to say.
I have to agree with WakeUpAmerica. It will be interesting to see where this goes…
DARN!!! Letterman Show is going on just about right now.
No time to write the jokes. ” THE Joke ” will still be around tomorrow… wherever $he is…. ” Where’s $arah? ”
Is we knew… could send her some Egg F. U. yung Take-out.
Much as I dislike her and stupid as I think she is, not to mention evil, I think punking someone like this (if true) is cruel. I won’t support that kind of cruelty no matter how deserving the victim is.
I always thought the ‘stop makin’ things up’ part of her speech almost seemed set up. Put it out there first so when silly rumors and ethics complaints come up in the media, she can shoot them down as silly rumors and media bias. If you mix in some obviously false (self made) rumors with what is real, it is easier to convince people that they are all just rumors and created by people out to get her. See? I am sitting here writing my book, minding my own business, and all this talk about Hong Kong is going on and the media is just makin this stuff up again. She is just a victim, again…
Of course she is being made fun of…Sarah Palin is the ultimate “ugly American”, complete with tabloid family. She represents everything that is wrong with American politicians today. I’m sure they started with Bush, and went down the line until they found someone ignorant enough to actually take up the offer…the list went from Bush, down to Cheney, Sanford, Vitter, Foley, Craig, till they finally got a taker…
Shannyn has it posted on the Huffpo as well. Got an email alert.
Funny had it showed up at about the same. THESE girls are in CAHOOTS I say!
{ and I LOVE it }
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannyn-moore/palin-punked_b_274244.html
She has “queenmakers” behind her now that will make certain that she stands and delivers at this event. Now that we know she has many hundreds of paid invites to do speeches this will be her test and there is no way that those that are grooming her now will let her fail.
In the off chance that she does fail, well, that will finally be her undoing.
Alas, she has not been physically “missing” for this last month for no reason. The puppet masters are pulling their strings and seeing what she might actually be able to accomplish for them. It’s certainly a test for her and a chance for those that back her to judge her mettle.
She will either be a joke, or the next great hope for the GOP puppet masters. It remains to be seen what the outcome is but I can’t help but think she’s been studying harder this last month than she ever did in college.
My head hurts!! My Pepsi came out of my nose when I read about this one. Ooo gotta catch my breath.
So she’s invited, gets paid a huge amount of money, pays somebody (a grad student would do) a handsome sum to write a speech, goes and delivers it (we know she can deliver a written speech well), and everybody’s happy except those who thought it was going to be a hoot. It’s not like your average politician is writing his own speeches. Of course she won’t take questions.
I don’t know which way to go on this one. Boodog is not a bad guess. We’ll see.
Maybe I need to invest with them afterall…is Tina Fey going to be there, too?
What is funny about this, is that her silence recently had me convinced that she had new, possibly competent handlers.
How naive I can be!
I think she will just say that she had no intention of going, and stop makin; things up!
nswfm CA–IF she shows up and then they don’t pay her, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that she sics Van Flea on them in a NY minute with threat of a lawsuit…
There is something both pathetic and heart breaking about this. Though, her massive ego keeps my normal sympathy in check.
I never even thought about why she woulf believe the President of France would call her.Thats a good one LOL
wow, this is going to be funnier than the Sarkozy prank. I do have to admit that I am a bit bothered by it. I hope the rest of the world has no doubt that only a small wingnut faction of Americans lend this piece of fluff any credibility. It could prove to be the most embarrassing moment of her life. Of course, I often wonder if she has the intellect to be embarrassed. Many people would have been so humiliated by the sarkozy debacle but she seemed to take it in stride.
BigPete yes he did and he still will not come out and admit he made such a huge mistake.
Priceless…. a perfect con….. appropriately fit for the ultimate con lady.
USA, Exporting our Laughingstocks Around the World.
We’re Givers!
BigPete, what if she shows up, and they stiff her for the money?
John McCain already “punked” all of us- choosing Palin as a VP candidate was also so ridiculous, that it’s absurdity couldn’t be accidental. So, this joke is starting to wear a little thin.
Besides, the joke’s on the Hong Kong dudes: if the grifter’s heart is set on a six figure speaking fee, she’s showing up, baby! (And no, she doesn’t embarrass easily).
Some of the other newspapers around the globe have covered this too and people are laughing their arses off that Palin was invited to speak. They are all saying, Huh?
This is a tough call. I think she would show…just because she is getting paid. However, I doubt that Palin thought that she was be punked (if that’s the case). I am sure that she thought she was being asked because she is somehow taken seriously.
Remember when she thought that Sarkozy was actually calling HER. Why? But, she is so full of herself, she actually believed that he President of France was calling a VP candidate.
The question is, will Palin hear about this? I just wonder if someone is keeping her from the “news”, “blogs”, etc. I can’t believe she is not twittering like a mad women at some of the latest Palin jokes.
Either someone adjusted her meds, or they are keeping her away from the internet.
Also interesting, the story in Politico yesterday said that Palin hasn’t committed to any speaking engagements yet. They said she has received over a thousand, but that info is coming from Palin’s camp, so take it with a grain of salt. I think they want everyone to believe she is in high demand. But, that came story came out on the same day that this group announced that Palin had committed to their event. Odd.
But, isn’t everything surrounding Palin just…..odd?
From the CLSA website about the Forum (which is “by invitation only”:
Palin will address CLSA clients and delegates in a keynote speech at the 16th CLSA Investors’ Forum to be held in Hong Kong from 21-25 September.
CLSA Chairman and CEO Jonathan Slone said: “As the first female governor of Alaska and the youngest person ever elected governor of that state, Palin has broken new ground in US politics and we are delighted that she will make her first visit to Asia to present at the CLSA Investors’ Forum.”
“CLSA consistently sets the benchmark for original and thought-provoking content, and aims to present global political and industry leaders whose policies and platforms have influenced global markets.”
Joining Palin, are more than 40 keynote and specialist speakers including Niall Ferguson, Harvard professor and author of the bestseller The Ascent of Money; Robert Fisk, Middle east correspondent for The Independent and one of the few Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden; Sir Ken Robinson author of The Element: How finding your passion changes everything; Satyajit Das author of Traders, Guns and Money; David Roche, economic and political analyst; and Marc Faber, investment contrarian and author of Tomorrow’s Gold.
I have been following that site all day. The comments are hilarious. It just might give Ms. Palin pause for thought! 🙂
I saw this earlier this morning but here’s what I don’t get. She’s been punked as in “Sure hope you can join us Governor so that we can hoot and hollar through your speech because we know you don’t have the faintest idea what you’re talking about but damn is it going to be fun?” Or punked as in “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, you couldn’t seriously believe that our prestigeous international investment firm would actually invite you to speak to us? You really believed that? Wow!! You are dumber than we thought. But please enjoy these lovely parting gifts.”
I need more information. (But it’s damn funny either way.)
The first one. AKM
If it were anyone else, I’d feel sorry for them, but not someone who has been as mean, underhanded, vicious and spiteful toward others as she has. Even then, I do feel one small twinge of “awwww, that’s gotta suck” for her.
I hope this is a joke on Palin. Would show her that she is being taken as just that by everyone except her little band of ‘groupies’.
This is HILARIOUS!