Palin Hurls Self Into Spotlight. Again.
First I wrote about her to inform people. Then I wrote about her because she was a hilarious political train wreck. Then I wrote about her because she annoyed me. Then I started writing about her because she really made me mad. Then I ignored her.
All of these actions shared the same unfortunate result. She did not go away. Well, she went away from Alaska, this is true. She said she did it for us. She’d be better able to work for Alaska from Outside, she said. Maybe while she’s out there, she can also find the “real killers.”
But leave us she did, and with even a worse governor than she was herself. Sure, she was a narcissist, and delusional, all about petty revenge and personal allegiances to the detriment of governance. And she kind of had a martyr complex. But at least she was a populist. At least she knew the oil companies were screwing us and tried to do something about it. At least she could work with Democrats.
The heir to the throne who’s in there now seems to actually dislike Alaskans, if you take trying to plunder the coffers of the state’s future to give billions a year of no-strings money to the wealthiest multinational corporations on earth, “disliking.” Oh, he knows the oil companies are screwing us too. But he is one of them – from his days as a lawyer on the wrong side of Exxon v. Baker, to his lobbyist days for ConocoPhillips, to his current lobbyist days in the governor’s mansion. At least you can give him points for consistency in his loyalties.
And as far as working with Democrats goes? Heck, he can’t even work with half of his own party. Sean Parnell has crawled into bed with the winners of the coup – the new Ron Paul/Tea Party owners of Alaska’s Republican Party. It’s some kind of bizarre Big Oil/Libertarian/Religious extremist alliance. They’ve each got an agenda, and it’s not the interest of the majority of Alaskans. He’s even got a “slush fund” to campaign against the Republicans who will work with Democrats. Bipartisanship is a dirty word in Sean Parnell’s book.
But I digress.
While her former Lt. Governor is running amok, dismantling the only good thing Palin ever did (the ACES oil tax system), she has undergone some kind of heinous, disfiguring, celebrity makeover – inside and out.
She’s hardly recognizable any more as the woman who, when she was governor, bragged about buying her clothes at a consignment store. She’s gone from trim and in shape to bag-o-bones chic. She’s been nipped and tucked, and coddled, and designer-clothed. She’s been managed, and told what to say, and she’s been deified by her ever-shrinking fan base.
Back in the day, her approval ratings as Alaska’s governor hovered around 90%. Think about that. It just doesn’t happen. Now, she’s somewhere in the 20s, I think. Alaskans, despite the reputation we now have in the Lower 48, thanks to the Palins, are a moderate people for the most part. The Sarah Palin you see now would never have been elected outside Wasilla city limits.
One would think she’d realize from her own plummeting popularity in Alaska, that bipartisan populism gains more respect from the masses than shrieking extremism. Her course makes it clear that she’d rather be worshipped by a few for a lot of cash, than appreciated by many but expected to show up at the office and work. That was never really her thing, anyway.
I think mostly I don’t write much about Sarah any more because it just makes me sad. She had potential, and an utter lack of the self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and mental stability to pull it off. Someone who carried with her the high hopes and aspirations of my state’s people has now become a reality TV joke at her best, and a divisive poster-girl for intolerance at her worst. She doesn’t make the world a better place. But she does make a hell of a carnival sideshow, and every day the nation stares goggle-eyed and thinks to itself – SHE could have been second in command. She could have broken ties in the senate. She would have been one gasping death rattle from President of the United States. Instead, she’s become the matriarch of a dysfunctional entertainment conglomerate, hawking her husband’s upcoming TV appearance, and her daughter’s reality show – which came after her TV show, and her daughter’s appearance on Dancing With the Stars.
Also this week, after a very public severing of ties between the admitted homophobic sandwich purveyors Chick-fil-A, and Jim Henson’s Muppets, the half-term governor of Alaska had to chime in.
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy stated his fast food chain was “guilty as charged” of supporting the “biblical definition of the family unit.” Presumably Mr. Cathy wasn’t talking about Biblical family units like Abijah who had fourteen wives, or Abraham who had a child with his servant Hagar at his wife’s behest, or Belshazzar who had “wives” AND a concubine. Or Gideon who had seventy sons, and however many wives that takes. Or King David who was loaded with wives AND concubines, and was “a man after God’s own heart.” (Acts 13:22) Not THAT Biblical definition of the family unit. The one that’s the same as Dan Cathy’s family unit.
Where did Sarah and Todd come down in the chicken wars? Did they side with the lovable plush creatures that teach tolerance, and patience, and kindness to children around the world, or did they side with the corporate chicken bigots? One guess.
And why? Because there was a spotlight pointed somewhere, and she wasn’t in it. At least she wasn’t in it until an “off the cuff” remark to her aide at a speech in Texas. They needed to make a stop on the way to the airport, she told him.
“We drive by a Chick-fil-A. We don’t have that in Alaska. Love me some Chick-fil-A. So we’ll go there, Jason, on the way, OK?”
“Love me some Chick-fil-A?”
No. Love you some attention.
Another tweet heard round the world was launched as Sarah sent out a picture of herself and Todd clutching bags of Chick-fil-a. And she’s giving a big bony thumbs up – just in case the meaning of the picture was lost on you. “Gay people don’t have the right to get married like me and Todd, and I’m going to spread the word of God by pimping fast food chicken.”
This week, Dick Cheney said her nomination was a “mistake.” She has yet to be invited to speak at the Republican convention. At some point, the folksy hometown “golly, we don’t have that in Alaska” meme won’t be believable any more. And the nips and tucks will become more frequent and less effective. And the children will start writing tell-all books. And the need to get headlines will become more desperate. And the extremist politics of the day will have worn themselves out with the inevitable swing of the political pendulum.
It can’t come too soon.
Thanks for passing this picture around. It’s gross. Silly too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jiZLFjbqDxQ here’s a video to watch, too funny, and Missy Quittypants had one of the leading roles.
Love your writing. You nailed it!
I rarely disagree with you, Jeanne, but I must this time on one specific point.
You say that Palin “had potential” but I believe that all of her bad qualities (which are far too numerous to list here) would have prevented her from really accomplishing much of anything beneficial to Alaska, and could have eventually caused her to hurt your state in the long run. She was far too concerned about HER own fame and fortune to truly give a rat’s patootie about what was good for Alaska and, when given a choice between helping AK and promoting herself, she’s have thrown the state under the bus so fast it would set speed records. Her inability to complete anything, combined with her lack of interest in anything that didn’t directly benefit her, would have resulted in her quitting even if McCain had not selected her as running mate.
She was simply incapable of running a small city, no less a state, and the longer she stayed in that position, the more harm I believe she would have ultimately done to AK. I will never forgive McCain’s campaign for propelling her onto the national stage and causing irreparable harm to our country, but I do believe he actually did Alaska a favor by revealing her incompetence and dangerous stupidity before she could do too much damage to your beautiful state.
That’s why I made sure to point out that although she had potential, she had “an utter lack of the self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and mental stability to pull it off.” 🙂
Jean,
Thank you for such a wonderful article, written from the heart, but shared by millions of real Americans!
I started reading your blog(and Celtic Diva) because my son spent that summer in the wilds of Alaska and I knew nothing about the state except what I learned in school.
I don’t think I would have been fooled by Palin for long, but I was prepared for my friends comments at parties about how wonderful Palin was and how it was great it was that women was a VP candidate.
I was prepared to refudiate!!!!
It didn’t take long for others to realize what a dud she was, but it could have been a near thing.
I always wonder if the Main Steam Media would have dug as deeply into palin’s past if the work had not been done for them by Alaskan bloggers.
So, thanks again. We all need to be ever vigilant and wary when the next sarah palin is rolled out by the republican party.
And Dick Cheney LOVES America so much it took him almost 4 years to decide palin was a mistake????
Good Lord, protect us from republicans!
Well written article. Thank you for sharing. I remember when Missy P became the glory running mate. Many of my acquaintances from around the world who knew I lived in Alaska asked me what I thought about her. I always asked “how honest do you want me to be?”. Many wound up regretting having said “totally”. lol
Now that I am living on Cyprus, I have been astounded to learn that her “fame” has expanded beyond the US. I even was asked about “the bridge to nowhere”. While I am at it, allow me to go on record saying how stunning and welcomed it is to see how respected and admired Obama is. Does my heart good.
Keep up the great work!
Because I had been to Alaska several times just prior to the 2008 election, I was often asked by people here in NY what I thought of Palin. My stock answer was that she was far more dangerous and incompetent than most people realized and that the thought of her being VP under an old man with serious health concerns absolutely terrified me.
Usually that was enough for people, but I was glad to offer more specifics if they were interested, along with a lot of information that very few people here on the East Coast were aware of (thank you Mudflats!). I know I convinced at least one of my colleagues to ultimately support Obama for President. Hopefully I caused a few more people to think twice before pulling the lever for McCain!
Bummer. Was hoping she was hurling herself off her Bridge to Nowhere.
I believe God made us all what we are. Having said that, this is hard one for me for me. No one has said that he discriminated in any way against gays. I believe in freedom of speech. All the owner has done is use his freedom of speech right. Some of my grandchildren have worked at Chick-fil-a and my daughter and son in law greatly appreciate that he is closed on Sunday, that they also believe is a family day. Maybe people should cut him some slack. Chrly
Cathy however donates very large sums of money to organizations who fight against gay rights. I do not care to give him my money to put to that purpose.
That’s why I won’t buy Domino pizza, or pick up a burger and Burger King, or go to Curves. They’re entitled to say what they will. I’m entitled to spend my money at places that support my worldview and political beliefs.
He has the right to donate his money however and to whatever cause he wants. But when he has made such hateful public statements and tied it in with his business the rest of us, who don’t agree with his “free speech”, have the right, and I would say the responsibility, to make our views clear by not patronizing his business. I don’t think we even have any of his restaurants in Washington state, but if we did, I would not be going there.
Mr. Cathy has a right to believe whatever he wants to. And to say what he believes.
However, when he uses money that has been made by his chick fil a restaurants, then he has to understand that people have a right and I believe, a responsibility, not to buy what he sells if they disagree with his bigotry.
Not only has he used his money to deny gays the rights that the rest of us take for granted, he has also supported organizations that promote ‘pray away the gay’ programs, which have been proven to cause great harm to those who are subjected to their practices.
I have also read stories about how his restaurants have, in fact, discriminated against gays and women. His company is now being sued by a woman in GA who claims she was fired because the manager of her store wanted her to be a ‘stay at home mother’.
He is perfectly welcome to proclaim his beliefs and to use his money how he chooses, but when those beliefs and that financial support (and his company policies) are used to actively and intentionally hurt others, the rest of us have the right to call him on it and boycott his business.
Free speech works both ways.
Please don’t feed the animals.
/WC
AKM, you put it all so well that I have nothing to add. To my mind, that photo I emailed you says it all (you know, the one you’re saving for a future open thread).
Thanks for the reminder! You’re up next Zyx! (But you got bumped by Brian today…) 😉
Zxy got bumped by Brian? Wow, that must have hurt.
Yup. I noticed Todd is the one with those breasts in his hands.
Sorry… I couldn’t resist. 😉
BTW: I had to get to Mudflats through Wickershams… What gives with the continual problems?
Sorry. New server, and transfer from temporary interim domain to the permanent home has caused issues…
It is being worked on, I assure you. Loading time, disappearing images, Facebook links and the forum. It’s one of those times we wish for the proverbial magic wand…
WC is glad to serve a useful role.
/WC
Last week I donated pretty much everything I owned to a family in need, I moved out of my apartment that I could no longer afford and have moved into a 10 by 10 room in the home currently occupied by my barking moonbat crazy stepfather who has allowed the house to turn into a nightmare example of an episode of “Hoarders”. The man breaks into military songs out of nowhere and will march through the house saluting and singing at the top of his lungs. I have $6 to my name, I can’t find the box that has my socks and underwear, I’m sleeping each night on an inflatable camping mattress that has a slow leak , the phone line in my little room has gone dead so I can’t get dsl and I have no idea where I put the bottle of wine that I brought with me this weekend.
But , hand to God , if I was given the chance right this minute to trade this situation for Palin’s life, I would run for the hills screaming , NOooooOOOooOO!!!!! For all her millions, “fame”, attention, houses, hobnobbing, etc. , the woman still has a hateful heart and a deep ugliness that makes me sick and sad. She is toxic, that one is. I hope someday someone can do that story justice and bring it all together in one place. It’s a cautionary tale, indeed.
PS: for those who followed my “Chronicles of the Grunk” awhile back, yes – the above mentioned crazy man is one and the same. The story lives on!!
I will think positive thoughts that this is a VERY temporary setback which will soon be turned around. I know it’s hard to find the silver lining in your particular supercell cloud, but when you reach the bottom, there’s no place to go but up.
In the meantime, your presence in your stepfather’s home, regardless of the emotional angst it may be causing you, is bound to rack up the Good Karma points for you.
Thanks Leenie ! But y’know, it’s pretty tough to rattle me. I’m “glass half full” and silver linings all the way. Plus, it’s great material for the book I will eventually have to write in the near future.
If you’re ever in this part of WNY, come on by and I’ll give you a tour of the House of Madness. It has to be seen to be believed !
Sarah and her whole dysfunctional family are a waste of tree-pulp. I sure will be glad when they implode.
And why she will continue to be the goddess of the Teabaggin’ Trash. The comments quoted below relate to drug-testing welfare recipients, but highlight the underlying mindset behind why certain Alaskans keep voting Republican again and again and again and will never quit adoring Palin:
[comments hoisted from ginandtacos essay, Moving Goalposts]
“I think we forgot one reason for drug-testing benefit recipients: the fact that non-benefit recipients LOVE the idea.
I can’t tell you how many stupid forwards I’ve gotten from friends, co-workers, and relatives (especially the in-laws) advocating for drug testing using language that basically boils down to euphamisms for “We good law-abiding white people have to be subjected to government oversight like laws and taxes and corporate control in the workplace, so those goddamn lazy poor black and brown people getting something for nothing should damn well have to be humiliated by peeing in cups in front of the authorities if they want to eat!””
————————————————-
“Drug testing for welfare recipients is a very popular policy among my unscientific anecdotal collection of working-class white relatives who always, always, always vote for the reactionary Republican on the grounds that everyone should be mistreated by the Man as badly as they are.
They love the idea, because they too are shuffling for the change in the couch at month’s end and made to submit to random, meaningless dehumanizing policies designed to strip them of their dignity and will to fight back by the end of the split shift. Their argument is, Why should someone on welfare have it better than I do?
And that right there is the problem.”
Okay, how does your site search work? Because I can’t get it to. I’d like to find the post done on Palin’s caribou shooting filming on her reality (Ha!) show. I think it was written by Nick Jans. can you direct me to it? Can I repost it on Facebook as an example of what a great gun woman she is (N’T)?
I see the search box has vanished for the moment. So sorry. Working on tech stuff today. I’ll post the link when I can get to it! 🙂
She’s just a nasty person. She absolutely loves picking on people that can’t defend themselves. Yet whenever she is in a microcosmic example, she cries blood libel, nails herself to a cross and goes on whining about how mean people are. Completely ignoring the fact that she is a truly rotten human being who gleefully picks on the downtrodden.
I hope she stays in the spotlight because if she keeps it up, I think we will all get to witness a very very public nervous breakdown that she brought entirely upon herself.
Noticed she wasn’t holding either bag of whatever you can order at that place. Prolly figured she get fat by touching the greasy bags. god it has to hurt for Snookie to find out her first amendment protections don’t actually protect her from criticisms. Her parents must have not gotten her that memo when she was doing whatever between the day she was born and what passes as maturity. I’d like to refer to her present life as that of a hooker-she gets paid to perform for men,but maybe she rilly is celibate. You know-sell a bit of herself here,a bit there. Not for me to say. Dick-I can get that word past the moderator here,not at the Sioux City Journal-Cheney said SS was not qualified to be veep and it must have been her brat that claims she is more qualified than the present Potus and veep combined. We live in a funny world,if everyone has a really twisted sense of humor. Could use more rain,thanks.