Sarah Palin

It’s Beat Sarah Palin Day!

Posted by on December 8, 2009 at 11:12 am. 2 Comments :

A little over a year ago Barack Obama was elected to the presidency of the United States of America. It was an historic event that made headlines around the world and will forever be remembered as milestone in American politics.

No one deserves more credit for this achievement David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager. He orchestrated a brilliant strategy that emphasized hope and change, and the result was a remarkable victory over both the entrenched Democratic Clinton dynasty and the wealthy Republican Grand Old Machine of Washington.

Now the winner of this contest has a book out that is competing with the second banana of the loser’s ticket. It is a contest that pits Sarah Palin’s book, “Going Rogue,” that was ghost written for her from the perspective of defeated candidate, and is chock full of the ideology that contributed to her defeat, against a book written by a modern master of politics with insight into the winning philosophy and strategy.

The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
David Plouffe, Audacity to Win

David Plouffe not only led the effort that put Barack Obama in the White House, but he also changed the face of politics forever and reenergized the idea of democracy itself. The Audacity to Win is his story of the groundbreaking achievement, taking readers inside the remarkable campaign that led to the election of the first African American president.

In this extraordinary book, David Plouffe unfolds one of the most important political stories of our time, one whose lessons are not limited to politics, but reach to the greatest heights of what we dream about for our country and ourselves.

For some reason, the loser is winning this book race. I’m not sure what this says about the America’s book consumers, but there is a disturbing message in there somewhere. Well, Plouffe is not taking it laying down. He has launched “Beat Sarah Palin Day,” an effort to sell more copies of his book, “The Audacity to Win,” in one day than Palin’s collection of fables and self-indulgence. This no easy task, as Palin’s disciples are motivated and hungry for more of her shallow platitudes and liberal bashing. Plouffe describes her book and his impression of her in the video below saying…

“Her book obviously talks about an agenda that was completely rejected November 4, 2008, by the American people, and I think would take us in the completely wrong direction. So the truth is, I hope her book tour goes on for a long time because I think having her out there, and her message, as the kind of opposing viewpoint to what the President is trying to do, could not be more helpful.”

I agree. Palin is the best thing to happen to Democrats in decades. Republicans like to demonstrate how popular she is by citing polls that show 60-70% of the GOP want her to run for president in 2012. I bet if they polled Democrats the number would be 100%.

Today is our opportunity to give Sarah a big smackdown. We can show that we are out here too, and we’re not buying her garbage. To be clear, the results of this contest don’t really have a great deal of meaning in the big picture. It is more for the fun of it. Book sales are not an accurate barometer of electoral strength. Just as right-wingers like to believe that Fox News’ ratings validate their superiority, the truth is that that is a poor gauge. It is always better to win at the ballot box than at the idiot box, which is what we did in 2006 and 2008, despite Fox’s ratings. And the same holds true for publishing. Especially when the rightist propaganda engine skews the numbers by purchasing tens of thousands of books that they give away or offer as premiums for joining their organizations or subscribing to their magazines.

So if you are interested in reading a true account of a brave campaign, today is the day to buy Plouffe’s book. If you are looking for a gift for family or friends, this would be an excellent choice. If you just want to stick it Palin and thumb your nose at the Tea Baggers lining up at Barnes & Noble, here is your chance. Plouffe says in the video that if you weren’t already planning to buy his book, that you shouldn’t do so for this event. But I disagree. If you’ve got $15.00 that you don’t need for rent, this is a great way to use it. Not only do you get an enlightening literary experience, you also get to poke Palin. And on top of that, $1.00 from every book sold today will be donated to child and adult literacy programs.

So now is the time to take up the challenge. Let’s BEAT SARAH PALIN today. And then every day thereafter. What could be more satisfying – and fun?

If You’re Afraid Of Fox News…

Posted by on November 24, 2009 at 1:26 pm. 6 Comments :

Conservative blowhards on Fox News and elsewhere have made a mantra out of taunting President Obama for avoiding Fox. They have repeatedly implied that if you’re afraid of Fox News how can you stand up to Iran or Al Qaeda.

Of course the answer is that no one is “afraid” of Fox. Choosing to refrain from submitting yourself to a disreputable tabloid that is overtly hostile to you and broadcasts more lies than truth is not fear, it’s common sense. Obama hasn’t accepted any interview requests from the National Enquirer or Rush Limbaugh’s fanzine either.

Yet no one on the right seems to be the least bit critical of Sarah Palin, whose current book tour has studiously avoided almost every national TV venue except for Fox. The non-Fox appearances were with notably entertainment focused hosts. So far she has visited with…

– Oprah Winfrey.
– Barbara Walters
– Sean Hannity
– Bill O’Reilly
– Greta Van Susteren

We can add Rush Limbaugh to that list and Gretchen Carlson of Fox & Fiends and, coming soon, Glenn Beck. This pattern of dodging all but the most friendly venues mirrors Palin’s behavior during the election season last year. She did not appear on a single Sunday news program for the duration of campaign, or since for that matter. She may be the most sheltered public figure in history.

Obviously she is afraid to encounter any questioner that has not been previously vetted and approved. Her handlers will not permit her to venture outside of her safety zone. This is all the more unusual considering that authors on book tours ordinarily crave attention and maximum exposure for the sake of book sales. But in Palin’s case, a decision has clearly been made to keep her cloistered amongst her congregation at Fox and well managed book signings.

One look at the photos on Palin’s Facebook page tell you something about her congregation. First of all, they are conspicuously white. I could not find a single face of color in the crowds. But one picture, more than all the others, truly illustrates Palin’s fan base:

The concerted effort to keep Palin circulating amongst devotees like this is paying off so far. She is selling boatloads of books and avoiding any unnecessary controversy. And despite shunning most of the media, they are still giving her plenty of press. That seems like a rather unfairly distributed arrangement. Perhaps it would be a better idea if they were to ignore her for as long as she ignores them. Why should the media serve as her PR agency when she treats them as if they don’t exist?

Sarah Palin may not be afraid of Fox News, but she is plainly afraid of everything else.

Fox News Calls It Quits And Will Cease Broadcasting

Posted by on November 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm. 2 Comments :

In a major announcement that will rattle the foundation of cable news, Fox News has announced that they are closing up shop and will end all broadcasting activities in the near future. The memo from Fox management that went out today was somewhat ambiguous as to timing, but the message was clear:

The specific language in the internal memo referenced the recent spate of “errors” made by presenters and production staff. These errors, which many believe were intentional, include airing videos of rallies with Tea Baggers and Sarah Palin that gave false impressions of attendance. Therefore, Fox announced a new “zero tolerance” policy for mistakes. The practical effect of such a policy, however, is to go dark. Given the voluminous quantity of mistakes and misstatements that are part and parcel of the culture of Fox News, it would be too costly and time consuming to keep up with the corrections.

Here is an example of the sloppy production work by Fox employees. It features a discussion of Sarah Palin’s new book, “Going Rogue” but displays a picture of a book critical of Palin called “Going Rouge.”

It’s too bad they didn’t use this version of Palin’s book:
“Going Reggae.”

Sarah Palin Going Reggae

The plan, according to the memo, is for Fox to scale down prior to signing off: And employees who fall short in the interim face serious repurcussions:

“[E]ffective immediately, Newsroom is going to “zero base” our newscast production. That means we will start by going to air with only the most essential, basic, and manageable elements.”

“Mistakes by any member of the show team that end up on air may result in immediate disciplinary action against those who played significant roles in the “mistake chain,” and those who supervise them. That may include warning letters to personnel files, suspensions, and other possible actions up to and including termination.”

In the event that Fox executives reconsider this decision, they will have their work cut out for them. Media Matters has documented many more Fox flubs. On the upside, without Fox promoting fringe characters like Palin and Glenn Beck, the Republican Party may recover from their association with the asylum crowd and the extremists who populate the rightist network.

Sarah Palin: Quitting Rogue, Hardly An American Life

Posted by on November 20, 2009 at 1:59 pm. 2 Comments :

Sarah Palin’s book tour is sweeping across the nation. Thousands of Tea Baggers are enduring long lines and inclement weather for a chance to see their new heroine and get her signature on the book that was ghost written for her. However, not all of these appearances are going as planned. In Indiana, Palin left her supporters in the lurch. People who had purchased books and were issued wristbands assuring them a signature, ended up booing her and protesting as she departed. They should not have been surprised. One thing Palin is known for is quitting before her job is done.
—
This just in: Palin apologizes to Indiana fans:

I’ve been told that yesterday there were supporters in Noblesville who stood in long lines for hours in the cold and rain, and the book signing event ended without a chance to say hello to everyone who showed up. I am so sorry. We are working on a solution for those who were left behind. I apologize.

A solution for those left behind? I thought they were doomed.
—
The cover of Palin’s book says more about her than the 400 pages inside. The decision to title it “Going Rogue” could not be more revealing. First of all, let’s take a look at what “rogue” means:

  1. A dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
  2. A playfully mischievous person; scamp: The youngest boys are little rogues.
  3. A tramp or vagabond.

Furthermore, the colloquially meaning of “going rogue” usually refers to an animal (elephant; GOP?) with an abnormally savage or unpredictable disposition. It may also refer to a person who is uncontrollable or out of the mainstream. Are these really the sort of positive representations that Palin intended?

It is also notable that the subtitle of her book is no more original on her part than the ghost written talking points and fabrications in the interior. I found fifteen other books subtitled “An American Life.”

This is an interesting congregation: Ben Franklin, Oral Roberts, Ronald Reagan, D.W. Griffith, Burt Lancaster, Martha Washington, Joe Papp, Andrew Mellon, Jeb Magruder, Condoleezza Rice, Sinclair Lewis, Jesse Owens, Ben Hogan, Daniel Boone, and (Friend Of The Devil) Jerry Garcia.

In that company, Palin seems a slight bit diminished. How exactly does serving half a term as governor and deep-sixing a presidential campaign translate into American icon status? For good or ill, everyone else listed above has undertaken something for which they will be remembered. I still can’t think of anything Palin has done that would be worth recalling – except for her contribution to the career of Tina Fey and other comedians. For that reason alone I am fervently hoping she runs in 2012, and taps Glenn Beck or Michael Steele as her number two.

The Tea Party Nation Is Revolting

Posted by on November 19, 2009 at 3:55 pm. 2 Comments :

This just in: The Tea Party Nation will be holding their first convention in Nashville, TN, this coming February. This AstroTurf gathering of Baggers should prove to be a lively affair with panels on how to disrupt town hall meetings, forums on the similarities between President Obama and Hitler, workshops on promoting fake issues to protest, and media tutorials led by Fox News anchors.

“The convention is aimed at bringing the Tea Party Movement leaders together from around the nation for the purpose of networking and supporting the movements’ multiple organizations principle goals.”

As a special treat, Sarah Palin has just been announced as their keynote speaker. That should bring the Baggers out in force. The Tea Bagging will be televised. The Baggers are indeed revolting (have you ever eaten with one of them?). And what could be more exciting than to spend three days with these folks:

The Tea Bagger contingent will provide plenty of opportunity to learn about the many important issues facing the nation. And who better than these motivated and engaged citizens who represent the best of the right-wing and the Republican Party. This is, after all, the party for which it has just been revealed that a majority don’t believe that President Obama was legitimately elected. A new PPP poll asked the question:

“Do you think that Barack Obama legitimately won the Presidential election last year, or do you think that ACORN stole it for him?”

Amongst Republicans only 27% say Obama actually won the race, with 52% – an outright majority – saying that ACORN stole it. That would mean that ACORN would have stuffed about 10 million ballots. But the Tea Party Nationalists have no more problem accepting such nonsense than they do doubts that the President is an American citizen, or that “death panels” exist in the health care bill, or that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, or that Marxists are running loose in the halls of the White House.

All of this insures that the first ever conference of Tea Baggers should be a real hoot. Boy, I wish I could be there.

Now We Know What Sarah Palin Reads

Posted by on November 19, 2009 at 2:54 am. 1 Comments :

Last year, Sarah Palin famously flubbed a softball from Katie Couric. It’s actually not even precise to call it a softball. It was more of a floating feather on a windless day. Couric simply asked Palin what she reads. That was the question that Palin was incapable of responding to coherently.

Now, a year later, the mystery is solved. Palin was interviewed by Sean Hannity yesterday. Hannity came prepared with a bushel full of feathers to lob at Palin, but thanks to his crackerjack investigative skills, he managed to extract a truly newsworthy revelation:

Palin: I read Newsmax and the Frontiersman and the Wall Street Journal and everything online. I absorb the news via many, many sources.

She would have to absorb the news like a ShamWow in order to read “everything” online. However, she does do a good impersonation of the ShamWow pitchman by mentioning first the magazine, Newsmax. Her book, Going Rogue, is currently being peddled by Newsmax as bait to lure subscribers. I’m sure they appreciate the plug. The other two publications she reads are her hometown Wasilla rag and Rupert Murdoch’s financial paper. Need I remind you that Palin’s book is published by Murdoch’s HarperCollins?

This is the woman that virtually every conservative pundit is describing as the terror of liberals and Democrats. They are mostly echoing the sentiments of Bill O’Reilly whose Talking Points yesterday were devoted to “Why the Left Fears Sarah Palin.” The only problem is, I can’t find anyone on the left who is afraid of Sarah Palin. To the contrary, she is a great source of amusement to all the lefties I know. If anyone is afraid of Palin, I think it is the Republican Party. A recent CBS poll shows that only 43% of Republicans think Palin is qualified to be president. And 48% don’t even want her to run (more than the 44% who do). And that’s just Republicans.

In my highly unscientific poll of liberals I know personally, 100% are praying for her to run and win the Republican nomination. They’re not fearful, they’re giddy.

For the record: The DNC has conveniently complied a list of errors and falsehoods in Palin’s book, “Going Rogue.”

The Newsmax Dream Ticket: Palin/Beck

Posted by on November 17, 2009 at 7:00 pm. 4 Comments :

This is just too delicious not to pass on. The uber-rightist magazine/web site, Newsmax, has been flapping hard for Sarah Palin since she fell from her nest in Alaska and took wing. They are presently hawking her new book as a free premium with a one year year subscription to their magazine. And if you don’t want a subscription, you can still buy the book for $4.95, a $25.00 discount from the retail price. Shipping and handling is $5.95, a dollar more than the book itself.

But here’s the fun part, Newsmax asked Palin about her future plans and specifically inquired as to whether she would entertain the idea of running on a ticket with Glenn Beck. They described it as their “dream ticket.” Palin’s response:

“I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I’m not there yet,” Palin tells Newsmax. “But Glenn Beck I have great respect for. He’s a hoot. He gets his message across in such a clever way. And he’s so bold – I have to respect that. He calls it like he sees it, and he’s very, very, very effective.”

That’s the dream ticket for NewsMax: Hockey Mom/Hoot 2012. I think it may be my dream ticket too.

Comparing Sarah Palin To Howard Dean

Posted by on November 17, 2009 at 11:43 am. 1 Comments :

Yesterday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Time Magazine editor-at-large and senior political analyst, Mark Halperin sought to make a comparison between Sarah Palin and Howard Dean. Commendably, the show’s co-hosts would have none of it. Mika Brzezinski said flatly that it was “not the same.” Joe Scarborough went even further:

Joe Scarborough: “It is such a disservice to compare Sarah Palin, in any aspect to Howard Dean. Yes, because that is an insult to Howard Dean’s intelligence.”

Fox Nation and other rightist webizens are aghast at Scarborough’s slap at Palin. But do you think they ever bothered to actually compare the two?

Sarah Palin: Howard Dean
Attended four universities before attaining a degree in journalism. Earned a BA in political science at Yale and medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Miss Wassila and third runner up in the Miss Alaska pageant. Stock broker on Wall Street.
Brief stint as a sportscaster for local Anchorage TV. Practiced family medicine in Vermont.
Served two-terms as Mayor of Wassila, AK. Elected to the Vermont House of Representatives and later, lieutenant governor.
Quit half way through her first term as Governor of Alaska. Served six terms as Governor of Vermont.
Selected by John McCain as VP candidate. Ran for the nomination of the Democratic Party for President.
Went Rogue. Was elected to chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.

The similarities are mind-boggling. Scarborough was quite right to admonish Halperin for his simplistic and incorrect analysis. But the bigger issue here is how someone like Halperin can be accorded the respect and authority of an editor’s role at Time Magazine. Exactly how low are their standards?

Glenn Beck / Sarah Palin Book Publishing SNAFU

Posted by on October 3, 2009 at 11:57 am. 13 Comments :

In examining the artwork on the covers of the new books by Glenn Beck (Arguing With Idiots) and Sarah Palin (Going Rogue), I discovered what may be a monumental error on the part of the publishers:

It is obvious that Glenn Beck is the reigning “rogue” in contemporary media. He his so far out of the mainstream of rational thought that even other conservatives are distancing themselves from him. Even worse, they are coming right out and labeling him as extreme, crazy, and harmful to their agenda.

Likewise, who is a bigger “idiot” than Sarah Palin? She crumbled under the withering inquisition of notorious bulldog, Katie Couric. She flunked out as governor of Alaska, leaving the post 18 months before her term expired. Her lack of comprehension of everything from taxes to health care to the Constitution, puts her squarely in the remedial class of American politicians.

The possibility exists that the book covers are correct as they are. After all, Palin is just as aberrant as Beck, and Beck is no smarter than Palin. So in truth, the covers work either way. Maybe, therefore, I’m jumping the gun on this blunder. But the appearance of an inadvertent switch is just too great to ignore.

So let’s leave it at this: I report – you decide.

The Cult Of Foxonality™ Part II

Posted by on September 4, 2009 at 4:59 pm. 10 Comments :

A little over two years ago I wrote an article titled, The Cult Of Foxonality™. It’s premise was that…

“Fox viewers appear to be more loyal to Fox than to Republicans or conservatism. This misdirected allegiance bestows a far more influential authority onto a media entity than ought ever to be considered. It suggests that the bombastic demagogues that Fox has shaped into celebrity anchors truly do weigh down their transfixed disciples.”

That piece employed an analysis of ratings and viewer habits at the time that confirmed that Fox News viewers were wedded to their cable hearth and would not be moved. Subsequent events reinforced the theory. For instance, prior to the election, a Rasmussen poll reported that nine out of ten Fox News viewers intended to vote for John McCain. That’s a higher percentage of McCain voters than amongst Republicans.

Recently, Fox News has been building on their ratings dominance. In an attempt to understand why Fox would be increasing their audience at a time when Republicans are reaching new lows, I revisited the cult hypothesis. No other model adequately explains the stark divergence of the fates of Fox News and the Republican Party.

Looking at the current cable news landscape, there is an obvious separation of the primary players. Fox News is far and away the leader. MSNBC is the spunky challenger that has recently overtaken the old master, CNN. It would be easy to assign labels that reflect the partisan programming philosophy of these networks. However, in truth, there is only one truly partisan network among them.

Fox News’ success is firmly rooted in its primetime lineup. With Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Greta Van Susteren all easily winning their time periods. Add to that Glenn Beck’s arrival that has put him in competition with perennial leader O’Reilly. But it doesn’t stop there.

Fox’s business anchor (and head of their business network) is Neil Cavuto, an aggressively conservative advocate for right-wing viewpoints. Fox’s Washington editor is the blatantly partisan Bill Sammon. The White House correspondent is the equally biased Major Garrett. The Fox morning program is an almost laughable cliche of wingnut dunces.

Compare that to MSNBC’s schedule that consists of only two reliable liberals. Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. [Edit: Add Ed Schultz] Chris Matthews swings both ways and is close buddies with folks like Tom Delay and Rudy Giuliani. Their morning program is three hours hosted by the conservative Republican, former congressman, Joe Scarborough. (Can you imagine Fox News giving three daily hours of airtime to a liberal Democrat?) CNN has become devoid of any personality at all. Their leading figures are null types like Larry King and Anderson Cooper. Although Lou Dobbs does stand out a bit.

So here is the interesting part. Glenn Beck was on CNN just a few months ago with nowhere near the audience he has today on Fox. CNN’s Dobbs, and MSNBC’s Scarborough are as conservative as anyone on Fox, but they can’t duplicate those numbers. What this tells us is that cable news success has little to do with partisanship. If it did, Dobbs and Scarborough would be doing Fox-like business, and Beck would not have had to move to Fox to find an audience. But he did have to move. Because Fox viewers, despite their obvious idolization of him now, were not going to go to CNN to see him. And it wasn’t because they didn’t know who he was. He was already the third biggest star on talk radio.

Therefore, the key to the popularity of Fox is that it is Fox. Their viewers are not interested in programs that feature the same ideology if presented on other networks. CNN could hire Sarah Palin and she would flop. But not on Fox. In fact, I would wager that if Dobbs and/or Scarborough shifted to Fox, everyone would be astonished at their newfound popularity.

Fox is the home of the forlorn, conservative, tea bagging, town howler. They have found their happy place, and they have no intention of moving from it. It is what gives them solace in a time when liberals (or socialists/fascists) have taken over the House, the Senate, and even put a dark-skinned, Muslim, illegal alien in the White House. They need the camaraderie. They need the affirmation. They need the reassurance that the world isn’t crumbling beneath them (or in Beck’s case, that it is). They are even marketing the Fox Nation web site with the undisguised message of a promise of togetherness.

It’s just so sad. I think I’m gonna cry. But that would be Glenn Beck’s shtick.