Palin For President in 2012!
One of the following two things is true, and I don’t know which frightens me more:
Possibility 1. Every member (except me) of every English-speaking media organization in the world belongs to a vast shadow conspiracy playing an elaborate and not-very-funny prank on my poor little non-paranoid self; or,
Possibility 2. Sarah Palin really truly is being discussed as a legitimate possibility to appear on the 2012 ballot as the Republican presidential nominee.
Of course the GOP has to have at least one person on the presidential ticket who isn’t a white male; I said so in September 2008, after the Democrats had nominated Black Male/White Male for their presidential/vice-presidential combo, and the Republicans countered with White Male/White Female: “Four years from now, if either major party decides to run Two White Males on its ticket this will be hailed as a major step backwards for America’s oppressed classes.”
So the GOP dare not do that; it needs someone not a white guy, and while it has a few such specimens they’re mostly loons of the Alan Keyes or Michelle Bachmann variety.
But Palin is even less suitable for the job. Her politics or beliefs aren’t even the reason; if you agree completely with her, there’s the little matter of her track record. She’s already held one elected executive position– governor of Alaska – and the second things got tough, she quit.
She quit. She handled the banquets and ribbon-cutting duties just fine, but once Alaska faced actual problems requiring effective leadership, she quit.
How can her handlers put this in a good light? “Sarah was honest enough to step down rather than tackle a problem far beyond her capability to process. But ‘President of the United States’ is a much easier job than ‘Governor of Alaska,’ so vote Palin for president! This time, maybe, she’ll see the job through.”
Possibility 1. Every member (except me) of every English-speaking media organization in the world belongs to a vast shadow conspiracy playing an elaborate and not-very-funny prank on my poor little non-paranoid self; or,
Possibility 2. Sarah Palin really truly is being discussed as a legitimate possibility to appear on the 2012 ballot as the Republican presidential nominee.
Of course the GOP has to have at least one person on the presidential ticket who isn’t a white male; I said so in September 2008, after the Democrats had nominated Black Male/White Male for their presidential/vice-presidential combo, and the Republicans countered with White Male/White Female: “Four years from now, if either major party decides to run Two White Males on its ticket this will be hailed as a major step backwards for America’s oppressed classes.”
So the GOP dare not do that; it needs someone not a white guy, and while it has a few such specimens they’re mostly loons of the Alan Keyes or Michelle Bachmann variety.
But Palin is even less suitable for the job. Her politics or beliefs aren’t even the reason; if you agree completely with her, there’s the little matter of her track record. She’s already held one elected executive position– governor of Alaska – and the second things got tough, she quit.
She quit. She handled the banquets and ribbon-cutting duties just fine, but once Alaska faced actual problems requiring effective leadership, she quit.
How can her handlers put this in a good light? “Sarah was honest enough to step down rather than tackle a problem far beyond her capability to process. But ‘President of the United States’ is a much easier job than ‘Governor of Alaska,’ so vote Palin for president! This time, maybe, she’ll see the job through.”
posted by Jennifer Abel at 4:15 PM
5 Comments:
Ok. Take a step back and think of it this way. The average American voter is a political idiot. They are incapable of forming thier own opinions so they simply parrot whatever opinions they are fed by a handful of leaders. All the major parties have to do is drop the names they want on the lips of every party memeber to those handful of people and suddenly there seems to be a grass roots effort to support someone to top their ticket.
Now you may ask, "why would the Republcians want to run an incompetant pair of boobs for the top office in the land?" Think of it this way. They don't want to win.
Winning means getting stuck with the check when the party of the last 60 years is over. They WANT a Democrat in office for the upcomming disaster. They want all the blame to fall on the Democrats heads for every political decision made over the last 60 years.
Now I think the Democrats are trying to do the same thing. Do you really think that Obama vs McCain was the best of the best of the best duking it out for the top seat? Both sides brought their worst forward hoping to LOSE. Why else would Obama be burning through political clout like a college freshman with his first credit card? He doesn't want to win the next time around.
Expect a bizare battle in 2012. It will be like watching the Special Olympics. Biden will be on the road gaffing in front of every open mic and Palin may even start having wardrobe malfunctions...
Comedians will have an easy couple of years.
Back before the 2008 election -- maybe even before the Obama v. Hillary question was settled -- I remember saying something like "Even if I wanted to be president, there's no way I'd want the job THIS year."
But I'm nowhere near convinced either party has motivations anywhere near so clever. I think they just don't care what happens to the country as a whole, so long as they're comfortable.
Think about it: if you were president, even if you were completely hopeless and ineffective and a one-termer, you'd still be set for life. However bad the economy might get, ex-presidents and ex-congressmen and ex-senators and their families are never the ones who end up in homeless shelters or Hoovervilles or food-stamp offices. They'll be all right no matter what happens.
Very true. But while it takes a certain type of idoit savant egomaniac to run for the big offices it takes a more Machivelian mind to control those egomaniacs. The big cigar types are thinking of the next twenty years of elections when they manipulate their stable of egomaniacs.
Can you honsetly say since 1990 either party has run what can be called their "best and brightest"? Clinton vs. Bush I? Clinton vs. DOLE!?! Gore vs. Bush II? Bush vs. Kerry?!? Obama vs. McCain? Now they are seriously floating the idea of running someone who is posbily WORSE than McCain for the office?
I really expect the Republicans to to run a Palin/Dead Dog ticket, just to make SURE they don't get blamed for the downfall of western civilization.
For twenty years following the Great Depression a Republican couldn't win the Presidency and the only reason they won in 52 was Ike managed TV better than Stevenson. They don't want a repeat of that again. Better to lose the fight and win the war.
I don't think he wants the job, but I think Bobby Jindal could be a decent candidate for Republicans.
If the sex and skin color of the candidates matter, the country deserves to go down in flames.
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