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September 1, 2008
Billmon: Shark Bait

At that point, the media pack is going to be ravenous for fresh political meat, and I doubt gnawing the old bones of Rev. Wright’s sermons or Joe Biden’s old speeches will be enough to sate the hunger impulses in those tiny, shark-like brains.

In other words, the McCain camp better come up with some fresh slices of Obama slander PDQ, or Alaskan mooseburger could be replaced on the media menu by Alaskan Hockey Mom – delicately roasted over the coals of her small-town, family-friendly brand of GOP corruption.
…
Palin is supposed to be a passionate fisherwoman. But if this story catches on as I think it might – emphasis on the might — she’s be about to find out what it feels like to be the fish – or even worse: the chum.

Billmon: Shark Bait

Billmon updates:

If I had graphics capabilities here, I’d photoshop Palin into that Jaws poster: The one of the girl swimming in the water while the shark noses up from underneath.

b adds:

I’ve chosen a different poster but it is still Jaws.


(or this one)

Posted by b on September 1, 2008 at 05:59 UTC | Permalink
Comments

It looks like she (mis)used the power of her office while she was a mayor:
http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/510219.html
In 1997, Palin almost got recalled as mayor of Wasilla.
“Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin fired the city’s police chief and the library director without warning Thursday, accusing them of not fully supporting her efforts to govern. Irl Stambaugh and Mary Ellen Emmons said letters signed by Palin were dropped on their desks Thursday afternoon telling them their jobs were over as of Feb. 13 and that they no longer needed to report to work.
“Not fully supporting her efforts to govern” seems to have meant, “supporting her opponent, John Stein, in the 1996 election.”
This led Police Chief Stambaugh to sue for breach of contract.
Three years later (via March 2nd, 2000’s AP State and Local Wire), a federal judge ruled in favor of Palin. Not that she fired him for an ethical reason, though.
No, his ruling was that Alaska state law allows mayors to fire the chief of police for whatever reason he or she wanted.
But Singleton said that under state law, police chiefs serve at the behest of the mayor unless otherwise specified by city ordinance. Stein, the former mayor, had worked out an agreement with Stambaugh forbidding termination without cause, but the city council never voted on it, Singleton ruled.
So, essentially, Sarah Palin put personal loyalty over the safety of the people of Wasilla, Alaska and got away with it.”

Posted by: susan | Sep 1 2008 6:47 utc | 1

“Remember, Alaska’s the closest part of our continent to Russia, so it’s not as if she doesn’t understand what’s at stake here.”
— Cindy McCain, on Palin’s lack of national security experience
You’re right, those folks at “The Onion” have a hard job coming up with satire that outdoes reality…

Posted by: ralphieboy | Sep 1 2008 7:32 utc | 2

She seems like a good match for a lawless RNC, what’s the problem? Points against them can end up helping them, spin in the face of controversy gets voters split along two lines of understanding, and gets the base riled up. That is kind of neither here nor there though, I mean really, they just can’t help themselves, they just love power. Lawlessness abounds in the GW Bush era.

Posted by: aumana | Sep 1 2008 8:00 utc | 3

nice touch w/the photoshop b.

Posted by: annie | Sep 1 2008 8:09 utc | 4

This VP pick is indeed something right out of The Onion. A MILF, for VP??? Is this supposed to get all the bubbas fired up? What are these people thinking?

Posted by: mikefromtexas | Sep 1 2008 9:47 utc | 5

thanks annie – didn’t had any time to clean up the cuts. Notice the hand position …

Posted by: b | Sep 1 2008 10:15 utc | 6

Besides any dark plots (?), what these ppl were thinking, was: follow the rule of thumb. Which stipulates that the co-runner (adjunct, vice, etc.) should have the opposite or complementary characteristics to the top slot honcho. In the US, that applies to a mix of both personal characteristics and policy positions, but mostly personal.
Particularly vital in this election where the mold of only the old white guard being eligible has been broken, for ever.
So McC ideally needed : a woman – someone young and fit – someone fresh, not too experience, not shop worn – someone who would appeal to the fundies. A black person would have been considered out of the question. So that turned up Palin.
Remember, it’s a soap opera. There has been suspense about a character waiting in the wings (Obama had to choose someone conventional, and did, nobody was surprised) – now the person has finally arrived (in real life, she would have been absent from the set and the plot because of having a baby or being in detox), some conflicts are supposed to erupt!

Posted by: Tangerine | Sep 1 2008 11:10 utc | 7

>…. not too experienced.

Posted by: Tangerine | Sep 1 2008 11:14 utc | 8

Apparently, the utter lack of vetting in Palin’s case was because any amount of vetting way off in rural Alaska would have alerted the national media. They would have considered her fresh chum from the moment her name appeared on McCain’s short list, so his crew took Sarah’s own word for her good name, and record.
Apparently, McCain was not, and is not behind this choice. His campaign advisors — those we know about, and those who advise from the shadows — concocted and pushed through this Palin stagecraft. They are going to direct it in various ways for the next 65 days, according to how the public responds. If her candidacy goes due south, they have a plan for that as well, which is for her to cry like a girl, and withdraw for personal reasons, leaving the white men to once again shoulder the eternal burden of governance, poor bastards.
Apparently, the majority of the public is in the mood for a serious, an accountable Executive. Someone who can actually steer the economy and the country, instead of skidding through the manure year after year. She doesn’t fit that mold, and that public response is the measure that will sink her.
Apparently, Sarah is a militia brat, into the Alaska Independence movement. That’s what that AK-47 of hers is for — getting rid of the Federal government.
Apparently, Sarah is of the extreme Joel’s Army persuasion of Pentecostals. She is among the chosen the ones who inwardly see themselves as “little Gods” on Earth, charged with doing whatever it takes to conquer the planet for God, so He will come back. That’s why she feels perfectly comfortable crossing man’s laws at will, in God’s service. What does it matter if she lies, or fires ten thousand government officials or officers? If it will bring God back, anything goes.
This will get interesting before it gets old.

Posted by: Antifa | Sep 1 2008 11:55 utc | 9

“which is for her to cry like a girl, and withdraw for personal reasons, leaving the white men to once again shoulder the eternal burden of governance, poor bastards.”
And this will go very well with the women, even a lot of right-wing ones. /snark

Posted by: CluelessJoe | Sep 1 2008 12:07 utc | 10

Written by Chris Floyd
Saturday, 30 August 2008
John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin seems to have thrown the media-political-blogospherical establishments into a tizzy. It’s hard to see why. Sure, Cleese would have been better than Palin — more gravitas, louder voice. And of course, the late, lamented Graham Chapman would make a better president than any of the four ticket-toppers of the two major parties. I mean, even now he would be better, despite being dead and British and all.
But I must say that I strongly disagree with the argument that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be president of the United States. Such a stance betrays a lamentable misperception of the true function of the office in these modern times. It also ignores the craven nature of our political and media establishments, which has been on such brazen display for lo these many years.
First of all, what do you think would happen in the not-unlikely-event that an aged, ailing President McCain either died or became incapacitated? The very instant that Palin assumed the presidency, the aforesaid establishments would surround her with an aura of substance, seriousness, and respect. She would become…”The President”…her title invoked with the same frisson of pleasurable self-abnegation that accompanied every utterance of the holy phrase on “The West Wing.” The media would find hidden reservoirs of charisma and command suddenly coming to light. We would hear stories of her folksy charm, her steely resolve, her self-deprecating wit, her surprising grasp of complex issues.
It doesn’t matter what kind of poltroon parks his or her butt in the Oval Office, or how they get in there; they will be presented to the people as a figure of moral authority and gravitas — and be accepted as such by large swathes of the public. How can anyone have lived through the presidency of an utter non-entity like George W. Bush — not to mention the presidencies of the fourth-rate aristo George H.W. Bush or the literally brain-corroded Ronald Reagan — and not know this? As Shakespeare told us long ago in King Lear: “Behold the great image of authority; a dog’s obeyed in office.”

Posted by: DM | Sep 1 2008 13:35 utc | 11

It doesn’t matter what kind of poltroon parks his or her butt in the Oval Office, or how they get in there…

Umn, yes, as long as they are Repugnant

Posted by: Chuck Cliff | Sep 1 2008 14:55 utc | 12

VPILF

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Sep 1 2008 15:24 utc | 13

Sarah’s a patsy, just like John. You could put them both in the picture because the GOP has ‘chummed’ them both.

Posted by: waldo | Sep 1 2008 15:37 utc | 14

http://www.moonofalabama.org = http://www.thesuperficial.com

Posted by: Oxbridge and Harvale | Sep 1 2008 16:08 utc | 15

yeah, commenting about the woman who could ascend to the presidency is really superficial. go troll somewhere else. whoever you are you’re wasting perfectly decent oxygen by breathing it.

Posted by: Lizard | Sep 1 2008 16:19 utc | 16

@Cloned Poster – VPILF? I had thought better of you … 😉

Posted by: b | Sep 1 2008 16:21 utc | 17

I think Waldo has it correct. Rove, and Company, screwed McCain once, and I think he’s being set up again. What a Maroon. Those who know him, and don’t have any vested interest him, or aren’t his delusional friends, will tell you this guy’s a complete idiot. The Admiral’s son. Yet another one with a privileged pass through life.
How come Billmon doesn’t mention a thing about MommyGate? Instead, he focused on the obscure, unsensational story that will bore the viewers to sleep and only be of interest to the talking heads. Has Billmon always had a knack for ignoring the Elephant in The Room. MommyGate is huge, if true, and will bring McCain and his campaign crashing down, as I believe is the plan.
We’ll see, I may be wrong, but if I’m not, we will know for certain that Obama is the annointed one, and his faux symbolism won’t be worth a Capital Hill of beans in several years, but Annie can sit back quietly, as she watches two suns set on the horizon and know that she will soon die fulfilled because at least America finally elected a black president.

Posted by: Emerson | Sep 1 2008 16:24 utc | 18

VPILF.com

Posted by: dan of steele | Sep 1 2008 16:31 utc | 19

@Antifa,
That’s a great lot of apparentlies. The first one rings true, but the others beg for dox. The sooner the better, before the scrubbing of Palin’s history is complete. The Alaska Independence Party (akip.org) sound like a bunch of grumpy old libertarians, but I didn’t catch any whiff of militia. Their guestbook is a hoot, however, and includes testimonials from the Moorish Orthodox Church, New Jersey Diocese (!) and the usual neo-confederates.
We need dox *stat*!

Posted by: bjacques | Sep 1 2008 16:36 utc | 20

18:35 CET
Breaking on Sky News: Sarah Palin’s 17 year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant.
Back to covering Gustav.
What? Preggers, again?

Posted by: Hamburger | Sep 1 2008 16:39 utc | 21

Palin’s 17-year-old daughter pregnant

ST. PAUL (CNN) – Bristol Palin, the 17 year old daughter of Sarah Palin, is pregnant and will keep the baby and marry the father, a senior McCain aide confirmed to CNN Monday.
…
Bristol Palin, a senior in high school, is about 5 months along, in her second trimester, according to the aide.
The aide said they decided to reveal this information now because of rampant Internet rumors that Sarah Palin’s four month old baby, who has Down’s Syndrome, was actually Bristol’s.
“In the course of correcting that, we needed to get the truth out,” said the McCain aide.

evangelical, homeschooled in sex-ed, no access to birth control (it’s evil), forced marriage after a one night stand … The media sharks will have a lot of fun with this. There goes the female vote for McCain/Palin

Posted by: b | Sep 1 2008 16:51 utc | 22

The Palins have asked the press to please respect the privacy of their daughter, and son-in-law to be. They have made this announcement to dispel the vicious rumors being spread around Liberal blogs that Trig is not Sarah’s son. Bristol is said to be about five months pregnant.
This just keeps getting deeper.

Posted by: Thoreau | Sep 1 2008 16:54 utc | 23

welcome to the terrordome

Posted by: Lizard | Sep 1 2008 16:59 utc | 24

The aide said they decided to reveal this information now because of rampant Internet rumors that Sarah Palin’s four month old baby, who has Down’s Syndrome, was actually Bristol’s.
So to put this out now was to dispel a rumor. If that rumor had not been then when would they have put this out? Next month? Next year?
It is political important as Palin is an “abstinence only” type and the idiocy of that proven in her own family is certainly a political argument.

Posted by: b | Sep 1 2008 17:05 utc | 25

Now it would be cruel and inhumane to subject a poor pregnant girl to an investigation of a faked previous pregnandy? This story is taking a spin that makes me dizzy at the moment…

Posted by: ralphieboy | Sep 1 2008 17:30 utc | 26

Two babies, great! (as surmised in the other thread.)
————————-
Palin:
My son being in a striker brigade in the army has really opened my eyes to international events, and how war impacts everyday Americans like us when we have a child who chooses to enlist and to serve [for] the right reasons. Certainly a child born with Down Syndrome has opened my eyes too to challenges that others have. Every American has a challenge. Every American has battles and bumps in the road in their lives. It’s just really opened my eyes to a larger world than maybe what I had been used to.
From the Times interview on Aug. 29. link
Priceless!
So a soccer..errr…hockey mom, successful in that role, might become the President of the US and Commander-in-chief.
Part of the nakedness of the US empire is plain for anyone, even anyone who never thought about it before, to see…the touted democracy is an empty PR shell, set up only tap into popularity, vote appeal, following the most mediocre slice ‘n dice marketing imaginable…not that other ‘democracies’ are that much better.

Posted by: Tangerine | Sep 1 2008 17:55 utc | 27

Part of the nakedness of the US empire is plain for anyone, even anyone who never thought about it before, to see…the touted democracy is an empty PR shell, set up only tap into popularity, vote appeal, following the most mediocre slice ‘n dice marketing imaginable…not that other ‘democracies’ are that much better.
I was tempted to write something about the “necessarily of elite” for a while now. That is dangerous territory (esp for a German) to walk on, but the image of Palin running U.S. foreign policy, may make that necessary.
But then again, that may be some elite’s plan. Convince the people that elected pols are useless and let the ‘wise elders’ decide everything.

Posted by: b | Sep 1 2008 18:18 utc | 28

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