It's a double-edged sword. I want my politicians to be transparent, but I also realize they need to have the ability to wheel and deal. An honest politician, at higher levels, would not be a good one, sadly.
I'm pretty sure that Obama made a mistake there, and he actually knew there were 50 states.
Is it unfair, in a sense, that Palin was slammed as being 'dumb' because of a few gaffes while speaking? You could look at it that way, yes.
But it's the same way that superstars are made or not during game-winning shots. If Kobe misses what could be a game-winning shot, does it make him less of a player? Of course not.
If he starts to miss too many though, then people will say he's not a winner, he can't make the clutch shot, etc etc.
I think that's what happened to Palin. She made one too many folksy comments, one too many misspoken lies, and then the 'buffoon' image was cemented.
It's a double-edged sword. I want my politicians to be transparent, but I also realize they need to have the ability to wheel and deal. An honest politician, at higher levels, would not be a good one, sadly.
I don't really think speaking like a PHD is going to help you get votes...you want the majority of people to be able to understand you, not just the intellectuals.
That's probably why the guy that speaks like the average guy tends to do better than the intellectual.
Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan didn't speak like intellectuals...
I'd say the most intellectual President in my lifetime was Bush I and he got his ass kicked by a guy with folk appeal.
I just heard on the radio that Palin is leaving office because she cannot do her job, and it's unfair to the people of Alaska. She is having too many people trying to destroy her, and the time and money defending her is keeping her from being an effective Governor.
Her legal bills are real, but this is an occupational hazard of higher office.
What really happened IMO is that she alienated both Republicans and Democrats in state government. Seeing that she had no chance to steer the legislative agenda, she *passed the ball*, rather than persevere as a very lame duck.
It's what a good point guard does. At least she was able to beat the full court press. Beno would have turned it over and gave up a lay up.
Some do not cons ute enough republicans to matter about. Listen to her resignation speech again. The latest announcement clarifying her inability to do her job is explained. Yes, it's an occupational hazard, but the opponents have been unscrupulously relentless. They keep pulling on threads, but nothing has unraveled yet except her ability to work effectively. Please show me any other politician who has had to endure as much.
creepy
I wasn't a fan, but that's where the *politics of personal destruction* really went off the rails IMO.
By now, that's an occupational hazard too. Too bad Sarah Palin couldn't stand the heat.
Maybe her adoring fans will pick up her legal tab, like happened with the Clintons.
Prior to the campaign she was very popular and effective because of her bipartisanship. Rumour is that alaskan democrats have been given their marching orders from the national level to oppose Palin on everything now so she can be called ineffective in the future. They have opposed her on everything since the campaign so I believe that rumour is true.
They just filed another ethics suit yesterday. I don't think you can call the tactics being used against her normal. I would like to see some investigation on who is funding this legal campaign against her.
I should have specified at the governors level. President Clinton had a legal staff and funds available that a governor doesn't. Percentage wise, a huge difference, especially for a state like Alaska.
You tend to get hammered when you....
Well, you know what he did.
You all are not listening to what I'm saying. I did what I felt was right for the state of Alaska.
![]()
Is that the one where they claim favorable action for a company, that is likely the only viable source in Wasilla, population under 6,000?
Their just pulling on another fruitless thread if you ask me.
Maybe I didn't hear the details. It had something to do with the sports complex built in Wasilla 7 or 8 years ago.
That sounds believable to me, but it's not too different from the opposition Obama faces now. What's an opposition party for?
Curiously, toward the beginning of her term, she had a bloc of Democrats working with her. I wonder what happened there.
BTW, from what I read in the ADN, Palin isn't very popular among establishment Republicans in Alaska anymore.
It doesn't take very much money to file a complaint, but a lot to defend against one. The frequency may be abnormal, but the tactic itself is part of the usual politcal wrangle. Maybe oppo research will find sinister private partners outside Alaska, but that's wherre the deep pockets for Palin's bills are too.
She was never popular among establishment republicans. That's how she became so popular in Alaska. By taking on the corrupt state GOP and being all mavericky.
Well, she had some Dems on her side to start with and she lost them. Too bad.
Exactly. That's probably the driving reason behind this move of hers. She can raise whatever money she can without all of the ethics allegations. She has enormous fundraising potential. I don't believe for one second that she isn't doing this in preparation for 2012. Maybe it will work, maybe not. I think we have to wait until 2011 to know for sure.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)