After last week’s most recent embarrassments at both the Tea Party Convention and on Fox News it appears that Sarah Palin has reinforced the perception that she is profoundly unqualified to be President of the United States. At the Tea Party Convention she was seen by a national television audience reading scribbled notes from the palm of her hand. This came shortly after criticizing President Obama for using a teleprompter and during a question and answer session for which she was prepared for in advance. It was stunning that she would bring up the worn out teleprompter criticism after President Obama’s recent performance at the House Republican retreat where he outshined his hosts during a live national broadcast without using any notes or a teleprompter.
Shortly thereafter, Palin appeared on Fox News and floated the possibility that President Obama might “play the Iran war card” in an attempt to enhance his prospects for re-election in 2012. Even the interviewer seemed somewhat stunned at this bizarre notion. It was not a good week for Palin.
These incidents, combined with countless past blunders, seem to have solidified her lack of competence in the minds the American electorate. There is undoubtedly a relatively small but very enthusiastic group of supporters who remain fiercely loyal to Palin. But even that group appears to be shrinking. According to the most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 71% of Americans believe she is unqualified to be President of the United States and only 37% have a favorable opinion of Palin. Even a majority of Republicans now believe that Palin is not qualified to hold this nation’s highest office! Although she will continue to have a voice and some level of influence within the GOP, it is becoming more and more obvious that she has no chance of being elected in 2012.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Fla Blogger,
You are extremely confrontational. But if this is what you want, this is what you’ve got:
(1) I am not “sensitive” and I am not “incorrect” by stating that you are giving her more attention by bringing her up. Again, I never said that she is gaining popularity. It is peculiar that you are challenging this when you (and everyone else) can simply scroll down and read what I wrote or, in this case, what I didn’t write. Strengthening her cause means that she is garnering the attention she is seeking and you are assisting in it;
(2) I don’t necessarily consider my statement of “sewing your lips shut” as the “right move” unless one wants Palin to continue to pick up steam. Your criticizing her simply joins thousands of others doing the same thing and only gives greater resolve to her supporters to up their ante as well. So be my guest and keep shouting from the rooftops;
(3) I never challenged the credibility of your poll, I simply stated that one can look at a series of polls referring to the same issue or even the same poll taken in different geographical locations and likely get much different results;
(4) Regarding your criticism of her verbal errors, don’t be so quick to hop onto your liberal high-horse (oops, too late for that suggestion). Why don’t we take a look at a few of the President’s MANY mis-speakings:
* “From the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor….”
* “John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith.”
* “There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.” (Obama was born in 1961 and the Selma march was in 1965)
* “I’ve now been in 57 states, I think, one left to go.”
* “….when you spread the wealth around, I think it’s good for everybody.”
* “If they [his daughters] make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
* “Thank you Sioux City” Obama said in Sioux Falls.
* “My father served in World War II, and when he came home, he got the services that he needed.” (At the end of WWII, Obama’s father was 10 years old.)
* Obama suggested that we need Arabic translators in Afghanistan, where they don’t speak Arabic.
* “Well, Tim, first of all, it’s not me who’s criticized these proposals,” Obama said to Matt Lauer.
* “Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?…I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff,” Obama said to a crowd in Iowa, where there are no Whole Foods.
* “Well let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s.”
* “Israel is an ally of ours. It is the most important ally we have in the region, and there is no doubt that we would act forcefully and appropriately on any attack against Iran nuclear or otherwise.”
* “I’m running to be commander of chief on a record of standing up for our wounded warriors.”
* “Our troops fight and die in 120-degree heat to give Iraq’s leaders the space to agree, but they aren’t filling that space.”
* “If I talked to Iran, I’m going to tell them, ‘You should develop a nuclear weapon….”
* “It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There’s a lot of — I don’t know what the term is in Austrian…” (There is no Austrian language).
Florida Blogger,
You are so quick to shoot from the lip that you apparently didn’t read what I typed. I never said that she was gaining popularity. Strengthening her cause comes about by validating her even by disagreeing with her. If you truly wish for someone to disappear you simply ignore them. Your “pointing out her B.S.” accomplishes nothing except to make you feel better and to place her front and center of your little, insignificant, non difference-making group. Regarding polls: as I’ve pointed out before, the results of a poll is so often dependent upon where the poll is taken and who is polled. For instance, it is likely that a pollster who conducted the same poll in Alaska and again in New York would get two entirely different results.
Again, I am not defending her because I frankly could care less at this point. But just because someone disagrees with your ideology does not necessarily make them “uninformed”.
Peace
Erik the Red´s last blog ..Obama: Just What the Doctor Ordered – Unless You’re a Doctor
1. You said it strengthens her cause. I showed strong evidence that it doesn’t. Don’t be so sensitive when you are shown to be incorrect.
2. I am not going to “sew my lips shut” as you put it because you think that is the correct move. I speak truth to B.S. and I will keep doing whether it is Palin, Cheney, Hannity, Limbaugh, McConnell, Beck, etc.
3. The poll was a national poll conducted by a respected polling organization. I know it is the intellectually lazy route to disregard the poll out of hand, but I that’s just a little to easy. It is a valid poll.
4. I don’t call her uninformed because she disagrees with my idealogy. I call her uninformed because she has given a whole new meaning to the word on a weekly basis. She can’t name a paper she reads? Thinks Africa is a country? Doesn’t understand anything about the history of the Korean conflict? Couldn’t name a single Supreme Court decision? Death panel B.S? There are MANY other examples, many of which are on video to be preserved forever. Come on man. Get real.
“President Obama is probably one of the most accomplished men in this country for his age.”
Accomplished at voting Present in the senate more times that yeah or neigh on legislation.
And for the 10th time Palin is not qualified for the position. So what makes you think she is my Hero is a mystery.
As for the teleprompters… you climb on the hand thing… we climb on the teleprompter… either way it’s a laugh you think he is good on the fly. Most of the time the telepromters aren’t in camera view. But if you think the leader of the free world should use a teleprompter in a 5th GRADE CLASS and it’s OK… well then that speaks volumes to who you think a qualified candidate should be. At least Bush didn’t need one to read to kids from a book.
hanging chad… or dimpled chad… still haven’t made up my mind.
Consti Tution:
1. I notice you were unable to refute any of the facts I presented in relation to Obama being much more educated, experienced, and accomplished than Sarah Palin.
2. Again, you are unable address the the point of what is the friggin difference between using a teleprompter or reading off a sheet of paper. It is one or the other.
3. Nice try trying to draw equivalence between Sarah Palin writing notes on her hand for prepared questions and Obama using a teleprompter (instead of reading from a piece of paper) when delivering prepared remarks. Two completely different situations, but you know that already. You don’t see Obama referring to notes, teleprompter, or reading off the palm of his hand when answering questions. Very weak attempt on your part, but I guess I can’t blame a guy for trying.
4. “It’s a laugh if I think he’s good on the fly?” What is a laugh is that I can point to countless examples of Obama answering questions from the press in excruciating detail, heading conferences where he rattles of names and discusses issues in depth, and the most recent example of his masterful performance at the House republican retreat, yet you still want to argue the point. Absolutely unbelievable. I will stand by the incontrovertible evidence I which have presented on this issue and you stand by your Fox News talking point.
5. You really want to bring up the example of Bush reading to kids from a book or use Bush as an example of prowess in public speaking? Wow! Yeah, Bush is the guy who sat there for 7 minutes like a deer caught in the headlights after being informed we were under attack and during the worst terrorist attack in history. If you want to compare Obama versus Bush on public speaking or grammar please let me know. I look forward to that exercise in total destruction.
lol… yeah N.O.W Must to have more coffee, morning early…
Do you mean N.O.W?
Erik the Red´s last blog ..Obama: Just What the Doctor Ordered – Unless You’re a Doctor
Eric,
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Palin has no more international experience than Obama did and HE got elected. Neither is qualified in my opinion for the job. We are seeing the effects of that inexperience now with Obama, I’d hate to see it repeated with Palin. However, she is a variable in that she doesn’t fit the “typical” republican form. That of an old rich, white, baby eating, war mongering, man. AND STILL not a peep from W.O.W.
Consti Tution:
There is absolutely no comparison between the experience, intellect, and accomplishments of Palin and Obama. She was a small-town mayor and a failed Governor who resigned her office. President Obama is probably one of the most accomplished men in this country for his age. Let’s review the facts about Obama:
- President of the Harvard Law Review
- Taught Constitutional Law
- State Senator – 8 years
- U.S. Senator – 4 years
- FOREIGN POLICY: In the U.S. Senate Obama served on three of the four Senate Committees dealing with foreign policy issues including the Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs committees and is the Chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Relations. He served on the Subcommittees on African Affairs; East Asia and Pacific Affairs; and International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection. Obama has also traveled extensively in his capacity as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and has visited Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan in Asia; Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, and the Palestinian Territories in the Middle East; and Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa in Africa. Obama has also co-sponsored the “Lugar-Obama Act” with Republican Senator Richard Lugar who was Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations at the time. This act was a bi-partisan effort to increase U.S. security in terms of the elimination of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction. This legislation came out of Obama’s trip with Senator Richard Lugar to Russia, the Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
So you see, you just couldn’t be more wrong about your erroneous contention about President Obama and Sarah Palin being comparable in terms of experience; especially foreign policy experience. It may make a good Fox news talking point, but it doesn’t work here in my world of facts and reality.
Republican icon Wm F Buckley Jr., once said, “A random pick of 536 names out of the White Pages would probably give us a more reasonable and well run country”.
We Conservatives are a common sense people. I agree Palin has not shown enough to garner my vote, but damn do I love her. She’s common folk and I like that.
The last person that rubbed the Liberals so bad was Newt. While he eventually gave in to the idiocy of trying to play nice with the Liberals and media, in the beginning he gave us the second wave of the Republican revolution and The Contract with America. Clinton was able to stay popular and fiscally anyway, move this country forward because of it.
President? Maybe not, irritant of the Left, APPLY LIBERALLY.
J Byron Swain:
I actually would like to see her as the Republican nominee in 2012. It would give me a ton of material and guarantee an Obama 2nd term. I don’t think that is really going to happen though. She doesn’t irritate me any more than any other conservative does, but her level of intellect seems to have no bottom floor which is an amazing thing to witness on a weekly basis.
Listen, I don’t know how qualified Palin is or isn’t at this point. But one thing is certain: she is receiving a tremendous amount of attention for her every move which only strengthens her cause and gives her more free exposure. If you truly want her to go away, then you should sew your lips shut. But the fact of the matter is that she is simply too intriguing for the typical naysayer to ignore, as is being proven on practically every forum imaginable, including this one.
Erik:
When she puts herself out there and criticizes the President on things which she knows absolutely nothing about (national security, terrorism, and a wide range of other issues) I’m going to respond. I don’t talk about her until she pops up and spouts her nonsense. I will continue to point out her B.S. as long as she keeps trying to sell it. You say people like me setting Palin straight strengthens her cause. Did you not see the poll which is the main focus of my post? The results of that poll would appear to conflict with your contention. The more she makes herself look ridiculous and gets called out on it, the more unpopular she gets. The only thing intriguing about Palin to me is just how stunningly uninformed she really is.
…planted…not planded… small keyboard…
Florida,
Obama needed a teleprompter in a 5th grade class last week! And you are climbing on Palin for writing on her hand. THAT’S green… didn’t even waste power OR paper. And Obama had planded questions during his healtcare town hall… BOTH were kids! You really make me laugh.
Got anything other than the typical liberal talking points? I think there are alot more important things than this. And really, YOU never wrote on YOUR hand? If you say no I’ll have to call you out for it.
Let me guess… you read about the hand thing in the Enquirer?
Consti Tution:
The entire teleprompter “issue” that you guys have been pushing since the election is the biggest pile of crap I have seen in a long time. First of all, every President either reads off of notes OR uses a teleprompter! What is the difference?? It is a personal preference. Second, I have seen President Obama on MANY occasions function flawlessly while not using a teleprompter or prepared notes when leading conferences, destroying congressional republicans in front of a live national television audience, etc. Your argument absolutely falls apart on every level especially when there is video we can refer to which shows how good President Obama is on the fly. But hey, keep trying to sell it. Don’t let irrefutable evidence stop you. It never has in the past.
I haven’t written on my hand since I was 10 years old. LOL. Palin is a joke and I’m sorry to take some of the shine off your hero. It must hurt you deeply.