The Garlic: Palin Biden Debate

Showing posts with label Palin Biden Debate. Show all posts

Monday, October 06, 2008

Don't Wink At Me, Sarah Palin

I had intended to post this over the weekend, so, I am coming in a bit late with it.

However, it doesn't diminish how, tears-in-the-eyes, fall-on-the-floor, hysterical it was.

For those that missed this, a certain Flying Monkey of the Right Wing Freak Show got excited by Sarah Palin during the debate last Thursday evening.

Check that ...

He got VERY EXCITED!

Rich Lowery, from the National Review, posted this last Friday;

Projecting through the Screen [Rich Lowry]

A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It's one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O'Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it.

"so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing ..."

"sent little starbursts through the screen ..."

Ohhh, Jesus, get this boy a date.

Someone take him to a club, or sign'em up on Match.Com, or eHarmony, for surely, though, he does seem quite smitten with Mommy Moose, perhaps some other lovely lass will be "so sparkling" as to get his attention, or "send him little starbursts".

Needless to say, reaction around the World Wide Web was swift and, yes, mocking.

James Wolcott's "Winky Dinks";

Good thing Palin didn't blow a kiss at the camera or Lowry might have fucking fainted. I'm not a licensed psychotherapist but when you think the people on TV are addressing you personally and directly it's often a sign of incipient dementia.

And John Cole's "Paging John Derbyshire- Cleanup In the Gushing Fanboi Aisle"; knocked me off my chair;

By now you have all seen that Lowry quote (I have seen it at least five places), but as an amateur historian of sorts as a blogger, I felt it was necessary to add to the archives for posterity. I guarantee that Derbyshire poured four fingers of Maker’s Mark into his coffee when he read that baby this morning.

Steve Benen's "Return of the Swoon";

Good God, man, show some pride. You're a media professional, for crying out loud. You sat up when Palin winked at the camera? You saw "little starbursts"? And you published this?

The Wonkette's "Conservative Pundit Describes Boner He Got Watching Palin";

What Sarah Palin did was called “flirting.” And so far, at least one pundit on National Review’s The Corner blog has disclosed how much of a boner he got, in potentially the greatest Corner post of all time ...As our tipster pointed out, this sounds almost like a thrill running up Chris Matthews leg!

Too Much!

So, as we have often done, when those in the limelight need a lifeline, need a theme song for their self-created boondoggle.

We have a strong, sneaking suspicion, that Rich Lowery spent the weekend, with a bounce in his step, dancing in all those little starbursts bouncing around the room, singing this tune.

Don't Wink At Me, Sarah Palin

It won't be easy, you'll think it strange
When I try to explain how I feel
that I still need want your love after all that you haven't done

You won't believe me
All people will see is a Hockey Mom they once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Is all that I see with you

I had to let it happen, I had to sit straight up
You couldn't stay all your life up in Alaska
Looking out of the window, seeing Russia across the bay

So you chose McCain
Running around, trying everything untrue
But nothing impressed me like your wink
I never expected it to

Chorus:

Don't wink at me, Sarah Palin
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my starbursts
Don't keep your distance

And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed that the wink was all I desired

They are illusions
They are not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me

Don't wink at me, Sarah Palin

(chorus)

Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you.
But all you have to do is look at me and wink
And I will always be true

Lastly, click here to watch Keith Olbermann's take on it ... Both he, and the off-camera staff, could barely contain themselves

Bonus Little Starburst Riffs

Kos: There's something wrong with these people

Emptywheel: The Wink

Jeff Fecke: Rich Lowry’s Ejaculation

Bonus Bonus

Sinead O'Connor -- Don't Cry For Me Argentina

Saturday, October 04, 2008

She's Not A Hockey Mom with Lipstick ... She's Emily Litella!

We referenced this in our post yesterday.

During the VP Debate Thursday evening, the Republican Candidate for Vice President ended her exercise in delivering talking points by quoting, in her final statement, the ol' Gipper, former President (well, he had the title, anyway), Ronald Reagan;

We have to fight for our freedoms, also, economic and our national security freedoms.

It was Ronald Reagan who said that freedom is always just one generation away from extinction. We don't pass it to our children in the bloodstream; we have to fight for it and protect it, and then hand it to them so that they shall do the same, or we're going to find ourselves spending our sunset years telling our children and our children's children about a time in America, back in the day, when men and women were free.

Unlike her running mate, Mommy Moose can't pull out the POW-POW-POW card, so, you go next best, and wave that flag, high and proud, using the forum of the nationally-televised debate to shake a good dose of jingoism all over us.

A Frank Capra moment ...

Brilliant!

However, there's only a slight problem with it.

Either the Wasilla Whiz Kid didn't research, and put this together herself (by all accounts of her, that's extremely doubtful), or the Rove Rats in the Dead Campaign Express just pulled it off the World Wide Web and threw it in, believing, as we noted above, end the night waving, verbally, at least, Old Glory.

The problem is Reagan, how, and what he was using that quote for.

The Gipper was rallying the Right Wing troops, jingoistically hamming it up, as part of Operation Coffeecup, to defeat the advent of Medicare.

Reagan was paid by the American Medical Association to make a recording, inveighing against Medicare!

From Larry DeWitt's "Operation Coffeecup: Ronald Reagan’s Effort to Prevent the Enactment of Medicare";

In order to maintain the illusion of spontaneity, the AMA did not announce the existence of Operation Coffeecup or publicize the Reagan recording. The record was to be used, campaign organizers cautioned, only in the groups meeting under the controlled conditions of the informal coffees. Under no circumstances, recipients of the record were warned, were they to permit commercial broadcast of the recording.

(You can go here to listen to the YouTube of the Reagan "Operation Coffeecup" recording)

From Paul Krugman today;

When did he say this? It was on a recording he made for Operation Coffeecup — a campaign organized by the American Medical Association to block the passage of Medicare. Doctors’ wives were supposed to organize coffee klatches for patients, where they would play the Reagan recording, which declared that Medicare would lead us to totalitarianism.

You couldn’t make this stuff up.

I am a bit surprised, Palin, being young, and at a college, didn't pull out the "Ask not what your country can do for you, But ask what you can do for Country First - because, you know, John McCain is the only one in this campaign who can say he would stoop so low as to have me exploit Ronald Reagan and JFK in the same evening, just for the purpose of sucking in a few more votes ..."

Or, maybe, pull up Eisenhower's "Military Industrial Complex" speech, and lift a few passages from that, if only to wink one out to the home base.

Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.

Add a few line about the son in the Army, and the flags would practically wave themselves.

Ya Betch'ya!

I can't wait to see what Peggy Noonan does with this.

Being the #1 Gipper Groupie, she must have turned even a ghostlier shade of white when she heard Palin dropping the Gipper's' words.

The Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain Campaign, who she has already dissed in public once, now appropriating the brilliance of Ronald Reagan, for a cheap political stunt?

"How dare they do that to my beloved Ronnie!"

(And you don't want to mess too much with The Nooner ... She's got connections with that that old Iran-Contra gang, and they have the resources to make it look like it was a wolf in a helicopter that does the shootin' of certain nitwits that dare use Ronnie like that.)

It's fascinating, how these people actually work at, go out of their way, to make themselves look ridiculous.

Palin's not a "Hockey Mom with Lipstick" ...

She's Emily Litella!

Can we expect a press release coming soon, succinctly saying "Never Mind"?

Bonus Palin "Brilliant!" Riffs

Wonkette: COMMUNISTS AMONGST US - Palin Quoted Reagan Calling Medicare Communism

John Aravosis: Is Palin against Medicare?

Jonathan Chait: Palin Channels Reagan

Attaturk: Know what you’re quoting

Saturday Night Live - Weekend Update: Emily Litella on Puerto Rico

Gilda Radner - Emily Litela: Substitute Teacher

Friday, October 03, 2008

"So, maverick he is not ..."

I'm not sure I am going to (or want to) write another post on last evenings debate.

After all, was Sarah Palin totally vapid?

Ya Betcha!

Did Sarah Palin read her talking points/canned speech from notes on the podium?

Doggonit, Ya Betcha!

Did Sarah Palin screw up using the Reagan quote?

Doggonit! ... Darn right! ... Ya Betcha!

We could go on-and-on with the wisdom of the Wasilla Whiz Kid, but it could cause a colic epidemic

Even if ya survived the debate, everyone should be feeling a bit woozy today, from the stench of the Right Wing Freak Show, hootin' and hollarin', doin', ya know, the victory dance, for Palin clearing the lowest of expectations, and, sans any drooling or mucus.

She exited the debate stage upright, and breathing, setting off the Flying Monkeys in their jubilation, and, likely, giving the old, crony white hairs of the party, a woody.

And it was lamented, to some extent, on the cables, in their post-debate gum-flapping, that there were no gaffes, or YouTube moments ...

Unless ya' count all the gaffes and YouTube moments the gum-flappers missed.

Fer instance -- Joe Biden's slap-down of Mommy Moose, and, more importantly, Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain, over his phony "maverick" status was "the" YouTube moment of the debate.

As you may recall, McCain's faux Maverickosity was challenged last month on The Garlic:

It should also be said, that a 72-year-old, party-toeing, multi-presidential-race loser being called maverick is like calling a 72-year-old Willie Mays "slugger".

It's a affectionate moniker, tossed at days gone by.

And there's always something creepy about people who give themselves, or referring to themselves constantly, by a nickname.

Here's the video of the moment last evening;

Biden at VP Debate: McCain's Not Been a Maverick

Here it is, in print;

"Let's talk about the maverick John McCain is. And, again, I love him. He's been a maverick on some issues, but he has been no maverick on the things that matter to people's lives," Biden carefully explained. "He voted four out of five times for George Bush's budget, which put us a half a trillion dollars in debt this year and over $3 trillion in debt since he's got there. He has not been a maverick in providing health care for people. He has voted against -- he voted including another 3.6 million children in coverage of the existing health care plan, when he voted in the United States Senate. He's not been a maverick when it comes to education. He has not supported tax cuts and significant changes for people being able to send their kids to college. He's not been a maverick on the war. He's not been a maverick on virtually anything that genuinely affects the things that people really talk about around their kitchen table. Can we send -- can we get Mom's MRI? Can we send Mary back to school next semester? We can't -- we can't make it. How are we going to heat the … house this winter? He voted against even providing for what they call LIHEAP, for assistance to people, with oil prices going through the roof in the winter. So maverick he is not on the important, critical issues that affect people at that kitchen table."

Game ... Set ... Match!

The Obama Campaign should ride this right through November 4, whipping the phony maverick war horse all the way through the finish line, much as Red Pollard rode Seabiscuit to so many victories.

It will drive the stumblin' fly boy up a wall, to have his former pals in the press report Obama and Biden dissing him and his record, especially the bogus "maverick" legend.

This will bring things on the Dead Campaign Express to a full boil, with McCain finally snapping, preferably during the next debate.

Then we'll have that one, beautiful "Perry Mason" moment, with McCain, melting down, flipping his lid on stage, in front of tens of millions on national television.

Will that seal the deal for Obama?

Ya betcha!

Bonus Palin Beats Dewey Debate Riffs

John Aravosis: Sarah Palin revels in being unqualified

Prairie Weather: Palin v. perception

Steve Benen: Prairie Weather: AFTER THE DUST SETTLES...

Kos: Post-debate thoughts

Logan Murphy: VP Debate: Biden - “How Different Is John McCain’s Policy Going To Be Than George Bush’s?”

Nick Juliano and David Edwards: Biden: McCain is 'no maverick for things that matter'

Top Ten Cloves: Ways John McCain Isn't Like Herbert Hoover

McCain Admits He's "Divorced from day-to-day challenges people have"

Thursday, October 02, 2008

VP Debate Results: Kick The Can

Now, I think I know why Sarah Palin practiced for her debate outdoors.

They were busy with the massive canning operation indoors.

Jesus, Del Monte doesn't do as much canning in 90-minutes.

Was it a fund-raising move, to have Mommy Moose sponsored by the American Canning Association?

I don't have the transcript yet, but I know, at one point, Palin, who up to that point, cheerfully, and full of perk, had been answering the questions with her own answers, not, necessarily generated by the question, came right out and said she wasn't going to answer the questions the way Moderator Gwen Ifill, or her debate challenger, Senator Joe Biden, liked.

The clearest view of Sarah Palin that came out this evening is that either the coaching worked, or she has the extraordinary capability to memorize the notes.

At times, you could see Mommy Moose drifting into that Tina Fey/Katie Couric mode, almost seeing her words heaved onto the conveyor belt, going to the "Out Tube".

She hit, and early, all the homey, folksy targets, I suppose, to try to keep them in their seats.

She did "Shout Outs" to Soccer Moms and Dads, Joe Six Pack and, of course, the Hockey Moms.

And she attacked Joe Biden, frequently and often.

Biden, for his part, did exactly what he should have done, and needed to do - He protected and defended Barack Obama, and he hammered home McCain = Bush.

Biden could have done a bit more, in that, he left a bevy of softballs hanging, as Palin sprouted the distortions and lies (like, a few times, bragging how Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain "suspended" his campaign, to work on the Wall Street Heist - wink, wink).

(Yet, he also towered over Palin, with a good story from his early days in the Senate, and, near the very end, choking up some, when talking about his days and a single day, and his children, following the terrible car accident that killed his first wife, and daughter.)

Remarkably, Palin didn't push back.

She let Biden, for nearly the entire 90-minutes, whack McCain like a piñata, without much of a counter attack.

Including, near the end, when Biden slapped down, spit on, and ground with his heel, McCain's self-styled "Maverick" legend.

Head slap!

Of course, it was that way ... It wasn't one of the canned notes that she set to memory!

The Jaw Dropper

Any previous references that Palin was similar to Darth Vader/Dick Cheney, those people were vindicated.

In a question about the Vice President's office, how they would work it, Palin, astoundingly, made some bizarre reference to the Constitution, and stated that she would like to see the powers of the office INCREASED, as to how it relates to the Senate and what that power would give legislatively

HOLY SHIT!

She wants more power than Cheney!

That's pretty ballsy, and I only hope the Obama Campaign has already produced an ad, a commercial, a two-hour-movie on that.

After the past 7.5-years, all that has come out how Cheney, almost single-handly (well, with The Scooter, David Addington and John Yoo riding shotgun), has dragged this country down, and Palin comes out with an idea, that, if elected, she wants more power than he ever had.

Out-of-touch?

The Take

Well, on the upside for the Stumblin' Bumblin' McCain Camp, her head didn't explode, and she didn't get ushered off the stage, babbling incoherently.

The Rove Rats can burn those lists, of the midnight calls they were going to have to make, to see who they could get to take over on the ticket.

She did well enough to live another day (and she did make a comment of not speaking "through a filter" again, talking directly to "the people", which translates that she will continue to be shielded from the media), the base, along with the Right Wing Freak Show are popping champagne bottles, and will be crowing that she won (on MSNBC, early polling suggests Biden won, with both Palin and Biden doing well with the numbers, suggesting, perhaps, it was more of a draw).

And, Palin introduced, for this year, anyway, the debate tactic of ignoring the question posed by the moderator, raise your own question and then, energetically answer your own question.

Suffice it to say, both accomplished what they needed to this evening.

However, it still looks, from tonight, back to when she was first announced, that Palin is some kind of "Make A Wish" kid, who's desire was to go through a political campaign.

Or, perhaps, the geeky junior high school civics student, who gets to go to the State House and "run the government" for the day.

Palin has a detached, cartoonish way about her, though, that she can spout her lines and speeches, there's an emptiness to it, that all she is doing is reciting lines, sans any commitment or belief.

Question is, does the Stumblin' Bumblin' McCain Campaign have the stamina to keep producing all those cans for her?

Palin Defeats Dewey!

Or was it Truman?

Or will she have a"I'll Try To Find You Some, and Bring'em To Ya ..."

We're just a few hours away from THE BIG DEBATE, and it's a cross between Christmas Eve and gawking at a horrible car accident.

In case you haven't been paying attention, or, you've been preoccupied with the on-going, slow-motion robbery of the country, via the Wall Street Bailout (since when do you call handing over billions of dollars to fat cats who already have billions of dollars a "rescue"), Sarah Palin, the Wasilla Whiz, has, for all intents-and-purposes, won the debate this evening.

How so, we hear you cry?

Well, simply that the debate moderator Gwen Ifill is in the bag for Barack Obama, and the Democrats, by way of writing a book - that isn't being published until January 2009 - and will slant all the questions, give Joe Biden a pass, and really apply the screws to Palin.

At least, that's the meme building up the past few days, from Michelle "Stalkin" Malkin, Matt Sludge and all the other Right Wing Freak Show flying monkeys.

Even Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain, that is, at the moment.

Yesterday, he was cool with Ifill, today, she's a thug who will work over Palin and leave her inches away from death, totally sandbagging the debate for her.

You won't be able to trust Ifill, not even her saying "Welcome, and Good Evening".

Who is she welcoming? ... Who is going to have the good evening? ...Did she look at Palin when she said it, or Biden?

You see, this will be just one of the few times the Rove Rats have let Mommy Moose out of the gulag, to face real, non-McCain-staff people, and these "outsiders" keep insisting on asking America's Hockey Mom pertinent questions, queries that one would expect a person seeking national office to have a handle on, to be able to articulate an answer that doesn't sound like someone who takes pride in being clueless..

So, we'll see which Sarah Palin shows up tonight.

Will it be the newly-minted "Let Palin Be Palin"?

Will it be the deer-in-the-headlights, Katie Couric-interview Sarah Palin?

Oh, sure, we'll get a good dose of obfuscation, the continuation of the McCain-Palin serial lies, some cheap shots at Biden and Obama, but what else will she put on the table?

Perhaps the most anticipated intrigue will be if she emulates her running mate, and refuses to look at Joe Biden for the entire evening.

Or, maybe, just maybe, she'll say she can see the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch from her hotel room, which, I guess, by implication, makes her an expert on domestic policy.

Bonus Palin Wins! Riffs

David Kurtz - McCain Camp to Ifill: Go Easy on Palin

Alex Koppelman - Shock: Conservatives preemptively claiming bias

Gwen Ifill PBS Chief Political Correspondent and Gwen Ifill President, Ifill Center for Media Ethics and Gwen Ifill Editor, BarackBeat Fanzine: Ifill Ethics Commission Clears Ifill

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Sarah Palin Is Preparing For Debate Outdoors

Debate Results ... The Flintstones vs. The Jetsons