Sarah, You Betcha! Doggone It

So Palin had enough prepared notes to avoid sounding like a community college dropout on drugs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Unless you’re running for the second highest office in the land.

Let’s see what some journalists had to say.

She subverted the whole purpose of the exercise by merely repeating the key points of her running mate, Sen. John McCain and ignoring questions that called for more specific answers.

…Palin’s answers in the debate were more about herself than about the policies of McCain or George W. Bush or even the country’s current economic crisis.

MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, one of the fastest-rising and most enigmatic personalities in talk television, listened patiently to Buchanan’s praise for Palin’s presentation and responded, “Boring but right versus exciting and wrong — that’s America’s choice?” Commentators on many of the networks marveled at Palin’s insistence on avoiding substantial comment on issues and on simply ignoring questions she couldn’t answer convincingly.

Palin basically stated early in the debate that this would be her strategy. She said she wasn’t necessarily going to respond to the questions of the moderator or charges from Biden, but instead, “I’m gonna talk right to the American people.” Since this was billed as a debate, not a speech, her remark came across as arrogant, and as an admission she would duck tough questions.

By Tom Shales Friday, October 3, 2008; Page C01Washington Post

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Palin, in her 90 minutes on the stage Thursday night, left the firm impression that she is indeed ready to lead the nation — with an unnerving mixture of platitudes and cute, folksy phrases that poured from her lips even when they bore no relation to the questions asked.

“Let’s commit ourselves just everyday American people, Joe Six-Pack, hockey moms across the nation,” she proposed when asked about the mortgage crisis. (HUH?)

“I want to go back to the energy plan,” she said when asked about the federal bailout plan.

“I want to talk about, again, my record on energy,” she said when asked about bankruptcy.

At other times, her answers defied comprehension, as when Ifill asked about her trigger for using nuclear weapons. “Nuclear weaponry, of course, would be the be-all, end-all of just too many people in too many parts of our planet, so those dangerous regimes, again, cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, period,” she answered. (WTF?)

When backed into uncomfortable terrain, such as defending the Bush administration’s economic record, she exploded into cliche and non sequitur: “Say it ain’t so, Joe. There you go again pointing backwards again. . . . Now doggone it, let’s look ahead.” Before finishing her answer, she mentioned her “brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here’s a shout-out to all those third-graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate.”

By Dana Milbank Washington Post

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My Gal: On sarah Palin’s speech patterns. Satire

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/09/22/080922sh_shouts_saunders?currentPage=all

by George Saunders September 22, 2008 The New Yorker magazine       

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    The End Is Near

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/georgepacker/2008/09/ill-always-thin.html?yrail

Posted by George Packer September 29, 2008 The New Yorker magazine

The McEmperor’s New Clothes-Spin

The transparent maneuvering of the McCain campaign is a 21st century twist on “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.  At first no one would bring up the fact that Governor Palin’s qualifications for the second highest office in the land was woven out of nothingness posing as ”invisible threads”.  The McEmperor “changed his clothes (campaign tactics) almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people”. His tailors (McCain’s all-lobbyist high command ) said, “we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth (choose a VP) so light and fine that it (she) looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality.”

“Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you (your ticket).” The McEmperor gave the two men (top advisers) a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric(ation) immediately.

“Just tell us what you need to get started and we’ll give it to you.” The two scoundrels (con and neocon) asked for a loom, silk, gold thread (money from the RNC) and then pretended to begin working (on finding a credible VP candidate). The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well: in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit (running mate), he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister (himself), who was considered by everyone (on the right) as a man with common sense.

“Go and see how the work is proceeding,” the McEmperor  told him(self), “and come back to let me know.” The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels.

      ”We’re almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread (campaign donations). Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!” The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead (just as he did during the debate).

“I can’t see anything,” he thought. “If I see nothing, that means I’m stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!” If the prime minister admitted that he didn’t see anything, he would be discharged from (or not elected to) his office.

      “What a marvelous fabric, he said then. “I’ll certainly tell the McEmperor (myself).” The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread (money) was requested to finish the work.

Finally, the McEmperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit.

      “Come in,” the McEmperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two (Rovian) scoundrels pretended to be holding large roll of fabric (Palin’s resume).

“Here it is your Highness, the result of our labour,” the scoundrels said. “We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is.” Of course the McEmperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting (or suspending his campaign). But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one (the electorate) could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent (try keeping that one under an invisible hat). And the McEmperor didn’t know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.

The farce continued as the two (Rovian) scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth.

      “Your Highness, you’ll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones.” The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror (poll). The McEmperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders (supporters) were, he felt relieved.

“Yes, this is a beautiful suit (babe) and it looks very good on me,” the McEmperor said trying to look comfortable (creepy smile). “You’ve done a fine job.”

      “Your Majesty,” the prime minister said (to himself), “we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit.” The McEmperor was doubtful showing himself naked to the people (so he kept her in his closet for a month), but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent (the republican base who likes Palin because she is “like them”, and who are used to believing in things that aren’t really there).

“All right,” he said. “I will grant the people this privilege (veep press conference).” He summoned his (straight talk) carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries ( McCain’s all-lobbyist high command) walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square (cable news), pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.

      Everyone (republican base) said, loud enough for the others to hear: “Look at the Emperor’s new clothes (running mate). They’re (she is) beautiful!”

      “What a marvellous train (to nowhere)!”

“And the colors (shades of red)! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life!” They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.

      A child (progressive voter), however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.

      “The McEmperor is naked,” he said.

“Fool!” his father reprimanded, running after him. “Don’t talk nonsense!” He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy’s remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:

      “The boy is right! The McEmperor is naked! It’s true!”

      The McEmperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He though it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn’t see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his (straight talk) carriage, while behind him a page (Rick Davis) held his imaginary mantle (of wisdom).

Janeway and Sisko

In my Peter Pan world, Hillary and Barack are like Captains Janeway and Sisko of the Democratic Party; maybe even the whole country.

Janeway has only two quasi romantic encounters during the eight years of Voyager; one Platonic, and the other, only after most of her memory was erased. Her fiancè, however had moved on to another woman, after having waited four years. She was stoic, chaste, strong, and principled but falsely maligned by some of the Delta quadrant species.  She never failed her crew, but she was stubborn to a fault, and almost precipitated Chakotay’s defection, more then once. Her fierce determination to reach a goal, once she had selected one, was her greatest weakness. Even in the face of the greatest tragedy, such as the death of a crew mate, she never wept, only mustering enough tears to barely make her eyes glisten.

Sisko is virile and ruggedly handsome, and has a rich, smooth voice. He started at Deep Space Nine as a commander, but later was promoted to Captain. (Janeway was made an Admiral shortly after her return from the Delta quadrant.) Sisko was not simply a Star Fleet officer, though. He was considered to be”the Emissary” by the Bejoran, a vaguely spiritual and decidedly diplomatic role. He was loved by his colleagues, and seemed more capable of intimacy than Captain Janeway. He was able to encourage cooperation of a Cardassian, three Ferengi, a shape shifter, and several Bejorans, among others. While both Captains were all about diplomacy, Janeway drew a line beyond which nothing was subject to negotiation.

In this scenario, Condi is more like Uhuru (a token), and I guess Dick Cheney is Kahn. Bush’s head is like the Void, while Karl Rove reminds me of the Borg. NeoCons appear to be like the Dominion.