http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100091820/american-way-sarah-palin-email-frenzy-backfires-on-her-media-antagonists/

Fortunately, I won't find anyone like that here... :D

Michale....

And Left Wing media outlets don't want to tear down anyone Conservative or Republican??

coverage of palin is for the most part a different story. with maybe the exception of a few MSNBC hosts, the MSM runs with whatever sells. their motivation is not to tear down palin because she's a republican, it's to exploit her notoriety in any way they can, because it makes them advertising money. they don't care whether the e-mails prove that she's the antichrist or a secret super-genius, they just care that she makes their ratings go up.

I disagree.. I think it is BECAUSE Palin is a conservative that they want to tear her down..

If notoriety or ratings is all they were after, why not pick on Hillary?? Or Weiner?? Or any one of a hundred other Liberal/Democrats who are marred with scandal??

Why not solicit the help of the public in going thru Weiner's tweets??

Because he is a liberal Democrat and media outlets are in the bag for liberal Democrats...

Having said all that, I do have to issue a minor correction..

After reading a different story on the same subject, I discovered that it's Palin's executive emails from her time as Alaska Gov that are being read..

As such, it's not AS bad as personal emails...

But, it's still pretty creepy that these media outlets would solicit the public's help in targeting a (now) private citizen.

But, don't fool yourself. It's not that Palin generates ratings.. That's just an added bonus..

But, regardless of all that, the overall point of my post was not so much that media targets Palin because she is a conservative...

My main point is that there is a very unhealthy obsession that the Left has with Palin. Not a day goes by that you don't see a commentary about Palin in the Banter Wire above...

It's been over 3 years.. Don't you think this Palin obsession has gone on long enough??

I'll ask again, what I have asked a few times above??

If Palin is so unintelligent and irrelevant, why is the Left so adamant about attacking her and tearing her down??

Michale.....

i don't think it's a legitimate comparison. rightwing pundits have an avowed political agenda. they want to tear down anyone liberal or democratic, and they say so pretty blatantly. calls of racism i've always thought were a bit over the top, but i'm also of the younger generation; folks who lived through segregation are probably more likely to agree with that interpretation.

coverage of palin is for the most part a different story. with maybe the exception of a few MSNBC hosts, the MSM runs with whatever sells. their motivation is not to tear down palin because she's a republican, it's to exploit her notoriety in any way they can, because it makes them advertising money. they don't care whether the e-mails prove that she's the antichrist or a secret super-genius, they just care that she makes their ratings go up.

Let me put it another way..

What would your reaction be if Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck solicited the public's help to scour thru Obama's past??

Wouldn't the Left scream RACISM to the highest halls???

Seriously, having media outlets solicit public assistance to help scour thru a private citizen's emails.....?????

Doesn't that bother you even a little???

Michale.....

of course not, everybody is just anxious to see more tina fey.

;-)

but in all seriousness, love her or hate her, palin is entertaining. that's why she draws a crowd. and that's why the right loves her and the left laughs at her - sanctimoniously, but with a touch of genuine fear.

~joshua

There's no "Palin Obsession" amongst the Left, right???

:^/

Help analyze the Palin e-mails
The Washington POS

Help Us Investigate the Sarah Palin E-Mail Records
The New York Times

Jeeezus H Christ!!

Can anyone say "Witch Hunt"???

You would think that the Left's 3 Year obsession would start to fade..

Ya'all just HAVE to be embarrassed by this, right???

Michale.....

I see your point, and it does have merit..

However, the deciding point for me was that Palin was actually correct with her "misspeak" and was right in a very nuanced way. So nuanced a way that it caused her opponents to think she had made a mistake when actually her "misspeak" was historically accurate...

That, to me, smacks of planning..

But, what the hell... :D

Michale.....

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
~the princess bride

As far as CrapCare, it just seems to me that we are finding out so many bad things..

Employers are dropping coverage and they say it's because of CrapCare.

People are being forced to change doctors and coverage because of CrapCare.

CrapCare is actually raising costs of healthcare when it's supposed to be saving costs.

And so on and so on and so on...

It's like when Obama said we have to pass the Porkulus or else Unemployment will rise above 8 percent. Well, Porkulus was passed and UE hit above 10 percent and is still today above 9 percent.

How can we trust ANYTHING this administration says with a track record such as the one they have?

As for Palin, it seems to me very unlikely that Palin would have hit upon such a nuanced yet historically accurate answer by accident. Employing Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation is that Palin set up the MSM and the Left..

This is supported by how quickly the Left dropped the subject and stopped talking about it...

While I know that Palin will never be accused of playing 10-Dimensional chess, I honestly believe that she has an uncanny knack to A> connect with Independents and average Americans and 2> knows how to push the Left's buttons so that they make complete and utter fools of themselves over her...

These are definitely signs of intelligence. Whether these signs will translate into a good leader as POTUS remains to be seen.

But what is undeniable is that she HAS shown good leadership in the past, in a position comparable to President Of The United States..

Obama was not able to make that same claim when HE became a Presidential candidate and, IMNSHO, Obama can't make the "Good Leadership" claim now...

Michale.....

i'm not sure what to make of the marketwatch article, although i'm sure i know what you think. is there any cause-effect relationship here? the bottom line is that when jobs are at a premium, employers can pretty much do anything they want, because people would still rather take the hit than be unemployed. for the results to be valid, we would have to know how many of the same employers would cancel or reduce existing health plans if the new health care law had not been passed, and compare the extent of the anticipated cuts. remember, health coverage costs were skyrocketing in general anyway, and the law didn't really address that basic problem.

i also finally read about the whole paul revere incident, and i think you guys are reading way too much into it. to my nose, she meant to say that paul revere warned about the british, knew what she meant to say and accidentally misspoke. media people smelled blood and jumped all over it as if she didn't know the difference, then the right responded with a yarn about how she really meant to say what she said, just to bait lefty media types.

it's also not a question that pertains much to intelligence, either way. either you know a fact or you don't, and my impression is that she did. even if for some odd reason she didn't know the fact, that would not be evidence of low intellect, just a strange gap in knowledge. likewise, the fox version of events, even if true, still wouldn't be evidence of intelligence, it would signify great social ability, which we knew about already. although there has been some research into EQ or "emotional intelligence," the range of ability we call intelligence relates to analyzing and synthesizing abstract concepts, not remembering and spitting out facts. that's why many brilliant authors still can't spell.

so, much ado about nothing, people misspeak all the time. but i know why it went that way. if you have to explain a mistake, even a small and pointless one, you've lost the news cycle, so it makes much more sense to attack. minor misspeak, predictable media response, clever recovery by fox.

Firms to cut health plans as reform starts: survey
30% of companies say they’ll stop offering coverage
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — Once provisions of the Affordable Care Act start to kick in during 2014, at least three of every 10 employers will probably stop offering health coverage, a survey released Monday shows.

While only 7% of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, at least 30% of companies say they will “definitely or probably” stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published in McKinsey Quarterly.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/firms-halting-coverage-as-reform-starts-survey-2011-06-06

I thought Crap Care would INCREASE insurance coverage for more Americans....?????

Michale.....

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this.

Perhaps it's my military background, but I simply cannot see that it's possible to be a good leader and be dumb and lazy at the same time..

Considering the latest Paul Revere example, it's apparent that Palin is a lot smarter than the Left gives her credit for..

for my contribution to the weiner roast,
see the limerick on the later post.

This commentary??

Michale....

sorry i didn't check this blog earlier. i didn't say inconsequential or irrelevant, you did. she is neither. you also didn't acknowledge that i already answered your question. for that matter, you already answered your question. intelligence isn't really a prerequisite to be a popular leader or politician. what's needed are the five factors i mentioned. if you're socially adept, a good speaker, charismatic, lucky and have lots of money behind you (palin has all 5 in spades), you can be as unintelligent and as lazy as you like. very few people will know or care that you didn't study your issues, don't understand them anyway, and don't want anyone else's advice on the matter. palin could be the coach of the miami heat and they'd still make the finals. in fact, they'd probably be up 3-0 instead of 2-1. but i digress.

for my contribution to the weiner roast,
see the limerick on the later post.

hehehehehehehehe

Michale.....

If Palin is so inconsequential and irrelevant, unintelligent, lazy etc etc, why does the Left and the MSM go to such lengths to follow her around (figuratively AND literally) and tear her down??

Surely someone so stoopid and lazy and unintelligent wouldn't merit ANY attention whatsoever, eh??

Yet Palin has the MSM **AND** the Left wrapped around her little pinky, hanging on every word and every action...

Me thinks the Left doth protest TOOO much.... :D

Michale.....

I would dispute that B and C are possible with successful leaders...

And that's what we are talking about.

We're talking about successful and popular LEADERS, not politicians..

You simply cannot be dumb/stoopid and lazy and be a successful leader..

It's not possible....

Michale.....

B=unintelligent

C=lazy

D=headstrong

E=unwilling to delegate

none of these is anathema to being successful as a politician.

the causal factors, i think at least three of which would be required to actually lead to A are:

F=socially adept

G=good public speaker

H=financially backed

I=charismatic

J=lucky

none of these is mutually exclusive with B,C,D,E. "if A then not B,C,D,E" are false.

You don't get to be the most popular governor in the nation of a state with a very unique set of issues and circumstances by being dumb, an idiot, incurious, lazy, headstrong, not able to delegate or any of another dozen accusations that have been tossed about.

It simply is not possible..

Ergo, the ONLY logical conclusion is that the claims against Governor Palin are wrong...

It's simple logic..

Michale.....

And so is the Left Wing spin.

Face the facts...

Palin set up the MSM and the Left perfectly and the MSM and the Left fell for it hook, line and sinker.. :D

I know it's not in ya'alls nature to give credit where credit is due, but Palin played this perfectly...

She researched the story, found a way to give a nuanced but historically accurate answer to an obvious and inevitable question and then sat back and watch the MSM in collusion with the Hysterical Left make complete and utter fools of themselves.. :D

Personally, I find it hilarious to see the MSM live down to the expectations we all expect of the MSM...

Ask yourself one thing....

If Palin is so inconsequential and irrelevant, why does the Left and the MSM go to such lengths to follow her around (figuratively AND literally) and tear her down??

THAT is the real story here, not Palin's intelligence...

Michale....

Well, you can believe that Palin is a mental giant or a mental midget..

But there still isn't 57 states in the USA.... :D

Michale.....

Now, that so many Americans have wallowed in their smug confirmation that Palin is an idiot unqualified for anything but Paul Revere thinks about something repeating sixth-grade history, how far, wide and fast do you think the contradictory news will spread that the former governor of Alaska was indeed correct?

That the Republican non-candidate, in fact, knew more about the actual facts of Revere's midnight ride than all those idiots unknowingly revealing their own ignorance by laughing at her faux faux pas? How secretly embarrassing this must be, to be forced to face that you're dumber than the reputed dummy.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/06/sarah-palin-says-paul-revere-warned-the-british.html

:D

On another note, any time you deal with a person who has a computer problem that is obvious, tell them it's an ID:TEN-T problem... :D

Michale.....

Strange how local historians are backing up Palin's answer in the matter, eh?? :D

In fact, Revere’s own account of the ride in a 1798 letter seems to back up Palin’s claim. Revere describes how after his capture by British officers, he warned them “there would be five hundred Americans there in a short time for I had alarmed the Country all the way up.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2011_0606you_betcha_she_was_right_experts_back_palins_historical_account/

So, maybe Palin is smarter than all of us, eh??

She knew the REAL story, not just the blurb that is taught in schools...

Maybe it's other people's foots and mouths we are discussing, eh? :D

Michale...

And I am saying that the same applies to President Obama..

Funny thing is, we're both probably right.. :D

Michale.....

there were two weeks between the gibson interview and the couric interview. palin could have asked someone why people didn't like her answer, and solicited assistance in preparing a better one. it's clear from her response that she didn't. this means not only did she grossly misinterpret people's reactions to her, she also didn't have the sense to get help. answer this sincerely, can you imagine bush being that unprepared for the same interview question the second time around, two weeks later?

many people become rich and successful without being particularly intelligent. sometimes it's due to other talents, social connections, or luck. just as being smart doesn't make you wildly rich or successful, being wildly rich and successful doesn't make you smart.

intelligence may not be whet determines one's ability to lead people, but it's dangerous if you both can't understand where you're leading them, and won't listen to anyone who does.

i'm not saying that palin can't or won't be elected. voters in the US aren't in too much danger of getting appreciably brighter anytime soon. i'm just saying that for the good of our country and the world, she shouldn't be elected president.

Being head strong is a good thing in my book..

Incurious?? Yea, perhaps.. But in and of itself, that's not a bad thing...

Palin taking a tour of SAC/NORAD
"Gee, I wonder what this button does??"

:D

Not relying on the people around her is a learned attribute..

In essence, what you are saying is that Palin doesn't act like a politician...

That is probably why she appeals to the majority of Americans.

On the other hand, Obama didn't come across as a politician either..

Once in office, he turned into the biggest politician since Greg Stillson..

Thanx for the heads up on AdBlockPlus.. I'll have to check it out...

OTOH, does ABP block the ads in such a way as not to produce Click/Link income for CW.COM?? I would hate to cut into CW's revenue just for the sake of comfort..

Michale.....

Personally I think she is following Trumps lead and using the whole thing to pimp her name brand and get a better gig at FOX.

As to audio ads. I have never hear them. For me, ad block plus is required for a civilized internet. I have noscript installed but only turn it on when going to darker back waters of the net.

I disagree..

Palin was the most popular governor in the US in a state with a very unique set of circumstances and issues.

You don't get to that by being stupid or ignorant.

It's the same as when people say Bush was dumb or an idiot...

You don't become a VERY successful businessman and rise to President of the United States by being either dumb OR an idiot..

executive decision-making means that at least on some level you have to understand the issues on which you're deciding, better than the average american with an IQ of 98. not all smart people can be a good president, but i don't think it's unfair to say that a good president can't be as dumb as sarah palin.

See above about being dumb.

Palin has what I would term as "street smarts" which is why I think she connects with the majority of American people.

Obama has "book smarts" which means he is all about theory. He would be better suited as the man behind the President. But, as the decision-maker, he fails and fails badly..

Which is not to say he hasn't made some good calls. He has..

But, overall, Obama get's an "F" in leadership...

As for Palin.. In her leadership role that is comparable to POTUS, she got an "A" as evidenced by having the highest approval rating in the entire nation.

As I said above, you don't get to that by being stupid or dumb or ignorant of relevant issues..

Even Howard Dean thinks that Palin could beat Obama.

The Left would do well not to underestimate Palin's appeal to the majority of the American people...

"People like blood sausage, too. People are morons."
-Bill Murray, GROUND HOG DAY

Michale.....

Palin is more in tune with the majority of Americans...

i know you're just doing this to mess with me. you must be. she's not just "incurious" like dubya, she's genuinely unintelligent. being brilliant isn't a requirement to be a good leader, but stupidity isn't exactly an advantage.

executive decision-making means that at least on some level you have to understand the issues on which you're deciding, better than the average american with an IQ of 98. not all smart people can be a good president, but i don't think it's unfair to say that a good president can't be as dumb as sarah palin.

The measure of a great leader is not knowing everything, but rather to surround yourself with competent and capable people...

One only has to look at Obama to realize that intelligence does not a great leader make.

Palin is more in tune with the majority of Americans...

This is undeniable...

Thanx for the hint on the NoScript.. Once I survive the weekend, I'll check into it.

But it's bed time now. :D

Michale

things can always get worse.

as disappointed as i am in the president and his policies, how could anyone with half a brain seriously think palin would do better? have you watched her interviews? it's genuinely shocking how little she knows or understands. i'd sooner have palpatine as president than allow someone as witless as palin to be in charge of my country.

the easiest blocking tool i know of is NoScript, which is available as a plug-in to mozilla's firefox browser.

http://noscript.net

Muslim Group Offends Some Christians With Jesus Advertisements
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/muslim-group-offends-some-christians-jes

One has to wonder if Christians will react to offense the way that Muslims do or if the Hysterical Left will jump to the defense of Christians as they jump to the defense of Muslims...

Anyone??? Anyone??? Buehler???

My guess is the answer to both will be, "HELL NO"... :D

Michale.....

I doubt it could be any worse than what we have had with Obama....

At least with Palin we would have someone who understands and relates to the majority of middle class Americans.

I can't even begin to count how many times Obama has been on the opposite side of the majority of Americans on issues...

perhaps it's something obama can hold over palestinian leadership, though - if they don't want to make a deal with his administration, they ought to consider the likely alternative.

Good one. :D The Palestinians would be petrified of a Palin Administration.

And rightly so..

you know you can configure your browser not to run scripts from particular hosts, right?

"I'm a doctor, not a software programmer!"
-Dr Leonard McCoy

:D

I didn't know that. I'm pretty much a hardware person.

It's like that old joke, "How many software programmers does it take to change a light bulb."

"None. It's a hardware problem".. :D

Do tell....

Michale.....

i shudder to think what a palin presidency might be like, but i must concede that it is a possibility. as mencken said, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." perhaps it's something obama can hold over palestinian leadership, though - if they don't want to make a deal with his administration, they ought to consider the likely alternative.

you know you can configure your browser not to run scripts from particular hosts, right?

~joshua

But polling puts BOTH within single digits of Obama...

And with a year and a half to go and the economy about 3-5 years away from recovery, it's very possible that, come election time, we might have President Palin... :D

On another note....

CW, those audio ads are brutal.... :(

I dropped a note directly to Ben at Banter, but I guess it was ignored... :(

Michale...

but on the bright side for the president, his most likely opponents are mitt romney and sarah palin.

Obama's re-election prospects are looking dimmer and dimmer...

Michale.....

Well said...

As I mentioned before, it's amazing to have these side-by-side views of our leaders..

If Obama & Biden were to read these, I would hope they would have the decency to be acutely embarrassed...

Michale.....

i'm personally still waiting on that one...

And he won't be able to say that I flip-flopped on something as fundamental as whether our nation should use torture.

failed. i'm sure michale's glad about that one, and attributes the bin laden raid to it, but nonetheless there it is...

George Bush said whatever the politics of the moment required in order to get elected in 2000. And those seven years of broken promises have left the American people with less trust in their leaders and less faith in their government than they have in years.

and this has changed how?

That's why I'm this race. Because I don't think you should settle for a President who's only there for you when it's easy or convenient or popular -- I think you deserve a President who's willing to fight for you every hour of every day for the next four years.

still waiting...

'nuff said on THAT.....

Michale......