Matthew Continetti has a piece in this weekend’s Weekly Standard hailing Sarah Palin as the ideal leader of a new populist uprising. One obvious objection to his thesis: The populist Sarah is in fact one of the most unpopular figures in American life.
According to Gallup, 63% of Americans say they would never consider voting for her. By a margin of 62%-31% Americans rate Palin “unqualified” to serve as president – by far the worst score for any leading Republican.
In comparison, only 51% of Americans say they would never consider voting for Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee – and a plurality of Americans rate the two as “qualified”: 50-36 say Huckabee is qualified, 49-39 say Romney is qualified.
Palin supporters have constructed an alternative reality in which their heroine is wildly cheered by the American yeomanry, and despised only by a small coterie of sherry-drinking snobs. No contrary evidence, no matter how overwhelming and uncontradicted, can alter this view: not the collapse in Palin’s support in just 5 weeks in 2008, not the statistical studies that show her as the only vice presidential nominee in history to have hurt her ticket, not her rampant unpopularity with American women, not her own flinching from a second encounter with the Alaskan electorate.
In this regard, Continentti’s comparison of Palin to William Jennings Bryan begins to look not only apt, but ominous.
Like Palin, Bryan had some good ideas. He was right about free trade, and he was right too about the gold standard. (Even if his alternative would have been unworkable in its own way.) But he made himself so culturally obnoxious to the American majority that he dragged even his good ideas down to defeat with him. Everybody knows Bryan’s famous line about the “cross of gold.” Not so well remembered are the lines that killed his candidacy in 1896:
Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.
This was not the way to talk to a rapidly urbanizing nation.
Bryan ran for president three times. He lost every time, and by dwindling margins: 46.7% of the vote in 1896, 45.5% in 1900, and 43% in 1908. Yet not all was lost for him. After four consecutive defeats, the country finally did turn to the Democrats in 1912. Many of the important reforms Bryan had urged over his unsuccessful career were enacted into law. Of course in the interval, Bryan’s party had turned to a new leader: a former president of Princeton University and author of an outstanding work of political science.
The professor won what had eluded the preacher, in part because unlike the preacher, he did not look obviously unequal to the job.
60 responses so far
1 JohnMcC // Nov 7, 2009 at 10:47 pm
The good folks over at The New Republic were a couple of days ahead of you on the subject of the Weak Tea Standard:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-weekly-standard-where-its-always-good-news-for-republicans
(Jonathon Chait)
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-plank/matt-continetti-and-conservative-anti-elitism
(Isaac Chotiner)
And as Andrew Sullivan points out tonight, the point of Sarah Palin is to energize the segment of the electorate that already knows that she is right. Palin and Coninetti–made in heaven–for Democrats.
2 jeffpeterson // Nov 7, 2009 at 10:51 pm
David — tell us about Reagan’s faves/unfaves in 1975 or 1979 or 1980. Then we’ll have the data for a worthwhile argument.
3 Socrates // Nov 7, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I can’t recall anything similar to the “Palin Phenomenon” in recent politics. Maybe she fancies herself after President Reagan, but Reagan was at least a good communicator and was successful in California. Palin is neither. While does have some talent in igniting the right-wing base of the GOP, she is but a “mini Dan Quayle.”
As for her current popularity with the base, my guest is that she is trying to cash in her fame. And those who are seeking her blessing (e.g., Rep. Kirk) just don’t want to be “Scozzafavaed” by the teabaggers.
4 jeffpeterson // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:10 pm
From a Facebook page as a private citizen, Palin has had more effect on the debate over the Democratic healthcare reform bill than any other Republican politician.
5 Jim_M // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:25 pm
<>
…or columnist, journalist or blogger…
6 Oldskool // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Her appeal reminds me of Ross Perots’ which was great at first until the folksy stuff wore off when he turned out to be a quitter.
7 sinz54 // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Oldskool:
Ross Perot knew much more about economics (including what makes a business run) than Sarah Palin seems to.
8 sinz54 // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:57 pm
I think it’s way too early to speculate on electability of Palin or anybody else.
And focusing on electability rather than message has been a trap. In 1980, conventional wisdom was that Reagan wasn’t as electable as George H.W. Bush. But Reagan won a landslide. In 2004, Kerry’s strength was supposed to be that he was electable. But he lost anyway. In 2008, Hillary claimed that Obama just wasn’t as electable as she was. But he obviously did fine.
Looking back on these races, if you think about what each candidate’s message was, why each candidate did well (or poorly) becomes much clearer.
So the question at this stage should not be: Is Palin electable?
The question at this stage should be: What is Palin’s message to the broader electorate, particularly Independent voters?
9 SpartacusIsNotDead // Nov 8, 2009 at 2:30 am
Frum’s fear of a Palin presidential run is ridiculous. There is no chance that Palin will run for president in 2012. And, even if she did, there is no possible way she would get the GOP nomination.
Despite polls showing GOP identity down to 25%, the electorate is still basically split with 54% Democrats and 46% for the GOP. That means there are still enough sane people who will show up for GOP primaries to nominate a credible candidate that is not an embarrasment. That automatically rules out Palin. Of course, she knows she can’t get the nomination so she won’t run.
Palin’s future is to be a dumbed-down version of Newt Gingrich. She’ll say a lot of controversial things that will excite a segment of the GOP. But, she’ll never run for President because the humiliating defeat would prove she’s irrelevant.
10 Socrates // Nov 8, 2009 at 3:27 am
9SpartacusIsNotDead
“Palin’s future is to be a dumbed-down version of Newt Gingrich. She’ll say a lot of controversial things that will excite a segment of the GOP. But, she’ll never run for President because the humiliating defeat would prove she’s irrelevant.”
agree, she is just in it for the fame and money. but she and her minions can wreck havoc and do lots of harm. these people are just like the talibans.
11 rbottoms // Nov 8, 2009 at 4:12 am
You mean the bill that just passed the House of Representatives?
Palin and her teabagger mob have done nothing more than slow down it’s passage. They have not killed it. Democrats know that if they fail to pass health care legislation they will be run out of town on a rail by angry liberals, and the Republicans will attack them no matter which way they vote. Better to go all in if they expect to survive the 2010 elections.
12 mlindroo // Nov 8, 2009 at 7:24 am
> David — tell us about Reagan’s faves/unfaves in 1975 or 1979 or 1980.
> Then we’ll have the data for a worthwhile argument.
Does anyone have this data…?
I am not aware of any figures myself, but my impression is the perceived showstopper wasn’t Reagan’s experience / competence or even his age (although the Democrats of course tried to make an issue of all of these issues in the 1980s). Wasn’t the main objection that he was supposedly too conservative and the GOP was risking another wipe-out of Goldwater-esque proportions?
—
Palin’s biggest problem is a solid majority of voters thinks he is under-qualified, undoubtedly on the basis of her shaky performances during the 2008 elections. There was the occasional “wink of brilliance”, but only ardent conservatives are swayed by her emotional appeal. So she will have to do quite a bit of studying, figure out her position on the major public policy issues of the day and then learn to credibly debate those issues with more experienced politicians.
—
Let’s not forget Hillary Clinton was also loathed by half of America in the 1990s, but virtually nobody questioned her credibility a decade later and she would undoubtedly now be president if not for a few events during the early Democratic primaries that eventually sealed the nomination for Obama (who also worked hard to overcome his thin resume). There is no reason why Palin could not emulate Hillary, but I suspect it will take a lot longer than 2-3 years so she certainly won’t be ready by 2012. The first step has to be running for office again, presumably in some conservative Southern state where she is wildly popular.
MARCU$
13 nwahs // Nov 8, 2009 at 7:36 am
Can someone please take out the trash with this Boola fool?
14 mymy // Nov 8, 2009 at 8:26 am
The day after Congress passes a huge health care bill Mr.Frum decides the most important thing to write about is Gov.Palin.
15 Addie // Nov 8, 2009 at 9:53 am
Personally, I hope Sarah runs on a 3rd party ticket. She’ll get my vote! I have learned I am not going to compromise my vote by voting for the lesser of 2 evils which has been the last several elections. I will instead, vote my conscience.
Frum hates Sarah and that is only due to jealousy. Frum is a no named wannabe and will never have the leadership or excite such a huge population base! (even at 27%, that is still what? 40 million + people) When Sarah speaks, people listen! All Sarah has to do is write an article on Facebook and she’s front page news. Frum writes an article and it’s not even worthy of back page STAR.
The other reason why many people including Frum are afraid of Sarah is because she IS NOT a Washington Insider! Washington just plays musical chairs with each election which is why this country is going to hell in a hand basket! There is so much going on behind the scene in Washington that has been screwing up this country for years now because of special interest and politicians making money is top priority, not doing what is best for this country! That would all come to a halt if Sarah were to be elected! They know it and that is why many people on both the right and the left fear her!
16 Kanzeon // Nov 8, 2009 at 11:29 am
jeffpeterson:
“From a Facebook page as a private citizen, Palin has had more effect on the debate over the Democratic healthcare reform bill than any other Republican politician.”
Palin may have had an effect on the healthcare debate, but none on the bill itself. She and the tea parties were a circus sideshow. Olympia Snowe and a handful of other moderates had some influence in the Senate.
The healthcare bill was written by the blue dogs and the leadership of the Democratic party. Republican moderates affected maybe 15% of the bill. Palin and the tea parties had zero effect.
17 sinz54 // Nov 8, 2009 at 12:34 pm
nwahs:
At my request, the moderator has now removed Boola’s offensive post.
18 sinz54 // Nov 8, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Addie:
What good is that???
The ideal candidate would unite the centrists and the rightists, and then go on to win over the Independent vote.
We don’t need a candidate to strike fear into the hearts of the Left or the Right.
The goal is winning the election, not revenge.
19 anniemargret // Nov 8, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Addie: ” When Sarah speaks, people listen! ”
uh…no… *your* people listen. Not a majority of Americans, Addie. The rest of us are laughing whenever she raises her pretty little head. She is a celebrity. The Republicans embraced her because they had not had a glamorous individual running for public office since Reagan. She is cashing in now, after abandoning her governorship. That shows not only lack of integrity, but lack of grit. To put her on the same page as Hillary as I read here on this blog elsewhere is a laugh. Hillary was winning court cases while Sarah was running around switching colleges and trying to graduate. She proved herself with mettle over and over again against her political enemies…and she NEVER quit .
Look…she may be a nice person, and her family looks like a nice family. But she’s way out of her league. The simple reason is that Americans will never see her in a real debate, one that is not scripted or a Fox News softball interview, is that they know she can’t cut it. She is a walking sound bite platform in heels. She’s got the buzz words…. ‘patriotism’ “family values’ “God’ , etc..
Here’s another reason why Americans won’t buy her: she is as devicisive a politician as they come. She is not a uniter, she is a divider… as if this country needs more division.
Addie, I want the next female president of this country to be gutsy, articulate, and educated. That doesn’t mean she has to hold a Ph.D. but she has to be able to speak extemporaneously on national and international issues without someone trying to prop her up.
It was reported that during the McCain campaign, that handlers were terrified she was going to speak. That there was a war among them whether they should force to memorize lines, or try to memorize concepts.
Sorry, Addie. You may vote with relish for Sarah, but the rest of us are not just looking for a ‘pitbull with lipstick’ with nary an unscripted thought in her head. As a woman and like many women I know, we find the idea of her being President abhorent.
20 JeninCT // Nov 8, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Palin’s problem lies in being seen through the lens of McCain’s handlers, Couric and Saturday Night Live/Tina Fey sound bites. This damaged her reputation among Obama supporters. However, Obama supporters are jumping ship left and right so all bets are off for 2012.
Her approval rating is meaningless at this point because her book hasn’t even come out and she hasn’t declared her candidacy.
21 Addie // Nov 8, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Sinz – Maybe I should have been more clear, I meant to say many people IN WASHINGTON on both the right and left fear her. Sarah will not play musical chairs like every other administration play. Washington is so corrupt on both side (rep and Dems) and they don’t want someone from the outside coming in. Why do you think both sides have been demonizing Sara and they are already starting with Bachmann.
annie “As a woman and like many women I know, we find the idea of her being President abhorent.”
Good for you! Let me tell you, as a woman and like many women I know, we find the idea of Sarah being president refreshing! Here’s a fact….. Obama, who happened to go to Harvard, can’t speak without a teleprompter and yet he was elected. Sarah lost her teleprompter at the beginning of the biggest speech in her life and pulled it off like a champ. Obama would still be saying, ummmm ummm, ahh, umm ahhh, ummm. Hate to break it to you but Sarah is not stupid.
So best guess right now, there will not be a republican president in 2012 because the republican party will be split in half….it’s already there! Trust me dear, I’m not the only one, look what happened in NY-23rd District! There is a very BIG GROUP with my same sentiments! So, by you saying “the rest of us” you mean who exactly? Because I see the party split which would mean, “some of us”.
22 gina4 // Nov 8, 2009 at 8:29 pm
“these people are just like the talibans.”
Socrates // Nov 8, 2009 at 3:27 am
What an ignorant statement.
23 JeninCT // Nov 8, 2009 at 9:04 pm
“Sorry, Addie. You may vote with relish for Sarah, but the rest of us are not just looking for a ‘pitbull with lipstick’ with nary an unscripted thought in her head. As a woman and like many women I know, we find the idea of her being President abhorent.”
Nary an unscripted thought in her head? I seriously doubt it. Does that mean you’re among those who think she couldn’t possibly have written her OpEd piece in the WJS?
As a woman and like many women I know, I find the idea of her being president comforting.
24 anniemargret // Nov 8, 2009 at 9:37 pm
JeninCT: you trust Sarah Palin to call the shots on a nuclear war? To tangle with Putin, Kim Jong Il? She didn’t even know what the “Bush Doctrine” was! That was a revealing moment.
When she was asked that question, I knew it what the Bush doctrine was. I told my husband what it was in that moment, and I’m nobody.
To my mind, any person aspiring to be the V.P of the U.S. (and a Republican to boot!) and couldn’t adequately understand or explain what the Bush Doctrine was has no business running for high office.
There are such things as ‘ghostwriters.’ She has already had one for her upcoming book, “Going Rogue”: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/ghostwriter-meet-the-other-rogue-behind-sarah-palins-memoir.php?ref=fpb. There are plenty of other sources on this as well.
Writing an OpEd piece is easy. Getting in front of a hardball interview without knowing what the questions are and being able to answer them sufficiently, intelligently, and with an understanding of the complexities of the nation and international scene requires an education of long-standing. You don’t get that from being ‘coached.’
Au contraire: She’s uncomforting to millions.
25 JeninCT // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:05 pm
“you trust Sarah Palin to call the shots on a nuclear war? To tangle with Putin, Kim Jong Il? She didn’t even know what the “Bush Doctrine” was! That was a revealing moment. ”
Yes, I trust Palin to call the shots on a war and tangle with Putin and Kim Jong Il. The Bush Doctrine? Who cares? Obama wouldn’t have known that one either, but good for you!! You would’ve won final Jeopardy if you were up against the both of them!
And yes, I am aware of the existence of ghostwriters. My point was that there’s a double standard when it comes to questions about her credibility. It’s troubling.
26 vegasguy // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:10 pm
rbottoms writes: “Palin and her teabagger mob…”
I fail to understand why liberals labeling conservatives with the name of a gay sexual act is allowed on these forums. Would I be allowed to name call a liberal in such a manner?
That aside, I have yet to find anyone who could tell me how Obama was more qualified than Palin to be President and least you all forget, she was running for Vice-President. Obama’s lack of any management experience is showing with his indecisiveness any every single issue before him except of course unless it’s to call a police officer’s actions stupid when he had just stated he didn’t have the facts.
His entire foreign policy seems to revolve around placating every two bit dictator and despot in the world while he leaves our allies hung out to dry. But in his one magnificent foreign policy move he did give the Queen of England an IPod with copies of his speeches. I’m sure she couldn’t imagine how she had lived so long without the soothing tones of Barrack Obama’s words to comfort her.
27 anniemargret // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Obama is going to have to make the most serious decision a President should have to make…to send more troops into war, perhaps unending war or not. That is not ‘indecisiveness’ to my mind. It shows he understands the enormity of the decision which will affect our country for good or il for years to come. Not to mention the thousands of soldiers and families who are put into harm’s way. If you ask them to die for their country, you should have the best advice to do so. I, for one, am glad he is taking time to make this serious decision…as opposed to the rash decision made by Bush and Cheney into Iraq.
As far as ‘allies’ goes….Bush did them in by way of the Iraq war. These two pronged wars, Iraq and Afghanistan will be America’s wars. All the more reason we want to make thoughtful decisions, not hasty irrational ones.
28 anniemargret // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Jenin: The Bush Doctrine and you say, who cares? Holy cow.
The single most important piece of planned foreign policy that would dictate the direction this country would go and you say, who cares???
Scary.
29 Arch // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I fail to understand why liberals labeling conservatives with the name of a gay sexual act is allowed on these forums.
Hardly a practice limited to gays. In fact, it’s specifically unavailable to half the gays.
30 donabernathy // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:42 pm
So the argument is Pailin doesn’t hold the qualifications to be President.
And this is said with a straight face while Barack sits in the Oval Office.
Priceless
ROFLMAO
31 JeninCT // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:47 pm
“Jenin: The Bush Doctrine and you say, who cares? Holy cow.
The single most important piece of planned foreign policy that would dictate the direction this country would go and you say, who cares??? ”
My point was that the fact of Bush’s foreign policy being known as the Bush Doctrine wasn’t important. The way the question was worded was the problem. If Gibson had asked her generally about Bush’s foreign policy and where she agreed or disagreed it would’ve been fair, but to use an obscure (in some circles) term coined by a WaPo columnist was just unfair, and as I said, Obama wouldn’t have known it either.
So yeah, who cares that she didn’t know the term “Bush Doctrine”. I still trust her more than Obama with any foreign policy.
32 garyp // Nov 8, 2009 at 10:53 pm
David, David, David……
You really don’t get it. You guys blew it Mr Frum.
You silly “moderate “democrat/communist lite” people are what destroyed the Republican brand. It’s time for all of you to move out of the way and let the adults take care of things.
Conservatism is the big tent way to go, always has been. This milquetoast , moderate, squishy, almost democrat/communist just doesn’t work.
Conservatism works every time it’s tried. In fact, REAL Conservatives, not you phony-baloney ones, win landslides, every time.
As for Sarah Palin, she’s the most powerful politician in America, period. She’s America’s Governor, or as Tammy Bruce calls her, the 101st Senator.
Look at the huge monkey wrench she threw into Obama’s illegal and unconstitutional death care bill. Sarah single handly stopped it from passing months ago. Of course, all of you weak kneed “moderates” weren’t able to help.
In NY-23, Sarah endorsed a guy no one ever heard of and it two weeks he went from dead last to within a breath of winning an unwinnable election. Doug Hoffman gained 25 points after her endorsement, and money poured in. And that’s with Obama, and his thug White House AND the idiot “moderates” in the GOP doing everything the could to stop him!
Look at her work getting Saxby Chambliss reelected last year.
Look how she has driven the debate on both the falling dollar and energy independence.
Even better, this incredible woman is setting the national agenda in her house slippers from4000 miles away by typing on a networking site!
It will be something to see once she gets down to the lower 48 and gets to work!
I really can’t wait until January 20, 2013 so I can hear the words “Madam President, Sarah Palin!
James De Long rightly points out that Sarah was the best candidate, most qualified candidate on a presidential ticket in a decade, and I absolutely agree.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/sarah-palin-and-the-dysfunctional-political-class/
Sarah has something no one else in this country has, guts!
Myself, and 10’s of millions like me would march through the fires of hell for this woman, because we believe in her and we believe in everything she stands for. Life, liberty, and American exceptionalism.
Sarah is the daughter that Ronnie Reagan never had, She is the very embodiment of Reagan’s spirit, of Regan’s optimism. Of Reagan’s goodness. Like Reagan, Sarah sees America as that “shining city on a hill” we all love.
But the best thing about Sarah is this. Sarah Palin lives in Barack Obama’s head. She is the only one in American who can destroy him, who can destroy the evil that surrounds him. She sees him and his kind for the evil they are. And she doesn’t pull punches.
Sarah Palin is a leader, all the rest are just pretenders.
33 Books // Nov 9, 2009 at 12:27 am
I don’t understand the relentless attacks on fellow conservatives by Frum. About half of Frum’s website is dedicated to trashing conservatives. Does Mr. big tent “New Majority” realize that each time he does one of these hit pieces on Palin or Limbaugh he is insulting a large portion of the republican party?
What about the 31% who do like Palin? They are surely conservatives. If the republican party makes up roughly half of the country, then that means Frum has just insulted about 60% of republicans by endlessly telling us that we are too dumb to realize how dumb she is.
31% of the 131 million people who voted in the 2008 election comes out to about 40.6 million conservatives who are being insulted by Frum on a regular basis.
Same holds true with the Limbaugh audience of about 20 or 25 million.
The worst part of it all is that none of these endless attacks are going to change the minds of any Palin or Limbaugh supporters, they are just used by the lib media to attack conservatives.
Also if Frum wants to kick 40 million people out of the republican party, where will we go?
34 Mary // Nov 9, 2009 at 3:13 am
garyp,
I’m with you. Responding to the recent election, Pelousy ignored theDem’s overwhelming defeat in VA and NJ, and pronounced the slim victory in NY 23 a sure a famous victory for her party and a sign of Dem vitality. Translation: all that the obamacrats cared about in those races was that Palin’s candidte not win. They know Sarah Palin is THE anti-obama, which is why they’re trying to obliterate her.
They don’t get that what she achieved in NY 23, which you so clearly trace, was a defeat for them. Filthy cowards and their mindless attack-dog Lame Stream Media (LSM: kudos, Bernie Goldberg)! Sarah isn’t going anywhere–but UP, morons.
35 RedCarolina // Nov 9, 2009 at 6:22 am
anniemargret — someone’s jealous! get over the bush-doctrine thing, already. It was a trap question. Can we hear your thesis on the Bush doctrine, please, oh wise one?
Polls are a snap shot, not a forecast. Yes, perhaps it’s useful for the 2012 elections and considering we have to somehow unseat a pathetically politcally correct incumbent (I feel the white guilt bubbling up already). She is about to appear on Oprah, and that is JUST HER LAUNCH. She is very young, very intelligent, very strong personally — she’s going to redefine herself and that ridiculous poll will not mean anything. If she flops, then that number will go down. If she works hard and finds her place in the new political scene, then 31 may be a good number (consider that if politics splits into 3 or 4 parties — and it could happen). I like to think there is an anti-repub/anti-dem movement waiting to happen, but even I admit, minority voters WILL create their own party if they ever break from the dems – while I don’t believe they will go with the tea party rebellion, they may be inspired by it to make a break and form their own party. Hey, America is broken — the two party system is not working. If we have to choose between the lesser of two evils (and O’s leftist base is more evil than anything the far right has ever produced), then we’ll lay it all on the table and break off into a third party, knowing it may be the end of America. We’ll do that rather than watch O take over everything. The black voters are conservative. If they start a legitimate conservative movement of their own, anything is possible. how’s that for hope and change!
36 No More RINO // Nov 9, 2009 at 6:26 am
Mr. Frum, at first, I don’t understand why you always undermine Sarah Palin and other Sarah Palin conservatives so much. To stay relevant perhaps?
I found this article from Hot Air and this article is the most read article after just several hours posting it. I wonder why…could it be because it has ‘Palin’ in the title? I betcha..wink..wink..if you don’t have Sarah Palin’s name in the title of your article, nobody would know about the existence of your little forum!
All kidding aside, I’m not a politician or a pundit, but I know why I am a conservative – I’m a pro low tax, fiascal responsibility, pro liberty and freedom. And I seriously think that the Republican and Democrats are doing a good job in tearing the basic foundations on this country apart. Republican lost in 2008 because they have not been true to their conservative principles and they wanted to outdo the Dems in terms of spending. They’ve become the Democrats Lite. The Bush admin and the Repubs congress drove the nation deficits to around $455,000,000,000 ($450 billions) in 8 years. This means $14.8 billions per month. The Obama admin and the Democrat congress drove the nation deficits to around $1,417,000,000,000 ($1.4 trillions) in 10 months. So they added around $962,000,000 ($962 billion) in 10 months – $96.2 billions per month (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10708/11-9-09MBR.pdf)
I don’t care so much about politicians who speak in haughty taughty language just to make them sound knowledgeable about stuff. It really doesn’t take anyone from some Ivy League schools, like Obama, to see that with this spending rate, the country will have nowhere else to go other then the rock bottom. We keep borrowing money from China and the Feds keep printing dollars like there’s no tomorrow. Other countries have started dumping dollars as they see our currency devaluing overtime. India just purchased 200 tons of gold from the IMF for $6.7 billion (http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSSP37590020091103?sp=true). Who’s next? China? One has to wonder, why do they not want to hold on to US Dollars anymore? Do you really need an Ivy League education to see this?
Sarah Palin talks in clear and simple language. Language that a person like me does not have to open my webster dictionary just to find out what exactly the message she’s trying to convey.
Perhaps you should watch the Chris Wallace and Bob McDonnell interview today – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYTlGNzSaWY
McDonnell won Virgina by a landslide by being a true conservative, not a lite Dems. What’s so fresh about it is he’s very open about it.
History has proven that true conservatives always won over lite conservatives (or lite democrat?). Reagan of course was the biggest example. John McCain is a lite conservative (or lite democrat?). Look where it got the Repubs – nowhere. Does anyone really think that a true conservative would support the 1st bailout ($700 billions) that the Bush admin signed off on in 2008? Has anyone ever wondered what would’ve happened had McCain voted no for the bailout? The only best thing that McCain has done in his campaign was introducing Sarah Palin to the rest of us.
It’s so funny how Obama was touted as this highly educated man when he always needs a teleprompter wherever he goes! How about his IQ? His thesis? Nobody knows anything about these!
Obama was only in the senate for less than 2 years and voted present 130 times (check Factcheck.com). What were really his accomplishments before becoming the president? What has he ever governed or managed? Seriously, if this guy were to apply for a job as a VP of a company, he would get laughed at as his resume would be really thin when it comes to managing and governing. Does anyone honestly think that high platitude talks will get this country out of the many huge problems we are facing now (Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, N. Korea, Russia, the economy, recession)?
- Obama went to Europe on a blame America tour and what did he get? Nothing.
- Obama decommissioned our missile program in Poland to make Russia happy with the hope that Russia will stop their nuclear program. What happened? Medvedev said before Russia reduces their nuclears, other countries have to do the same thing as well. And that would include Iran and N. Korea. Do you honestly think they would do this? Either Obama is dreamer or he’s just not that smart. Even Sarkozy questioned whether Obama lives in the real word or not (http://ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article1432).
Finally, we, the people, are tired of politicians who care about themselves and only cares about getting elected over and over again that they have no problems in voting against their conscience and the will of us, the people, who voted them into office. Call us what you want, Palinites, teabaggers, idiots, simple minded, right wing nuts, extreme right wing…(did I miss anything btw?) it will not weaken our spirits! The 2010 election is coming. For me personally, if the Repubs don’t start acting like true conservatives, I would rather see them lose rather than see them having their fingerprints all over the destruction of this great country alongside the democrats.
And lastly, Sarah Palin rocks! And yes she’s beutiful! And what’s the best about her is no matter what the LSM and haugty taughty so called conservative pundits like yourself say about her, she will not back down from her true conservative stance! It will only embolden her and the rest of us who support her!
Btw, Check out what other reasonable liberal women say about Palin:
Camille Paglia: http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2009/07/08/reader_letters/index.html
37 RedCarolina // Nov 9, 2009 at 6:29 am
you palin haters are pathetic — if McCain had won, she couldn’t be worse than Biden. what a moron! what a baffoon! it’s horrific! I heard one idiot claim she couldn’t vote for McCain because he was too old (younger than Pelosi, about same asBiden) — and that if he died, Palin wouldn’t make a good pres. Okay, but she would be surrounded and supported and advised by McCain’s good cabinet and advisers. Are you any more assured that Biden is second in line? That Pelosi is third in line? Can you imagine? What are biden’s ratings these days? in the single digits? and Pelosi’s? not even worth mentioning.
Astounding!!!! this is the most useless attack on Palin I’ve seen in a long time. Get over your hatred for middle America! We are not going away and furthermore, we are looking for a way out of the republican lie. CHANGE YOU HAD BEST BELIEVE IN!!!
38 jeckelmyhyde // Nov 9, 2009 at 9:01 am
I am troubled by this article. Does anyone know who our current President is or notice his inexpierence and devisiveness, and the tearing apart of America as a result. I remember what Palen said during the campaign and she was spot on in reguards to a possible Obama administration, because every thing that she said about Obama seems to have come to fruition. I do understand that this is counter to the Lamestream, since they are part of this administration and are very afraid of Sara Palin, just as they are afraid of FOX News. Oh, and bye the way does anyone remember Joe Gaffmaster Biden during the campaign, and you are telling me that he did not hurt the campaign. Was this article written by David Frum or Rahm Emanuel or did Rahm just sign off on it.
39 DFL // Nov 9, 2009 at 10:00 am
To be fair, Bryan’s 46.7 % in 1896 came on the heels of the 1893-96 recession that Bryan’s fellow Democrat, Grover Cleveland, struggled feebly to arrest. Bryan’s 45.5 % in 2000 came after the economy revived under Republican William McKinley and a popular war with Spain had been won. Only Bryan’s 43 % in 2008 was underwhelming.
40 The Greenroom » Forum Archive » The Palin Qualifications // Nov 9, 2009 at 6:51 pm
[...] until he got tired of people laughing at him, David Frum published an essay called “The Palin Fantasy” over the weekend. Even as the House of Representatives was preparing to pass the most [...]
41 Palin Doctrine // Nov 9, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Bush didn’t even call his own policies the “Bush Doctrine.” Geesh. It was a label applied after the fact by conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer, who later revealed that Charles Gibson didn’t even understand the Bush Doctrine.
Can we stop with the “Bush Doctrine”??? Sarah understands Bush’s worldview. But more importantly, she understands her own worldview. And that worldview would never include supporting an usurper like Zelaya, and appeasing every commie thug on the planet, like our current Genius-In-Chief.
As for Sarah Palin, I’ve never in my lifetime heard so many people tell someone they’re irrelevant.
I always thought that irrelevancy is something that speaks for itself.
The more they call her irrelevant and unelectable the more relevant and electable she looks.
If you have to state something over and over and over, then one thing’s for sure: it’s not obvious.
42 anniemargret // Nov 9, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Palin Doctrine: If Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton had been asked that same question from Charlie Gibson and seemed confused, they would have been laughed off the stage. Palin was running for the Vice Presidency of the U.S.A. It was a revealing moment for many Americans.
Any citizen could finesse what the ‘Bush Doctrine’ was if a one was paying attention to world affairs and politics. There were thousands that knew what the ‘Bush Doctrine’ was. The fact that Gibson had to help her along revealed her insufficiency and lack of attention to grasp important foreign policy issues.
Then she added fuel to the fire when she was asked about the surge in Iraq in 2007, and her response was, “I’ve been so focused on state government, I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq,….” A V.P. wannbe that wasn’t up to snuff on Iraq????
And if Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton had answered the same way they would have been not only laughed off the stage, they would have been booted off the stage.
She’s been given free passes. No one is ‘jealous’ of Sarah Palin. But the majority of Americans have good reason to doubt she has the wherewithal to deal with serious issues facing this country…and not just whether or not God was moved to the edge of U.S. coins, implying a conspiracy by President Obama and Democrats.
What she forgot in her rush to make political brownie points was to check the *facts* before she starts her conspiracy theories – since the coins, “..were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.” Look it up.
But then again, Palin thrives on the us vs them politics, the ‘death threats’ and now ‘coin’ conspiracies to keep the ‘base’ angry and fearful.
43 Hot Air » Blog Archive » The Palin qualifications // Nov 9, 2009 at 9:36 pm
[...] until he got tired of people laughing at him, David Frum published an essay called “The Palin Fantasy” over the weekend. Even as the House of Representatives was preparing to pass the most [...]
44 Palin Doctrine // Nov 9, 2009 at 10:56 pm
anniemargaret … By all means, keep preferring politicians who finesse their answers despite not knowing what the hell they’re talking about. That’s how we got Dr. Utopia and the Plaigarist. They never met a question that needed to be clarified, because frankly they don’t deal in the realm of factual reality. It’s all spin, all the time.
It turns out Gibson didn’t even know what the Bush Doctrine was. He asked Palin if she agreed with “The Bush Doctrine”. Like a normal person being asked a vague question that might mean different things to different people, she said: “In what respect, Charlie?” And he with great disgust then went on to completely misstate the so-called Bush Doctrine, according to the person who INVENTED the so-called Bush Doctrine.
Suppose Sarah had answered that idiotic question: “Yes, Charlie, I do agree with the Bush Doctrine.” And then Charlie had blurted out: “So … my GAWD … you support pre-emptive war???????” And Sarah says: “No, Charlie I was referring to Bush’s first address to Congress after 9/11 when he said that we will make no distinction between terrorists and those who harbor terrorists.” (That, by the way, is the “Bush Doctrine,” according to Charles Krauthammer who coined the phrase).
Palin doesn’t play bullshit games with liberal media pretending to be objective journalists. The fact you thought she was confused (she wasn’t) means nothing to millions who see her as someone willing to CHALLENGE the media on its idiotic assumptions. Why not give Sarah credit for calling Gibson out on his assumption that the Bush Doctrine was anything other than a DC cocktail party label that meant different things to different people. The American people would have preferred that Gibson ask Sarah for her view on the war on terror, and not played semantic games with nonsensical phrases. That’s exactly what we’re tired of seeing.
And, in the end, if Sarah’s response to “The Bush Doctrine” is your most ardent reason for not supporting Sarah, too bad for you. You deserve to have a commander-in-chief who is the adopted son of Muammar al-Gaddafi and Fidel Castro — and lies through his teeth.
45 Palin Doctrine // Nov 9, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Coins? I sincerely doubt Bush personally approved putting God on the side of a coin. Bush and the GOP Congress probably had ZERO input on the exact placement of “In God We Trust” on the coin. The vote was probably part of some massive Treasury-related bill. Nice try though.
It has nothing to do with “us vs. them.” It’s about reality vs. political correctness. Palin was making an analogy … and an apt one: God has been shoved to the sidelines. The ACLU has seen fit to demonize any public displays of Christian faith. Obama says we’re not a Christian nation, despite 85% of the country that would call themselves at least marginally Christian.
Palin is reality centered. Liberals are the ones trying to rewrite our history and take out God. As if belief is God is so passe and outdated.
Funny, Obama mentions Jesus more often than Bush did, especially when he needs votes for something and needs to guilt us into more government entitlements.
Oh, and as for Sarah and the Iraq War, do you remember John Edward’s response about the Iraq War when he was running for VP in 2004? You can’t remember it? Seriously? You can’t? Why do you suppose that it? Is it possible that before Sarah Palin ran for VP nobody really game a damn about what the VP believed about ANYTHING?
46 anniemargret // Nov 9, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Obama is the ‘adopted son of Muammar al-Gaddafi and Fidel Castro?’
wow.
I challenge Sarah Palin on getting up and taking interviews, a la Hillary Clinton, instead of strewing fear and faux conspiracies to the American public. She is a polarizing figure, not a uniting one. If she is the intelligent person that you claim her to be, then she should be wise enough to know you don’t insult the half the country every chance you get, nor strike fear into the hearts of Americans with her exaggerated ‘death threats’ and now her discredited drummed up conspiracy about ‘God and coins’ and Obama…
This type of rhetoric does not endear herself to being judged as a person of integrity. Nor admiration.
47 Mario Piperni dot Com » Blog Archive » Alternate Reality - The Sarah Palin Syndrome // Nov 10, 2009 at 11:29 am
[...] David Frum logically deconstructs Palin idolization. Matthew Continetti has a piece in this weekend’s Weekly Standard hailing Sarah [...]
48 Skeptic // Nov 10, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I am an independent who usually votes Republican, not because I am “squishy” on principles but because both parties sometimes deserve to be thrown out of power — and neither party has an absolute lock on the truth. The Democrats are not evil incarnate, and the Republicans are not God’s elect.
A few brief observations:
Conservatives should welcome David Frum’s posts, not chastise him as an apostate. The best political philosophers , those who have thought most seriously about freedom, know that intellectual dispute, challenge and contention is critically important in the “marketplace of ideas” — that is the way ideas stand the test of time and are strengthened. Only the weak-minded insist upon conformity and falling in line. And shouldn’t conservatives, above all, value independent thought?
Obama does NOT always speak in front of teleprompter. He does so when he gives a prepared speech, as virtually all politicians do nowadays, but he also speaks extemporaneously to the press and during the many primary and general election debates he was on his own. He does credibly on such occasions. Palin, however, is too afraid to subject herself to open questioning and never does so unless there is absolutely no alternative, as in the vice-presidential debate. I, for one, would never vote for a candidate who is afraid of the rough and tumble of American politics — and one too afraid, for that matter, to finish her term as a a governor. I don’t like “afraid” in a leader.
Without exception my Democratic friends believe that Palin represents a huge advantage for the contemporary Democratic party, and I have to agree. She ensures that the Democrats will draw heavily from Independents at just the time Independents are typically beginning to consider the out of power party. My very elderly father, who has never voted for a Democrat in his long life, voted for Obama because he found Palin’s performance so embarrassingly mediocre and ill-informed.
49 Tramaker // Nov 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
The argument I find amusing is this one from JeffPeterson:
“From a Facebook page as a private citizen, Palin has had more effect on the debate over the Democratic healthcare reform bill than any other Republican politician.”
I have heard similar things said by others in recent weeks. There are lots of figures in American political life and culture whose comments are always reported dutifuly by the media, usually because they are so ridiculous/over the top that they (the media) know it will generate a reaction. Palin fans – don’t kid yourself. The woman is a trainwreck and that’s why anything she says on her Facebook page will immediately be reported. A liberal comparison might be Jesse Jackson. Anytime he or Al Sharpton call someone a racist, the media laps it up but would you argue they are credible candidates for high office?
The reason the 2008 VP debate was watched by so many was because most of the country (dare I say the world, from reports from friends in different world capitals) expected a train wreck. Sarah Palin is a joke to about 60% of the United States and the rest of the world. I have friends who work as financial analysts in Asia and they couldn’t wait to attend the CLSA forum because Palin was speaking, not because they think she’s a credible voice on economics or any other issue but because they wanted a laugh. I really don’t understand how anyone of sound mind could have watched the Katie Couric interviews and conclude she is even fit for Chairperson of the local Kiwanis club, never mind President of the United States. Please – just have some objectivity.
As for the comparison to Obama…the man is a graduate of Harvard and Columbia. He is a former constitutional law professor and civil rights lawyer who has served in state government plus the Senate for 14 years. Palin was the Mayor of a town of 6,000 just three years ago and could not even finish one term as the Governor of one of the smallest states in the union, population-wise. There is just no comparison in terms of intellect, knowledge or world experience. Give it a rest folks.
50 anniemargret // Nov 10, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Palin Doctrine: As far as Palin and her coin controversy, look it up! It’s easy.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/11/in-palin-we-trust.html
God is shoved to the sidelines? You don’t really believe this do you? I am a born and raised Roman Catholic. I believe in God and I am a centrist Democrat (just in case like most Palin supporters you think you can’t believe in God and come from NYC and be a Democrat all at the same time).
Trust me…get out of your hole and drive through some towns, village, small and big cities. You will see people attending churches on Sunday…all kinds of people, many different churches. Here in Charlotte we have Bill Graham’s column every week and a ‘religion’ section. I actually find it inspiring at times since it offers up not just Christian views, but other religions as well. It can be informative.
Oh…one other thing. This nation’s Constitution was written in secularism. That means you are FREE to go worship in the church of your choice, and not bash on the heads those that don’t believe in the same way you do. It also means in this FREE country of ours, that the First Amendment guarantees that even atheists and agnostics, Muslims and Jews and any other religions can be without restraint or prejudice. Thank God for it!!
The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing. It is just this type of religious bigotry and zealousness that is turning off thousands of Americans…and why Sarah Palin will never make it past being a celebrity speaker and complaining that God was shoved to the side of the coin. My God is in my heart and mind… coins are not a big problem for me.
I was not a John Edwards fan, btw. My initial support was for Hillary Clinton who truly the bravest woman and most intelligent female politician in DC. After she lost, I threw my support to Obama. And yes, I think the V.P. who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency has a huge role to play and can be an asset or a danger if in fact, he or she, becomes President. I would have preferred Hillary to be V.P. but Biden has my respect for his long and distinguished service as senator to this country, despite some boneheaded remaks.
51 gojirademonstah // Nov 10, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I call it ” Addie’s Rule”: the intelligence of a post is inversely proportionate to the number of exclamation points it contains.
52 Palin Defenders | Conservative American // Nov 10, 2009 at 8:35 pm
[...] time the attacks come from David Frum as he complains about a story at the Weekly Standard about Sarah Palin’s populist [...]
53 CNN’s Candy Crowley Scarfes Down Two Dozen Krispy Kremes, 1-1/2 LBS of Bacon And A Canned Ham On Tuesday’s American Morning // Nov 11, 2009 at 2:01 am
[...] fueled by celebrity- lucrative, but not necessarily good.” The former Bush speechwriter and Palin critic would go on to compare her to current governor of California: “Americans tend not to elect [...]
54 jakester // Nov 12, 2009 at 3:13 am
Palin is the creation of the dumbed down and crude talk radio universe, which by default speaks for all conservatives as well as for the GOP, given the stooge who supposedly heads the GOP now. Any sensitive intelligent person, not the total crackpots or brainwashed fundamentalists who dominate that medium, is appalled at her crude, stupid crass populism. Blaming the media, MSM, for her reputation is the crassest and most contemptible excuse for her lack of insight and intelligence that I’ve heard in decades. But she is merely the tail end of a trend when you let the least qualified and least trustworthy members of a movement decide on a general course. After all, Rush Limbaugh himself declared that Palin’s critics are God’ enemies. If that is the way the GOP wants to play ball they will lose, since thanks to the crass enrollment of God and Religion into personal and political aggrandizement of the last 20 years, people are now becoming less faithful and less concerned what the Elmer Gantrys have to say.
Palin is an idiot, and her fellow idiotarians seem to believe that the negative reaction she elicits from all but the deluded is proof of her validity because annoying “liberals” is the ultimate validation of their nonsensical nonthinking in their little world.
55 jakester // Nov 12, 2009 at 3:43 am
jeffpeterson
you act as if lies about death panels is something positive. But I guess integrity and wisdom aren’t prized virtues in your little town. Maybe if people opposed to this monster bill had kept the debate centered in reality, they might have gone further than whipping up a bunch of yobs to march and sob with “Obama = Hitler” signs.
56 jakester // Nov 12, 2009 at 3:47 am
Palin Doctrine
you need to get out more and talk to other people so you can get some feedback that is based in reality, not your wishful thinking and childish “hero” worship,
57 CarbonDate // Nov 13, 2009 at 12:05 am
PalinDoctrine said: “Obama says we’re not a Christian nation, despite 85% of the country that would call themselves at least marginally Christian.”
It’s actually 76%. It was 86% in 1990. Obama is acknowledging a demographic reality: we are becoming an increasingly diverse nation. It would behoove the Republican party to acknowledge that as well, or they risk becoming increasingly marginalized in each subsequent election. They can’t win being the party for white Christians, anymore.
58 Weekend link dump for November 15 – Off the Kuff // Nov 15, 2009 at 3:28 pm
[...] The Palin fantasy. [...]
59 Liz Lemon In ‘12! « Around The Sphere // Nov 17, 2009 at 2:45 pm
[...] David Frum at The Frum Forum: Matthew Continetti has a piece in this weekend’s Weekly Standard hailing Sarah Palin as the ideal leader of a new populist uprising. One obvious objection to his thesis: The populist Sarah is in fact one of the most unpopular figures in American life. [...]
60 The Palin Qualifications « Doctor Zero // Jan 25, 2010 at 11:59 pm
[...] until he got tired of people laughing at him, David Frum published an essay called “The Palin Fantasy” over the weekend. Even as the House of Representatives was preparing to pass the most [...]
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