Someone Please Explain This To Me

[speedz99 145]

Apparently around 35% of Republicans and right-leaning independents would support Palin in 2012. I mean...what the fuck? Was it not established that she's an empty shirt (so to speak) who has no business being anywhere near any powerful national office? I agree with a lot of traditionally republican ideas about minimizing government in certain areas, but it's shit like this that makes me hate the right due to the often correct steriotype that it's populated mostly by inbred Jesus freaks* and gun nuts. I would have been happy with a McCain win until Palin showed up.Am I missing something? Is she probably going to just drop out of the spotlight sooner or later? Please tell me that's the case.*obviously not all Christians are in this category

[El Guapo 8]

I don't know how true those numbers are. She would not be at the top of my list for future GOP nomination.

[Nimue1995 1]

Putting her at the top of the GOP ticket is one way to keep me voting Democrat,lol. You'd think that the GOP would have learned something from the last election. The Republicans need a ticket that's competent. And one where you don't have to worry that much about the line of succession including the Lady Speaker.

[slink 1]

I think she suffers from Quayle's Disease. Whether justified or not. He never shook the idiot tag, maybe she will (doubt it).The right missed a big opportunity to nominate a black for president first, and obviously they can't do it 2012 either. They need a strong right/center woman to steal enough votes to win. The only one I can think of is Christy Todd Whitman, but I don't know much about her.I saw a brief clip about Jeb Bush's popularity, but can't believe we'd elect another Bush in my lifetime. Too bad for him, he may have been the best of the boys.

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

The left could never understand what makes Palin attractive to those of us on the right.Assuming she gets some more experience (US Senate one time?) and becomes a better interviewee... I think she has a future in the GOP.I think a big mistake for the Republican party in 2012 would be to continue down this road of being "Democrats-lite". We're not going to win with a McCain type. We need to actually argue conservatism and support small gov't.I hope this happens. Oh, and you won the election. Give it up already about how "dumb" you think Sarah Palin is because you saw a 5 minute clip on TV. It just makes you look like an idiot.- TR

[speedz99 145]

The left could never understand what makes Palin attractive to those of us on the right.

Explain it to me. I'll understand, you just need to speak like an adult instead of tossing around bush league junk like "the left could never understand" and 3rd grade insults that don't even make sense within the context of a discussion (see below).

Oh, and you won the election. Give it up already about how "dumb" you think Sarah Palin is because you saw a 5 minute clip on TV. It just makes you look like an idiot.

She's still all over media coverage.I'm not sure who you're calling an idiot...nobody in this thread called her dumb. Just totally unprepared for the position she was running for. Tell me I'm wrong. Then, once again, try explaining how she proved to be someone worthy of future consideration. I don't see how she did anything right. I'm honestly curious about this...some people actually care about the thought processes of those who disagree with them. It's how progress is made. So I hear.

[slink 1]

I think a big mistake for the Republican party in 2012 would be to continue down this road of being "Democrats-lite". We're not going to win with a McCain type. We need to actually argue conservatism and support small gov't.- TR

There is no way a republican could've/should've won this election. On a neutral playing field, McCain wins. That being said, there is not enough conservative base to overtake the demographics of the left. They are going to have to cut into the base of women/blacks/hispanics of the left. You don't do that by moving to far to the right.

[Jeepster80125 0]

I don't know how true those numbers are. She would not be at the top of my list for future GOP nomination.

I agree with this

The left could never understand what makes Palin attractive to those of us on the right.Assuming she gets some more experience (US Senate one time?) and becomes a better interviewee... I think she has a future in the GOP.I think a big mistake for the Republican party in 2012 would be to continue down this road of being "Democrats-lite". We're not going to win with a McCain type. We need to actually argue conservatism and support small gov't.I hope this happens. Oh, and you won the election. Give it up already about how "dumb" you think Sarah Palin is because you saw a 5 minute clip on TV. It just makes you look like an idiot.- TR

As a republican leaning independent, I am embarrassed to be associated with posts and ideas like this.There is no way that repubs deserved anything less than what they got, which is absolutely owned on most fronts. Bush didn't help us, but we ruined our opportunity and we don't deserve to win right now. How the hell can you sit there and make a post about smaller government while supporting Bush and his Patriot Act?I'm serious. Will you explain this to me?I'm not attacking you, I agree with lots of what you say, but this is apalling. (being on the right at this moment)

There is no way a republican could've/should've won this election. On a neutral playing field, McCain wins. That being said, there is not enough conservative base to overtake the demographics of the left. They are going to have to cut into the base of women/blacks/hispanics of the left. You don't do that by moving to far to the right.

I agree with this too.

[LongLiveYorke 38]

I'm not sure who you're calling an idiot...nobody in this thread called her dumb.

Raises hand.

[speedz99 145]

How the hell can you sit there and make a post about smaller government while supporting Bush and his Patriot Act?

Republicans aren't Libertarians...they want bigger government when it suits them. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just saying.

[checkymcfold 0]

Raises hand.

[speedz99 145]

Raises hand.

Well, nobody before his post, anyway. I don't think she's dumb...just not smart enough (from everything I've seen, read, and heard) to run a country. But that could be said of the vast majority of citizens, including our current president (obviously). It's not a knock on her as much as a knock on people who themselves are too dumb to realize that she's not smart enough to be president. For referring to them I'm ok with using that word. Dumb.

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

Whoa, okay didn't mean to ignite a firestorm. Might've come across a bit snide because I was annoyed with another political conversation at the time, and for that I'm sorry.I think Sarah Palin is a symbol of returning to true small government and fiscal conservatism. Nobody's offering that right now. If a better candidate appears and takes the stage, so be it, but I think she's the best symbol of what I'd like to see out of the Republican party right now. She's also not a nutso, despite what the media has tried to say about her (i.e. she supported equal economic rights for gay workers in Alaskan gov't). In fact, she's not nearly the social conservative nut that she has been made fun of for being. Sometimes I wonder if people are remembering what Tina Fey said AS Sarah Palin or what Sarah Palin actually said.Bush has been an embarrassment overall, and I never said I agreed with all of his policies. I just think McCain symbolizes much of what I HATE about the Republican party... for example, Mccain-Feingold, and his anti-capitalist rhetoric. The idea that McCain was similar to Bush wasn't really that far off.I would argue Bush has been a deviation from conservatism. I think a lot of conservatives would agree with me.I'm a college student at a very liberal campus, so I hear Sarah Palin derided on a daily basis. Again I apologize for calling people idiots, I kind of meant it in general, not at anyone (namely speedz) in particular.Oh, and for the record, I don't support the Patriot Act, and I'm not a social conservative. I just think what the Democrats offer on the economic side of things is so bad that I have no choice but to support the Republicans.

[speedz99 145]

I'm a college student at a very liberal campus

That's got to be frustrating, so now I do totally get your comment from before. No worries.

I think Sarah Palin is a symbol of returning to true small government and fiscal conservatism.

I guess I could see that. But only as a symbol, not as a viable candidate, I would hope.

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

That's got to be frustrating, so now I do totally get your comment from before. No worries.I guess I could see that. But only as a symbol, not as a viable candidate, I would hope.

Do I honestly believe that Sarah Palin circa 2008 is not only electable, but ready to be President? No. Check back with me in 2012, especially if she takes Ted Stevens' Senate seat.I also genuinely like her, I can't help it.

[speedz99 145]

Do I honestly believe that Sarah Palin circa 2008 is not only electable, but ready to be President? No. Check back with me in 2012, especially if she takes Ted Stevens' Senate seat.

I hope that over the next 4 years she is at least groomed by people with good intentions instead of vultures looking to have someone in office that will have strings for them to pull.

I also genuinely like her, I can't help it.

I dislike but admire her.

[slink 1]

especially if she takes Ted Stevens' Senate seat.

Stevens lost.

[JubilantLankyLad 1,957]

Stevens lost.

but hey, don't let that stop you dreamin'

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

Stevens lost.

Oh.

[CaneBrain 95]

Palin (much like Hillary Clinton) has become far too polarizing a figure to win a general election (unless something changes drastically by spring of 2011). It may not be fair but thats how it is, doncha know.

[SlapStick 0]

I think she is dumb but thats not the talking point of this thread.Her fear mongering and low tactics against Obama says enough for me that I don't ever want to hear about her again nevermind hearing people suggesting she has a future in the GOP. I've never really met people with much different views than mine in my life yet outside of this forum so I at first just dismissed most of you as weird idiots but most of you articulate yourselves really well and I guess I understand it a lot more now. As snobby as I may be, the fact she doesn't believe in birth control or evolution I just can't believe she is legitimately called a politician

[Balloon guy 158]

I think she suffers from Quayle's Disease. Whether justified or not. He never shook the idiot tag, maybe she will (doubt it).The right missed a big opportunity to nominate a black for president first, and obviously they can't do it 2012 either. They need a strong right/center woman to steal enough votes to win. The only one I can think of is Christy Todd Whitman, but I don't know much about her.I saw a brief clip about Jeb Bush's popularity, but can't believe we'd elect another Bush in my lifetime. Too bad for him, he may have been the best of the boys.

Christy Todd is pretty far left leaning republican, she will never get the nomination.The rest of your post QFT

The left could never understand what makes Palin attractive to those of us on the right.Assuming she gets some more experience (US Senate one time?) and becomes a better interviewee... I think she has a future in the GOP.I think a big mistake for the Republican party in 2012 would be to continue down this road of being "Democrats-lite". We're not going to win with a McCain type. We need to actually argue conservatism and support small gov't.I hope this happens. Oh, and you won the election. Give it up already about how "dumb" you think Sarah Palin is because you saw a 5 minute clip on TV. It just makes you look like an idiot.- TR

QFT

Raises hand.

I heard on George Noory's show Coast to Coast a guest talking about how many physicist believe the CERN project has the potential to destroy the world, so you just sit down and shut up "Mr. Let's destroy the world so we can try to find something we're not sure is even there"

Whoa, okay didn't mean to ignite a firestorm. Might've come across a bit snide because I was annoyed with another political conversation at the time, and for that I'm sorry.I think Sarah Palin is a symbol of returning to true small government and fiscal conservatism. Nobody's offering that right now. If a better candidate appears and takes the stage, so be it, but I think she's the best symbol of what I'd like to see out of the Republican party right now. She's also not a nutso, despite what the media has tried to say about her (i.e. she supported equal economic rights for gay workers in Alaskan gov't). In fact, she's not nearly the social conservative nut that she has been made fun of for being. Sometimes I wonder if people are remembering what Tina Fey said AS Sarah Palin or what Sarah Palin actually said.Bush has been an embarrassment overall, and I never said I agreed with all of his policies. I just think McCain symbolizes much of what I HATE about the Republican party... for example, Mccain-Feingold, and his anti-capitalist rhetoric. The idea that McCain was similar to Bush wasn't really that far off.I would argue Bush has been a deviation from conservatism. I think a lot of conservatives would agree with me.I'm a college student at a very liberal campus, so I hear Sarah Palin derided on a daily basis. Again I apologize for calling people idiots, I kind of meant it in general, not at anyone (namely speedz) in particular.Oh, and for the record, I don't support the Patriot Act, and I'm not a social conservative. I just think what the Democrats offer on the economic side of things is so bad that I have no choice but to support the Republicans.

I support the Patriot Act, but mainly because Obama voted for it.

Palin (much like Hillary Clinton) has become far too polarizing a figure to win a general election (unless something changes drastically by spring of 2011). It may not be fair but thats how it is, doncha know.

Dang it....qftI hate that the left is so good at personally attacking people who they disagree with and detroying their reputation.But they play to their strengths.I mean they got people to believe that John McCain was just like Bush.They are dirty politcs geniuses

[Balloon guy 158]

Conservatism will win in the next general election.The republicans tried the centrist guy, and lost.You people who think they didn't try hard enough are just like the college professors claiming communism will work if it's tried correctly.The country doesn't want less conservatism, they want more.But seriously, do any of you remember anyone from the right telling the left how they need to run people more like John Kerry after he lost? Or how about Algore?Where does this insanity come from to think that probably our MOST moderate/centrist senator was over 10 points behind, picks a conservative right wing Christian and gets a 12 point boost, and somehow she was what was wrong with the ticket?She was briefed on what to say at her speeches by the McCain camp, prepped for her Couric interview by the McCain camp, and stabbed in the back afterwards by the McCain camp, but we need more Mccain's in our elections 'if we ever want to have a chance"?I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

[Balloon guy 158]

And how about you dems and lefties fix the country since you are in control of both houses and the presidency...BEFORE you 'fix' the repulican partymmkay?

[CaneBrain 95]

Where does this insanity come from to think that probably our MOST moderate/centrist senator was over 10 points behind, picks a conservative right wing Christian and gets a 12 point boost, and somehow she was what was wrong with the ticket?

like a three year old's sugar high....that 12 point boost was short-lived and had some side effects. He was 10 points behind when he picked her and he was about 10 points behind when he lost on Nov. 4th. So, in that sense, both McCain and Palin were the problem or the problem was people like that Obama guy. But to focus on her meteoric first few weeks while completely blotting out the memory of the next couple months (the bad interviews, the lame scandals, the "real america" nonsense, the loss of that 12 point boost) seems a bit convenient.Plus, now the GOP is fractured into people who think Palin is just what the GOP needs and people who think that Palin is the epitome of the problem. Have fun with that.In fairness, this is not really on HER. There are much larger issues at play here namely the always tenuous relationship between fiscal conservatives and the hardcore Christian element of this country. (I say hardcore so you know I am distinguishing them from all Christians.) She has just become the focal point for the debate about what ails the GOP.