Saturday, February 11, 2012 7:38am EST Make this your Home Page | RSS rss

Sarah Palin's own brand of "March Madness"

Jeff Winbush | Posted March 29, 2010 7:59 AM

I'm as bored of Sarah Palin's ongoing idiocy as much as anyone, but underestimating her ability to inflict blunt force trauma upon the American body politic is a mistake. Her talent for leading the Angry White Men of the Tea Party by the nose provides the Republican Party with energy even if they lack any new ideas beyond variations of recycled Ronald Reagan riffs.

A new phenomenon is emerging: The Angry White Woman embodied by Palin, the failed ex- governor who quit on the people of Alaska so she could relocate to the lower 48, peddle a politically empty book, become a Fox News contributor, and pocket thousands of dollars speaking to her fans at Tea Party rallies. Palin hopes riding a wave of White resentment against the nation's first Black president will make her his replacement.

Palin's policies, such as they are, are articulated on her Facebook page. She took to it Sunday to author a post about the NCAA basketball tournament, but did so by drawing some provocative and troubling comparisons that seem to have nothing at all to do with sports.

Unless you consider politics a blood sport. The usage of emphasis and italics are all by Palin and are reproduced verbatim:

Warning: Subject to New Politically Correct Language Police Censorship

Today at 4:59pm

March Madness battles rage! My family and I join millions of Americans enjoying college basketball's finest through March Madness. Underdogs always get my vote as we watch intense competition bring out the best in these accomplished teams.

The Final Four is an intense, contested series (kind of like a heated, competitive primary election), so best of luck to all teams, and watch for this principle lived out: the team that wins is the team that wants it more.

To the teams that desire making it this far next year: Gear up! In the battle, set your sights on next season's targets! From the shot across the bow - the first second's tip-off - your leaders will be in the enemy's crosshairs, so you must execute strong defensive tactics. You won't win only playing defense, so get on offense! The crossfire is intense, so penetrate through enemy territory by bombing through the press, and use your strong weapons - your Big Guns - to drive to the hole. Shoot with accuracy; aim high and remember it takes blood, sweat and tears to win.

Focus on the goal and fight for it. If the gate is closed, go over the fence. If the fence is too high, pole vault in. If that doesn't work, parachute in. If the other side tries to push back, your attitude should be "go for it." Get in their faces and argue with them. (Sound familiar?!) Every possession is a battle; you'll only win the war if you've picked your battles wisely. No matter how tough it gets, never retreat, instead RELOAD!

- Sarah Palin

There's enough ambiguity in Mrs. Palin's post for her to say, "Oh for goodness sake, lighten up folks. You libs have no sense of humor."

What I wonder is does everyone who reads what Palin says see the clever usage of metaphor and ambiguity? Someone posted on Facebook they thought it was a little too slick and sophisticated to come from Sarah Palin. Perhaps, and perhaps she's a quicker study that she let's on. The last time the Left "mis-underestimated" a Republican governor with a skimpy national profile and mangled syntax, George W. Bush had the last laugh for eight years.

Palin loves to skewer the out-of-touch elites for mocking her plain speaking persona. Even if someone ghost-wrote this post, it's her name associated to it, so either she wrote it or approved it being written for her to put her name to it. Whether or not she claims authorship or not, she owns these words and the responsibility that comes from how they are construed.

In politics there are opposing viewpoints and opponents. We can hold differing opinions about an issue and defend our position with great passion, but that doesn't mean we come to blows to "win." We express our differences, we disagree, we move on. Nobody has to lose for the other side to win.

"Enemy" is a stronger word. A much stronger word. Does Sarah Palin believe liberals and Democrats are the "enemy?" It is not enough they be defeated at the polls, but removed as a possible threat as well? That term just seems more than a little intemperate. It seems ominous.

I don't see Michigan State, West Virginia, Butler and Duke waging "war" next Saturday. I doubt these coaches and teams view each other as implacable enemies to be vanquished and requiring the spilling of "blood, sweat and tears."

If Palin was channeling her inner Winston Churchill, she should know the correct quotation is "blood, toil, tears and sweat." Perhaps those lessons haven't covered historical accuracy yet?

I do hope it's just me and I'm not finding the funny in this post by Palin. Someone with the obvious ambitions of Palin who aspires to the highest elected office in the land must guard against these languid lapses into troubling language. Veiled calls to inciting violence against one's perceived "enemies" are like taking a frothing-mad pit bull off its leash. One moment it may rip out the throat of the enemy and turn on it's own master's neck in the next.

Sarah Palin may always be considered something of a political lightweight and a bad joke being played upon the American electorate. But this joke is getting a lot less funny and a bit scary as she inches ever closer to the fringes of American extremism.

Jeff Winbush is the former editor of The Columbus Post newspaper and a freelance writer. His blog, The Domino Theory can be found at jeffwinbush.com.

E-mail

Comments 24

Ty
2010-03-29 09:37:33

This chick is crazy like a fox "news," revving up the fringe nuts and making millions in the process, have to give her props, she sees that she has power with the dimwits and knows, she will be exposed for the dim light she is and she wants to get as rich as fast as possible. She could care less about the so called American people, liberty and certainly not the constitution, which I doubt she even knows any part of.

Cecil Jones
2010-03-29 10:44:00

Sarah Palin is "Just another pretty face" spewing anger in a way that can be packaged and repackaged so the networks can get away with it. She quit on Alaska and she'll never be qualified to serve as VP or higher. Sarah is a video shoot away from being a millionaire milf running for Ms. Congeniality. She's losing that race too. Final point is if Sarah Palin is the best you can do...don't do it.

Ostend Street
2010-03-29 11:14:12

Sarah is starting elevate ignorance to a new level of sophistication.

Anne
2010-03-29 15:20:07

I have stopped looking at her as comic relief. Instead, I see her as a dangerously ignorant demagogue who knows just how to stir up the worst fears and basest prejudices of her followers. After learning about her map with cross points targeting Democrats who voted for the health care plan, as well as her incendiary rhetoric, I feel she has crossed the line and should be held accountable in no uncertain terms. She appeals to the most reactionary elements of American society. Therefore, it would be a serious mistake to underestimate her capacity to do great damage to this country's ability to come to a consensus on what's best for all of us. She promotes division, and not unity. The saddest commentary is that she has proven she will say anything in order to be "relevant."

The real Jay
2010-03-29 15:53:26

She should bring her white hood to her rallies for now on.

Terrence
2010-03-29 16:15:31

Another "pretty face?" Now that's as funny as her having crib notes on her palm while blasting Obama! I guess to old white men and young ones who can't get real live woman would agree with that, or the Tiger Woods' type. Remids me of Olbermann mocking some right wing guy swooning over her alleged good looks, and, the key word is alleged. Or the visually impaired might find her hot. She is smart and knows that racism works to her advantage with said crowd, and, white women who aren't all that either, I've never heard or saw any black man, other than the Clarence Thomas sorts say she's pretty, when its clear, she hates blacks, and, she hates black men in particular.

Sarah Palin is good for a couple of things, inciting hate and two, getting as rich as she can as fast as she can, nothing else.

Anne
2010-03-29 17:03:06

Terrence, piggy backing on your comments, did you know that Palin was a Miss Alaska contestant who lost out to a black woman? I bet that screeching voice was a factor in the outcome. In any case, Palin's looks are completely overshadowed by the ugliness of her spirit, which reveals itself every time she opens her mouth to say the same hateful and ignorant things she has been saying since the presidential campaign of 2008. Anyone who still looks at her as presidential material, after all her gaffes plus the fear- and hate-mongering has serious issues.

Ostend Street
2010-03-29 18:32:12

"I'm as bored of Sarah Palin's ongoing idiocy as much as anyone, but underestimating her ability to inflict blunt force trauma upon the American body politic is a mistake." Enough said!! Poke fun at her, ridicule her if you must, but don't underestimate this pit in lipstick.

Terrence
2010-03-29 20:32:12

Wow, Anne, thanks for the heads up on that, I guess those who think she is hot, would not be too pleased that she lost out to a beautiful black woman, since we are bombarded with the nonsense that black women aren't "pretty" which we all know is a lie LOL! But, one word that does not go with Mrs Palin is pretty, hateful, yep, that fits. When, you have that much hate and rage coming out of her mouth, "pretty" is hardly a word that decent people would attach to her.

FRE
2010-03-30 02:40:49

It's alarming that McCain is cosying up to her. I had thought that he wasn't too happy about having her as a running mate and that she had been foisted upon him, but from what I've seen recently, that doesn't seem to be the case. Palin's popularity leads one to question the judgment of many voters.

Anne
2010-03-30 07:21:07

McCain sold his soul a long time ago in his quest to be and stay a winner. He is trying to win the votes of the hard right fringe that finds Palin so appealing in order to win reelection in Arizona. And don't forget that he just recently said not to expect any cooperation from the GOP senators after they lost the fight against health care reform. Palin's popularity stems largely from her ability to exploit the anger, fear, and hatred her supporters feel toward a world that is constantly changing. Many of them also think she is "hot," and I firmly believe that if she were black or a man, she would have been laughed off the national stage a long time ago. The sad part is that she is exploiting them for money and fame. I have to laugh when I read or hear anything trying to establish a false equivalency between Obama and Palin. One thing that is hilarious is that she has more "executive experience" than he does. The only way anyone could possibly believe that nonsense is if he or she is still stuck in Campaign 2008 mode.

Perry
2010-03-30 11:13:03

Excellent analysis Anne and Terrence, I agree with you wholeheartedly on your accessment of this irritating lady. It is extremely difficult to listen to her. She has the most irritating voice I ever seen on a politician. But, the saddest sight was seeing John McCain, who I once considered a Republican with a brain, standing next to this vicious liar needing her endorsement for re-election. I would have chosen not to seek another term before I cozied up to this overly ignorant lady. And I do not find her attractive in any way.

Anne
2010-03-30 14:35:50

Perry, only someone who is truly principled would not cozy up to someone as unprincipled as Palin, even to attract votes. It's increasingly obvious that McCain doesn't have any, except to win at any cost, even at the cost of his honor and dignity. I am so sick of hearing that we women who don't like her are jealous of her. There's nothing to envy in a woman whose narcissism and ignorance are inducing her to take part in ginning up the most reactionary elements in this country. By doing this, she is playing with fire. She is also short on introspection, something that would prompt her to either think before she speaks or not accept money to utter so much negativity. Keep in mind that her comment on "death panels" was voted the biggest political lie of 2009. In addition, she is a horrible mother. Unlike others, I don't see any point in jumping on her eldest daughter. Bristol hasn't done anything that wasn't done before, and she just needs to raise her son as best she can. But while Palin is out here trying to make a name for herself, there has been a problem with her second daughter Willow, who along with other teens broke into this deserted house and was found to have been drinking. I say all this to underscore the hypocrisy of Palin and others who try to use her as a symbol of family values. She has proven time and again that she is only about herself, even if it's at the expense of her children. I believe, though, that sooner or later she will hanger herself. Her biggest downfall will be her oversized ego coupled with her ignorance.

uncle chuck
2010-04-08 14:37:08

RE; Ostend Street: "Sarah is starting elevate ignorance to a new level of sophistication." And if we don't watch out this will get her or someone she supports in the White House.

Anne
2010-04-10 06:07:40

The fact that Palin has achieved the success that she has is a sad commentary on the shallowness of many Americans who think ignorance shows "authenticity" and think someone being "just like them" is reason enough to vote them in any elective office. Palin represents a segment of Americans who are having problems adjusting to an ever-changing world that the hard right ideology is poorly equipped to cope with. Her success is also instructive for proving that a lot of people focus on bright, shiny objects without paying attention to whether that brightness is just a facade. There were people who liked GW because he seemed like a guy they could have a beer with. Thanks to his policies, a lot of them can't afford that beer any more. Palin appeals to white supremacists, people who long for an America that no longer exists, and the militaristic attitude that America is supreme above all other nations. What that is is unthinking jingoism that sees no need for this country to acknowledge any mistakes, much less apologize for them. She is still smarting from the fact that the majority of Americans who voted in November 2008 rejected her and McCain. She has also not increased her appeal outside her "base." Still, the fact that someone as ignorant, arrogant, and hateful as she is should be more than enough motivation to vote in as many elections as possible to prevent that from happening.

MLee
2010-04-10 18:20:51

Anne: Like you said I hope people realize the importance of their vote and are motivate to vote. Although President Obama received a majority of American votes in November 2008, only 43 percent of the White voters voted for Obama. That means 57 percent of White voters voted for McCain. 57 percent is a powerful force if not challenged. If the Republicans in power during the previous 8 years had not destroyed our country, I could not complain about a majority of Whites voting for McCain instead of Obama or blame it on racism. I would have just hoped Obama won the next time.

Anne
2010-04-11 12:59:24

MLee: You are so right. Everyone who wants to prevent a recurrence of the last 8 years under GOP rule needs to get out and vote this November. I wonder if the figure of white voters you cited is that of all likely white voters or those who voted. What happened in Virginia is a prime example of why the vote is so important. McConnell wasted no time in foisting Confederate Month on the citizens of Virginia, adding insult to injury by excluding any mention of slavery which was a central tenet of the Confederacy. While it was an ugly part of American history, and I also think it should be included in history books, I also feel it is a mistake to honor those who fought for the Confederacy. They seceded from this country, because states' rights to them meant the right to own slaves. The war was primarily about which section of the country would dominate economically, and slavery was a part of the conflict that became a war. There were former slaves who were forced to be on that side, and it was not their fault. There were poor whites who did not own slaves, but they too were fighting against their own interests, just as poor whites often vote against their own economic interests today by voting Republican. In addition, people like Palin--with a folksy demeanor that some people find disarming--are dangerous because they knowingly appeal to the fear, bigotry, hatred, and ignorance found in many members of the Tea Party. There are people not in the Tea Party who are also influenced by the unrelenting negativity of Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Bachmann, and others. Collectively, their goal is to discredit the Obama presidency, and for the GOP to regain the power to do what they did for the last 8 years. I suspect that they would do that to any Democratic president, because they did it to Clinton. But Obama's race plays a big part in it, and anyone who thinks otherwise is in a dangerous state of denial.

MLee
2010-04-11 22:49:25

Anne: The figure of White voters I cited in my above post is those who actually voted. I am unsure of what method was used to collect the voting count. Exit polling or what? However, several different reliable sources reported the same 43 percentage figure shortly after the election and several months after the election.

MLee
2010-04-11 23:05:17

Anne: Another way the White votes could have been tabulated is counting the votes from mainly White voting districts. But as I said before, I am unsure of what method was actually used.

Anne
2010-04-12 17:34:13

No problem, MLee. We just know it is imperative that those of us who don't ever again want people like GW, Palin, McConnell, etc., to have any say in our lives HAVE to get out and vote. The sad part is that these same people are impeding the progress of this country, and if they ever again have their way, we will end up being a second- or third-rate country. They are more interested in ideology than in competence, so therefore, they pursue simplistic solutions to complex problems. And in addition, they appeal to the lowest common denominator in the American populace. Obama's election has brought a lot of racism that had been simmering to the boiling point. The result is that people like Robert McConnell and Haley Barbour (the governor of Mississippi who defended Confederate Month) are bold now in announcing that slavery was not a significant feature in the Confederacy. But we know that they were intertwined inextricably. So, if we get an undesirable result because we chose to sit out the 2010 elections, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Mike
2010-07-25 11:14:59

The Obama administration is doing fine to discredit itself. Palin is just pointing out the obvious. You call Palin "stupid" but fail to mention the idiocy of crazy Joe Biden who actually IS the vice president? Palin, for all of her alleged shortcomings has actually done something that neither Obama nor Crazy Joe have done; run something other than their mouths. Obama has taken the word "rookie" to a new low and Joe... well, lets just say that there is always a sock at arm's length ready to shove into his constantly moving mouth. Bush was attacked 24/7/365 by your ilk for 8 years of anti-republican hatred. You got your guy elected. Now he's in the big leagues. Suck it up. You want to play with the big boys, stop acting like little babies.

Anne
2010-07-30 14:22:00

Biden has at times said some stupid things, but there is NO way to deflect from the fact that Palin ALWAYS does. Her latest one is that Obama's presence on the View endangers national security. Mike, do you seriously think that the Quitter Queen, who has quit just about every post she held, has done anything noteworthy? The fact is that there are even conservatives who are losing respect for her. She doesn't run anything BUT her mouth, and her feet should have teeth by now judging from the fact that she NEVER fails to put them in her mouth. She is ticked off that she is not the president, and it would have been a whole lot worse if she and McCain had won. She is always taking potshots at Obama but never offering any solutions of her own. It was so funny when she went on the show of a fellow conservative, namely Bill O'Reilly, and got dissed. She went on his show twice badmouthing the president as usual, but he asked her questions he expected answers to. The first time, they were about BP and the second time about immigration reform. She was unable to answer them, and she got flustered because she's not used to spouting off anything but bumper sticker slogans. She went away mad both times. Palin should have learned her lesson the first time, but she is so narcissistic and willfully ignorant that it doesn't occur to her she has a problem. If she can't deal with interviews, or go before anything other than Palin-friendly media with pre-screened softball questions, why would anyone think she could deal with the rigors of a presidential campaign, much less BE president? As for Obama being a "rookie," he was a state senator for 8 years, and a U.S. senator for 4. Palin was governor for only about 2 1/2 years before she quit. So, that eviscerates the argument that she has more experience, especially since he's been president for 18 months. She is immature, thin-skinned, and no more knowledgeable about national or world affairs than in 2008 when she came on the national scene. And she is the one who needs to follow your advice, Mike: "Suck it up. You want to play with the big boys, stop acting like a baby." She's the biggest whiner I've ever known about.

MLee
2010-07-30 17:44:25

I do not know where so many idiots come from. A Black president in office upsets them so much that all common sense is thrown out the window. I think most people (the silent majority) see them as who they really are, and a massive voter turnout this fall will send them back under a rock.

Dinah Rayas
2011-05-19 19:27:39

hey there and thank you for the information you have : I have surely grabbed something new through your posts. I nevertheless came across some on site problems using this blog. I was wondering if your internet hosting is okay? Not that I'm filing a complaint, but poor loading times could very likely impact your ranking in google and might damage your excellent content on this blog. Anyway I am putting your Rss feed to my reader and will look out for even more of your interesting articles..

Notice: COMMENTS DO NOT APPEAR IMMEDIATELY
To see your comment, wait approximately two minutes, then simply refresh the page.
Report issues/abuses to suggestions@thedailyvoice.com

Leave a comment

Today's news

NEWS UPDATES

More News Headlines

RECENT NEWS

MAY CALENDAR

May 7: Monthly unemployment numbers released

Name
Email Address
URL