The Atlantic - Latest Comments in More incoherence

Re: More incoherence

Tinare — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:26:21 -0000

I'll take the many, many years of experience and guy that foreign leaders call on the phone. Not the candidate that won't or can't (whichever it was) name a paper or book or periodical that she has read that has formed her worldview. Thanks!

Re: More incoherence

DSM — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:02:57 -0000

I was initially confused by her Biden attack but then I thought that perhaps what it was really all about was the VP debate and raising his expectations while lowering hers.

Re: More incoherence

Tinare — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:24:11 -0000

"I wouldn't call it a gotcha question; I'd call it a superfluous and condescending question. Which isn't to defend her or anything; she's awful. But even she deserves a little more respect than that."

Personally the arguments of "respect" or "deference" drive me batty. This is a democracy, remember. Voters decide who is in charge. In order to do that we need know who these people really are. Not who their handlers want us to think they are. Who they are. It's a job interview. If I were going on a job interview trying to claim I'm competent or know something about a particular field, I'm going to expect to be grilled about any and all of my claims in that interview. She claimed to have a worldview not based on traveling much, but on reading. Perfectly fine, maybe less than I would like in a world leader, but nonetheless, not disqualifying. So, this was a follow-up to find out what sort of reading has formed her worldview. And she can't back up that claim. Now, you as employer, that's okay with you? Sorry, not enough for me.

Re: More incoherence

Paul — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:36:47 -0000

..."the New Energy, the New Face, the New Ideas?"

Huh, well, two out of three ain't bad. But if Palin has any New Ideas, I sure haven't heard them yet. I do hear a lot of dog-whistling, though..here's hoping that pit bull don't hunt.

Rats, I'm all out of beer. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.

Happy Birthday! Cheers!

Re: More incoherence

halle — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:05:06 -0000

Look, all she had to say was "Oh I read so many sources -- all the major Alaska dailies, Time, Newsweek..." and true or not, nobody could have disproved it or made fun of it. It was a softball. Or she could have said, "I tend to have CNN and Fox News on in the statehouse" and even though it's TV, it would have been a fine answer. But to say "all of them" and refuse to name ONE after being asked 3 times? Absurd.

Re: More incoherence

MoeLarryAndJesus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:07:01 -0000

rab writes: "Look, she sounded like an idiot on the bailout and the Alaska/Russia thing, but when she's asked about stuff she actually knows, about she sounds perfectly fine."

Yeah, let's stick to questions about snowmachines and beauty pageants and the Baby Jesus. You know, the really important shit related to the JOB SHE'S TRYING TO FILL.

Seriously, is her nomination a secret liberal plot to reveal just how stupid every conservative in the country is? The defenders of Sarah Palin here are offering comments just as dumb as hers are.

You think that's a winning strategy, rab? Really? "Just ask her questions any old hockey pig could answer! She can't be expected to know anything else!"

Re: More incoherence

Whitey — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:03:57 -0000

"Anybody could decide not to answer that question when the underlying premise is obviously an insult to her intelligence (do you even read?!?)."

I really disagree as to the premise of the question. It's worth knowing a person's intellectual background and where their ideas are coming from. If you're getting all your ideas from your own head and people you know, then you're going to have a pretty limited range of ideas. I mean, does she depend on Limbaugh and Hewitt for the news? Is it condescending to assume that she reads? Couldn't she have just said the NRO or something?

Re: More incoherence

Jesse M. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:01:37 -0000

I think some reporter really needs to ask her to confirm or deny that she believes dinosaurs coexisted with humans...

Re: More incoherence

Sorn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:54:14 -0000

the above post is not intended to be offensively directed towards homeless people of any persuasion.

I would also like to point out the astonishing parralells between Sarah Palin and Judy Martz. it's scary how alike the two are.

Re: More incoherence

Sorn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:50:25 -0000

Is there a possibility she doesn't read to stay informed? A person can get most of their news from other places.

In Mrs. Palin's defense I would like to say that there is a good probability she gets her news from sky angel network.

Studies have shown that Skyangel Network viewers are more informed than homeless people.

Sarah Palin More informed than a homeless person.

Re: More incoherence

Asher — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:46:22 -0000

I wouldn't call it a gotcha question; I'd call it a superfluous and condescending question. Which isn't to defend her or anything; she's awful. But even she deserves a little more respect than that.

Re: More incoherence

Skyhook — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:34:50 -0000

She asked about newspapers. The obvious underlying premise of the question is, "wow, you're really dumb; what if anything do you read?" True premise, but it just seems like slightly inappropriate piling-on to me.

Implicit in this criticism is the assumption that one would know that Palin doesn't read papers or mags. And as little as most around here think of her, I can't imagine anyone betting much, before now, that a governor and VP candidate doesn't read ANYTHING (even online?). As someone mentioned, this question is the meatiest of softballs, and it stumped her. Think about that. Is there any question Palin can't answer that is not a gotcha question?

Re: More incoherence

rab — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:23:30 -0000

wtf? Anybody could decide not to answer that question when the underlying premise is obviously an insult to her intelligence (do you even read?!?). Anything she answered would be overanalyzed and she didn't have an answer prepared, so she decided not to answer teh question. Joe Biden would only be so lucky....

Look, she sounded like an idiot on the bailout and the Alaska/Russia thing, but when she's asked about stuff she actually knows, about she sounds perfectly fine. I'm not sure why Coates is such a hater all of a sudden.

Re: More incoherence

Asher — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:53:44 -0000

"Queried about her passport she said that she'd understood the world through books and other material. It's perfectly legitimate to ask her what books."

She didn't ask what books. Never mentioned books. She asked about newspapers. The obvious underlying premise of the question is, "wow, you're really dumb; what if anything do you read?" True premise, but it just seems like slightly inappropriate piling-on to me.

Re: More incoherence

ADLEED — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:56:15 -0000

Kinda make you want to redefine dumb!

Yeah, I knew she was not too well versed but she sets a new standard: most American do have some sense of the process or institutions that are engaged with foreign policy, health care, transportation, education, and so forth. None of these are perfect but all serve worthwhile purposes beyond the narrow view that some folks have; Palin appears to have slogans, ideology, and lipstick, all else is not needed. McCain seemed to have believed this, now he is reaping the fruit of his selection. Also, just what has McCain actually done in public life. In sum when one gives dumb a bad name, one's options are limited to being finished.

Re: More incoherence

MoeLarryAndJesus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:54:49 -0000

Asher writes: "I think the question kinda crosses the line. No other politician in America would ever be asked something like that."

Come on. Palin is a blank slate and there are only a few weeks for people to get a sense as to what she's about. In that circumstance, and considering the possible importance of the job she's going for, it's not just a fair question - it's also a FUCKING SOFTBALL most people could knock out of the park.

Re: More incoherence

KarenZ — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:51:57 -0000

All of them!

The New Yukker

Vanity Fur

The Pacific (The Atlantic is just for elite Easterners)

Mooseweek

Re: More incoherence

Stacy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:49:26 -0000

Watching CNN right now. That Bay Buchannan is a really silly person. She insists that Sarah Palin just needs to be herself on Thursday.

"If McCain would have just let her do more talk radio, she would be totally prepared!!!"

Re: More incoherence

TNC Fan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:49:20 -0000

Kind of off-topic, but I thought you would have an interesting take on this. I was watching an interview with Obama and Biden on MTVNews.com (I know - I can't believe I wrote that sentence, either). Watch this: Biden actually refers to Obama as "That boy." Should I be offended? Laugh at another harmless gaffe? Happy that we've moved passed...something?

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1595815&vid=280119

Re: More incoherence

jaye — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:48:04 -0000

I think she gives the answers she does, because it has worked for the Republican party in the past, and according to polled conservative voters, it appears it's going to continue to work for them. The McCain camp is not stupid. Incompetent and unable to lead, yes, but not stupid. Palin is out there because she will get the votes...these answers do not hurt her. She has locked down the Republican base for McCain, exactly the job she was brought on for, and none of these answers is affecting that ability at all. If she was to suddenly say that she's decided that her daughter needs to get an abortion because she's too young to have a child, yeah, that might be a statment that mattered to the Republicans. But not being able to name a single newspaper she reads? I don't think they care.

I think where McCain might have miscalculated is among the independents who are the key to the election.

Re: More incoherence

ed — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:46:13 -0000

Whoops, MoeLarryandJesus beat me to it. My bad.

Re: More incoherence

ed — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:44:37 -0000

Yesterday a friend told me that Sarah Palin was "carribou barbie" I thought that description was the best I'd ever heard.

It's a toss up between Caribou Barbie and Bible Spice.

Re: More incoherence

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:42:00 -0000

Asher,

Furthermore, it's a direct follow-up to an answer she gave the other night. Queried about her passport she said that she'd understood the world through books and other material. It's perfectly legitimate to ask her what books.

Re: More incoherence

Deborah — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:37:05 -0000

@Asher: Sure they would. It's the perennial "what books are on your bedside table, what writings/people would you say informs your world view" question.

Occasionally arises in situations such as a few years back when the media successfully launched "Of course GWB cares, he just doesn't know what the situation in Iraq is because none of his advisors will tell him and he has no media access! We must find a way to get the information to him! Say, what if he held a press conference?"

Re: More incoherence

MoeLarryAndJesus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:35:39 -0000

How the hell could I have left Mooseweek off that list?