I think that Sarah Palin is much smarter than the media generally gives her credit for. The misconception that she is somehow ignorant came back to bite two lefties on the bum recently....
"Blogger Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos and PBS host Gwen Ifill could barely contain themselves when they came across an apparent elementary historical-knowledge gaffe by tea party favorite Sarah Palin, but it turns out the left-leaning commentators were the ones with egg on their faces.
Moulitsas – a major power-broker in the Democratic Party's left-wing base – dashed off a message to his thousands of followers through the Internet social network Twitter after Palin told tea party activists in Nevada, "Don't party like it's 1773 yet," reported the blogger who uses the pen name Cuffy Meigs.
Moulitsas sneered, "She's so smart."
Ifill wrote: "Sarah Palin: party like its 1773! Ummm."
Others mocked Palin with comments such as "uhhh" and "[expletive] happened in 1773?"
Palin presumably knows the U.S. was born in 1776. But what Moulitsas and his crew didn't recall was that 1773 was the year of the Boston Tea Party, the inspiration for the grass roots movement that is threatening to sweep the Democratic Party from power in Congress next month.
Palin eventually responded with a tweet of her own on the matter: "Gwen Ifill, et al... Really? Silly."
Meigs pointed out that it's clear from video of the speech that Palin was referring to the Boston Tea Party."
Moulitsas – a major power-broker in the Democratic Party's left-wing base – dashed off a message to his thousands of followers through the Internet social network Twitter after Palin told tea party activists in Nevada, "Don't party like it's 1773 yet," reported the blogger who uses the pen name Cuffy Meigs.
Moulitsas sneered, "She's so smart."
Ifill wrote: "Sarah Palin: party like its 1773! Ummm."
Others mocked Palin with comments such as "uhhh" and "[expletive] happened in 1773?"
Palin presumably knows the U.S. was born in 1776. But what Moulitsas and his crew didn't recall was that 1773 was the year of the Boston Tea Party, the inspiration for the grass roots movement that is threatening to sweep the Democratic Party from power in Congress next month.
Palin eventually responded with a tweet of her own on the matter: "Gwen Ifill, et al... Really? Silly."
Meigs pointed out that it's clear from video of the speech that Palin was referring to the Boston Tea Party."
That being said, I think that the media has effectively Quayled Palin and no amount of slick PR campaigns could ever undo the misconception that she isn't very bright in the minds of many American voters. However, Palin does have the ability to rally the conservative base and she won't be disppearing from the political scene any time soon.
6 comments:
They've demonized her. It's inexcusable. I'll cross- post this.
the grass roots movement...
When it's being funded and run by billionaires and corporations it's not really "grass roots". You might want to read up on who the Koch brothers are.
I doubt Palin actually uses Twitter herself. People in the public eye nowadays have staff to manage that.
I think a certain percentage of Americans don't want to vote for anyone smarter than them.
"Plain regular folk" not no liberal scientist or fancy talkin' educated dude.
It is possible that the Republicans are chasing that vote.
O'Donnell in her "Not a witch" TV ad seems to be pushing this message. It's possible that the public faces of the Republican party's Tea Party branch may be smarter than they let on. But if it's acting-they're doing it well...
Palin "Quayled" herself, but I've never said she was completely stupid. She's obviously smart about some things.
That she should occasionally get something right should be surprising. When you deal almost entirely in sound bites, it's very easy to take something out of context, or to filter out items someone else might find interesting (while you yourself do not).
However, it's a little telling that "She got something right" is considered news- or blog-worthy.
Whoops. I meant to write the following: That she should occasionally get something right shouldn't be surprising
ATVLC, I read an article about the Koch brothers in the New Yorker. Very interesting.
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