Sarah Palin resigns as Gov. of Alaska. Stay tuned for the scandal

[Survivor Charlie]

First off, congrats to Gov. Palin for being the first person in her family to know when to pull out.

She just announced her resignation. She claims it's because she can do more good in the private sector.

Some are saying this is her idea of a good way to get ready for the 2012 Election. Given her status as a retard, this could be it.

More then likely, some major scandal is about to break and she got a heads up on it.

[niceguyshawne]

She claims it's because she can make more money in the private sector.



fixed

[JolietJake]

Just in case she is somehow elected president, i want it known that i came up with the book title "From the Outhouse to the White House."

[Kaijufan]

I just don't understand why she did this, even after reading her reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of scandal and she's getting out before she's forced out.

My dad (who's a pretty hardcore Republican) made the joke that maybe she was having an affair with Mark Sanford.

[Survivor Charlie]

She apparently sent out word to her supporters to figure out another candidate to support in 2012 because she is 'done with politics.'

Thus ends one of the biggest jokes ever done on the American people. And to all you Republicans out there, don't forget: you had a fighting chance in '08 before she came along.

ETA

Well, I think someone figured out why she resigned.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8642/s628.jpg

I think Todd has some splain to do. Again.

[Friend of Sonic]

Sexy action news. This made my day, thanks OP.

[Chuplayer]

First off, congrats to Gov. Palin for being the first person in her family to know when to pull out.

http://sadpanda.us/images/31249-GWGPV5O.jpg

I hope this at the very least ruins her chances at becoming president. I don't want her stupid ass in office. It would be nice if she dropped from the public eye completely, but beggars can't be choosers.

EDIT:

Well, I think someone figured out why she resigned.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8642/s628.jpg
I think Todd has some splain to do. Again.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!

[bmulligan]

Wow, this is almost equivalent to dishonorable discharge.

[Guerrilla]

Well, I think someone figured out why she resigned.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8642/s628.jpg

I think Todd has some splain to do. Again.
http://www.thegreatilluminator.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/david-letterman-return.jpg
Well kids, apparently I called that one.

[Survivor Charlie]

Andrew Halcro (a former Alaskan republican politician) says the news will be breaking soon on what's going on, and he says it will 'sadly trump all other scandals our party has going right now'.

Jesus, maybe my completely tasteless joke wasn't too far off.

[FallMoon]

It would be entertaining if it's a scandal, but it's probably not. its probably becuz shes so stoopid tho XD

[Koggit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5IIvg4gMxo

hahahahahahahahha

LSD is a hell of a drug

[Survivor Charlie]

Seems awfully nervous in that video.

Something major is going to break.

[lilboo]

She prolly was caught bumpin pussies together with Condoleeza

[SpeedyG]

And like that I'm turned on. Scared yet aroused

[FallMoon]

She prolly was caught bumpin pussies together with Condoleeza

I bet it was her and Hilary ;)

[DarkSageRK]

She prolly was caught bumpin pussies together with Condoleeza

I demand a doujin of this. Japan, get on that! We've already got moe Rice, so we're basically halfway there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/DarkSageRK/KawaiiRice.jpg

[KingBroly]

I just don't understand why she did this, even after reading her reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of scandal and she's getting out before she's forced out.

My dad (who's a pretty hardcore Republican) made the joke that maybe she was having an affair with Mark Sanford.

I don't think she's ever been to Argentina. Now if it was Russia, you might have something.

I'm assuming she's going to go around the country giving speeches and getting paid 50-100k each.

[Romis]

Something sure sounds odd about the whole situation, maybe she's actually been doing more than watching those people over in Russia from her porch?

In the past we've not seen many positive reasons politician's resign from office... Irony would have had her give some sort of speach and saying " I am not going to stay for you to kick around anymore.. I'm not a Nut!"

[Survivor Charlie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f9YQMbQMn0

After watching that, I'm somewhat convinced now that she's strung out on meth or something. I mean listen to her. She rambles. She's breathy. She's manic.

This woman is clearly not mentally stable and not fit to hold any political office.

[Doc Bacca]

I'm calling it now, Alaska is attempting to leave the union with Sarah Palin as their Czar.

[VipFREAK]

Christ... that first vid killed me. Good fucking riddance and I hope to never see or hear about her in politics ever again.

Anyway! I know why she's resigning! To single handedly save SNL!

[Survivor Charlie]

She's telling people she's not ruling out running in 2012.

2012...

Where have I heard that number before.








Oh god no...

THE MAYANS WERE RIGHT!

[Xevious]

She just announced her resignation. She claims it's because she can do more good in the private sector.


Is she posing for Playboy?

[JolietJake]

Man, the republicans are on the ground and getting kicked in the ribs at this point.

[UncleBob]

I'm just amazed at the attacks against Sarah Palin. John Kerry makes comments wishing she was missing/possibly dead. Several people make just lewd sexual "jokes" about her. The stuff regarding her husband and incest. The attacks about her Down Syndrome baby. I'm not a fan of Palin by any means, but wow. Some people are really, really full of hate, spit and venom.

[Chuplayer]

I just don't like her because she's a moron. I don't give two shits about her shotgun wedded pregnant daughter, her possibly pregnant other daughter, A-Rod "raping" her daughter, the mentally retarded kid, and her husband. I don't like her.

[UncleBob]

:roll:

[evanft]

Good lord, I would wreck that.

[Survivor Charlie]

I dislike Republicans who are crying foul over Palin and her white trash family being made fun of when the same talking heads were making fun of under-age Chelsey Clinton.

Oh, I guess it's OK for Rush Limbaugh to call her the, exact quote here, "White House Dog" but not to say something like "Trig clearly takes after his mother."

Or to joke about Todd Palin lusting for his children. Well I mean if the shoe fits, and even his friends say he makes very uncomfortable jokes about his kids and sex.

[trq]

Oh, this is a scandal they're not sure they can keep the lid on, for sure. Nobody resigns a governor's office if they're going to make a run for president ("How's that 'executive experience' thing working out for you?"), and the only reason people give press conferences at 4 pm on a holiday weekend is to give themselves a running start on something that's gonna bite them in the ass.

Even if the GOP Powers That Be were trying to sideline her in an effort to rid the party of its most vocal nincompoops, they'd let her finish out the term before she accepts that FOX news-anchor job or lobbyist position. This is something that isn't gonna give them a timetable.

It's possible that it's precautionary; we may never know what the pooch-screw is, but I sure hope Monday turns out to be interesting.

[pete5883]

"The world needs more Trigs"? That explains a lot.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

Sometimes, it is better to sit back and wait. The laughs will be better that way.

[Doc Bacca]

Some of the talk you hear from some people is that she is doing this to run for President in 2012.
Who thinks that is still a possibility?
I personally feel after being laughed at and mocked by most everyone and having a plummeting approval rate and then leaving her governor job (her executive experience), she has no chance left and will be tore apart a couple of weeks into the republican nomination process if she even tried.
All hail the new queen of the new sovereign nation of Alaskania!

[SpeedyG]

It's possible she could be leaving to run for congress.... brrr cold chill there

[Koggit]

Some of the talk you hear from some people is that she is doing this to run for President in 2012.
Who thinks that is still a possibility?
I personally feel after being laughed at and mocked by most everyone and having a plummeting approval rate and then leaving her governor job (her executive experience), she has no chance left and will be tore apart a couple of weeks into the republican nomination process if she even tried.
All hail the new queen of the new sovereign nation of Alaskania!
i do think she'll run for the nomination, but i don't think republicans are quite dumb enough to nominate her

[goukill1120]

I hope its so she can move to New York and run against David Patterson...

[evanft]

It looks like an embezzlement scandal.

[Capitalizt]

Just for lulz, here is her first interview with Katie Couric.. Listen to the giant sucking sound during the first question of the first interview when Palin's talking points are questioned. She gets the deer in the headlights look then repeats her memorized lines WORD FOR WORD..lol, what a ditz.

Part 1, economics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbg6hF0nShQ&feature=player_embedded

Part 2, foreign policy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg&feature=player_embedded

and another horrible trick question she can't answer: "What do you read to stay informed?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkWebP2Q0Y&feature=player_embedded

[Survivor Charlie]

How on earth is asking what you read a 'gotcha' question? I will never understand that.

Unless she's a functional illiterate, which, no joking, I believe she is. The evidence is out there. When Couric asked her that, Palin had a look of sheer terror on her face. She couldn't answer it.

She also dropped out of, what, five colleges in less then a year? I just get a really sneaking suspicion that she's unable to read properly.

"The world needs more Trigs"? That explains a lot.

Of course she would say that. People like her son Trig make up her own constituency. Besides, if there were more Trigs out there, Sarah might seem smarter.

[camoor]

LOL @ the "Fire Dave" people. Talk about bad karma backfiring!

[Survivor Charlie]

By the way, I thought she was supposed to be pro-life? Double standard there, she aborts before her term is up.

[VipFREAK]

Erm... no thanks.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/04/alaska.parnell.palin/index.html?eref=rss_latest

[lokizz]

eh good riddance she was one of the most annoyinh bitches ever. not too hard on the eyes but she should learn to be seen and not heard. definelty a scandal either something to do with her family or its a money thing. anyone who thought she could ever be a vp or a p is stupid.

[Survivor Charlie]

Hell, she's not even going to have to worry about the 'liberal media' and Obama and the DNC tear her down for this.

Come Primary Season, she's going to have Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee to deal with.

"Hey Sarah, we wanted to be President too, but we *finished* our terms. Wish you could say the same."

[camoor]

This is like the point in the horror movie where everyone thinks the villian is finally dead, but you just know they're going to pop up out of nowhere for one more scare.

[Survivor Charlie]

This is like the point in the horror movie where everyone thinks the villian is finally dead, but you just know they're going to pop up out of nowhere for one more scare.

Ugh, sounds like that's her plan.

JUNEAU, Alaska – Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines.

A day after surprising even her closest friends by announcing she would step down as Alaska governor more than a year before her term was up, the controversial hockey mom was still keeping details of her future plans under wrap. But in a statement posted on Palin's Facebook account, she suggested that she had bigger plans and a national agenda she planned to push after she resigns at the end of the month.

"I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint," she said.

Palin also cast herself as a victim and blasted the media, calling the response to her announcement "predictable" and out of touch.

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country," the statement said. "And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make."

Palin's personal spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, confirmed to The Associated Press that the Facebook posting was written by the governor.

The abruptness of her announcement and the mystery surrounding her plans has fed widespread speculation. But Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein on Saturday warned legal action may be taken against bloggers and publications that reprint what he calls fraudulent claims.

"To the extent several websites, most notably liberal Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, are now claiming as 'fact' that Governor Palin resigned because she is 'under federal investigation' for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation," Van Flein said in a statement. "This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law."

Palin has kept a low profile since her abrupt announcement Friday at a hastily called news conference at her home in suburban Wasilla, outside Anchorage. All of her public communication since then has been on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, or through statements released by her office.

At the same time, Palin informed her spokesman David Murrow early Saturday that someone using the name "exgovsarahpalin" on Twitter was spreading a false rumor that there was to be a party at her suburban home in Wasilla, outside Anchorage. Palin was afraid her home would be mobbed, and security was dispatched, Murrow said.

With only a few weeks before she steps down on July 26, and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell takes her place, the governor spent the Fourth of July weekend in the state capital, Juneau, but was only spotted briefly on the sidelines of the city's parade.

She had been invited to ride in a convertible, as she did last year, but never told organizers whether she would attend.

Juneau parade director Jean Sztuk said officials drew up banners in case Palin showed and was willing to take part.

As the last of the parade's clowns and marching bands headed past her, Sztuk gave up on Palin. "What governor wants to be at the end of the parade?" she asked.

Her low-profile and vague Internet messages left mounting questions about her plans for the future shrouded in mystery. Will she lay the groundwork for a 2012 presidential bid? Will she find a high-profile place in the private sector, maybe on the speech circuit? Will she drop out of the limelight and focus on her five children?

Her constituents, for one, wanted to know, especially in Juneau, where she has struggled to win over residents.

"I think she owes it to Alaskans to tell us why," said state Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, the son of Alaska's first governor, Bill Egan.

Egan, hosting a 50th anniversary statehood ceremony, said he was disappointed Palin decided not to finish out her term, which was scheduled to end in 2010.

"It's sad she abandoned us at this critical time," said Egan, who was appointed by Palin to an open seat on the last day of the legislative session in April, after a protracted battle with Senate Democrats.

Palin's departure can't come soon enough for Laurel Carlton, a waitress at the Capital Cafe in the Baranof Hotel, where the city's political movers and shakers meet every morning before walking a few blocks to the Capitol.

"I think she has a game plan that's not Alaska, and hasn't been for awhile," Carlton said.

She noted Palin has a book deal, and seems headed for the national stage.

"If you're really not going to stay and do your job every day, you should leave anyway, and so the sooner the better so somebody can step in and actually do the job," Carlton said.

And as far as Carlton is concerned, Palin doesn't need to explain why she's leaving.

"We don't care. We just want her gone," she said.

Palin, whose popularity in Alaska has waned amid ongoing ethics investigations, gave many reasons for stepping down: She didn't want to be a lame-duck governor; she was tired of the tasteless jokes aimed at her five children, including her son Trig, who has Down syndrome; she felt she could do more in another, still-to-be-defined role.

Sen. John McCain didn't rule out a return to politics for his former running mate, saying Saturday he believes "she will continue to play an important leadership role in the Republican Party and our nation." He gave no other details.

Even Parnell, who plans to run for re-election after finishing out Palin's term, said he was shocked at first when he learned of his boss' decision.

"But then as she began to articulate her reasons, I began to understand better," he said. "And nobody — unless they've been in her position and understood what she has gone through and dealt with and who she is as a person — really understands."

This woman is delusional on an epic scale. I hope she runs in 2012 because I can't wait to see Romney and Huckabee tear her a new asshole.

[JolietJake]

You know, just when you think you'll never see a worse president in your lifetime, someone comes along and tries to prove you wrong.

[spmahn]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Sarah Palin was the biggest facepalm for Republicans since Gerald Ford in 1976. I blame her for us losing in November. Had it not been for the one two punch of Sarah Palin the yokel from Wasilla, Alaska along with the Economy tanking in September and October, I still say we very likely would have had President John McCain.

If she thinks she's going to run in 2012, she's out of her mind, she has no money, won't be able to raise any funds, and is unqualified and incompetant. If she does make the attempt however, those debates will be epic. I HATE Barack Obama down to my very core, but if it was Obama and Palin on the ballot, I would vote for Obama. Actually, I'd probably vote for the Libertarian candidate, but either way, it's a sad time to be a Republican in America.

[UncleBob]

If you think Palin is the reason republicans lost, you're out of your mind. Republicans lost because they lost their core values and no one cares about them anymore.

[spmahn]

If you think Palin is the reason republicans lost, you're out of your mind. Republicans lost because they lost their core values and no one cares about them anymore.

I don't believe that for a second. Most of the opinion polls had the race dead even through the summer and into September, with some even giving McCain a slight edge. Once the economy tanked in Mid-September however, it was all over. If no one cared about the GOP anymore, then it would have been a Reagan '84 style landslide, and it wasn't.

[Msut77]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT_OwLS6Uew

Ohhhh Yeaz.

[FallMoon]

If she wants to run for president, she'd better hit the books! She has to come off as more prepared in her interviews.

[Survivor Charlie]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/sirbissel/sarah-palin-2012-campaign-sign-6817.gif?t=1246819078

And it would seem her SarahPAC now is dedicated to getting her the Presidency.

Oh please let Romney and Huckabee kick the shit out of her in the debates. Assuming she attends them.

[Sc4rfac3]

I'm betting that this is to outrun a scandal. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/05/palin-attorney-warns-media-over-defamatory-charges/

[Survivor Charlie]

On Saturday, Palin's message to supporters on her Facebook page alleged that a "different standard" was applied to her than to "countless others (who) leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term."

I'm guessing she's talking about Obama, who didn't finish his term as Senator because he was elected to the Presidency.

I don't even know where to begin on how ignorant she is. She's acting like she's already been elected in 2012.

[JolietJake]

I'm betting that this is to outrun a scandal. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/05/palin-attorney-warns-media-over-defamatory-charges/
She always comes off as being such a victim. The bid bad media said some mean things about her.

[Survivor Charlie]

She always comes off as being such a victim. The bid bad media said some mean things about her.

No kidding. And she wants to be president? How's she going to stand up to North Korea and Iran, etc etc when she can't even handle a couple bloggers in her state?

She's a trainwreck. Someone in that party really should try to tell her that it's over and for the good of the country she needs to go away.

[lilboo]

IF she runs for President and actually wins.. I wonder how many people will move to Canada in 2012/2013?

I know I sure would.

[HotShotX]

IF she runs for President and actually wins.. I wonder how many people will move to Canada in 2012/2013?

I know I sure would.

If they didn't do it for Bush they won't do it for her.

~HotShotX

[lilboo]

I think she is actually worse than Bush. :(

[JolietJake]

There's no way the republican party would nominate her. So long as there is at least one other republican in the country, she doesn't have a chance.

[HotShotX]

There's no way the republican party would nominate her. So long as there is at least one other republican in the country, she doesn't have a chance.

Time for some totally fabricated math:

Number of Republican Senators: 40
Number of Republican Representatives: 178
Number of "Prominent" Republicans: ~250?

Total Potential Republican Presidential Candidates in 2012: ~468.

Number of Potential Republican Presidential Candidates shamed by some form of sexual or relational failure in the past month: ~2-3?

Number of months until 2012 Election: 42.

Estimated Number of Remaining Republican P. Cans: 468 - (42*3) = 342.

Yeah, they should be good for the next 3-4 election cycles before Palin becomes viable, and that's not accounting for the others who might take the place of the fallen.

~HotShotX

[MediaJunkie92]

You know, just when you think you'll never see a worse president in your lifetime, someone comes along and tries to prove you wrong.

Yeah, just like the winner of the 2008 election... Uh oh, did I go there? Yes I did. :applause:

[Survivor Charlie]

You know, whether or not you like Barack Obama, this has nothing to do with him at all.

I think many, many republicans, I'm talking the die-hards, having now seen what this bitch is fully capable of, would vote for Obama over her in 2012.

People say democrats are mean to Palin because they're afraid of her.

Well I'm not a democrat per-say (I voted republican for Governor, House, and local judges who were republicans), but I do consider myself a liberal. And they're right... she does scare me. But I'm not scared of the idea of a republican being president. If I can't deal with that I might as well move because they will have the presidency again. And I'm not against a woman being President (except for Palin, Clinton, Rice, and Pelosi)

I'm just scared of her. She's incompetent, anti-intellectual, corrupt, has no concept of any aspect of the bill of rights, and now it's clear when the going gets tough, she quits.

You're damn right I'm scared. She's dangerous.

I wasn't scared of John McCain. People said he had a temperament problem, but that didn't bug me really. An angry smart guy is still a smart guy, and John McCain is not an idiot. Even after picking Palin, I still don't think he's stupid. I just think he got incredibly bad advice from guys who the RNC basically appointed to run his campaign. I wouldn't have liked some of his policies, but I would have been okay with him being the President of the United States of America. Hell, I would have voted for him in 2000, no question, and might have voted for him in 2008. Yes, I'm a liberal, but I respect John McCain and I know what his track record is. He's very capable of making principled, unpopular decisions. Plus he's a tough guy and I think we could use a tough guy right about now with all the shit going on in North Korea.

For all the bullshit and rumors about her and her corruption, let's ignore that and get down to the bare facts: she's in favor of censorship of books, against personal freedoms, borderline endorsed a party that wanted the state she was governor of to succeed from the union (why not? that would have made her queen), and has proven to be a habitual liar.

Everytime she gets indisputably caught in a lie, she blames the liberal media boogeyman when in fact they're not actually doing anything, she's just saying a lie, they say 'that's a lie' and she pretends she didn't lie and the media is out to get her. She ducks simple questions like 'what books/newspapers/magazines' do you read and then calls it a 'gotcha question.' What is gotcha about that? Given her track record at lying, even if she didn't read anything she should have been able to pull out a newspaper she had heard of and said that. She couldn't even do that. Why? There are four options.

1. She reads 'right wing' papers like the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal and didn't want to say it for some reason or another. Of course, if she had just said "New York Post" then it would have appeased her base.

2. The only paper she reads is the Wassila times, which does cover stories like "Will the antichrist be gay?" By the way, that wasn't a joke headline. Clearly not the best source of news out there.

3. She doesn't read any papers ever and thus didn't actually know the name of any paper.

4. She doesn't know how to read.

None of it is pretty. She's not a curious person. She's not interested in how stuff works. She simply wants to know what power she has and what she can do to assert that power. Everytime she was elected to an office, she fired many public officials who publicly stated they did not vote for her. This is a scary person. Scary.

Republicans, you guys can do better. Hell, you deserve better. Alaska, you actually voted for her... you deserve her. And worse. Thank god states aren't given their own nuclear arsenals.

[dimeadz]

She is stupid. Unless she pulls a rabbit out of her ass, I doubt she will bring anything new to the table for 2012. One, she needs to read policies.

[Ruined]

FBI confirms there is no scandal:
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/854318.html

Looks like it was just left-wing bloggers trying to stir up trouble with unfounded rumors...


My guess is that her action is a sign for 2012 presidential run. With Obama's numbers dipping into the unfavorable range recently it looks like she may have a shot.

[HowStern]

^Actually Obamas approval rating is still a bit above average.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/121391/Obama-Honeymoon-Continues-Months-Recent-Average.aspx

Usually after the first 6 months approval ratings begin to drop. The "honeymoon", so to speak, starts coming to an end. 2 more months of above 55% and he will have tied Reagans approval rating for the first 8 months.


I think the only thing Palin has a shot at getting elected is class clown. At one of the 6 colleges she quit from in her 6 years of studies. (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=5728215) Seriously, she has quit everything she has done.

[Ruined]

^Actually Obamas approval rating is still a bit above average.


Regardless of how you want to spin it, the recent Rasmussen polls show that more Americans disapprove of Obama's job performance than approve of it for the first time. That shows his popularity is slipping, and thus leaves the opportunity for a competitive challenge in 2012.

"The raw numbers are pretty straightforward — 31 percent of Americans strongly approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job, 33 percent strongly disapprove," Rasmussen said.

"Before the last week we never had a circumstance where the number who disapprove outweigh the number who approve. So we're in new territory. Right now the approval index, at minus two, is as low as it's been.

"What we've seen in the last month is a growing number of people who strongly disapprove, and we're seeing it at a time when the president's honeymoon is coming to an end and people are beginning to look at the policies that he's promoting."

The closeness of the approve/disapprove numbers are "yet another indicator of how evenly divided our nation is," he added.

On specific issues, Rasmussen disclosed:

"When we talk about healthcare reform and the proposal the president is talking about, the country is fairly evenly divided. But those who have strong opinions tend to oppose the plan more than support it.

"On the cap-and-trade legislation [to reduce carbon emissions], 42 percent believe it's going to hurt the economy. Only 19 percent believe it's going to help.

"The takeover of General Motors is strongly opposed.

"Right now those things are weighing the president down. What's going to tell over the next year is how the economy performs. If a year from today, GM is doing great and throwing off profits and getting the taxpayers their money back, people will say we were wrong, the president was right, and it's great for him. But if GM is back asking for more bailouts, the president's numbers will be substantially weaker than they are today . . .

"If the economy responds negatively over the next year, it is going to hurt the Democrats in 2010.

"What the passage of legislation will actually do is bring ownership of the economy and economic performance more and more into Barack Obama's camp.

"Just over a month ago, 62 percent of Americans said that no matter what's happened in the last six months, George Bush is still more to blame for the economic mess than Barack Obama. That number fell to 54 percent, and the more of Obama's policies that are put in place, the more the blame or perhaps the credit will shift to the current president."

[trq]

FBI confirms there is no scandal:
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/854318.html

Looks like it was just left-wing bloggers trying to stir up trouble with unfounded rumors...

Actually, it just says the FBI isn't investigating her -- not that there's no scandal. She does still have something like 15 pending ethics investigations.

My guess is that her action is a sign for 2012 presidential run. With Obama's numbers dipping into the unfavorable range recently it looks like she may have a shot.

Seriously? No, spmahn's right -- she almost single-handedly cost you guys the election. Mind you, she's a symptom, not the disease, but it doesn't look like the GOP's particularly close to figuring that out, so I wouldn't hold my breath for 2012 if I were you.

Once you guys *do* figure out how to get a seat at the table again, it probably won't be with her in a prominent role, so it's really win-win: Republicans get back on the stage at least somewhat, and the rest of us get an opposition party that can at least be reasoned with.

[Msut77]

Regardless of how you want to spin it

Coming from you?

His total approval numbers (you dishonestly refer to only "strongly" numbers to say what you want to say) are still positive.

and thus leaves the opportunity for a competitive challenge in 2012.

From a Republican who could conceivably get the nomination?

No.

Obama still has numbers Bush didn't have except during 9/11 or the beginning of the war, numbers basically any Republican politician would kill for.

[Ruined]

Actually, it just says the FBI isn't investigating her -- not that there's no scandal. She does still have something like 15 pending ethics investigations.

Tinfoil hat much? FBI themselves said that both there is no investigation and also that the blog rumors going around are complete BS. That pretty much says it all.

Seriously? No, spmahn's right -- she almost single-handedly cost you guys the election.

No, that would be the economy tanking. As soon as that happened, McCain's numbers similarly tanked. Palin actually improved McCain's numbers and generated excitement on the republican side until the economy took a nosedive.

Mind you, she's a symptom, not the disease, but it doesn't look like the GOP's particularly close to figuring that out, so I wouldn't hold my breath for 2012 if I were you.

Once you guys *do* figure out how to get a seat at the table again, it probably won't be with her in a prominent role, so it's really win-win: Republicans get back on the stage at least somewhat, and the rest of us get an opposition party that can at least be reasoned with.

With the American people disapproving of the current administration already, I think its realistic there will be some changes in 2010 and maybe even in 2012 - especially if unpopular bills like Cap and Trade or Universal Healthcare pass in the senate. Palin may not be the republican candidate that ends up being the selected challenger, but she can certainly attempt to make a run for that position.

[Msut77]

Tinfoil hat much? FBI themselves said that both there is no investigation and also that the blog rumors going around are complete BS. That pretty much says it all.

No, that would be pretty much missing the point.

If someone says Sarah Palin is under investigation and the response is "the FBI cleared her" that does not mean the FBI is the only one who was or could be investigating her. She has been ethically challenged in the past to put it mildly even having to give back tens of thousands of dollars of Alaskan taxpayers money she spent just off the top of my head. There is much, much more.

No, that would be the economy tanking

That was probably a part of it, not the only reason. Probably a bigger reason would be you know people actually learning the truth about Sarah Palin and being horrified.

With the American people disapproving of the current administration already

Not all that long ago you were peddling the swifties lies.

Nothing has changed I suppose.

[SpeedyG]

How does the FBI Stating that there are no active investigations equal no possibility of a scandal?

[trq]

Regardless of how you want to spin it, the recent Rasmussen polls show that more Americans disapprove of Obama's job performance than approve of it for the first time. That shows his popularity is slipping, and thus leaves the opportunity for a competitive challenge in 2012.

You're thinking in binary terms: for one, we're talking about *strong* approval and disapproval. He's still favored by a majority of Americans *overall,* which is what's relevant in an election: just because you *really* feel strongly about someone doesn't mean you get to vote twice. Remember, that same 30% strongly disapproved of him before the election, too. They *loved* the way Bush was doing his job right up til the end. It didn't matter.

Where the numbers shifted was from strong to moderate approval -- it's among people who supported him, and who still do ... but not so enthusiastically. Not exactly a demographic Palin is likely to pick up. In short: what HowStern said. For what you're suggesting, those disapproval numbers would have to be a good 15 ~ 20 points higher, minimum, and the Republicans would need to find a way to somehow make disaffected liberals decide to vote for a hard-right Republican. Good luck with that.

It's the same mistake Republicans have been making about Congress's abysmal approval ratings since 2006: they assume that if only 20% of the population approves of the job Congress is doing, it's because the other 80% really wants Republicans in charge. It doesn't occur to them that a huge chunk of that dissatisfied block might be unhappy because Congress isn't reigning the Republicans in *enough.*

Tinfoil hat much? FBI themselves said that both there is no investigation and also that the blog rumors going around are complete BS. That pretty much says it all.

Incorrect. The FBI said they're not investigating her, and blog rumors to the contrary are untrue. It says nothing about scandal in any other capacity. Think about it: if the FBI isn't investigating her, how does it even know "there's no scandal whatsoever"? That's not their purview. The FBI can only speak for the FBI. Dig?

No, that would be the economy tanking. As soon as that happened, McCain's numbers similarly tanked. Palin actually improved McCain's numbers and generated excitement on the republican side until the economy took a nosedive.

True, the economy was a large part (or more accurately, McCain's appearance of being unable to deal with the economy, but I digress), but Palin only gave a McCain a bounce in the beginning -- she shored up the most right-wing of the base, but she drove away the moderates, and the base wasn't enough.

[HowStern]

@Ruined, strong opinions don't make for more votes. You still only get 1 vote whether your strongly agree or disagree. So, in the real world only total approval rating counts. Not strong approvals vs. strong disapproval.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

With the American people disapproving of the current administration already, I think its realistic there will be some changes in 2010 and maybe even in 2012 - especially if unpopular bills like Cap and Trade or Universal Healthcare pass in the senate. Palin may not be the republican candidate that ends up being the selected challenger, but she can certainly attempt to make a run for that position.

If Cap and Trade really does have the negative impact the worst case scenario is predicting, you're right. People starving and shivering to death in tents can still vote.

If Universal Healthcare passes, that 14% of Americans who will support Obama no matter what. You can't win elections with 14% of the population, but a significant portion of the remaining 86% might be willing to endure higher taxes on the top 5% so that their healthcare needs are met.

Palin ... just needs to go away. She is the Bizarro version of Hillary. I have never found her appealing. I have no idea why Rush considers her the future of the party.

[SpeedyG]

Bizarro version of Hillary... never thought about it like that but it's damn correct

[RAMSTORIA]

Palin ... just needs to go away. She is the Bizarro version of Hillary. I have never found her appealing. I have no idea why Rush considers her the future of the party.

the only reason palin gets so much attention from rush and other pundits is because the republicans dont have anyone that represents the party nationally. not only that the republican party doesnt know what it stands for these days, they need to find their own identity before they can find faces for the party. the two party "leaders" for the party are palin (because shes a woman) and jindal (because hes not white).

[Msut77]

You know I can't imagine what might tip people over from regular dislike to intense dislike.

Oh wait:

http://gawker.com/5308514/young-republican-leader-finds-racism-lol+worthy?skyline=true&s=x#viewcomments

Is that (serious like etc.) even a question asked in the past?

[VipFREAK]

FBI said so? oooooh yeah, I believe them then...

[KingBroly]

If Cap and Trade really does have the negative impact the worst case scenario is predicting, you're right. People starving and shivering to death in tents can still vote.

If Universal Healthcare passes, that 14% of Americans who will support Obama no matter what. You can't win elections with 14% of the population, but a significant portion of the remaining 86% might be willing to endure higher taxes on the top 5% so that their healthcare needs are met.

Palin ... just needs to go away. She is the Bizarro version of Hillary. I have never found her appealing. I have no idea why Rush considers her the future of the party.

That 14% already voted for him, so it really wouldn't do a thing except a lot of people much worse off (assuming the Government pay "option" is in there).

[fatherofcaitlyn]

That 14% already voted for him, so it really wouldn't do a thing except a lot of people much worse off (assuming the Government pay "option" is in there).

I don't have the data on me to argue one way or the other.

What percentage of the population would be benefited by the gubmint taking over vs. the percentage harmed by gubmint control?

[JolietJake]

Yeah, just like the winner of the 2008 election... Uh oh, did I go there? Yes I did. :applause:
http://troll.100foros.com/logos/troll_.jpg

[RAMSTORIA]

What percentage of the population would be benefited by the gubmint taking over vs. the percentage harmed by gubmint control?

you can look at reports for the plan or against the plan but the reality is we wont know until it goes into effect. it also depends on your definition of "harm", some reports estimate that if a government option is available millions of people would be dropped from their current insurance through employers in favor of a government option. now these people would still have coverage, but would be as good or cheap as the coverage they currently have?

[fatherofcaitlyn]

you can look at reports for the plan or against the plan but the reality is we wont know until it goes into effect. it also depends on your definition of "harm", some reports estimate that if a government option is available millions of people would be dropped from their current insurance through employers in favor of a government option. now these people would still have coverage, but would be as good or cheap as the coverage they currently have?

You're right. In order to make a single payer system work in this country, there will need to be some major lifestyles changes. Instead of focusing on erectile dysfunction, cholesterol reduction and sleep aides, we might need to push people towards walking, annual physicals, baking instead of frying and learning solutions don't come in pill form.

[spmahn]

Palin or no Palin, it's still entirely too early to even being to consider 2012. I'm far more interested in next years House and Senate elections.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

Palin or no Palin, it's still entirely too early to even being to consider 2012. I'm far more interested in next years House and Senate elections.

Agreed. We may not even have elections next year.

[depascal22]

Maybe Palin is going to pull a Hillary and move to a state with an open Senate seat next year.

[KingBroly]

Agreed. We may not even have elections next year.

You're not that old crazy "prophet" from Utah by any chance, are ya?

[UncleBob]

So - what was the scandal?

[RAMSTORIA]

it wasnt reported because it was already widely known. sarah palin is dumb. because one someone dumb would quit as governer before there term was up and still think they had a shot at being president. if the front page of the new york times said "sarah palin is dumb" people would think they just bought a newspaper that is 10 months old.

[itachiitachi]

it wasnt reported because it was already widely known. sarah palin is dumb. because one someone dumb would quit as governer before there term was up and still think they had a shot at being president. if the front page of the new york times said "sarah palin is dumb" people would think they just bought a newspaper that is 10 months old.
In a recent survey I think 44% of Americans still say they would vote for if she ran in 2012.

[RAMSTORIA]

In a recent survey I think 44% of Americans still say they would vote for if she ran in 2012.

you could put anybodys name next to obama in the poll and youll get similar results.

[trq]

So - what was the scandal?

It isn't looking like there is one, which is pretty sad: if she had just been covering her ass after messing around with Todd's brother or something, it would have made sense. You could say, "She's just like every other politician." But no, it seems she really believes she's prepping the groundwork for a presidential run or something, which, frankly, indicates that RAMSTORIA is right: she's just dumber than a sack of hammers.

In a recent survey I think 44% of Americans still say they would vote for if she ran in 2012.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072303799.html?nav=rss_email/components

6 out of 10 Americans say "she does not understand complex issues" -- 7 out of 10 Democrats, 6 out of 10 Independents, and even 4 out of 10 Republicans.

Only half the country thinks "she understands the problems of people like themselves. By contrast, nearly two-thirds think Obama is in touch with the problems they face."

"Fifty-four percent say Palin is not a strong leader; 40 percent say she is. Obama, meanwhile, is viewed as a strong leader by 71 percent in the poll."

I repeat: if she thinks she's got a shot in 2012, she's dumber than a sack of hammers.

[RAMSTORIA]

one of the local radio guys i listen to promised to eat a truck if palin wins in 2012. i have a feeling he wont have to worry about reneging on that.

[perdition(troy]

Only half the country thinks "she understands the problems of people like themselves. By contrast, nearly two-thirds think Obama is in touch with the problems they face."

The millionaire knows exactly what problems I'm dealing with.

[homeland]

The millionaire knows exactly what problems I'm dealing with.


More so than a person who'd name their kid after a cable channel and goes hunting from a helicopter.

[thrustbucket]

Only half the country thinks "she understands the problems of people like themselves. By contrast, nearly two-thirds think Obama is in touch with the problems they face."



Well most of us have never been an executive of any company or run any large scale organization or been any type of predominant leader to speak of, so in that regard for the first time in American History, most Americans have quite a lot in common with the President.

[Cheese]

The millionaire knows exactly what problems I'm dealing with.

You realize Obama only came into money when his first book sold well, and just a few years ago (2007?) was still paying off his college loans, right?

[trq]

Well most of us have never been an executive of any company or run any large scale organization or been any type of predominant leader to speak of, so in that regard for the first time in American History, most Americans have quite a lot in common with the President.

That should have Palin polling better with them too, then.

[thrustbucket]

That should have Palin polling better with them too, then.

That's the whole reason Palin got as far as she did.