Alter: Why Sarah Palin Is Likely to Belly-Flop | Newsweek Politics: Conventions

McCain’s ‘Hail Sarah’ Pass

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I covered Ferraro in 1984 for NEWSWEEK. The day Walter Mondale chose her as the first woman candidate for high office was exciting and historic. But the Queens congresswoman was quickly swamped by tough questions (especially from Ted Koppel) about her readiness, and by ethical queries about her husband, a real-estate developer. A lengthy news conference she held to answer the mounting questions did not go well.

Reporters are already winging their way to Alaska to probe what Alaskans call "Troopergate," a story concerning former state trooper Mike Wooten, who is engaged in a nasty custody fight with Palin's sister. Alaska's former public-safety commissioner Walt Monegan says he resisted pressure from Palin's office to fire Wooten, and was later dismissed by the governor as a result. Now the state legislature has appointed a special counsel, Steve Branchflower, to probe the mess. Branchflower has opened a tip line for Alaskans who might know if the governor and possible next vice president of the United States abused her power.

Palin's claim that she had "nothing to do" with the firing will hardly go unchallenged. Because the media loves scandal of any kind, especially one involving the potential use of public power to settle private family scores, this story could prove a distraction to the McCain campaign all fall.

It's hard to know how many women will flock to the GOP ticket because of Palin, who opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. In 1984 Ronald Reagan carried 56 percent of female voters, despite Ferraro's candidacy on the Democratic side. Some women already feel patronized by the choice. Sure it's possible that Palin is so talented that she will prove to be the face of the GOP's future. More likely, this "Hail Sarah" pass won't do much to help John McCain get into the end zone. He'll win or lose for other reasons.

Editor's Note: The original version of this story incorrectly reported that Gov. Palin supported Pat Buchanan for president in 1996. In fact, she supported Steve Forbes.

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You know, when I was a young woman working for MSNBC, I thought Alter was great. Since then, I realize that sarcasm is the tool of the cheap shot, and I tune out as soon as I start detecting that unmistakable method of expression. Though I lean left, I still can't stand the Olberman foaming at the mouth bit, and here, Alter does not appear nearly as buffoonish as Olberman, but the sarcasm wears on me. Can't you lose it, and still make your (very valid) points? Though I have consistently voted for Democrat candidates (except for one Republican congressman, which I then regretted) I am currently reading Peggy Noonan's little book called "Patriotic Grace." It's a refreshing break from the polarized sneering punditry with which we are innundated. When are these "journalists" going to step up to the plate and discourse in ways that will help our nation move forward and really solve our problems? With their finger-pointing mockeries, they are acting as nothing more than court jesters for the parties.

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'
'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'
'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'

'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'

'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage'

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: 'In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...' Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE,
ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

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Posted By: SarahJ @ 11/12/2008 10:05:05 PM

You know, when I was a young woman working for MSNBC, I thought Alter was great. Since then, I realize that sarcasm is the tool of the cheap shot, and I tune out as soon as I start detecting that unmistakable method of expression. Though I lean left, I still can't stand the Olberman foaming at the mouth bit, and here, Alter does not appear nearly as buffoonish as Olberman, but the sarcasm wears on me. Can't you lose it, and still make your (very valid) points? Though I have consistently voted for Democrat candidates (except for one Republican congressman, which I then regretted) I am currently reading Peggy Noonan's little book called "Patriotic Grace." It's a refreshing break from the polarized sneering punditry with which we are innundated. When are these "journalists" going to step up to the plate and discourse in ways that will help our nation move forward and really solve our problems? With their finger-pointing mockeries, they are acting as nothing more than court jesters for the parties.
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: billtill @ 10/14/2008 10:12:09 AM

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'
'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'
'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'

'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'

'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage'

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: 'In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...' Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE,
ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: bradfied @ 09/26/2008 10:51:32 AM

Is anybody else as sick as I am of the vitrolic he-man woman haters club the democrats have turned into?
Inclusive is not their watch word of the day, neither is tolerence.