Sarah Palin cancels convention appearances

[spotbird]

C-CPAN just interviewed someone affiliated with the McCain campaign about why Palin won't be attending two events on her schedule tonight. The campaign aid said there wasn't much planned for Palin, so the C-CPAN guy mentioned a Right-to-Birth event tonight where Palin was supposed to receive an award. The Campaign guy didn't have an answer for why Palin canceled, he just said she is busy or something non-responsive.

Where is Sarah Palin? Why doesn't she want to appear in public?

Edit:

I posted this comment below, but I wanted it to get more exposure:

Charles Mahtesinwas the person I thought was from the campaign, apparently he is with Politico, which makes his affiliation with McCain unofficial.

He said there wasn't much on her schedule in the first place, but she also may have canceled an event with Politico. (On edit: Mahtesin later hedged and said he didn't know when, where, or whether Palin would attend the Politico event, only that she had canceled other events on her schedule. Someone doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds him.).

The official reasons are that she is preparing for her speech and these events were scheduled before she was tapped.

[hisownpetard]

1. Is this true?

And why isn't the press vociferously demanding that she hold a press conference, in light
of her sudden fame? (Let's hope her fame is of the 15-minute kind).

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. I hope she's around for more than 15 minutes

I hope she's on the ticket for November.

[yardwork]

49. Me too.

[firedupdem]

4. Aren't they proud

of their vp choice? Why hide her? Show her to the country!

[spotbird]

13. Charles Mahtesin

was the person I thought was from the campaign, apparently he is with Politico, which makes his affiliation with McCain unofficial.

He said there wasn't much on her schedule in the first place, but she also canceled an event with Politico. (On edit: Mahtesin later hedged and said he didn't know when, where, or whether Palin would attend the Politico event, only that she had canceled other events on her schedule. Someone doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds him.).

The official reasons are that she is preparing for her speech and these events were scheduled before she was tapped.

[progressivebydesign]

45. Oh.. Politico who has the hack/slash piece on Yahoo's front page today??

The one that says Obama didn't get much of a bounce, and is already losing it? And claims it's a dead heat right now??? THAT Politico?? WHo ARE they anyway?

[Lasher]

2. Maybe hiding in Lord Vader's undisclosed location?

That place must be packed right now.

[Stop Cornyn]

5. We will regret when Palin's replacement is announced.

[ogneopasno]

12. Really? I think it'll be OK.

A broken ticket, a second-best pick, a convention in shambles -- seriously, we couldn't have ordered this up.

[Stop Cornyn]

26. John Roberts was WAY worse than Harriet Myers. She was floated to offer contrast to Roberts. Expect

the same gameplan to be deployed here.

[karynnj]

39. You mean Alito, who was the one who replaced her

and Alito was far worse and showed that the gang of 14 didn't work.

[Stop Cornyn]

55. Right

[FatDave]

52. Not the same

Bush wasn't running for election, and if you'll remember, it did damage him quite a bit. Even among his own party.

[whopis01]

86. Not really the same situation though...

McCain is the one running for president. He is still the one running for president even if he changes his VP.

When Harriet Myers was tossed out, she was then out of the picture all together. McCain is saddled with this bad choice even if he changes his mind.

[corkhead]

15. that has been the pattern. It won't be worse though. I can't imagine anybody electable who could be

it would have to be another fundie or there would be a major christofacist meltdown

[Stop Cornyn]

61. Whether or not he picks a Christofascist or not, he made his bones by choosing one as his first pick

Now, McCain is free to pick Ridge or some other pro-choice candidate and he can blame US because he picked a fundamentalist Jesus-riding-a-dinosaur creationist nutjob and she withdrew only because "her family was attacked by the liberals."

[misanthrope]

62. Kay Bailey Hutchinson would garner far more votes**nm

**

[SammyWinstonJack]

67. Oh yuck!

:puke:

[misanthrope]

72. Yuck all you want, it's true from what I've heard**nm

**

[Maine-ah]

88. Olympia Snow or Susan Collins and they'd take Maine.

not that we count for much, but still certainly two women who are way more qualified than Palin.

[smoogatz]

19. In the sense that whoever replaces her won't be nearly as much fun, yes,

we will.

[The River]

21. Exactly Right

I knew she was toast within the first few hours of the announcement.
Then I thought, thank goodness it wasn't Mittens or Pawlenty who
have much more credibility than this nobody.
I think she will drop out very soon(for personal reasons)
and be replaced by Pawlenty??
It won't change the outcome in November
but will make it harder to get there.

[Stop Cornyn]

57. I'm expecting McCain't-Romney or McCain't-Ridge before the end of the month

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

44. If McCain has to dump his first "choice"

He'll be seen as every bit the doddering old coot everyone suspects he is, or he isn't calling his own shots. He loses his bit about being "decisive".

[Stop Cornyn]

56. McCain't won't "dump" his first choice. She will withdraw for the sake of her family because the

"liberal media" and the "Democrat Party" singled out her children and unborn grandchildren for attacks.

[Blue_Tires]

69. it seems to look how things are shaping up

there is enough trash out there to make her quit now, and more bad info about the veep is coming out by the hour...i'm starting to think this woman was set up to (epic) fail because even the gop isn't this ignorant (unless the ultimate goal is to set mccain up to fail as well, which i don't fully understand)

[Stop Cornyn]

71. Exactly. No WAY the vetting process could miss all this shit. McCain needed to pick an anti-choice

woman and then let her withdraw "in the interest of protecting her family" so McCain could then have liberty to pick Ridge and when the fundamentalists start to go apeshit, McCain can respond -- "you were my first choice!"

[tavalon]

82. No we won't

This was McCain's losing moment. He can't win with her and he can't win dropping her. He's cooked. Stick a fork in him.

[soleft]

6. How can we fall in love with her if she doesn't make appearances?

[zeemike]

7. She wants to spend more time with her family n/t

[Booster]

11. It sounds like she SHOULD spend more time with her family.

[Roy]

73. It may be a bit late to start spending time with her family n/t

[Booster]

79. She has children younger than Bristol coming right up behind her

so this should be the time she should START parenting.

[crickets]

74. Indeed. -nt

[tavalon]

83. That will be the reason,

no matter how irony impaired that makes her look. She is, after all, from the Republican party, a permanently irony impaired party.

[SoCalDem]

8. She's in HIDING, because she's not a Moose..she's a CHICKEN

she knows that press people will ask her questions..

[EV_Ares]

9. Well, I still say if you think about this entire Palin affair it is totally rovion. Rove demanded

they not pick Lieberman and even called Lieberman to ask him to call McCain and tell him he did not want the VP slot. I don't know what their game is but there is something more behind this entire thing.

So far they have all of a sudden got money coming in because of her. They got their base energized again.

Like they said it is a big gamble but there is more behind this Palin pick then we know. I say that because there is nothing about it that makes sense.

[Marr]

64. I don't think there's any big thinking behind it at all. I think these people, Rove included,

are supremely arrogant, that's all. Rove in particular has bought into his own propaganda-- he's not even very bright, let alone a genius.

You know what I think this choice is about? Just what they telegraphed. They thought they could make a public show of going after the "PUMA" vote, and that would provide enough of an excuse to cover their election theft. They could say Hillary voters switched to the McCain/Palin ticket.

They just assumed everyone would toe the line and shut-up.

[EV_Ares]

70. Hard to say as none of us know yet what was behind this. We will know the story sometime I bet

though, maybe sooner than later.

[KansDem]

10. What the hell kind of convention is this?

This is the Repub convention, right?

The Repub POTUS isn't showing up...
The Repub VPOTUS isn't showing up...
The assumptive Repub candidate for VPOTUS isn't showing up...

Who the hell is showing up?

This is the wackiest convention I've ever seen!

[redwitch]

17. It's the wackiest convention I've NEVER seen.

:-)

[Divernan]

53. Oh, those wacky, wascally wepublicans! ! ! A real Elmer Fudd moment!

[nichomachus]

20. And I am loving it

I have visions of Karl Rove running around the room screaming, interspersed with periods of throwing up in his wastebasket.

I have a friend who was in the bar of the Willard Hotel in DC, the night David Souter was named to the Supreme Court. Ken Starr was there and had fully expected to get the job. My friend said Starr went into an obscenity-laced drunken rage that was kind of scary and funny at the same time.

[yardwork]

50. I wish I could nominate a post. That is the funniest thing I've read all week.

[Graybeard]

28. Some said McC might not show up!

It was thought that hurricane Hannah on the east coast later this week might be given as reason for McNuts to address his flock from the disaster zone. :crazy: I think that has changed though.

[myrna minx]

36. It's the RNC "no comment" Convention.

Followed up by the "I can't comment about an ongoing investigation" booster rally! :rofl:

[bullwinkle428]

42. It's the "DAMN...WHY COULDN'T GUSTAV LAST ALL WEEK LONG" convention!

[Alter Ego]

63. A hobo will wander in from the streets of St. Paul

and start yelling random shit into the microphone--and the delegates will cheer, thinking they're hearing their party's platform.

"Starting today, everyone must dump cans of ravioli in their pockets, walk backwards, and marry a gorilla!"

[nichomachus]

14. This is ominous

(for her anyway)

Politicians live and breathe for "exposure." They generally won't pass up any opportunity to stand in front of a camera or press the flesh. This is why they go to fish fries and county fairs and churches. This is a hundred times more true for someone who is relatively unknown.

Something's up.

[CoffeeCat]

16. My guess is that she is all ready out....

The initial story was--Is Trig, Sarah Palin's child or did Sarah Palin
fake a pregnancy and is Trig really Bristol Palin's baby?

This was the primary story that was on the blogs. This is why CNN and
other media outlets went up to Alaska to investigate. These are the questions
the national media went up to Alaska, to get answered.

The result of that investigation, was the McCain campaign jumping in
and screaming, "Oh yeah...will Bristol Palin is pregnant."

A nice distraction that never answered the initial question of just who
exactly is the mother of Trig.

Of course- John McCain asked Sarah Palin if she was Trig's mother
or if Bristol is the mother. Most likely, McCain was told what we most of us
suspect--that Trig is Bristol's baby, and that Bristol is pregnant again.

This leaves Palin out as his his running mate. Everything we are seeing right now
is the dramatic orchestration of her exit.

They're trying to make this about the liberal blogs. They're trying to make
this out to be a referendum on how dirty politics has become, and how awful
it is that the media has attacked Bristol Palin--when really, it was Sarah Palin
who avoided questions about faking a pregnancy by screaming, "Bristol is pregnant!"

They're setting this up as "Sarah Palin as victim and loving family woman who
quit the horrible game of attack politics to save her family."

That way, Palin slinks away a tortured hero-victim who isn't revealed for the fake,
fraud and liar that she is--and McCain gets to pick a new VP.

That is what we're seeing now.

I'm guessing that she won't except the nomination tomorrow night--or that she will quit before the end
of the week.

[NJCher]

34. bingo

I think you've got it, TwoSparkles. Every point in your post adds up.

Of course there are no real answers as to where she's at. There's no game plan. The republicans really are in a state of disarray. There was an article by the British press with a headline to that effect last week--if only they'd known what was coming down the pike.

Meantime, here's a pic of Levi and an excerpt off a blog at NY Mag. He has a criminal record, as the writer states, for the "best crime ever!"




snip
Johnston is basically the quintessential example of that guy who you are constantly worried is going to impregnate your daughter (and occasionally does). He's a handsome stud, an athletic star, and he has a criminal record. (For illegally fishing some Alaskan king salmon from Moose Lake out of season. Best crime ever!) He even has a fake blog already (Sample headline: "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!"). Plus, he described himself as a "fuckin' redneck" on his now-defunct MySpace page, which is basically the truest combination of two words anyone has made during this whole campaign. Dude, Honest Abe himself would want this guy in the Lincoln bedroom.
snip
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/09/were_sorry_but_palin_babydaddy.html?imw=Y



Cher

p.s. I am going to be so sorry when this goes away. It's just too fun.

[lonestarnot]

35. Seriously, this is the most embarrassing shit I've ever seen. I'd rather

watch bushitler try to open a door (heh)!

[Wapsie B]

40. Yes of course it'll be spun as us dirty Liberals who invaded the life

of a God-fearing family. We were out of bounds when we dared to question anything about Palin's background. :eyes:

It's not our fault she's an episode of "Power, Privilege, & Justice waiting to happen.

[dchill]

54. I agree with you, even if only because...

for all of recorded human history (slight exaggeration?), to find the truth about Republicans, one has only to reverse their public statements and accusations. I'm no conspiracy theorist, I'm just using history as my guide. Uniter, not divider, anyone? WMDs? Cut government spending? Impeachment - because "we are a nation of laws?" - On and on and on and on.

Of course, they're keeping her on until the frenzy reaches a pitch where Palin can bow out, claiming that she has been ravaged and sullied by the whole "liberal press" - including the internet community. They will try to destroy the ones who are merely guilty of doing the digging that McCoot FAILed to do.

She is just a victim, right?

[jberryhill]

18. Awww... don't kick her off the ticket now...

We haven't even begun to have fun with her yet.

I want to hear more about her non-mentioned foreign policy qualification - speaking in tongues.

[wryter2000]

76. I don't

Her voice could shatter glass. :evilgrin:

Hey, maybe that's how she's going to demolish the glass ceiling.

[Stinky The Clown]

22. I'd feel better if this were in LBN

[radfringe]

23. has to memorize her acceptance speech

and practice reading it off of the teleprompter

[gatorboy]

24. If this is true, then it's game over.

Game. Over.


If she can't take this sort of heat, then there's no way she could ever handle the job she's running for.

[dkofos]

25. She's toast. They just haven't figured out how to spin it.

[dchill]

59. Yes, they have.

This is a decent, moral, family-oriented American patriot whose very life has been savaged by the liberal media. She is a victim, and it's all our fault!

[dkofos]

65. That's fine. They can blame me personally. She just needs to reenter obscurity.

[dchill]

66. Exactly.

They want to damage the liberals because they have been damaged - even if it was self-inflicted, it's not their fault.

[dkofos]

27. She's toast. They just haven't figured out how to spin it.

[Solly Mack]

29. hmmm

[fascisthunter]

30. So She was a Ploy to Take Attention Away from the DNC?

[MadrasT]

31. Shiny object! n/t

[fascisthunter]

33. Gollum... is that you????

;)

[Iris]

32. starting to look that way.

[nichomachus]

37. If so, it failed

People had good feelings about the DNC. Then, Hurricane Sarah hit, and every news cycle makes the DNC look better and better, more organized, more dignified, more in charge.

The only way to make the act before you look bad is to make yourself look better -- not to pull down your pants and shit on the stage.

[fascisthunter]

51. Oh, I Agree...... it back fired to a degree

a big one...

[tavalon]

84. Duh

She was the token fundie vagina. More token for the fundies than the women, but token nonetheless.

I doubt they expected this much of a feeding frenzy, but yeah, she was announced when she was, for the effect.

[Javaman]

38. they are going to shuffle her in and shuffle her out...

with the least amount of questions asked.

she's as dumb as a mud fence.

right now she's going through repuke talking points school and well, because of her vast background isn't ready for primetime.

if only someone could just corner her with a battery of questions, they would put the final nail in the coffin.

[daleo]

41. When the going gets weird

The weird get going. HST

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

43. The Moderation of Sarah Palin has begun

She'll be painted as a bra-burning feminist by Wednesday night.

[undeterred]

46. Her vice presidential fluid sac is leaking.

And she's going to be delivered prematurely any minute.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

47. Tom Eagleton all over again? nt

[B Calm]

48. Egads how stupid is she? How long does she need to prepare for a speech

to a bunch of brain dead sheep?

[Marr]

58. This is so great. If Palin stays on the ticket, we get to watch a slow-motion

Jerry Springer Show meltdown. If she's removed, Obama's argument of McCain's poor judgement will be more potent than ever.

[Arugula Latte]

77. I'm hoping that she stays on the ticket but is yanked at the last minute.

Best of both worlds!

[quercus palustris]

60. Isn't she speaking tomorrow night?

Heard it on Talk of the Nation...

[paparush]

68. Right to Birth??? What the hell is that?

[TexasObserver]

75. They'll replace the Heath bar with a Good and Pawlenty.

They're trying to decide if they should ditch her before making her the VP nominee.

If they decide she will be ditched, they'll give her a heart tugging speech to give, where she leans heavily on her Downs baby and her daughter's situation. They'll blame "the liberal bloggers," to incite their fundie base, and name some back up like Pawlenty.

[mudesi]

78. This keeps getting BETTER AND BETTER!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[KatyaR]

80. She's probably practicing her acceptance speech.

Remember, she's never been on a stage like this before. I can tell you right now that if her remarks at the announcement were a good example, she needs a vocal coach BADLY to fix that screech in her voice. Talk about nails on a chalkboard . . . .

[tavalon]

81. The countdown begins

Damn, I'm going to lose the pool. I know it! I should have picked Friday, I knew it! Sunday is just too far away.

I wish she were going to be around longer but she'll be dropping out this week. It's time to start figuring out who he's going to pick next. I'm really leaning toward Lieberman, but I was leaning toward him being the pick before we took a hard right turn into whacko world.

[Hubert Flottz]

85. As many babies as she's had I doubt she has much time for little

things like those appearances.

`Lady, I love my cigar, but I take my cigar out of my mouth once in a while.`
- Groucho Marx.

[Supersedeas]

87. the media has completely lowered the bar: one speech/one debate -- Palin need do nothing more

for America (the Oil Industry will wait for the rest)