Give me a moment here - why Sarah Palin is a threat, not a joke.

[Capn Sunshine]

All through the late sixties and early 70's a governor assumed the mantle of spokesperson for the wingnut faction of the republicans. To everyone else he was a fucking joke. He was noted for his vacuous comments and significant ignorance of facts, particularly in the areas of science and international diplomacy.

That man was Ronald Reagan.

I remember Chevy Chase whenever he needed a cheap laugh on his Update Segment of SNL would refer to the future and "President Ronald Reagan". The idea was so ridiculous that it always evoked gales of laughter.

The notion was absolutely ridiculous. I mean, he once said trees cause pollution fer chrissakes? How stupid did they think the American People were?

The American people demonstrated their capacity for stupidity in 1980 AND 1984. We're still paying for those hugely destructive years. Some parts of our society have changed forever and not for the good. The fucking joke got elected because we didn't take him seriously until it was too late.

Sarah Palin is following a well blazed outsider trail created by the same forces of evil that got Reagan in. Now she's going to be on TV. Your face on the TV screen is all you need to be credible.
PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DANGER OF THIS WOMAN.

I would suggest your efforts fighting our president would be better served fighting this evil and looming threat to our country.

[NJmaverick]

1. It's always a good idea to assume the worse with people like her

best thing we can do is talk up her mental instability.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. I don't think the Reagan/Palin or the GW Bush 2000/Palin comparisons are valid.

Maybe when Palin was first introduced, sure. But Americans have gotten to know Palin at a level that they didn't know Reagan in 1980 or Bush in 2000.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. Then you missed my point

for the times, we knew Ronald Reagan VERY WELL. It was just that his viewpoints were considered too wacky to be successful in "mainstream politics"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. I don't think the american voter did know him that well.

I think they may have known his positions on policies, but not how completely fucked in the head he was.

[RC]

6. The hoopleheads/bobble heads, what ever, will vote for in droves just because

she is the republican candidate. Socialism is so scary, don't chaknow. Don't write her off.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Yeah, they did last time too.

And I think she got a lot more "moderates" last time then she ever will again.

[CBR]

9. My fear is that they could become valid if we keep getting the

"There is no difference between Bush, Gore" type lines (i.e. Obama=Bush, Obama=GOP). 2000 was my first presidential election. I was in college and this is all I heard -- Gore is no better etc... and look where it got us. I fear the discourse is going in that direction.

[customerserviceguy]

25. Ronald Reagan had been a candidate for the Presidency

ever since 1968. I'll admit, he was a "dark horse" then, but he was a very active campaigner in 1976.

The OP is dead right, she's very dangerous. And now she has a platform that will keep her squirting Kool-Aid into the mouths of the reich wing. It all comes down to the economy, if we're out of the toilet by 2012, Obama wins, if not, then whoever the Rethugs nominate wins.

[YOY]

4. No...she's pretty much a joke.

The real threat comes from Boner and Romney and anyone else who can give a halfway decent speech without splintering their party further.

She's just an easy target and most of the population knows she's a fucking moron. She was the lead weight that sunk the McCain ship and her followers are the lead weight that is sinking the Republican party. If anything she is a diversion...a really hilariously stupid and obviously pathetic one.

[Forkboy]

5. Her threat doesn't equate to a pass for Obama or anyone else though.

Which your last line seems to imply we should be doing.

And, can you define what you mean by "fighting" the President? I'm "fighting" for equal rights, for example, not "fighting" Obama. If he comes down on the wrong side of that (as he is currently on the GLBT issue) should I not say anything because it'll lead to a Palin presidency?

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. She is, however, a quitter

and that's a huge problem for any future election she'd like to enter. If being a governor was too much work for her, how could she possibly be a president or vice-president? The kind of people who forgave Reagan his bumbling admired him for being steadfast, not giving up public office halfway through their term to market a book instead.

[Phx_Dem]

12. LOL. Good point.

Plus, if Levi is correct, and I believe he is on this point. Sarah is very greedy and very lazy. She doesn't like to work -- either at home or work. Being President is non-stop, extremely hard work. Both pysically and mentally demanding for relatively little pay. Now that she has money and national attention, she might not be so hot on the idea of actually working.

[Phx_Dem]

11. It's not Palin who should be feared or underestimated, it is

the stupidity of the American people, as you stated so well in your post.

And I'm scared of stupid people.

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[slackmaster]

13. Chevy Chase's quips aside, this analysis is deeply flawed. Reagan had a long involvement in politics

Before he ran for President. He was well-known to a majority of US voters as far back as the early 1950s. He had name recognition among Californians as far back as 1941 as present of the Screen Actors Guild, not to mention a number of movies he appeared in before that.

Nobody outside of Alaska ever heard of Sarah Palin before late 2007.

His endorsements of Eisenhower and Nixon seemed to fly in the face of his membership in the Democratic party. Reagan's switch to the GOP in 1962 was widely publicized. He was very vocal in his support of Goldwater in 1964 - Even youngsters like me are old enough to remember that.

Before he started getting Alzheimer's, Reagan was quick-witted and well-spoken. Sarah Palin is a ninny, a joke, a nobody.

[Kdillard]

22. I agree with this assessment. I don't see any Reagan in Sarah Palin.

Reagan was likeable and had a certain charm which Sarah Palin lacks. She energies the Democratic base and turns off Independents. Unless that drastically changes I don't see her winning The Republican nomination or Presidency.

[janx]

26. The comparison isn't exact, I agree.

But Reagan was an actor. Sarah Palin is an actress. That might be the point.

[CK_John]

14. Both of these people could size up a crowd in the blink of an eye and adapt to the situation in

another blink. They knew that people don't care if you lie or feed them bs as long as you let them know you know and they are in on the hoax.

You know... wink, wink. Facts are for wimps, science is for nerds and non regular people, and god doesn't like non regular people.

They are a very driven bunch and will take over given an opportunity.

[johan helge]

15. Anyone is a serious threat

if the Naderites on DU get their way, and liberals vote only for 100 % perfect liberals.


http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7354478

[Marsala]

16. She is a joke. Why? Because even RedState doesn't see her as a contender anymore

Erickson, Jeff Emanuel and the rest of them have given up on her as a serious presidential candidate. And they ARE the fringe. Beyond them lies only the most looney of lunatics.

[gordianot]

17. If a skinny kid with hot underpants can be a threat so can Sarah Palin.

She is largely responsible for stirring up the stupid and ignorant in this country, Fox News is perfect for her brand hate. Combine her with Beck and you will definitely get a really unstable combination for the really stupid and ignorant. The bulging idiocy and threat of the RW and Miltia types should never be discounted.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Who is this skinny kid from Nigeria with hot underpants that you are referring to?

:shrug:

[Atman]

18. It is true, the Repubs have been looking for a second-coming of Reagan.

This vacuous twit is just the ticket for them.

.

[Cartoonist]

20. Will Nader still be alive?

I would suggest your efforts fighting our president would be better served fighting this evil and looming threat to our country.
-
Unrepentant Naderites will back some third party candidate who will appeal to their conscience, thereby allowing Sarah to waltz into the White House. Republicans aren't the only ones who forget history.

[rhett o rick]

21. The rube-licons will never run a female for president. They like their women to walk behind.

In fact I think Palin got a little too uppity for John McStrange.

[rhett o rick]

23. Trying to give the American public some respect I am going to say they, on the ave, are not stupid.

However, having said that, I will agree that they are very susceptible to propaganda. This is why, IMO, we need to get our propaganda machine running. We must find some way other than the CorpMedia.

[Cha]

24. You'll be happy to know, Capn Sunshine,

that I never thought of her as a joke bc I when I got into politics in 2000 I saw what the corporatemedia did to prop up bushjr..and kept propping him and excoriating the man who actually won that election.

palin took away the glow of our Dem Convention thanks to the "media" making it all about her after her speech ragging on Senator Obama bc he was a "community organizer":scared:

The Beautiful Fourth of July Fireworks at the White House with the Memorials to the Fallen were nothing compared to palin's quitting the Gov's seat and freeing herself up to hit the trail and lie more.

I know that lying sociopaths are the favorite with the mediawhores..them being in that club..Sociopathic motormouths are even better..

I was discussing politics with someone at work today and ..after we were talking about the country and how much Pres Obama has done with what he got handed from bushcheney.. I said.."I'm just so grateful mccain and palin didn't get in". He said, "she might be interesting/she's really smart"..

After almost losing it..I set him straight in a hurry.

[Capn Sunshine]

28. That's what is out there "she's really smart"

its very scary, what they're doing. You can see it coming down the highway.
:scared:

[liquid diamond]

27. After 8 years of Bush, some people here

claim Palin is too stupid to become president. Since when does stupidity prevent one from becoming president?