Sarah Palin's Speech Meant Nothing

We go through this strange dance every four years, where we all agree to a fiction. That fiction is politics. We, the people who cover politics, know that this is all a show and yet we all implicitly agree to not let the American people in on it.

Sarah Palin is given credit for a great speech Wednesday night. But why? We all know she didn't write it. It wasn't her thoughts, her ideas or even her decision. She read the speech they gave her like a good little student. She is not the decision maker. She is an actress, that's all. And we all agree to pretend she is the person who meant the words she spoke in that speech.

This is a huge fraud we perpetrate upon the American people. It is particularly egregious in the case of Palin because we all know she had absolutely nothing to do with that speech other than to deliver it. At least we presume McCain contributed to the ideas behind his speech, even if he didn't write the specific words (at least we hope that he at least contributed the ideas, but we're not even entirely sure of that).

So, it turns out Sarah Palin reads well from a prompter and the media declared it a "grand slam." Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and Chris Wallace all proclaimed, "A star is born." Ironically, that is exactly what she is -- a star, an actress. Do we care what's behind the screen?

This is all doubly ironic because the McCain campaign have been complaining about how Obama is a "celebrity" and that giving a good speech doesn't mean you're ready to lead. But then Palin gives a good speech (which by the way was not really a good speech because it was a purely negative message that didn't relate to the lives and problems of real people at all) and, voila, she is judged ready to lead. Is anyone awake?

I was the first one to say we shouldn't underestimate Sarah Palin because I saw that she had a very good camera presence in her few television appearances and she did some things as governor that could appeal to independents. So, let me be the first to warn in the other direction. Her speech meant absolutely nothing. It proves zero, zilch, nada about her. It proves she was a surprisingly undervalued sports anchor.

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This woman has more skeletons in her closet than a Halloween party. She was not vetted at all. You don't think that's not going to come back to bite them? They're going to be so lucky that they picked the one person in the country who is going to be completely clean by chance? The vetting process gets you down to the one person who is best able to withstand this scrutiny. If you don't do it, you're playing Russian Roulette with your campaign.

McCain has always been a wild-eye gambler. You know what happens with wild-eye gamblers? They get crushed. They lose everything they have. You haven't heard the last of Palin's troubles. One well-delivered speech does not wipe away all of the problems with her candidacy.

We are being asked to elect a person who was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska two years ago. She won her last election for mayor by getting 909 votes. Not a margin of 909, just 909 votes period. She's been a Pentecostal for a long time (when do we uncover the tapes of her shaking and speaking in tongues). She was neck deep in petty, parochial politics. Why would she ever think that doing things like trying to get her brother-in-law fired in Alaska would come back to bite her?

And currently she has been studying foreign policy for a week straight to try to learn what she is supposed to say about national security. Nobody is that good an actor. If you don't know foreign policy, you don't know it. If the press can't expose that, they suck.

I have always thought the idea of having foreign policy "experience" is a bit of a sham. There are very few people outside of the president who have real foreign policy experience. So, the trick is to really know your stuff. To have studied for along time what the conflicts and issues are all about. What makes different nations, tribes, sects, religions, national leaders tick. Obama has been studying this for years. Biden has been working on it for decades. McCain has been involved in it for a long time, too (though I think he assumes he knows what he is talking about because he's a "war hero" and hasn't done the hard work of actually knowing all of the different factors involved in foreign policy). This is not something you learn in a week.

One of the reasons I say all this is because she is yet another empty vessel for the Republicans. God forbid she becomes president, do we have any idea who will capture her in the White House? Who will be her Dick Cheney and what incredibly foolish thing will they convince her to do? The fate of the free world cannot lie in the hands of a person who's most important qualification is that she reads well from a prompter. Please tell me we're not all that stupid.

Young Turks Interviews From RNC

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

Comments

[Herrington]

The good news is that the outlyers in the media will smell a "Woodward-Bernstien" career with knocking off Palin. And, that it is all low hanging fruit for the right combination of headline and fact checking.

If Sarah "Pain" is still on the ticket in thrity days, the Fourth Estate will have forfieted the confidence of the Founders codified by the First Amendment.

[Bramptonian]

Cenk, we're not all that stupid! And I hope I speak for the majority of Americans. This is a very good article. I was saying the same thing: Sarah Palin is just a good actress and some in the mainstream media are just trying to make it look like she's phenomenal. Reading a teleprompter is no 'biggie' for her as she was a sports anchor. If being attractive and having the ability to read well are the only prerequisites for the office of VP, then I'd better give it a go.

[mrsscott3]

The Republican/Conservatives are amazing, but good. They believe that Americans, for the most part, are DUMB. They chide Obama for two years that he's not qualified, then they put an even less qualified person on their ticket. They are shielding Palin from the media and providing her with scripted speeches. Meanwhile, Obama's been in 25 debates and countless interviews. Obama is labelled an "empty suit" that is great at giving speeches but unqualified to be President. Then, Palin gives one scripted speech totally devoid of substance and suddenly, she's qualified to be President. They crucify Obama's wife for her misconstrued and misquoted statement about her pride in America, and Palin's married to a former member of some anarchist group that wanted to separate from America. Obama's anti-white and anti-American because of his relationships with Wright and Ayers. Palin gives a speech to an organization who's leader basically said "to hell with America", but there's nothing wrong with that. McCain claims he is a maverick when, in fact, he caved in to the conservative right by choosing Palin, and has sided with Bush 90% of the time. The Republicans have been in power the majority of the last 10 years, yet they seem to have collective amnesia. They are trying to make this election about Iraq and Obama while totally ignoring the issues facing Americans. Obama's biggest criticisms are that he is inexperienced and highly liberal, but that's somehow worse than McCain???? I'm amazed at the hypocrisy.

[smurphette]

Today I cried, I cried because for the first time in my life I'm voting for something that will ultimately change my life and the lives of my children. I cried because I realized that America, my America is not ready for a President that will help our standing in the world,help my family and families like mine afford to put food on the table if only I can keep the home I paid for,if only I can afford to put gas in my car to make it to a job that may or may not always be there,and dear lord please don't let me fall ill I cant afford to see a doctor right now. But wait what about my children may they strive for a better life and reach for their dreams only if they can pay for higher education will that dream one day be a reality.Oh lord I forgot about my husband who currently works 2 1/2 jobs that keeps him away from home sometimes as many as seven days a week but at the end of that week he can't even afford a haircut. So see my tears aren't silent tears they are angry fustrated tears from the bottom of my soul.Today I cried because My America is not ready for a President who just so happens to look like me. I can't change the color of my skin,BUT CAN AMERICA CHANGE AND BE COLOR BLIND!

[patrice37]

Smurfette, we're gonna pull this off. Wish I could celebrate with you on Nov. 5th.

[MrDeadeye2U]

Is it just me or . . .

Does anyone else feel a little terrified at potentially turning the helm of the most powerful and complex nation on earth over to a vice-presidential candidate currently having to take remedial classes on Foreign and Domestic policy. Who is she learning from? What are their qualifications? Will there be a test? Who will grade the results? If she fails we all fail. Wish her luck, my Friends.

[tISHA]

This article sounds like it could be Obama that reads good from a teleprompter. Has lots of background thats best not revisited. Low on experience. What else to say, people support who they like. But its nice to be civil in our political discourse. I think for the first time since Hillary was cast aside, I am enthused with a canidate and know who's getting my vote and complete support. Oh yeah I am a life long Democrat. Time to shake things up , change Washington for the better, McCain/Palin.

[energy]

Yes, we really are that stupid, look where we are today. The "media and press" have dropped the ball for years. Real journalism, it seems, is dead. After her speech they rattled on how terrific she was, never mind all the lies she spewed. They did not discuss content, how sickening. The next day I had to suffer through a conversation among other Mom's how they could "relate" to her. I guess they relate well to sarcastic belittling. A female George W. Bush, I am astonished that we are about to fall for this all over again. Palin is a slap in the face to new Mom's. If we had any "values" at all, she ought to still be on a PAID maternity leave as she would in Europe. However, in this country she can't even get any type of national health system, the Republicans will never have it and we fall for their lowest common denominator campaigning. We turn on our backs on our brightest and fall for bullshit.

[shel3364]

Millions of people will actually believe those were her words.

The transcripts that were posted showed the word nuclear was written as "new-clear" so she'd pronounce it correctly.

Yeah, she's a hell of a speaker.... er, reader.



The honeymoon will end very soon.

[Karisma]

MY THOUGHTS, EXACTLY!!!

[access2narnia]

While respecting John McCain for who he is ---or at least WAS before buying into being managed by the Rove/Bush pliticians in order to get elected---I GRAVELY FEAR what can happen if he is elected. Whether the Palin choice and the hatefilled, attack posture of Wednesday night was orchestrated by power politics, poor judgement or poor vetting, or some other form of subtle or actual control,the fact is that McCain the man and former maverick seems HOSTAGE to the control of the power brokers who have nearly destroyed America over the last 8 years ----and putting him into the White House WILL NOT SOLVE their continued control over the MASSIVE WASHINGTON BUREAUCRACY which is one of the greatest barriers to change. If they can control his appointment for even the highest office (VP) by either coercion or false or distorted information, then they can control his choices for his Cabinet, Supreme Court, major Federal Agencies, and so on.

[nellie]

We're not ALL that stupid. But the mainstream media makes dummies out of a lot of us.

[LeftRight]

One other thing. I remember back when Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla were the hosts of the man show, they had a bit where they went out in town with a petition to "end women's suffrage" Hilarity ensued when they asked many women, and showed the ones who were willing to sign the petition.

I bring this up because I have a sinking suspicion that sarah would have been one to sign the petttion.......

[gvc]

Just saw her give a speech from notes. She ran her finger along the text to keep her place. And McC's eyes were all over her -- not her notes.

[younggma]

Saw the same speech. It looked like to me like McCain was standing over her shoulder looking at her notes making sure she was reading them right. What a joke!

[ashenthorn]

Here's what the republicans think of the American voter. In the speech they wrote for Sarah Palin, they didn't even bother to make up any positions for her to hold on ANY of the issues that voters report as important in the process of deciding. Here are a list of things not mentioned AT ALL the Palin's speech. Her position on:

The economy
Job creation/Job Loss
Health Care
Housing/Mortgage Industry Crisis
Trade
Immigration
The "social issues" (abortion, gay rights)
The Iraq War
The War in Afghanistan
Bin Laden/Al Queda/Terrorism
Any other foreign policy topic
Urban Issues
Rural Issues
Middle Class Issues

In a 35 minute address, the only thing slightly resembling a statement of a position on any issue was - Domestic Oil drilling (for) and that she wants to be an "advocate for special needs children". And this was hailed by the media as a great political speech by a nominee for high federal office? Are any of them doing their jobs???

[LeftRight]

And Cenk, that's one of the things that I LOVE about Obama. He doesn't write all his speeches, he's too busy running for President to do that. But when it comes to the IMPORTANT speeches, he's at least THE major influence, if not the writer!

[qwr]

If you read his books, and see videos of his earlier campaigns, you can see that he has been saying the same things during his entire political career. That is why the long, drawn out fight with Clinton was a good thing. The public recognizes his voice, even if he has a speechwriter.