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HuffPost's Howard Fineman Discusses Sarah Palin On 'Hardball With Chris Matthews' (VIDEO)

Posted: 05/31/11 08:46 PM ET

Howard Fineman appeared Tuesday on MSNBC's 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' to discuss Sarah Palin's bus tour.

When asked by Matthews if Palin is going to run for President, Fineman said, "I judge this based on the people I know in New Hampshire whom she would be calling were she running. And I just ... talked to one of them who said that she has been repeatedly trying to get Sarah Palin's people to return her calls because she, this person organizer up there, conservative organizer, wants to work for Sarah Palin, she hasn't gotten the call, as far as this person knows, neither has anybody else in New Hampshire."

He explained that Sarah Palin is "going for some other type of power here. She wants power. She wants real political power. But she believes that the current system, the nominating system, the electoral system, and the media system, are bankrupt, and she can show that by gaining power in other ways. Now how she's going to trade in all her Monopoly money at the end, I don't know, but she is certainly a running commentary on the bankruptcy of the rest of the system."

Fineman concluded, "Sarah Palin appeals to a lot of really disaffected people ... I think Palin is going to touch every button of all the disaffected people all the way along and see how far that takes her, because she's comfortable in that role and that's what she's good at. And she will make fun of and stand outside of the traditional process probably all the way along, because the moment she gets in the traditional process, whatever clout and magic she has is gone."

WATCH (via MSNBC):

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Howard Fineman appeared Tuesday on MSNBC's 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' to discuss Sarah Palin's bus tour. When asked by Matthews if Palin is going to run for President, Fineman said, "I judge this...
Howard Fineman appeared Tuesday on MSNBC's 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' to discuss Sarah Palin's bus tour. When asked by Matthews if Palin is going to run for President, Fineman said, "I judge this...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Alan Duncan
11:55 PM on 06/02/2011
Did anyone see her description of Paul Revere's ride...Snooki of the North smushing words, trying to make a coherent sentence, all the while demonstrating her ability to convey a thought devoid of syntax...
05:14 PM on 06/01/2011
Trying to analyse what Sarah Palin means is a bit like trying to find English words in your dog's yawning noises. She emits meaningless word salads, stringing together bits of other people's sound bites. Why on earth to otherwise serious men spend so much time looking for prophesy in the Palin oracle's ravings?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
fedupinfla
In a kennel full of dogs, I bark the loudest
03:28 PM on 06/01/2011
She's spent the past few years being a Tea Party pr!(k tease dangling her possible candidacy in front of them like a stripper twirls her panties. So now she needs to figure out a way to bow out
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tttt9erfan
gov't gave my bio to someone who doesn't post here
06:16 AM on 06/03/2011
Palin has never been a tea party favorite I think the media deemed her that. While she does have her fans from the tea party, as a group, she never topped top the list! Not even close. It was the left and the media mostly that said she was the big tea party person. The movement as a whole would strongly disagree with that statement. The tea party never made her their spokesperson, or leader or candidate. If anything she hitched on to the movement, the movement never picked her.
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Captain Tom
Captive in the realm of the Right. USCG MM Captain
02:53 PM on 06/01/2011
Howard is 100% right. This bus vacation is just her version of video Facebook. Multi-viewer Skype if you will. Never saying anything substantive. Poking people with a stick, and never offering the slightest solution. She will return to the AZ compound and run for Kyles seat via Twitter. That gives here months more to yap on FOX and polish her celebrity. That's what this is all about, celebrity, money and power over the GOP process.
09:43 AM on 06/01/2011
I repeat myself...what solutions has she proposed for ANY of the problems in this country??? You cannot govern simply by blaming.
luvtheusofa
You do not own the "truth"
10:13 AM on 06/01/2011
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the GOTP Gov's are discovering this truth. F and F.
11:00 AM on 06/01/2011
Cutting taxes is her big solution for all our problems. :/
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RiverCitySlicker
Friends don't let friends vote Republican
09:29 AM on 06/01/2011
Palin - the gift that keeps on giving - to Democrats.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Lilly-G
09:26 AM on 06/01/2011
Palin, the narcissist, is also an antagonist - she only wants to create trouble and mayhem any way she can. This bus tour is nothing more than a grab at some attention she's been missing in the last few months.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tttt9erfan
gov't gave my bio to someone who doesn't post here
05:37 AM on 06/02/2011
How could Palin possibly be missing any attention? Huffpo showers her with attention every single day. If she ever felt the need for attention all she has to do is log on...problem solved.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wildwmmn
unrepentant liberal
09:23 AM on 06/01/2011
tttt9erfan asks: "why is making money such a horrible thing with the folks here?"

OK, I’ll play along. But first, where did you read that making money was a horrible thing? But my answer would be: There is nothing “horrible” about making money, especially if you can do it honestly.

But let’s get back to the real point of this article and the comments: What does Sarah want? People answered with honest opinion. What is so horrible in your mind about people giving an honest opinion to a simple question? This is what people see in Sarah, a money hungry, attention seeking missile.

Now, if you are of the belief that the almighty dollar is the sole purpose in life and it doesn’t matter what you do to get it, then may I suggest you apply to the republican party, because they seem to have a permanent opening for anyone who is willing to trade their soul and abandon any lingering effects of a decent upbringing for the allure of making big big bucks off the backs of their fellow Americans. You too, could be organizing a bus tour and sporting designer clothes while knowing next to nothing about American values, our constitution, or our future.
luvtheusofa
You do not own the "truth"
09:41 AM on 06/01/2011
ummmmmm.......you're awesome.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wildwmmn
unrepentant liberal
08:30 PM on 06/01/2011
(blushing} Haha, luv the U.S. of A. At first glance I thought your moniker said love the sofa, and I thought: "wow! I got through to a rwnj! ", but then, I realized it was I love the U.S. of A. and I knew you were a liberal, or a progressive, or a democrat.
(chuckling)
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tttt9erfan
gov't gave my bio to someone who doesn't post here
06:00 AM on 06/03/2011
First, if you read back to the comments I was commenting on there are several condemning (and saying much worse) her for making bunches of money. I simply asked why her making money was such a bad thing. People seem so offended by it and I was curious why. She isn't doing anything illegal and clearly enough people want to hear what she has to say because they pay her big bucks to speak. No one is forced to pay her a dime. So she isn't earning her money dishonestly.

Why do you say when repubs. make big money they have traded their soul? What about when dems make big money? Are they somehow more rightous in their money making? Palin isn't stealing from the poor for her money. Are you saying because she makes money she knows nothing about American values or do you say that just because you hate her?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wildwmmn
unrepentant liberal
08:16 AM on 06/03/2011
She makes her money by lying and misleading people away from the truth. She bears false witness everytime she speaks. She makes her money from dividing the people against each other - you know - like your assumption that I like to see Democrats making money but I don't like it when republicans make money - why do you form those opinions? I never gave you any indication I felt that way?
"No one is forced to give her a dime" This is a lame defense and you know it. It's the cheering and urging her on from people who do not place any value on honesty and decency who plump up her speaking fees.
You can play it however you like. I don't support dishonesty and deceipt from ANY politician, co-worker, acquaintance, neighbor, friend, or foe. And I certainly don't believe anyone who makes a living dividing the people against each other has any business speaking in the political arena. She can call it a "One Nation" Tour all day every day, but that is the exact opposite of the agenda she is pushing.
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camelias and sweet tea
Small drinking village with a shrimping problem
09:11 AM on 06/01/2011
What party does she belong to? The Teaevangelicals? she is even dividing the party she once claimed to belong to. John McCain you should be ashamed for turning this evil creature lose on our country.
08:58 AM on 06/01/2011
One thing is certainly correct--she wants attention and she wants power, and as long as she toots around on her "Tour"
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shades
Old hippie at the beach
08:30 AM on 06/01/2011
I wish she'd run but don't think she will. She'll ride this pony as far as it will take her, jump off and announce she "can do more for the people of America outside of politics". And the palinistas will buy it.
luvtheusofa
You do not own the "truth"
09:43 AM on 06/01/2011
I completely agree. And I also believe, as much as Failin would never admit it, "out loud", she has to know deep down somewhere she'd get obliterated in an open debate.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
frank day
Republican = FAIL
08:19 AM on 06/01/2011
" She wants real political power. But she believes that the current system, the nominating system, the electoral system, and the media system, are bankrupt, and she can show that by gaining power in other ways."

Sarah as a 3rd Party candidate or as an independent.

That would really put the final nail in the GOP coffin.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
pending
08:27 AM on 06/01/2011
It would split the votes and we could watch them eat each other alive in the primaries.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
pending
08:14 AM on 06/01/2011
Sarah Palin's ideology-

Money and Fame > Politics and Sincerity.
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camelias and sweet tea
Small drinking village with a shrimping problem
08:04 AM on 06/01/2011
One thing she is good at is being divisive. She will now proceed to divide her own party further. Although I do not know exactly what party she even belongs to anymore. I think it is the S.P. fan club. Her lemming followers do not even understand that she will be bargaining with THEIR votes for HER power trip.
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Drewood
"Sheep go to hell too. " A.Gote
07:52 AM on 06/01/2011
She's avoiding debates and making as much money as she can.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tttt9erfan
gov't gave my bio to someone who doesn't post here
08:48 AM on 06/01/2011
And when did making as much money as possible become a bad thing? If you had the opportunity to make a bunch of money would you do it? Would you do it if you thought it was morally ok but a whole lot of other didn't? Lets say you thought it was ok to go out and make a bunch of money and the only people who thought you were doing wrong were a bunch of conservatives, whould you do it then?

Why would she be debating at this point?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Alan Duncan
12:08 AM on 06/03/2011
That looks like a statement of fact...shes making as much money as she can. So true. Shes avoiding debates...also a statement of fact. Neither one is a bad thing. Just accurate.