EXCLUSIVE: Palin's Tea Party Crib Notes

UPDATE: (New updates and media reactions after the photos)

Closer inspection of a photo of Sarah Palin, during a speech in which she mocked President Obama for his use of a teleprompter, reveals several notes written on her left hand. The words "Energy", "Tax" and "Lift American Spirits" are clearly visible. There's also what appears to read as "Budget cuts" with the word Budget crossed out.

(Photos AP)

Final Thoughts:

Just to be clear: The notes most likely weren't for her speech, for which she used prepared remarks, but for the Q&A session that followed, during which she glanced at the hand in question.

But in my opinion that's even worse.

There were no specifics on there, just general concepts and things she supports.

The takeaway is that this presidential contender apparently can't remember her supposed core principles and needs a cheat-sheet when simply asked about her beliefs.

To quote Charlie Brown:

Good grief.

-Stefan

MEDIA REACTION

UPDATE (2/8)

Keith Olbermann gets to the heart of the issue. It's not just about hypocrisy - it's about Palin's apparent lack of ideas and core principles.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CNN's Don Lemon discusses Palin's palm-reading:

David Shuster provided some "Telepalmer" coverage this morning on MSNBC:

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2/7

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (8 PM CST)

Ahh sweet Earl Grey Revolution! Sarah Palin knew that speech like the back of her hand. The Q&A answers, however, were on the front of her hand.

Or so it appeared.

During the Q&A following her speech at the Tea Party Convention, Ms. Palin appeared to read from her hand in answering.

The following image was caught by some sharp-eyed Twitter users, notably @jryanlaw

->Tweet Photo link

UPDATE #2: A high-quality video on youtube seems to prove that something was indeed on the palm of Palin's hand. The question is what.

Close-Up:

UPDATE #1: And, via ThinkProgress, the Video:

Crib Notes? This potential presidential candidate and "movement" leader was using crib notes to answer basic questions?

This would mean:

A) That she knew the questions beforehand and the whole thing was a farce. (Likely.)

and

B) That she still couldn't answer the previously agreed-upon questions without a little extra help.

If true, this is supremely rich coming immediately after a speech in which Palin took a shot at President Obama for using a teleprompter to read his prepared speeches.

You can bet that the President wasn't reading scribbles off his extremities while he sparred with Republicans and Democrats in an unscripted format in his recent Q&As.

Palin, on the other hand, seems to need a cheat-sheet just to get through a contrived lovefest with a smitten interviewer and an adoring audience.

I'm no fan of the Tea Party movement - if it can be called such - but if this is their leader I actually sympathize with them.

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Stefan Sirucek's Blog

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Comments

[JJennjt20]

I agree with this:

Dianne Feinstein violated debate rules by writing notes on her hand, but no criticism of her? Oh, she's a Democrat, never mind.

Does it mean, if I was a Democrat, I could do whatever I want including selling your soul to the devil? Democrat should stick together even if it was principally wrong and ethically wrong, shouldn't it.

[JJennjt20]

How is it writing notes on your palm shows lack of core principles and ideas?
I'll tell you what is lack of core principles and ideas.
A govermental official who repeatedly voted "PRESENT" on most of the issues.
A public speaker figure repeatedly promotes "TRANSPARENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT" and then do the opposite, back-door dealing, vote-buying, choking free-speech with socasm and condescending remarks

[JJennjt20]

Your note shows you are truly a hypocrit and a narrow-minded person. You are not a journalist. Your talent is a great use at National Inquirer or one of those freebee magazines at the airport or public restrooms.

[Weaves]

Well said, Stefan. It truly makes me wonder whether Sarah Palin wants to be president - whether she has any idea of the job's magnitude and complexity. If she's not interested enough in these issues to be able to remember general notions like "budget," and "energy," how in the world would she summon the capacity to deal with these concepts in depth? Please see my related post at http://www.thewheatandchaff.com/http:/www.thewheatandchaff.com/that-vision-thing-again/

[Wallysmom]

Some facts to share with the defenders of the iPALM used by Palin at the Tea Thing...
1) It was not an attempt Palin tried to punk Obama, make a pithy understatement about teleprompters or an attempt to show how "regular American" she was....it was just stupid, though Michelle Malkin said it was sheer genius.
2) It's a good way to get blood poisoning...duh.
and
3) You end up looking like a 12 year old trying to pass the math midterm instead of a President. As dotty as Ronald Reagan got as he aged, he never once wrote crib notes on his hands. I don't know about you, but I don't want a President who Sargozy and Medevev giggle about after she's left the room.

[michaelmr]

Dianne Feinstein violated debate rules by writing notes on her hand, but no criticism of her? Oh, she's a Democrat, never mind.

[Wallysmom]

Glad to see you keep up with Doocy and the Fox & Friends news tilt. Had Palin not taken every opportunity to make a dig on teleprompters, nothing would have been made of the jots on her hand. For someone who had the questions up front, knew well in advance she was appearing, writing notes on your hand shows you're not up to a 100k gig.
I hope the interns and office help at Fox got time and a half looking through old tv footage for what must have been days for a Democrat, any Democrat, who had so much as an ink smudge on their fingers.
Frankly, Palin's responses were more embarrassing than the palm writing.

[TheRLeePost]

Hey. I'm all for requiring IQ tests for candidates and the results published.
I'm sure the 'right' would find fault with that proposal. And too bad their isn't a test for empathy.
-RLee
http://therleepost.blogspot.com

[RealSoutions]

OMG: Sarah reads prepared notes written or typed! What's the difference? Dang! Sarah had the balls to have the core principals of the teabaggers written for her scripted Q&A....

Hey did Sarah memorize her speech or did she read them... Let's see she read the prepared speech see her head down on the Podium.......

[calibabe]

OMG, Sarah gives a 67 minute speech with only 5 bullet points written on her hand. Obama needs a teleprompter to speak for 15 minutes to 6th GRADERS!!! Press Secretary Gibbs (I'll have to get back to you on that next time ,i.e. my handlers have to make up a PC answer to your unexpected question because I only say what I'm told to say)) stands in front of several inches of notes and with 'back up assistance' and makes fun of Sarah. How desperate are they? BTW, sharpie on the hand is much more 'green' than volumes of paper or an electrical teleprompter. So, SP get's points for a lower carbon foot print!

The voters fell for a great speaker with no experience and obviously lacking in leadership skills (hey, you HAD a majority and did NOTHING), voters will fall for the another great speaker. If the repubs are smart (oh what predictable comments will be made to that statement), they'll groom SP for 2016. The dems put someone out there without the skills to do the job and it is showing.

The amount of attention SP garners on HP - oh yeah, I know, comic relief -is indicative of a fear of her.
Favorite

[Wallysmom]

The 67 minute speech was replete with snarky barbs, repeated bumper sticker slogans, and folksy nonsense. You're giving her credit for being an environmentalist? Gosh, how the spin begins.

[morphyous]

If all you can do is act like a little kid," my rocks bigger than your rocks" mentality, why are you bothering people with this drivel? It's old.

[cmiller1225]

I think it's important to keep any public figure (political) in check. What astounds me is the power Palin has over her critics.

We are experiencing first-hand the consequences of having an incompletely vetted leader who can't even pronounce "corpsman" correctly! THREE times! But never mind that...

I think it's great when our public leaders expose their humanity through harmless error. Critics on either hand, seem to thrive on exploiting these trivial things but overlook important things such as; work history, voting record, friends and associations when there is no voting record, financial ties to buddies, follow the money!!, sweet-heart deals to ram unpopular legislation through for political gain, earmarks, etc.

The list could go on and on. The hypocrisy on BOTH sides of the aisle is nauseating. I believe "incumbents beware..." this election year. The "media", traditional or nontraditional, would be wise to dig deep and find their own integrity and start reporting objective facts. Media will face the same American people firing squad if they do not start reporting ALL the news objectively.

The tea party movement is a voice of American people. It's the same type of voice that Cindy Sheehan instigated and led. They serve a valuable purpose and this country needs them.

I am concerned we will have a wild swing to the right this year...we are still suffering from the effects of GOP rule, now the consequences of out-of-control spending, Democrat-rule! Get em all out.

[chloe4455]

OOH wouldn't be so cool if she was a contestant on that show, " Are you smarter than a fifth grader"?? ha-ha

[I am an American]

Sarah Palin is a working mother of five children with a stable marriage, she is a hunter, fisherman, a personally proven pro life supporter, and ex Mayor, Councilmember, and City Manager, ex Chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission (the largest energy commission in the country), ex Governor of the State of Alaska and the Republican Vice Presidential nominee,
That’s quite a resume. Look in the mirror and see how you compare.
There is nothing funny about Sarah Palin; in fact she is quite serious.
She is loved by MILLIONS of people and she WILL BE very influential in 2010 and in 2012.
It doesn't matter what she does she is headline news. She writes on her hand and guess what? its headline news.
There is only ONE reason everyone would pay sooo much attention to her. Everyone believes she has influence and power and guess what? Everybody is right. And if she wasn’t powerful and influential then everyone would just ignore her. But that wouldn’t work either because no matter what people say or do not say about her there are millions who want to know what she is thinking and what she is going to do next.
She is fascinating.
She is not going away, because if she was she would already be gone, but instead everyone hangs on her EVERY word.
That's powerful. She's powerful. And everybody knows it. What she does with this power is up to her not us.

[sue11]

Let's make sure I understand this quote, "She's powerful. And everybody know it. What she does with this power is up to her not us."

Power defined by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/power (communication): " Power is not a characteristic of any one individual rather, it is defined in terms of relationship and transaction between people."

And quote you stated, "with this power is up to her not us." repeat "up to her and not us."

Need I say more. The power is up to the American people! And everybody knows it! She is powerful as compared to what? And not us! Excuse me on the last few words of communication of power "in terms of relationship and transaction between people."

Try again. LOL

[Wallysmom]

"Look in the mirror and see how you compare."....I am just happy I was born with a brain.....

[cmiller1225]

I hope Palin does not run for office because of the way liberals attack her and she has a family that is not protected by the same courtesy as the Chelsea Clinton and now the Obama children. She serves a great role making people mad...it causes people to wake up and think for themselves a little more...hopefully.

But she has a family to protect from the vultures.

[Pilatunes]

She did last time....I can't remember the exchange verbatim but at the outset of her 'debate' with Biden she essentially asked if she didn't have a suitable answer could she stray off topic and, to my astonishment, the moderator acquiesced.

[WebCommoner]

Anyone who actually defends this person needs their head examined.

[MidwesternLynn]

Uh, like a teleprompter is soooo much better. At least she can pronounce the words she reads. i.e. Army Corps (pronounced like dead bodies) please people...let's deal with the issues and not the technicalities.

[diamtool]

look closely....
the bracelet has her name on it-
......just in case

[Bobby Fleeks]

We got a fourth grade mentality running for President?

With all the controversy over cheating spouses and wayward mistresses what about a presidential hopeful who uses cribs notes to remind herself of her core values and principles?

Duh, “I am an American… yep that’s right… says so right here.”

You know, I don’t think we have to worry about Palin anymore! Whether she ever runs for anything again, it won’t be for President of these United States… maybe somewhere in her state of mind, where bulls are made for riding, and shinoala does shine.

[calibabe]

It's the fourth grade mentality of looking for heros that voted in the current president. If SP gets a great speech coach and a great speech writer all the disenchanted will vote for her. We were gullible once and will be again.

[Wallysmom]

JFK could rise up from the grave and give her tutoring lessons in giving speeches and she'd still be a nincompoop.