The GOP Defends Palin Like They Defended The Decision to Invade Iraq (Shudder)

The Grand Old Party has been fervently defending Senator John McCain's choice for Vice President, first-term Alaska governor Sarah Palin. The spokespeople have been synchronized. And the tactic is instead of answering questions -- ask them. And when you ask them -- throw in an 'implication bomb.'

Example inquiry: What experience does she have to be the vice president? Example answer: What experience does Barack Obama have with not raising taxes or saying the national anthem?

I'll translate: Our candidate is just as under qualified as we have said your candidate is.

Cindy McCain offered George Stephanopoulos on The Week that Palin's international experience is that she lives close to Russia. "So she knows what's at stake." She said. A mighty sound argument that I will use next time someone asks me if I'm a surgeon. "I live close to a hospital. I know what's at stake."

Conservative pundits, columnist Peggy Noonan and Adviser Mike Murphy have been touting McCain's choice. "I'm bumping into a lot of critics who do not buy the legitimacy of small town mayorship (Palin had two terms in Wasilla, Alaska, population 9,000 or so)." Wrote Noonan in the Wall Street Journal. "And executive as opposed to legislative experience. But executives, even of small towns, run something." She offered.

Cheerful. Optimistic. So what if people younger than McCain can die of old age. His proposed replacement ran something. You have to admire someone that will so gleefully defend Sarah Palin. Mike Murphy called her fresh - an 'anti-politician'. She's running for something that she...isn't. Great point.

Then on MSNBC with Chuck Todd it broke. Off camera with mikes still hot Todd asked,"Is she really the most qualified woman?" Without missing a beat Noonan said, "Most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives."

"Yeah, they went to narratives." Said Todd.

Then you can hear Murphy say,"I totally agree."

My question has always been: do these flacks actually believe all the stuff they say? The answer: Why do you hate democracy and American values?

Then it was clear: these are the same people and tactics that sold the Iraq War. It's was a combo of brow and drum beating that got us into this trillion dollar 'vanity project'. "We have to invade them because they have weapons of mass destruction." Was the basis.

I'm no military genius but you think that if they had weapons of mass destruction they would have used them on us when we invaded them. Not that I'm an expert. The Soviet Union actually had WMDs. They were close to Alaska, so they knew what was at stake (which may be another reason why our war with them was 'cold'). You don't invade countries that are heavily armed. That's why countries get heavily armed - so they won't get invaded.

This was the most ridiculous, scary, Machiavellian, Orwellian, Barry Levinsonian march to war in recent history. It was sold to the American public by talking heads and columnists that were put on the government payroll. Thousands of young people have died, many more injured and there's no end in sight. The propaganda posing as talking points, platitudes and patriotic pandering was overwhelming. Through intimidation and repetition we went into a war that makes this nation hemorrhage resources.

And now that same strategy is being used by Steve Schmidt to sell us Sarah Palin, 20-month long governor of a state so small it has more senators than congressmen. He's gone on the defensive to blame the 'liberal media'. The same liberal media that McCain used to call his base. The same 'liberal media' that went along with anything President Bush wanted to do after 9/11. The same liberal media that is now sexist when it asks questions about Palin's qualifications.

The question is: will it work? The answer: Do you hate working mothers and apple pie?

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

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Comments

[BP1]

This is one of the best, most concise and most incisive columns I've read on the Huffington Post, and I've been visiting the site multiple times per day for years. Great job, Tina!

Watching Wednesday night's convention was a disorienting, frightening and depressing experience. A couple of times, I felt like I had vertigo! It was nauseating, not only for the views expressed by the speakers, but for the pervasive and deliberate ignorance and dishonesty that was on display. And not just dishonesty about one's own record, but a fundamental refusal to acknowledge the world as it IS. Worse than that, this collective self-delusion inflicts immeasurable pain, death and hardship on others and thoroughly violates one of the two "greatest commandments": love your neighbor as yourself. This selfish, duplicitous and cruel hypocrisy eliminates any credibility the evangelical right-wing has about being moral and Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The planet is warming, children are dying every day, thousands of mothers and fathers can't put food on their tablesl, human beings (I don't care whether they're soldiers or civilians) are being maimed and killed all around the world, and Palin hunts caribou, races snowmobiles, cuts aid to the needy and advocates producing more fossil fuels and nuclear ("nukular") power. This is what the benign, confident and self-righteous face of true evil looks like, and we saw hundreds of those faces Wednesday night.

Keep the columns coming, Tina! We need them.

[Tina Dupuy - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks BP1, that's very kind of you.

[DEMOCRAP]

First of all, would you expect them not to defend the choice? Come on, now. And about WMD, don't you think it would have been difficult for Saddam to use them on his own people if he didn't actually have them? Pretty difficult to do. Everyone thought he had them. There are numerous quoted from politicians on both sides of the aisle condemning Saddam and his use and possession of them. Saddam was in violation of the previous agreement that ended the first Gulf War. War was completely justified.

And regime change in Iraq, in case you have conveniently forgotten, was the official policy of the CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, befreo Bush ever took office.

Facts, people. Try them sometime.

[keepemhonest]

The media LET Bush invade Iraq by NOT scrutinizing before-hand.

Now, the Bush people running McCain's campaign are trashing the media and not allowing the press to even interview Palin, is the press going to back-off scrutinizing Palin because of the GOP pressure -- like they did in Iraq?

BTW: Palin memorized a speech that was written by Geo. W. Bush's 2004 speech writer ... McCain's top campaign advisor was Geo. W. Bush's 2004 advisor -- same old ... more of the same.

[DavidK08]

Of all the GOPs that praise her, who is going to be the one she cuts out of washington when she takes on corruption. Aren't they putting their own head on the block while praising her?

[DavidK08]

It worked for Bush. Why not Bush part doo doo.

[NoDrama]

The Republicans ran more effective campaigns in 2000 and 2004. They are adept at campaigning, and despite awareness of the tactics, adopting Rove's guidelines remains an effective, albeit eristic, tool for them.

But Palin's performance was based on a speech she didn't write. The GOP had one prepared, as you've probably heard/read elsewhere, but determined it was too macho and determined they had to start over from scratch on short notice when Palin was named.

So while the defense is well-orchestrated - and one would expect nothing less - the fact is it leaves most if not all of the real questions not merely unanswered, but unaddressed. None of the words were Palin's choice: the content reflects nothing but GOP talking points, and while Ms. Palin delivered them creditably she adopted the role of a talking head, revealing to neither the media nor the voters anything beyond her ability to handle somebody else's prepared rhetoric.

[alanmk]

Blistering analysis..­..absolute­ly superb.

One point I haven't seen mentioned as yet (within the media)....when Palin belittled Barack in his role as a community organizer, she unwittingly demeaned all the citizens he helped over the years, especially those at or beneath the poverty line. Do they not deserve representation? Do they not deserve a helping hand? In puffing up her experience as a city council member and mayor, she arrogantly implies that her constituents are more important than those of another city. Huge mistake. I hope someone picks up on this point and runs with it.

[leftLibertarian]

By not impeaching the criminals Bush and Cheney the Democrats show their lack of spine and principles.

[Whinger]

Well let's face it, she's extermely weak and skating on thin ice!

GOP knows she needs defending, they have to protect Karl's gamble!

[joanndarc]

"You don't invade countries that are heavily armed. That's why countries get heavily armed - so they won't get invaded."
Dah.. :)
"The propaganda posing as talking points, platitudes and patriotic pandering was overwhelming."
This country has been living by and on propaganda since Truman. When was the last time you've seen Ron Paul on mass media TV?

[guntotinganglion]

Had a momentary vision during Palen's speech, of the floor of the RNC filled neck deep in Iraqi blood, and the Republicans swimming through the gore to applaud the lies and one-liners Palen was throwing. These people, and the Democratic enablers who allowed them (and continue to allow them) to literally get away with mass murder, are drenched in the blood of innocents, and they act as if nothing whatsoever has happened.

Pro-life!?!?!? Tell it to the tens of thousands of dead children, babies, and dare I say it, fetuses within their dying mothers wombs! All of this innocent blood is on all of their hands, but mostly George W. Bush, who championed the slaughter of Iraq with lies, treachery, deceit, fraud, and war profiteering the likes of which this world has never seen.

Shame on all of them. And hopefully, if justice is not found for them on this Earth, they will pay the price of their horrifying sins with their immortal souls, when they enter the kingdom of hell, where all child killers and destroyers of innocents, go to suffer eternal damnation and endless torment. It is what they deserve.

Man...I'm not even religious....but I hope I'm wrong and there is a hell, cause these people will be going there when their time is up, if there is. Here's to heaven and hell, one place for the innocents who died too soon, and the other for those who murdered them.

[XME]

Shudder is right. It's frightening that, as a country, we seem to fall for the snow job time after time.

[neoprimordial]

That is a wonderful observation: "...a state so small it has more senators than congressmen." Spot-on perfect. I don't recall noticing you before this blog. Are you this good on stage?

[glitz]

Tina; Super analysis! They used 9/11 to raise the ire of the American youth over and over, so when asked even the Military was confused. Just who exactly were the terrorists? But I have to admit...they are really good at it! Serious questions have got to be asked of these candidates. But unfortunately we are overwhelmed with a 24 hour Press that no longer cares about facts enough to get the truth. I wouldn't place any bets on truly serious questions asked during the debates. This speech tonight did just what the Republican campaign wanted..to minimize any important issues and just attack... they were effective.

[SimonNZ]

What you say is 100% correct and that makes me very scared. Make faux appeals to patriotism and gut instinct in this country and you've got a good chance of succeeding. It is now looking like McBush and Painful are serious contenders. I'm not religious but Lord help us.

[debrouillard]

Hey they are no where close r than they were ever since the beginning of this campaign. JMC is simply G W . the nation knows it. Dont forget last night was in a small room filled with the ideologues.. Dont forget that O's speech of the final night of the primary was held in the same hall. Unlike last night where u cld still spot empty seats,O's night in the same hall was full to brime with 15,000 more ppl outside who couldnt make it inside.