Palin's New Role: Fall Guy

Lets face it; Palin was never qualified to be Vice President.
It seems the McCain camp secretly understood this soon after she was chosen.

But who is at fault for placing her in a position to become one?

After the defeat of McCain to Obama his camp has now taken up the task of revealing just how inadequate Palin really was and blaming her as the sole reason for McCain's loss. More and more articles and videos are being released that not only confirm what her critics felt all along (yet were dubbed sexist) but also shows that the McCain campaign was aware of the issues with Palin's inexperience and lack of even a basic understanding of foreign policy. They secretly tried to tackle the issue behind the scenes.

Attacks Heighten on Sarah Palin From Inside McCain Campaign

Today, even more vitriol has leaked out from the McCain campaign toward the woman many regard as the downfall of the ticket. Someone from the Arizona senator's camp told Fox News that Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent and couldn't name the member countries of NAFTA (this may not be true, but it's certainly evidence of a lot of pent-up rage). The Times spoke to several top advisers who painted an ugly picture of mistrust and rebellion on the trail.
NYmag.com

This Guardian article mentions the prank call she accepted and the McCain camps disappointment in her judgment and refusal to prepare for interviews.

Palin returns to Alaska amid criticism from disgruntled McCain aides

Former vice presidential candidate faces new allegations over her behaviour on the campaign trail

Unnamed McCain advisers, their ire no longer constrained by campaign discipline, complained that the Alaskan governor had been unco-operative. The New York Times reported the McCain circle was angry about her independent decision to talk directly to the French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, which then turned out to be a prank from a Canadian radio station.

She was also said to have resisted offers of help preparing for interviews with Katie Couric, which also proved to be highly damaging. Guardian.co.uk

Here in the following video we have Carl Cameron on FOX news discussing the private in fighting between McCain and Palin's staff. In spite of the fact that FOX had been up until this point cheering Palin on as more qualified than Obama, they don't hesitate now to point out...well...just how airheaded she really was.



Here we have an article on Palin (called the "Caribou Barbie"), explaining how McCain's advisers were outraged with her over her expensive spending habits on personal items for herself and her family.

One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Newsweek

Now, I have always felt that McCain's choice was a terrible gamble that could have paid off big or fail miserably. The more we got to see of Palin, or rather hear from her, the more obvious it became that the latter would occur. The fact that they now turn on her as if she cost them the election...which may be the case...is a very despicable path to take. They knew full well what she brought to the table...her gender...and they were banking on that to clean up the disgruntled Hillary voters in conjunction with the conservative/republican loyalists.

The American public was not fooled though, and chose to take a risk on a competent democratic duo as opposed to a lopsided and inadequate republican one. I have heard that some have even said that she crashed his campaign on purpose yet It's hard for me to believe this was the case, and feel some McCain supporters are simply looking to blame this woman rather than McCain's poor judgment.

Is it wrong to blame her now for their failed candidacy when it was clear from the start to anyone with a discerning eye and half a brain that she was unqualified from the very start?

I honestly feel she was used, and not the other way around. If there is any blame to be placed then it rests on the shoulders of John McCain himself.

- Lee

EDIT: Fixed name of FOX reporter.


[edit on 6-11-2008 by lee anoma]

We're finding out more and more just how badly she isn't ready for the role.

You have to remember to those who supported Palin, the cries of "Unfit for office!" were coming from the same place that the initial attacks on her came from when they didn't know anything about her. The Democrats attacked her because she was a mother to five children, remember? And one was a special needs child. They raked her 17 year old daughter over the coals as being the one who gave birth to the downs child when it was Palin all along. Those initial attacks by the Democrats put off a lot of people and angered them, particularly women.

So in time, after the interviews, the debates, etc. when the constant cries of "unfit!" came out, many considered the source and ignored it, having heard similar cries before. Kind of a "Chicken Little" thing, IMO.

But now, we have these things like what you posted, in addition to these:

www.alternet.org...'s_lack_of_knowledgeability_comes_to_light/

Now as to why McCain didn't choose Kathleen Sebelius or Kay Bailey Hutchison, I am still at a loss to say. Clearly he wanted a female in the VP spot, but surely he could have found a more qualified candidate.

[edit on 6-11-2008 by sos37]

Yes the campaign folks are looking for a scapegoat. It is pretty rediculous if you think about it. Two weeks ago they were insisting that Palin didnt actually buy the clothes but that aides bought the clothes and they would be turned over to charity.
Aides let a call from pranksters get through now they try and pin the call on Palin.
I dont think she is an airhead, I think the campaign aides handled her badly and I think she was briefed badly. They failed to forcefully defend her froom the media especially on the issue of her youngest child and the accusations against her husband of incest with her eldest daughter.

Palin didnt cost McCain any votes she probably saved him from a worse drubbing than he got. She energized social conservatives in the base and was getting crowds of 10-20 thousand to hear her speak.

Palin might have had a succesful future in national politics, now she has been Quayled by the media damage is done I doubt she will be a nominee again the best she can hope for is to be a senator from Alaska at some point.

It was too soon for Palin
They should have been secretly briefing her for months before announcing her as the pick.
They threw her to the wolves and continue to do so.
They are the ones for an off message campaign with a change every other day message and not getting to positives of McCains message out.
Soon they will blame Palin for the stock market crash and the banking crisis

Palin will pay the price for everything in this campaign and it is very unfair.
Palin is done in National Politics.

Maybe if they had explained McCains health care plan properly and his tax plan properly they might be preparing for a trasition instead of backbiting Palin.

Obama got a couple of million more votes than Bush in 2004
McCain got about 5 million less than Kerry did in 2004

That means quite a few conservatives stayed home and the middle of the road folks threw in with Obama.

Yes it became apparent that this woman wasnt ready from the start, and I really dont see her running in 2012.. if she does well thatd be a great election to watch I tell ya..

But yes heres my theory.... the McCain camp may have predicted an inevitable loss by the way Obama ran his campaign and mccains flops over the year so they chose Palin, an evidently highly misinformed inexperienced alaskan flower, to run as VP so in the event they lost, theyd have somebody to fall back on. Although I dont think they counted on the conservative base taking such a liking to her.. and maybe for a month or so they well and truly believed theyd get this election now.

I think it could be both, they saw advantages and disadvantages to Palin, so they chose her for scapegoat purposes and for beneficial purposes. But yes she further alienated her base... as if the conservative base couldnt be anymore further from the rest.

Either way Obama ran a stunning campaign, he took the Hillary and McCain machines to the ground.

I do feel somewhat sorry for her and she has been used, but she took it in herself to exploint the republicans as well, in a number of ways. It goes both ways.


[edit on 6-11-2008 by southern_Guardian]

Personally I think people should let go and let her live in peace. Everybody including herself knew she wasn't ready. And I can't blame reps for defending her as if she was. The reps wanted to see their team win. Hell, my Cowboys suck this year but I still talk them up as if they were undefeated. Thing is that we and Palin know that her role in National Politics is over. Even if she briefed up on everything and ran in 2012 she would still lose because she is already scarred. I just see a lot of this like kicking somebody when they are already down. And to be Frank, she doesn't deserve all the blame.

I will say that she did help in a positive way. She help to point out that the Republican Party has to change. They have to start making themselves more representative of America. They need to return to their roots of being conservative. They need to start fielding women and minorities for political races all across the country. If it wasn't for Hillary and her disappointed supporters, Palin would have never been chosen in the first place. Another white guy would have. Nothing racist, just true.

Originally posted by jam321
Personally I think people should let go and let her live in peace. Everybody including herself knew she wasn't ready. And I can't blame reps for defending her as if she was. The reps wanted to see their team win. Hell, my Cowboys suck this year but I still talk them up as if they were undefeated. Thing is that we and Palin know that her role in National Politics is over. Even if she briefed up on everything and ran in 2012 she would still lose because she is already scarred. I just see a lot of this like kicking somebody when they are already down. And to be Frank, she doesn't deserve all the blame.

I will say that she did help in a positive way. She help to point out that the Republican Party has to change. They have to start making themselves more representative of America. They need to return to their roots of being conservative. They need to start fielding women and minorities for political races all across the country. If it wasn't for Hillary and her disappointed supporters, Palin would have never been chosen in the first place. Another white guy would have. Nothing racist, just true.

Still, you have to wonder what the Alaskans are thinking - Stevens was just found guilty on corruption charges and they STILL re-elected him! Unbelieveable!

The real story is that McCain's campaign contained the sort of scum who are willing to slander someone while remaining anonymous. Pure cowardice.

She was purposely dragged in the mud the entire election. Any slip up she made was everywhere. People actually enjoy belittling her. It's amazing. Why aren't these people on camera claiming this actually get on tv and back up these statements? Where is all the proof? It's just hearsay.

And i can understand why people wouldn't want someone unintelligent in our government or executive seats...I understand....because our current SMART government is doing a helluva job as it is!

I think the fact that she really was an outsider to Washington scared the daylights out of everyone else. Let's face it... the corrupt Republican party was replaced by the corrupt Democrat party for control of the government.

Originally posted by southern_Guardian
Yes it became apparent that this woman wasnt ready from the start, and I really dont see her running in 2012.

When I heard of the prospect I was amazed.
Even then I doubt she'd be ready then.

She has potential but if I were her I'd seriously reconsider her political affiliations.
Some in her party are joining the media in throwing her under the bus.

- Lee

There's more, from ABC News:

Now that the defeated Republican presidential team of Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have gone their separate ways, the knives are out and Palin is the one who is getting filleted.

Revelations from anonymous critics from within the McCain-Palin campaign suggest a number of complaints about Palin.

Fox News reports that Palin didn't know Africa was a continent and did not know the member nations of the North American Free Trade Agreement -- the United States, Mexico and Canada -- when she was picked for vice president.

The New York Times reports that McCain aides were outraged when Palin staffers scheduled her to speak with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, a conversation that turned out to be a radio station prank.

Newsweek reports that Palin spent far more than the previously reported $150,000 on clothes for herself and her family.

Several publications say she irked the McCain campaign by asking to make her own concession speech on election night.

Perhaps the most dangerous allegation for Palin are reports in The New York Times and Newsweek that when she was urged by McCain adviser Nicole Wallace to buy three suits for the Republican convention and three suits for the campaign trail, she went on the now-infamous shopping spree at swank stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

A Republican donor who agreed to foot a majority of the expenses was stunned when he received the bill, Newsweek reported. Both the Times and Newsweek report that the budget for the clothing was expected to be between $20,000 and $25,000. Instead, the amount reported by the Republican National Committee was $150,000.

That wasn't the whole tab, however, according to Newsweek. The magazine claims that Palin leaned on some low-level staffers to put thousands of dollars of additional purchases on their credit cards. The national committee and McCain became aware of the extra expenditures, including clothes for husband Todd Palin, when the staffers sought reimbursement, Newsweek reported.

Asked for a response by ABC News, the RNC released the following statement: "The committee's requirement is to report to the FEC our expenditures and we have done so."

McCain Aide Calls Palin Family 'Wasilla Hillbillies'

There is one comment in particular from a McCain aide that guaranteed to heighten friction between the two camps. The angry aide described the Palin family shopping spree to Newsweek as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast."

Both Newsweek and The New York Times say McCain and Palin had little contact with each other.

"I think it was a difficult relationship," one top McCain official confided to The New York Times. But a high level McCain adviser told ABC News that the two had a good working relationship.

However, press accounts today suggest that Palin rubbed many of the McCain aides the wrong way. On election night, when it was clear that McCain would be giving a concession speech instead of an acceptance speech, Palin approached McCain with a speech in hand hoping to make her own concession speech, according to published reports.

Vice presidential candidates traditionally leave the spotlight to the top of the ticket on election night and McCain aides made it clear to Palin that she would be a spectator that night, not a speaker, The New York Times reported.

And when McCain and Palin split up in Arizona Wednesday, the personal differences were stark.

McCain drove himself home in a Toyota sport utility vehicle. Palin's departure was a grander event. She left with an entourage of 18 family members and friends and a Secret Service detail, heading to the airport in a motorcade stretching more than a dozen vehicles, flanked by a dozen more cops on motorcycles.

abcnews.go.com...

Originally posted by David9176
She was purposely dragged in the mud the entire election. Any slip up she made was everywhere.

Were they just "slip ups"? Did you see those interviews?

She didn't just misspeak she fumbled consistently until that is all there was. When they did the SNL skit of her I was surprised to find out they used her "exact" words and mannerisms. In the end it seems that even the McCain camp agreed that she was a mess on camera when she spoke. That was coming from her own joint campaign staff with McCain not the evil media.

I agree she was treated to heavy criticism though, but this is a presidential election and she was a relative unknown. Scrutiny will come with the territory, especially in this case. During the 'getting to know you process' she didn't make much of an impression either.

I remember the moment I realized that she couldn't deliver the goods. I had no impression of her whatsoever, other than she was a photogenic Alaskan governor that McCain chose for a VP spot. I actually thought at first that it was a good ploy to have an attractive female on the ticket. If she had charisma and smarts I seriously considered them stealing the show this election and winning it.

Then my mother called me and we were talking politics and she said "have you seen any of her interviews? They were just awful." I hadn't seen any so of course after our discussion I went straight to Google video and Youtube, and man...I was disappointed in what I saw. It was actually embarrassing to watch.

I think the fact that she really was an outsider to Washington scared the daylights out of everyone else.

It didn't scare me at all. Why should it?
I don't think that was the issue really.

It was her behavior that helped form any opinion of her I had.
It wasn't that she was far from what one would consider an eloquent speaker, it was what she actually said that had me rolling my eyes.

They may have been harsh on her, but she certainly gave a lot of material. Her statements were odd, befuddled and sometimes a little airheaded and even though this was the first I'd ever heard her speak I was left with the same feelings as her critics.

I just came to the conclusion that she was a semi Tina Fey look-a-like minus the brains. Which of course is no reason to hate the woman, and in the end I just felt sorry for her that McCain put her in the position she was in without any preparation and with no experience.

Remember, she said herself that she had no idea what a vice president was supposed to do! That should have been another red flag.

McCain made a huge error and now his staff is shamelessly attacking HER for HIS mistake.

- Lee

reply to post by GoldenFleece

The angry aide described the Palin family shopping spree to Newsweek as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast."

Ouch.

It's getting even uglier than I expected.
They're so catty now they're making the "liberal" media look good.

- Lee

reply to post by lee anoma


She is being "thrown under the bus", the popular phrase. The reason may be a simple scapegoat - to blame her for their loss. But I have an additional theory: The Republican party already knows who they want for their candidate in 2012 and it's NOT her. So, they have to burn her ignorance and ineptitude into people's minds so she won't have a chance, even if she decides to run.

I have never thought that McCain picked her, but it is his responsibility. He should have stood up to the party in his "maverick" way and picked Hutchison or Romney. If he had done that, run a clean campaign and been the man he was at his concession speech, I feel absolutely certain he would have won the election.

The folly of the Palin choice became apparent when she couldn't even do a simple interview and come out looking like a half-way educated person. And now, they say she "refused" a mock interview beforehand? I'm sorry, I don't believe that. Why would she refuse a mock interview to prepare her for looking good on TV?

I feel bad for what the media is doing to her (even though it's their right). I think she should be allowed to go back to Alaska and continue her job without being constantly raked over the coals. She's hurting enough from the loss, because it was clear, she really thought they would win. She is only one of the many reasons that they lost, and she was used to revive their campaign and now, she is, once again, being used...

Regarding the potential accuracy of all this jibber-jabber, I just keep in mind all the Gay Muslim Socialist Caliphate Arab Indonesian citizen claims we heard not long ago, and I keep my salt bucket handy.

I don't think Palin is qualified to be VP or P, and I have stong doubts about her as Senator.

But it's over and done, folks should, in my opinion, give it a rest and leave Palin alone. At this point it's gone to the gossip stage.

Actually, I knew a lot of people that wanted to vote for Mccain, but changed their minds because of Palin. So she's not just being blamed for the loss when she didn't play a role. She is being blamed because a lot of people did not want her in. The only people I knew who wanted her to be VP were the ones that would have voted satan as VP with Hitler running for president cause the GOP told them too. Not saying Democrats are any better sometimes.

Hey, she's just "keeping it real". They tapped her for her appeal to their base (or should I say their base instincts), they can't hold it against her now.

The blame belongs o McCain for not fully vetting her.

[edit on 7/11/2008 by kosmicjack]

reply to post by lee anoma

It didn't scare me at all. Why should it?

I was stating that it scared people in Washington although it may have scared others...although they didn't know why. People don't like her stance on abortion and the fact that she shoots animals which makes the other side (Democrats) lose their minds. Doesn't anyone see this is ALL OUT attack on this woman? They are trying to ensure that she never gets another chance to make a run in our government. I always liked the fact that she was from Alaska....and that her ties to the rest of the government were small.

If i were to give an interview...or anyone for that matter...it would be easy to find slip ups and take things out of context. No one is willing to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. They just jump on the bashing bandwagon.

Isn't the whole election just too convenient? McCain runs a horrible campaign...it's almost like he was trying to lose. The democrats did nothing but bash him but NOW they say that he will be crucial to getting bills passed in congress. What happens to Palin? She's now the scapegoat..the one everyone can put blame on for things happening now.

I hope for her return.

I see through the BS. People need to stop believing all they see on television. The world is not as it seems to be and we will never actually now how the decisions of the world are made.

People don't realize...all of their opinions and all of their beliefs came from somewhere. It was either taught, preached, or forced upon them. Many don't think twice about it. We are controlled. You are controlled. I am controlled. Every opinion you have is based on information that is fed to you.

Stop believing everything you know to be true about the world right now. It's all been taught to you. All of known human history has been taught to you. Everything. No one knows anything for sure. But instead we follow the rhetoric. We are taught in schools what others want us to learn and then we are fed unlimited amounts of information on television and radio that forms our opinions.

Open your mind and think outside of the box. It can feel quite good to do so.

I really wish that others could look at this differently. Why is ONE person being made a scapegoat out of all of this?