Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

[Thunder]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_palin

I love this woman. I really do. She beats George Bush AND Dan Quayle...combined!!!!

;)

[fullflavormenthol]

I've said it before and I will say it again...God is a complete and total moron, and that is why I follow the Dark Lord.


666 pick up the sticks!!!!

[Thunder]

I've said it before and I will say it again...God is a complete and total moron, and that is why I follow the Dark Lord.


Sauron? :D

[fullflavormenthol]

Sauron? :D
Is there any other? :D

[shadron]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_palin

I love this woman. I really do. She beats George Bush AND Dan Quayle...combined!!!!

;)

Yeah, but if you toss in Spiro Agnew, you might be getting close...

[The Fool]

She sure is good for a laugh...as is the pretzel shapes the far right members of this forum have to go to when talking about her...

Can't be tooooo critical because they may be forced to agree with everything she does some time in the future :)

Not laughing with you america....Laughing at you.

Although you are not alone, Australia had thier own Sarah Palin but not even our right wing was batarse stupid enough to propose she be 2ic.

[arthwollipot]

She's Assemblies of God. Having had direct experience with that particular sect, I can perfectly understand why she thinks this. Everything is God's plan. They're as close to determinists as Christians get.

[HumanityBlues]

She also couldn't explain the difference between the two Koreas....

[Slimething]

We need to ask her why god hates America. :confused:

[Skeptic Guy]

Is there any other? :D

Voldemort...

A part of me misses Sarah...she was good entertainment.

[Fnord]

Actually, Caribou Barbie isn't all that bad-looking. That's the main reason I voted for her and Geezer McCain back in '08.

[FreshHat]

She also couldn't explain the difference between the two Koreas....

Aw, c'mon, give the woman a break!

Anybody can mix up East Korea and West Korea. I mean, how often are South American countries mentioned on Fox News, anyway?

Geogmaphry is hard!

[steve s]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

Don't they all. Even when they lose.

Steve S

[TragicMonkey]

With friends like God, who needs enemies?

[commandlinegamer]

Ha! If there was a God surely the plan would be to involve some more modeling work.

[Praktik]

Well - is this surprising? Say what you will about Sarah but I do think her religious belief is genuinely held.

If you believe in God you believe in a fate-based universe of sorts. Since God is active and everything is his creation after all.

I have a buddy for whom running into friends downtown is seen as part of the plan of "the universe".

I would expect Sarah's understanding of the event of being picked by VP is probably a widely held interpretation for many people and the events in their lives.

[paiute]

She's Assemblies of God. Having had direct experience with that particular sect, I can perfectly understand why she thinks this. Everything is God's plan. They're as close to determinists as Christians get.

Assemblies of God Council of 1879, or Assemblies of God Council of 1912?

[Wildy]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

Does that mean God wanted Obama to win?

[Just thinking]

Well - is this surprising? ... I would expect Sarah's understanding of the event of being picked by VP is probably a widely held interpretation for many people and the events in their lives.

Exactly ... and somehow it's titillating news to those who think this somehow demeans someone. People throughout all of history (even very prominent figures) have held onto this feeling, or belief. (Even scientists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel).) To accept this as evidence of someone's inability (or ability) to perform better or worse at anything is simply ludicrous.

[arthwollipot]

Assemblies of God Council of 1879, or Assemblies of God Council of 1912?Does it really matter?

[MusicMan]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

Does that mean God wanted Obama to win?

Awesome!:D

[Tailgater]

"Schmidt conceded that had Palin not been on the ticket, "our margin of defeat would've been greater than it would've been otherwise."

I find this even funnier.

[Thunder]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

Does that mean God wanted Obama to win?

yes.

[Thunder]

"Schmidt conceded that had Palin not been on the ticket, "our margin of defeat would've been greater than it would've been otherwise."

I find this even funnier.

i think if McCain had chosen a more moderate and intellectual woman for VP, he would have become President.

Sarah Palin was his undoing.

[Beerina]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".


Sounds about right for Yahweh. What's the issue?

[Chaos]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_palin

I love this woman. I really do. She beats George Bush AND Dan Quayle...combined!!!!

;)

Why?

Clearly The Lord intended Obama to win this one, which is why He caused His faithful servant to run as VP against him, thus handing Obama the election.

[Darth Rotor]

Clearly The Lord intended Obama to win this one, which is why He caused His faithful servant to run as VP against him, thus handing Obama the election.
That's consistent with the "it's God's plan" argument. My opinion on God and human elections is that they amuse Him, at best, and more likely annoy Him (if being annoyed is a trait of the Almighty) due to the excessive taking of His name in vain that attends same elections.

DR

[Tricky]

...and now she's gonna be a TV star on Fox (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/11/cnn-confirms-palin-inks-tv-deal/)(who else?). I'm wondering if they're just going to let her read her opinion pieces, or if she'll actually be doing verbal jousting with other talking heads. I'm guessing they'll keep her as out-of-danger as possible.

[Finster]

...and now she's gonna be a TV star on Fox (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/11/cnn-confirms-palin-inks-tv-deal/)(who else?). I'm wondering if they're just going to let her read her opinion pieces, or if she'll actually be doing verbal jousting with other talking heads. I'm guessing they'll keep her as out-of-danger as possible.

I think there's a joke in there somewhere about a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

[Whiplash]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

The fool says the left dare not attack her too much for fear of causing a right wing backlash to support her. I think there is a far better reason to not attack her too much. It exposes the genuine threat that is felt by her. Deny it all day. It's quite obvious.

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.

[Praktik]

I guess by that logic the Republicans are scared poo-less by Bill Clinton?

[Cleon]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

The fool says the left dare not attack her too much for fear of causing a right wing backlash to support her. I think there is a far better reason to not attack her too much. It exposes the genuine threat that is felt by her. Deny it all day. It's quite obvious.

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.

Want some cheese with that?

[dudalb]

Sarah Palin believed her 2008 VP candidacy was "God's plan".

Does that mean God wanted Obama to win?

Beat me to it. Yeah, Palin getting the VP Nod was God's way of sinking the GOP ticket in 2008.

[Cynic]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all?


I fear Sarah Palin. She's been described as a lightening rod for conservative values, and just as I fear lightening rods for their tendency to attract lightening, she too ought to be feared. :)


But damn you Parky, you're going to make me defend her. :) I think her comment is being over-interpreted. As I recall, she was asked how she was taking it all in, and in that context, given her background, that response doesn't really mean much. When everything is some deity's plan, then effectively nothing is. It doesn't mean she thinks she's special, exactly. At least, not IMO, by this example.

[truethat]

God's plan is the only explanation I can come up with.

I lost all respect for McCain when he chose her. Truly a WTF? moment in politics.

[tyr_13]

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.


Well she gives more than plenty of ammo to attack her beliefs, character, and intellect. Besides that, there are much better articulated and valid defenses of the things she stands for than the ones she presents. Those defenses are 'attacked' or discussed in other venues. Seeing as she doesn't present good arguments, why would someone bother?

Besides that, her actions often betray 'what she stands for', and those things are attacked as well. Remember the bridge to nowhere?

[dafydd]

If that was god's plan I wouldn't trust him to plan an orgy in a whorehouse.

[Ravynn123]

i think if McCain had chosen a more moderate and intellectual woman for VP, he would have become President.

Sarah Palin was his undoing.


I agree Parky if he would have chosen someone else things would have been much different for him.

I really can't stand Sarah Palin at all. She makes me gag.

[Tricky]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

The fool says the left dare not attack her too much for fear of causing a right wing backlash to support her. I think there is a far better reason to not attack her too much. It exposes the genuine threat that is felt by her. Deny it all day. It's quite obvious.

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.
I fear that Palin will steal enough support from the Republicans that they will no longer be a valid party, and frankly I would be scared of one party (either party) running the nation with no valid opposition.

[Tailgater]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

uh, hello, she just wrote a controversial book. If she quit putting herself out there to hold the torch for the far right, no one would care about her.

The fool says the left dare not attack her too much for fear of causing a right wing backlash to support her. I think there is a far better reason to not attack her too much. It exposes the genuine threat that is felt by her. Deny it all day. It's quite obvious.

Right of center voters don't like her either. She's one giant talking point for everything the average voter doesn't like about "right wingers". As far as I'm concerned, she's a face slapped on the party platform with no ideas that are not written in the christian conservative handbook. Name something that is not strictly along party lines. The only threat she represents is to the party she runs for. The left would love for her to run every election.

ETA: see Tricky above.

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.

She stands for her beliefs, which is why I won't vote for her. Her character and intellect are also reasons not to vote for her.

[skeptical]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

The fool says the left dare not attack her too much for fear of causing a right wing backlash to support her. I think there is a far better reason to not attack her too much. It exposes the genuine threat that is felt by her. Deny it all day. It's quite obvious.

And of course, the primarily chosen method of attack is the personal attack on her beliefs, character, and intellect. Nothing about the actual things she stands for.

I'll admit it and I'll do it right now: She scares the absolute crap out of me. The thought that there is any possibility she could become president breaks me out in cold sweats. I'd take GW back in a heartbeat over her. And yes, I understand it would require a constitutional amendment and no I'm not even joking.

She's Cheney without the brains and a lot more wrathful Jesus complex, and if it doesn't scare you for there to be even a chance for someone like that to be in charge of a large stockpile of nuclear weapons you don't have a pulse.

[skeptical]

God's plan is the only explanation I can come up with.

I lost all respect for McCain when he chose her. Truly a WTF? moment in politics.

That and his "who is the reeaaalll Obama???" with his cheesy little conspiracist drawl and his near constant harping on "associations" when he was flailing in the last few months.

And then, AND THEN, on top of it all, at the concession speech when he had the gall to claim he never really cared about any of Obama's "associations". Now that was a true WTF moment. For me he went from someone I might vote for to a guy that looked desperate and was showing poor judgment and I thought he was better than that to "what a complete dirtbag!" all in a few short months.

What's really sad is, he chose her because he wanted to appease the GOP "base", when it wasn't even necessary. They weren't going to vote for Obama in the first place, and they were already being whipped up by the right-wing radio and Fox, so he really could have made a solid VP choice and most likely have won or made it damn close. Instead he sold his soul and didn't even get the change back. It's just...sad.

[nathan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_palin



So, (a) is God not an omnipotent being, and has plans that mess up, or (b) God wanted Obama to win?

[Bikewer]

As someone said to Pat Robertson after his failed campaign..."Pat, if God wanted you to run, why didn't you win?"

[paiute]

Does it really matter?

Only if you are on a bridge.

[daredelvis]

God's plan is the only explanation I can come up with.

I lost all respect for McCain when he chose her. Truly a WTF? moment in politics.

If the sequence of events described on 60 minutes are accurate, she was a last minute choice to replace Lieberman (also a WTF IMHO). Her name was floated initially within the campaign after being spotted on youtube during a search for "conservative women", and "pre-meeting with McCain" vetting consisted of an attorney doing internet searches.

WTF does not even begin to describe.

Daredelvis

[steve s]

As someone said to Pat Robertson after his failed campaign..."Pat, if God wanted you to run, why didn't you win?"

[Fundy response]
It was to teach me a lesson in humility, and to make me a better person.
[/Fundy response]

Steve S.

[arthwollipot]

As someone said to Pat Robertson after his failed campaign..."Pat, if God wanted you to run, why didn't you win?"[alternative fundy response]
Who are we to question God's purpose? Maybe my losing fulfilled a Greater Need.
[/alternative fundy response]

[nathan]

[Fundy response]
It was to teach me a lesson in humility, and to make me a better person.
[/Fundy response]

It didn't work.

[nathan]

[alternative fundy response]
Who are we to question God's purpose? Maybe my losing fulfilled a Greater Need.
[/alternative fundy response]

... and have you figured out what it was yet, or did God mumble again?

[KingMerv00]

Does anyone on the left still maintain that they don't fear Mrs. Palin at all? I think it's blatantly obvious by now that is not true. Still beating her down over a year after the election.

Maybe people make fun of her because they don't like her.

Nah. That can't be it. Too obvious.

[Peephole]

God wants Sarah Palin to lose. I kinda dig this god.

[hgc]

This god of hers is a crappy planner. I think he needs MS Project.

[Whiplash]

It would seem obvious (to anyone honest) that what she is implying is that God wanted her to break through into the spotlight at that time. Not win the election. That she is now in a position to do more, in the name of God, or whatever.

I reject all that. Just, once again, I find myself more than a little peturbed to be in the same league of so called "critical thinking skeptics" who willfully ignore such obvious analysis and details.. instead preferring to exaggerate and spin and lie about what she said, and generally piss on her non stop. Employing fallacy after fallacy. It's really quite an ugly thing to watch.

[Redtail]

Why am I reminded of an Eminem Video?...

[hgc]

It would seem obvious (to anyone honest) that what she is implying is that God wanted her to break through into the spotlight at that time. Not win the election. That she is now in a position to do more, in the name of God, or whatever.

I reject all that. Just, once again, I find myself more than a little peturbed to be in the same league of so called "critical thinking skeptics" who willfully ignore such obvious analysis and details.. instead preferring to exaggerate and spin and lie about what she said, and generally piss on her non stop. Employing fallacy after fallacy. It's really quite an ugly thing to watch.


Your take on her meaning is just as much seat-of-the-pants interpretation as anyone else's. I might go so far as to say that your interpretation is correct, but I happen to think that she was just mouthing platitudes with no meaning whatsoever.

[Slimething]

It would seem obvious (to anyone honest) that what she is implying is that God wanted her to break through into the spotlight at that time. Not win the election.

Oh, yeah! How could I have been so stupid! I have to get up to speed with my "knowing god's intentions" wu. :boggled:

[Olowkow]

Why does god seem to pick so many losers to speak for him?

[varwoche]

God, who indeed works in mysterious ways, was apparently using 2008 as stepping stone for 2012.

Palin 'Would Be Willing' to Take On Obama in 2012 (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/07/palin-willing-obama/)

How fun and exciting!

[Thunder]

A debate between Palin and Obama...in 2012...would be my orgasmic dream come true!!!!!

I can say this with all confidence, that he would totally and utterly, annihilate her.

Unless we have some horrible tragedy between now and then, or Obama makes some horrible mistake, Obama would verbally toss this woman around like a rag-doll, and send her crying home to Mommy.....off the coast of Russia.

so i say to sarah, "bring it!!!!!!!"

Palin 2012!!!!!!!!!

[GreNME]

It would seem obvious (to anyone honest) that what she is implying is that God wanted her to break through into the spotlight at that time. Not win the election. That she is now in a position to do more, in the name of God, or whatever.

I reject all that. Just, once again, I find myself more than a little peturbed to be in the same league of so called "critical thinking skeptics" who willfully ignore such obvious analysis and details.. instead preferring to exaggerate and spin and lie about what she said, and generally piss on her non stop. Employing fallacy after fallacy. It's really quite an ugly thing to watch.

Do you seriously not see the confirmation bias you are employing here?

Yes, it's fairly obvious she's referring to her new-found celebrity status. However, what she's doing even with that interpretation is basically the same as everyone else is implying with their jokes: she's trying to claim that anything good-- or, more accurately, advantageous to her-- that came from her advent into federal politics is the result of divine provenance, while ignoring any of the negative things that came along with it (or blaming that on "people" or "the devil"). People who joke on her are doing so because she's blatantly using three separate masks any time she does anything that makes its way public: 1) the gullible deterministic spiritualist, constantly playing the "works in mysterious ways" game as if that makes up for wisdom; 2) the willful political manipulator, who is willing and eager to turn anything into a political argument where she is shoehorned into it; and 3) the faux-everyperson, who banks on the "by-golly-by-gum, I'm just a regular person" motif for their character image in order to gain superficial sympathy from other gullible folk who share her spoken (and softly unspoken) ideologies. And you seem to be buying into it despite your claiming to reject one of the masks.

Also, yes, people on the left have their own masks they fall for regularly, but that's just attempting to divert away from the foibles that are so blatantly being exploited by Palin, and don't simply make it okay just by pointing them out. It's a typical political tu quoque that seems to be the bread-and-butter of the Palin crowd when it comes to facing any type of serious (or even non-serious) criticism about her duplicity or flaws. For all the complaining about the lowered standards of critical thinking with politics, the folks who are doing what you're doing are helping to keep that bar as low as ridiculously possible.

Face it: she's a pandering idiot who can't think her way out of a paper bag without invoking spiritual guidance, and actually seems to be building her positions on hyperbole rather than even a shred of basis in fact. She is, at best, a parody of the ideological political views she's representing.

[Noztradamus]

It would seem obvious (to anyone honest) that what she is implying is that God wanted her to break through into the spotlight at that time. Not win the election. That she is now in a position to do more, in the name of God, or whatever.

I reject all that. Just, once again, I find myself more than a little peturbed to be in the same league of so called "critical thinking skeptics" who willfully ignore such obvious analysis and details.. instead preferring to exaggerate and spin and lie about what she said, and generally piss on her non stop. Employing fallacy after fallacy. It's really quite an ugly thing to watch.

What you said..

Whether it's called "God's plan", "Ish'Allah". or. "Dharma", two-third's of politicians on the planet claim to operate on it and do so reasonably effectively. At least as effectively as those claiming the "historical destiny" of Marxism.

I might think it's nonsense, but if it pleases their constituents, who am I to judge?

[arthwollipot]

What you said..

Whether it's called "God's plan", "Ish'Allah". or. "Dharma", two-third's of politicians on the planet claim to operate on it and do so reasonably effectively. At least as effectively as those claiming the "historical destiny" of Marxism.

I might think it's nonsense, but if it pleases their constituents, who am I to judge?See, that's the problem with modern Western democracy. It's not the best statesman that gets elected, it's the best politician. In case you're interested in the etymology of that word, it comes from the Greek work polis, which means roughly "the people". The people-person is the one that gets to run the country, not the one who actually knows something about running a country.

Yes, yes, not a democracy bla bla, William Churchill bla bla. It's the best system we've got, but it is fundamentally flawed, in my opinion.

[Noztradamus]

Yes, yes, not a democracy bla bla, William Churchill bla bla. It's the best system we've got, but it is fundamentally flawed, in my opinion.

Damned if I know what the early 18th century MP for Ispwich has to do with it, but appointing trained apparatchiks to run the system doesn't have a good record. And the problem isn't running the system, it's running the people, and that takes a politician with an instinct of what people are willing to go along with

When it comes to herding cats, you need a cat herder, not a efficiency expert.

[arthwollipot]

Sorry, slip of the keyboard. Of course, I meant Winston Churchill, who once said "Democracy is the worst form of government, apart from all those others that have been tried from time to time."

[GreNME]

He knew who you meant, Arth, he's just evading because all that he's got as a response is silly metaphors that equate to basically saying that unless a politician rides the waves of populism then they're not worth a damn.

[Noztradamus]

He knew who you meant, Arth, he's just evading because all that he's got as a response is silly metaphors that equate to basically saying that unless a politician rides the waves of populism then they're not worth a damn.
Most munificent thanks for telling everyone what I knew. But for all I knew it could have been Ward Churchill.

And not evading anything. To make it clearer, I am not a fan of selecting children and training them to be Platonic philosopher kings, because of the hubris factor.
In fact, faced with the dilemma of choosing between such a ruler and a populist reading and adapting to the public mood at any particular time, I'm likely to go with the rogue. Less likely to lead to a Year Zero idealogical collapse.

[GreNME]

Most munificent thanks for telling everyone what I knew. But for all I knew it could have been Ward Churchill.

Oh bullcrap.

Yet another bit of nonsense from the TP Palinistas: apparently, playing stupid is considered a savvy rhetorical tool.

[Noztradamus]

apparently, playing stupid is considered a savvy rhetorical tool.

It worked for Socrates.

[arthwollipot]

He knew who you meant, Arth, he's just evading because all that he's got as a response is silly metaphors that equate to basically saying that unless a politician rides the waves of populism then they're not worth a damn.Well, given today's democracy, this is more or less true.

[Chaos]

It worked for Socrates.

He was forced to commit suicide, wasn´t he? For "corrupting Athenian youth", I think.

[Vic Vega]

Actually, Caribou Barbie isn't all that bad-looking. That's the main reason I voted for her and Geezer McCain back in '08.


With intelligence like this in the electorate, how could anything possibly go wrong in this country?

:rolleyes:

[Noztradamus]

He was forced to commit suicide, wasn´t he? For "corrupting Athenian youth", I think.

Yeah, they called his bet in the end, but he lived 70 full years and gained the only immortality there is.

"Cattle die, kinsmen die, we ourselves also die; but the fair fame never dies of him who has earned it. " - The Havamal

[Slimething]

With intelligence like this in the electorate, how could anything possibly go wrong in this country?

:rolleyes:

There's no law that says you have to think with the head between your shoulders. :covereyes