Palin v Ferraro
Out here in California, I've had to cheer up some friends who couldn't see past the whole Brown/Boxer fiasco to the bigger picture, but me, I'm feeling like this is just the beginning of something beautiful and there would be a spring in my step if, you know, I allowed that sort of thing.
An observation, though. Last night, on Fox, Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin came on to say a bunch of meaningless stuff about women... and I thought Ferraro cleaned Sarah's clock. I understand Ferraro is a figure of respect for feminists and that she's ailing, but she sat there endlessly spewing the spinniest garbage about how the tea party had been turned back and people had voted locally and Obamacare was a wonderful thing... and Palin just sat there and let her do it. Maybe she was just being respectful, but it was embarrassing and reinforced my sense that Palin may be a wonderful speaker and a moving iconic figure, but she is not someone equipped for governance. She's our Obama, as it were.
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Comments:
Jul '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
I agree Good Berean.
This isn't a PTA meeting. This is the Big Leagues. If Ferraro was willing to step up to the plate, Palin should have played hardball.
Oct '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
I saw it, too, and my take was that Sarah was being respectful and deferential to her elder. Remember, the forum was NOT a formal debate, so there wasn't much to gain by jumping ugly with Geraldine. The graphics on the screen and in the background all night long said it all. Sarah mixing it up with Geraldine would've been like Pedro vs. Zimmer. Uncomfortable and kinda unnecessary.
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Andrew you may be right here. As much as I love Sarah, I fear that like Obama, with prepared statements she's hot but off the cuff she's not.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
He's said for years that he refuses to take the pay cut. :)
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Did anyone notice how often Palin touched Ferraro's arm? I got a Snow White v. Wicked Queen as creepy old lady vibe. Don't eat the apple, Sarah! It's poison! I thought the whole segment was kinda fluff. She didn't want to argue with her for fear of looking mean, which would've been the view of the Left if she did engage with her. "Palin's picking on an sick old woman." blah, blah, blah. Ferraro looks very ill, not just elderly. The cancer has really taken a toll on her health. I think Palin played it for what it was - a photo-op.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Pseudodionysius: Because the chicks I've come in contact with on Ricochet make me want to request a girl's sleepover.
Let it be noted by the Ricochet moderator that the first occurrence of the word "chick" on Ricochet was uttered by a member of the fairer sex. · Nov 3 at 9:28am
Yes, and it better stay that way, Pseudod. When boys use it, it's patronizing. When we use it, it's cute and friendly.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
FeliciaB
OMG! Jeanne? Is that you or did someone hijack your Ricochet account?
That's funny because I'm not much of a Palin fan. I certainly don't want to see her run for the presidency nor do I think her qualified. I do like what she's doing now by fielding candidates. But what I really dislike is the constant snark, the sniping and obsessing the she engenders. Especially by women. And especially by conservative women. I never cease to be amazed at how Palin lives inside peoples' heads and by the resulting and incessant chorus of "Now look what she said/did".
The reaction to conservative women candidates among conservatives, especially conservative women, is thought-provoking indeed.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
FeliciaB
You absolutely must retract or moderate this statement. Because the chicks I've come in contact with on Ricochet make me want to request a girl's sleepover. · Nov 3 at 9:04am
KS, you are right for the most part. Remember how Pelosi was soooo supportive of Hillary? Maybe Liberal women hate each other.
Felicia, what a great idea. I volunteer to host(ess), but my house is small so everyone must bring her own sleeping bag. We do have a pool. so maybe in the summer?
Okay, third comment on this thread. I better "follow" it.
Oct '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
I do wish Sarah had gotten in a quick dig at the end when Geraldine called Nazi Pelosi "very smart" or something to that effect.
Sarah should've just replied with something like, "Yeah, she's so smart she just ushered in a historic bloodbath. Real brainiac there." Would've been a great reply without being critical of Geraldine.
Sep '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
PJS
Pseudodionysius: Because the chicks I've come in contact with on Ricochet make me want to request a girl's sleepover.
Let it be noted by the Ricochet moderator that the first occurrence of the word "chick" on Ricochet was uttered by a member of the fairer sex. · Nov 3 at 9:28am
Yes, and it better stay that way, Pseudod. When boys use it, it's patronizing. When we use it, it's cute and friendly. · Nov 3 at 10:06am
I would never utter such a crude epithet, m'lady.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
It's not a question of hate, its a question of status, especially among the urban female demographic. I put the question to Mr. Klavan since Hollywood is all about status. As Tom Wolfe said it, when people found out he voted for Bush, "People looked at me as if I had just said: 'Oh, I forgot to tell you, I am a child molester"
Women made up over 50% of the vote last night. Why did they reject Angle with one hand and vote for Sandoval with the other? As I see it, a Rubio, West or a Sandoval brings Team Jacob or Team Edward to mind. In the climate of identity politics, their ethnic background and physical attractiveness deflects any unpalatable political leanings they might have.
A female candidate like Palin or O'Donnell or Angle is that cheerleader you hated, or that colleague you despise. Look, even Joy Behar is calling her a bitch. O'Donnell didn't go to Yale, and that's exactly what's wrong with her. She's practically white trash in front of Katie Couric. In the city, you need a Yale degree, not a mama grizzly.
Sep '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Pseudodionysius
PJS
Pseudodionysius: Because the chicks I've come in contact with on Ricochet make me want to request a girl's sleepover.
Let it be noted by the Ricochet moderator that the first occurrence of the word "chick" on Ricochet was uttered by a member of the fairer sex. · Nov 3 at 9:28am
Yes, and it better stay that way, Pseudod. When boys use it, it's patronizing. When we use it, it's cute and friendly. · Nov 3 at 10:06am
I would never utter such a crude epithet, m'lady. · Nov 3 at 10:55am
Though I beg to differ on the cute and friendly. When my wife uses it, and its infrequent, its meant as a term of derision, roughly equivalent to "tart" "spincase" "airhead" "queenie for a day" etc.
Sep '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Anang: It's not a question of hate, its a question of status, especially among the urban female demographic. I put the question to Mr. Klavan since Hollywood is all about status. As Tom Wolfe said it, when people found out he voted for Bush, "People looked at me as if I had just said: 'Oh, I forgot to tell you, I am a child molester"
A female candidate like Palin or O'Donnell or Angle is that cheerleader you hated, or that colleague you despise. Look, even Joy Behar is calling her a bitch. O'Donnell didn't go to Yale, and that's exactly what's wrong with her. She's practically white trash in front of Katie Couric. In the city, you need a Yale degree, not a mama grizzly. · Nov 3 at 10:55am
Anag - I think you hit the nail on that. I've been trying to put my finger on what rankles women about Palin. I think I can sum it up the same way that Hillary rankles women -- different women mind you, but same reason -- she's perceived to be presumptuous or hubristic by those she rubs the wrong way.
Aug '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Then again -- just imagine what folks (MMM) would be saying about Palin had she verbally eviscerated Ferraro? "Disrespectful of her elders. Hateful. Spiteful. Mean to the old woman....etc." No way for Palin to win, was there?
Sep '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
You know, sometimes it is best to let a person bury themselves with their own comments. Ferraro was only repeating talking points, not making a substantive argument. I think Palin could have easily refuted these points, but in this case, silence was the best course.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
She rubs them the wrong way because she rubs Katie Couric and Oprah and Whoopie the wrong way. I listen to them because I don't want to be shunned or get the same looks Tom Wolfe gets when he says he voted for Bush. Low ratings aside, liberals do set the agenda, especially for socially conscious females who don't want to be on the outside of a political henhouse. O magazine sells, Twilight sells, Tina Fey sells and if they don't like Sarah Palin, I don't want to be out of the loop by liking Sarah Palin.
You can be the cheerleader or you can be the witch, if you're not hanging with the in crowd, you're nobody.
That's right folks, high school never ends. You DO end up seeing those people again and again.
May '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
I agree with Andrew and Tommy. Some people are simply better when prepared, but not extemporaneously glib.
That does not imply that they are smarter or dumber, it just means that live and unscripted is not their forte. Sarah is very much like that, unfortunately. I say that because extemporaneous speech is absolutely essential to achieve national electoral office these days. Again, unfortunately.
The biggest loser last night was Sarah Palin, because she is associated with the losing Senate candidates in the minds of the public, especially Joe Miller, whom she created and then couldn't carry across the line in Alaska, while her protege was sweeping the governor's race.
Great personality and character, but out of the top spot race now. She needed to overcome her pre-existing negatives by wowing us on election night, both with a noticeable upset in a Senate race and with rapid-fire cogent commentary on TV. She got neither.
Oct '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
The problem with silence is that is often taken as a sign of tacit assent. Again, Sarah was there representing a worldview not a private opinion. You can express disagreement with an elder and do it respectfully.
Oct '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
Duane Oyen: I agree with Andrew and Tommy. Some people are simply better when prepared, but not extemporaneously glib.
That does not imply that they are smarter or dumber, it just means that live and unscripted is not their forte. Sarah is very much like that, unfortunately. I say that because extemporaneous speech is absolutely essential to achieve national electoral office these days. Again, unfortunately.
The biggest loser last night was Sarah Palin, because she is associated with the losing Senate candidates in the minds of the public, especially Joe Miller, whom she created and then couldn't carry across the line in Alaska, while her protege was sweeping the governor's race.
Great personality and character, but out of the top spot race now. She needed to overcome her pre-existing negatives by wowing us on election night, both with a noticeable upset in a Senate race and with rapid-fire cogent commentary on TV. She got neither. · Nov 3 at 11:32am
This may well be for the good.
Jul '10
Re: Palin v Ferraro
It looked to me like Gov. Palin was just being polite to the silly old has-been. Consider: Palin is a regular Fox commentator and had already had a segment all to herself not long before the visit with Ferraro. There's nothing wrong with showing the other side we know how to be polite. Brawling with Ferraro might have been tasty red meat for true-believers, but to most others it would just look uncalled-for and mean.