Palin’s Been Punked?
1 09 2009Popcorn alert! I said yesterday that those of you who were placing wagers on whether Palin would show up at the speaking engagement that’s been announced in Hong Kong needed to make an adjustment. Normally the going odds if you’re betting whether she’ll show are 50/50. Maybe she will, and maybe she won’t. Like plucking petals off a daisy… She’s coming….she’s coming NOT.
The appearance in Hong Kong will be the first time she’s actually been paid to speak, so my take was that this dramatically increased the odds that she would be speaking. This isn’t some lowly Anchorage church group where she’s speaking for free, this is big time global finance, baby.
Now, at the same time, chins across America hit their desks as people asked, “Why?” Why would these people who presumably have some kind of handle on what they’re doing ask Sarah Palin to come speak on geo-politics? (I’m again resisting the inevitable Russia joke.) It just doesn’t make sense!
Unless you believe The Business Insider with this scenario, which is the only one that seems to make sense. She’s been promoted from National Joke to INTERnational Joke.
Hopefully Sarah Palin realizes she’s been invited to Hong Kong as a practical joke.
CLSA, the Asia-focused broker who invited Mrs. Palin as keynote speaker for an Asian investment conference, is well known for their cheeky takes on investment research.
In the past, they’ve polled Asian fortune tellers for index targets, hired anime cartoonists to draw Japanese research, and generally love to push the boundaries between entertainment and analysis. They are a real research firm, it’s just that they love to sprinkle in some hilarity every now and then as a smart marketing gimmick.
Sarah Palin is this year’s big laugh for them.
Her invitation as keynote speaker in Hong Kong is so ridiculous that its absurdity can’t be accidental.
WSJ: Palin ” who’s never been to East Asia and isn’t exactly famous for her mastery of public speaking or her expertise in finance and international affairs ” might seem an unusual choice for an event that, according to CLSA, is Asia’s premier investment conference providing unrivalled corporate access to 1,300 global fund managers from 32 countries, representing more than $10 trillion in funds under management.
AP: “Our keynote speakers are notable luminaries who often address topics that go beyond traditional finance such as geopolitics,” company spokeswoman Simone Wheeler said in a statement. “We just felt it would be a fabulous opportunity for CLSA clients to hear from Mrs. Palin,” Wheeler said, adding that CLSA approached Palin with the offer.
This is the straight-faced professional comedy which CLSA does so well. Palin probably doesn’t know what she’s in for. If you will, she’s being “Borat’ed” and doesn’t have the Asia knowledge to realize it.
Practical joke? Big laugh? Hilarity? Marketing gimmick? Borated?
Well, THAT’s a game changer. This makes the Sarkozy faux phone call prank look like child’s play.
I think that once this hits the Palin radar, we may experience a cancellation due to “circumstances beyond her control.” Or perhaps the old stand by, “Speaking engagement? What speaking engagement? We never committed to that!”
So, has she signed a contract? Will she show? Whose fault will it be THIS time?
Stay tuned…
[h/t - ADN]
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September 1st, 2009 at 7:32 PM
I should be heading to nod-land but Palin won’t go away yet, so I’ll share some of my random thoughts.
There is a difference between illiterate and uneducated. Until now, many of Palin’s ramblings appear to be a mix of both. I think she has the ABILITY to learn anything she sets her mind at, and that’s the dangerous thing with her, because with the proper tutoring she can probably learn and retain a great deal.
And my mind continually reverts to the children. If she is with Murdoch or his team of *trainers*, and going through an intense makeover of her mind, speech, body, wardrobe, etc., the children were probably verboten.
The majority of people are fairly forgiving when it comes to a politician being divorced, especially if it the politician is a man. Sarah would probably get over the hurdle of being a divorcee……….. but only IF she appears to be a good mother – by her *judges* (the general public) standards, not her own.
Then I keep thinking about Murdoch and that he’s estimated to be worth about $4 BILLION. Although he’s Australian by birth, he became a naturalized citizen in 1985 – legally, only US citizens can own television stations. We already know that he’s been connected with CLSA, but until I googled his name, I had no idea just how diversified he is and so many are media-related types of business – all over the world, including Turkey. It almost like he’s got a dang monopoly!
He’s been involved in countless scandals and lawsuits and always seems to come out the victor. He’s also known for his heavy involvement in politics, vendettas against some, and tales of secret meetings with some of the world leaders. This paragraph from Wickipedia certainly gives food for thought!
In early summer 2008, a “tentative truce” was brokered during a secret meeting between Barack Obama, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes (President of the Fox News Channel) at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York.[39][40] Obama had initially resisted Murdoch’s propositions, despite senior News Corp executives having recruited the Kennedys to act as go-betweens.[40] Obama resented Fox News’s portrayal of him “as suspicious, foreign, fearsome – just short of a terrorist,” while Ailes said “it might not have been this way if Obama had more willingly come on the air instead of so often giving Fox the back of his hand.”[40] A “tentative truce” was agreed upon; Obama would be portrayed more favourably, while Obama would be more willing to appear on Fox.[39]”
I guess Obama was never fond of him to begin with and the relationship certainly hasn’t been warm and fuzzy ever.
Murdoch has had 3 wives (the last about 1/2 his age and Chinese) and 6 children. His list of assets is incredibly long – and astounding that he has a finger in EVERY pie! Here’s the link if someone wants to take a look:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_News_Corporation
Here’s another statement about him from one of the financial magazines:
“Murdoch has used the U.S. government’s increasingly lax media regulations to consolidate his hold over the media and wider political debate in America. ”
That article goes on to talk about him being a neocon and warmongerer, an intimidator and an oil imperialist, and that he uses his political influence to his corporate advantage. Also, that he is the REAL political boss of NY, not the mayor of NYC or the governor.
Okay – I’m not going to extract all this stuff – it is giving me shivers down my spine! This is the link if anyone wants to read more:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/07/b122948.html
These are the headers that are making me nervous about that man:
MURDOCH THE DEFENDER OF REPRESSIVE REGIMES
MURDOCH THE APOLOGIST FOR DICTATORSHIPS
MURDOCH THE PROPAGANDIST FOR DICTATORS
MURDOCH THE ENABLER OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS:
MURDOCH THE HIDER OF MONEY IN COMMUNIST CUBA
MURDOCH THE UNION BUSTER
MURDOCH THE CORPORATE TAX EVADER
MURDOCH THE LOVER OF OFFSHORE TAX HAVENS
MURDOCH THE ABUSER OF TAX LOOPHOLES
This guy is dangerous and I think he’s got his own agenda for having much more control than is safe for our American values and liberty. I’m afraid he’s going to use whatever power he has to destroy Obama. And if our suspicions are correct, he’s starting with using Palin.
Golly gee – when I first started this posting, I had no idea what I was going to come across and where my thoughts would lead me when I googled his name.
Am I being paranoid or should people be worrying about him and his power?
September 1st, 2009 at 7:55 PM
GreatGranny2B – Yes, OF COURSE we should be worried about Murdoch – I cannot even count the ways. He gives me nightmares. He controls the message (and the minds) of the million+ folks who watch FOX. He makes “legitimate” stars of the worst excuses for human beings on the planet
(Glenn Beck, O’Reilly, Coulter, Malkin, Cheney, Rove…….and now he likely has Palin). People who should be institutionalized are paid big bucks to spread lies and spew hate to huge audiences. Be afraid.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Scratch the “be afraid.” Be viligant, keep educating family and friends. Keep boycotting the sponsors. Sorry, fear is never the answer for those of us who want to be effective.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Murdoch feared Obama from the beginning because Obama talked about the media congloms not servicing the 4th estate/an informed electorate.
They know he’s not a corporatist, and fear he will try to pass a bill reversing Reagan’s reversal of the media monopoly law. It all comes down to money. Palin, Beck, et al are tools of the corporate media conglom dictators.
Our power comes in our pocketbooks. IF we don’t buy what they’re selling or the people who pay to put their junk on the air, we can make a difference.
Personally, I fear what a laughing stock Palin will make of America as a whole during her “speech”. I can’t help but think our national security could be compromised by her bumbling self-promotion.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Thanks Lori – I was hoping I wasn’t turning into another loony like Beck and his ilk! You are right on being vigilant but not letting fear get the better of us.
Speaking of Beck, I just read an article on today’s show over at Media Matters and he’s still going on about going to do something/reveal some info. He talked of his being afraid – also for his family – living behind walls and gates and all that. I think he’s going to try to blame something else on Obama just to rile it up more.
What with Murdoch’s group, the ultra-religious groups, birthers, deathers, tenthers, secessionists, Republicans, and all those others who probably aren’t even registered to vote but have alot to say because it’s a black man in the WH…….we sure have a great deal to be vigilant over and lots of talking (educating) to do with the people we know.
I just looked back in on that Asian Sentinel site that carried the punking story, and read some of the comments. All I can say is thank God for this site where people can voice their thoughts but aren’t put down and courtesy and civility are the norm. The hatred being spouted is incredible.
Thanks again!
September 1st, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Seriously, if hundreds of thousands of dollars from the GOP to groom Palin for VP didn’t bear any fruit, why would it be any different now? Palin does not take direction; perhaps she is unable to. McCain and the RNC found that out. I hope Murdoch is trying with Palin–I really do. He will fail and have wasted quite a bit of money in the process.
I am predicting it here–that Palin cannot be “repackaged” as a national politician at this late point in her career. Maybe she can be an occasional pundit on FOX, but she could never handle the hard long hours nor the discipline of even her own weekly TV show for very long.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:33 PM
I suspect she is being paid a lot of money to do publicity for Sarah’s Book of Fairy Tales. The investment bankers (rhyming slang for ‘wankers’ btw) won’t care, as long as her skirt is high enough – although as long as they’re looking up her skirt they won’t appreciate her facelift. They might appreciate the lipo, though.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Professor, I agree completely.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Personally, I think the notion that she was punk’d is a little bit of wishful thinking. I stand by my belief that CLSA booked her as a “novelty act”, which would be in keeping with their marketing style.
The difference is, I don’t expect CLSA to go out of their way to make fun of her. I’m not visualizing Asian backup dancers dressed as naughty librarians (well, I guess I did visualize it, but I doubt it’ll happen). They just want the media ferment to bring attention to their conference (and that’s working, eh?).
And the attendees can have some fun betting on what she’ll wear.
I expect she’ll show up (I would guess her fee at $50-75K, plus expenses, but these guys are high rollers, it could be more), and give a perfectly ordinary speech on global energy markets.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:05 PM
@97 trisha — Unfortunately, the “make big bucks on the celebrity speech circuit” thing has been with us since long before Quitty.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:28 PM
@strangelet
Agreed. I seriously doubt this will be some kind of public joke, it may have given them a laugh when they booked her, or they may be seriously interested in what she has to say, but I don’t see them humiliating her. I’d guess that a requirement in her contract was that there were to be no questions, because that is likely how she’d make a fool of herself, and she’ll show up, wave, wink, read a speech and cash a check.
I like to think it’s just a prank, I like to think that she is nothing to worry about but it’s much less her than her entire group of negative, fearful, ranting lunatics that are ruining this country’s discourse right now. I wish they would all stop thinking a single news source is acceptable but the more I wish that the louder (and crazier) they seem to get. Hopefully it will all die down soon…and they can all go home and realize that their house is still standing, their church is still open, they’re grocery stores are still selling their favorite fruits and “their country” is safe and sound.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:33 PM
@JSinChicago: There is no evidence in Palin’s history that she has the ability to commit to the massive amount of work that would be needed to bring her up to “plausible”. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but I think it’s unlikely. BTW, I do not think she is stupid, at all, but she is almost unbelievably undereducated, and has so far shown no interest in changing that.
Comparisons with Bush miss the key point that W spent 12 years being the son of the VPOTUS an then POTUS, and therefore surrounded by very smart people who really wanted him to succeed, so Dad would owe them. Oh, and he started out rich.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:35 PM
So Mrs pro-”life” will attend a function in the land of forced abortions and say not a word against it.
Her principles are so shallow she has sold them at the first opportunity.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 AM
So would this new chapter mean Real America is under the bus, too?
~~We believe that the best speaking gigs are not all in our own pro-American cities…We believe that the best speaking gigs are in these cool conferences that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the Real Big Spenders, being here with all of you hard working very invested, um, very, um, pro-financial city of this great world.~~
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:29 AM
@163 North of the Range
Spit out coffee- seriously!
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 AM
I shouldda known better or at least expected it! In a moment of weakness and boredom last night, I watched Glen Beck while waiting for supper to finish. Couldn’t believe that he had his knickers all in a twist about a conference call involving the National Endowment for the Arts. Seems as if was about artists of all types using their art as a medium to promote the President’s programs. Even showed 2 posters on Health Care, well done, I think, to make his point (which I never got). He seems to feel it’s a conflict of interest to do this when the organization is government funded. When I Googled this, I found that he has had it in for the organization for a long time, so this is nothing new. Anyone else see this?
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 AM
I shouldda known better or at least expected it! In a moment of weakness and boredom last night, I watched Glen Beck while waiting for supper to finish. Couldn’t believe that he had his knickers all in a twist about a conference call involving the National Endowment for the Arts. Seems as if was about artists of all types using their art as a medium to promote the President’s programs. Even showed 2 posters on Health Care, well done, I think, to make his point (which I never got). He seems to feel it’s a conflict of interest to do this when the organization is government funded. When I Googled this, I found that he has had it in for the organization for a long time, so this is nothing new. Anyone else see this?
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:49 AM
OOOOPS! My mouse button stuck, sorry for the double post.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:13 AM
Even this serious group seems to not be able to see past her looks.
I hope you are right and she’s there for enertainment but with no media allowed who would know.
Besides, someone will write her a good speech and she’ll recite it and call it a success……..
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:26 AM
“People who should be institutionalized are paid big bucks to spread lies and spew hate” I don’t know about the others that Lori of Los Angles mentions but Mr. Beck appears to have run off the rails. The stuff he says is just plain nutty. Does anyone really believe that carp?
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:53 AM
I agree that Murdock has way too much power in this country (and in the world). He is controlling the message to the American people by feeding them a diet of lies through his network of Fox and Friends.
It’s really frightening that he is setting the tone for policies in our country. This shouldn’t be happening. It’s not right.
Gone is any real objective journalism. He just spews venem across the airwaves and newspapers, and pollutes the brains of American’s who suck it in without questioning the source. It seems dangerous to allow one business entity to have such powerful control.
Look at the anger and hatred that he is stirring up. I know this sounds harsh, but he will destroy this country as he puts a wedge between people and divides Americans through angry, violent actions.
You can see the cracks of the divide right now. It will only get worse. He is happy to drive that wedge down even further with Palin’s hateful words.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:10 AM
Very funny. A PUMA blog doesn’t see the irony in writing this about The Mudflats:
Alaskan PDS bloggers Shannyn Moore and The Mudflats try to postpone their irrelevancy by repeating the story. Unfortunately for them, their 15 minutes are over.
PDS stands for Palin Derangement Syndrome. They got that from Michelle Malkin. Who is, as you know, a pro-Hillary Democrat.
http://tinyurl.com/mfuuqw
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:20 AM
Here’s the REAL scoop. The GOP does not WANT palin at all. But she’s being forced on us by the likes of Murdock, Limbaugh, etc. WE ARE SMARTER than that, but now we might be stuck on the losing team forever, until she someone has an honest heart to heart and tells her she’s a bimbo.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:25 AM
I found this on HP and spit my coffee……….
Borat has been hired as a body double to do some pageant/pagan walkin, and blowing a few toots from the flute..
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:14 AM
I can’t understand why she isn’t irrevolkably tagged as a hypocrite. Traveling to Chinese soil should absolutely horrify her “pro-life” values and supporters.
Oh wait. She’s BRILLIANT! She will take on their 1 child law and its consequences – 1/3 of the pregnancies in China result in abortion. Trig would never have been born because no one can afford a retarded child – he would have been a late term forced abortion. Children are financially responsible for their aging parents.
Chinese women of means used to be able to bypass the law by having their babies in Hong Kong but they are no longer allowing that.
Yeah, that’s the ticket: Sarah to lecture Chinese on the evils of abortion.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 AM
Maybe she’ll talk about “youth in asia” and “debt panels”
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:39 AM
If this makes Murdoch, FOX, and Beck look like fools, so much the better.
Even in Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ, there’s an article about the stimulus having a positive effect
(BTW, whenever a friend says “Wall Street Journal”, please be sure to correct them by saying “You mean ‘Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal.’” Just so everyone’s clear it’s not an unbiased source of news… makes the stimulus news even better…
I hope someone makes some sort of recording!
She was punked before… by radio DJs. She isn’t bright…
Aussie Blue Sky: I hope someone reminds Palin about the abortion issue. It’s the one topic she will show up at an event for instead of crapping out. Indeed, it’s the only Supreme Court topic she knows. She won’t be able to keep her trap shut about it, even moreso than usual. That way, if this whole thing is a joke, it can become a bad joke when she tries to chastise the whole crowd and say her values are better than theirs. Laughed at AND booed for bringing her holier-than-thou attitudes to the Orient? She’ll deserve it.
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:48 AM
“Palin Derangement Syndrome”: If anything, that describes See4Pee and TS fan to a T.
I think we should be using that term to describe them as often as possible, to the point where it becomes the reality, rather than how the right-wingnuts use it. Thanks, Michelle Malkin…
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 AM
I don’t think its as much of a Punk’d, although that prob has something to do w. it, as it’s PR/Marketing genius, they’ve just brought so much attn: to their company, so I’m pretty sure however much $$$ they’re paying Palin they’ll make back with new clients and or leads.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:09 AM
It doesn’t matter if Sarah delievers the best speech money an buy. It will still be funny and she will still be a joke. When somebody like Bill Clinton is invited to address a group like this, they are expecting unique, interstesting insights that can only come from someone with his intellect and lifetime experiences. Sure the thoughts may be integrated into a speech with the help of pros that flows better, explains things more clearly and adds some humor, but the insights themsleves come from the speaker. Everybody knows Palin has nothing of value to contribute on matters of international financing. If she manages to say anything that sounds intelligent on the subject, it will still be funny coming form her, because they will realize the words are written for her. And really, who could she find to write something that these people would find worth hearing? This isn’t a political speech, or a talking point disguised as editorial. This is a group of people who are at the top of their field. They have read all of the books, and heard all of the talking points. They are looking for something they haven’t heard. A paid speech writer can’t deliever that. And if by chance her handlers find a group of brillant economic thinkers to work with a speech writer to come up with something, it will still be funny to hear Palin try to deliver them. There is no way she can win. She will still be the joke.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Sarah gets paid $100,000 for 20 minutes, to read someone else’s speech, or deliver her own word salad. I guess the question of who got “punked’ is in the eye of the beholder. Sarah has never hesitated to make a fool of herself, and now it is for big bucks.
CLSA paying a compeltely unqualified ditz to appear, as a joke or not, tells me they lack respect for their company, their clients and themselves. Not anyone I would want to do business with.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:31 AM
I am actually a little freaked out that a group of serious, rich investors are interested in anything Sarah Palin has to say, willing to pay her a big fat speaker’s fee. I am sure she is not being punked. I am willing to bet that the event organizers understand their audience and this audience wants to understand the phenomenon that Sarah Palin represents.
Investors want to understand the forces going around disrupting town halls, throwing tea-bag parties (how bizarre is it that reactionary conservatives use the image of tea-bagging . . . don’t they know that ‘tea-bagging’ is a vulgar slang, referring to a sex act involving a man’s testicles?!).
It is sad, and scary, that this frightened fringe represents a threat to our social order.
I am sure Palin was invited to this event because the rich people attending it want to size her up. Some of these rich people are going to be donating campaign money in 2012 and they want to check out the race horses.AND they want to understand this movement, to see how it might affect their profits.
Palin’s rise is coming on the same crest as tea-baggers and town-hall disruptions. Remember how she growled that Obama was palling around with terrorists and how the crowds responded by calling for his murder? That is her base, the angry mobs inciting violence.
We are all wise to pay close attention to this frightened, and frightening, fringe. This is why the rich investors hired Palin to speak. They want to size up the geopolitical situation.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I just tried to post an entirely original comment but received a message that I was posting a duplicate comment.