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March 28, 2024

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GOP Candidates Tell Palin ‘Talk to the Hand!’

~~Photo from the anti-Palin rally in Anchorage, Alaska on Sept. 13, 2008

~~Photo from the anti-Palin rally in Anchorage, Alaska on Sept. 13, 2008

Now that she’s dumped the governorship, Sarah Palin is ready to hit the road and get to work.  She’s told us that she is willing and able to get down to the business of helping candidates whose vision she shares.  She wants to use her star power to get them elected.  Only one teeny problem.

It seems as though GOP candidates who will run in tight races in 2010 would rather not have the “help” of an unemployed ex-governor who completed 65% of one term and then quit because…. uh….because….well….um.    Go figure.  This tells us what we already know; that Palin does really well with a segment of a really really small political party that just keeps shrinking.

In a recent survey Palin was popular with Republicans, with 71% supporting her.  So, that’s 71% of…. 20% of Americans.  (tapping on calculator)  Great ratings if you have a TV show, or you’re trying to sell a book.  Not so good if you think you want to be president.

Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican from Northern Virginia, which is increasingly becoming Democratic territory, offered caution when asked whether he’d welcome a Palin fundraiser.

“I don’t generally need people from outside my district to do a fundraiser,” Wolf said.

Youch.  She’s now known by an incumbent Republican congressman as a “people from outside my district.”  That’s cold.

Several other lawmakers indicated a wariness about accepting help from Palin, but did not want to criticize the GOP’s vice presidential candidate from last year. They said Palin could hurt them by firing up Democrats.

They’ve noticed that she does that, have they?  I wonder if Palin actually managed to raise more money for Barack Obama than for John McCain…

An unnamed GOP lawmaker representing a district that Obama carried in 2008 told The Hill that if Palin came into his district, his opponent would “probably be doing a dance of joy.”

Ah, the Democratic dance of joy, just what every Republican wants to see in 2010.

OK, we see what the Republicans are thinking, but what about the Democrats…you know… the ones we hear are shaking in their shoes at the thought of her colossal fundraising prowess, and ability to whip up testosterone-filled crowds into angry fits of wingnut rage?

The head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm said he’d welcome Palin’s involvement in the 2010 campaign.

“We hope that she will be part of the future debate on the direction of the country,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Welcome to 2010.

Comments

comments

Comments
71 Responses to “GOP Candidates Tell Palin ‘Talk to the Hand!’”
  1. MinNJ says:

    Bystander: too true. She is for herself, alone. I think that message is slowly sinking in.

  2. lonnie says:

    The comments here are priceless. How about the song that goes like this….”Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye” on her last day. I’m not only informed but thoroughly entertained as well. You guys are the best!

  3. strangelet says:

    @51 NYHawk — Ha.

  4. Mudpuppy Wannabe says:

    “I wonder if Palin actually managed to raise more money for Barack Obama than for John McCain…”

    Oh, AKM, really good point! I donated to Obama before she got plucked but my donations really popped afterwards — my panic about what might happen if she was anywhere near the White House got me opening my checkbook and cracking open my piggy bank and pulling up the couch cushions and digging underneath the seat of my car…

  5. Jim says:

    Hopefully, anyone who has sent her a check in those unopened envelopes has put a stop order on them by now… 😡

  6. aha says:

    Boxes of mail/gifts: Is it up to her to decide from what date they are to be declared/received?

    I would hardly think this is legal. Just think if an elected official were to receive cash/valuables in a closed box, but knowing what was inside waited until out of office to ”open” the box.

    Unfortunately Alaska Legs are too feeble to address such corruption. However, CREW or the Feds might.

  7. lonnie says:

    Smart GOP candidates don’t want to be caught “Palling around with a Quitter.”

  8. EyeOnYou says:

    Say NO to Palin in Politics Says:
    So now what happens to those boxes and boxes of unopened mail? hmmmmm?

    _________

    Naturally she gets to keep it all and any gifts for her are now free and clear. The problem, as I see it, is that if any of those letters have checks in them, will they still be valid and will people still want to allow her to cash them?

    It was obvious that she deliberately left them there unopened, in light of the fact that she admits that she has been thinking about quitting for months.

  9. Bystander says:

    Anyone in the GOP who thinks Sarah is going to raise money for anyone other than herself is crazy.

  10. swe123 says:

    So I’m thinking she knew about the 2 year wait before she could start making $. That’s why she resigned now to hurry up and get that 2 years over with.

  11. Largo says:

    After I heard Palin speak the first time during the campaign, I donated to Obama the next day.

  12. Say NO to Palin in Politics says:

    Remember how she said, the date they were “opened” is the date they were going by to declare gifts……..how clever of her. Premeditated.

  13. Say NO to Palin in Politics says:

    So now what happens to those boxes and boxes of unopened mail? hmmmmm?

  14. Micky7 says:

    You can almost hear Van Hollen snickering.

  15. jc in co says:

    Now realizing many repubs don’t want her help she must be thinking “oh great,
    why didn’t anybody tell me this before.”

  16. Gramiam says:

    Rick Perry and company may like Buttercup, but there are some “Black Belt” Progressive bloggers in Texas who will eat her for lunch. Here is just a sample of what she can expect.
    ****************************************************************************************
    Damn – that’s even better than Sarah Palin’s goofy reasons for resigning. I mean, that would be like Sarah saying, “Well, I’d like to be Governor but then I can’t run around nakkid punching kittens in the face.” http://www.kissmybigbluebutt.com
    **************************************************************************************

    “Margaret, I watched Sarah Palin’s resignation speech and all I have to say is, “What the hell was that?” My God that woman is an idiot. I have said this before, but I feel the need to say it again. Her problems did not come because the media was against her. Her problems come because every time you stick a microphone in front of her mouth a whole lot of stupid falls out. ” http://www.askmargaretandhelen.wordpress.com
    ***********************************************************************************
    Palin will go to Texas. She is too full of herself not to. However, It will be interesting to see how she survives a bunch of Progressive Texas Big Haired women, channeling their “inner Molly Ivins”

  17. Bonnie says:

    TX Gov. Rick Perry is going to enlist her help.

  18. Ashkee Colorado says:

    She probably thinks, “what a smart dog, that Plato”.

  19. NYHawk says:

    She probably thinks Plato is the guy who was in charge of that retreat in New York City.

    (Any old timer get that one, or just me???)

  20. LiladyNY says:

    @Lilybart Says:
    July 10th, 2009 at 5:10 AM

    Does she do anything positive for people besides quote Plato?
    She probably thinks he invented restaurants.
    —————————————————————–
    Snap! : )

  21. Lilybart says:

    Walter Cronkite is one of the most respected men ever in journalism. She isn’t fit to shine his shoes, AND he is on his deathbed and so, even worse that she chooses to butcher his words for her personal gain.]

    Does she do anything positive for people besides quote Plato?
    She probably thinks he invented restaurants.

  22. Lilybart says:

    her Cronkite Twit, I mean, Tweet: Liberal did not mean Democrat in those days.

    . Definitions:

    free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
    8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

    This is the kind of asshole thing that makes me hate her so much.
    Taking things out of context and time period so she can whine.
    All the little lies are really worse for me than her odious policies.

  23. SmallSteps says:

    Tizzielish – good luck with the gardening. I hope to veggie garden next year. Had too much on my overflowing plate this year – drats.

    You are right that SP has outgrown Alaska in her ambition, but never in her skill set. She didn’t even outgrow Wasilla in that area. It still amazes me that she hired a city manager for a town 1/2 the population size of the small town I grew up in. They still don’t have a “city manager”, just a borough mayor who does a pretty good job.

    Kat – that Retirement Party idea was awesome!

  24. LiladyNY says:

    Now isn’t this an interesting turn of events? So no one wants to play with Sarah? Awwwww. This is what happens to QUITTERS – they don’t get called for the team.

    And more ethics issues. I guess the Media Whining Tour and some diligent fact-checking didn’t turn out quite the way she anticipated.

    Just as an aside, did anyone notice Todd’s demeanor during her resignation “screech”?
    He stood there quite a bit apart from her looking like a zombie starting off into the distance and not paying a bit of attention to the crying, squirming baby. Just struck me as odd.

  25. Kat says:

    In my former life, I worked for a Federal Agency on the Finance Staff. Our Director was much like Sarah – a liar, vindictive beyond belief, a crook who used his position for personal gain and his friends gain & was protected and treated like he was covered with teflon. When he announced his retirement, the staff held a Retirement Party (In capital letters) celebrating his departure. He was not invited. One of our bosses asked us what would happen if he showed up anyway – we responded – “He’ll be asked to leave!” He just grinned & walked away. Wish I lived in Alaska so I could come to the Buh By Sarah parties. Have fun you guys & raise a glass for me. LOL!

  26. BigSlick says:

    We could make a helluva lot of money in my district if XGINO would only agree to do the dunk tank.

  27. tizzielish says:

    I live in a brand new apartment building in downtown Berkeley, CA. There is a rooftop garden on the 7th, the top, floor. Most of the roof is covered with large aluminum planting tubs that have water spigots. Most of these tubs were planted before people began to move in but the landlord left 8 tubs empty and has invited tenants to plant some vegies.

    I have joined the garden committee. Eventually, I bet our garadening committing switches from mostly flowers to mostly vegies. We can’t quite understand why the landlord filled over 30 tubs with flowers. Why not all vegies? There are 97 apartments here, several hundred people live here. We all eat food.

    Well, I guess I can understand. The landlord does not yet know how much interest tenants will have in a sustained way. We can always switch the flower pots to vegetables if lots of residents want to garden. We’ll see what happens.

    So, like I said, most of the 40+ planting tubs have flowering things. Two tubs were overplanted with zucchini and two tubs were overplanted with cherry tomato plants. I question the gardening expertise of the person who decided to plant 10 zucchini plants in one three-feet-in-diameter growing tub. These are, basically, very large flower pots, right?!! Who would plant 10 zucchini plants in one big pot?

    The zucchini bloomed. Squash blooms are really gorgeous. And you can pluck the blooms and make some gorgeous, tasty spring delights. But there was no way those blooms could turn into full-sized zucchini. There were way, way too many plants per tub.

    About week ago, all the zucchini died. It happened overnight. It looked like someone had come in the dark of night and sprayed poison. One day, the tubs were all green, yellow and orange (Ithe blossoms were yellow and orange) and the next day, dark brown and ugly. Dead.

    Over in the cherry tomato tubs, the same guy planted about ten cherry tomato plants per tub. Right now, the cherry tomato plants are chock-a-block full of teeny, tiny tomato blossoms and there are, even, lots of teeny tiny tomatos. .. but it is clear that these pots were about to snuff out too from being over-potted.

    The first order of business for our brand new gardening committee was to dig out the dead zucchini and spread the cherry tomato plants between the four planters. We know there is some risk that the tomato plants are now too mature to survive the transplant but we decided the transplant was not really a risk because the cherry tomato plants would have died if we didn’t give them more room.

    We’ll see what happens. Next, our committee will decide what we can plant in the 8 empty tubs that might yield vegies this fall. Living in N. California, if we plant carefully, we should be able to have something growing year round. It is going to be awesome, to go up on the rooftop and pluck my own beans.

    How do allocate the vegie pots? Should we let anyone who wants their own tiny farm have one pot and let them do what they want? Should we tell all the other tenants that if they don’t help grow the vegies, they can’t take the vegies from the tubs up on the community roof?!! Decisions, decisions. The landlord, well, the employee of the landlord, has said we can do whatever we want. That whoever shows up to be on the gardening committee can, in collaboration with everyone one who cares enough about the rooftop garden to actually show up. . . we have the power to decide. We’ll see.

    So far, we felt pretty productive, deciding to try and save the cherry tomatos.

    I know I am rambling.

    But Sarah Palin is like one of those zucchini plants. She outgrew Wasilla, then she outgrew the state’s oil and gas commission (man, that was such a small pot for her, some puny commission!!) and now she has outgrown the governor’s office.

    Where can she go next? She’ll never be president. I wouldn’t be surprised if, deep down, in her private self, Sarah Palin knows that not only will she never be president, I bet that deep down she knows she wouldn’t really like the job.

    I think some kind of entertainment, perhaps with some kind of veneer of ‘journalism’ might fit her. A little bit of Britney Spears entertainment, with a microphone and some sidekick sycophants to talk when she has nothing to say. . . kinda like the way Conan O’Brien started out his late-night talk-show gig with a sidekick so he had someone out there with him.

    I think a lot of people would tune in to see Sarah and Todd host a show. gosh, I think everyone would like to hear what Todd Palin has to say . . . about just about anything.

    She’s outgrown Alaska . . but where is she headed?

    Admit it. It is going to be fun to watch.

  28. UK Lady says:

    I think it may be time for a new nickname guys – ‘PoisonPolPalin’.

  29. Dr. Patois says:

    I think the GOP candidates must be “looking to the sky”, not wanting the shoe to drop on them…

  30. akmuckraker says:

    OPEN THREAD is up for off-topic comments. Thanks!

  31. UK Lady says:

    Ripley – your kiss of death is just right. I think she already has a rep for being the kiss of death at hockey/football games. Remember reading a story in Daily Kos that was on this subject, v. funny.

    Lee 323 – Bottom feeder in the political waters, mad woman slingin’ sh*t – perfect.

    I’m still waiting for the other shoe, I know there is one it’s just a case of whether she has managed to kill it off by resigning.

  32. ValleyIndependent says:

    ROFLMAO!!!!!!

  33. ValleyIndependent says:

    InJuneau, here’s a link to go with my aversion to Twitter:

    http://blog.clutterme.com/2009/03/funny-twitter-video.html

    austinTX had it earlier w/o the blog page, but I can’t find it now.

  34. GreatGrey says:

    ValleyIndependent Says:
    July 10th, 2009 at 12:11 AM

    Ooooh – I like it, GreatGrey. I shouldn’t, but right now, I like it. I’ll go repent later.

    Be sure and invite everyone who has filed an ethics complaint, and call the evening “Pallin’ around with Terrorists”.

  35. ValleyIndependent says:

    Ooooh – I like it, GreatGrey. I shouldn’t, but right now, I like it. I’ll go repent later.

  36. GreatGrey says:

    ValleyIndependent Says:
    July 10th, 2009 at 12:03 AM

    Maybe we should all get together for a “good-bye and good-riddance” party?

    Out on the float plane docks at the Best Western in Wasilla would be perfect, she could see and hear us. 🙂

  37. ValleyIndependent says:

    Maybe we should all get together for a “good-bye and good-riddance” party?

    All right everbody – get ready to sing “Thank God and Greyhound (you’re gone)” along with Roy Clark

    Okay, maybe that wouldn’t be real Christian, but it’s always fun when mudpuppies get together.

  38. ValleyIndependent says:

    InJuneau, I would love to, but I’m philosophically opposed to the Twitter premise. (Plus, as verbose as my comments always are here, you should know I’d never fit it into 140 characters. :o)

  39. honestyinGov says:

    There was just some discussion on the Open Thread about her using the Alaskan Fund Trust Money. We were wondering if someone could put and end to it with some legal filing or a Lawsuit.

    Those Ladies in the picture with this story might be the answer.
    Were those the ‘ Alaskan Women against Palin” with the signs. Someone… along with a Lawyer should get them back together. Alaska’s name should NOT be used for Buttercups personal gain.
    Would someone be willing to give them a call….? I’d love to hear their response.

  40. InJuneau says:

    ValleyIndependent (at 11:38 PM)–Can you tweet it to her? Not sure the attention span would allow for much more…

  41. EyeOnYou says:

    Are we seeing a trend???

    TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie has ended speculation that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign for him. Christie told Millennium Radio 101.5 FM on Thursday that he will not ask Palin to come to New Jersey. He’s not rejecting all outside help, however. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele will campaign with Christie in South Jersey on Monday.

    http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/859728.html

  42. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    Remember this real pro-American message in Virginia?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUOfaIyv4Bs

    8)

  43. GreatGrey says:

    Sarah’s getting that full quote shoved back at her full bore on Twitter now. My work for the night is almost done. 🙂

  44. ValleyIndependent says:

    I agree wholeheartedly, naughtymonkey. We desperately need some thoughtful discussion and creative problem solving, which happens best when the group is diverse.

  45. Sue says:

    I believe that Palin took votes away from McCain; I cannot imagine ANYONE wanting her support. PALIN + anyone= LOSER.

  46. ValleyIndependent says:

    Anybody think we should send her the complete quote and source along with the definition?

  47. naughtymonkey says:

    A well-written post by Peggy Noonan appears in The Wall Street Journal/Opinion Journal for July 10, 2009. A Farewell to Harms:
    Palin was bad for the Republicans—and the republic.
    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124716984620819351.html

    I am not a Republican, but I found this to be an excellent article. I can agree with the author that we need competent, intelligent leaders in the years ahead of us. As Peggy Noonan concluded, “We are going to need the best.” To me, that means the best of Independents, Democrats, Republicans, and all others.

  48. ValleyIndependent says:

    Good catch, Great Grey.

    From the Compact Oxford English Dictionary:

    liberal

    • adjective 1 willing to respect and accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own. 2 (of a society, law, etc.) favourable to individual rights and freedoms. 3 (in a political context) favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate reform. 4 (Liberal) (in the UK) relating to the Liberal Democrat party. 5 (especially of an interpretation of a law) not strictly literal. 6 given, used, or giving in generous amounts. 7 (of education) concerned with broadening general knowledge and experience.

    • noun 1 a person of liberal views. 2 (Liberal) (in the UK) a Liberal Democrat.

    — DERIVATIVES liberalism noun liberality noun liberally adverb.

    — ORIGIN originally meaning “suitable for a free man”: from Latin liberalis, from liber ‘free man’.

    And the far-right wing nuts say it like it’s a bad thing….

  49. Hooliganguy says:

    Way past time for Sarahcuda to “go with the flow.” *wink, wink*

  50. Joy says:

    @Great Grey-
    She’s just doing it Hannity style!

  51. ds55 says:

    LOL @ Palin quoting a Playboy article. Bet she didn’t realize that.

  52. Carole Ann says:

    I believe that she is positioning herself to be the spokesperson for a national third-party movement- one that will allow her to gather her adoring supporters and promote the causes dear to her heart- environmental deregulation, corporatism, pro-life and the merger of church and state. Being unfettered by party affiliations will allow her to “just be Sarah,” about the only thing she seems to be good at. And after all, she’s got Todd for a mentor when it comes to third party politics.

  53. GreatGrey says:

    Sarah left out half of the Cronkite quotation. The full citation is:

    I think most newspapermen by definition have to be liberal; if they’re not liberal, by definition of it, then they can hardly be good newspapermen. If they’re preordained dogmatists for a cause, then they can’t be very good journalists. ~ Walter Cronkite, Playboy, June 1973

    Preordained dogmatists, like Glen Beck, Greta, Hannity, Eddie Burke… well you get my drift.

    So she chopped a quote to make it favorable to the “poor little Sarah, bad liberal media picks on her” meme.

    No wonder it took her 5 different schools to get a journalism degree, she sux at it.

  54. AKPetMom says:

    Martha @9:
    Thanks for posting that article as it was very comprehensive and pretty much confirmed everything that I have thought about her since her beginnings here in Wasilla.

    Also see my CSM article link at post #4 to find out why she might not be able to profit from her governorship as soon as she thinks.

    Let’s keep up the good work and thanks to all that post new info and links.

  55. Lee323 says:

    AKM: “I wonder if Palin actually managed to raise more money for Barack Obama than for John McCain…”
    ————————————————-
    I recall that Axelrod said after the election that Palin was one of Obama’s best fund raisers.

    The more shrewd politicians in the GOP know that they will get the base vote without Palin’s help…..and they stand a much better chance actually wooing the independents and conservative Democrats without her polarizing whackjobbery mucking up the local political waters.

    At any rate, she’s a bottom feeder in the political waters…..sucking up all the nasty wedge issues and then spitting them out in her speeches. Mad woman slinging sh*t.

  56. seattlefan says:

    oops: typo alert: should be: I predict most politicians will not want her to campaign for THEM (not her) as she is a quitter, a total train collision and a liar.

  57. SameOld says:

    Most of all NO ONE will want to be beholden to Palin. Ever. That is if they are smart.

  58. seattlefan says:

    Latest tweet:

    ….”Most newspapermen by definition have to be liberal; if they’re not, by my definition, they can hardly be good newspapermen” W. Cronkite19 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

    Huh?

    Back on topic, I predict most politicians will not want her to campaign for her as she is a quitter, a total train collision and a liar.

  59. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    Vintage post, AKM. 😀

  60. rocket says:

    Palin is toxic and anyone who doesn’t see that is damaged goods already.

  61. ds55 says:

    She’ll campaign by herself every 4 years, like Ralph Nader.

  62. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    I can’t find an open thread for today, and this may have been posted earlier, but I’m just now jumping in. It’s long, detailed and is an excellent ALASKAN view (not MSM – they are all wrong) of Palin’s Quit.

    http://alaskadispatch.com/palin-watch/1283-palin-how-she-gained-control-and-then-lost-it

    Excerpt:

    “Once Sarah made the easy decision that she would not run for reelection in 2010 so that during the two years prior to the 2012 presidential election she can be a full-time celebrity, the decision to become one immediately, rather than waiting another year and a half for her term as Governor to expire, was a no-brainer.

    First, because Sarah Palin’s celebrity no longer is dependent on her status as Governor. And second, because from the moment she was sworn into office Sarah has demonstrated over and over and over and over again that she has no idea what she’s doing. And when she’s in over her head, Sarah’s instinct is to find a face-saving way to make her way to the nearest door marked “Exit.””

  63. seattlefan says:

    71% of 20% just brings a smile to my face. I’m no math whiz, but I do know that is a VERY low percentage when you look at the “big picture”. She has become radioactive when it comes to endorsements.

    Just like the tea parties have fizzled out, so will she. I’m guessing the RNC is in a tizzy right now trying to figure out how to spin her antics.

  64. ds55 says:

    Gov. Winky is not very likable.

  65. mhrt says:

    Sarah palin needs to set down and shut up.

  66. InJuneau says:

    Youch! Gotta suck to be that loved…

  67. AKPetMom says:

    Slightly OT but not really considering the news that Sarah will be attempting to cash in on her fame.

    Re: Lucrative deals for Gov from books and speeches and TV appearances after leaving office. Found this on Christian Science Monitor. Here is the meat of the ultimate ethics violation:

    “The only reason she’s quitting is she’s got to cash in while the getting’s good,” says Palin foe Andree McLeod, an Anchorage activist.

    That cashing in – reaping financial rewards from her book deal and potential speaking engagements – is itself a violation of the spirit and letter of the state Ethics Act, which precludes public officials from personally profiting for two years after leaving a government position, Ms. McLeod says.”

    Here’s the link to the article, it’s a good read:

    http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/07/09/alaskas-tab-for-ethics-complaints-about-palin-19-million/

    She might not be “making hay in the sunshine” as quickly as she thinks!

  68. Ripley in CT says:

    can you say “kiss of death”?

  69. Dr. Patois says:

    My sister lives in southern Virginia but oops, she voted for “that one”!

  70. SameOld says:

    “Youch. In northern Virginia, that place Palin called the “real America” she’s now known by an incumbent Republican congressman as a “people from outside my district.” That’s cold”
    ******************************
    Actually Palin called rural SouthSide VA the real America in an effort to trash suburban Northern VA (a dem stronghold)