Sarah Palin’s Greatest Hits

Jon Perr, blogging at Crooks and Liars, has compiled a “Greatest Hits” collection for Sarah Palin.  As you read, it’s worth contemplating that:

• One national poll reveals that 45% of all Americans surveyed would consider voting for her in the 2012 presidential election.
• Despite all the jokes made at her expense, she has positioned herself as a leading political force who speaks–albeit in a somewhat convoluted fashion–for a definable and still significant section of the national electorate.
• The national GOP leadership (official, that is) is already working in its dysfunctional way to marginalize and discredit her.  Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh and others like Bill Kristol, are giving subtle and not so subtle suggestions to Palin through their comments about Palin.
• There are a lot of people (see above) that could care less about the inanity of her speech;  her flamboyant ignorance of those things deemed essential to the political oversight of any system larger than the local P.T.A.;  or her penchant for vindictive and bullying behavior toward those she regards as her foes–they just flat-out love their gal, Sarah.
• There is a successful GOP precedent in taking a relatively unschooled, bumpkin-like state governor and publicly “schooling” the person in “all that they’ll need to know to be president.”

Well, now that I’ve just about squeezed all the fun out of reading the Greatest Hits, here they are:

“I think on a national level, your department of law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we’ve been charged with and automatically throw them out.” (July 7, 2009.)

“It’s all for Alaska.” (Asked by Time why she resigned, July 7, 2009).

“In what respect, Charlie?” (Asked by ABC’s Charles Gibson if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, September 11, 2008.)

“Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy…” (Misunderstanding Alaska’s 3.5% share of U.S. domestic energy production, September 11, 2008.)

“We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America.” (October 16, 2008.)

“A task that is from God.” (On the war in Iraq, June 8, 2008.)

“I think God’s will has to be done, in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that.” (June 8, 2008.)

“To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder. And it also strengthens my faith, because I’m going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God’s hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I’m not discouraged at all.” (Asked if she was discouraged by polls showing the McCain-Palin ticket trailing, October 22, 2008.)

“As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?” (August 1, 2008.)

“That’s something that Piper would ask me!…[T]hey’re in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.” (asked by third grader Brandon Garcia what the Vice President does, October 20, 2008.)