I believe John McCain managed, in 2008, to reduce his legacy to two words, “Sarah Palin.”  He unleashed this woman on America, a small percentage of Americans are “on board,” the democrats are almost acting as if they wish she would run for president, and my feelings are that as much as the woman turns me off – be careful of what you wish for.  While I do think her candidacy, if it managed to evolve into the republican nomination, would “wake up” the left – I’ve seen so many “dirty tricks” over the years by republicans that I think the democrats laugh off her prospects at their peril.  Remember Ronald Reagan – he was a fringe candidate until someone in the background figured out how to get him elected.  George W Bush – just Google some of his misstatements if you haven’t figured out what a bafoon he was – the republicans figured out how to get him into the White House despite the fact he LOST the election of 2000 and arguably the election of 2004 as well.  So, the more I hear democratic “pundits” scoffing at Palin and some of the outrageous things she’s doing and saying the more it makes me nervous that she could have a material effect on the upcoming elections.  (and, keep in mind – as stated here many times – the effects of “Citizens United” are still undetermined, but in my mind I feel confident in guaranteeing you the people who are in favor of that decision will also be in favor of Palin, SCARRY!)

I was reading the Washington Post today and there was an article about a Palin speech in IOWA (hint, hint – do you think she’s got her eye on 2012?) where she “hits Obama and GOP establishment.”  Regarding the “GOP establishment” she’s pushing for the republican “leaders” to get behind all these right wing “tea party” candidates, such as Sharron Angle in Nevada, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, Joe Miller in Alaska – who wants to end social security, medicare, and unemployment insurance, and others who HATE government.  They HATE government so much that they want to run it – presumably so they can eliminate as much of it as they can.  Of course, that’s what George W Bush and Dick Cheney were doing – or at least attempting to do.  They were eliminating regulations, but they couldn’t manage to avoid the temptation of using government to funnel as much of America’s tax dollars as possible to their “friends” – like Halliburton, Blackwater, KBR, Wall Street (Goldman Sachs, AIG, Morgan Stantley, et al), BP, and I could go on and on.  In fact, Alaska got a heaping share of America’s tax dollars while Palin was governor – remember the “bridge to nowhere” that she supported until it was necessary to come out against “earmarks” as the republican candidate for VP (as if republicans didn’t do earmarks)?  The regulations they eliminated are the ones put in place during the “New Deal” designed to protect “we the people” from things like the “Great Recession” which is happening as I write this.

Just as these right wing candidates should be easy targets in the upcoming election, Palin should be a “sitting duck” of a candidate should she choose to run.  Maybe she’s just cashing in on her “fame” and raking in as much money as she can – that is the republican way – if there’s money out there to grab – GRAB IT!  To hell with the FACT that ONE IN SEVEN Americans are stuck in poverty, we’ve lost ELEVEN MILLION jobs since the day George W Bush took office, and over 50 MILLION Americans (and counting) are without health insurance.  Government is not for them, it’s for the rich who will someday decide to trickle some of their cash down to the needy.  That’s what Palin calls government from the bottom up – as with most republicans, if they (republicans) say something, look in the opposite direction for the truth.

However, some of what she says should be looked at closely and someone, somewhere, should cause her to give a thorough explanation of her remarks.  For example, in her speech in Iowa Palin said, “It’s the voters who will stop these leftist policies, the voters will stop this fundamental transformation of America that’s not good for America. It’s the patriots who will restore America.”  Of course, she’s referring to the policies President Obama has been attempting to initiate – but, more often than not – prevented from doing so by a minority of 41 Senators and a spineless democratic group of senators.  (and, by the way, wasn’t it these same voters who put President Obama in office in the first place?  Or, do the people who voted for him not count as “patriots?”)  She goes on to say, “It is time for renewal and a restoration of constitutional principles, and it may take some renegades going rogue to get us there.”  What the hell does she mean by that?  When is someone going to call this woman on this inciteful rhetoric?  In the 2008 election she was inciting her crowds to the point where they were shouting “kill him” referring to then Senator Barack Obama.  Someone needs to get this woman under control!

Keep in mind that Chuck Norris – of “Walker Texas Ranger” fame – another of the whacko right wingers in this country, was quoted as saying there are thousands of “cells” of people ready to “act” when the time is right (again, presumably against Obama’s administration – what this “act” would be Norris left to our imagination).  Sharron Angle, the whacko candidate for the Senate in Nevada made referrence to “2nd amendment remedies” when talking about “progressive” policies of the democrats and Obama should people like her not be elected.  I’ll let you make the connection between what all these nut jobs are saying. 

Personally, I don’t think President Obama has gone nearly far enough to the “left.”  For me, and I believe many other people who would be considered his “base,” he’s way to moderate.  I don’t see any reason to even talk to these people on the “right” fringes – they are NUTS!  But, they’ve got a LOT OF MONEY, they’ve got their own private army (Blackwater – now called Xe services to minimize publicity from their murderous activities in Iraq and Afganistan), and they’ve been ginning up people who think that Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Fox “news” tell the truth.  Plus, Fox “news” and Rupert Murdoch are part of their “team.”  I’m honestly starting to look at these people as the “enemy” instead of people I disagree with.  Unfortunately, the democrats don’t appear to have much of a mechanism (besides “we the people”) to counter this right wing onslaught.

Remember also, both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections were arguably won with the use of HACKED, or rigged, voting machines.  How far have we come since then.  Well, I can’t answer that any more than to say that the issue of rigged voting machines has certainly made its way to the back pages of the country’s dialogue.  Does that mean the problem’s been solved? Or, does that mean that we’re just going to get “hammered” again when we’re not looking and end up with another illegitimate president?  (re: George W Bush)  This is a WAR for America’s heart and soul – I know, if you’ve been reading many of my posts, I keep pointing this out – but, it’s the progressive leaders of our country who have to realize this.  Lately, I’ve been a bit encouraged by some of the “progressive” talkers on the radio who are framing the issue more along these lines.  Ed Schultz (and others) has a “march on Wahsington” scheduled for October 2nd and I’m hoping this type of rhetoric is used at that rally.  Somehow, despite the disappointment with some of President Obama’s decisions, the progressives (OK, I’m going to say it – LIBERALS!) in this nation need to wake up.  The way to get Obama’s attention isn’t to allow people like Angle, Paul, O’Donnell, Miller, and the others to invade our Senate for the next – what could conceivably be a miserable – 6 years.  Remember how bad it was enduring GW Bush and Dick Cheney?  Well, this could rival that.  We would then have a democratic president negotiating with these fanatical people with the hope of getting something done.  What’s the saying? “Don’t hold your breath.”

Do you find it interesting that many on the “left” are saying virtually the same thing as Palin in regards to her activities and the “religious right’s” attempt to take over our government?  For example, couldn’t “the voters will stop this fundamental transformation of America that’s not good for America. It’s the patriots who will restore America.” be coming from a liberal who wants to stop people like Palin?  Doesn’t their assault on the 1st, 4th, and 14th amendments of our constitution make you want to say “It is time for renewal and a restoration of constitutional principles?”  And, when she talks about the “will of the voters” is she forgetting that 70 MILLION voters voted President Obama into office instead of her and the shamed McCain?  When are the American people going to wake up to the fact that people like Sarah Palin and her ilk can’t stand having a person of color in the “White” house ?  None of her arguments make any sense, yet she continues to rake in the millions and is given credibility on the Aussie and Saudi run Fox “news” channel.  Give the woman credit for doing a great job of being greedy, but – as a leader – let’s hope not.  The fundamental values that made this nation great are the very ones that Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Fox “news,” and the other right wing whackos want to destroy!  Again, this is a WAR!