Qaoss? Talk Radio February 06, 2010

I just finished watching Alaska’s biggest pop culture celebrity, Sarah Palin, speak as the keynote speaker at the so called “Tea Party” convention in Nashville, TN.

I see that the two headed monster has grown another head. What an exercise in the same old, same old: a supposed party representative spouting the same old talking points that mean nothing and the party faithful mindlessly standing in ovation to the nothing that was just said. The people stood in ovation so much one would have thought Nancy Pelosi was somewhere in the room.

I haven’t seen such uninspiring speaking since her interviews with Katy Couric. At times I felt embarrassed for her.  It seemed immature with nasally statements like: “how is that hopey, changey stuff working out for you?” She seemed unfamiliar with her own speech: at times losing her place and finishing sentences but then realizing there was yet another clause before the end and tacking it awkwardly on the end in a failing attempt to disguise her mistake. She seemed clumsy, knocking the microphone with her hands, and had a complete lack of stage presence.

It seemed as if someone wrote the speech for her and she was unsuccessfully trying to deliver it in a believable fashion. But it was anything but believable. It came across as unrehearsed, awkward and void of passion and commitment.

It focused on Obama and the current administration’s policies.  During the Q&A portion the host implied that the goal of the Tea Party movement is to have a conservative house and senate. Again manifesting that this “Tea Party” convention is nothing more than the same old party politics: democrats vs. republicans. At one point Palins says: “The republicans should absorb the Tea Party movement.” It stunk of religious, republican, conservatives who are mad they are not in control and feel that they are now in a position to get political power back in Washington. She even said: “we need more divine intervention in our government”

When asked what her “plan” for the country is she replied: “What’s the Palin plan? To support those that understand the foundation of our country. On national security her plan is: “we win, they lose. We do all that we can to win”.  Her “plan” for national security got a standing ovation followed by a chant by the crowd of “run Sarah run.”; referring to her running for president in 2012. The CNN correspondent said that there are those asking the question: should Sarah Palin be the next president of the United States? I have another question: should the Pope piss in the wind?

The tea parties were going on long before the presidential elections in 2008 and yet Palin was on the Republican ticket. Now, just like that, she’s a “Tea Party” faithful? How does one not take that to be the disingenuous gesture that it is?

Palin began her speech with: “I am so proud to be an American! Do you love your freedom? Thanks to the military for our freedom.”  Which was immediately followed by: “Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan?” The first of a dozen references to Ronald Reagan in her speech.

Palin states that she is proud to be an American. So proud that she quit her elected position as a leader in Alaska. What an insult to all the people that worked so hard to get her elected. To all the people that contributed financially and personally to her efforts to be elected and who believed in her.

At no point did Palin ever convey any specifics about what she believes the role of the federal government is nor what she believes the problems are and what needs to be changed. In fact on more than one occasion she said that we need less government intervention and more free markets but then goes on to say that she supports government intervention in the energy markets and that “our men in uniform around the world are a force of goodness.”

She cited the 10^th amendment and Washington wanting to give states money with strings attached so they can control state activities. But she accepted millions in federal money as governor of Alaska as she did as mayor of Wasilla.

Hopefully this will open people’s eyes to who she really is.  It was like listening to a high school valedictorian speech at best.  My favorite quote was: “The problems we face in the real world require real world solutions so we better get to it.” It tickles me just reading it.

What America needs is a real leader; a leader that knows and understands American political history, world political history, economics and diplomacy; a leader is someone who has wisdom not necessarily celebrity; someone with character, courage and humility; someone who can communicate effectively and inspire others. In short, a leader is something Sarah Palin is not.

My only regret is that it is too late for SNL to satirize the speech in tonight’s show. Or is it?

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