A time to think

[Wry Catcher]

Sarah Palin made a huge mistake with her comments after the horrific event in Tucson last Saturday.

The Gov. brought the negative press on herself and I'm surprised Michelle Bachmann and Sharon Angle have not been remonstrated for the words they used during the campaign, the most striking being "second amedment remedies".

Do I believe either Palin or Bachmann or Angle wanted this tragic event to happen? No!

Yet, to dismiss a "Second Amendment Remedies" comment as benign simply doesn't ring true. Words have effects, and to deny any indirect cause for tha actions of the shooter is disengenuous and simply partisan.

No one knows what was in the mind of the shooter. Yet defenders of Palin assure us he was "just a nut"; asserting he was apolitical and never watched TV or listened to the news is hardly credible. Someone attending college, expecially Jr. College where the students are youngish and idealism has not yet been extinguised it is hard to imagine anyone would not be 'infected' by a wide variety of opinons - some very extreme.

IMHO Gov. Palin failed the first test of leadership. Her first comments centered on the question faux leaders always ask first, "How will this effect me?".

 

[California Girl]

Nah, she played it well - for her audience. She called out the liberal media for their bullshit, and gave them another stick with which to beat her again. And they are doing exactly what she knew they would do. They latched on to two words - 'blood libel' - and lied about her again.

She is making herself look like a victim of a vicious, left wing, media. Well played, Palin.

 

[Revere]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

 

[Truthmatters]

It is not hate to deem someone incapable of helping this country heal and move forward.

 

[Barb]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

That doesn't make them wrong.

 

[Revere]

Move forward = separate Democrats from power.

 

[California Girl]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

That doesn't make them wrong.

No, it doesn't. Calling her an anti-semite made them wrong. Pointing the finger of blame at her for the tragedy make them wrong.

 

[zzzz]

Personally I am not a Palin supporter yet I have defended her in this matter for the simple fact that her actions or words had no bearing on this incident. To jump out and blame someone for someone elses actions without any facts implies that those people have an underlying purpose or aim and in this case it is an underlying hatred of Palin. Anything she does is wrong and she can do no good no matter what. In a world where the news reported facts and did not have talking heads sensationalizing everything these people would have been marginalized already. But in today's society, reasonable discourse is passé and confrontation and sensationalism is the course.

As I have stated before, Palin is not electable for reasons that have nothing to do with this incident but a continued line of attacks from the media and others can have a reverse effect upon the electorite. Many American people still believe in fair play and when they feel someone is being unjustly attacked they come to their aid. So if the electorite feels she is being wronged some will vote for her where they may not have earlier. Instead of voting the issues they vote emotions.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

It's been almost 2 whole minutes since a non-thinking Leftist started yet another Palin thread

 

[saveliberty]

Leaders would focus on issues that will help the nation. They would concentrate on seeking better ways to keep the violent and unstable from weapons. One politican targeting another is part of politics. Reasonable people understand that. Partisans want to bring it to the forefront.

In the end we will have the "Protect the Sacred Bond of Government Act" which will trample the Constitution much like the Patriot Act did and does.

 

[Barb]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

That doesn't make them wrong.

No, it doesn't. Calling her an anti-semite made them wrong. Pointing the finger of blame at her for the tragedy make them wrong.

Anti-Semite was a tad over the top for a poorly chosen metaphor. Still, it was poorly chosen. She's ignorant, not anti-Semitic.

And, they MAY be wrong about what pushed THIS loon over the edge, but a politically minded loon could very well take her hit list and misinterpret it as a directive. SHE even took the cross hairs list down in response to the shooting.

Like it or not, rhetoric creates an atmosphere. Some atmospheres are harmful to life. Some are harmful to the democratic process, and democracy itself.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I had never heard the phrase "blood libel" until this week. My point had nothing to do with the hysteria around her use of this term.
Leadership has many defintions, my definition based on watching, working with and for leaders, has been refined to some very simple concepts. Vision, the ability to convey the vision to followers; assumption of responsibility; the ability to clearly define a problem without evoking blame; listen to all suggested solutions; and correct the course when necessary and admit mistakes without excuse.
We saw some very good examples of leadership and failed leadership this week, IMHO.

 

[California Girl]

That doesn't make them wrong.

No, it doesn't. Calling her an anti-semite made them wrong. Pointing the finger of blame at her for the tragedy make them wrong.

Anti-Semite was a tad over the top for a poorly chosen metaphor. Still, it was poorly chosen. She's ignorant, not anti-Semitic.

And, they MAY be wrong about what pushed THIS loon over the edge, but a politically minded loon could very well take her hit list and misinterpret it as a directive. SHE even took the cross hairs list down in response to the shooting.

Like it or not, rhetoric creates an atmosphere. Some atmospheres are harmful to life. Some are harmful to the democratic process, and democracy itself.

If they'd called her ignorant, or manipulative, I would have agreed. Unfortunately, the media, in its enthusiasm to slap her, chose to bullshit. Score one for Palin. Because it was a deliberate attempt to provoke the anti-semite lie and they fell for it.

Same thing with the blame thing. Less than an hour after the shooting, the NYT allowed its bloggers to start pointing the blame on right wing extremists within the TEA Parties. Again, they shot themselves in the foot. Score two to Palin.

Question: Are the media that stupid that they will continually allow someone like Palin to manipulate them? My opinion is yes, they are.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

The point being overlooked is that politicians view us as serfs, peons, retards, and simpletons.

 

[Sallow]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

Really?

Krauthammer on Debating 'Blood Libel': 'Have we completely lost our minds?' - Video - YouTube

 

[Revere]

Krauthammer is not in Sarah Palin's corner.

Every time Sarah Palin says something like this, the usual suspects start these "This is the last straw for Sarah Palin" threads.

 

[Avatar4321]

It is not hate to deem someone incapable of helping this country heal and move forward.

It's rather disingenous to be continually attacking someone and then claim they are incapable of helping the country heal and move forward for responding to your attacks.

Physician, heal thyself.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Is Sarah Palin a leader?
Does a leader need to manipulate?
Is the vision of a leader win-win or does a leader see the game as zero sum?

 

[Revere]

Do I win when Obama wins?

 

[Liability]

The people who think "Sarah Palin made a mistake" are the same ones who always hated her.

That doesn't make them wrong.

It does underscore the lack of genuine or legitimate basis for the bullshit they are spewing.

Their bias is worthy of consideration.