palin quitting as governor, why?

[LA Ute]

Palin is a populist who makes fun of elites. I'm as big of a fan as Tom Wolfe as the next guy, but Palin- and her fans- seem to revel in their ignorance while Wolfe simply likes to point out the absurdity of someone like Leonard Bernstein throwing a party for the Black Panthers. I'm not sure who an elite is in Palin's world. And I'm not sure that a significant portion of urban and suburban voters know. I'm sure rural and lower class white voters get what she's talking about.

I think this is a very persuasive point, CMBF. She really overplays that hand. A little subtlety would go a long way.

Maybe like Bob Dole she should simply mention now and then that her father wore overalls to work for 42 years?

[TripletDaddy]

TD, once described to me as my "stalker" in a PM from a long-time CUF-er, apparently deeply loves my reference to Bob Dole's frequent reference to his father wearing overalls to work for 42 years. Those who actually follow politics closely (and were old enough to do so in 1988 and 1996) remember this pretty well and don't find it all that remarkable. So, since I have time and and am relaxing today, I'll try to illuminate the discussion a bit.

The overalls reference was one of Dole's favorites and was his way of burnishing his "man of the people" image. Back in 1988, like lots of others who came from pretty simple origins, I personally liked it that Dole came from a common background, unlike his opponent G.H.W. Bush. It was one aspect of the man that made him more attractive to me during the GOP primaries. He was also willing to criticize Dan Quayle in 1988, which further endeared him to me. He worked the overalls comment into that one as well.

Here endeth the lesson. TD shows a little ignorance about American politics when he makes something of the Dole overalls meme.

Thanks for talking about me, your "stalker," with others via PM and twice in this post! Also, thanks for inserting an avatar pic in your signature line in a tribute to me...your "stalker!"

[Babs]

I think this is a very persuasive point, CMBF. She really overplays that hand. A little subtlety would go a long way.

Maybe like Bob Dole she should simply mention now and then that her father wore overalls to work for 42 years?

Or perhaps her daddy went to work every day to make an honest living at a textile mill.

[Babs]

Ironically, the religious wing is not good at spotting allies -- which is one reason why that group, if they don't stop acting like they are the party instead of a group within the party, are going to end up marginalizing themselves and wrecking the party's chances for success.

And therein lies the problem: they alone are not enough to carry the party, but they're enough to take it down.

[LA Ute]

Thanks for talking about me, your "stalker," with others via PM and twice in this post! Also, thanks for inserting an avatar pic in your signature line in a tribute to me...your "stalker!"

Oh, don't be too flattered. The PM was unsolicited from someone who thinks it's funny that you pick out little details from my posts (which are not in response to any post of yours) and mock them in responses to posts by others. It's kind of cute, really. And I like the overalls. There is great comedy in your cluelessness about their role in Bob Dole's two runs for president. I guess you must like them too. You exceedingly clever fellow, you!

[TripletDaddy]

There is great comedy in your cluelessness about their role in Bob Dole's two runs for president.

They must have played a very critical role in those successful runs for president, no?

[LA Ute]

They must have played a very critical role in those successful runs for president, no?

Aw, you're just an elitist who doesn't like people whose fathers wore overalls to work.

[TripletDaddy]

Aw, you're just an elitist who doesn't like people whose fathers wore overalls to work.

I have nothing against overalls. I just wouldn't use them as a basis on which to cast my vote for POTUS.

[LA Ute]

I have nothing against overalls. I just wouldn't use them as a basis on which to cast my vote for POTUS.

Oh, no, I have cleverly been called a name by the board gadfly. ("Gadfly" is not a pejorative, and not intended as such. Heck, Plato used it to describe Socrates.) It's much better than being called a "dumbass," and not something you'd ever hear on a playground. (I am afraid you'd hear "dumbass" on the playground a lot.)

For those curious about what brought TD to this low point, here's the post that set him off. After he referred to it a few times in responding to posts of others, I decided to explain here . That was probably a bad idea. Never make a gadfly look silly.

[TripletDaddy]

Oh, no, I have cleverly been called a name by the board gadfly. ("Gadfly" is not a pejorative, and not intended as such. Heck, Plato used it to describe Socrates.) It's much better than being called a "dumbass," and not something you'd ever hear on a playground. (I am afraid you'd hear "dumbass" on the playground a lot.)

For those curious about what brought TD to this low point, here's the post that set him off. After he referred to it a few times in responding to posts of others, I decided to explain here . That was probably a bad idea. Never make a gadfly look silly.

Whoops. That must have been a freudian slip. I meant to link to Dumas, who, as you know, spent several years as a political correspondent in the fight for the unification of Italy. He even started his own newspaper, which was the ancient equivalent of writing a blog, I suppose. His vim and vigor for politics reminds me of you. Sorry about that slip-up!

[LA Ute]

Whoops. That must have been a freudian slip. I meant to link to Dumas, who, as you know, spent several years as a political correspondent in the fight for the unification of Italy. He even started his own newspaper, which was the ancient equivalent of writing a blog, I suppose. His vim and vigor for politics reminds me of you. Sorry about that slip-up!

LOL. Let's call a truce.

[YOhio]

For those curious about what brought TD to this low point, here's the post that set him off. After he referred to it a few times in responding to posts of others, I decided to explain here . That was probably a bad idea. Never make a gadfly look silly.

That was it? I would never make fun of you for that. But I would make fun of you for saying that you supported Bob Dole over GHWB in 1998.

[LA Ute]

That was it? I would never make fun of you for that. But I would make fun of you for saying that you supported Bob Dole over GHWB in 1998.

And I would deserve it. At my age the decades start to run together a little . . . .

[TripletDaddy]

LOL. Let's call a truce.

Q: What do you NOT see in this picture?
A: Ire.

[LA Ute]

Q: What do you NOT see in this picture?
A: Ire.

Which one of us gets to be the lion?