George W Palin -- It's deja vu to 2000

[Armstead]

Watching Gov. Palin and hearing both the criticisms and defenses of her seemedf eerily familiar. Then I realized why.

Like Yogi Berra said "It's deja vu all over again."

It struck me when I heard someone on TV talk about how throughout her career, Palin has been "underestimated." Does that sound familiar? It's because that's exactly what was said about GW in 2000, as a counter to claims that he had a less than stellar intellect and level of experience.

Wellllll, as the past eight years have shown, GW WAS in over his head, out of his league and that the "underestimations" of him were, at the very least, quite accurate. Maybe if America had trusted its' initial gut instinct that Bush is an incompetent lightweight, we might have been spared the horrors and failures of a Bush presidency.

There are many other parallels, aside from their hard-core corporate right-wing stance masked by a phony cultural populism.

Both came to Washington as "outsiders" backed by the power elite. Both come from oil states. Both claim to be reformers with results. Both claim to be bi-partisan and cite their experiences as governors. remember how the "uniter" Bush poked a stick in the eye of everyone even slightly left of conservative with his original administrative appointments?

Sara Palin is GW in a skirt.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Yep, same old tricks--same characterization. Bipartisan, "smarter than they appear", uniters,

reformers--same shit. Except you forgot the lie about George Bush having foreign policy experience, because TX is next to Mexico--they're doing the same laughable thing with Alaska-next-to-Russia.

[lib2DaBone]

9. It makes me so mad when I remember 2000....

..when Karl Rove sent his group of Young Republicans to Miami, and they banged on the glass and disrupted the re-count. Then, Gore gave up! I'm sorry.. Gore is/was a wimp. The Dems have to learn how to fight like Rove.

[anonymous171]

2. As long as we fight for our votes this time we will win.

Don't let them steal it!

[blue_onyx]

3. Except she isn't the daughter of a former president

with buddies on the Supreme Court. We shouldn't underestimate her but it's not completely the same as GWB.

[Armstead]

4. But GW was a frontman, just as Palin will be a frontwoman

You're right that Palin doesn't come from the upper crust. But they will adopt her.

But it's also pretty obvious that the effective genes that brought the Bush family success over the decades bypassed Junior.

[bklyncowgirl]

5. Both hide their pro corporate, particularly oil company, policies behind a folksy exterior

Both also knew how to appeal to Evangelical Christians.

In Bush's place the folksiness and probably the Christianity were as phony as his movie set ranch. In Palin's case they seem to be genuine--and she has the baby to prove it.

Neither traveled widely outside of the country before becoming nominated. Both appear to be proudly ignorant of science and history.

Both set off my squirm-o-meter. Unfortunately, politicians who set off my squirm-o-meter have an unfortunate habit of winning.

[Armstead]

7. LOL -- yeah, that Squirmometer is a pesky thing.

I sometimes wish I couldn't stand Obama or Biden...That would insure their victory.

[bklyncowgirl]

10. I have to admit that Bill Clinton gave me a mild case of the squirmies too--and he won

I wasn't crazy about Clinton until the right wing went after him hammer and tongs. Clinton won so that probably means that my actually liking a politician means that they are unelectable.

I was an early Richardson supporter in this go 'round and I liked Dean & Kerry in 04.

[bridgit]

6. And GW is just another front man like Reagan, look...

republicans need these kind of people cause their programs are so unpalatable that for them to say anything about their 'issues' nobody would vote for them so better to find a mouthy, low intellectual interest puppet, stick their hand up their rear-end and start wiggling their fingers. It's the republican way.

[Median Democrat]

8. Anyone Have A Link To Bush's 2000 Convention Speech?

I remember where he was touting himself as an agent of change, who would bring integrity back to the White House, herald an era of energy independence, and be a new "compassionate conservative" type of Republican.

Yup, the GOP is trying to put lipstick on a pig.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. Here are the differences...

Gore was a weaker candidate. The economy wasn't in the doldrums; we were experience peace and prosperity and not embroiled in two unwinnable wars. There are, dare I say it, Republicans, moderates and conservatives who are not duped by "Mrs. W." There are many disaffected voters, fired up new voters, and fed up citizens who will not be fooled by McSame and "The Puppet." She does nothing but solify the conservative, Right Wing Repuke base. The ticket does nothing to bring over moderates and Indies. The bad news is that white women--to their detriment--are falling for the okey-doke. It's absolutely baffling to me...