Right wing bloggers in a tizzy over innocuous Kerry joke about Palin

[beachmom]

http://www.memeorandum.com/090624/p173#a090624p173

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20090624john_kerry_says_wrong_gov_missing_for_four_days/srvc=home&position=0

The Bay State senator was telling a group of business and civic leaders in town at his invitation about the “bizarre’’ tale of how South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had “disappeared for four days’’ and claimed to be hiking along the Appalachian Trail, but no one was really certain of his whereabouts.

“Too bad,’’ Kerry said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’

The Democratic-centric crowd laughed.

Not a fabulous joke, but no big deal.

Meanwhile, Palin has chosen not to go after Kerry (at least yet), and instead is attacking a local blogger in Alaska:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/palin-attacks-blogger-for_n_220668.html

I actually would advise Kerry to never mention Palin again, except in serious political discussion, lest she inexplicably get the prez nomination in '12. Why, you ask? Because the circus that surrounds her is just so cringe worthy.

[ObamaKerryDem]

1. Leave it to them to take a little joke like that (which was probably off the cuff )..

..and blow it up into something it's not, apparently taking it literally. :eyes: Of course, it's not surprising. They go after him at every turn. But I haven't even heard anything about it anywhere offline thus far, so I doubt this will be a big deal. (Although I'm sure Fox News will go after it..lol).



"I actually would advise Kerry to never mention Palin again, except in serious political discussion, lest she inexplicably get the prez nomination in '12. Why, you ask? Because the circus that surrounds her is just so cringe worthy."--I agree with you here.

[Island Blue]

6. I'd like for her to disappear

and take Joe the Plumber with her.

Edit: Sorry, I meant to respond to Beachmom's OP. It's been so long since I've posted on a regular basis that I'm a bit rusty. :blush: I'd still like for her to disappear though. :evilgrin:

[Luftmensch067]

7. I know I NEVER want to be able to see her from my house

not even on TV.

[beachmom]

2. No traction for the wingers. The item is now off Memeorandum. Edit:

I spoke too soon. Now on Huff Puff (although not TOO prominently):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/john-kerry-too-bad-sarah_n_220907.html

It's not on video though. That limits its traction.

[wisteria]

3. I saw nothing wrong with the comment. I also wish she would just get lost.

This RW BS was to be a distraction from the "other" scandal.

[beachmom]

4. Dave Weigel comments:

http://washingtonindependent.com/48609/outrage-watch-john-kerry

Outrage Watch: John Kerry

Fox Nation is promoting this story, which means that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) will join the food fight any moment now.

He ends by saying:

Watch the conservative talkers on this one; it’s a great way to distract from the Sanford implosion.

[beachmom]

5. This is ALL OVER Fox News. (well if Michael Jackson did indeed die, then not for long)

I looked at Fox News against my will while I was out, and they were using this quote as something to insert into the Sanford discussion to make Democrats look bad, I guess. Funny thing is, the way they displayed the headline, I had to laugh and wholeheartedly agreed with the joke.

[TayTay]

8. RW morans desperate to take the focus off Ensign and Sanford

This is ridiculous. Fox News is desperate to blow something up from a Dem into the next Letterman episode.

It won't fly now because of the prominence of Michael Jackson's passing in the news. Things like this only work when they are fresh and get media oxygen, so this will not go anywhere further.

Honestly, I hate DC disease that takes little things and blows them up to suit whatever agenda is being advanced. There is no way to avoid this trap, btw, unless you want all public servants to go around gagged and only able to speak after consultation with a speech writer. This applies to all public servants from the President on down, btw, not just Sen. Kerry.

Again, there is no way to avoid this trap. The Senator's remarks were innocent. It was a harmless joke. It's only the intercession of old enemies with mega phones and people on our side with grudges who make this into something it was not.

[beachmom]

9. Can you believe Palin responded?

With an old Howie Carr (or somebody like him) joke?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/26/palin-to-kerry-why-the-lo_n_221436.html

Oh, and I refuse to watch the video.

[Luftmensch067]

10. I don't even want to go to the link (maybe later)

But it seems clear to me that she has ONLY responded to try to continue to distract from the Sanford thing (although she is not shy about trying to get any media attention!)

[beachmom]

11. Actually, her agenda is slightly different from Fox News's. Fox News

& conservatives want to distract from Sanford. Palin, OTOH, just wants to be in the news. I hate to tell her, but going after Sen. Kerry probably won't do the trick. I mean, it is a big who cares thing. Only Fox News & conservatives will "care".

Edit: she told a ...... David Letterman joke. From Huff Po comment:

Well, THAT did not take long. Palin stole the joke from (drum roll):
DAVE LETTERMAN!

"To his credit, John Kerry was very, very upset about the joke and he apologized. � As a matter of fact, all day long, he"s been walking around with a long face." "David Letterman

[ginnyinWI]

12. I won't watch her either!

She never misses an opportunity to get a headline, no matter how flimsy the excuse. Oh her POOR hurt feelings! Mean old Kerry and Letterman--boo hoo hoo!

[karynnj]

14. The thing I dislike is the conflation of Kerry and Letterman - there is an ocean of difference

between them.

[beachmom]

15. Yeah, but she used a Letterman joke!! I am sorry, that is the biggest irony ever.

[karynnj]

16. I know - that is ironic He should send her a bill asking for a royalty payment

[karynnj]

13. This is actually good - as she responded with a joke of about the same mildness

it should be over. That is an old joke and the fact is he jokes easily about his looks - which is easy as he has to know he looks both distinguished and handsome. The Palin joke might hit closer to home, as there are many - not just on the far right who might have agreed.

(In reality, the fact that she did this before troops, was genuinely classless and is likely something Kerry would never do. The other thing I remembered was that when Kerry visited many troops after the joke in Iraq, he refused a camera crew. What is clear is that troops and vets are comfortable speaking to Kerry and he to them - and it is not for show.

I also really disliked the near flirtatious, hitting Biden on having dressed formally, then asking if it was ok she dressed casually. Now, this would be cute if she was a star coming with the USO, but it doesn't show gravitas.

[sandrakae]

17. Senator Kerry was just reiterating what so many want and that is for Sarah Palin to just go away.

I think it is time we send send Sarah Palin a sweatshirt from my favorite University.

STFU

[beachmom]

18. I think I'll defer to an Alaska blogger on this affair:

http://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/john-kerry-had-a-point/

John Kerry Had A Point

I tried not to be jealous of South Carolina last week when Governor Mark Sanford went missing. I fantasized about Sarah taking a break on the Chilkoot trail. She could collect her thoughts, and prioritize Alaska back to the top of the list.

John Kerry had the nerve to say the same thing.

Sarah slams his looks…nice.

Does this mean Letterman’s comments about her “looks” are fair game now?

Good comments, too.

[karynnj]

20. This (and the Kerry's spokesman's statement ) really do put things in perspective

The fact that Kerry's looks are what she attacks, shows how superficial she is. I like that Kerry's spokesman mentioned Teresa and his daughters.

A Republican neighbor, probably in her 70s now, gave Kerry her first Democratic vote for President. Why? She liked some of the things he said and saw that his daughters showed the same values that he did. Do you think any of Palin's kids validated their mother's values as Alex and Vanessa did JK's.

[beachmom]

19. Prosense: I missed this!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8498491#8498552

[Island Blue]

21. John Kerry, way ahead of his time. As usual.

" ...if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin."

:evilgrin:

[YvonneCa]

22. Always ahead. Hey, isn't that what a *leader*...

does? :7 Happy Fourth, everyone! :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[wisteria]

25. Thank you- same to you! n/t

[MonteLukast]

23. And she IS "going missing" now...

Look for her to blame that MEEEEAAAANNN John Kerry and his joke, in the coming days.

BTW, thanks Luftmensch for giving me a star. :thumbsup:

[wisteria]

24. Yes, LOL. However, this woman will not stay out of the spot light for long.

She will continue to draw speculation as long as everybody keeps making her a news story unfortunately.

[beachmom]

26. Yuppers. She now has a lawyer who is threatening bloggers.

Wow, it didn't take her long to show she is NOT going to go missing (sigh). And the thing is, if anyone had the right to sue for slander it was John Kerry against the SBVT. But, for public people, it is almost impossible to win such a case. Yet ... Palin is threatening bloggers.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/4/750060/-Palins-Attorney-Threatening-Lawsuits-UPDATE-X3

[wisteria]

27. I don't think she could win a judgment in a case of slander, but I am not a lawyer.

A move like this though, will keep her news worthy for a while. First come the denials and then the battles. Things will get so confusing and muddled that people will not know what to think, but they will remember Palin.
Frankly, I don't care how good Democrats do raising money using her antics and name. The more we talk about her and write about her, the more she remains in the public spotlight. She is very good at creating PR and she will lie if need be to gain attention. Just look at what she did to Letterman, when it was obvious he didn't even know which daughter was which. And, then she accuses him of lusting over the 14 year old suggesting he is a pedophile. This is one twisted woman. Senator Kerry had it right the first time, she needs to disappear, but she won't do this on her own so we,the public, will have to force her into obscurity by ignoring her. When the press thinks no one cares about her anymore, they will move on to someone else.

[Inuca]

28. She is pathetic

and she is the very deifniton of flakiness (if such a word exists, does it?). Not to mention that the way she talks drives me up the wall, independent of what she says (when you take the content into account, well... chalk on blackboard times 100). I heard part of the speech the other day, to say she was incoherent is to pay her a compliment.