“She’s the epi… epitome of conservativeness…if the republican party doesn’t back her, it doesn’t matter because she’s gone get the presidency!”
“We do need to have profiling. I mean, the politically correctness has got to get out now. I mean, we are americans. She sticks up for the american people not for other people. We’re first, other people last.”
Did you get that? The “Other people.” Dumbfounded. This video is comedy gold. Well, maybe not. I thought of John Taylor Gatto’s book Dumbing Us Down. I thought of the hundreds of seniors at Roosevelt High who read at fifth grade level. I thought how in Mexico or Cuba, I am almost shocked at the level of discourse, because I don’t experience that level often with the strangers I meet here. When was the last time you were asked about Twain and Emerson and Langston Hughes? “So what, those are poor countries. USA #1!” What’s my point? Don’t have one, but I have a question:
Who are these people? Is this “middle america”? The “heartland of america.” Are those racist terms still used? Where are we? We, of the barrio? In the buttland? Where is this wonderful place, so often called “america?” Never been there.
Was it the editing? Why can’t they form complete sentences? I mean, uhm, well, uhm… Here are some of the greatest unintended one-liners in the history of media, in all their mostly monosyllabic glory. The Steelers dude is timeless.
Don’t get me right, that shit’s also right here in east los, en masse! Am I castigating mi gente? Everybody is mi gente, numskull! I’m fucking tired of people talking without saying anything. I said I’m tired! What chew gone do, blame lausd? Please. You with your ipod and latest fashion bullshit, but can’t give directions to save your life. “Uhm…Duh…I dunno…like, two blocks, no no three, then uhm…” Shit! And I’m not even talking about high school students!
I want to thank Mrs. Pa(l)in for helping cast a bright light on the dim bulbs. These suckers support her ignorance. “Hey, look, someone as stupid as meself can be president, she don’t know shit like me, she gots my vote. Go Sarah Go.” I know there are videos of the current president’s supporters, but he knows how to formulate common sentences. How elitist of me? Me and my City Terrace uppity ways, barrio couture, and plastic spoon upbringing. Is a complete sentence a bad thing? What about a thought? Fuck!
Am I being too harsh? I’ve been called that before, in fact, on this blog. Like all my other posts, I could give a… uhm… huh…anda…uhm…
Is she the dumbest national politician in recent memory? Can we forget the guy who said, “I hear there’s rumors on the internets,” “One of the things I’ve used on The google…” and “… you’re working hard to put food on your family” Hell no! But, it’s her time, she can lead a confederacy of dunces, can’t she? Who else could constantly use progress as a verb? Kills me every time. Party on, Garth!
This guy really has a bead on Pa(l)in. One of the few that pulls no punches on her lack of uhm… huh… uhm political knowledge, much less, the general speaking arts. He went apeshit when he found out she didn’t know Africa was a continent and not a country. Here he is breaking down her quitting speech: “…and as you hear the crowd clapping for her stupid ass lines, I think, I’m just so mortified for the audience. As I watch this whole 18 minute, 19 minute debacle, I thought, Please stop embarrassing yourselves by thinking that this woman is intelligent, oh my…” the guy has plenty of “straight talk.” wink wink.
Here are some others for you amusement:
and so many more! share them with the whole family, that would be so american of you. or are you a terrorist? wink.
I’m guessing it’s more intellectual dishonesty than it is stupidity. They just can’t say the real reason they support her on television. Palin has accused the president of “palling around with terrorists”. The word “terrorist” is the word that President Bush, and the media in general, used to describe the people that flew airplanes into the world trade center in 2001, and people who slice Americans’ heads off in the middle east and post it on youtube. That’s a strong accusation by Palin, and I think reveals the true mindset of her and her supporters.
Palin is on record doing nothing to defend Obama when one of her supporters shouted, “kill him” at one of her rallies. All she had to do was say something like, “Hey, come on now”. And, she heard the guy loud and clear. She heard him, and kept right on going.
Then, there was the lady at McCain’s rally who called Obama an Arab. Then McCain says Obama’s not an Arab, and the crowd booed him. The fact that they have a problem with him being what they perceive as Arab is proof that they’re racists. Arab describes an ethnic group. It is racist for a non Arab white person to hate Arabs, even though Arabs are considered white by the United States’ definition of ethnic origin. You’re singling out an ethnic group, and saying you don’t think they should be president, and that we’re at war with them. That lady proved it, and the others at the rally proved it when they booed McCain. And what the fuck is up with McCain saying Obama’s not an Arab, as if it’s a bad thing? “It shouldn’t matter what his ethnicity is” would be a more appropriate response from a presidential candidate, would it not? “no no, he’s not Arab, nothing to worry about”. Wow. That’s the day those mother fuckers blew their cover, far as I’m concerned.
If the Palin supporters who couldn’t come up with a reason for supporting her, actually supported her for lower taxes, pro life, etc, wouldn’t they just say so? If they think Obama’ a socialist, they could say that. They could say they dont’ believe in his socialist views, and that Palin represents free enterprise. They know that much just from the fliers that are handed out at those rallies. They’re stupid, but not that stupid. That fumbling around for an answer tells me that they can’t say what they really want to say.
“But ultimately what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy.”
Yeh, that’s a classic ^^^
24 year veteran of the midwest (and recent LA transplant) here.
while this video may show a fair cross-section of sarah palin supporters (i couldn’t say, i don’t know any), it’s really not a fair cross-section of middle americans.
sure, the midwest is far more conservative than coastal locales, and midwesterners are known for their insularity, but even my white, uber christian ex-farm folk family members know sarah palin is full of shit.
so, no, this is not middle america. sure, that is ms. palin’s base, but even in the midwest, there are bastions of liberal thought, places like oberlin, OH; minneapolis, MN; and, of course, the entire state of iowa, which legalized gay marriage this year.
i tire of the bullshit, victorless culture war so assiduously propagated by the far right, given voice by the likes of bill o’reilly and sarah palin who insist that there is a “real” america. but what pains me even more is to see an intelligent blog like this taking the bait.
so make fun of these stupid people all you want, but don’t overgeneralize, and don’t buy into the culture war.
but please keep writing this great blog. it’s taught me so much about my new community. and if you ever want to go out for a beer to talk about stoooooooopid palin supporters, let me know.
Really? Obviously there was a lot of editing done in this video. It was used to make Sarah Palin look like a fool. There was probably people who DID answer this guys’s questions eloquently, but for the purpose of the video (a ridiculous purpose by the way) they were edited out. Sarah Palin is obviously competent to be a Governor and an organizer in her community. Would her community have elected her otherwise? One can’t possiby argue that the majority of people in Alaska are “dumb” and that’s why they voted for her. If people are playing that card, then I argue that people simply voted for Obama because he was African American and would probably answer in the same way some of the Palin supporters did. Ignorance is everywhere. We can’t say that ALL of Palin supporters are ignorant, just like we can’t say all Obama supporters are smart.
Well said Christian.
I love how conservative ideology is trying to be marginalized by straw man arguments.
One thing I do notice though,while I watch political arguments, is that the left will call someone an idiot for holding a specific view, but the right will attack the view and then call someone an idiot for believing in it.
I guess the left is still upset over Howard Stern sending someone to Harlem to interview the people that voted for the POTUS.
I’m guessing that this is part of why provincial, reverse-elitist anti-intellectualism of all stripes is so dangerous and counter-productive to any community.
Most obviously, it emerges from a willful ignorance bent on maintaining dominant systems of oppression.
Less obviously, though, it seems to emerge from a learned inferiority complex that operates in a reactionary mode to the possible threat of feeling outclassed or challenged by someone who might say something educated, informed, intellectually engaging, or otherwise thoughtful and intelligent (no “big words” allowed—please limit that three-syllable vocabulary). The result in these cases is that even well-read “intellectual” folks learn to either “dumb down” their discourse and play the fool so as not to threaten and/or alienate others, or they withdraw altogether from the conversation.
Always it seems to be based on fear, mainly of any disruption to the status quo.
While I understand that survival needs sometimes put us in the position of having to publicly “dumb down” and hide our intelligence, I also think that part of participating in the global, international discourse as world citizens is to recognize that it’s a GOOD thing to read, to be informed, and to not be afraid to talk about things that matter in a thoughtful, “intellectual” way (or to unapologetically use a well-developed, sophisticated vocabulary to do so, in multiple languages). It’s also important to not be afraid to challenge, or be challenged by, others. We really are pretty stupid in this country, in general, compared to many other countries (Mexico and other Latin American countries come to mind, as CT points out). And also like CT points out, aside from the systemic educational disenfranchisement, which definitely plays a huge role that I think should be acknowledged here, at a certain point, it does become largely our own responsibility for not educating ourselves enough—learning other languages, reading widely and broadly, staying informed.
But I just think it’s important to point out as well the social dynamics at work. Real intellectual development and growth happens socially. So does intellectual stagnation and retardation. It’s important to see how the former doesn’t necessarily entail snobbery and elitism, and how the latter, paradoxically, often entails the insidious reverse-snobbery/elitism of a kind of “Ay, mira, se cree muy chingon” rhetoric.
A buddy of mine just moved back to Wisconsin. I can say that although LA Eastsiders and Wisconsins do things different, the moral and work ethic in wich it is done is the same. I’ll be visiting him in April can’t wait to have some freshly made cheese curds.
I am glad the video is edited.
You know someone is an idiot within 5 seconds into their speech.
In politics:
money = votes
votes = money
VOTE!
I’m sure glad we didn’t elect the McCain/Palin team, if we had elected the Alaskan bimbo, we would have increased the number of troops in Afghanistan. Luckily we learned our lessons in Iraq amd won’t continue a useless war in Afghanistan.
Francisco – I can’t imagine why anyone on the left would be surprised at the troop increases and the ramping up of the war in Afghanistan under Obama. Obama was extremely candid (and criticized by the other Democratic candidates for it) about his intention for the US to be more aggressive in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
His obvious understanding of the history and nature of the conflict and his willingness to be reasonably hawkish in fulfilling US goals in the region was the #1 reason he earned my early support in the race.
interesting post. interesting comments.
while palin supporters do seem to be (a bit) uneducated, what bothers me most, is that there are intelligent Republicans that wont say a word, as if she is the messiah. Wish more of them would be like Cindy McCain, then maybe, we can debate issues that matter to the American people and the country, not right wing nut jobs who want to shoot deer from helicopters, bomb abortion clinics, kill doctors in the name of life, God and all that is holy. One thing i do give Sarah Palin credit for, is allowing a space in which the crazy racists can come out. now we know who they are, although i would guess that we have ALWAYS known. but maybe now, we can pay attention to the political process because while many may think that it’s all a big waste of time and energy, its obvious that those that are against people of color or “others” are working harder to get into positions of power.
so aside from blogging, how many are willing to run for office, support candidates that matter and believe that a difference can be made?
or am i just too radical for this blog to think that small policies make a big difference?
“Looks go, weight goes up and down, but stupidity is static.”
“It’s important to see how the former OFTEN ENTAILS snobbery and elitism, and how the latter, paradoxically, DOESN’T NECESSARILY entails the insidious reverse-snobbery/elitism of a kind of “Ay, mira, se cree muy chingon†rhetoric (a la Jorge Lopez).
– there fixed it for ya! Nice little slant there (with your choice of words).
You are spot on regarding the reading,being informed, languages etc…that’s pretty universal and transcends racial,social,gender lines. Even though one uses $5 words, they are ultimately just words conveying A message. Siempre mantenle ojo!
No, Che, your correction articulates the opposite of what I was trying to argue. I said what I meant to say the first time; not sure if by “fixed” you meant corrected, or refuted, what I was saying.
My point was that intellectual growth and development doesn’t necessarily entail elitism or snobbery, despite the reactionary equation that is often made between the two. Intellectual stagnation, on the other hand, often paradoxically DOES entail a kind of reactionary anti-intellectualism that is actually a reverse-elitist snobbery.
The trick is finding a balance, as always.
The difficult issue that comes up can be seen in the kind of clever, deceptively “non-intellectual” rhetoric that CT uses to convey and bring up some very complex ideas and questions that are obviously informed by a great deal of reading and understanding and intellectual development and engagement. If we want to participate with those folks he invokes in Mexico or Cuba, for example, what kind of language and vocabulary do we use? Some of us don’t even want to participate with them, that’s part of my point (and his, I think)–there is the perception of snobbery and intellectual elitism because they talk about “intellectual” things in an “intellectual” way and so we get all stoically cholo and refuse to play. Others want to, but envision a different way of communicating, maybe? or, are unsure of how to communicate at all about these things even, because there is all this difficulty and (Catholic) guilt (?) around engaging in intellectual discourse. And others who do try to engage in intellectual discourse end up feeling alienated and excluded by reactionary anti-intellectualism that pounces on their “$5 words” as signs of snobbery.
It’s a complicated question, somethign I’ve been thinking about for a while now, so just thought I’d throw it out there b/c CT brought it up in this context. Mainly my point has to do with the social element involved in the whole thing, how we regulate each other, how we define together and for each other what is “intellectual,” what is allowed, and what is not. I’m just curious how others approach this problem.
I always wondered what it would be like if Ted Nudget ran for president and who would step up to support him and vote him into the presidency. Thanks to this video, I now have an answer. 🙂
Christian
November 30th, 2009 | 1:31 am
Really? Obviously there was a lot of editing done in this video. It was used to make Sarah Palin look like a fool.
…….
Sure. She’s actually a genius. It’s just the way they’re editing these videos that make her seem dumb.
Again, in case you missed it, and this is a direct quote of Palin’s:
“But ultimately what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy.”
Did they edit that to make her look stupid, too? Or did it just fly right out of her mouth when she was asked a direct question about the bail out?
Palin supporters are a lot dumber than Obama supporters. I’ve seen all of the videos satirizing both sides. You’ll find some naivety on the side of Obama’s supporters. But it is nothing compared to the paranoia, hatred, and overall, utter stupidity that comes from the Palin camp. Palin supporters are scary. If they’re not as stupid as Sarah Palin, they make up for it in unchecked, rudderless anger. And of course, this isn’t limited to Sarah Palin’s supporters. This applies to most of the American right wing today.
First and foremost, that video is hilarious. Don’t make me quote it now, don’t make me… ok, you made me, “I don’t know what she knows, what she doesn’t know, I wouldn’t know half the stuff that probably some people ask me.” AND ‘We need good people like that that aren’t afraid to speak up for reality.” I didn’t know reality wasn’t speaking up, but… Do you want more, huh, do ya? It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
If I may borrow from the artist known as Bono (funny, no?) who said, “I don’t feel I need to explain my lyrics…” Nonetheless, let me make some random observations.
1. Palin is one of the MOST transparent demagogues in the modern media era. She’s up there with Sharpton and Gingrich, no? Let’s call her what she is: a politician. A parasite, a leech. The worse type of snake-oil saleswoman, with plenty of racial pandering, jingoistic calls to arms and hollow righteous indignation.
2. The problem is we see through her crap. She is full of it. She is pathological and scatalogical. This play for “american values” has always been stupid but when coming from such a retard, it comes off worse than David Duke, another brainiac.
But, wait, is my vitriol springing from an ideological difference? Blah Blah Blah. I’m not that shallow. I have no ideology and look, I’m still alive. What about Obama? I could give a fuck, but, again, he can speak, quite well. Imagine, we are debating the merits of excellent oratorical skills in the national public forum. What hath god wrought. god? speaking of parasites…
3. Ideology. I challenge her to spell the word. “e-y-e… hmmm… dia?” Why such venom? Venom for poison, I’m doing fine, homeopathically speaking. Remember there is no etiquette or decorum when dealing with ignorant, divisive demagogues. Get that straight. She is a plague on this land. The fact that THAT needs to be clarified is frightening.
4. I once mocked Bush and a friend said, “at least respect the position.” I almost hit the ground. And I was lying down. This same person is in hysterics with the obama situation. She now can’t remember making her statement but believes the end is NOW near: not when the president was attacking 2 countries, commiting gross negligence with a national disaster in Louisiana, etc. Guy should be in jail just for those 3 crimes. This is where Dopey, of a mother with exquisite studies in nomenclature, hits it on the noggin. It’s just willful ignorance, on some part, in most arenas, from the barrio school to national politics to silly book signings. My blast on RHS was to make that point. I know we from the barrio, but fuck, try motherfuckers, try! Some hear me.
My appreciation for not projecting something I didn’t mean. There is a context here. Really. I often talk to young ones and tell them, “listen fuckface, you got the street shit down, congrats. now get some other shit down. are you proud to be raza? (that usually shakes em up and makes them reply in an angry affirmative) You think your ancestors read at 2nd grade level when they were 17? Look at me, you little shit! Am I on the floor? Then look at me…” Pleasantries in that vein.
5. I’m even charged with playing the race card here. WTF? I don’t play cards. She is in fact The race card. If she wasn’t so pale, where would she be? Mother of 5, one unwed teen knocked up, slayer of common laws of grammar, mocker of community activists (wasn’t jesus christ one?), etc. I wonder where she would be in the national political circus, if she was other than “pale”? She is as impure and simple as the driven sludge from Lincoln Park. OR that I’m fighting in some culture war. Huh? It’s a war, always has been. Am I overgeneralizing? I don’t overextend or overstate, understand. Over and out.
6. BTW “some of my best friends are…” from the Midwest.
7. Her supporters are hilarious, in this video. Was it made to make Palin look like a fool? She needs no help. I don’t know many of her supporters. Are they stupid, well, that would be harsh, but damn, if someone you support / claim as an ally is dumber than a flat tether ball… what is one to conclude?
8. I was in my friend’s Queretaro music store and these 2 old timers came in and began discussing some jazz saxophonists. Now, I don’t really know jazz music nor am I a rabid fan of the sax. But the dialogue went thusly: “I feel Ben Webster’s ‘Soulville’ is one of the greatest portrayals…” “I think Gerry Mulligan’s work in the 60’s was his best…” I pitch in with, “I thought Coleman Hawkins was such a warm player…” and with 2 inviting, ancient smiles, I’m in such an intense, playful conversation about jazz that then veered into the writings of Carlos Monsivais and the local book fair. All with no pretense or the demonic phrase/posture, “What? You never heard of that…” I learned so much. That was 3 weeks ago.
9. Is her popularity just the cult of personality? Well, the cult is there, but where is the personality? Oh now, I’m just being mean. I remember when Patch Adams called Bush “a celebration of stupidity.” I laughed my my ass off. Did I ever have an ass? Well, with this celebration of willful ignorance, I can only sigh.
10. Her War on Eloquence is unwelcome in these parts. Why isn’t everyone up in arms… literally. You would think that she’d be laughed off the stage. You would think… and therein lies the problem.
before you start slanderin’ the late jc’s name by labeling him a “community actvist,” ct, you might wanna peep this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091203/ap_on_re/us_rel_conservative_bible
turns out all that “do unto others” bullshit is nothing but a buncha propaganda shoved into the good book by liberal biblical scholars. wonder if the new version will include a scriptural passage where jesus bumps off the money lenders, takes over their corner and hikes up interest fees on all the poor suckers as an example of the righteousness of unfettered capitalism…..
pretty fucking sad when even their own god is too “liberal” for ’em anymore…..
JT,
I heard about these morons. Crazy, like the bible needs a modern political slant. But, it’s no surprise when the bad seed of Phyllis Schafly is involved. I hope I spelled her name incorrectly. I’m sure she’s in the Pa(l)in camp.
Yup, the golden rule will finally be, “He who has the gold, makes the rules” or for some/many republican congressmen, “The rule is… the only showers I take are golden.”
Popular charlatans like that Alaskan, feed the desire to venture even more to the “extreme,” like if millions of poor is not extreme. You know what I mean. It’s All about the dolla bill, y’all.
Yeah, that’s funny, they even have to correct their deities, so they fall in line with their power plays. Guess god is broke(n).
“the late jc…” i thought jose canseco died. Bash on!