To all the teachers, coaches, friends, and relatives who have, in the course of my 54 years on planet Earth, told me "quitters never win" I give you the former half-term governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin:
"Pundits can debate the political costs and benefits of Sarah Palin's decision to step down as Alaska governor, but the monetary advantages of leaving her $125,000-a-year public service post are beyond dispute.
Since leaving office at the end of July 2009, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee has brought in at least 100 times her old salary - a haul now estimated at more than $12 million -- through television and book deals and a heavy schedule of speaking appearances worth five and six figures.
That conservative estimate is based on publicly available records and news accounts. The actual number is probably much higher, but is hard to quantify because Palin does not publicize her earnings, and has managed to keep a lid on reliable figures for her earnings from a multi-year contract with Fox News and a second book deal with HarperCollins."
What a country.
You get no argument from me. I am putting her in my "Axis of Evil" with Cheney, Rush, Boehner, Coulter, and Beck.
Actually, I blame Sarah Palin for ALL the mistrust and ugliness we see right now. Like it or not, before she blew on the scene in August of 2008, the party primaries and even the initial contest between McCain and Obama was heated, but about policy. You DID NOT see the name calling, the bitterness, and the bile being spewed until SHE began to sanction all the lies with her "pallin around with terrorists" crap. Up until that point, the elections were going much like before. I also blame McCain for picking her and foisting her on the rest of us. I blame her for not knowing when to get off the ride.
IF there is an act of domestic terrorism in this country in the next few years, you have to look no further than Sarah Palin and her crosshairs.
June, be concerned, be very concerned - lol!
Carguy, I find myself always agreeing with you. Should I be concerned?
Your idea is great. "Celebrities" seem to die off too long after their "use by dates." Palin's speech to the Wine & Spirits group in Las Vegas got pretty bad reviews and was not well attended. Hopefully that's the start of a trend.
Crap, I can just see it now. On next season's DWTS...Sarah Palin.
Or maybe she'll volunteer to eat worms on Survivor.
Or Surreal Life.
Whatever those shows are. I did see that she's got some gig lined up on TLC. Which means that TLC since it quit being The Learning Channel, must be ready to jump the shark now.
I bet ol' Cindy was twisting his tail about it also.....that look might have been one of actual pain.....
I really love you, Bubba!
I'm POSITIVE Jack Kemp is, rolling, that is.
I just reread the article. $12 MILLION. That's a pretty good haul SO FAR for a failed GOP VP candidate. I'll bet William Miller is rolling over in his grave.
..
He IS dead, right? Don't anybody ask Joe Biden.
More and MORE reason for what I have been preaching for many years now.... THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND CELEBRITY.
Although WE THE PEOPLE can't effectively control ON WHOM "celebrity" is bestowed, we CAN and SHOULD revoke it when it is abused.
A "DHC" would be responsible for monitoring "celebrity" on those TV shows and dreadful magazines who bestow and cultivate "celebrity". It would be the responsibility of the DHC to revoke anybody's celebrity status for civil misdeads, high treason and, of course, gross stupidity.. Once that's done, nothing the "revokee" does or says is ever to be news again. No US or People Magazine, or ET or anything. They are just not worthy our time. ANYMORE. No "Dancing With Stars" or "Skating With Stars" OR "Circus With the STars."
The ONLY ways they can get their "celebrity" back is to give away at least $1.5 million to a recognized charity, through selfless actions save somebody's life, find a cure for cancer, or donate a kidney.
I think there are lots of people who should have their celebrity revoked. How 'bout you????
I'll never forgive John McCain for bringing this woman to national prominence. The look on his face when Sarah recently campaigned for him in Arizona spoke volumes. Desperation and regret.
Rich CONservatives look out for their underlings. They have to, imagine if they had to fend for themselves like everyone else.
Something the GOP found out years ago, is that some people have a price on their soul.
Carguy, I agree, but at this point I would say that Glenbeckistan has managed to acquire more cash than the Queen of Babble-on in about the same period of time. Personally, I don't care because neither got one cent of mine. They both know their audiences, which are one and the same.
Neither one says anything profound or even interesting and they go to great lengths to avoid being questioned by anyone with an IQ above room temperature. She does provide great fodder for the comics though.
I think it all depends on how you define "win".
What is that "they" say. "She is the exception that proves the rule".
I never understood that. Still don't. But, oddly enough, it seems appropriate here.
You have to give her credit, not many people can find a way to profit from their ignorance and stupidity like she has.
She provides even more support for the Yakov Smirnoff saying.."What a country!"
houtec wrote, "I would like for someone to agree that if she did stay as Governer [sic], It would have been a feeding frenzy with all the Law [sic] suits and Left wing Rads."
And that would be somehow worse than the "Seekret Mooslim, Socialist, Nazi, Kenyan, Halfrican, not an American citizen, not native born in the US, palling around with terrorists, taking away our guns and religion, non-registration for a non-draft during peactime" conspiracy theories, and other crap too numerous to mention we still hear non stop from the right ad nauseum for over 3 years running now about Obama? You do read the chron don't you?
I'll agree with you if you agree that as Des noted, Sarah Palin is a take the money and run quitter while Obama has despite all the nasty, racist, irrational, and ignorant criticism, signed a nuclear non proliferation treaty with Russia, drawn down the false war in Iraq peacefully (as a war can be "peaceful") and orderly on his original promised schedule, focused attention, resources, and brainpower on the real war in Afghanistan (you know where the perpetrators/planners of 9-11 were hiding?) to end that in a few years, took out a few pirates holding American hostages in Somalia, won the Nobel Peace Prize, passed historic health care reform to protect the most vulnerable American citizens (and at least put out a hopeful sign that a few of we Americans still care about each other), and turned around an economy and ended the worst recession (started by his predecessor) in recent modern history.
I'm game if you are houtec. Your move.
Huh?
I would like someone to agree that she is more suited to be Wasilla PTA president.
Do I begrudge her for making money?
No. It's a free country and if she can make a buck promoting herself as the Moose Queen, more power to her.
I begrudge her for her insistence on continuing to spread - and encourage the spread of - lies, hatred, and fear among those who don't take the time to think. And for acting like only the people who fawn over her are "real" Americans.
In the meantime, hell, she's good comedy fodder. I really enjoy Tina Fey.
Hey, more power to her I guess. P.T. Barnum might have been the most brilliant philosopher in history. Whatever happened to that Bailey character? Maybe someone could do a book tracking the least famous of famous duos. Start with Bailey and Frederich Engels. All I know is that Palin wouldn't do that book. Too much research.
I for one never though she would run for President in 2012 and of course she would never win. I would also never begrudge her for making bank. None of my money went to her so I don't care. I would like for someone to agree that if she did stay as Governer, It would have been a feeding frenzy with all the Law suits and Left wing Rads.
That previous comment should have read......(besides being stupid)......
As I've always said, if there is one thing that describes Caribou Barbie (being being stupid), it is that she is an opportunistic broad on the make.
Period.