Wonkette
What’s even better than watching these terrifying clips of Sarah Palin and Katie Couric every night? Reading our favorite chit-chat blog, National Review’s The Corner, the next morning! The Palin-Couric Sessions have been SO OBJECTIVELY HORRIFYING, and it’s a real hoot watching the Corner bloggers scramble together new Republican make-shift counterpoints each and every time. Today, for example, they argue that Joe Biden’s interview last night about the Supreme Court was worse than Sarah Palin’s, and that the American people will sympathize more with Sarah Palin because oh who the fuck knows.
In case you have not read the Internet today, last night Sarah Palin was asked a couple of questions about Roe v. Wade and then could not discuss a single other Supreme Court case with which she disagreed. So.
Here’s Ramesh Ponnuru who, along with Ross Douthat, Reihan Salam and others, has been labeled one of the “new conservative hopes” because every now and then he will insinuate that the Republican party may be in trouble and should fix itself by offering, uh, a tax credit or something:
Those excerpts from Couric’s interviews give me more concerns about Biden than Palin. He seems to be under the impression that there’s a “liberty clause” in the Fourteenth Amendment (he has talked about it in Supreme Court confirmation hearings too). He misdescribes what Roe held. He seems to believe that Roe has been good for social peace and that this alleged fact justifies it as constitutional law.
First sentence: OH? Second sentence: no no no. Third sentence: go on? Fourth sentence: that’s fair. So you be the judge, readers! Did Joe Biden’s interpretation of the most-argued-over Supreme Court case ever give you, too, “more concerns” than this?
COURIC: What other Supreme Court decisions [than Roe v. Wade] do you disagree with?
PALIN: Well, let’s see. There’s –of course –in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are–those issues, again, like Roe v Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know–going through the history of America, there would be others but–
COURIC: Can you think of any?
PALIN: Well, I could think of–of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a Vice President, if I’m so privileged to serve, wouldn’t be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.
Close call!
And oh shit, it’s Kathryn Jean Lopez:
Ask most Americans: Other than Roe, name a Supreme Court decision you disagree with? Off the top of your head? Sure, you’d come up with one. There’s Kelo. My mind would then wander to “that child-rape case.” Then, before digging deeper into history during these split-second deliberations, would realize I may not want to say “that child-rape case” on the national TV. And, then, decide: “I just am not going to play Katie’s quiz-show game.”
I think the campaign has decided “Sarah Palin doesn’t do game shows. And we’ll ‘expose’ the media for every one of those questions.”
Now maybe “K-Lo” is right and this actually is the full McCain strategy now — wouldn’t be surprising, and also, they’d lose by 10 points or so. It’s stunning to see many pundits give credence to this political logic: “If average Americans couldn’t answer this question sufficiently, then they’ll just feel sympathy more than anything else for the poor vice presidential candidate of the United States of America who may have to run the world in its most turbulent time since 1932.” Maybe average Americans weren’t turned off by “mean quizmaster” Katie Couric’s impossible question, which was to mention something that one of the government’s three main branches has ever done that she didn’t like. The “average” reaction may have been more like, “Biden answered questions. Palin did not answer questions. Biden looked better.”
This Is Not Spin, Honest Question [Corner]
Palin and Privacy [Corner]
Whatebbah. Palin’s a Post Turtle.
Like Bible Spice ever even heard of the ‘liberty clause’. She thinks those are on the lobsters you eat on 4th of July.
some of those names (raihan and ramesh) sound like a-rab names! why does the national review hate america?
Average Americans may not want to have their average retarded coworker running the white house. Anyways, thanks for reading the corner so I don’t have to.
I’m amazed Mooseburger Barbie doesn’t have SCOTUS’s most vile and filthy decision of late- Sodomy v Texas or whatever- on the top of her mind at all times, in all places. By her omission of said heresy, what is she saying, that she supports boybuttsex? Of all people, she should know fine and well that ding-dongs are only meant for hoo-hoos.
Texan Bulldoggette: Liberty Clause is actually who Srah Palin believes is currently flying around the middle east granting Democracy to those we decide need to have it.
Palin has done one “service”. By becoming such a national daily joke, she has eliminated any media coverage of Biden. Other than the five minutes we all laughed at Biden’s “FDR on TV talking about the Crash of ‘29″ gaffe, the only other time I’ve seen Biden since his acceptance speech has been is refreshingly competent SCOTUS response to Couric. Its all Palin Palin Palin.
I’m gonna miss her.
Wasn’t K-Lo married to Britney Spears or someone like that.
Dammit, Jim! I’m a commenter not a reader! In a day of long posts, my brain is dead. But good stuff.
In the great history of the United States of America…
Personally, I’ve always hated Allen v. U.S.
dearest: Bush.
No one expects the Couric Inquisition!
nietzscheprojectile: Fucking Marbury v. Madison. Goddamn activist judges.
whatever_dc: It’s easy for the National Review to hate America. So few people can afford to be Republicans, and the National Review is only for Republicans, so…
The National Review hates America because most of us belong to the wrong political party.
Any of these Palin responses would have earned my respect:
Bush v. Gore
Godzilla v. Megalon
Alien v. Predator
Kramer v. Kramer.
Biden comes across like a smart guy who really loves to talk and who, eventually says some dumb stuff because he yaks away so much. The interviewers big problem is getting him to shut up so she can ask a second question before the time is up.
Mooseburger comes across like a really stupid person who has no idea of what the questions mean. The interviewers problem is filling the l-o-n-g pauses between the time Mooseburger stops talking and the realization hits that she feels she has answered the question.
does everyone have their palin bingo cards printed out for tonight?
Monkey: Oh yeah sorry it was so long. There was just so much to blockquote! I’ll make it up and write a two-sentence penis joke or something next.
So no one’s ever heard of Brown v Board of Education.
Oh well.
dearest: One of the many reasons to read Wonkette is they wade through the muck to find the worst of the muck, although our editors may be sacrificing IQ points in doing so.
tunamelt: Starchamber!
Here’s Ramesh Ponnuru who, along with Ross Douthat, Reihan Salam and others, has been labeled one of the “new conservative hopes”…
Jesus, is there nothing the Republicans won’t outsource?
Jim Newell: I always knew you were the most kind-hearted of the editors.
SixThirty: That was a good one, & I guess that makes US soldiers his band of merry elves.
dearest: “thanks for reading the corner so I don’t have to”. Yeah, Jim, thanks for fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here on Wonkette, right??
Valerie:Valerie: Yes. Mine says ‘Um’, ‘Uh’, ‘Jesus’, ‘3 second stare’, ‘5 second stare’, ‘all of them’, ‘always’, ‘6 second stare’.
tunamelt: Palin probably would cite the Dred Scott decision as wise.
Jim Newell: That’s why you’re my favorite.
Seriously, this should have been easy for her. In June she released this statement:
“I am extremely disappointed with today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Palin said. “While the decision brings some degree of closure to Alaskans suffering from 19 years of litigation and delay, the court gutted the jury’s decision on punitive damages.”
about the supreme court’s decision on Exxon v. Baker. How hard would it be to bring that up? And it would have painted her as someone against the oil companies and for the people. How stupid do you have to be to not be able to remember something that happened just over 3 months ago?
cal: Palin probably wouldn’t want to say that she disagreed with that one. I’d pick Dredd Scott at least, though.
Biden’s answer to the “other than Roe” question was great (U.S. v. Morrison + a great answer for why it was a shit sandwich of a case). His answer to Roe was blah. Palin’s answer to Roe was between blah and incoherent — federalism, fine, but you can’t then say that there is a constitutional right to privacy while sticking to the federalism/originalist line. Palin’s answer the the “other than Roe” question was just too hilarious. Even if you have nothing to say, for eff sake, don’t bumble about like a drunk, nine-year old autistic kid.
Couric the Great and Terrible. Fear her!
wtf? Couric asked ordinary questions. Has she followed Hilz/Pohler’s advice?
choinski: I would expect her to give answer along the lines of “Joe vs the Volcano?”
“And, then, decide: “I just am not going to play Katie’s quiz-show game.””
Yeah, Charles Van Doren would have been stumped by that tough newspaper question too.
If the American public wanted to elect someone who was more qualified to be president than they were, the founding fathers would have made it a smartocracy instead of a dumbocracy [so sorry].
Fetishizing ignorance has been a hallmark of the right for some time now, ya know.
Someone should create a Palin-izer: you input a normal sentence or two and then get back a Palinized version of it, replete with sentence fragments, misplaced verbs, and plenty of “great history of America” and “Putin rears his head” type of nonsense.
Most politicians aiming for higher office are either law school trained or have some experience of making laws, so they at least have bumped into the supreme court decisions at some point. What did she do in Alaska, exactly? Fine for me to know nothing, but I’m not trying to be a lawmaker.
Unless called upon, of course. Then it will be my duty to serve. The number is 555….
choinski: Um, how about this one. http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/4486.asp What State was that in?
Ignore the last link, it has something to do with food. BWAH, I feel like Sarah!
the correct one. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26punitive.html
All Palin has to do tonight is speak in complete sentences. All Biden has to do is not call Palin “Sweetheart,” “Love Pita,” or “Sugar-Tits.” The bar is high, indeed.
Yeah, I mean for as wacky as he is sometimes (”Stand up, paraplegic.”), Joe Biden gave a completely competent answer to this question that shows he has actually done shit in government that has anything to do with anything. Sarah Palin, who at least has learned by now to keep the fear out of her eyes when she’s asked a question that’s not about Jesus or beauty pageants, starts off with that “Weeeelll” and I just want to shoot someone or something. Maybe if she and McCain get elected I’ll be able to?
I think we can all agree which SCOTUS decision had the most disasterous affect on the entire world, and thus has to be the worst decision in the history of law.
Any guesses to which case I refer?
Hint: it rhymes with “Tush b. Sore”, which would make a great name for a porno, btw.
Hey, I got one! That eminent domain thing where the SCOTUS reaffirmed the right of the government to take your land! We all disagree with that one, huh?
ShortShadey: someone has come close:
http://palinquotes.sillycloud.com/
forgive my inability to make that a hot link - I was sick the day they taught html at my school.
floraway: Because she didn’t even say that. Her press secretary made it up. She was probably out collecting graft or something.
I love that “knowing only what some working class manure salesman from Wichita would know” is our new standard for leadership. Maybe like, I don’t know, knowing another Supreme Court case other than the abortion one.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Just when we were mourning the loss of Kitty Harris the republicans come up with another stupid, vapid, mindless female!
What I wanna know is this: does Joe six pack even want the VP job? I don’t even think Joe six pack knows what’s going or that he even cares! And who else, besides Sarah Lou, refers to themselves as Joe six pack?
What happened to expecting our leaders - especially the presidential-ly type - to be exceptional?
Palin’s giving me anxiety attacks.
What made Biden’s answer so horrid is the fact that he failed to acknowledge the fact the the 4th Amendment was repealed by the Patriot Act, and the only liberty we have is because jhnny-Mac spent 5-1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton.
Warrants, we don’t need no stinking warrants!
Itsjustme: I forgot what site it was, propbably Sully’s, that linked to an Alaska newspaper - where she very publically expressed her disappointment in SCOTUS’s decision. Perhaps her memory is 64k.
Itsjustme: Hey, are you telling me my comments make me look fat?
Mrs. K: Here in NYC, I’ve heard people refer to Joey Bagadonuts. I assume Joe Sixpack is his brother-in-law who lives in Gilette, or something.
You know it’s gotten bad when you can’t even read the TRANSCRIPTS of these interviews without looking through your fingers and cringing. It’s just typed words and I’m hiding under my desk.
And the thing is, she wouldn’t have had to name them exactly, any more than she had to cite them. For example, she could have said something about the two University of Michigan cases, which split on affirmative action. Of course, then (if the only answer she did give was consistent) she would have to say that she thinks that states should be allowed to decide affirmative action: OOPS!, SINCE THE SCALIA/THOMAS IDIOTS LIKE TO USE THE CONSTITUTION ONLY WHEN IT FITS THEIR GOALS. (Apologies for the Paultardian caps slip).
Texan Bulldoggette: Liberty Clause are best eaten when dipped in to clarified Freedom Butter.
Hey, I have an idea for a new game show: “Are You Smarter than a VP Candidate?”
keepinitrealyo: Kelo v. City of New Landen (2005)—a community can use eminent domain to take over private land. Very Socialist/Communist.
Don’t you love it when the crazed blood-thirsty hordes turn on their own Robespierres?
If I were Biden, I’d just say after any Palin response, “I cede my time to the Governor, so that she can actually answer the question.”
choinski: In what respect Choinski?
choinski: Oh you forgot the most important
Walnuts v. His Mind
Palin-Bachman in 2012!!!
Connecting Incurious with Batshit Crazy for progress!
KOREMATSU? DREAD SCOTT? Couldn’t even get the easy ones. This is why someone with a BA in Journalism from Idaho state has no business in the white house.
cal: Are you thinking Plessy v. Ferguson (”separate but equal is cool”)? Brown v. Board of Education overturned that, so it probably would have been an even worse answer than her non-answer.
I’m really surprised that she didn’t say “Dred Scott v. Sandford” because that’s the one all the crazy pro-lifers bring up. They love talking about it all the time. “The supreme court was wrong again! Roe v. Wade was bad like Dred Scott v. Sandford! Because aborting a fetus legally is totally as evil as enslaving a sentient adult legally!”