Scarborough: Palin Knows She Can't Win, In It For Money

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Joe Scarborough has a decidedly cynical take on Sarah Palin's public musings about the possibility of a 2012 presidential run. The Morning Joe host asserts that Palin knows she can't win and won't run.

According to Scarborough, Palin is in it for the money, and is engaging in open speculation about a run for the mercenary purpose of keeping her brand alive.

Joe offered his jaded view on today's Morning Joe after the show aired a clip of Palin telling Barbara Walters that she believed she could defeat Pres. Obama.

View video after the jump.

[kiryandil]

There is a hard-core Palin fan club here that, based on postings, numbers in the dozens (maybe). The FreeRepublic is a lot of things but it is not an accurate bell weather for the mindset of the American voter. For most of us character counts and quitting is not a sign of character.

It's sad that even some FReepers are willing to legitimize the sleazy Democrat tactic of using taxpayer dollars and the machinery of government to attack their political opponents.

[WVKayaker]

For most of us character counts and quitting is not a sign of character.

"Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I’ve been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations - such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters’ questions.

Every one - all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We’ve won! But it hasn’t been cheap - the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to “opposition research” - that’s money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers - or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the “politics of personal destruction” ... Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn’t cost them a dime so they’re not going to stop draining public resources - spending other peoples’ money in their game.

It’s pretty insane - my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now. I know I promised no more “politics as usual,” but THIS isn’t what anyone had in mind for ALASKA.

If I have learned one thing: LIFE is about choices!

And one chooses how to react to circumstances. You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people!

Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: “Sit down and shut up”, but that’s the worthless, easy path; that’s a quitter’s way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”.

Nah, only dead fish “go with the flow”.

[Savage Beast]

Scarborough’s been spending too much time with brainless Lefty chicks.

[raybbr]

Interesting. Wasn't the take by FReepers...

You're right. I should have said "a lot of FReepers". It's clear the Palin Protectorate here on FR cannot stand ANY criticism of her even when they contradict themselves in her defense.

[j.argese]

ROFLMAO!!! This is one for the FR vault!!! And apropos

[kiryandil]

From your post, WVKayaker:

"...And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn’t cost them a dime so they’re not going to stop draining public resources - spending other peoples’ money in their game."

Wonder how many Blue states have these ethics laws in place, and why aren't FReepers wtc911 & citizen ALL OVER using the ethics laws to go after their Democrat politicians, since they're OK with the laws being used on Palin?

[citizen]

I remember those comments, like the “dead fish” analogy or her lame-duck rationale. By that standard, which is Palin’s own stated standard, every politician not wishing to stand for re-election should just go ahead and quit right then rather than keep doing their job. That is sadly laughable.

Only quitters quit.

I will not rationalize my vote in 2012 as I did in 08 by voting for McCain. That accomplished nothing. Palin has shown herself to be untrustworthy. I will choose 3rd party or write-in if necessary. That will also accomplished nothing in the election but it will allow me to maintain some self-respect.

[WVKayaker]

That is sadly laughable.

IOW, you are ok with the state being burdened by ridiculous and scurrilous attempts to bring her down. You approve of the draining of public resources to satisfy the whims of a few political trolls. You are just plain laughable...

Resigning is not just about "quitting"! You're just another PDS troll.

[McGruff]

I can not conceieve of a man or woman with the stalwart character of a Ronald Reagan abandoning the governorship of California or any other state for a non-lethal reason. I also can not fathom how any principled conservative was not appalled by Palin leaving office for her stated rationalizations.

Some seem to have short memories. Here's a excerpt from her Resignation speech.

Every one - all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We've won! But it hasn't been cheap - the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to “opposition research” - that's money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers - or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the “politics of personal destruction” ... Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn't cost them a dime so they're not going to stop draining public resources - spending other peoples’ money in their game.

I suggest everyone go back and refresh their memories by reading the whole speech.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/full-text-of-palins-resignation-speech.php

[kiryandil]

I'm sorry, citizen, I must have missed your personal campaign in Georgia to have ethics charges leveled against Stacey Abrams, because she's the leader of the Enemy in Georgia.

And if Georgia doesn't have the same kind of ethics laws that Alaska does, well, then - what are you waiting for? Get on getting them passed, already, so's we can smite our opponents with them! Keep us informed of your progress. Until then, STFU about what was going on in Alaska.

[kiryandil]

I'm sorry, raybbr, I must have missed your personal campaign in Connecticut to have ethics charges leveled against Richard Blumenthal.

And if Connecticut doesn't have the same kind of ethics laws that Alaska does, well, then - what are you waiting for? Get on getting them passed, already, so's we can smite our opponents with them! Keep us informed of your progress.

After your success, we can revisit the conversation about Palin.

[WVKayaker]

He’s apparently a Romneyite. He was telling us about Mittsy’s electability.
Probably has funny underwear! Trying to become a god, dontcha know!
These types are all seeking to promote somebody else, but have nothing but air! Unfortunately for us, it is all from their asses!

[kiryandil]

I'm sorry, raybbr, I must have missed your personal campaign in New York to have ethics charges leveled against David Paterson.

And if New York doesn't have the same kind of ethics laws that Alaska does, well, then - what are you waiting for? Get on getting them passed, already, so's we can smite our opponents with them! Keep us informed of your progress.

After your success, we can revisit the conversation about Palin.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It was OK for Algore to be into climate change and carbon credits for the money.

Why the double-standard, Joe?

[kiryandil]

He’s apparently a Romneyite. He was telling us about Mittsy’s electability. Probably has funny underwear! Trying to become a god, dontcha know! These types are all seeking to promote somebody else, but have nothing but air! Unfortunately for us, it is all from their asses!

LOL!

It's really odd that these types who are all like OK with what the Democrats did in Alaska aren't conducting the same type of campaigns in their own states.

What's up with that? Keyboard commandos, or just plain hypocrites?

Or do they wear Romney underwear & jammies, snuggled under their Romney bedsheet sets?

[kiryandil]

Whoops! My bad!

I'm sorry, wtc911, I must have missed your personal campaign in New York to have ethics charges leveled against David Paterson.

And if New York doesn't have the same kind of ethics laws that Alaska does, well, then - what are you waiting for? Get on getting them passed, already, so's we can smite our opponents with them! Keep us informed of your progress.

After your success, we can revisit the conversation about Palin.

There! Fixed it!

I wouldn't want to accuse raybbr of slacking in a state where he's not a resident, when he's already busy slacking in his home state...

Credit for "all talk and no action" where credit is due...

[USS Alaska]

He was thoroughly versed in every important detail of the domestic and foreign policy disputes of the day.

Has your memory faded?

I love RR but to say he was well versed in every important detail of policy disputes is nutz.

Reagan's foreign policy was {and I agreed 100%} "We win, they lose".

There's a load of detail in that.

"The bombing begins in 5 minutes"

RR was a great President, but to say we can't compare anyone to him is just insane.

[anton]

OK, I thought you were just full of BS, I just wanted to be sure.

What Palin did in resigning as Governor was good for Alaska and good for her. It was legal, ethical and constitutional.

[hoyt-clagwell]

Are you trying to say in your graphs that Palin has more executive experience because of the size of Alaska-it’s land mass???

[wtc911]

I recognize that! Isn’t it the speech Washington gave when he quit at Valley Forge? Or is it the speech Churchill gave when he quit in 1940? Man, those guys were great...