Posted on 11/25/2010 8:41:56 AM PST by kristinn
A hit piece by a liberal blogger about a slip of the tongue by Sarah Palin regarding the crisis on the Korean peninsula has become an international news story that is being spun to impugn Palin's credibility as a potential presidential candidate.
Palin has been dishonestly quoted out of context in dozens of articles and broadcast reports as saying on the Glenn Beck radio show on Wednesday, "We gotta stand with our North Korean allies."
Here, in context, is what Palin actually said (transcription by Kristinn):
Glen Beck: "Sarah you said, you said in the last few days that you are considering a run for president. And uh, polls show that you would probably win the Republican nomination. How would you handle a situation like just developed in, in North Korea?"
Palin: "Well, North Korea, this is stemming from I think a greater problem when we're all sittin' around asking, "Oh no, what are we gonna do?" and we're not having a lot of faith that the White House is gonna come out with a strong enough policy to, um, sanction what it is that North Korea is gonna do. So this speaks to a bigger picture here that certainly scares me in terms our national security policies. But obviously, gotta stand with our North Korean allies. We're bound to by, by treaty."
Beck: "South Korea."
Palin: "We're also bound by, yeah, we're also bound by prudence to stand with our, our South Korean allies. Yes. And, uh, you know to remind North Korea, well, we're not gonna reward bad behavior and we're not gonna walk away. And we do need to press China to do more to increase the pressure on North Korea."
The smear started with liberal blogger Oliver Willis who posted an entry with the title, AUDIO: Sarah Palin: "We Gotta Stand With Our North Korean Allies. The blog post did not transcribe Palin's interview with Beck, it just had a snarky comment, "Genius. Absolute genius. When Glenn Beck is correcting you on foreign policy, well… genius."
Willis included the audio clip in his post which this transcription is based on. As can be seen, it was a simple slip of the tongue. But, because of how Willis disingenuously framed it, the slip has become "truth" to once again be used to smear Palin as ignorant of foreign affairs.
The hit piece was picked up by Mediaite, a site founded by former MSNBCer Dan Abrams, which titled their hit piece, Sarah Palin - North Korean Allies.
Mediaite also posted the audio clip. But even with the evidence that the comment was clearly a slip of the tongue, Mediaite smeared Palin as ignorant by quoting her out of context rather than publishing the entire exchange with Beck.
For good measure, Mediaite brought back a previous smear of Palin that claimed in 2008 when she was selected to be John McCain's running mate she did not know Korea was divided between North and South.
The Weekly Standard came to Palin's defense last night with a piece that chided her critics for the smear.
That did not stop the smear from going global, however. A Google News search shows nearly one hundred articles accusing Palin of not knowing that South Korea is our ally.
Wire services, broadcast networks and newspapers across America and the globe have gleefully picked up the smear.
The BBC piled on today with an article that said, "Her slip of the tongue over North Korea will provide more ammunition for critics who say she doesn't have sufficient knowledge or experience for high office."
The Times of India headlined their article, Sarah Palin's Latest Verbal Gaffe - North Korea an Ally.
It is a testament to Palin's global reach and influence that such a simple slip would garner worldwide headlines and be used by her enemies here and abroad to smear her.
However, the truth must be told and the media once more shamed for their duplicitious reporting.
“because the fraud by which Blue-states keep electing Red candidates is rooted in the community.”
By ‘Red’ candidates you mean socialists/commies?
“MSM works on the theory that a hollow brain is easy to convince. Unfortunately there are an abundance of hollow brains who vote and they’ll select the candidate the MSM supports. They are no more than the MSM Zombies.”
This is indeed a problem in modern America, and probably a more basic one than we care to imagine. It’s starts with self perception (education, socialization, indoctrination) and whether people want to educate themselves for self rule and autonomy, or be led and ruled over.
“Surely, you and Scott have concern over others - or is it just for SARAH you show your ‘sincere concern’.”
Absolutely I do. I care about the Conservative movement and anytime I hear of a gaffe (or an error in judgment or corruption) I have concerns. I have concerns for DeMint and Rubio and want to see them grow. I want to see our pool of qualified Conservative candidates grow and mature - surely you do too?
Did you bother to read my other comments on this string? I’ve been defending Gov. Palin left and right. Hmmmph. Look Presently, you do your defense of Palin no justice by chiding others who don’t *absolutely* agree with you. Look, I’ve been saying on here over and over that we need to defend Palin againt the scum in the socialist press regardless - so why do you bring that up with me at all? You have no adversary in me on that count whatsoever.
So, what’s your point here with me?
You are clearly not worth my time.
“And NEITHER DOES THE MEDIA - you and Scott are in their camp.”
I’ll speak for myself, and Scott can speak for himself. This is bogus and untrue. I am all for chiding the idiots in the socialist press. I’m not for Conservatives chiding each other, when we don’t absolutely agree. I think we need to always attempt to unify and stick together as Conservatives - as much as it is possible. We also need to be iron that sharpens iron (to sharpen and help each other so we’re more effective in all of our respective spheres of influence. This is one of the greatest reasons I appreciate and financially support FR.)
I personally am completely for defending Sarah Palin on this matter - what more do you want from me that would cause you to make such an inflammatory comment like you made above, accusing me of such an egregious violation? ;)
If you look at the history of my comments - you will see how much I utterly despise the socialist press and how I have NEVER lost an opportunity to point that out in vast numbers of threads.
Your fight is not with me FRiend. I do appreciate your vigorous, energetic defense of Gov. Palin. Please just adjust your artillery guns bearings slightly and avoid the friendly fire - will ya?
By 1994, the United States believed that North Korea had enough reprocessed plutonium to produce about 10 bombs with the amount of plutonium increasing.
No excuse for being shallow. One can be brief and not shallow.
I don’t see anybody critiquing any of the other potential nominees...
Although I can't speak for "anybody," I can for myself. I said, "We should be demanding more of all the candidates, not excusing their weaknesses."
Adding here that we are two years out from the next presidential election. I am keeping an open mind. Anyone who takes the next presidential election seriously will do the same until primary season. Not only making a candidate selection now, but becoming the worst kind of blind fanboy or fangirl this early reveals a narrow, closed mind. There are other conservatives who might become candidates. I want to hear from them all before making my choice.
At present, I see Palin as a shallow, glib gadfly celebrity. I'm one voter who wants to see genuine substance in any candidate I support. It's a candidate's responsibility to demonstrate it, not mine (or any voter's) responsibility to excuse their lack of it.
I don't care about the slip of the tongue. Happens to everyone. What I care about is that her response lacked substance. It was pure drivel. She does that a lot, unfortunately. Tries to give glib superficial answers to substantive questions. I don't care who else does it, who else flubs up, etc. This woman potentially could be the Republican nominee two years from now. I want to see growth in the substance of her pronouncements on the issues of the day. So far I'm not seeing it.
You diehard fans of hers -- instead of whining about how mean the MSM is, and excusing her shallowness -- you are the right people to pressure her to sharpen and deepen her knowledge, message, and image. Push her to become more substantive. That's what real friends do. They aren't yes men and women, but care enough to give constructive criticism when necessary.
Palin needs first and foremost a threshold level of credibility with voters on defense and national security which is the only Constitutional duty of the federal government. If she can’t speak with authority on foreign policy, and the bar has been set very, very low, it’s essentially over.
She can go back to being goddess of the Tea Party as the economy will no doubt play more heavily into Congressional races.
“I want to see growth in the substance of her pronouncements on the issues of the day.”
I agree with you. I’ve said as much on this and other threads.
“You diehard fans of hers — instead of whining about how mean the MSM is, and excusing her shallowness — you are the right people to pressure her to sharpen and deepen her knowledge, message, and image. Push her to become more substantive. That’s what real friends do. They aren’t yes men and women, but care enough to give constructive criticism when necessary.”
Not sure if *I* was your intended audience here, but I’m not actually supporting Palin as my first choice - which probably disqualifies me from ‘diehard fan’ status - lol. My first choice ticket presently is DeMint/Rubio. I will support Gov. Palin is she wins the Republican nod. But in any case, I think that Palin needs to walk in Reagan’s footsteps as AiT suggested in post 14 above.
Speaking of constructive criticism, let me give you some. May I? Perhaps you’re using this flub to highlight your concerns with what you perceive as a lack of substance - so granted. But I would suggest a little more context in your commentary, as in the acknowledgment of the press’ savaging of Gov. Palin and her family and how that may play into her ‘diehard fans’ concerns to defend her.
That’s if you really care to reach her ‘diehard fans’ or care to see Sarah Palin grow into more legitmate presidential timber in your estimation. But I really don’t know you from Adam, so perhaps my constructive criticism of you will not be well received - lol. ;)
I completely agree. For the record, I'm all for having her as President. I just want her more prepared when she takes her case to the voters between now and 2012. Unfortunately some on this thread can't or won't glean that meaning from my posts on this subject.
“Palin needs first and foremost a threshold level of credibility with voters on defense and national security which is the only Constitutional duty of the federal government.”
Doesn’t the federal government have the duty to “coin Money and regulate the Value thereof” according the Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution? But I digress...
“If she can’t speak with authority on foreign policy, and the bar has been set very, very low, it’s essentially over.”
What’s over? I’m not saying that we shouldn’t expect more from SP, but what is over? Could you, I and all of us expect and want more foreign policy authority/knowledge from our POTUS - yes. Could Sarah Palin still be elected POTUS - yes. So what’s over?
“She can go back to being goddess of the Tea Party as the economy will no doubt play more heavily into Congressional races.”
With all due respect, you sound annoyed with Gov. Palin, and for that matter with the Tea Party. Or am I reading too much into your comments (would you like to elaborate?) Don’t you understand how instrumental the TPs were in the huge number of HoR and local seats that changed hands on 11/2. I’d say if Palin is goddess of that, she really helped out her nation. What have you and I don’t by comparison - LOL?
Look, Sarah Palin isn’t my first choice for POTUS - but I don’t think we have to essentially mock her, and the TPs, by using phrases like ‘go back to being goddess of the Tea Party’ - unless you really are into tearing her, and the Tea Parties down? Honestly, you sound like you’re writing for the New York Times...;)
“What have you and I don’t by comparison - LOL?” = “What have you and I DONE by comparison...”
“I completely agree. For the record, I’m all for having her as President. I just want her more prepared when she takes her case to the voters between now and 2012. Unfortunately some on this thread can’t or won’t glean that meaning from my posts on this subject.”
++++++++++++++++++
This thread is a “safe place”, and you can share your ideas with us...LOL - totally kidding around.
btw, what did you think about AiT’s post #14 suggestions for SP to follow in Reagan’s footsteps to increase her foreign policy prowess?
The ideas in Post #14 are good ones. I think she should visit the DMZ. She should interact with the USFK leaders and get as high-level an orientation briefing as possible (assuming she has no current Secret or TS clearance). Ditto for other areas of conflict/potential conflict.
I wish the Palin Cultists would let their personality cult open up a bit to allow such things to happen. Rather than admit she could grow, however, many prefer she remain ignorant—rather than admit she’s less than a saint.
“No excuse for being shallow. One can be brief and not shallow.”
The answers weren’t shallow, they were shortened due to the length of the radio interview. That’s not an excuse, that is an accurate observation. The answers were fine and will be more detailed once the campaign and announcement begin.
“Adding here that we are two years out from the next presidential election. I am keeping an open mind. Anyone who takes the next presidential election seriously will do the same until primary season.”
Well, people who are tuned in to politics can see that the GOP Primary will come down to Palin and RINO Romney, so for conservatives the choice is an easy one.
“At present, I see Palin as a shallow, glib gadfly celebrity.”
Your opinion is a minority one among conservatives and your welcome to that opinion.
“I wish the Palin Cultists would let their personality cult open up a bit to allow such things to happen.”
What is the connection between Palin supporters and what Gov. Palin does? Your comment is incoherent.
It would be like saying the PDSrs should let their hate go to allow Romney to do something...bizarre.
However, she has a lot of learning to go through on foreign affairs, that just cannot be denied.
Some of the best managers are those who are NOT "Yes Men" to the management level above them, but give the the truth and give it straight, so things can be fixed.
There are some here who do not like Palin, no doubt. They are closet Romneybots, or somehow she is not conservative enough for them, I can get that.
But there are others who do not mind her, but sincerely and objectively see some areas that need buffing and polishing in terms of her depth, delivery and hands-on creds, and when they suggest it, they are nailed to the cross because of it.
This is the essence of famed FR Bushbotism cultist-like mindless thinking/blind following; you often cannot have any honest open discussion on some things in a Stalinist environment, that are for her own benefit sometimes here, it seems.
Oh well I guess they have to learn the hard way, and wait for Obama to cream her in the Foreign Policy debate of three debates in 2012, often with first-hand, authoritative narrative no matter how off-based or ill-advised from a foreign policy standpoint.
She needs to fortify this area of her personal portfolio post haste, and part of that is extensive overseas travel throughout 2011, get on first name basis with world leaders, no other way around it, so all this just flows naturally from her when she is on the spot. This is for her own good. If she really is intent on running for the whole enchilada year after next.
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