Obama's ex-chief of staff: The GOP’s dysfunction all started with Sarah Palin

Business Insider ^ | 10/26/2015 | William M. Daley

[SeekAndFind]

When The Post's front page declares: "Republicans are on the verge of ceasing to function as a national party," it's time to ask: How did this come to pass?

You can choose from a litany of insurrections, government shutdowns and other self-inflicted wounds.

But this year's carnival-like GOP presidential primary makes one event, in retrospect, stand out as a crucial turning point on the road to upheaval: the 2008 embrace of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat from the presidency.

Palin's blatant lack of competence and preparedness needs no belaboring. What's critical is that substantive, serious Republican leaders either wouldn't or couldn't declare, before or after the election: "This is not what our party stands for. We can and must do better."

By the campaign's end, GOP operatives were shielding Palin from even the simplest questions. (She had flunked "what newspapers do you read?"). Barack Obama cruised to victory.

Palin became a Fox News fixture, reinforcing the newly formed tea party's "never compromise" demands. Bombast, not reason, reigned. Now the "settle for flash" aura of Palin's candidacy looks like a warning that the party was prizing glib, red-meat rhetoric over reasoned solutions.

Sadly, Palin owes her fame to 2008 presidential nominee John McCain, who is generally one of the party's more thoughtful and substantive veterans.

[Don Corleone]

Do the Leftist realize how stupid this sort of propaganda makes them look?

Not the "Rio Linda" branch. They eat this stuff up.

[kenmcg]

Don’t you just love it, some democrat PIECE OF $%^T talks about GOP dysfunction while he worked for the worst POTUS in American history. This RAT administration has betrayed our best allies, while supporting terror states, they have bankrupted the economy, they have not prosecuted democrat corruption, they have shredded the constitution, the POTUS has become a 3rd world dictator. While this puke talks of GOP dysfunction?

[Timber Rattler]

Palin’s fault, eh?

[drypowder]

it figures, coming from a Mafioso democrap thug

[Texas Eagle]

Don’t know if this Daley is related to the Chicago Daleys but, no diff, how is Chicago “functioning” these days and how much influence has Sarah Palin had on its condition?

[TTFlyer]

That’s my take as well. Well done.

[bakeneko]

He probably still feints everytime he hears “You Betcha!!”

[JEDI4S]

Up-chucking might be necessary if things don't change rapidly.

[VRWC For Truth]

The DNC’s dysfunction started with the Klintoons ...

[Timber Rattler]

Flashback to 2010:

Next for GOP leaders: Stopping Palin

For the period 2009-2011, Palin was virtually the only nationally known Republican out there who was leading the Conservative attack, via the TEA party, and then bearing vicious retaliation and GOP-E backstabbing all alone.

Just think about this...there would not be a 2010 congressional Tsunami, nor a Senator Ted Cruz or Mike Lee, nor any "Mama Grizzlies," if it had not been for Palin, all the while, the GOP-E and its poo-bahs were claiming that for the party to be successful in the future, it had to swing wildly left and go "Democrat lite."

Campaign 2010: The Politics of Palin (Endorsements Tracker)

The Mama Grizzly Scorecard (2010)

[jjotto]

*Everybody’s* dysfunction started with the end of the Cold War.

[Cowboy Bob]

I don’t any of them having potential with the exception of Castro. They make me a little nervous. They both need to be taken out.

It will be interesting to see who the keynote speaker will be at the Democrat convention next year.

[Timocrat]

I mean, I know he only wants to help.

Yes. Like Jack the Ripper giving safety tips for young women out alone late at night.

A scion of the family that has Chicago teetering on the brink of Bankruptcy along with the whole State of Illinois giving conservatives advice on why they are so screwed up. I believe the Yiddish word for that is chutzpah.

[stylin19a]

Palin's blatant lack of competence and preparedness needs no belaboring.

and that's opposed to Obama's competance & preparedness ?
Even his handlers knew Obama is an empty suit...
hence the need for manufacturing of the "Office of President Elect"

[Pietro]

What is amazing is that anyone w/ any ties to Wash. DC has zero comprehension why the nation is disgusted w/ the entire corrupt charade.

The gov. is racing towards bankruptcy and taking every man woman and child w/ them.

Soon our life's savings won't be worth a dozen donuts, but these guys can't understand why so many people are upset.

Hillary Clinton goes in front of congress and blatantly lies, is caught in lie after lie and NOTHING changes.

The IRS singles out right wing groups for financial destruction, is caught is lie after lie, and NOTHING happens.

Real unemployment is north of 20%, real inflation (have you been to the grocery store lately?) is probably pushing 8 or 9% and the economic numbers put out by the gov are complete, COMPLETE, fabrications.

If you're not pissed off; you're not paying attention.

[TexasCajun]

Them failing Republicans, they only hold majorities in both the House & Senate.

Their failure will be complete when they embarrass Hillary and the Democrats in next year's election.

[reg45]

Yes, he is the brother of Richard M. Daley, the former mayor of Chicago.

[ilovesarah2012]

I guess everyone got tired of blaming Bush.

This drivel makes me ill.

[Syncro]

I was there re the first 3 pictures.

The hated Palin for remembering and standing up for the base of the Republican party.

You should do your post again without the AP photo, if the mods see it they will pull the post.

[KC_Lion]

Ping to Sarah's Inspirational List!

Haters Gonna Hate!