Tancredo rips Palin: Not 'presidential,' just selling books

The Hill ^ | 03/01/10 | Eric Zimmermann

[Sub-Driver]

Tancredo rips Palin: Not 'presidential,' just selling books By Eric Zimmermann - 03/01/10 12:09 PM ET

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) ripped into fellow Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin in a recent interview, saying she's not "presidential" and accusing her of simply trying to sell books.

In an interview published yesterday (via GOP 12) Tancredo said he can't see Palin as commander in chief.

"I really don’t have this feeling about her as being presidential," he said. "I don’t know what it is exactly. I don’t know if the issues really are that difficult for her or not.”

Tancredo said Palin doesn't seem to be attempting to improve as a candidate and suggested that her goal seems to be to "make a lot of money and stay in the mix."

Tancredo said he's particularly upset that Palin will campaign for John McCain in his primary against J.D. Hayworth, a Tancredo ally:

She has to do this to rise in the party ranks?

“I think so.’’

So she is just as much an unprincipled politician as all the rest of them?

“To a large extent.’’

And you still love her?

“I didn’t say that!’’

Well, in your Tea Party speech you pointed out that she could finally say all those wonderful things now she’s free from McCain.

“I said: ‘Now she can tell it like it is.’ And she chooses not to.’’

But Tancredo saved his heaviest fire for McCain, whom Tancredo has long disagreed with on immigration reform, among other things.

“I don’t like him," Tancredo said flatly. "He is not a very pleasant person. He is nasty, mean; the skin of an onion would look deep compared to his. He has a short fuse, he is almost peculiarly unstable.”

[SoCalPol]

Tancredo took credit of much of Hunter’s work.

After supporting Romney in 08
Tancredo is tied into the CP loons
supporting that anti war, 9/11 Truther Chuck Baldwin
and speaking at their events.

[Servant of the Cross]

Well stated. Thank you for doing your part to continue to debunk this “quitter” crap. I try to do it to every now and then but it’s “whack-a-mole” here unfortunately. FR is not immune to imposters (or Hucksters, Paulsters, Mittsters, McQueegsters) seeking to undermine conservatives.

[Servant of the Cross]

LOL. Your continued use of the “quitter” moniker has been debunked over and over and over .....

[Reagan Man]

LOL Yeah, how one word drives some of you guys bonkers is kinda funny to watch. It is, what it is.

[Ouderkirk]

Mrs. Palin needs to lay low for another 10 months. Stay out of the 2010 congressional races, read, learn, and develop some policy. Built some allies and an organization. Work to get the party apparatus behind her.

Tancredo is right, to some extent and he is free to criticize Sarah. His critique has some merits. Sarah would be wise to sit down with Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, Guliani, and learn from them.

I understand her having to support McCain against J.D. Hayworth. It is a debt owed. She has to be hoping privately that McCain loses in the primary.

[pissant]

Tanc is OK. Prone to gum flapping and foot shooting on occasion.

[ScottinVA]

Up until that very statement was uttered, I was a fan of Tancredo’s. No more.

[Jim Scott]

The only thing Sarah Palin needs to do to lose my support today is start endorsing liberal solutions to problems. To my knowledge she hasn't yet done that.

No, she hasn't and I seriously doubt that she ever will. Thanks for mentioning that.

There simply is no chance any kind of discussion like this could be remotely possible if not for McCain. If Sarah Palin didn't acknowledge that she would show lack of class to epic proportions. So far I haven't seen her act with other than admirable class.

Thanks again for mentioning what more folks here should notice. Sara Palin has shown much class under the withering assault of the left and their lackeys, the national media.

Had Sarah Palin not endorsed the man who put her on the national political stage, we would be reading posts on FR about how she is an 'ingrate' and 'politically clueless' as well as having 'no class', albeit with the usual caveat that they loath McCain, but....

Obviously, there are liberal Democrats working these forums and some misguided Republicans that favor a RINO such as Mitt Romney as the GOP presidential candidate or a no-chance but supposedly 'pure' conservative that passes some arcane litmus test they've devised. All the while overlooking the real conservative on the national stage - Sarah Palin - who lives her ideology.

Tom Tancredo lost whatever credibility he had with many conservatives by making gratuitous slams against a true conservative politician who is attacked with unprecedented amounts of venom from the left on an almost daily basis. His opinions are irrelevant but aggravating, all the same.

I hope the people of Arizona choose Hayworth. In the end, it's their choice.

I agree and seeing John McCain finally retired and J.D. Hayworth replace him would be very inspiring. I hope it happens.

[ScottinVA]

In an interview published yesterday (via GOP 12) Tancredo said he can't see Palin as commander in chief.

I bet she draws more than the 1.5% Tanc averaged in the last go-round of GOP primaries.

[ScottinVA]

Sarah doesn’t launch attacks against fellow GOPers or conservatives. I wish the loudmouths would follow suit and stand down.

[greeneyes]

Yeh, that sums up my impression of McCain. I was in Washington DC a few years back. Down in the basement where the Senators walk from their offices to the Senate chambers.

Ran into him twice. All the other Senators I saw (I am a total unknown) had a smile and a nod. He was all bulled up, hateful looking, and quickly looked away to avoid eye contact. Maybe he was just having a bad day.

I also saw Alan Keyes at the airport. He was walking down the concourse to the gate, and I had just arrived, and was walking towards the exits. He was very friendly, even though I was kinda silly.

I had just seen him on the News the night before. I saw him, and said something like Oh you’re Alan Keyes aren’t you? Saw you on TV last night. He laughed, and said yes I am, nice to know you were watching.

[greeneyes]

Tancredo sounds a little green with envy.

[jla]

Sarah Palin has shown much class under the withering assault of the left and their lackeys, the national media.

This is irrefutably correct. I'll add that she is also very feminine. A trait more than a few females on the Right may wish to emulate.

Had Sarah Palin not endorsed the man who put her on the national political stage, we would be reading posts on FR about how she is an 'ingrate' and 'politically clueless' as well as having 'no class'

Not at all. I suspect you, and others, who prop this theory up are merely seeking a viable excuse for her egregious error in endorsing McCain.

As for that bombastic short arse, Tancredo, he really has no credibility in determining if anyone is presidential or not.

Aside: Just rec'd three of these T shirts, in different colors. The second image is found on back of each shirt -

[Solitar]

If you knew what you were talking about...

But ignorance does drive us bonkers.

[Chi-townChief]

Of course not - by the time CA had their primary, McCain was pretty much a fait accompli.

[hinckley buzzard]

Disgruntled has-been whose fifteen minutes have expired.

[hinckley buzzard]

yes I understand the issues involved but she was elected for a 4 year term .... But I swallowed hard ... but I’ll never vote for her for President

Butt-monkeys make remarkably impotent debaters.

[Finalapproach29er]

“Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.”
-Reagan’s 11th Commandment

Tancredo doesn’t deserve defending

[moonhawk]

I didn’t write them down. Something about people who can’t read English, and the general derogatory tone about immigrants. Didn’t seem to be confined to ILLEGAL immigrants, just nasty and snarky in general. That doesn’t win arguments.

Sorry I can’t be more specific, I was just repelled by the tone of the excerpts I saw on the news. And yes, I’m sure they were edited, but if you don’t say stupid things, they won’t be taken out of context.

[LachlanMinnesota]

Romney has been around longer - I have Romney fatigue.