Quitters Never Prosper?

I have mostly stayed away from Sarah Palin's resignation (aside from comparing her to a horror movie villain, but what was I supposed to do? Not compare her to a horror movie villain? No. I didn't think so), but Andrew Sullivan links to a thought, that I must in full candor admit- I had not thought of on my own. In all honesty, I probably would not have:

In 1754, Lt. Col. George Washington quit the Virginia militia, an obscure fact that now seems a bit more interesting in the wake of Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation in Alaska.

That does seem more interesting.

This whole George Washington/ Sarah Palin thing is even more eerie when you consider all the similarities:

• Neither were members of the liberal elite or mainstream media
• They were both pretty mavericky (King George thought George Washington went rogue)
• Both had Tea Parties go on under their watch
• Both had nice hair
• Both had children named Trig
• Neither ever told a lie

In fact, the fact that both George Washington and Sarah Palin both quit has made me rethink a lot about quitting, too. I mean, isn't it good to quit smoking or drinking or drugs? Yes, it is. What if Michael Jordan had never quit baseball? That would have been bad. Jack Twist wishes he knew how to quit (you.) So, think about that.

Of course, it is slightly more complicated that that. Palin herself said:

"I am not a quitter. I am a fighter."

So if Washington was a quitter, how can we possibly compare non-quitter Sarah Palin to him?

Although when you think about it, General George Washington was also a fighter, so don't worry- George Washington and Sarah Palin are still pretty much the same person.

Sarah Palin and Queen Esther- Both Beauty Contest Winners

Though I think the talent that Queen Esther had to perform was a different sort of flute playing than Sarah Palin's.

On The Plank, Jonathan Chait asks an interesting question today:

One of the most alarming things about Katherine Harris--remember her?--was her persistent fantasy that she was a modern-day Queen Esther, dramatically proclaiming, "If I perish, I perish." Now Sarah Palin is saying, "If I die, I die." Is she also indulging the Queen Esther fantasy?

Now, we'll leave aside that Chait missed the more obvious fantasy she is indulging, and just say that if she is indulging her Queen Esther fantasy... well, Orphan said it best:

Palin's Speeches Remain Unclear, But Her References Are Awfully Specific

(hattip Amicus Bloggus BiMus for the catch)

The quote from this morning's NY Post:
Apparently, she can see Ivan Drago from her house.

Couldn't you just see Palin explaining herself at her next news conference by saying "I fight to win! I fight for me! For Me!"

And, of course, the requisite Ivan Drago tribute:


T minus 6 hours till someone has the Drago/Palin mashup online. I think that's how this whole saga ends. I think Sarah Palin goes the Drago route and helps to end the Cold War.

Just Because You Can Take Offense, Doesn't Mean You Should

David Letterman made a joke last the other night that went like this:



Funny? Maybe. His studio audience thought so. I personally don't find it hilarious. But I don't find it beyond-the-pale-offensive. Who does? Sarah Palin:

"Laughter incited by sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/N.Y. entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others."

And Todd Palin:

"Any ‘jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it, and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too."

Ugh. Can I say "Ugh?" I could explain the joke, I could try and decipher the second half of Governor Palin's response, I could point out my favorite part of the Governor's statement ("an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter" - Uh, does Todd know that?), but I won't. I'll just repeat my headline and mention that this connects to yesterday's post about Israel and Obama.

Just Because You Can Take Offense to Something, Doesn't Mean You Should Take Offense to it.

Also I love the actual Fox News article that summarizes the events:

the late-night talk-show host invited the governor to appear on "The Late Show" after stopping short of apologizing for "jokes" he had made about her and her family the night before, including one that referred to her daughter being "knocked up" by New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

The news article calls them "jokes" in quotes, implying that they were in no way jokes and that only a liberal media elite "Hollywood/N.Y. entertainer" could spin them to be jokes. Fox News is so offended on Palin's behalf that it can't even refer to something uttered in David Letterman's monologue, the place in his show where he tells jokes, as a joke.

By the way, Letterman responded in the video here, in perfect Letterman style, doing it only the way he can. To sum:

"Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."

My main point: Shame on you David Letterman, for raping Willow Palin.