Sarah Palin booksigning - interviews with her supporters ... eeek.

[jambovambo]

There really is no hope for the world if people like them vote in someone like her.

 

 

"Compromise is for people that are wrong"

 

"We need to get those polar bears off the endangered list so that we can drill for oil there ..."

 

Post your examples from this vid here ... could be a whole new line in t-shirts ...

[Victorian]

There really is no hope for the world if people like them vote in someone like her.

 

 

"Compromise is for people that are wrong"

"We need to get those polar bears off the endangered list so that we can drill for oil there ..."

 

Post your examples from this vid here ... could be a whole new line in t-shirts ...

 

i like this. this is my new motto.

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

I got about half way through and had to stop watching.

 

Americans are f****ng nuts!

[jambovambo]

I got about half way through and had to stop watching.

 

Americans are f****ng nuts!

 

Sadly, the powers that be, or want to be, are not stupid, and see her as their meal ticket to the White House ... relying on the stupidity of the average punter.

 

PS how long before the ""GHP" or "Would you?" posts?

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

The fact that so many of them know nothing about any of her policies says it all about US voters in general - they are fed a diet of dumbed down news and take it all in. Sarah Palin is cool at the moment as apparently Obama is trying to bring socialism to the US and Palin wouldnt do that.

 

I have to watch the BBC news on BBC America to get a good understanding and balanced view of US politics -CNN, Fox etc are just ridiculously bad. I wanted to find out more about the healthcare debate - the only place i could get a decent unbiased view? The BBC! And this is in a country where the media is king and the media 'help' people decide who to vote for.

 

I'm loving that some of the ***** in this vid are clearly college students - who have no idea about the world!

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

Sadly, the powers that be, or want to be, are not stupid, and see her as their meal ticket to the White House ... relying on the stupidity of the average punter.

 

PS how long before the ""GHP" or "Would you?" posts?

 

Palin? Definitely!

 

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

Bit harsh on Americans here, chaps. They did, after all, give her a drubbing when it matter - in the election.

[jambovambo]

Bit harsh on Americans here, chaps. They did, after all, give her a drubbing when it matter - in the election.

Aye, true, but ... this is now - and instead of her getting wheeled in at the last moment as per last time, they have 3+ years to get this bandwagon rolling !

[roosevelt]

Bit harsh on Americans here, chaps. They did, after all, give her a drubbing when it matter - in the election.

 

On the money. It's a big place, folks...these people are fringe lunatics.

 

Not sure if Obama will get a second term...he is a little too far to the left for most Americans...but it won't be Palin. She'll be on 'I'm a celebrity' by 2012.

[roosevelt]

Aye, true, but ... this is now - and instead of her getting wheeled in at the last moment as per last time, they have 3+ years to get this bandwagon rolling !

 

3+ years for the wheels to fall off the wagon, before the wagon bursts into flames, more like...

[grumpyjambo]

Sadly, the powers that be, or want to be, are not stupid, and see her as their meal ticket to the White House ... relying on the stupidity of the average punter.

 

PS how long before the ""GHP" or "Would you?" posts?

 

 

Get her pumped!!!!!!

[Lovecraft]

Any politician that is brave enough to start a porn career while running for office is a refreshing change for me.

[I P Knightley]

Crikey!

 

A whole bunch of people with kneejerk reactions getting hot under the collar and dogmatic about issues about which they clearly have no understanding.

 

Thank goodness that JKB is a haven from that sort of intellect.

[The People's Chimp]

I don't even think he's an American citizen.

[The People's Chimp]

Well, I watch Fox News...A lot.

[redjambo]

I don't even think he's an American citizen.

 

Ah, the "Birthers". Nice folk.

 

http://www.birthers.org/

[wibble]

Well, I watch Fox News...A lot.

 

I think they all do.

 

Something needs to be done about Fox news. Rupert Murdoch's master-plan is in place and the mind-control is affecting a huge chunk of the American population.

 

On the odd occasion I have cast a glance at Fox News I have just been horrified by the constant fear and right wing garbage that they spout.

 

The dumbing down of the American people really is complete when they have converted such a large percentage of the population into non-thinking cretins like some of these folks.

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

I think they all do.

 

Something needs to be done about Fox news. Rupert Murdoch's master-plan is in place and the mind-control is affecting a huge chunk of the American population.

 

On the odd occasion I have cast a glance at Fox News I have just been horrified by the constant fear and right wing garbage that they spout.

 

The dumbing down of the American people really is complete when they have converted such a large percentage of the population into non-thinking cretins like some of these folks.

 

Agreed.

 

There needs to be some sort of definition of what 'news' is and what channels can call themselves news channels. It would be much fairer if channels like Fox were called 'Fox Comment' or 'Fox Opinion' channels. At least everybody would have a better understanding of what they were watching. The food and drug industry have conditions like this - e.g. having to call fake ice cream 'frozen dessert'. Why don't TV channels?

[2NaFish]

"The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter"

[hughesie27]

Chick at 2.15, utter doolally but I would!

''What sort of spending would you liek to see cut?''

''All of it''

 

''You wanna give away your money thats fine but don't tell me to give away my money. Thats Socialism.''

[The People's Chimp]

"The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter"

 

"I've met the man in the street, and he's a cant."

S.Vicious.

[2NaFish]

"I've met the man in the street, and he's a cant."

S.Vicious.

 

Our Sid was always that much more succinct that Winston.

[Patrick Bateman]

Something needs to be done about Fox news.

 

Whilst I agree in principle, I think any move to regulate would be instantly pounced upon as a sign of the imminent collapse of "real" America into some "Marxist/Leninist/Stalinist" nightmare. What astounds me is how wilfully ignorant these people are... as soon as they're asked a question they effectively say "I don't know what I'm talking about, but..." It's astonishing that an adult can think in such a way... but I suppose we have that problem here too, just on a proportionately smaller scale.

[Cade]

Listening to people like that makes you cheer for Al-Qaeda.

[2NaFish]

Whilst I agree in principle, I think any move to regulate would be instantly pounced upon as a sign of the imminent collapse of "real" America into some "Marxist/Leninist/Stalinist" nightmare. What astounds me is how wilfully ignorant these people are... as soon as they're asked a question they effectively say "I don't know what I'm talking about, but..." It's astonishing that an adult can think in such a way... but I suppose we have that problem here too, just on a proportionately smaller scale.

 

I wonder how many average britons could say what david cameron's views on foreign policy are. I wonder if dave knows. I wonder how many members of the shadow cabinet could tie their own shoelaces

[shaun.lawson]

I think they all do.

 

Something needs to be done about Fox news. Rupert Murdoch's master-plan is in place and the mind-control is affecting a huge chunk of the American population.

 

On the odd occasion I have cast a glance at Fox News I have just been horrified by the constant fear and right wing garbage that they spout.

 

The dumbing down of the American people really is complete when they have converted such a large percentage of the population into non-thinking cretins like some of these folks.

 

Complete nonsense, evidenced by the outcome of the last Presidential and Congressional elections. Though you might argue that the Republicans should've benefited in the latter, because the credit crunch was Bill Clinton's fault, and his policies were continued by Democratic Congresspeople for many years afterwards.

 

I've asked this question before, and will do so again now. Everyone forgets that the US is a huge great continent. Would you expect everyone living between Edinburgh and Moscow, Lisbon and Sofia to be equally well educated, enlightened and well travelled? Hardly - so why do we apply such double standards where America is concerned? We have more than our fair share of ignorant dumbasses in Britain too: in fact, every nation does.

 

The US elected a black man to lead it just over a year ago. This was after months and months on here of lazy, tired stereotypes insisting they couldn't possibly. This then changed to "he'll be assassinated before inauguration day", "he'll be assassinated during his Presidency", and "he's just a puppet anyway". All risible. There have been two assassination attempts on the British government fairly recently (one in Brighton, one in Downing Street); and in Sweden, their Prime Minister was murdered during the 1980s, their Foreign Minister only a few years ago.

 

Meanwhile, we haven't even had a black person in any of the major offices of state, let alone a black PM. We're in no position to cast aspersions at others if you ask me. If you want to know a bit about the US, visit the place: see it. The bits in the middle as well as the coasts. Yes, Fox News is appalling; just like the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Daily Record are here. But what I love about America is politics really matters there; and any society anywhere features idiots and bozos as well as people just like you or me.

[redjambo]

Complete nonsense, evidenced by the outcome of the last Presidential and Congressional elections. Though you might argue that the Republicans should've benefited in the latter, because the credit crunch was Bill Clinton's fault, and his policies were continued by Democratic Congresspeople for many years afterwards.

 

I've asked this question before, and will do so again now. Everyone forgets that the US is a huge great continent. Would you expect everyone living between Edinburgh and Moscow, Lisbon and Sofia to be equally well educated, enlightened and well travelled? Hardly - so why do we apply such double standards where America is concerned? We have more than our fair share of ignorant dumbasses in Britain too: in fact, every nation does.

 

The US elected a black man to lead it just over a year ago. This was after months and months on here of lazy, tired stereotypes insisting they couldn't possibly. This then changed to "he'll be assassinated before inauguration day", "he'll be assassinated during his Presidency", and "he's just a puppet anyway". All risible. There have been two assassination attempts on the British government fairly recently (one in Brighton, one in Downing Street); and in Sweden, their Prime Minister was murdered during the 1980s, their Foreign Minister only a few years ago.

 

Meanwhile, we haven't even had a black Cabinet minister, let alone a black PM. We're in no position to cast aspersions at others if you ask me. If you want to know a bit about the US, visit the place: see it. The bits in the middle as well as the coasts. Yes, Fox News is appalling; just like the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Daily Record are here. But what I love about America is politics really matters there; and any society anywhere features idiots and bozos as well as people just like you or me.

 

Try telling that to Paul Boateng.

[shaun.lawson]

Try telling that to Paul Boateng.

 

Oh, OK then. We haven't had a black person in any of the major offices of state. He was only Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

[redjambo]

Oh, OK then. We haven't had a black person in any of the major offices of state. He was only Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

 

Good, that means I don't have to mention Baroness Amos etc. too...

[shaun.lawson]

Good, that means I don't have to mention Baroness Amos etc. too...

 

You know what I mean though. Has a black person ever got anywhere near leading one of the three main British parties? Nope. We've only had one woman as leader of one of them too.

 

Still, I'm reminded of what my friend Kari said about Condoleezza Rice. "OK, let's see. She's female, she's black, she came from a poor background... and she's a Republican? She'd only have to be gay and in a wheelchair and she'd be the full set!"

[redjambo]

You know what I mean though. Has a black person ever got anywhere near leading one of the three main British parties? Nope. We've only had one woman as leader of one of them too.

 

Still, I'm reminded of what my friend Kari said about Condoleezza Rice. "OK, let's see. She's female, she's black, she came from a poor background... and she's a Republican? She'd only have to be gay and in a wheelchair and she'd be the full set!"

 

I agree with you on the under-representation of blacks and minorities in general in our governmental institutions. If you haven't read it already, this is worth a quick gander: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7717149.stm

 

Sample quote: "... it's very difficult for people who don't fit a certain mould - and that is to do with gender, it's to do with race and it's to do with class - to find their way into the outer reaches of politics."

[shaun.lawson]

I agree with you on the under-representation of blacks and minorities in general in our governmental institutions. If you haven't read it already, this is worth a quick gander: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7717149.stm

 

Sample quote: "... it's very difficult for people who don't fit a certain mould - and that is to do with gender, it's to do with race and it's to do with class - to find their way into the outer reaches of politics."

 

Indeed. And what's many young people's best chance of breaking into politics? Taking one of those ridiculous, appalling, unpaid internships which MPs and think tanks offer. But who can possibly afford them, other than those from comfortable backgrounds? It's legalised slavery if you ask me, and disastrously discriminatory.

[jambovambo]

You know what I mean though. Has a black person ever got anywhere near leading one of the three main British parties? Nope. We've only had one woman as leader of one of them too.

 

Still, I'm reminded of what my friend Kari said about Condoleezza Rice. "OK, let's see. She's female, she's black, she came from a poor background... and she's a Republican? She'd only have to be gay and in a wheelchair and she'd be the full set!"

 

There are allegations in that direction, so maybe she only has one to go now ...

[Gorgiewave]

There are allegations in that direction, so maybe she only has one to go now ...

 

@@@@@ and America will have lived out the true meaning of its creed...

[JamboJay]

I seem to recall that Condi Rice had a small penchant for professional sports guys, not sure if they were NFL, NBA or NHL.

 

Lovecraft @ 12 - This is the normal way of getting into the Italian parliament, it either that or being in the 'Family' way

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

Complete nonsense, evidenced by the outcome of the last Presidential and Congressional elections. Though you might argue that the Republicans should've benefited in the latter, because the credit crunch was Bill Clinton's fault, and his policies were continued by Democratic Congresspeople for many years afterwards.

 

I've asked this question before, and will do so again now. Everyone forgets that the US is a huge great continent. Would you expect everyone living between Edinburgh and Moscow, Lisbon and Sofia to be equally well educated, enlightened and well travelled? Hardly - so why do we apply such double standards where America is concerned? We have more than our fair share of ignorant dumbasses in Britain too: in fact, every nation does.

 

The US elected a black man to lead it just over a year ago. This was after months and months on here of lazy, tired stereotypes insisting they couldn't possibly. This then changed to "he'll be assassinated before inauguration day", "he'll be assassinated during his Presidency", and "he's just a puppet anyway". All risible. There have been two assassination attempts on the British government fairly recently (one in Brighton, one in Downing Street); and in Sweden, their Prime Minister was murdered during the 1980s, their Foreign Minister only a few years ago.

 

Meanwhile, we haven't even had a black person in any of the major offices of state, let alone a black PM. We're in no position to cast aspersions at others if you ask me. If you want to know a bit about the US, visit the place: see it. The bits in the middle as well as the coasts. Yes, Fox News is appalling; just like the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Daily Record are here. But what I love about America is politics really matters there; and any society anywhere features idiots and bozos as well as people just like you or me.

 

i'd argue that politics doesn't really matter here. What actually matters is whether or not there is something in it for individuals. Many people believe the understand the politics of the US, however, what they understand is what they are told by whatever media outlet tells them. I'll give you an example - i had a conversation with a colleague, who i would say is pretty intelligent about proposed healthcare reform - she was pretty adamant that it would result in illegal immigrants getting free healthcare at her expense. I then shared the link to the BBC website that has a helpful FAQ about it all - and lo, she was enlightened to many things that she didn't know as basically her level of knowledge about it extended to what the US media she chose to watch/read was telling her.

 

These people are the same in this video, they believe what they are told by media outlets with their own agenda. You could also say the same about many pro-Obama voters, they generally don't know much aside from what they are fed.

 

So, politics doesn't really matter. WIIFM does matter.

[shaun.lawson]

i'd argue that politics doesn't really matter here. What actually matters is whether or not there is something in it for individuals. Many people believe the understand the politics of the US, however, what they understand is what they are told by whatever media outlet tells them. I'll give you an example - i had a conversation with a colleague, who i would say is pretty intelligent about proposed healthcare reform - she was pretty adamant that it would result in illegal immigrants getting free healthcare at her expense. I then shared the link to the BBC website that has a helpful FAQ about it all - and lo, she was enlightened to many things that she didn't know as basically her level of knowledge about it extended to what the US media she chose to watch/read was telling her.

 

These people are the same in this video, they believe what they are told by media outlets with their own agenda. You could also say the same about many pro-Obama voters, they generally don't know much aside from what they are fed.

 

So, politics doesn't really matter. WIIFM does matter.

 

OK, to explain what I meant. In my view, politics really matters in the US because absolutely everything is up for debate. Granted, within that debate often lies misinformation, extremes and downright lies about many things; and it's up to the individual to separate what's true and seems reasonable from what isn't, which your colleague seems to have failed to do. I'm not arguing that's easy for a moment; but I do think people have no real excuse given the access most of us have to colossal amounts of information at the touch of a button nowadays.

 

Personally, I find America's historic position on healthcare to be very distasteful, and incomprehensible in places: why should healthcare be a political issue anywhere? But by the same token, American politics deals in extremes because a country based on freedom to the extent it sees itself as is bound to have extremes. In the end, there seem to be more than enough sensible people in the middle who find their way forwards.

 

And in terms of the media, we have a politicised and horrendously biased published press; their version is more the televisual media. Meanwhile, the BBC, for all its many flaws, is still largely viewed as objective and certainly respected around the world; just as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are.

 

I'd always been brought up being told Americans were insular, arrogant, didn't do irony and didn't travel much out of their own country. In terms of the irony point, I'd love someone to explain the success of The Simpsons or Frasier to me; and on my Masters at LSE, I met a whole bunch of fantastic, well educated, grounded people, quite unlike anyone I'd known here. They were internationalist in outlook, self-confident, warm, welcoming; with a very keen interest in politics and very clear pride in their country, for all its flaws. It was a defining period in my life to be honest: the stereotype we have of the US is just all wrong, even if I'm saying this to someone from Minneapolis!

[Moriarty]

watch at 7.10

 

roseanne is real!

 

[Craig Gordons Gloves]

Many of them don't do irony And to be fair, they are insular to an extent - the stereotype you had is actually not wrong, just a little misguided. This is all my experience of living here and NY for the past 3 years and traveling extensively throughout the US.

 

I'll give you a great example of something that i find hilarious at the moment. The Minnesota Vikings want a new stadium, and to be fair, the metrodome downtown is pretty crap in terms of facilities and comfort. However, they don't want to pay for it, they want the state to pay for it and by that, they want the taxpayers to fund it. Now, the vikings are a private company with revenues in the hundreds of millions. Basically, it's give us 1/2 billion for a new stadium or we'll leave. So, you then have people calling up the radio shows etc and DEMANDING that the state pays for a new stadium for them.

 

These are also the same people that call the same radio stations and go nuts about Obama being socialist and healthcare reform being a totally socialist notion.

 

I think you can probably see the irony, unfortunately most of them here can't or don't want to.

 

That all said, i have met, work with and am friends with many Americans who are great people. As a collective however, the stereotype works.

[shaun.lawson]

Many of them don't do irony And to be fair, they are insular to an extent - the stereotype you had is actually not wrong, just a little misguided. This is all my experience of living here and NY for the past 3 years and traveling extensively throughout the US.

 

I'll give you a great example of something that i find hilarious at the moment. The Minnesota Vikings want a new stadium, and to be fair, the metrodome downtown is pretty crap in terms of facilities and comfort. However, they don't want to pay for it, they want the state to pay for it and by that, they want the taxpayers to fund it. Now, the vikings are a private company with revenues in the hundreds of millions. Basically, it's give us 1/2 billion for a new stadium or we'll leave. So, you then have people calling up the radio shows etc and DEMANDING that the state pays for a new stadium for them.

 

These are also the same people that call the same radio stations and go nuts about Obama being socialist and healthcare reform being a totally socialist notion.

 

I think you can probably see the irony, unfortunately most of them here can't or don't want to.

 

That all said, i have met, work with and am friends with many Americans who are great people. As a collective however, the stereotype works.

 

Yeah - but don't many Americans invariably have very different attitudes when it comes to state funding, as opposed to what they see as Washington sticking its centralised nose in? It's weird I know, but that's how it seems to be. Meanwhile, on the point of the hypocrisy you mentioned: well, on this very forum, people are always bemoaning Vlad's lack of investment in the club while simultaneously complaining about the debt! Same thing, isn't it?

 

Conclusion: human beings - whether in the US or anywhere else - will always want to have their cake, and eat it.