The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Live Blogging Gov. Palin at Tea Party Convention

Posted on | February 6, 2010 | 59 Comments

by Smitty

Below is a sampling of the speech. Themes included Scott Brown as a Tea Party signal, the need for common-sense values, questions on national security and stimulus money. Broken promises.

I thought it a solid effort. The critics are going to be all over the shrill voice, in their own shrill tones.

She mentions debt briefly, and it’s the elephant in the room. Now, I’m not saying Governor Palin owes me the time of day. She clearly does not. I do hope to be supporting leadership, possibly her, that makes hard, painful decisions about that elephant. We still do not hear, even on the right, sufficient uproar over bankrupt entitlements. They were Constitutionally bankrupt long before they turned into swindles and stole our future.

She talks about the American people as not dumb. So lets have a voting-adults discussion about what level of government gets what responsibilities, and how they are funded. I submit as a going in principle that the Fed doesn’t play the F-F game with individuals: not for education; not housing; not retirement; not health care. Disabusing ourselves of the notion of Federal entitlements is step one.

Step two is figuring out how you’re transitioning of Keynesian crack and onto something sober and Austrian. Won’t be cheap. Even though a bazillion sensible Americans can see the need, getting leadership with the integrity to make those kinds of calls (perhaps Sarah, perhaps not) is going to be tough.

Step three is to make required systemic changes to minimize the risk of repeats. If you lop the tops off the weeds, they return. The roots require attention. This means dusting off the wisdom of the three-teir, three branch system of government which we’ve casually punted for a century. Mea culpa, too: I should have been screaming on blogs much earlier. Don’t worry, we’ll all get to pay.

Whoever manages to secure the nomination had better be the leader who brings the national come-to-beavis meeting, or all of this Tea Party business is so much urinary tract input.

Finally, before the meat of my rushed notes, forget not our Favorite Knight Errant, Stacy McCain, whose warm words from the non-blizzard area of the country we await. Consider how his writing might be improved by, say, a cup of coffee, or some token for an irate spouse…

Update: Dan Riehl plays the Huckabee card…


2145 EST God Bless America, thank you all.
2144 EST Reagan’s 99th birthday. His spirit endures.
2142 EST Need civil debate.
2139 EST We’re drowning in national debt, and many of us have had enough.
2138 EST Legislators voting on unseen legislation.
2137 EST More than 40 lobbiests given waivers.
2137 EST Pledge to end closed door, sweetheart contracts. Last month, large contract given to Democrat donor.
2136 EST Actual dollar cost of stimulus, like jobs saved/created, is elusive. Current unemployment exceeds promised 8%.
2135 EST Nothing timely or target here. They seem wasteful.
2134 EST Stimulus cash ended up in places that don’t exist, for things that don’t stimulate.
2133 EST A year later: “How’s that hopey-changy stuff workin’ out for ya?” Joe [Biden’s] transparency meetings were held behind closed doors.
2132 EST VP Biden was going to be a good steward via tough, unprecedented oversight commission.
2131 EST Her AK veto against the stimulus money was over-ridden. The Fed will have taken more control as this plays out.
2130 EST The States knew that the Federal government was going to violate the 10th Amendment through the use of stimulus money.
2130 EST Paul Ryan quote: “TARP is a slush fund.” 92% of the executives on Wall Street still have their jobs.
2129 EST Washington has now replaced private irresponsibility with public irresponsibility.
2127 EST Democracies don’t go to war with each other. Foreign policy cannot be managed through personality.
2126 EST You’re tired of hearing the talk, talk, talk. It’s time for tough actions like sanctions on Iran.
2125 EST We need a policy dividing friends from enemies and recognizing the situation [I’ve garbled this point.]
2124 EST Where is the Presidents clear strong voice of support for Iranians struggling against Amadhinejad?
2122 EST That same kind of misguided thinking is seen throughout the Administration’s foreign policy [enumerates examples]
2121 EST To win that war, we need a Commander in Chief, not a professor standing at the lectern. *applause*
2120 EST Terrorist attacks are treated as an international crime spree rather than an act of war.
2119 EST TUB was interrogated for 50 minutes before he lawyered up and was read his Miranda Rights.
2118 EST [The Underpant’s Bomber’s] failure was a Christmas miracle, and that’s not how the system is supposed to work.
2117 EST National security is one place where Washington has to call it like it is.
2116 EST You have a vision for the future, one that values conservative principles and common-sense solutions.
2115 EST This is about the people, and it’s a lot bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter.
2114 EST Do not let Tea Party movement be defined by a single leader.
2113 EST In 2010, I tip my hat to anyone with the courage to throw theirs in the ring. Understand candidates are human, will disappoint occasionally.
2112 EST Tough primaries are good. Competition is good. Work for candidates who supports your values and priorities. Contested primaries are democracy at work.
2111 EST Big problems to solve. Tired of looking backward. Future looks good, because if there is hope in Mass., then there is hope everywhere.
2110 EST Voters are sending a message, liberal establishment running scared.
2109 EST When you’re 0 for 3, you’ve got to stop lecturing and start listening.
2108 EST The White House blames their candidate for the ‘Chowdah revolution’. Other blamess, but BHO made it about GWB.
2107 EST Shout out to Senator Scott Brown, who represents what this movement is all about.
2106 EST Trite Tea party joke about Iced Tea in Alaska. This is the revolution. Real people, not politicos.
I’m nearly done with the FMJRA. Stacy can reprimand my tardiness later. Man, PTJV has a sweet going-in-circles gadget while awaiting the start.

Comments

59 Responses to “Live Blogging Gov. Palin at Tea Party Convention”

  1. Bob Belvedere
    February 8th, 2010 @ 1:16 am

    Why do waste time on this Troll?

  2. Bob Belvedere
    February 7th, 2010 @ 8:16 pm

    Why do waste time on this Troll?

  3. smitty
    February 8th, 2010 @ 1:56 am

    @Bob
    Y4E? Oh, he’s our zampolit.

  4. smitty
    February 8th, 2010 @ 1:56 am

    @Bob
    Y4E? Oh, he’s our zampolit.

  5. smitty
    February 7th, 2010 @ 8:56 pm

    @Bob
    Y4E? Oh, he’s our zampolit.

  6. young4eyes
    February 8th, 2010 @ 5:19 am

    “History has proven that progressive’s’ ideas are bankrupt”
    Haha! Ideas like…civil rights, women’s rights…
    But hasn’t history shown that conservatism is a discredited religion? With 10 years of owning congress and 8 years of the presidency, what has Conservatism achieved?
    NOTHING!!!
    Oh Smitty, are you one of those now trying to move on from Birtherism to School transcript kooks?You see, it’s crock like this that shows the desperation on the Right is dire. Oh my, another teleprompter joke? Perhaps you are one of the delusional enough to think that the recent GOP/ BO debate where BO handed the GOP their asses on a plate was a win for the Republitards…Yeah, Palin is really gonna give it to BO in that setting…
    Please, Run Sarah Run!!!!

  7. young4eyes
    February 8th, 2010 @ 5:19 am

    “History has proven that progressive’s’ ideas are bankrupt”
    Haha! Ideas like…civil rights, women’s rights…
    But hasn’t history shown that conservatism is a discredited religion? With 10 years of owning congress and 8 years of the presidency, what has Conservatism achieved?
    NOTHING!!!
    Oh Smitty, are you one of those now trying to move on from Birtherism to School transcript kooks?You see, it’s crock like this that shows the desperation on the Right is dire. Oh my, another teleprompter joke? Perhaps you are one of the delusional enough to think that the recent GOP/ BO debate where BO handed the GOP their asses on a plate was a win for the Republitards…Yeah, Palin is really gonna give it to BO in that setting…
    Please, Run Sarah Run!!!!

  8. young4eyes
    February 8th, 2010 @ 12:19 am

    “History has proven that progressive’s’ ideas are bankrupt”
    Haha! Ideas like…civil rights, women’s rights…
    But hasn’t history shown that conservatism is a discredited religion? With 10 years of owning congress and 8 years of the presidency, what has Conservatism achieved?
    NOTHING!!!
    Oh Smitty, are you one of those now trying to move on from Birtherism to School transcript kooks?You see, it’s crock like this that shows the desperation on the Right is dire. Oh my, another teleprompter joke? Perhaps you are one of the delusional enough to think that the recent GOP/ BO debate where BO handed the GOP their asses on a plate was a win for the Republitards…Yeah, Palin is really gonna give it to BO in that setting…
    Please, Run Sarah Run!!!!

  9. Random Raving - Tim Tebow promotes domestic violence, Planned Parenthood sexualizes 10 year olds, Robert Gibbs writes on his hand and Wile E Coyote gets crushed - rightofcourse.com
    February 9th, 2010 @ 10:16 pm

    […] irrelevant, why do liberals have to try so hard to prove how incompetent and irrelevant she is.  Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker at a TEA Party convention (another group the left would have you believe to be irrelevant) on Saturday.  She wrote some […]