"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler
by Smitty
Noting the latest in the primary brinksmanship, maybe the parties could consider:
Yeah, it’ll likely be #3.
Rejection is painful, and I’m sure that Sarah Palin’s supporters blame themselves for her decision not to run. But don’t blame yourself and don’t blame Sarah — it was all my fault.
Mea culpa. Mea magna culpa.
Don’t ask why or how I was personally responsible for Sarah Palin not running for president. Don’t torture me into confessing my myriad personal failures and my sins — both of commission and omission — which caused her to reject your pleas that she run for president.
It doesn’t matter. I wanted her to run for president and she didn’t. If I had been good enough to deserve it, she would have said “yes.”
The failure is mine alone. Make me your scapegoat, and absolve yourself of any worry that you did anything wrong. All I ask in return is that you do me one favor, and read my column in The American Spectator:
Michelle McCormick was “working on a hellacious bar tab” in Clive, Iowa, when I called her Wednesday evening to get her reaction to the announcement that Sarah Palin will not run for president. McCormick has spent months in Iowa as a volunteer leader of the grassroots group Organize4Palin, and had every right to be bitter about the long waiting game that led up to Palin’s final “no.” Yet the 28-year-old Texan was cheerfully drinking away her disappointment and still full of praise for the former Alaska governor who inspired her.
“I keep telling people, no regrets,” said McCormick, who left her job and moved to Iowa to work without pay on Palin’s behalf. “I’ve had so much fun doing this — the people that I’ve met and good friendships I’ve made — I would not trade that for anything. Shoot — I got to meet Sarah Palin a couple of times. Man, that was awesome…. We still respect Governor Palin and respect her decision.… I will always respect Sarah Palin. Next to my mom, she’s one of my biggest role models. I’ve had a wonderful journey doing this.”
If McCormick did not fault Palin for the drawn-out “will she or won’t she” drama that continued all summer and into October, why should anyone else? Yet Palin’s announcement was an occasion for some to mock diehard supporters like McCormick. . . .
Read the whole thing, please.
But if you don’t, I’ll blame myself for that, too.
It’s all my fault. Because I suck.
by Smitty
Williamson at The Corner, emphasis original:
Those who talk about the horror of putting profits over people make no sense at all. The phrase is without intellectual content. Perhaps you do not think that Apple, or Goldman Sachs, or a professional sports enterprise, or an internet pornographer actually creates much social value; but markets are very democratic — everybody gets to decide for himself what he values. That is not the final answer to every question, because economic answers can only satisfy economic questions. But the range of questions requiring economic answers is very broad.
‘Putting profits over people’ is like ‘getting back to nature’. When, exactly, were you not in nature? Is there something unnatural about this keyboard? Does its matter not matter? Is it anti-matter? These physical objects are all derived, ultimately, from the Periodic Table of Elements, no?
The real grip about arguments such as these is that they are first and foremost emotional appeals. People are as inclined to put emotion over intellect when trying to persuade as they are to focus on separating cash from a mark more than delivering a product. Sure, it goes on. But is a myopic, transient game. That would be as stupid as Weyerhaeuser thrashing all the forests in the Pacific Northwest and not re-planting. Which they do not do. Because they are not flipping morons that put wood over sustainability. Yes, there is a quarterly report. And another. And another.
I think its actually rather brilliant, in a spitefully amputating one’s nose sort of way, that the anti-capitalist Left has managed to convince a cadre of useful idiots that businesses take the money and run on day 91, after submitting the quarterly report.
Other than explaining Solyndra and ilk, ‘putting profits over people’ is pure idiocy.
— compiled by Wombat-socho
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by Smitty
While it’s still barely Wednesday, here is one of Pennsylvania’s finest sons:
Ott is a wonderful Christian fellow with a delightfully dry twist on the humor. He may not beat Jodi Miller over on NewsBusted in a beauty contest,
but that’s a state with which I can empathize.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin broke the news that she will not be a candidate in 2012 on Mark Levin’s nationally syndicated radio show, Jeffrey Lord at The American Spectator reports:
Palin acknowledged the disappointment of her supporters (Matt Drudge e-mailed to say it was a “sad day”) but said the decision had been reached “prayerfully.”
UPDATE: Her e-mail at Mark Levin’s Web site:
October 5, 2011
Wasilla, Alaska
After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.
My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office – from the nation’s governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency. We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the “fundamental transformation” of our nation and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law.
From the bottom of my heart I thank those who have supported me and defended my record throughout the years, and encouraged me to run for President. Know that by working together we can bring this country back – and as I’ve always said, one doesn’t need a title to help do it.
I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets, including in the race for President where our candidates must embrace immediate action toward energy independence through domestic resource developments of conventional energy sources, along with renewables. We must reduce tax burdens and onerous regulations that kill American industry, and our candidates must always push to minimize government to strengthen the economy and allow the private sector to create jobs.
Those will be our priorities so Americans can be confident that a smaller, smarter government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people can better serve this most exceptional nation.
In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the President, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House.
Thank you again for all your support. Let’s unite to restore this country!
God bless America.
– Sarah Palin
UPDATE II: Memeorandum thread.
UPDATE III: Allahpundit’s happy. But you expected that, right?
Just got off the phone with Michelle McCormick of Organize4Palin, who is in a bar in Clive, Iowa, working up a big bar tab. McCormick says she has “no regrets” about spending months trying to build a grassroots campaign for Palin, and says she will “always have respect for Governor Palin.”
Meanwhile, I just got deadline assignment . . .
UPDATE IV: Lonely Con: “Nicolle Wallace must be so disappointed.” Yeah, and now there’s nothing to stop Palin from suing Joe McGinniss.
UPDATE V (Smitty) 20:09: Here I go,
Veering in the direction of Allahpundit, we can all start working on concession speech suggestions for this year’s Dole/McCain stand-in.
Less snarkily, remember people: it’s the platform, not the candidate. Let’s not go all reverse-Alinsky and overly personalize things. Even His Newtness would be an improvement over the current POTUS, were Gingrich to secure the nomination. Enthusiasm is a fine luxury, but if you’re into politics merely for the hormonal rush, your attention is drawn to a Lady GaGa concert.
UPDATE VI (Smitty) 20:18: Bob Belvedere has a reasonable take:
Needless to say, I’m very disappointed…and very worried because none of the other announced candidates fully understands what bad shape we are in.
Well, maybe, but then the task falls to the Tea Parties to inform them.
UPDATE VII (Smitty) 20:53: A Point of View lists 67 pundits who are not, like me, eating crow.
While I’ve never tried my hand at fiction, maybe all I needed to become a best-selling novelist was the right inspiration.
UPDATE: After consultation with the legal department, the publisher just approved the cover design for my forthcoming novel:
UPDATE II: “Sarah didn’t like her. Sarah didn’t trust her. Sarah has good instincts.”
At NRO, Robert Costa and Katrina Trinko have comments from top McCain campaign officials disputing the Two-Faced Backstabbing RINO Bitch.
UPDATE III: Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints:
Stacy McCain calls Nicolle Wallace a Two-Faced Backstabbing RINO Bitch . . .
What? Me? Call somebody names?
I merely said that I had been inspired to write a novel — a work of fiction — after learning that Nicolle Wallace had written her own novel.
When I get through writing Two-Faced Backstabbing RINO Bitch, my agent has suggested I try my hand as a playwright and composer, writing a Broadway musical about an annoying bimbo who gains fame because her father lost an election.
My working title is Completely Not About Meghan McCain.
And by “Evil State,” of course, I mean Florida:
As Mitt Romney continues his Florida swing today with a visit to Tallahassee, his campaign is announcing endorsements from three Republican state House members who are in line to become speaker in coming years: Reps. Will Weatherford, Chris Dorworth and Richard Corcoran.
All three were backers of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty before Pawlenty dropped out and endorsed Romney.
Another key Pawlenty supporter, former Jeb Bush campaign chairman Phil Handy, also signed on with the Romney campaign this week as a co-chairman of Romney’s Florida advisory council.
Remember when T-Paw sold out to Romney? Well, these are the sellouts who supported the sellout, and we should not be surprised that the sellout’s sellouts sold out, too.
So, if you’re a Florida Tea Party activist, now you have a list of three RINO backstabbers who need to face primary challengers in 2012.
Question 1: Did Weatherford, Dorworth and Corcoran all support moving up the Florida primary to Jan. 31? I think they did.
Question 2: Do we now know why they supported moving up the Florida primary to Jan. 31? I think we do.
Question 3: Will you spit on the ground the next time you hear the names Weatherford, Dorworth and Corcoran? I think you should.
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