Shooting Jesus Fish in a Barrel
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 8:19PM
Sarah Palin: The Jesus Fish in My Proverbial Barrel
Talk all you want of her clothes, eyeglasses, hairdos, inarticulate ramblings, lapses in logic, bald faced lies, revisionist self-history, lack of qualification, animal cruelty, comparisons to rabid, dumb curs in makeup and general mental slowness. The following, if you are a reasonable American, should raise the hairs on the back of your neck. It is by far the most frightening aspect of "The Girl". These are excerpts from the Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate's interview this week with James Dobson, Messiah and Tax Dodger of Focus on the Family.
In response to Dobson’s question on being behind in the polls:
Palin: “To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder and it also strengthens my faith because I’m going to know at the end of the day, putting this in God’s hands, that the right thing for America will be done, the end of the day on November 4th. So I’m not discouraged at all, I’m just fine with the position that we are in today.”
I need to ask her on November 5th if she still believes God's will has been done after Obama’s victory. Maybe follow that up with “Do you believe that God ordained Obama to be President?” and “What does that say about the path and tactics you chose in this campaign?”
Then there was this jewel:
Palin: “…when we hear along the rope lines that people are interceding for us and praying for us; it’s our reminder to do the same, to put this all in God’s hands, to seek his perfect will for this nation and to, of course, seek his wisdom and guidance in putting this nation back on the right track.”
Translation: This election is no longer up to the people, but rather, in the hands of a divine bogey man up in the sky. Loo loo loo loo loo loo.
Now time for some rambling:
Palin: “This is a strong platform [built] around the planks in this platform that respect life and respect the entrepreneurial spirit of this great country and those things, back to the social issues that are what Republicans, at least in the past, had articulated and tried to stand on. Now, finally, we have very solid planks in the platform that will allow us to build an even stronger foundation for our country. It’s all good and it’s encouraging. You would maybe have assumed that we would have gotten further away from those strong planks. But no, they're there, they're solid, we stand on them and again I believe that it is the right agenda for the country at this time. Very, very clear and contrasted tickets in this election November 4th. People are going to see the clear contrasts, you just go to the planks in our platforms and that’s where you see them.”
Avast Maties! Arrrrrrr, and who be walkin' them planks then?
And now for the reach around:
Palin: “Dr. Dobson, you have been just on the forefront of all of this, of all of this good for so many years. And your reward is going to be in Heaven because I know that you take a lot of shots also but please know that on our end, kind of outsiders looking in at what you have accomplished all these years, if it were not for you, so many of us would be missing the boat in terms of hearing the message and understanding what we can do to further the cause of life, and of ethics in our nation, those things that we should be engaged in. We owe so much to you.”
For those unfamiliar with his work, James Dobson is a bigoted, homophobic, Armageddon-desiring asshole who has dedicated his life to establishing a theocracy in the United States where non-believers would be subjugated by their Christian masters. He also extols the smiting of children.
On women’s reproductive rights and the welcoming of children into our society:
Palin: “I’ve always had near and dear to my heart the mission of protecting the sanctity of life and being pro-life, a hardcore pro-lifer, but I think this opportunity for me to really be walking the walk and not just talking the talk. There’s purpose in this also for a greater good to be met. I feel so privileged and blessed to have been, I guess, chosen to have Trig enter our lives because I do want it to help us in our cause here in allowing America to be a more welcoming nation for all of our children.”
Unless they are liberal, socialist, godless, non-white, city-dwelling or play with terrorists.
Dobson: “I just want you to know that Shirley and I are praying for you, for your safety and for your health and that God’s perfect will will be done on November the fourth. Shirley just had a prayer event here – she’s Chairman of the National Day of Prayer – and we had 430 people here for the weekend. They prayed for the whole weekend. It was not a political event but we were sure asking for God’s intervention.”
More tax dodging.
Palin: “Well, it is that intercession that is so needed and so greatly appreciated. And I can feel it too, Dr. Dobson. I can feel the power of prayer and that strength is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation and I so appreciate it.”
"Intercession" and "prayer warriors" are terms used by the unhinged fundamentalist Christian right and their nutcase “soldiers in the army of God” who are in a mortal struggle to turn America into "God's Kingdom on Earth". It’s so comforting she's familiar with the terminology and feels at ease with its use. Think about that term, "prayer warriors". It rings so ominously.
All conservatives, libertarians and center right republicans should begin ditching the "liberal, socialist, elitist, intellectual" mantras of scorn and pick up on the true enemies of freedom directly in their midst.
You think you're not going to like it because your taxes may go up? Let these stone crazed Jesus freaks get a toehold in the political struggle and you're looking at mandatory tithing, involuntary prayer, "moral" prohibitions and "Blue laws" like you ain't ever seen outside of the Taliban or Utah.
Needless to say, the Republican Party will also be destroyed. Small government you desire? You betcha! Just go talk to the Elders of the Council. All twelve of them. They’ll straighten everything right out for ya.
Wake the fuck up people!
This woman is poised to be the second most powerful person in the Western Hemisphere. Drop the partisan politics for a dose of reason and good common sense.
Look what happened the last three times (I include Jimmy Carter) we gave a born-again Christ junkie a pass to the Presidency. Everything turned to shit toot suite. A secular nation deserves, nay, demands a secular thinking leader.
As Christopher Hitchens stated so eloquently, "Religion poisons everything."
Amen to that, Brother.
Reader Comments (8)
It really gets my goat (and have you seen goat prices lately?) when somebody calls the Vice President "the second most powerful person" in some class or other. Even Dick Cheney hasn't been able to claim that title since 2005. The second most powerful person in the US is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. You just watch, come January.
Perhaps, in 2009. Minor bitchy point off the meat (goat possibly?) of the post. I would also argue that the Bush administration has redefined the office of the Vice-Presidency. As they have redefined the entire Executive Branch. Which is why Ms. Palin could speak so recklessly as to the office's duties. Or maybe she's just that dumb?
Cheney's voice in the U.S. and abroad may seem quiet, unassuming or secretive to the naive, but you and I both know who has had a loud say in the foreign policy disasters since 9/12/2001.
Second most powerful person in the Western Hemisphere? Hell, Yes. Now more than ever. And certainly for the last eight years.
The big hole I see in the logic inferred: that an Obama win will mean dodging the theocratic bullet. People of faith by definition believe in something that cannot be logically proven or materially quantified.
The wonders of the very Big Government compassion, the physical manifestations of the collectivism by which we shall be spared an oppressive priesthood, are likewise phantasmic. Those solutions preached by supporters of the Big O are stale, rehashed, and shown to be failures for over a century. But why let such a record stand in the way of faith?
There is no real threat of a theocracy, but to accept your premise: you would merely substitute one group of snake charmers for another, a faith in a mystical deity for a faith in central planning, the supplanting of the Inquisition with a punitive tax code, except that the latter have the coercive powers of law and a far less notable historical pedigree. "Change" without newness, and thank goodness the elites won't be offended with a prayer.
Fitz wrote:
"The big hole I see in the logic inferred: that an Obama win will mean dodging the theocratic bullet."
I never inferred that theocracy was inevitable. I do believe an Obama Presidency would assist in relegating those who like to mix their government with religion to the farthest fringes of our political discourse. And that, I believe you would concur, is a good thing for the country; as those very same people have brought your party to ruin. I include neo-con Zionists in the argument.
I was trying to make the point that those who consider voting McCain and staving off the "bogeyman of socialism” (which Obama is ridiculously far from) may not be considering the trade-off of such a vote.
Like the possibility of President Palin.
And that James Dobson (and others of his ilk) might gain the President's ear and empathy in that situation.
"Those solutions preached by supporters of the Big O are stale, rehashed, and shown to be failures for over a century. But why let such a record stand in the way of faith?"
Failures if you look in the wrong places, which Conservatives always do. Whenever a Republican charges “Socialism” (usually hysterically and in reference to something as innocuous as a tax increase) they immediately cite the USSR, China and Cuba; oppressive, Communist regimes with many attributes of fascism.
Why don’t they point to Sweden, or other Scandinavian/European countries that use a balance of capitalism/socialism? I’ll put those up in a “quality of life/standard of living comparison” per capita to the good ol’ U.S.A. any day of the week.
This ain’t your Father’s socialism. It’s capitalism with some sensible restraints.
"... supplanting of the Inquisition with a punitive tax code, except that the latter (Central Planning) have the coercive powers of law and a far less notable historical pedigree."
Are you suggesting the Inquisition is historically well regarded? More so than IRS agents? I must read different history books than you.
"thank goodness the elites won't be offended with a prayer."
Thank goodness indeed. I absolutely despise the religious. They are so common. And dumb.
My Dearest CA,
The prayerful are a priori "dumb"? Surely this is not the famed liberal tolerance? And if we worry about the likes of Dobson having the ear of the prez, shouldn't we worry about Preacher Wright with equal concern?
I was speaking as an elitist, of course. I find no shame in being a member of that club.
I am also not all that hot for tolerance when it comes to the willfully ignorant. And, yes, the prayerful are ignorant, delusional and borderline psychotic. But that is for another post and comment section.
As for Reverend Wright, he is a pure jackass. But a good degree of what he was saying from his pulpit that got everyone's panties in a knot had a lot of truth in it. I cannot say the same for what spews from the mouth of Dobson, Hagee or Robertson.
And here's a theory that this liberal elitist is willing to espouse regardless of Obama's religious posturing for political purposes: Barak Obama is an atheist.
Why else is there no footage of him in Wright's church listening to the preacher? Surely not because Fox News is holding back because they deem it inappropriate or irrelevant.
None exists because he never (or rarely ever) attends.
Atheists are not allowed (by prejudice) to hold political office in this country (with rare exceptions in enlightened areas) and certainly are not allowed to become President of the United States (at least not without lying about their lack of faith). See the Dole campaign in North Carolina right now for an example of this. She called her rival "godless" as if that were akin to eating human flesh. Her rival did not give the proper response of "What difference would it make if I was?" but instead began extolling her numerous Christian beliefs and virtues to prove her unquestionable piety. That simple accusation by Dole could have been enough to derail her opponent's campaign. And that is what's pathetic.
Over all of this is the fact that Obama's much too bright to believe in that god nonsense anyway. Here's to a very liberal Tuesday!
Blessings,
C.
Well we certainly agree on 'Liz Dole's foolishness, she cheapens serious faith by throwing that crap around... for the rest I think one preacher's spew does or does not make sense based on the philosophy or agenda of the observer (never mind the double standard for pronounced racism).
Believe me, no matter who wins on Tuesday, the libs win. Limited government and increased personal freedom don't even have a dog in this hunt.
Yeah Man. Limited government (if it ever truly existed) is certainly off the table. I think the conservative ideal of small government in a country and world such as this is as unrealistic and elusive as the liberal's folly of global peace and unity.
It's nice to have high hopes though, isn't it?
As for liberty, I can assure you that me and mine will sleep more peacefully regarding personal freedoms in a nation without John McCain and Sarah Palin in positions of power.
Where the hell's Fred Thompson when you need him, eh?
Patriotically,
C.