Palin: ‘Small, Bitter Type Of Person’ Is ‘Falsely’ Claiming I Didn’t Know Africa Was A Continent
Palin: ‘Small, Bitter Type Of Person’ Is ‘Falsely’ Claiming I Didn’t Know Africa Was A Continent
Last night, Fox News’s Carl Cameron reported that “there was great concern in the McCain campaign that Sarah Palin lacked a degree of knowledgability [sic] necessary to be a running mate, vice president, and a heartbeat away from the Presidency.” For example, aides said Palin did not know that Africa was a continent, rather than a country. According to ABC News, Palin dismissed the internal criticism and refused to comment on the specific allegations:
PALIN: That’s kind of a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously charge something foolish like that, that I perhaps didn’t know an answer to a question. So until I know who is talking about it, I won’t have a comment on false allegations.
Watch it:
The explosive claims — including that Palin could not name the signatories to NAFTA and that she refused to prepare before her Katie Couric interviews — are the latest signs of infighting and finger-pointing among McCain campaign staffers, not to mention evidence that Palin was difficult to control. For example, Newsweek and the New York Times are reporting that Palin spent far more than the originally-reported $150,000 on clothing, including spending on shoes, jewelry, and even luggage.
While Palin’s astounding misunderstanding of the basic nature of Africa has not yet been confirmed, it certainly would not deviate from her demonstrated lack of fundamental knowledge about the world:
– Palin suggested the U.S. shares a border with Afghanistan, calling it “our neighboring country.”
– Palin touted her foreign policy experience by explaining, “You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.”
– Palin suggested the U.S. was in a war with Iran.
– Palin claimed that “Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America,” though there have been no Russian incursions of American airspace during Palin’s tenure.
The fact that Palin thought, for example, that South Africa was just a region of the larger country of Africa makes McCain’s claim to have “turned to her for advice” on foreign policy “many times” that much more implausible — or frightening.
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75 Responses to “Palin: ‘Small, Bitter Type Of Person’ Is ‘Falsely’ Claiming I Didn’t Know Africa Was A Continent”
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What a dolt. Thankfully it's back to the igloo for her.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:49 amShe's not looking so good since she last her stylist. :D
November 6th, 2008 at 9:53 amuh, your not helping her go away.
i will be just fine w/o another palin post.
we all will.
trust me. i know what i'm doing, i voted for obama.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:53 amThere seems to be a noticeable lack fancy pageant walking and cozy baby prop handling now the election is over. The way she walked towards the camera slinging the kid reminded me of an episode COPS.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:53 amWhat truly frightens me is that 46% of Americans voted for a ticket with her on it. Her speech patterns however are common in today's America. Ever listen to people actually speak, their syntax, malapropisms, and general lack of sentence structure is truly amazing.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:55 amClean up on comment #2:
She’s not looking so good since she lost her stylist. :D
November 6th, 2008 at 9:57 amShe's beginning to look and sound like a feral cat, caught in a leg hold trap; as the coyotes sit, tongues lolling, waiting for dark.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:58 amI suspect that all the media, print, TV and radio, had better insights into Palin than they were willing to divulge before the election. Witness the OMFG looks on Charlie Gibson’s and Katie Couric’s faces during their interviews. The drooling looks of adoration on Doocy's and Hannity's faces speak for themselves.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:59 amHear hear, grumpyoldvet, and they speak so rapidly it sounds like they have a mouthful of tic-tacs.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:00 amA Small, Bitter Type Of Person Falsely Claimed that Obama paled around terrorists, is a socialist, communist, Muslim, terrorist.....
November 6th, 2008 at 10:03 amPoor dumb Sarah is about to find out how slimy the GOP can be. maybe she should have vetted the party she claimed to be a part of.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:04 amShe speaks in typos.
Typos give me a headache.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:05 amSo has she and the first dude returned the clothes yet?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:07 amAnd now we see the OTHER reason she was picked, so she can become the GOP scapegoat.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am"Palin did not know that Africa was a continent"
November 6th, 2008 at 10:10 amPalin "Well I new for sure it wasn't a vowel".
Her 15 minutes are long over.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:11 amLet's look towards a happier future unencumbered by mental midgets.
looks to me like "the vast right wing conspiracy" has taken to eating its young.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:13 amShe was picked for the same reason George was. She's stupid. Stupid people are malleable, stupid people can be trusted to carry out the agenda of others.
Only this time they jumped the shark and got someone TOO stupid even for THEM.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:16 amNow that she's lost, I think it's OK to defend her:
"Our neighboring country" doesn't literally mean it neighbors the US. It's not accurate, but it's kind of a stretch to say that she actually misunderstands geography to this extent. It's a country that neighbors Iraq, Iran, and Israel, so if she was thinking about those, yes, it's neighboring. (And "neighboring" doesn't mean "directly adjacent" even if you ARE speaking accurately. Neighbors can be two doors down, too.)
Also, proximity is a poor substitute for experience, but it's worth at least a little here, come on. Being close to Russia -- or Canada, or Mexico -- probably makes you think about the country much more often. I'm sure southern Texans have a much better understanding of what's going on in Mexico than those of us in New England, say. That doesn't qualify your average Texan governor to be president of the US, of course, as the past eight years have demonstrated.
The US is kind of in a war with Iran. Not an armed conflict (I hope it stays that way), but certainly a struggle for power and the like. Hell, we refuse to talk to Iran. They're definitely our enemies right now, but hopefully Obama will make them our friends instead.
No excuse for the Putin rearing his head thing. Sarah Palin is an idiot.
So yeah. We can hate on Palin for her atrocious attempt at using English and for her complete lack of anything resembling qualifications, but what she said isn't THAT outrageous, really, and I think it's vital for us on the left not to pull an O'Reilly and go too far on our assumptions.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:18 amThe McCain camp is mad and disappointed. Sarah got too much of the limelight, and now they need to bash her. I don't think she is very bright or intellectually curious. She was not a good pick, but the McCain campaign had lots of other problems. Their organizational skills were not good, and didn't get better as time went on.
I guess they underestimated the skills of a Community Organizer, huh?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:19 amAs a graduated English major I could not agree with you more.
I certainly don't speak the same way that I type, my mouth does not have spellcheck, grammar check, a dictionary or a theasaurus.
HOWEVER
I do not use the word "like" as though it were a comma.
I do not use the 'word' irregardless.
I do not use the 'word' misunderestimate.
I do not use the 'word' guestimate.
I do not use the word "also" as though it were a period (PALIN).
I correct myself on improper grammar (such as 'he and I went somewhere' or 'they went somewhere with him and me')
Of course, I also know that Africa is a continent.
I know what the job of the VP is.
I know that just because I smoked a bunch of pot in Amsterdam 4 years ago that does not make me an expert on horticulture, the Dutch, or Tulips.
I know that people who live in glass houses (and have pregnant, unwed teenage daughters) should not throw stones (claim to be for FAMILY VALUES)
ugghhhhh...
You know, I actually hope she stays around, she can only hurt the Neocon brand, and hopefully enough of them are psycho enough to leave the GOP to found their own party so we can have a REASONABLE and HUMAN Republican party to deal with from now on...
November 6th, 2008 at 10:22 amThat explains why she thought she was running for president despite that pesky "running mate" tag McCain gave her. She probably thought it was all the other way around...
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/
November 6th, 2008 at 10:23 amDr. Hussein Matt Says:
A Small, Bitter Type Of Person Falsely Claimed that Obama paled around terrorists, is a socialist, communist, Muslim, terrorist…..
November 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
..who ran as a moderate Republican.
/snark.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:24 amThe fact that Palin thought, for example, that South Africa was just a region of the larger country of Africa
Is that for real?
She should sure as heck know about South Africa now, after all they copyrighted the imporbable, spectacular and hugely popular election of a first black president.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:24 amSarah, now, are you prepared to tell us what the Bush Doctrine is? This will be an open book quiz, to make it easier for you. And, can you stay after class and clean the erasers, please?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:25 amPALIN: ... that I perhaps didn’t know an answer to a question.
Ego? Hubris? She claims to have an answer to all questions?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:27 amHow about those medical records that were promised to be released? Election's over -- let's have 'em.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:29 amPalin, get the f uck off my TV, get the f uck off my computer screen, and rack up some books off Amazon.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:29 amThis is part of the Republican Party trying to redefine itself. Palin has become a figurehead for the real lunatic fringe of the Party that, heretofore, ran the Party.
The more centrist Republicans know that if Palin continues to hold sway in the American psyche, then the neo-cons still have a toehold.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:29 amShe describes herself pretty well.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:31 amWhile it would be nice to ignore Palin, let her "fade into obscurity", the fact is that she is not going to do so. She is still a part of the US government. She is still considered by a number of her faithful to be a viable presidential candidate in the future. When Palin becomes a citizen, and not a PUBLIC SERVANT, then, and only then, can she fade into obscurity.
Until then, the gloves are off. Game on.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:31 amAren't her 15 minutes of fame up yet? Can't she go back to obscurity where she belongs?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:33 amThey should give those clothes to charity BEFORE throwing them under the bus.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:34 am"So until I know who is talking about it, I won’t have a comment on false allegations."
So she can take them hunting?
November 6th, 2008 at 10:34 amSo until I know who is talking about it, I won’t have a comment on false allegations.
i find this interesting, in light of her own bitter, hateful, revenge driven personality. She is likely less interested in defending herself, than in finding out WHO said such things so that she can try to get revenge.
Sarah -- you CAN defend yourself from such comments WITHOUT knowing exactly who said them.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:34 ambetcha she didn't know that Alaska joined the US of A...
November 6th, 2008 at 10:35 amPALIN: That’s kind of a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously charge something foolish like that, that I perhaps didn’t know an answer to a question.
Um, Governor? ... you didn't know the answer to lots of questions. Such as, "what newspapers do you read"?
"All of 'em" isn't a reasonable answer, Governor.
You were asked to give specific examples of your running mate's support for more regulation. Your response was "I'll try to find some and get back to ya."
So, Governor, I don't think the suggestion that you perhaps "didn't know the answer to a question" is all that far-fetched.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:35 amLooking back at the parade of Palin gaffes and misspeaks, it appears that some were borne of genuine ignorance (such as the role of the VPOTUS in the U.S. Senate), and some could have been simple brain farts or mangled phraseology (Afghanistan being a "neighboring" country). I wouldn't be able to pass judgment on her comments about the "country of Africa" until I heard the context her remark was made in.
However, her track record is such that it's entirely believable that she would say stupid things showing her ignorance on a wide variety of topics. When Jay Leno made a joke about Dan Quayle being reluctant to visit Latin America because he didn't know Latin, people believed that Quayle actually said that.
If Joe Biden was quoted saying something about the "country" of Africa, people would dismiss it as a misspeak -- a brain fart. Everybody knows that Biden is prone to mangling his words, but they also know that Biden knows his geography.
My advice to Palin is that if she wants to put all the rumors of her stupidity to rest, the quickest way to deny them is to quit saying stupid things. Demonstrate a knowledge of world geography. Demonstrate a knowledge of world trade and world economics. Demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. and world history. And demonstrate a knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and how government works. And if you don't have knowledge in these areas, cultivate it.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:36 amI notice Palin has no trouble talking to the media now and isnt demanding deference and respect.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:36 amOh, Kay, give her a little credit. Of course she knew Alaska had joined the US of A -- her husband wanted to secede!
How could Alaska secede if it hadn't already joined.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am"mauro7inf Says:
...but what she said isn’t THAT outrageous, really, and I think it’s vital for us on the left not to pull an O’Reilly and go too far on our assumptions."
-
What about the time when she practically endorsed Hamas ? (of course not knowing what the hell she was talking about, no clue what Hamas is etc)
-
COURIC: What happens if the goal of democracy Governor Palin doesn’t produce the desired outcome for example in Gaza, the US pushed hard for elections and Hamas won.
PALIN: Yeah well.. Especially in that region though, we have got to protect those and support those who do seek democracy and do seek protections for the people who live there. And you know we’re seeing today in the last couple of days here in New York a speaker a President of Iran Ahmadinejad who would come on our soil and express such disdain for one of our closest allies and friends, Israel and we’re hearing the evil that he speaks. And if hearing him doesn’t allow Americans to commit more solidly to protecting the friends and allies that we need, especially there in the Mideast, then nothing will. If Americans are not waking up to understand what it is that he represents then nothing is going to wake us up and we will be lured into some false sense of security that perhaps Americans were a part of before 9/11.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:40 amshe's like a candle in the wind,
isn't she?
*
November 6th, 2008 at 10:41 amlighten up.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:44 am# 20 Concern troll.
¶ AIO
November 6th, 2008 at 10:45 ammauro7inf Says:
“Our neighboring country” doesn’t literally mean it neighbors the US. ...(And “neighboring” doesn’t mean “directly adjacent” even if you ARE speaking accurately. Neighbors can be two doors down, too.)
When speaking of nations, the use of "neighboring" literally means "adjoining". That is how it is used. No one EVER refers to a nation two nations over as being "a neighboring nation". Never.
Also, proximity is a poor substitute for experience, but it’s worth at least a little here, come on.
Proximity in this regard is useless. Whatever state you live in is near other states: do you know about all those adjoining ("neighboring") states? Does that proximity in and of itself offer a surrogate 'experience' to govern in those states? Proximity is not a "poor substitute" for experience, it simply does not qualify as any kind of experience whatsoever.
The US is kind of in a war with Iran.
No. It is not. This generalization of "war" is out of hand. You don't go to the doctor and claim you are "at war" with the flu virus. We are not at war with Iran.
No excuse for the Putin rearing his head thing. Sarah Palin is an idiot.
Agreed.
...but what she said isn’t THAT outrageous, really...
Yes. Yes, it is. Particualrly for one running for VP and possibly interested in running for president.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:47 amI think the Alaska Hillbilly comment, made by one of McCain's top advisers, is very telling. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not ... But to me, the Republican Power brokers demonstrate a disturbing pattern of lip service over sincerity. They picked someone who is atheist (Rove) and someone who is reportedly gay (Mehlman) to run George Bush's '04 campaign around issues of God, Gays and Guns ... followed by someone very ready to use derisive terms about small town folk in a campaign based on "Joe the plumber and small town values. I see this pattern as bankrupt and think that anyone voting for the Republican party as the party of small town values sold their vote awful cheaply this time around.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:47 amalphainfinityomega Says:
# 20 Concern troll.
¶ AIO
*
be fair.
*
No excuse for the Putin rearing his head thing. Sarah Palin is an idiot.
'nuff said.
*
November 6th, 2008 at 10:47 amgalmud You could have stopped at the first sentence.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:48 amNow my head hurts from reading the "word blizzard".
Kay, if your "lighten up" was directed at me, I apologize for not getting across my intended tone. I wasn't trying to actually criticize your comment. I intended it as a light-hearted rejoinder.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:48 amno clue what Hamas is etc)
Comment by galmud
She probably meant hummus, I think she tried it while on one of her shopping sprees.
¶ AIO
November 6th, 2008 at 10:51 amMcCain & Palin are standing & looking at a dead elephant.
McCain: 'Is the GOP dead? What are we to do?
Palin: 'I don't know, but would it help if I field dressed it?'
November 6th, 2008 at 10:52 amI just hope Palin goes away. But with this Steven senate thing still brewing, she could be in the Alaska Senate.
God help us.
(ok. no offence llama)
November 6th, 2008 at 10:53 amKay Says:
she could be in the Alaska Senate.
I could be wrong, but I don't think that she could appoint herself.
I think she'll be 'eaten alive' if she makes her way back to DC.
¶ AIO
November 6th, 2008 at 10:58 amNow that they are not haning their hopes on her the right is being much harder on her than we are.
The fact remains that she deliberatly allowed racism and near violent chants and cheers to gain advantage. She is scum.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:58 amPALIN: That’s kind of a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously charge something foolish like that
Correction, Mrs. Fargo-voice.
It would be people, not person.
As in plural, as in more than one, as in aides, as in the campaign of McCain.
"Learning's hard"
November 6th, 2008 at 11:01 amShe **REFUSED** preparation for the Couric Interview ??????
It is one thing not to know. It is another to refuse to even learn !
But she's not stupid. She may be low in facts. She may be low in the knowledge that folks will vet what she says. But she has shown a marked ability to take advantage, to fleece the sheep (or makeout like a hillbilly clan at 5th Avenue).
November 6th, 2008 at 11:06 amYeah, but a refusal to learn seems to have become a hallmark of the modern conservative movement. They ridicule education and revel in ignorance.
They are becoming the modern "Know-Nothing" party.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:14 amlurker Says:
galmud You could have stopped at the first sentence.
Now my head hurts from reading the “word blizzard”.
Sorry about that, reading Palinisms literally hurts my head too
I included full context just to emphasize what a clueless moron she is. First seemingly speaking of protecting Hamas and then going on and on about the evil enemies of Israel like Iran and Ahmadinejad who've never even attacked Israel unlike Hamas responsible for many terrorattacks against innocent civilians inside Israel.
What makes it even more ridiculous is the fact that Israel (Israel proper + Gaza and Occupied Palestinian Territories) is not a full democracy. In fact even Ahmadinejad (who seems far more intelligent and reasonable than Sarah Palin) has spoken in support of some form of democratic solution to the conflict letting both Israelis and Palestinians be heard in a referendum or similar. Instead of the usual Israeli-American imposed "solution" disregarding International Law and Palestinian rights.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:37 amIf Stevens wins and his conviction stands there will be a special election to replace him. She is expected to throw her hat into the ring to run as his replacement.
She's not interested in learning anything. She has gotten where she is by what she considers fancy footwork. She answers every question by guessing what the correct answer is as in the Hamas answer. And she believes she sound intellectual when she speaks especially by adding all those "alsos" and "toos" to every sentence.
She has reached her own level of incompetence but she's too stupid to know it. She will not go away if we ignore her so we much remain vigilant to keep her in check.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:44 am#39 - Miss Molly, it's too late. Her mind is made up and it's long been closed.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:45 amThere's alot of empty space between those ears.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:56 amalphainfinityomega Says:
Kay Says:
she could be in the Alaska Senate.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think that she could appoint herself.
I heard yesterday that Palin could resign as governor, the lieutenant gov takes over as gov and then have the new governor appoint her.
It sure would be great if the scheme backfired and she wound up out of work completely.
PEACE
November 6th, 2008 at 12:07 pmNo time for negativity, but plenty of time for shopping!!!!
November 6th, 2008 at 12:11 pmShayne Says:
If Stevens wins and his conviction stands there will be a special election to replace him. She is expected to throw her hat into the ring to run as his replacement.
Oh please God no
November 6th, 2008 at 12:36 pmspencers mom Says:
...Palin could resign as governor, the lieutenant gov takes over as gov and then have the new governor appoint her.
I wouldn't put it past that b¡tch; I despise her as much as I do Bush.
¶ AIO
November 6th, 2008 at 12:42 pm"A small, bitter type of person"-- Ah ha, so she leaked the comment herself!
November 6th, 2008 at 12:52 pmIf Sarah believes that Joe the Plumber is a real plumber,then anything posssible, she can believe that Africa is a country.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:47 pmKay Says:
lighten up.
What's the matter Kay, are you pissed off that Cynthia Kinney didn't win?
November 6th, 2008 at 1:48 pmShayne Says:
If Stevens wins and his conviction stands there will be a special election to replace him. She is expected to throw her hat into the ring to run as his replacement.
What I would love to see is her resigning as Governor to run for Stevens seat (he hasn't actually won yet) and then have Monegan run against her for the Senate seat and WIN! Wouldn't that be fitting justice?
November 6th, 2008 at 1:50 pmspencers mom Says:
I heard yesterday that Palin could resign as governor, the lieutenant gov takes over as gov and then have the new governor appoint her.
It sure would be great if the scheme backfired and she wound up out of work completely.
Couldn't happen. In Alaska they have to hold a special election when someone vacates a Senate seat. Happened after the prior Governor appointed his daughter to a vacant Senate seat.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:52 pmCan we get Palin to appear on
November 6th, 2008 at 1:58 pmAre you Smarter than a 5th Grader ?
She's like one of those people Jay Leno pulls over on the street and asks a simple question about history. Jay once asked a guy walking the street when did the Civil War take place. He answered: "Um...the 1960's?"
That reminds me of Palin. I can see why SNL went nuts over her. An endless source of comedy material. Tina Fey is a household word now, thanks to Sarah Palin.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:18 pmI'm very relieved that she's back in Alaska where we don't have to hear her inane homilies, nonsensical jibberish and astonishingly simplistic hyperbole that rarely matched up with the actual question she'd been asked. I've never seen an elected official who ia as intellectually puerile a communicator as Sarah Palin. I always had the distinct impression that she was talking to a child or a senile octogenarian rather than a mature functioning adult with all of his or her faculties in tact.
November 6th, 2008 at 5:19 pmI heard yesterday that Palin could resign as governor, the lieutenant gov takes over as gov and then have the new governor appoint her.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:29 amHi, i wouldn’t be able to pass judgment on her comments about the “country of Africa” until I heard the context her remark was made in.
April 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm