Political Theater - Palin's Red Meat Obama Roast

"Red Meat" is a term political insiders use to describe a speech intended primarily to fire up a party's already committed supporters. Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, served up the "red meat" bloody and in big slabs during her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. She started off straightforward enough:

I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.

I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country.

And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.

But Sarah Palin soon slipped into partisan political theater with attacks on Barack Obama's integrity, record of achievement, readiness for the position of Commander-in-Chief using divisive zingers written by President Bush's former speechwriters. ...

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?
[ ... ]
My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.

Noticeably absent was any specific declaration of Palin's views on the environment, Palin's views on healthcare reform or Palin's views of how exactly we should define and measure victory in Iraq. Not a peep. Read the speech for yourself. You won't find a word about that.

And it's funny. I always think of our founding fathers as "community organizers" in the purest, proudest sense of the words. If not for those men, organizing their community, the 13 not yet colonies could not have found their way to stand up and fight against British tyranny.

Republicans can't have it both ways. Either you value individual citizens getting involved in fixing problems and accelerating positive change or you don't. Sarah Palin's divisive speech is exactly why Cindy McCain's entreaty to "put on our American hats" on Monday night rang so hollow.

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Reader Comments

1. IS THIS MCAIN AND PALIN FOR REAL THIS HAS TO BE A BAD NIGHTMAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. PEOPLE WAKE ME UP WHEN OBAMA'S IS PRESIDENT.

LORRAINE at 8:05AM on Sep 4th 2008

2. *********CANNED RED MEAT********* ADD A DASH OF SALT AND WHAT DID AMERICA GET? A STROKE!!!!

The speech writer's words resonated what the media pundits and naysayers have been itching to slander about Barack since he broke bread with voters in Iowa. And those written words scrolling on the two gigantic teleprompters is exactly why Palin's rhetoric is flawed. *****Obama's acceptance speech silenced AMERICA, the nation was dumbfounded when he highlighted his stance on education, the economy, health care, science, and global warming. ***How is Goose neck Guliani gonna run on the plight of 9/11? How long is he gonna exploit that tragedy for his own personal gain? It did him no justice,he's not even the VP! Mitt Romney failed the entire state of Massachusetts. Enough said! Lieberman, man that is one flip flopping flounder who better pray to God the Repukes win because if not he is going to be a$$ed out!. Old man mcCane has milked his POW status to the last drop. It turns out he was an atheist, not suddenly an evagenlist. What hypocrites the repukes are. We have a unwed 17-year old and she gets a pass, and the boyfriend is coerced to attend the convention to save face. Man, those self-righteous puppies are running scared. And drum rollllllllllllllll, Jesse Jackson, Tavis Smile, Michael Dyson, need to heed this: The republican convention is a model for unity! No matter their dysfunction, no matter their poor white trash status, when they want something they are dogmatic and will attack like pit bulls until they rip the skin off of man. Jesse, Tavis, Michael, wake up. Black Ameria get off your hands and stop worrying about retaliation. Do something to preserve your freedom! Stop making excuses, and stop allowing a public education system to fail our children. Parents need to parent again! WE are falling too far behind and don't seem to give a damm!

And for the Black Republicans, I ain't mad that you really think you have arrived. Delusional is a word.

RH at 8:10AM on Sep 4th 2008

3. This is really a sad day for America that is being seen worldwide. Low, base-level, proud to be ignorant republicans want to win with this bimbo and take us to another war -- with Iran. That's why Lieberman is fighting hard for a McCain win.

We have to get it together people and vote 100% for BARACK OBAMA. We want more heaven on earth, not this hell that we are living in.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08!

ED Jones at 8:23AM on Sep 4th 2008

4. I think that it's time for each side to focus on the problems this country has been forced to deal with. The last dude, who we'll leave as dude, main agenda was, it seems to increase his personal wealth. He did an excellent job I might add, but that was it . We as a nation need to recover. By the way what ever happened to Checks and Balances, that was non-existent in this dudes terms as president.

Cory Cormier at 8:32AM on Sep 4th 2008

5. This is truly a sad moment in our nation's history. The crowd was thrilled with Palin's speech, which I believe where filled with mud-slinging comments that belittled another human being. No wonder our country is now in a crisis. We our easily swayed by the attack that does nothing to address the critical problems that face us as a country. I for one do not want a vice-president that feels proud of the fact that the only difference between herself and a pit-bull "is the lipstick that she wears." Where is the diplomacy that we so despertly need to help our country rebuild our now broken relationships with the rest of the world? Whether we are Republicans or Democrats, we need to honor the qualities that both candidates bring to the table. And, in November, make our choices on issues facing our country and not on our abilities to belittle the other party.

jean at 9:07AM on Sep 4th 2008

6. people please vote so this bimbo and the old dude cant get into office.

newzjunkie47 at 9:19AM on Sep 4th 2008

7. Republicans always have such nasty things to say about people, and no substance. Attacking Obama is NOT going to lower gas prices, food prices, nor hike the minimum-wage, fix the crumbling housing market, stop the war in Iraq, nor stop recession in our economy.

THE ISSUES MATTER! ENOUGH ALREADY!

Obama/Biden!

WENDY at 9:25AM on Sep 4th 2008

8. I guess the leberals (and blacks) can dish it out and it is OK, but they can't take it....is this what I am reading? This woman and her family (and kids) have been put through hell in the past 3 days, but if she talks tough about "the annointed one" ya'll go crazy. Obama is not 'one of the people' he was raised in Hawaii and Kenya, with a white mother and black step father. His father had at least four wives, he did not take time to divorce the first one before he "married Obama's mother....does that make him a bastard" the liberal new people haven't ask that?????? He went to a private school, and to a Harvard, so how can he relate to "the poor"....he is not "one of us" .....he is a "good speech, and a pretty face, give me a break and think for once.

Paula Drake at 9:25AM on Sep 4th 2008

9. I expect EVANGELICALS and CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES to do what they do best:

Condemn lying, then vote a liar into office. (Bush for 2 terms who told over 925 lies).

Talk about peace, but charge up for war. (Bush and McCain on Iraq).

Promote abstinence and then praise fornication. (Sarah Palins 17 year old daughter).

Condemn abortion, then send soldiers to war to be killed, all the while supporting the NRA. (Uh, if you don't believe in murder, then why promote guns?)

Stand against abortion--the killing of babies-- but send your children to war to be killed.

Preach about FOCUSING ON THE FAMILY (Dobson), yet praise a fornicator, adulterer, a man who curses like a sailor with a known temper and despises the poor (John McCain)

Condemn homosexuality, yet many of their “leaders” are caught in it (Ted Haggard, Paul Barnes)

It’s laughable! Every election year the so-called Christian conservatives and evangelicals champion the same issues, (abortion, homosexuality) and EVERY president in office NEVER STOPS ABORTION OR HOMOSEXUALITY.

You would think these people would get the truth by now. To paraphrase a Bible scripture: "Forever learning, but never coming into the knowledge of the truth."

WENDY at 9:31AM on Sep 4th 2008

10. 5. I guess the leberals (and blacks) can dish it out and it is OK, but they can't take it....is this what I am reading? This woman and her family (and kids) have been put through hell in the past 3 days, but if she talks tough about "the annointed one" ya'll go crazy. Obama is not 'one of the people' he was raised in Hawaii and Kenya, with a white mother and black step father. His father had at least four wives, he did not take time to divorce the first one before he "married Obama's mother....does that make him a bastard" the liberal new people haven't ask that?????? He went to a private school, and to a Harvard, so how can he relate to "the poor"....he is not "one of us" .....he is a "good speech, and a pretty face, give me a break and think for once.

Paula Drake
------------------------------------------
So, how does this empty-talk of yours benefit YOU? McCain is wealthy? Are you? Are you "better off" than you were eight years ago?

WENDY at 9:35AM on Sep 4th 2008

11. What a vicious sleazy woman. All attack and llies and no substance.

Obama's speech laid out what he planned to implement for the country. This vicious woman, Palin just attacked attacked attacked. What a loser McCain chose.

Palin the liar at 9:35AM on Sep 4th 2008

12. I expect EVANGELICALS and CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES to do what they do best:

Condemn lying, then vote a liar into office. (Bush for 2 terms who told over 925 lies).

Talk about peace, but charge up for war. (Bush and McCain on Iraq).

Promote abstinence and then praise fornication. (Sarah Palins 17 year old daughter).

Condemn abortion, then send soldiers to war to be killed, all the while supporting the NRA. (Uh, if you don't believe in murder, then why promote guns?)

Stand against abortion--the killing of babies-- but send your children to war to be killed.

Preach about FOCUSING ON THE FAMILY (Dobson), yet praise a fornicator, adulterer, a man who curses like a sailor with a known temper and despises the poor (John McCain)

Condemn homosexuality, yet many of their “leaders” are caught in it (Ted Haggard, Paul Barnes)

It’s laughable! Every election year the so-called Christian conservatives and evangelicals champion the same issues, (abortion, homosexuality) and EVERY president in office NEVER STOPS ABORTION OR HOMOSEXUALITY.

You would think these people would get the truth by now. To paraphrase a Bible scripture: "Forever learning, but never coming into the knowledge of the truth."

WENDY at 9:36AM on Sep 4th 2008

13. #5 Paula Drake: First learn to spell before you lash out at Blacks folks.

trailer trash Palin at 9:41AM on Sep 4th 2008

14. typical republican b.s. bitch what r u gonna do? they always wanna critisize everyone else. they have no plan of action but to keep the rich rich and the poor even poorer. obama gives me hope. he may not have necessarily grown up poor but at least someone acknowledges our phlight.

NIKKI at 9:50AM on Sep 4th 2008

15. I can't believe all the hoopla regarding Sarah Palin.
Just proves how unsophisticated this country is and
will continue to become. I wasn't impressed at all with
the speech. It just proves she reads well. It was
pure hokum. I also thought it was belittling not only
to Obama as a Black man, as if the accomplishments he
has made are nothing, but also to the history of community organizers who in the past have given their
lives for what they believe in.
Tell that
to the families of Goodwin, Shwerner and Cheney and
Violet Liozzo.

Cathy at 9:51AM on Sep 4th 2008

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