The reality of Sarah Palin's ineptness is beginning to hit home. From the day John McCain selected her to be his running mate, more than a few of us knew immediately how rash and inappropriate his move was. In a sense, beginning early on Friday, August 9th, 2008, as many Alaskans got phone calls from around the country, asking us of what we thought about Palin's elevation, Palin became a "uniter." She has united conservative pro-corporate types like Dan Fagan or Paul Jenkins, and very liberal people like Shannyn Moore, Linda Kellen and me, for instance. We may not agree on all the particulars of Palin's lack of qualifications, but we see the same bottom line.
The Alaskans for Truth Movement, which grew out of reaction to the utter contempt for the truth displayed by the Ed O'Callaghan-Meg Stapleton "Truth Squad" farce, is re-evaluating where to bring Alaskans' concern next. This past week, along with the issuance of the Branchflower Report, has seen the most hate-filled, despicable audiences to presidential campaign rallies, in recent memory. Sarah Palin's important and extremely willing part in this development is undeniable.
Additionally, results of the efforts of hundreds of reporters, writers, videographers, film-makers and bloggers from around the world, are beginning to resonate nationally. The much more finely nuanced picture of the rise of Sarah Palin that is now emerging, is disturbing to many Americans, many Alaskans.
Sarah Palin has become the butt of more jokes around America than there are people in Alaska. New YouTubes of her ineptness, selfishness, mendacity, ignorance and strange beliefs & alliances, are posted at a rate averaging over ten per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Newspapers that endorsed George Bush in 2004, are endorsing Barack Obama in 2008, because of our Governor:
His selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was stunning. She is shockingly lacking in presidential qualifications - Dayton Daily News
[H]is pick of Sarah Palin doesn't back up his catchphrase of 'country first.' - Springfield Ohio News-Sun
[N]othing proves it more than his reckless selection of Sarah Palin, whose lack of knowledge to take over as president has becoming increasingly obvious and embarrassing - Pittsburgh Post Gazette
McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for a running mate seems as shockingly amateurish and ill-advised today as it was in August. Nothing that has happened on the campaign trail has changed this - Easton Pennsylvania Express Times
He even shrank from his own campaign slogan, 'Country First,' by selecting the least qualified running mate since the Swedenborgian shipbuilder Arthur Sewall ran as William Jennings Bryan’s No. 2 in 1896 - St. Louis Post Dispatch
There are more like that, and the newspaper endorsement cycle is just ramping up.
The combination of new revelations about Palin's rise, questions about her competence and integrity, the farce of Todd Palin, the first
Specifically, though, the revelations of the Branchflower Report, as limited as the report's scope was, lead some of us to believe that not only is Governor Sarah Palin worthy of consideration in a recall petition, but that we may indeed have a basic responsibility to actually move forward very soon with initiation of the recall process.
More on this later today.
Meanwhile, Linda Kellen is helping organize this movement, as is Shannyn Moore. Shannyn's essay from late yesterday on this, A Letter to Alaskans, makes very compelling reading!