Michelle: Why isn’t McCain defending Palin from the leakers?
posted at 1:31 pm on November 7, 2008 by Allahpundit
Only two possible answers: Either he’s consumed with duties related to winding down the campaign and hasn’t found the time yet or he does have the time but is in no rush to debunk the smears, which he could probably do with a five-minute phone call to O’Reilly or Hannity. According to Mark Salter, his immediate post-election plans as of Tuesday night included grilling up a big mess o’ ribs. So there’s our answer, I guess.
The Foxies inexplicably decided to focus this segment on boilerplate about Oprah, so skip ahead to 3:30 if you’re only interested in the leak stuff. Then, after you’re done, watch Cuffy Meigs’s highlight reel of McCain talking about honor and respect. Exit question: How soon before Maverick answers the bell on this one? I’m expecting Monday.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3
This is no longer about Palin. She’s already commented and moved on. This is about McCain. What does he think about his people doing this to his VP choice after his loss, and where does he go from here?
Christien on November 7, 2008 at 2:51 PM
It’s all part of a grand Rove-esque strategy. If we spread enough crap (regardless of veracity) about Palin, it will exceed critical mass and people will start to ignore it. So…
In six months, Sarah will give birth to a six-toed possum baby sired by Bigfoot.
There. Did my part.
whitetop on November 7, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Bigfoot’s dead.
I saw it on Geraldo, so it must be true.
BacaDog on November 7, 2008 at 2:52 PM
I’ll agree there.
But after he suspended his campaign… to do nothing but grandstand, and then didn’t name names (like he promised)…
He caused his own slide. Not Palin.
I only voted for McCain because of Palin. No Palin, no vote from me. Thus, Palin gained him one vote he shouldn’t have had.
dominigan on November 7, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Yes, it was the copy boy. There’s no senior McCain aides left. AP has a new post up every 8 hours eliminating another senior McCain aide that everybody was certain was the leak. There is no Deep Throat. There’s a bored news executive at Fox News headquarters looking for a cheap way to squeeze a few more viewers out of Palin’s damsel-in-distress appeal.
RightOFLeft on November 7, 2008 at 2:55 PM
If McCain had any decency, or ever cared about the GOP winning, or cared about any conservative principles, he would have dropped out of the primaries when he got his a$$ handed to him over the shamnesty and it was clear that most of the GOP base despised him. The fact that his “base” gave him a thrashing over that abominable idea (and worse legislation) should have been enough for him to walk away from trying to be the leader of those same people.
Presidential voter turnout this election was a joke. It was up a little from 2004, but much less so than is usual. Up some 3.5% when 2000-2004 and 1996-2000 both had double digit rises in presidential voter turnout. McCain lost because he ticked off too many conservatives, too many times – even to the point of babbling about global warming and “paths to citizenship” at the end of the campaign. Even to the point of stressing that legalizing illegals would be his first job in office.
McCain lost because Republican Presidential voter turnout was anemic. That is the only reason. Palin did as much as humanly possible to get conservatives out, but McCain just ticked off way too many of them, far too often, and always with a big, stupid grin.
Of course, many of us warned that the shamnesty idiocy was going to kill the GOP …
progressoverpeace on November 7, 2008 at 2:57 PM
What are you? Jan Brady? “Exact words, Marsha.”
Thanks for making Hot Air and conservatives look like a bunch of dummies.
CanadianGuy on November 7, 2008 at 2:57 PM
And Michelle Malkin will appear on Fox News angrily demanding that McCain repudiate the scurrilous rumors about Palin and Bigfoot.
RightOFLeft on November 7, 2008 at 3:01 PM
You are not the only one who has posted that sentiment.
right2bright on November 7, 2008 at 3:03 PM
You are on both sides, you agree with the stupid post that Sarah had nothing to do with the bounce and the next thing out of your post, you say you voted for Sarah, no Sarah no vote. You were part of the very bounce you claim did not happen. Which is it?
Wade on November 7, 2008 at 3:04 PM
You may be right about your point regarding the Couric interviews, but the country would have yawned if McCain had picked anyone else.
There’s also the small point of completely letting the air out of Obama’s Invesco Field Speech and the DNCC. The Friday morning after Obama’s speech, when McCain’s campaign pulled the excellent stunt of sending reporters off in all directions before introducting Palin in Dayton, Ohio, was something McCain used to blunt any bounce Obama could get out of his own campaign.
BuckeyeSam on November 7, 2008 at 3:07 PM
One of the biggest problems in this country is our collective short attention span.
When I listen to people opine on how “horrible” a pick Gov. Palin was and/or how Gov. Palin “cost” McCain the election…
…I scratch my head and wonder how people could so quickly forget:
- the morass that the McCain candidacy was BEFORE the pick of Gov. Palin
- the continual talk of many conservatives of not voting and/or not financially supporting McCain BEFORE the pick of Gov. Palin
- the fact that Obama was starting to run away with the nomination BEFORE the pick of Gov. Palin
- the huge INCREASE of traffic to conservative blog sites AFTER the pick of Gov. Palin
- the HUGE increase of donations to McCain’s campaign AFTER the pick of Gov. Palin
- the HUGE increase in the size of McCain’s campaign rallies AFTER the pick of Gov. Palin
- the near complete elimination of discussion from conservatives about not voting or not donating
- the number of times conservatives stated that they were voting for McCain BECAUSE of Gov. Palin (in fact, many said they were voting for Gov. Palin INSTEAD of voting for McCain)
- the palpable and very real rejoicing, re-energizing and re-focusing of conservatives AFTER the pick of Gov. Palin.
I said it before and I’ll keep saying it – anyone who opines that Gov. Palin “cost” McCain the election (or was otherwise a ‘drag’) is either a complete idiot or a liberal doing their best to kneecap Gov. Palin’s 2012 presidential campaign.
Religious_Zealot on November 7, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Maybe he has already spoken with her and she said she would take care of it. It makes her look weak to have him sticking up for her – and perpetuates the story. And hurts her chances in the long run. You know they will drag it up again later. Maybe he will take them out to the woodshed behind closed doors.
Mr_Magoo on November 7, 2008 at 3:08 PM
You have proved my point that the liberals bank on people not looking at facts.
Existentialist comments are of no use in analyzing political views.
Nobody can prove that humans did not develop from the planet excenon…
right2bright on November 7, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Do I get an award for being the first person this year (the 11th month) for working in the word “existentialist”?
right2bright on November 7, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Public character assassination REQUIRES a public condemnation/humiliation.
Religious_Zealot on November 7, 2008 at 3:11 PM
The liberals/democrats/MSM take a long term look at the potential front runner for the next Presdential election. They set their sights on this individual and seek to eliminate them by tying them with a sound bite that is easily remembered by the masses (and false). Palin fell into the crosshairs. If McCain won, she would be the clear front-runner in 2012 after four years as VP. Reagan and W were able to overcome the labels of cowboys with quick trigger fingers. Dan Quayle never recovered from ‘Potatoe’ even though he was given the wrong spelling by the Spelling Bee committee. George H Bush never recovered from “Read my lips”. Bush was wounded by the “lying about WMD” and “mission accomplished” even though he was right and the MSM had to lie about his “lying”. Now Sarah Palin will have to overcome “I can see Russia”, “Africa is a country”, and her wardrobe issues. These irrelevant lies are quick to remember and hard to forget (and overcome). They will be easily revived unfortunately for the 2012 campaign.
jerseyman on November 7, 2008 at 3:14 PM
As usual, Michelle Rocks! You go girl! Is kind of strange that McCain has not defended her. If not for her, He wouldn’t have stood a chance. No matter who he picked. I believe that he knew this election was bought and paid for. If so, he didn’t tell that to Sarah. Is only how I feel. He didn’t have any fight in him. The third debate was a lot better. But, nothing to give a star to. OH OH OH………
right2bright, That is a awesome word!!! I give you a big star!
Would be cute to make a typeonese dictionary. That is errors that we do with spelling. I am a strange person though.
sheebe on November 7, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Good point. There were reports about last weekend’s SNL that said McCain was up for pretty much any joke about himself, but was very defensive about jokes about Palin. That portrays McCain as a doddering father/ grandfather figure, and Palin as someone weak who needs to be protected.
.
I think McCain should step up to refute these accusations, but he needs to be careful that’s he not seen as rushing to save her from some bullies. Maybe an op ed piece where that’s only one part of the whole, or a brief call to Larry King or some other show while they “happen” to be discussing it.
malclave on November 7, 2008 at 3:26 PM
No, there’s a third: This is just traffic-driving drama which McCain doesn’t give a rat’s a-hole about …
paul006 on November 7, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Maybe he has already spoken with her and she said she would take care of it. It makes her look weak to have him sticking up for her
Mr_Magoo on November 7, 2008 at 3:08 PM
It’s all about public opinion; McCain’s been in politics long enough to know better. He’s doing this on purpose. I really think he got his ego spanked by her popularity.
anniekc on November 7, 2008 at 3:32 PM
I was never a fan of Sen. McCain and am now even less of one! How dare he allow people to talk trash about her and not defend her! That is unforgivable! She is the one that gave CPR to his campaign! I can only imagine how happy she is to get home, sleep in her own bed, be with her children and maybe even cry a little. It looked like she sure wanted to during the concession speech.
I work and live on a military base in Pennsylvania and I was having a conversation with an officer in the Alaska National Guard and he said they absolutely love her up there! That just warmed my heart. We’ll not forget her anytime to soon!!!! We love you Governor Palin!!!!!
Eyvonne on November 7, 2008 at 3:40 PM
McCain is defending his teammate, Palin, as much as he defended himself, along with the rest of us, in the whole credit crisis. That was McCain’s issue to knock out of the park and he threw it away. Not only did McCain damage himself in the process, but he hurt the rest of us by letting the anti-free market crowd control the conversation – even helping them out with his moronic “greedy Wall Street” yappings. He wanted to lose.
progressoverpeace on November 7, 2008 at 3:42 PM
LOL,..Look at his record! How long before McCain leaves the G.O.P!
C-Ya!
christene on November 7, 2008 at 4:00 PM
The McCain Bus,
four wheel drive,
pedal to the medal,
Front going backwards,
Rear spinning forwards,
No one’s at the helm,
not that it matters,
Implosion is coming,
Ain’t moderation great…!
droofus on November 7, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Normally I would say it’s not his job to defend her…
But he will call out anyone and everyone else for things he finds “dishonorable,” including his own supporters for perceived slights against Obama, his own party for going after Wright, etc etc.
He wasn’t directly responsible for hiring any of them, as opposed to whoever is talking this mess now.
gippergal1984 on November 7, 2008 at 4:04 PM
LOL. I have been in Toronto for the past 18 months, and it feels more like the US I grew up in, despite my being from a small town and this being a very international city.
That being said, the Republican party should stick to the basics. McCain lost, because he couldn’t get more people to vote for him than Bush in 2004. He has only himself to blame for that. Turning on Palin like this from the leader of the party this year sets a bad example. Lastly, there would not be this attack against her, if she weren’t seen as a contender for 2012. She can do a lot until then, and she should avoid the Senate. She should run again as the Alaskan governor and continue her work with energy policy and reform, working with Democrats in her state, so that her ratings go back up and she can appeal to Independents.
chunderroad on November 7, 2008 at 4:06 PM
The Oprah lie that she did not get all pro-Obama on her show after he declared is provable. Her web site is the Oprah Show… It says so at the top of the home page and many other places.
.
After she dissed Sarah, myself and a few others were posting to her shows forum multiple times a day for a good while (2 weeks or so). One of our biggest drum beats was the fact that a search of her sites archives showed a overwhelming number of pro-The One articles, radio links and Oprah net interviews about Barry. Plus a couple M Obama interviews were linked to… Everyone of these were positive to the max and many were from after he declared; her show supporting The Messiah after she lied and said that she would not.
.
On the other hand, her Hillary stuff was mostly condescending, never positive. In fact most “Clinton” search results were old stuff about Bill. Even with the Bill stuff, Barry came up way more than Clinton.
.
McCain never came up as a “McCain” article or interview… Only as a name mentioned in something about Barry. Cuda never came up either, other than the diss, and as a forum link.
.
So since the show and the web site are one in the same…. She lied.
RalphyBoy on November 7, 2008 at 4:32 PM
There is another reason, the whole thing is ridiculous gossip and if it were not for the fact that people like MM and Carl Cameron and their friends would just stfu no one would even have to know about all this.
Really people, considering what is going on in the world, this issue is absurd.
Terrye on November 7, 2008 at 4:36 PM
McCain needs to defend Sarah the way she defended and respected him on the trail. I was always impressed that she so often and naturally praised him. Sure it was her job as running mate, but she was always right on time in doing it… and now Mac needs to step-up and get in front of this.
RalphyBoy on November 7, 2008 at 4:38 PM
McCain is not a true conservative so he does not care about Sarah now because he does not need her. He will be back in the Senate and reach across the isle to democrats, kumbaya with his friends and help Obama get his agenda passed. Okay?
mariloubaker on November 7, 2008 at 4:51 PM
McCain disgusts me. He used Sarah. When her star rose higher than his he cut her off. He only wanted her to deliver him the presidency he would not really go for. His mashed up message was atrocious. Every punch would always stop short of landing.What do you expect from a RINO. Where’s the honor now, John? Hypocrit.
Buckeye Babe on November 7, 2008 at 5:18 PM
Speedwagon82 – the problem here isn’t with the Palin pick, the problem is with the campaign team that got blindsided by the disgusting media riot that ensued and then proceeded to muff and muddle the rest of the rollout.
A David Axelrod would have had an attorney sitting on every dumpster in Wasilla. This was a complete failure of imagination on the campaign’s part, a failure to understand just how deeply the media was invested in an Obama victory and the lengths they’d go to in order to make it happen.
The campaign staff muffed the Palin introduction by leaving the giant question mark hanging over Bristol Palin’s tummy. Once again, this was a case of bad judgment under pressure, and I’m not sure to what extent the Palins shared in the error, but either the family should have stayed in Alaska or Mr Johnston should have been down there on stage with them.
And surely the way Gov Palin was rolled out to the press was badly handled, and all the more curious in that she’s NEVER had any problems with interviews in Alaska. Something was obviously and seriously wrong within the campaign, and maybe Gov Palin should have pushed back on her handlers earlier and more aggressively, but that’s water under the bridge now – you can bet she won’t let it happen ever again.
JEM on November 7, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Buckeye Babe – I think some folks a little further up the page may be onto something. Palin’s handling this issue beautifully right now, just the right touch of regal disregard for the squabbling underlings, and she may have asked McCain not to give it any credibility by wading into the matter himself.
I think the one thing we can count on is that Randy Scheunemann is likely to have a job in the future.
JEM on November 7, 2008 at 6:45 PM
People WANT the VP to be boring. Its the guy on top that is supposed to make people excited. Unfortunately, no one on our side was exciting anyone this time.
Speedwagon82 on November 7, 2008 at 7:17 PM
McCain is likely away, like on vacation with family and not in a position to deal with this if he is even listening to any media reports on anything at all. I wouldn’t be. Does anyone know for sure if McCain is even in the country? I admint, I haven’t been following the news, been busy, so I have no idea and I haven’t heard about McCain since election night.
tartan on November 7, 2008 at 7:30 PM
When McCain proved he was gutless to take on the robber barons, what good was he? Palin saved him from being humiliated by the biggest landslide in U.S. history.
volsense on November 7, 2008 at 7:50 PM
McCain goes on Leno?
New career: Ed MAcMAHON II?
profitsbeard on November 7, 2008 at 8:32 PM
To heck with McCain. It’s already too late for McCain to make a meaningful response/defense. McCain is true to form, he’s a phony and a loser.
And by the way, Bob Dole ran a better campaign.
Zorro on November 7, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Zorro-
Dole-McCain 2012!
profitsbeard on November 8, 2008 at 12:21 AM
The worst revelation in this whole link was learning that one of my heroes, Michelle Malkin, was here in Denver (presumably for the first time since being blasted by a boorish and bullying bellicose behemoth at the DNC) and I didn’t know it! (*Sigh* You never write, you never call…)
Captain Scarlet on November 8, 2008 at 6:49 AM
Forget McCain, he’s history. If you can’t forget him then stay tuned and follow him reaching out to Dem’s on the Senate floor-that’s his speciality.
Gulf Coast on November 8, 2008 at 7:53 AM
The only real man in this election cycle was Palin.
Blacksheep on November 8, 2008 at 10:37 AM
“Rip her to Shreds”
A novice Youtube effort by me, ticked off by stabby trashing of Palin.
I was told it could use some explosions, but I like the ending well enough to link it.
SarahW on November 8, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Because hey, look what McCain’s honor got us.
SarahW on November 8, 2008 at 11:40 AM
I think the leak needs to be outed. Someone in the McCain staff knows the source of this.
They should ALL be blackballed until one of them fesses up.
HondaV65 on November 8, 2008 at 3:09 PM
As always its about money……emails and letter to the NRC etc. telling them to remove name from donation list in the future because of the way the GOP is smearing Palin would be a start……
For all we know its Huckabee or Romney in thru the back door of McCain’s staff as the root cause…
they need to pull Palin back and up into Alaska in order to raise money themselves….
Huck has his own show on Fox….birds of a feather…..
sbark on November 8, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3