The Dish

Michelle Cottle's Oprah-Palin write-up:

This is clearly a woman who has neither forgotten nor forgiven the many injuries she feels were unfairly visited on her last year by the media, the Democrats, the McCain campaign, and other “haters.” It’s possible she realizes that she made some significant mistakes, but that realization is clearly buried under a massive glacier of resentment and irritation at others.

Asked point blank by Oprah if, when she got the call from the McCain campaign, she had even a moment of wondering whether she was ready for the job of vice president, Palin stuck with the “I didn’t blink” assertion and reminded us of all her executive experience. The only failure or naivety Palin remains willing to acknowledge is that she didn’t realize the perfidy or self-interestedness of those around her. Palin is charming and charismatic enough that this wasn’t a big problem for the length of an unexceptional Oprah interview. But it promises to make any future political runs verrrrry interesting.

Greg Sargent's reading of yesterday's ABC News/Washington Post poll:

Palin and her ghostwriters have successfully resorted to the most harsh and lurid attacks on Obama to break through into the national conversation (the death panels being only the most prominent example). But those same tactics are severely complicating her ability to broaden her appeal, to the degree that she even wants to do this in the first place.

One other suggestive finding: Palin has significantly higher favorability ratings among men (48%) than among women (39%), and only a third of women think she’s qualified to be the first female president.

Because they are not blinded by starbursts. Women always saw through Palin in ways that men didn't. That was most evident in the vice-presidential debate. Because many (straight) men found it hard to see past the boobs. Let's face it: if Palin looked like Golda Meir, there's no chance McCain would have picked her. And no one would currently give a damn. She is the Carrie Prejean of politics; and like the Ailes-tested fembots on Fox News. Women are not so dumb as to buy it. Men: well we all know what our weak spot is. We do not always think with our heads.

Richard Coen convenes a meeting:

The Institute for the Study of Sarah Palin might conclude that she represents the exact moment important Republicans gave up on democracy. She was clearly seen as an empty vessel who could be controlled by her intellectual betters. These include the editorial boards of the Weekly Standard and the Wall Street Journal, neither of which would hire Palin to make an editorial judgment but both of which would be thrilled to see her as president of the United States. It does not bother these people in the least that the woman is a demagogue — remember "death panels"? — and not, on the face of it, very responsible. If she quit as governor of Alaska in the noble pursuit of money, might she quit as, say, vice president or president for the same reason? From what I hear, one can never be too rich.

The WSJ and TWS have long ago lost any intellectual credibility. They use sophism to maintain power. Their cynicism and/or denial mechanisms are deeper than most mortals can imagine.

We knew that about a charlatan like Kristol and a nihilist like Rove. But what I didn't fully come to terms with, until the Palin farce, was the full extent of John McCain's recklessness and cynicism. This is worth keeping in mind through all this. The only reason we even know about Sarah Palin is John McCain.

He picked her so carelessly, and his thought process was so cynical, that he should stand in the dock of public opinion before Palin does. Her vanity led her to say yes to his crazy offer. But he gave her that chance. And in the end, she is his responsibility.

And that's why in fact the pushback has been almost milquetoast. How do Steve Schmidt and John McCain reveal the truth about Palin when that truth only further proves their fantastic incompetence, nihilism and unseriousness with respect to government? And what's truly telling about Washington is that a man like McCain, who perpetrated this nonsense and even now refuses to take an ounce of responsibility for it, is nonetheless invited on countless talk shows and treated like the hero he always was. And no one demands he account for this train-wreck outside his tested cant about Palin "exciting the base."

If he had any sense of responsibility, he would resign. And if the Washington media had any sense of responsibility, it would never invite him on TV again without demanding he take responsibility for what he nearly did to the national security of this country. No one who put this person near the nuclear button should have a future in public life.

But this is Washington. And they protect their own.

New Haven, Connecticut, 2 pm

This is either one hell of a 19-year old self-described redneck or someone who has the serene confidence of knowing that the truth is on his side. Here's the transcript of his real time reaction to the Oprah interview:

Palin: (It's) a bit heartbreaking to see the road that he is on right now.

Johnston: I think she's going out and talking and she's just digging a bigger hole for herself.

Palin: (It's) kind of this aspiring — aspiring porn, some of the things that he's doing — it's kind of heartbreaking.

Winfrey: The (upcoming) Playgirl centerfold (photo spread)?

Palin: Right. I call that porn. Yes.

Johnston: I just look at her in disgust. … It's almost funny, that she's like, 46 years old, and she's battling a 19 year old, and I'm winning. And I'm telling the truth. She's lying and losing. … If you look at her face, she's got — she's really — you can tell her mind's going 100 miles an hour when Oprah asked her those Levi questions. … I've got a lot more knowledge and credibility than she gives me credit for.

You know what: he's right. And in this war of nerves, he is the one not blinking.

TNC confesses:

There are times, in this business, when I am incredibly aware that I'm the black dude in the room. One of those moments is whenever I hear  conservative writers announcing that Sarah Palin has been persecuted, or that one of her virtues is that she annoys liberals. You see that sort of thing and it occurs to you that Palin attachment, has little to do with Palin, and a lot to do with intellectual insecurity.

I feel like I've stepped into someone else's fight, like I'm watching people who couldn't win the respect of their Harvard professors, or couldn't cut it on the Yale debate team, exact a quixotic revenge. It's in all the rhetoric–Palin represents "real America." Obama represents effete, Merlot-sipping braniac "elites."

They are as insecure as she is. For good reason.

Alex Knepper reviews Continetti's new book:

Continetti repeatedly equates left-wing bloggers with “the elite media.” Blog post after blog post is cited, especially from writers for the Huffington Post. Using this bizarre methodology, one could quote from RedState and WorldNetDaily, seeking quotes to show that there was a “media persecution campaign” against Barack Obama, alleging all sorts of crazy things, and even questioning his citizenship!

It’s a fascinating moment – the central moment – in ABC News’ interview with Palin. Good for Barbara Walters for asking the direct question about Levi’s statement “She knows what I got on her.” Watch how Palin responds at 6.22 on this Youtube:

Know hope.

A reader writes:

In response to your other reader emails requesting that you leave Sarah alone, let me say – don't leave her alone!  I am currently living overseas in Sydney and let me tell you, she is the international face of the Republican party.  Unlike parliamentary systems of government where there is a clear opposition leader, in the US there is no clear leader.  So for whatever reason (I'll leave that analysis up to the experts) Sarah Palin has become the international de facto face of the opposition.  No one in Sydney knows who John Boehner is.  No one knows who Mitch McConnell is.  Yes, they know John McCain, but he is old news.  Whenever you read or hear a story down here about political opposition to any of Obama's policy initiatives it is always Sarah Palin that is quoted. 

Like it or not, she is the current face of the GOP. That's why it is necessary that she be treated as a serious politician and not simply as a celebrity.

Exactly. If you disagree, by all means email. But if you really disagree, read someone else. I'm in this till it's over and I get some answers – not because of Palin, but because of what Palin has revealed about the sick state of the American media and political elite.