Democratic Congresswoman Among 12 Shot in Arizona

Allusions. Though it's fair to say Sarah Palin is probably an illusion, as well.

 

You can't make unforced errors in politics.

There are enough pitfalls without you creating your own.

Whether it's Palin with this statement or George Allen with "macaca", it can overwhelm everything and not allow you to ever get back on track.

 

I think to have any hope for the nomination in 2012 he'll have to.

 

"Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...or candy!"

 

Palin should be saying nothing other than that she's praying for the vicitims of the shooting.

I think she's being treated unfairly, but she needs to shut up as well.

 

I changed it before you even had time to quote it.

Illusions sounded almost right, but as soon as I read what I had posted, I corrected it.

I was hoping to get away with it.

At least Moddy didn't see it.

 

Damn it. I changed it. I changed it.

 

Blood libel is beyond being an unfortunate phrase or an inappropriate choice of words. It is as about a reprehensible as it gets.

This is further proof that not only is Palin an illiterate incompetent, she's surrounded by them .

 

Oh, I just jump at the chance to bring Gob Bluth into any discussion.

 

It wasn't just that she used the term, though she handed a headline-ready phrase out to everyone who wants it.

It's that a statement that initially reflected the shock we all felt at the shooting took a legitimate point (politics wasn't responsible for the incident, it would make a bad situation worse by using the incident to repress speech) and ramped up into a shrill, woe-is-me, life-is-unfair rant. If the shooting wasn't about Palin, how come Palin is making it about Palin? Certainly there were a lot of unfair charges going her way, but in a case like this you have to slough it off.

Waiting so long to make any statement compounded the mistake. Just as all but the fringes were reaching the conclusion that Palin's target map was merely an unfortunate coincidence to the shooting but a legitimate symbol of over-the-top political rhetoric, Palin puts the spotlight back on herself AND starts blabbering about the days of dueling instead of acknowledging that, hey, in politics we all say things that are over-the-top, and that she never meant her symbolism to incite anything other than passion to get people to the polls.

Sarah Palin didn't want the post-shooting analysis to be a referendum on Sarah Palin, but she's just guaranteed that's what's going to happen.

 

It's a completely reprehensible term.

But, in her defense, I'd bet she had no idea what it meant. Not that that's a great defense or anything.

 

I agree.

If she said something stupid in the immediate aftermath of the criticism that was aimed in her direction, it would be more understandable.

But, this was planned out, likely over several days. Some time had passed, where she should have been able to put out a level headed statement. It was written and theoretically proofread.

People on the left had accused her of hiding out and avoiding the media (mostly in regard to the poster with the rifle scope on it).

But, sometimes it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

She didn't need to do this and she's only made things worse.

On the day of a memorial service, she's thrust herself into the spotlight. That alone is distasteful.