This has been one interesting weekend in American politics. Steve Schmidt’s washing the slate clean is I’m sure cathartic for him, after these 14 long years. But it is cathartic for us as well. How interesting to walk down memory lane, listen to the same C-Span clips, read the same excerpts from the New York Times and know now what really happened.
Schmidt has been unsparing of Sarah Palin — and deservedly so.
— MicheleMuse ? (@MicheleMuse5) May 10, 2022
It started then. If there is a patient zero to the rampant disease which is MAGA madness, you could do no better than to trace it back to Sarah Palin.
Do you remember this? Perhaps I should rephrase that, can you ever forget this?
Opposing Counsel in the New York Times suit to ambush Sarah Palin on the stand with surprise questions from Katie Couric. pic.twitter.com/pZ7wqoQmJI
— Allen Weisselberger (@weisselbergers) February 9, 2022
This is the template, right here. This is Lauren Boebert, the prequel. Marjorie Taylor Greene, same thing. A photogenic nitwit, spectacularly in over her head, yet in possession of enough hubris to believe that she belongs where she is.
That led to this.
There are 38 candidates on the Alaska ballot now — including Santa Claus — and anyone of them would be better than Palin. Alaskans can just close their eyes and point.
Right now there is crickets to be heard from Palin, at least that I can find. She’s lying low as the Schmidt shit storm hits hurricane status.
Steve Schmidt was the unwitting midwife to MAGA. John McCain was too much of a coward to do anything about Palin. It looks like these inequities are about to be redressed.
All the actual Christians out there who make a real, honest effort to put the teachings of Jesus into practice (IOW NOT the conservative religious zealots who rationalize Trump and so many other things prior to him) there is one verse I’ll bet they think of when it comes to quoting from the Bible combined with thinking about Trump. In fact, it’s the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept.”
Actually, my first thought is of “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” And then “He who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” And after that, ys, “Jesus wept” dioes come to mind.
All well and good, but let me be rude here. My working theory is that Schmidt is doing this because he knows that the time of the MAGA is done with the Roe V Wade forest fire. Remember that this man is a political strategist by trade and he is seizing an opportunity to finally get his preferred clients back in a position of supremacy.
Machiavelli was quite right when he noted how politics have nothing to do with morals. This is doubly so when it comes to the conservative movement. The only meaningful difference between MTG and Liz Cheney is the latter has the sense to do things quietly. The ultimate goals are otherwise the same on the basics…never forget that.
You make a legitimate point. I have to agree with you. It’s sad, but you’re right.
I didn’t read it on Twitter, but on substack, as part of his new newsletter. The first comment there (still the fu=irst, now thet there are over 600) is from E. Jean Carroll. She called it “brave” and Brilliant.” I wouldn;t go so far as brilliant … but I believe E. Jean knows mora bout brave than I ever will. She probably noticed, as I did, that he revealeda number of personal mistakes on his part beyond what he needed to reveal just to make his points. There may not be 100% sincerity in it (who among of us ever gets to 100% sincerity?), but I think there is quite a bit nonetheless.