Sarah Palin. To me, this was the moment in American politics where the Republicans got to have a real good look at what would happen if you ran a total moron. There were a couple others running for seats in Congress around that time too. The results were a bunch of their voters really liked it! The rest of us were pretty goddamned shocked that McCain put that idiot on the ticket with him. No way I believe he wanted her there, that seemed to be ridiculous RNC/political consultant shenanigans. Of all the people he could have picked, he picks a nitwit from Alaska that was in so far above her head she could not do a simple softball TV interview without looking like a buffoon.
It was like dropping an infant into the white water in a river and expecting it to be able to swim out of the raging current. She was drowning in a matter of seconds. Yet, I recall having discussions here with one of our Right Wing pals, Marc, and he kept telling me how great she was and that women and his mom liked her. In fact, at one point I think there were Republicans promoting the idea that McCain would win BECAUSE OF Sarah being on the ticket with him. I almost felt that McCain tanked that election by putting her on his ticket just to help Obama get elected.
It was funny, because when Dubya was president, people joked about how dumb he was, and he did look a lot like the guy on the cover of Mad Magazine. He is a genius compared to Trump or people like Marge Greene.
I think the thing about people like Trump and Greene is, they have no shame. They will say horrible things and they don't care that it makes them look like monsters or idiots. Before this wave of morons, politicians wanted not to look like that. They believed to appeal to people you had to look like a smart and decent person. Now, with this current crop of clowns, it no longer matters and they feel no shame at all in quoting Hitler, saying idiotic stuff, backing the dumbest conspiracy theories we have ever heard, and telling the most hilariously obvious lies.
They did not get Palin in but they found their most glorious moron with Trump. A reality show professional idiot that knew how to make the people laugh and thought showing off his stupidity was the way to grow his brand. Savagely silly and monstrously self-obsessed and easy to placate because all you have to do is flatter him. Known for going with whatever idea the last person in the room gave him. The perfect shameless frontman for a hideous operation to destroy American democracy.
