by Teh Nutroots | Here is some expert wonkery from the person whom McCain said knows more about energy than anyone in the United States.
To quote Eunomia, "Fortunately she is an expert." And you know what those wonks aer like, with the crazy expert jargon! It's like we're being offered Boomhauer for Veep, except with less substance, or a Rorschach inkblot.
As Wolf Blitzer concedes, her answer is "not exactly easy to understand." [Via Think Progress].
No, it isn't, is it?
It's not easy to understand for the same reason this isn't: "Blah oil har bumble flags treedle dang ol' earmarks beeble I love America tee hee hee dos-si-do Alaska pipeline boop-de-doop doop commodity tra la la export bans." That's because neither makes any sense.
Here's the transcript, courtesy of Think Progress:
“Oil and coal? Of course, it’s a fungible commodity and they don’t flag, you know, the molecules, where it’s going and where it’s not. But in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there are very, very hungry domestic markets that need that oil first,” Palin said. “So, I believe that what Congress is going to do, also, is not to allow the export bans to such a degree that it’s Americans that get stuck to holding the bag without the energy source that is produced here, pumped here. It’s got to flow into our domestic markets first.” (TP)
Ali at Think Progress deadpans: "Is Palin calling for a total export ban?"(TP). Oh all right, let's give her credit for meaning something or anything. It's the kind thing to do. As Kevin Drum says, "I'm not sure what it's about. But it's energy related in some way. (MoJo blog)
Hilzoy says: " I am relieved to know that they, whoever they are, don't have to sit around flagging individual molecules all day long."
Danie Larison at Eunomia: "She forgot to mention that we must not blink."
Tapper says: "[W]hen asked how she would help keep any new domestic oil produced in the United States, Palin gave a less-than-well-articulated non-answer."
Not that the fact that Palin's answer makes no sense and proves that Palin doesn't know what what the hell she's talking about will make any difference to a large segment of the "base," who don't understand policy any better than Palin.
Nor will it make a difference to the shameless shills and enablers of the Republican ticket, who will do anything to ensure that their guys hang on to power, care that at this crucial time the would-be veep makes W look like a Nobel laureate or editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review (a/k/a an "elitist" or Democratic candidate who actually does know something and can prove it).
Digby points out that her answer is about as clear and convincing as W's response to a question about Social Security. Clearly, Palin has learned to emulate the Master: "When in doubt, babble buzzwords." Look at Digby's exhibit A:
"Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red." --George W. Bush, explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005 (Hullabaloo)
Hey, if Palin can talks and thinks as good as W, she talks and thinks good enough for the GOP.
The GOP mouthpieces know that "the base" is dead crazy about electing people who don't know anything about anything, including their claimed areas of "expertise" because at heart they sincerely believe that the best choice for leader of the free world is someone who pretends to be just as out of touch with the issues and as uninterested in responsible governance as they are.
Digby again:
I do have to say that it's Palin who has really captured that special Bush style of arrogant ignorance. Just as with Junior, you can almost hear the cogs creaking around in her head as she desperately tried to access some nugget of information that will dig her out of her hole...
I suppose that's why the base of the Republican Party is so crazy about her. They prefer a leader who has no idea what he or she is saying, apparently. They think it makes them empathetic or something. Once again --- a feature, not a bug.
And it goes without saying that the shills and mouthpieces, despite their vaunted "patriotism" and love of the "flag" and "American values," don't give a sh*t about either "the base" or America's future. They only care about ideology, their corporate masters, and the invisible cartel of wealthy "masters of the universe." As for the plutocrats who are yanking the strings of the GOP, they'll toss a few coins from the petty cash fund they earn to the earnest Main Streeters whose only concept of "Free Market" is that its bad for the commies if it means they can hang on to their license to plunder the nation's wealth.
To be fair, I think "the base" is on the brink of having the scales dashed from their eyes by a hostile, pitiless economy. I wonder if it will be too late.
But there is one consolation, one glimpse of a silver lining, assuming you believe---some of us don't---that the polls are reflective of how voters are likely to vote. Mark Kleiman at The RBC says: "Remember, this is from the person John McCain wants you to believe is the nation's top expert on energy. Maybe Palin heard McCain say that we needed to simulate the economy and thought he was saying that we needed to stimulate the comedy."
As Bill Maher recently noted, a McCain-Palin presidency will provide endless material for political satirists and comedians. Their double act promises to be an even richer mine.
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