(Back in the heart of the 2008 Presidential election, this article from Charley James shortly after Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain’s running mate, garnered thousands of hits and tons of RW hate posts. -Ed.)
“So Sambo beat the bitch!”
Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin made a derogatory remark about Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama secured the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Lucille, the waitress serving the table, asked not to be identified by her last name, but recounted the incident to a phone interviewer. She reported that Palin made the slur and laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciation. Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, stated that the remark was “kind of disgusting” and that it is common, everyday chatter for Palin in Alaska.
Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article have alleged that Sarah Palin has used offensive language to refer to Alaska’s aboriginal people, such as ‘Artic Arabs’, ‘mukluks’ and ‘fucking Eskimos’. Furthermore, they have described her as being vindictive and mean. These accusations have been met with enthusiasm from the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention, suggesting that they approve of Palin’s behaviour. This appears to be at odds with John McCain’s pledge of a ‘high road’ campaign.
Residents of Alaska’s 49th state are reluctant to speak critically about Sarah Palin, the state’s former mayor and Republican vice-presidential nominee. With journalists from around the world calling, the state’s phone lines have been jammed since Friday. An insurance agent in Anchorage, who knows the Palin family, described the state’s Republican Party as “kind of like organized crime up here,” adding that once Palin became mayor, she became part of the inner circle. The agent, like many other people interviewed, did not want their name used out of fear of retribution.
The agent went on to explain that the power elite are “rich because they do private sweetheart deals with the oil companies, and they can destroy anyone.” It’s as if living in Alaska controlled by the state Republican Party is like living in the old Soviet Union, with residents feeling as if they’re under constant danger from the authorities. Those who speak out risk being “disappeared into a gulag north of the Arctic Circle for who-knows-how-long.”
Residents of Alaska’s 49th state are reluctant to express their views on Sarah Palin, the state’s former mayor and Republican vice-presidential nominee. Since Friday, phone lines into the state have been jammed with journalists from around the world trying to reach them. An insurance agent in Anchorage, who knows the Palin family, described the state’s Republican Party as “organized crime,” adding that once Palin became mayor, she became part of the inner circle. The agent, like many other people interviewed, did not want their name used out of fear of retribution.
The agent went on to explain that the power elite are “rich because they do private sweetheart deals with the oil companies, and they can destroy anyone.” It’s as if living in Alaska controlled by the state Republican Party is like living in the old Soviet Union, with residents feeling as if they’re under constant danger from the authorities. Those who speak out risk being “disappeared into a gulag north of the Arctic Circle for who-knows-how-long.”
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has a reputation for being vindictive and willing to go to extreme lengths to destroy her opponents. This was evidenced by her firing of the Wasilla town administrator, who had been hired at the behest of party poo-bah’s in the wake of a recall campaign caused by her precipitous firings. Anne Kilkenny, a Wasilla resident and one of the few Alaskans willing to speak on-the-record about Palin, noted that people who fought Palin’s attempt to oust the librarian remain on her enemies list to this day. Furthermore, Palin fired the Wasilla police chief, telling a local newspaper that he had “intimidated” her. These incidents demonstrate Palin’s willingness to use her power to exact revenge on those she perceives as her opponents.
Sarah Palin first gained the attention of the state GOP when she ran for Mayor of Wasilla on an anti-abortion platform. This was unusual as Alaskan municipal elections are usually non-partisan. However, her extreme evangelical views prompted state Republicans to invest in her campaign.
Once in office, Palin quickly gained a reputation for being uncompromising and unwilling to consider different opinions. Kilkenny, a Wasilla resident, noted that ideas were not evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them. Her tax policies also had a distinctly Republican ring to them, with corporate property owners receiving the most benefit from the tax cuts she promoted. Meanwhile, many Wasilla homeowners saw their tax bills skyrocket to make up for the shortfall.
When Sarah Palin was inaugurated as Mayor of an oil-rich town with no debt, it was hard to imagine that she would leave the city with $22 million of debt. Despite nothing being spent on infrastructure or sewage treatment, Palin spent the taxpayers’ money on other matters. She remodelled her office several times, spent $1 million on an unnecessary park and $15 million on a sports complex for which the city did not own the land. This has resulted in seven years of litigation and lawyer fees close to half of the original estimated price. Additionally, she proposed a $5.5 million bond for roads that could have been built without borrowing. Her tenure in Wasilla saw the city become a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots.
On her way to the governor’s igloo, Sarah Palin secured a highly sought-after political appointment as Chair of Alaska’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC). Despite having no background in energy issues, Palin accepted the position, which paid $122,400 a year. According to an OGCC staff member not authorized to speak with the news media, Palin disliked the job and the hours.
Seizing the opportunity, Palin began a campaign to the local news media claiming the position was overpaid and should be abolished, despite her prior lobbying for it. She then resigned from the OGCC, claiming to be a “reformer”. When a local reporter questioned her credentials, Palin reportedly reacted aggressively. Her high school classmates still refer to her as “Sarah Barracuda”.
In her bid for the Republican Party, Palin ran on the platform of a “reformer”, despite having no legislative experience other than a city council of a village of 5,000 people, and no executive experience, apart from almost being recalled as mayor. Since winning the job, her policy has been largely characterized by the word “No”.
According to Kilkenny, the only suggestion for the state’s multi-million dollar oil-generated surplus was to distribute it to residents and finance future state needs by borrowing money. This is similar to the economic policies of former President George Bush in 2001, which left the nation in a difficult situation.
When asked about Palin being chosen as McCain’s running mate, her mother-in-law replied with a sardonic, “What has Sarah done to qualify her to be vice president?” This may be due to Palin’s refusal to endorse her when she was running to succeed Palin as mayor.
As Governor, Palin gave the legislature no direction or budget guidelines, according to the chair of a legislative committee. She then made a grandstand play of line-item vetoing numerous projects, calling them pork. These were restored due to public outcry and legislative action, as Palin had no knowledge of their importance. This was enough for McCain, who is mostly unaware of his surroundings, to think Palin had a reputation as being “anti-pork”.
However, it was revealed that Palin kept her hand out for pork ladled out by indicted Sen. Ted Stevens. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be politically unwise to keep supporting it. She then publicly humiliated him for pork-barrel politics.
Despite the repeated public claims she’s made, the Alaska National Guard commander said that, “she has made no command decisions, other than sending some troops to help fight a few brush fires and march in parades at county fairs.”
Those familiar with Palin’s tenure in Alaska state and local politics have described her as “conniving, manipulative, and an asshole”. Others have called her a bigot, a racist, and a liar. It has been reported that Palin has made derogatory comments about those who are not white and good looking. Whether such language should be part of a presidential campaign is debatable. It reflects on both Palin and McCain, and it speaks volumes about Americans who overlook such statements and vote for McCain.
