Just a week ago, some of Sarah Palin’s fans were attempting to give the former Alaska governor a little bit of the credit for Newt Gingrich’s second surge and his victory in South Carolina. Bill Kristol said as much in the Weekly Standard’s blog and wondered what would happen if she “really comes out for Newt.” While I think the evidence of a Palin connection to what happened in the Palmetto state seems to be more the product of the imagination of Palinites than anything else, there was no harm in allowing her to jump on the short-lived Gingrich bandwagon. But the quick decline of the candidate she seemed to be favoring appears to have angered the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, and the latest blast from her Wasilla Fortress of Solitude is yet another reminder why many conservatives find it difficult to take her seriously anymore.
In a posting on her Facebook page on Friday, Palin took aim at Gingrich’s critics with the sort of language that says more about her own lack of judgment than anything else. She claimed former Reagan administration officials who noted this week Gingrich was anything but a loyal soldier of the 40th president were engaged in a “Stalin-esque rewriting of history.” This is not merely nonsensical, it is illustrative of the defects in her own character and intellect that have led many of us who once cheered her rise to conclude that she has no business ever putting herself forward for high office again.
While Gingrich supported Reagan and Mitt Romney did not, those who pointed out the former speaker’s often petulant and negative comments about the leader of his movement were merely illuminating a little-known aspect of the truth, not “re-writing” it. For Palin to use that over-the-top rhetoric — in effect comparing someone like Elliott Abrams to a communist monster — is contemptible. For her to go on in the same piece to say Gingrich’s critics were employing “Alinsky tactics at their worst” shows again she understands little about either Saul Alinsky’s writings or history.
While Palin and Gingrich have little in common, the one characteristic they do share is hypocrisy. In her posting, Palin claims Mitt Romney needs to be “vetted” more thoroughly because Democrats will attack him in the fall. Yet she considers any attempt to give the same attention to Gingrich, a man with a freight train’s worth of damaging personal and political baggage that renders him unlikely to win a general election, to be above such concerns. According to Palin, examinations of his inconsistent record and leadership failures are examples of “the politics of personal destruction” and should be abhorred.
Palin complains that Romney supporters have attacked Gingrich from the left. But that is actually the tactic Gingrich has used. Indeed, Palin herself echoed some of those ill-advised barbs at Romney’s business career as she played to the mob. That she does so shamelessly and without even a trace of understanding of what she is doing is all part of the odd political persona she has constructed for herself and which limits her influence and dim chances of personal political advancement in the future.
For Palin, this is all part of a little self-destructive drama she has been acting out for years, since she flopped in 2008 when thrust on the national stage and then abandoned her gubernatorial responsibilities in order to become a celebrity. Gingrich’s attack on the so-called Republican establishment is an obvious ploy, as he is as much if not more of a Washington insider than any of his critics. But Palin really seems to believe the alleged “establishment” not only wants to control the party but also wishes to sabotage it. Incredibly, she even claims Republicans who support Romney and who have been leading the charge in the opinion pages and in Washington against the current administration while she spent the last two years doing nothing in Alaska would never attack Obama the way they attack Gingrich. She fails to understand that those that have pointed out the manifest shortcomings of Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul (whom Palin has gone out of her way to praise), have done so because they believe they have no chance to beat Obama.
Palin, who seems far more interested in burnishing her image than actually helping her party, manages to keep her name in the news every now and then with statements such as this one. But her problem is the more she talks, the more she reminds us why she has doomed herself to the margins of political discourse.
There is nothing 'so-called' about the Republican establishment unless one wants to really engage in rewrites of history. And the notion that Palin was the one who flopped on the national stage in 2008 when she was the one who saved McCain's sorry little butt from getting a bigger whipping than he did thanks to his Bob Dole style campaign of general Establishment ineptitude is another reminder of how this post was evidently written inside a glass house.
Speaking of re-writing history, Ms Palin made a splash upon her nomination for VP, but by Election Day she'd been thoroughly discredited and hurt McCain badly. Many Republicans refused to vote for McCain, for his having chosen the airhead Palin. n As for a ''Republican Establishment,'' if there is one it's a paper tiger and has little or no influence. There is, however, a right-wing talk radio Establishment, consisting of among others Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Mark Levin. They succeeded in hurting McCain in 2008 and will likely damage Romney this year, by turning registered Republicans against moderate candidates and promoting an unelectable extremist like Santorum.
Yes, agree that this "establishment" toot is very tiresome and completely nonsensical. I wish someone would publish an up-to-the-minute Playbill of establishment v. non-establishment characters.
Don't you know, SallyVee, that if you're NOT for Gingrich, then you're an 'establishment RINO'? As far as I can tell, THAT's the only criteria.
How funny is it that Gingrich is now blaming the same 'Right Wing Conspiracy' that pres Clinton did over the Lewinsky affair. n nI wish there as an Oscar for 'Best Hypocrite'. n nAlso, Sarah, Romney needs vetted more?? Like you didnt?
You might want to look back at 2008 and remember that it was AFTER Palin got on the ticket that McCain started going down in the polls. She hurt him, she didn't help him.
Revisionist history indeed. For it was also after McCain's foolish suspension of his campaign so he could come back and foster unity in Washington, and after he embraced the TARP, a bill with somewhere around 25% approval by the electorate, that McCain's campaign foundered. His one and only bump during that languid summer was when Palin was selected, and in the immediate aftermath of her brilliant and well-received nomination speech. Right up through election day, Palin drew greater crowds than did McCain.
No Republican alive could have won in the environment in which McCain found himself in October 2008. The financial markets were imploding and the country was fatigued after 8 years of George W. Bush. McCain did well to make it as close as he did. If you "true conservatives" had had your way and nominated some flaming right-winger with no appeal to independents, you would have lost by 20 points.
That is a very profound lie. n nTobin knows it, by the way, and you should know what you don't know. n nPalin dragged McCain/Palin ahead of Obama/Biden by the 2nd week of September. Unfortunately, what Tobin conveniently leaves out is that Lehman Brothers and the banking collapse happened. n nTobin left that out of his narrative. Deliberately I might add. n nOne can always tell a bought and paid for Establishment hack when one sees one. n nSo, trying to get on with Team Mitt as a speechwriter, Mr. Tobin?
You far right-wingers are just so incredibly full of it. The biggest single political mistake that John McCain ever made was selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate in order to appease the hard-core right-wingers like you who were all in a tizzy because their preferred candidate at the time … who just happens to have been MITT ROMNEY!!! … had not won the nomination. n nPalin gave McCain an initial bump in the polls for the first couple of weeks. But then when she had to actually open her mouth in an unscripted setting and say something of substance, all the world quickly saw how shallow and laughably unqualified she was to assume the presidency should something happen to McCain. n nIn the long run, Sarah Palin cost McCain far more votes than she ever won for him. Had McCain done as he really wanted and selected Joe Lieberman instead, he would have won.
Exactly Dan Ramsey !!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats. n
Palin was one of the major reasons McCain lost. He might have actually won if not for Palin.
Excellent analysis epaddon! I find it alarming that liberal dolts swarm to what I thought was a forum of conservative thought to make inane comments which demonstrate an alarming lack of commonsense much less an understanding of historical context of events. The basic defect I see in most of the nonsense spewed in response to your analysis is close-minded liberal thought at work – ignore facts and simply emote. Liberals misrepresent and omit information assuming that the average reader will never take the time to verify their whitewashing of history. nFinally, they are like mindless, brainwashed dummies who click the thumbs-down response to any comment they disagree with and then swarm with a thumbs-up for all the liberal dribbl in the commentary.
If Santorum is an "extremist" by your definition, and if you then decide to bash the one element of the media responsible for guaranteeing that conservative views are not shoved into the closet permanently, then it merely proves that the squishy Establishment is alive and still kicking and screaming. n nMcCain was a squishy wimp against Obama, in classic Dole tradition refusing to go after where Obama was at his most vulnerable, and in the process cut the ground out from under every element that was galvanized by Palin. The notion that Talk Radio did him in is the kind of excuse that Republican losers specialize in.
Admittedly Palin was caught unprepared, and she is not the world's sharpest mind (like Dole was?) but it was the McCain campaign's fault for losing, for not being aggressive enough against Obama, and not backing up the VP choice. n nI think Newt posing himself as the "anti-Establishment" candidate is a bit of a stretch, but the opposition against him is so astounding I have to contemplate how it may be true. Maybe it has to do with promising to go after Goldman Sachs, which seems to have been running the financial decisions of the country since 2008? n
It is not "unprepared" to not know what, if any, newspapers you read…or to say that you are qualified in foreign affairs because Russia is geographically close to where you live and Putin's plane might occasionally fly close by. Its just plain outright stupidity. n nThe American people did themselves a favor by choosing not to have Palin one heartbeat away from the Presidency. There are so many other smart women who could run this country, why on earth would we ever want her?
Thank you, Jonathan Tobin! You've written most everything that needed to be said about Sarah Palin. There are meaner things I'm tempted to add, but you've managed to convey it all without undue disrespect, and with great clarity. Again, thank you. Many of us are thinking exactly the same thing. Now get your goggles & kevlar and prepare for the attack of the Palinites… n
Come on, Jonathan. Admit to yourself that you get just a little bit unhinged whenever the names Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin are mentioned separately, let alone in concert.
Jonathan Tobin, you have written about Palin in a clear and factual way. She certainly does not wear well. She quit as governor of Alaska after two years to pursue life and money as a celebrity. I don't take her seriously any more.
Our little Neocon boy, all worked up and probably a bit intimidated by a dynamic, attractive White, Christian woman. Me thinks our little boy and his high IQ are off masturbating to photos of Palin. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha….
According to these standards, one of Trump's supposedly pure Miss USA contestants would be an excellent candidate as next VP of the United States. Just brief her first on what newspapers people are meant to read….
And yet…when researched this last weekend – Elliot Abrams comments in his NRO piece debunking Gingrich were NOT factual – as proved by the reporter from the American Spectator. NO wonder Gingrich is being set up – the people who didn't like him then are getting their back years later. Sarah Palin calling him out on this was wonderful – and shows again her timing and her accuracy on the issues..
Jonathan, you were spot on right up until, "For Palin, this is all part of a little self-destructive drama she has been acting out for years, since she flopped in 2008 when thrust on the national stage . . ." This doesn't make sense. If she was a flop on the national stage in 2008, why is so much attention still paid to what she has to say? You righted yourself in the rest of the article, but I don't think anyone can say with any credibility that she was a flop in 2008. If she where a flop during that election, her spot light would have shut off on November 3. It didn't. She may have flopped with you, but that really doesn't matter, does it?
The big C associated with Sarah Palin is not Conservative (she's actually quite the bomb-thrower) but C-List. She knows perfectly well nobody in a Romney Administration would bother returning her calls, so she might as well try throwing a Hail Mary to Gingrich.
This entire commentary is spot on. Palin got my vote in '08; but she lost my respect when she quit as Gov. of Alaska to become a celebrity. Sarah Palin has become an embarrassment to the GOP. She's the KIM KARDASHIAN of politics. n n
I dont like quiter…I dont care what Palin says. The moment she quited her 1st term as governor and went for the money, she lost my respect. Newt is working her charm to seduce voters just like he seduces women. He would tell you what you want to hear. He would probably dump you immediately after the election. He might be smart, but it is hard to gain my trust for personality that he has.
Sarah Palin is one of the few sane voices in the GOP. She doubtless withdrew from the race because she saw the circular firing squad the RNC was setting up with endless debates moderated by endless liberal moderators who focus on Newt Gingrich's divorce rather than on the national debt. And as for vetting? We are just now learning about Bain Capital and Romney's position as a member of the board of a company found guilty of Medicare fraud. Did you anti-Palin people think perhaps that these issues would not be raised by the Dems once Mitt has the nomination? Newt is not a very desireable candidate, that's for sure, but he is the only one who actually ever balanced the national budget. And for someone who is supposedly an intellectual lightweight, she has sure changed the dialog. Who used the phrase "crony capitalism" in a national political speech first? That would be Sarah Palin. Of course, as we now know. The crony capitalists of both parties are not pleased.
Jonathan, thank you for writing this piece about Sarah Palin. You articulated very clearly how I feel and think about her recent stupidities. She so exposed herself that you can see right through her motives and utter stupidity and hypocrisy. I cannot believe that I used to like her and defend her from my family who thinks she is just an empty suit airhead from Alaska. I hope a lot of people will get to read this article and think clearly of Sarah Palin's double standard against Mitt Romney whom I think is the most qualified and best candidate to beat Obama.
I used to like Sarah too, but not anymore. She's a loose cannon, shooting her mouth before engaging her brain.
Palin is so clueless her hindsight needs glasses. Christine ODonnell, Sharon Angle, Newt- stick to reality TV!
Tobin is consumed with anger. It's pathological. His legitimate criticisms of Palin, Cain, and Gingrich are completely lost in the distortions, half truths, and mis-characterizations he employs to try to drive them from public life. But let's recognize that Palin, Cain, and Gingrich are proxies for the people he most detests – the millions of people in "fly-over land” who are good for nothing more than taxes and votes for establishment-chosen candidates. n nIf Mitt Romney becomes the Republican standard bearer, Barak Obama will be re-elected. There's no denying the likelihood that this will happen. If Obama is re-elected, Tobin will blame Palin, Cain, and Gingrich for not adequately supporting the only legitimate, electable conservative candidate. You heard it here first.
Sarah Palin is an imbecile. How many Palin fans believe she knows anything about Stalinism, Sauld Alinsky or any topic that requires reading? And Gingrich? He is roundly hated by even old friends and colleagues. He betrays his party, friends and wives. If you don't question his character, you wouldn't question anyone's character. The 'establishment' isn't after Newt because he's a populist outsider. Who's Palin kidding? They are after him because he's an insider – they KNOW him! The establishment is warning republicans – THIS IS A BAD GUY! Like many, I am frustrated with the GOP. But Newt lacks character. And character matters! And Sarah Palin is plain stupid. Being smart matters too. In interview after interview this woman demostrates that she's as dumb as can be – not informed, no intuition, no useful observations, never a witty comeback. Her contribution is ZERO.Why support candidates who are clearly deficient in character or intellect? Romeny is a flawed candidate to be sure – But he stands a chance. Gingrich's odds of losing to Obama are 100%. Wake up people. Mean and dumb are not what we need.____
The article you posted the link to is from March, 2010! n nI would doubt Podhoretz would be thrilled with her today, since she is pushing for this bloodletting to go on for months; and, it's damaging BOTH Gingrich and Romney. And I have a hard time believing that Ms. Palin does not KNOW that it's damaging both of these Republicans. So the question is: WHAT IS HER MOTIVATION? Because it CAN'T be to ensure Obama is defeated. Is she hoping Obama is re-elected; thinking she would look pretty good as a 2016 candidate? n nIf Obama wins in November, we can all thank Ms. Palin, at least in part.
"There is no office on Connecticut Avenue in Washington with a sign reading 'The Republican Establishment' or the 'The Democratic Establishment'
I use to like Sarah Palin, but now she's talking stupid. Palin should engage her brain before shooting off her mouth. I guess Sarah Palin doesn't mind Newt was forced to resign as Speaker of the House because of Ethics Violation, I guess Sarah Palin doesn't mind Newt Gingrich is an immoral person who can't stay faithful to his first and second wife. I voted for McCain in 2008 because of Sarah Palin, if Sarah Palin run for President or VP she'll never get my vote! I hope whoever is the nominee for President will never make a mistake of choosing Palin as VP, that person will LOSE because of Sarah Palin.
I don't give a bleep how "pure" Romney is for some. He is promising to end Obamacare and is quite forceful about it. I trust him on that. I also believe he would govern more as a fiscal conservative than Newt. I like some of Newt's perspectives and some of what was accomplished in the 90's. I'd vote for him over Obama to be sure. I'm not going to take my ball and go home because it is that important to focus on Obama and his handlers. n nHowever, Gingrich flips as much as most politicians, carries a ton of baggage, is polarizing, got it handed to him politically by Clinton in the government shutdown fiasco, left amidst corruption, is against the Ryan plan, and I don't believe he would be able to expand the party base. Drama follows him. I've had enough drama for the last 3 years and don't want our government jerking left and right every 4 years with spastic drama queens. Give me a boring fiscal wonk who will roll up his sleeves and start turning this American carrier around and pointing us in the right direction. It should have been Mitch Daniels, but Romney is capable and has my support.
Equally insulting, Mrs. Palin decided to censor the comments in her Facebook post to only allow pro-Gingrich and anti-Romney comments. There were many legitimate comments questioning the electability of Gingrich, or pointing out the strengths of Mitt Romney, that were deleted and the posters banned from additional posts (myself included). She was only interested in debate as long as that debate agreed with what she posted.
My colleague, dr. bob sklaroff, comments: n n People reveal their biases when they consciously ignore key-facts. n n Here, Tobin elides over the fact that Sarah LED the TEA [Taxed Enough Already] Party Movement that, in turn, led to demonstrable/historic achievements during the off-year elections. n n To assert that she has been politically-inactive and publicity-seeking is to manifest the elitism/statism to which Guzzardi alludes. n n Thus, such efforts to base a rejection of her ideas on ad-hominem attacks inevitably fall-flat, particularly in light of the documented refutation of the Elliot Abrams hit-piece. n n This why Sarah continues to be viewed as courageous, respected for stating/writing what others either think or are afraid to accept.
For anyone who doesn't understand what the "alleged Establishment." might be, just wait. If and when the Tea Party and other conservatives take their principles, energy and activism elsewhere, in frustrated response to the shoddy treatment we've received {such as in this post}, you will be able to see clearly who's part of the Establishment (or, as per Codevilla, "Ruling Class") because that's all that will be left in the Republican party. Good luck with that.
In the Contract with America, Newt pushed term limits farther than anyone ever has before or since. Maybe that's what has many current officeholders upset, the prospect of having to surrender power. n nJack Raia
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mohandas Ghandi n nBy 2016, if not sooner, Palin, Cain, Gingrich, and the millions of people they influence will have won. The morally and intellectually debased Republican establishment will cease to exist in any significant or meaningful way. Why? Because, as Tallyrand said of the Bourbons, "They learned nothing, and they forgot nothing."
The Pennsylvania State Committee, that is, the Pennsylvania Republican Establishment, endorsed this weekend and it was not pretty sight. Essentially, wired by the Governor and his key campaign consultant, BrabenderCox, who, not coincidentally, represented each of the endorsed candidates. Some think the endorsements were bought. One of those people would be I. n nThe AG candidate, Dave Freed, is severely and obviously compromised by a clear conflict of interest. The Democrats can read, too, and are expert at negative political campaign and even more effective when they are right. n nThe Tea Party and Patriot groups and many rank and file are enraged. These heavy handed, top down tactic dampens, to say the least, the enthusiasm and energy of the base needed to amplify the message and get out the vote. n nThe Pennsylvania Establishment is like Talleyrand's Bourbons. n nThanks again Robert_Graves
Newt Gingrich is a hypocrite! I am so sick of listening to him whine and moan about negative ads. Newt had no problem with negative ads in South Carolina, when his Super Pac ran a 30 minute documentary, that was riddled with lies about Mitt Romney. Two individuals interviewed in the documentary came out on national television to state that they were taken completely out of context. Where was crybaby Newt then? We can, and need to, have a frank discussion about super pacs. That said, for better or for worse, the system is the way it is. Newt Gingrich's super pacs' inability to compete with Mitt Romney 's super pac speaks volumes to Gingrich's real support and ability to run a campaign. Dose Newt think for one second that he is not going to get "carpet bombed" by the Obama Machine's $1 billion campaign. This is big-boy politics, and we Republicans need to fight fire with fire, so Newt better put up or shut-up!
I totally agree with your description of Palin. " who seems far more interested in burnishing her image than actually helping her party, manages to keep her name in the news every now and then with statements such as this one. But her problem is the more she talks, the more she reminds us why she has doomed herself to the margins of political discourse." nHowever, if we are to condemn the media for anything, surely it is for continuing to cover this narcissistic hustler from the boondocks, who has proved herself a totally non-serious person. Why are we even talking about her? She had her chance on the national stage, and her true character was seen in her self centered comments after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting.
Vacuous from beginning to end. Vacuous, from opening accusation to the curious incident of attempted smearing of Palin by self esteemed politicos when a leftist looney shot Gifford. Some one who knows their enemy should be able to come up with some thing he has done wrong.
I don't know what to make of Palin. McCain ran a poor campaign, but did he really hold her back? National politics isn't just what you know and what's you've done…it's being prepared to answer the tough and silly questions in a manner that doesn't make you look foolish. Michell Bachman is a great candidate on paper, but she came across poorly in the debates. No stage presence. Palin was like that in 2008, and we hoped that she'd use the time in between elections to work on stuff…and she hasn't. She's a good speaker and a great fund raiser. But, that's it. I hope she roams the country speaking for the nominee. n nNewt is toast. Despite what Nancy said in 1985, he's a sarcastic blowhard. When he talks down to the president, we love it. But he talks down to everyone. No one has an idea as good as his, and you're wrong if you disagree with him. n nHopefully, Palin supported Newt publicly to make Romney step up his game. But I don't think she's that smart.
You can always tell a loser like you by the ad-hominem.
"And I can see my new compound on the moon from my house!" n nHey Granny Quittypants, you forgot to shred all those emails when you were once an ethically-challenged 1/2 time governor. You know. The ones where you were frantically emailing Romney's staff begging for an audience and job.
Okay, all of these posters who are writing book length replies need to get a life! n nTobin has written a great article and stated exactly what I was thinking. I really admired Sarah Palin in 2008 but not anymore. She quit the governorship, went on a reality show and is now posting columns on Facebook using terms against other Republicans that are highly inflammatory and insulting.
Your writing would be mnore believable if you would have added the real reason why Sarah Palin resigned her position as governor. The number of ethics complaints were not only paralyzing her as far as doing her job and almost bringing her to personal bankruptcy since she had to pay for her own defense, but were also disruptive to the office of the Governor. Case in point, as soon as Gov. Purnell came into the office Governors no longer had to pay for their own defense. That she took advantage of her popularity to make money? OK. What exactly is wrong with that?r nr nAs far as losing the 2008 election, that was on McCain, not her. If we are talking about being one step away from the presidency, I would worry more about Biden than Palin any day of the week and twice on Sunday. To follow your logic then Obama would not have been elected since he chose Biden as VP.
The cruel fights between American like-minded Republicans amused me like the fight between the two charming anti-Islamist women-fighters when one of them was called “Scamella”(both are Jewish)! Ha.Ha.
Fabulous column, Jonathan. Palin is merely playing to an audience. She long ago made her bed with the far right-wing zanies and that's why she's no longer taken seriously by the other 90% of the population. The very red meat that she regularly has to throw out to them to keep their money coming in has now marginalized her so badly that she couldn't win an election for county dog catcher. n nIn short, her 15 minutes of fame are up.
I once admired Sarah Palin when she first entered the race with McCain. She was the only reason I gave a donation (money was very tight for me). After reading her Facebook rant about how bad Mitt Romney was and how perfect Newt Gingrich was on the same issues I was in disbelie.f All these once admired Republican talk show host going around saying Gingrich is a "true conservative". Oh my God! Why in the world do they think we are that stupid or have had our head in the sand and whatever they say we will believe it. Some of us were around when Gingrich fell. When true conservatives of the party were unhappy with him and wanted him to leave as speaker. Then the news breaks out about how he cheated on his wife when she got very ill with Cancer. Please provide an explanation for this sudden words of "sainthood" you've given to Gingrich. Please be truthful. If you want to say I think Gingrich is more conservative than Romrey people will hear you. But True Conservative amongst a population like myself who have been conservative all our lives. You think we don't know that Gingrich isn't?
Excellent post Ade! Thanks for sharing the article from WSJ by a true intellectual giant in the conservative movement. I wish the phony liberals populating this page and giving a thumbs down to all the insightful comments left by conservatives would return to Huffington Post or the Village Voice and take Tobin with them!
It's all well and good that the author can throw mud at Palin like a 10 year old, but you know what, at least Palin is a conservative. Can that be said of Romney?
Amen Ernie! I agree with you. I am thinking about canceling my subscription and just staying with the American Spectator! This Tobin hit piece is infantile and disgusting. Mr. Tobin should be ashamed of himself. What is it about a beautiful, independent, charasmatic leader like Palin that so scares so called men like the author and others on this page?
Celtic – Your analysis is spot on! I really do not understand the deranged liberals that troll this page and bash Sarah Palin at every opportunity and then get 25 "likes" by their comment. These people are really sick and need treatment. Palin was the only bright and promising part of McCain's campaign. He withered on the vine much to the glee of all the liberal trolls on this page who are so quick to give a thumbs-down to any comment they disagree with, not because of Palin, but because he could not bring himself to confront Mr. Obama in a debate, and because Mr. Obama played the game so well and hid from most his true agenda after election.