Everyone has a theory
Everyone has a theory when it comes to the “why” behind Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s decision to resign her post at the end of the month. Levi Johnston, the former fiance of Palin’s 18-year-old daughter Bristol, is just the latest to offer his take on the situation:
Johnston says he lived with the Palin family from early December to the second week in January. He claims he heard the governor several times say how nice it would be to take advantage of the lucrative deals that were being offered, including a reality show and a book.
“I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars,” said Johnston, who has had a strained relationship with the family but now says things have improved.
Responding to Johnston’s claims, Palin family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said, “It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills.” Johnston is reportedly pursuing his own book and movie deal.




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back to top57 Comments to “Everyone has a theory”
I have figured out Sarah Palin’s problem too.
She not a lawyer. Worse, she went to a mere state university like most Americans, not Harvard or Yale. These are unforgiveable “sins” in today’s exploitative world.
Don’t vote for lawyers (nothing against you, NJLawyer) and we may pull out of our problems sooner than expected.
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Can we have a Palin free day? I’m tired of the liberal hounds going after red meat.
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MIM, not yet. Johnston apparently needs his 15 minutes.
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Oh yeah, here’s an objective opinion. Let’s ask the unnamed waitress who heard her use a racial slur and “some folks” from McCain’s campaign staff what they think.
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MIM — I’m with you. A Palin-free zone. That works. Let her go fish, let her have time with the kids; let her sit down with Lynn for that book. She’ll be back soon enough.
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MIM and Harris:
We’ll have a Palin thread free day the day after we have a gay thread free day.
It won’t be tomorrow cause I already gayed the thread.
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If Sarah pens a book I will rush right out to buy it. In about 3 years or so when it’s on Amazon at about the same price as Bill Clinton’s autobiog. (Have you priced THAT lately?)
I admire Palin for many things but I think those who fixate on her fall into two categories: the folks for whom “She’s a Regular Gal working Mom like the gals in my Ladies Bible Study or Eagle Forum meeting” and the other folks who DESPISE her because she is sooooo suggestive of a Ladies Bible Study or Eagle Forum meeting
There are I think far more women out there in the lower 48 who identify with Palin than are who ridicule her and despise all she brings to mind
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I don’t have a theory and I don’t care.
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#1 Lawyers who’ve worked in for profit businesses or owned them and had to dance cheek to jowl with the vast regulatory state are far more realistic than you might imagine
One of our great states has or at one time had a ban on lawyers serving in the legislature. Can you imagine if our laws were drafted by nonlawyer folks? I suspect they’d read the laws thoroughly and they would at most take up about a page and a half instead of the laws as fat as the Dallas phone book which neither the ledge members nor the Prez fully read or understand
I think more often than not as Geo F Will pointed out long ago, we’re ill-served by lawyers becoming Sec of State. The various gangster statesmen regimes of the world simply don’t play by any clear agreed-upon rules as you would see in a face off between opposing counsel in a court room.
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I vote for no Palin, no MJ and no “gay threads”. But those seem to generate the most postings, no??
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I vote for WORLD being free to post what they want and us being free to particiapte and post comments (or not) as we see fit.
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Stay classy, Palin family.
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I read a column by David Harsanyi that reminded me that William Buckley said he would rather “entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.”
Maybe Sarah could change her name to “AaaPalin.”
Remember, Buckley was no slouch intellectually and I think we get his point. We have fallen to the worship of a lawyer-aden elitist intelligentsia to run our dependent lives for us. This is not good. I think that normal Alaskans should be respected as potential candidates too.
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Back on May 21st, WMB let us knot that Lynn was working a book about Sarah.
http://online.worldmag.com/2009/05/21/sarah-selects-lynn/
I’m sure Lynn could give us the truth about each of the theories floating around.
By the way, has a publishing date been set?
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Some excerpts from the Harsanyi article (I don’t know who he is but would like to):
* “Where would we be if a bumpkin like Palin were president? With her brainpower, we probably would be stuck with a Cabinet full of tax cheats, retreads and moralizing social engineers.”
* “If Palin were president, chances are we’d have a gaffe-generating motormouth for a vice president.”
* “The job of building generational debt is not for the unsophisticated. Enriching political donors with taxpayer dollars takes intellectual prowess, not the skills of a moose-hunting point guard.”
__________
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More…
* “The talent to print money we don’t have to pay for programs we can’t afford is the work of a finely tuned imagination, soaring gravitas and endless policy know-how.”
* “Palin is so clueless she probably would have rushed through some colossal stimulus plan that ended up stimulating nothing.”
* “If Palin were president, no one doubts this nation would have continued the Bush-era policy of indefinite detention of enemy combatants and the CIA’s program of transferring prisoners to other countries without legal rights.”
* “Palin never would be able to convince Americans that a trillion-dollar government-run health care plan would save taxpayers money or have the rhetorical ability to convince even a single person that a European-style cap-and-trade scheme has any benefit at all.”
* “Palin is such a goofball that she probably believes oil will continue to be a vital American energy source.”
* “And how is anyone as simplistic as Palin going to help change the habits of all these fatsos in America? We need a mommy … but, you know, not a real mommy.”
* “Palin hasn’t offered much more than populist sloganeering. Her popularity often seems fueled by charisma alone. So, judging from Barack Obama’s success, she has all the makings of a future president.”
_____________
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Joel, I remember reading those items you listed. Laughed aloud then. Laughing now. Much thanks!
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Levi Johnston’s had about 14minutes and 59 seconds already of his 15 minutes of fame.
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“It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills.”
Excellent line.
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#19, that line could go in fit-across-the-width italic across the front of his book.
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Palin’s done in politics. She couldn’t handle the Governorship of Alaska, which has a population smaller than many U.S. cities, and almost literally pumps money directly out of the ground. There’s no way she can handle the responsibility of national office. Of course she won’t tell you that; she needs to keep the speculation about her national ambitions alive so that she can suck up as much money as possible from her faithful followers. Her plan is counting on you. Buy her book!
I hope Lynn Vincent has enough integrity to walk away from this sham.
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Since none of us questions Levi’s theory, we may all find ourselves in an an amazing coincidence of agreement — she resigned for money.
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What’s up with Sen Coburn and his professional immunity, as an obstetrician and a deacon, not to say more about questions he previously discussed with the media?
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And Meg Stapleton once again can’t resist taking a swipe at an 18 year old kid. Classy lady, just like her boss.
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Scroop: The Coburn story may have legs. Counseling a Senate colleague to bribe his paramour will at least make for a juicy campaign commercial.
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“I hope Lynn Vincent has enough integrity to walk away from this sham.”
I hope KWatson will someday put away slanderous malice of normal people like Palin and realize that most of us are normal people like Palin….
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“She couldn’t handle the Governorship of Alaska, which has a population smaller than many U.S. cities, and almost literally pumps money directly out of the ground.”
Ya can’t make this stuff up folks. How ignorant and hateful can ya get?
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Ascribing one’s own motives to others is pretty typical. People tend to have trouble even conceiving of higher motives than their own. (Not that I claim to know Sarah Palin’s motives, but that’s just the point. I don’t know, and neither does Levi Johnston.)
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The title of this post is wrong. I don’t have a theory either (like Michelle #8). I don’t know that I’d say I don’t care, since I’m a registered Republican and what Palin does or says can have an effect on the party. But I can wait to see what she says or does over the next few years, rather than trying to figure out this month what her motives are.
I take an interest in current events, but I rarely form a firm opinion on them since there is always more to the story than what we have heard so far. We will probably never know the whole story in most cases, but future events will often clarify things, or else make today’s news of little relevance.
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I take an interest in current events, but I rarely form a firm opinion on them since there is always more to the story than what we have heard so far.
Just then, Pauline the grownup arrived and the gossipy kids began scratching their heads….
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Make it man, I didn’t make that stuff up. Them’s the facts. Normal people like Sarah Palin shouldn’t waste time pretending that they may one day be president. That’s delusional.
In keeping with the spirit and tone of your criticism, let me just say that whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.
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I tend to agree with Pauline – I also add – Palin walking away from the position of governor makes no sense, there is much work to be done, and she quit, with a great many excuses –
Her book deal doesn’t interest me any longer, I was very interested in the beginning, but no longer. As far as Levi and his book deals, etc, so what? – he has just as much right to write a book as Sarah does -
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The way the Palin’s keep making news, Lynn’s gonna be a gazillionaire when this book comes out. She’ll probably be able to buy her very own Starbucks franchise.
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Lynn will probably be paid on a contract. Her pay won’t depend on how many copies the book sells.
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Hear the words of another deranged, liberal hater:
In television interviews she was out of her depth in a shallow pool. She was limited in her ability to explain and defend her positions, and sometimes in knowing them. She couldn’t say what she read because she didn’t read anything. She was utterly unconcerned by all this and seemed in fact rather proud of it: It was evidence of her authenticity. She experienced criticism as both partisan and cruel because she could see no truth in any of it. She wasn’t thoughtful enough to know she wasn’t thoughtful enough. Her presentation up to the end has been scattered, illogical, manipulative and self-referential to the point of self-reverence. “I’m not wired that way,” “I’m not a quitter,” “I’m standing up for our values.” I’m, I’m, I’m.
In another age it might not have been terrible, but here and now it was actually rather horrifying.
Oh, wait, Peggy, it’s you! We hardly knew ya.
Readers must go to WSJ because Peggy sometimes uses language that WorldMag does not tolerate.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124716984620819351.html
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“Normal people like Sarah Palin shouldn’t waste time pretending that they may one day be president. That’s delusional.”
There’s that elitist attitude on display…
Tell that to all the normal people that have been president KWatson.
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After being used as a prop for the Palinista movement, Levi is entitle to write a tell-all too. It’s a free country, and I might even buy it. I hope he makes a bundle.
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Maybe he will earn enough to get a college education and become President someday.
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#35 NYT Conservative Douthat had what I think was a confused point – like MIM he thinks Palin was an example of democracy at work, and that her failure – which was her failure – made this goal even more difficult to achieve.
But I see nothing wrong with a meritocracy and nothing inconsistent between it and a democractic ideal!
Obama shows that anyone can overcome obstacles to be president <if they merit it. It also showed that Americans for once had enough snese to pick someone with actual qualifications.
Bush showed that Americans would elect a random best-barbecue companion for the highest office in the land. Palin showed that Bush’s performance has caused Americans to reconsider this option.
Thank God!
From Douthat –
Our president represents the meritocratic ideal — that anyone, from any background, can grow up to attend Columbia and Harvard Law School and become a great American success story. But Sarah Palin represents the democratic ideal — that anyone can grow up to be a great success story without graduating from Columbia and Harvard.
…
Sarah Palin is beloved by millions because her rise suggested, however temporarily, that the old American aphorism about how anyone can grow up to be president might actually be true.
…
But her unhappy sojourn on the national stage has had a different moral: Don’t even think about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/opinion/06ross.htm
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More importantly he can pay for child support which Bristol and his son deserve.
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Sawgunner,
I’d like to change your idea to: No liberals, No MJ, No “Gay Threads”. It’s really the same idea, I just like this wording better.
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MIM
Why is saying she isn’t qualified a hateful and ignorant thing to say. She resigned from governing a state which literally has money coming out of the ground and yet has a population less than a major city. To say “she couldn’t handle it” is to state an opinion which can be backed up. Yes its a critical judgment but not hateful or ignorant.
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Furthermore, she lied about the cost of ethics complaints. The complaints took up time of government attorneys and may have deflected them from other work, but the attorneys were on the payroll anyway, so there was no additional cost.
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Victoria 40-
Statistics suggest Levi will benefit his child more with a college education. He can give part of his laborer wages in the meantime. A book deal wouldn’t hurt. If Sarah can, so can he.
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RPN – 44
Have you read my posts? – if not take a look at post #32. I couldn’t care less whether Levi writes a book or not, I DO CARE that he supports his child, and Bristol, that is his responsibility FIRST –
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Make it man, I didn’t make that stuff up. Them’s the facts. Normal people like Sarah Palin shouldn’t waste time pretending that they may one day be president. That’s delusional.
In keeping with the spirit and tone of your criticism, let me just say that whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? Or did someone steal your password? How immature some of your posts have become ! ! ! ! I would estimate a bratty five year old made this last post !
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#21, “Palin’s done in politics.”
In my opinion, if you really believed that, you would not be bothering to post comments about her like you do.
But if she is, that only means her life will probably get a lot better and her happiness will increase. There really is life outside of politics.
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Gov. Palin did just fine a governor. Considering the egregious double standard that leaves her, and her family and children open to horrific hatred and personal attacks, I have no trouble respecting her decision. What I still like is her honesty as a human being. That may be what the left most fears and dislikes about her.
Not many above have actually articulated policy disagreements with Palin. It’s all so personal. Even though I don’t fully understand her resignation nor did I prefer it, I don’t blame her one bit for her decision.
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Grammar check: Governor Palin did just fine as a governor.
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Good job if you mean raising taxes on the oil companies so you can mail your constituents thousands of dollars each, while the rest of us where paying $4 a gallon. She had it as easy as any mullah who sits on a lake of black gold. Every time we dropped $40-70 bucks to fill our tanks Sarah Palin took a cut for Alaska. No wonder she was popular. I doubt your average citizen of Saudi Arabia is complaining either. The truly amazing thing about this is that Palin then went on to campaign against re-distributing the wealth!
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Joel Mark, no offense taken. I hope you remember how often I have said I don’t vote for lawyers myself. Most lawyers are liberals and Democrats, and they think “funny.” Especially the ones who grew up, went to college, law school and then worked only as lawyers. They’ve never really struggled, if you get my drift.
And to “educate” Sawgunner a little bit — I suspect Texas has something similar to New Jersey: an office of legislative services filled with lawyers who draft bills for lawmakers. So, while I would not say that no lawyer should be a legislator, there’s no need to think that a lawyer will do a better job as a legislator. I prefer people with common sense, logic and reason, and sometimes lawyers have that. Mostly lawyers don’t worry about what things cost, and that’s my problem with them spending my money.
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I DO CARE that he supports his child, and Bristol, that is his responsibility FIRST –
By sending him money? With the million-dollar-grandma, that kid already has more money coming his way than Levi will see in his entire life.
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Spin – grandmothers aren’t supposed to support their grandchildren, the parents are. It wouldn’t make any difference how much Sarah Palin has in the bank, it’s Levi’s job to support his child….. In your world the grandmother, (if she has the money) should support the child, and the negligent, father should be able to run FREE ….. we have a whole generation of fathers who want ANYONE to support their children except THEMSELVES, isn’t that interesting?
SO, if the mother’s family has money it’s their responsibilty to support their daughter and her child, the father just supplies the excitement and sperm, then moves on – who would have ever guessed?
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Posts 15 & 16 (by Joel Mark) should probably be removed, as they are a republication of another’s original work. There is no evidence that JM has received permission of all rights-holders in the original work which he copies. One or two quotes is fine, if used in the context of an original work. Enumerating numerous quotes from another’s work without context is a blatant violation of federal copyright law. I’ll keep that in mind the next time Joel Mark directs hate toward undocumented immigrants merely because they have crossed the border without all of their paperwork in order. Pot, meet kettle.
If JM did solicit and receive republication authorization prior to authoring his comment, then I’ll retract my statement.
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RSD,
Your accusation of “hate” is unfounded. When have I EVER directed “hate” for undocumented immagrents? You owe me an answer. I serve a church full of immigrants from Africa and I have helped immigrants get documentation and citizenship. I love them as my family in every sense of the word. I don’t know your pot or your kettle, RSD. Maybe you should clean them up.
I openly identified the source I used and just offered excerpts as quotes rather than just copy the whole article. I think it adds to the topic discussion. You are free to ignore it. And I use the golden rule (which is the best policy). I write and publish articles too and I often WANT them to be quoted and shared freely in a forum wherein the source is identified. I try to only do what I would have others to do for me.
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I practice my free speech on this blog with much gratitude and I think communication takes place at many levels and in many different ways, including sharing sources and quotes. I also respect WORLDMagblog’s freedom to post or delete whatever they want, including my comments. It’s their site and I am a guest. Regarding my comments; take ‘em or leave ‘em; delete ‘em or keep ‘em; read ‘em or ignore ‘en.
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RED, speaking of immigrants, I also do their weddings and funerals, teach them and their children, laugh and weep with them. come to their children’s graduations, and so on. I have known immigrants at various stages in the documentation process. I always encourage full cooperation with our laws in all fairness and anyone willing to do their part toward compliance with our laws gets all my support. I don’t buy into excuses for willful ongoing illegality and injustice. For me to do that would not be real love, nore would it be honest.
I have also found that the immigrants I work with absolutely love America too.
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