Uh-oh: "Ralph Nader praises Sarah Palin"

[Proud Public Servant]

Ralph Nader hearts Sarah Palin?

We decided to call the longtime left crusader about a speech Palin gave in Iowa earlier this month, one which seemed to mark the transformation of Palin from a standard-issue movement conservative to something more independent and more reformist. And Nader told us he liked what he heard.

"I think she's a lot smarter than most people credit her," says Nader. "Judging by her comments, she is squarely in the camp of conservative populism, opposed to corporatism and its corporate state."

Oy. Just, oy.

edit -- forgot the link: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/sarah_palin/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/09/19/nader_palin

[frazzled]

1. Chapter 437 in "Ralph turns sow's ear into silk purse."

[snooper2]

2. I bet Nader would love to heart Sarah Palin..

All night long :rofl:

[mod mom]

3. I believe his message is: "opposed to corporatism and its corporate state."

:eyes: unrec'd

[Skidmore]

12. Which is also BS because

Palin is her own corporation. She certainly isn't a populist. Just someone who manipulates populist language.

[mod mom]

16. Obviously not an ounce of respect for Palin but she is pushing

an anti-corporate message, something we should all embrace:

"Palin struck a populist tone and assailed corporate favoritism Saturday in a campaign-style speech"

-snip
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/03/sarah-palin-iowa-tea-party-speech_n_947722.html

[Recursion]

31. What does "populist" mean to you if it doesn't apply to Palin?

Seriously, what does the word even mean at this point if you think she isn't one? She exactly in the mold of William Jennings Bryan, etc.

[cali]

25. they don't come more corporate toady than Palin.

[Recursion]

27. Then why has she vocally attacked corporations for her entire political career?

What, specifically, about her public life has made her seem "corporatist" to you?

[Warren DeMontague]

34. Because she's a moron, speaking to other morons.

That bus she rode around the country on? I'm willing to bet it was built by a corporation. This gibberish about "corporatism" is just utter fucking nonsense. Yes, let's tax the corporations, yes let's not give them personhood, but this idea that somehow they're coming to get us unless we all grab pitchforks and take back this country for some protectionist agrarian ideal... I mean, it's fucking childish, and what Palin (and Nader) are doing is getting people with legitimate beefs- like the disappearing middle class- to blame imaginary, conspiratorial forces instead of focusing on proven real-world solutions.

We know how to improve the lives of the middle class. Education. Infrastructure. A solid social safety net. A higher marginal tax rate on upper income earners.

....but the idea that Ralph Nader (or Sarah Palin, for fuck's sake) is somehow going to usher in a utopia with no corporations is just facile.

[Recursion]

35. Well said

At one point I was trying to untangle what "corporatist" means here; I've mostly given up

[cali]

38. uh, she's for lowering corporate taxes and removing regulations on big business

what about THAT doesn't seem corporatist to you?

[Recursion]

40. Because the regulations are how the big businesses get and stay powerful

Why do you think the biggest supporters of the new enhanced food safety rules this year were the 3 largest meat packers?

Regulation has always favored large corporations. Always. That's why they support it.

[cali]

41. oh for fuck's sake, not that tired old right wing argument again.

She's also for doing away with the EPA and drilling fucking everywhere. You don't think those positions help large corporations. Do explain, dear.

[Recursion]

43. I point to my food safety rules example

The biggest push for the strengthened food safety rules earlier this year came from Perdue, Tysons, and Jimmy Dean. It's not a "tired right wing argument", it's a universally acknowledged fact that those of us in food safety advocacy try to make use of. Smaller local slaughterhouses and packers can't afford to meet the new standards and have to close down. That's why Perdue loves it.

EPA regulations can be huge burdens on small businesses, very disproportionately when you compare the burden they are on large ones.

[cali]

44. how about addressing the points about Palin that I brought up?

The larger point about her being a corporate toady?

[Recursion]

45. Well, the analogy is obvious

But to spell it out:

EPA regulations are much more burdensome on small businesses than large ones, which is why despite 20 years of Republican presidents and 16 of Republican Congresses, the EPA has never been shut down, gutted, or even made significantly less powerful. And it keeps pushing out regulations that it's easier for large businesses to afford to comply with than small ones.

This isn't some opinion of mine, there is literally no way a reasonable person can seriously say that government regulations over the past century or so have not cemented the control of the economy by a small number of powerful corporations.

[cali]

46. bullshit. you provide zippo evidence of that right wing talking point.

None. Zero. Empty fucking claim.

[Warren DeMontague]

30. Which is another way of saying ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Yeah. Sarah Palin, she's out there fightin' the power.

Give me a fucking BREAK. :eyes:

[Shagbark Hickory]

4. The man is bursting at the seams with integrity.

n/t

[hlthe2b]

5. Here ya go, Ralphie....spread a little of your special lovin on THIS...

Yes, indeedee...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZoLHXkcbPY/Tna8UE0JibI/AAAAAAAABdk/GFnVn4RxSNw/s400/Palin+in+Iowa6.jpg



Talk about your "unsafe at any speed!: :evilgrin:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Is the man demented? WTF!

[JaneQPublic]

7. Nader very seldom criticizes Repubs, but does the Dems incessantly.

Why is that, I wonder?

[cprise]

11. You seldom read publiccitizen.org

If you'd rather judge him through the filter of corporate media, that is your problem.

[JaneQPublic]

15. I read commondreams.org & they say Nader took GOP $

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0709-04.htm

Now, tell me they're right-wing media.

Seriously, I've seen entire live debates and interviews with Ralph on C-SPAN and elsewhere, and he only takes on the Dems for not being liberal enough, never the GOP.

In one "debate" with Newt G., it sounded more like a love-fest, because both were banging on the Dems, although from different sides.

[Luminous Animal]

26. So did Kerry. A lot more than Nader could even imagine. $10.7M for Kerry. 111K for Nader.

In fact, there was a Republicans for Kerry organization.

"But the reality was only 700 Republican contributions (no individuals, but individual contributions) had given donations to the Nader campaign and most of the contributors were people Nader had worked with on justice issues in the past. Even among these 700 the Democrats received more money than Nader-Camejo — $111,700 to $146,000. But, the Democrats continue to use the Big Lie ­ despite the facts."

...

"Preliminary CRP results: 50,000 contributions who have given to President Bush or the Republicans have given $10,697,198 in large contributions to Kerry. This means 100 times more Republican money has been contributed to the Democrats campaign than to the Nader-Camejo campaign. That amount is five times the entire budget of the Nader Presidential campaign!"

http://www.counterpunch.org/2004/10/19/republican-contributions-10-7-million-for-kerry-vs-111-700-for-nader/

[cali]

39. ah yes, the organization that he used nasty tactics to prevent employees from unionizing.

he's a vile piece of work.

[demosincebirth]

8. As far as Palin is concerned "dumb" is a life long affliction.

[RZM]

9. Maybe she is, but if anything that will damage her political career

There is a tradition of conservative populism in the US, but I think recent experience has shown us that it's not the path to influence in Washington, let alone the Republican nomination for president. If you're not right with big business, it's just not going to happen for you. I think that's what Ralph is trying to say here and he probably does have a point. Perhaps it's more evidence that Palin is turning away from being active in politics herself and anchoring her future in commentary. After all, it's regular people who buy books and attend speaking engagements. Maybe she thinks that if she builds up enough support like that, she will have enough clout to re-enter the political sphere later on. Worst case scenario there is that she makes a lot of money.

Huckabee is another figure mentioned in conjunction with conservative populism and it looks like he has already made a similar decision. I'm sure he's happier having a TV show and making money than running with the wolves in the Republican primary and ultimately losing to Obama.

[AtomicKitten]

10. Ruh roh. The GOP must be delighted and will gladly fund yet another Nader campaign.

[SoapBox]

19. Ditto...

Ralph, you've lost your marbles.

I used to think that you were good for America, MANY years ago...now you are just another crazy.

Move on.

[JNelson6563]

36. Yep and the agents of the right will fan out

to all the Dem sites...

Oh wait, that's already done.

Julie

[patrice]

13. Hasn't Nader ALWAYS been about taking it all down? And since he doesn't belong to anything except

himself, he doesn't have to worry about the harm "starting over with a 'clean' slate" would cause. So, of course he likes Miss Quitter Secessionist-Alaska-Is-the-Hope-of-ALL-Mankind. Makes perfect sense to me. A match made in la-la-land.

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. He's right she is smart on manipulating conservative populism

that is not a lie.

I don't see any wrong with his statement or observations of her

I thought she was a genius in her manipulation of the media and her supporters ..... sort of like a Hitler.

[Hoosier Daddy]

17. I think there's a movie about the two of them

Irrelevant And Irrelevanter

[EC]

18. Wow, he actually believes Palin wrote and understood

anything she says in a speech? This man may as well hang it up, if he can no longer identify a dangerous product.

[Capitalocracy]

20. It's just an example of the extreme right stealing left-wing ideas

and turning them into empty talking points. Looks like they've been taking notes from Ron Paul.

[JoePhilly]

21. Breaking News: A shark has just jumped Ralph Nader!!!

The AP reports that after years of people "Jumping Sharks" ... the sharks have had enough.

"Its been embarrassing" said the Shark spokeshark, "to have ridiculous people jumping over us all the time. So we've decided our best response is to start jumping over ridiculous people in protest. And Ralph was the first ridiculous person on our list".

The sharks are also considering a jump over Michelle Bachmann, after her own "shark jump" at the last GOP Debate. The fact that she rarely leaves IOWA anymore will make this tougher, but the Sharks are not concerned.

"If she stays in the GOP primary fight until Florida, we can definitely jump her there, and perhaps 8 other truly ridiculous GOP candidates, all at the same time. That would probably set a world record." confirmed the spokeshark.

[gordianot]

22. "Conservative populism" is entirely a ruse for getting people to vote against their own interests.

Nader's message is designed specifically to provide support for Republicans in splitting Democratic votes. You can bet if Palin says anything there is a financial gain in it for Sarah Palin.

[Recursion]

42. No. Populism has always had elements of both the left and the right in it

There's nothing new about that.

[Old and In the Way]

23. Is he really that naive as to think Palin wouldn't be extending corporate influence in our politics?

Were she to somehow get elected to POTUS, she'd be over her head and she'd be run like other past Republicans (Bush the dimmer and Reagan come to mind).

[Recursion]

29. When did she extend corporate power in Wasilla or Alaska?

Specifically, what are you thinking of? She dislikes regulations, but she also rightly points out that regulations generally increase the power of certain large corporations. The idea that pro-regulation = anti-corporation is what really strikes me as naive.

[Old and In the Way]

49. I'm thinking she'd be over her head and dependent on the corporations

that would finance her campaign and the Republican Party in general. That would be all of the Bigs. Whatever she did or didn't do in Wasilla/Alaska is not relevant. She'd be in the WH and taking orders from the people who put her there. Not sure how to answer your statement that regulations increase the power of certain corporations. That may be true, but regulations should be corporate neutral...ie, all corporations in an industry effected by regulations should be equally impacted. It could be that some regulations in fact increase the power of some corporations. It might also be that some regulations decreases the powers of some large corporations. If some environmental regulations make entry into an industry more difficult or impossible (say, oil drilling, for example)....I'm not sure that's a compelling reason to forgo regulations.

And I do agree, pro-regulation should be corporate neutral...it should apply to all players equally. There should be no competitive advantage in gaming the rules to get a regulatory exemption.

[we can do it]

24. Fucking Loon Strikes Again

[bluestate10]

50. The more Nader talks the clearer it becomes that he is a damned fool. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

28. She uses small words and Democrats hate her.

Ergo, she's "of the people"


:eyes:

[coalition_unwilling]

32. WTF? Palin can barely utter a simple declarative sentence. And

Nader thinks she's "smarter than most people credit her"? Is Nader suffering from early-onset Alzheimers?

[Myrina]

33. Now THERE'S a general election ticket!!

:rofl: :rofl:

Gotta admit I was a Nader organizer in 96 but he was still slightly sane back then.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

37. Grifter respecting another grifter. (n/m)

[Scurrilous]

48. ...

:thumbsup:

[MadHound]

47. Praising her? No, more like making an observation about her

Big difference. His observation may be right, it may be wrong, but it certainly isn't praise.

[bluestate10]

51. Pretty weak defense. But, I don't try to defend clowns. So who am I to talk? nt

[geek tragedy]

52. More 'not praise'

""When she was governor of Alaska she really did take on the oil industry, and approved a statewide referendum that resulted in the first state in the Union to regulate cruise lines and their pollution offshore," he says. "So there is a precursor to these remarks.""