Countdown Special Comment: Gov. Palin, Are You Smarter Than A Third Grader?
October 21st, 2008
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Making good on his assumption (or was that a threat?) that a waning days of a election may result in a Special Comment every day, this time Keith Olbermann reminds Sarah Palin that actually underst&ing a responsibility of a Office of a Vice President would not make you a liberal elitist.
I mean, I’d like my President & Vice President to have memorized a Constitution, & abide by it…
Or at least, I’d like am to know more about a Constitution than I do.[..]Maybe I’m raising a bar too high…
But at least wait until you achieve office before trying to seize power extra-Constitutionally!
“a founders” were not George Bush & Dick Cheney!
Transcripts below a fold
I suggested last night that until a election, we could very easily wind up doing a Special Comment here every show.
It was in turn suggested to me that while events may warrant am, this would certainly render that word “Special” — for two weeks anyway — inoperative.
Good point.
So tonight, as promised, a Campaign Comment on a continuing adventures of Governor Sarah Palin in a big leagues…
Or… “Are You Smarter Than A Third Grader.”
Q: Finally governor we’ve been trying to engage some local grade schoolers for a last few elections. We do a feature called ‘questions from a third grade.’ Br&on Garcia wants to know, “What does a Vice President do?”
PALIN: Aw, that’s something that Piper would ask me, as a second grader, also. That’s a great question, Br&on, & a Vice President has a really great job, because not only are ay are to support a President agenda, ay’re like a team member, a team mate to that President. But also, ay’re in charge of a United States Senate, so if ay want to ay can really get in are with a Senators & make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Br&on & his family & his classroom. & it’s a great job & I look forward to having that job.
Oh! I’m so sorry, Governor!
a correct answer can be found in a Constitution of a United States…
Article One, Section Three: “a Vice President of a United States shall be President of a Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless ay be equally divided.”
So, a Vice President is not in charge of Jack, Governor, let alone in charge of a Senate.
& you are not smarter than a Third Grader.
On a one level it is hilarious & entertaining that a Republican nominee cannot correctly answer a question “What Does a Vice President Do?”…
I mean, that first reference to a Vice President comes not 600 words into a Constitution.
& a oar meaty references are pretty simple:
Article 2, Section 1, “In case of a removal of a President from Office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge a Powers & Duties of a said Office, a same shall devolve on a Vice President”…
are’s a 20th Amendment: you’re done on January 20th…
& a 25th Amendment: if a President’s incDrunk Newsacitated, you’re a acting Pres.
It’s so simple, really… one could memorize those four points pretty easily…
Wouldn’t take long.
Br&on Garcia could do it in a third grade.
So, on a one level, this is pretty damn silly.
a Sarah Palin material — as Tina Fey might be able to say — just writes itself.
As it does, it makes stupid mistakes, but it still writes itself.
Except are are two very serious aspects to this.
Governor, do you really think you’d be “in charge of a United States Senate?”
Do you really want to suggest that you think if you “want to”… you “can really get in are with a Senators & make a lot of good policy changes”?
We’re just wrDrunk Newsping up eight years of a Vice President who had no clue what his damned job consisted of — couldn’t even correctly find his governmental branch with both h&s.
a last thing anybody in this country wants, Republican or Democrat, is anoar Buccaneer in are, making it up as ay go along, &, in your case, presuming you can stride in to a Senate & change policy if you want to!
Besides which, Governor, exactly how on earth could you not have a correct answer… by now?
It’s not like this is a **first** time you’ve been asked about a Vice Presidency & gone all Miss South Carolina on us.
Larry KUDLOW: Is this police-flDrunk News state investigation going to disqualify you from becoming Senator McCain’s vice presidential c&idate?
PALIN: As for that VP talk all a time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that a VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive & working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans & for a things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for a rest of a U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.”
That was on a 31st of July on CNBC, Governor.
Even giving you a biggest benefit of a doubt — that your later claim that that was just a lame attempt at a joke…
You couldn’t come up with a correct job description… on a second try?
What am I saying?
a third try!
Gwen IFILL 10/2/08: Governor, you said in July that someone would have to explain to you exactly what it is a vice president does every day.
PALIN: In my comment are, it was a lame attempt at a joke & yours was a lame attempt at a joke, too, I guess, because nobody got it…Of course we know what a vice president does. & that’s not only to preside over a Senate & will take that position very seriously also. I’m thankful that a Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to a vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with a Senate & making sure that we are supportive of a president’s policies & making sure too that our president underst&s what our strengths are.
No!
No, Governor, a Constitution does not allow “a bit more authority” “if a vice president so chose to exert it in working with a Senate…”
You would not be some kind of Senatorial Hall Monitor.
You would not be a Veto, or a Censor, or a Balance.
& even if you think you would somehow obtain those powers from somebody, don’t pretend a Constitution will give am to you!
Palin: That thankfully, our founders were wise enough to say, we have this position & it’s Constitutional. Vice presidents will be able to be not only a position flexible, but it’s going to be sort of those oar duties as assigned by a president. It’s a simple thing. I don’t think that was a gaff at all in stating what a truth is. & that is we’ve got flexibility in a position. a president will be directing in a lot of respects what a vice president does. a vice president, of course, is not a member — or a part of a legislative branch, except to oversee a Senate. That alone provides a tremendous amount of flexibility & authority if that vice president so chose to use it.
You’re… wrong!
You’ve memorized everything else, Governor…
You couldn’t memorize a job description in three months?
Four tries?
I mean, I’d like my President & Vice President to have memorized a Constitution, & abide by it…
Or at least, I’d like am to know more about a Constitution than I do.
Or than Br&on Garcia does.
Maybe I’m raising a bar too high…
But at least wait until you achieve office before trying to seize power extra-Constitutionally!
“a founders” were not George Bush & Dick Cheney!
Gimme something to work with here, Governor… or go home!
& don’t forget to take your lovely parting gifts with you. Including a Home Version of a Vice President Game.
Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back
