Blogs and Stories
GOP Implosion
In a matter of weeks, three of the Republicans' most promising presidential contenders—Palin, Sanford, Ensign—have tripped up, leaving the party’s leadership more adrift than ever. A Daily Beast roundup of what happened.
AP Photo
Palin Resignation: 11 Theories Why
by The Daily Beast
Sarah Palin's holiday-eve decision to resign as governor blindsided TV commentators and bloggers who scrambled to come up with an explanation. The Daily Beast's presents a roundup of insta-reactions.
______________________________________________
Rick Wilking, Pool / Getty Images
How Her Mind Works
by Mark McKinnon
Mark McKinnon, who helped prep Sarah Palin for her infamous debate with Joe Biden, says he never saw her bombshell resignation coming—and insists there's another surprise up her sleeve yet.
______________________________________________
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo
Palin Has Really Gone Rogue
by Michelle Goldberg
UPDATE: The governor’s resignation speech seemed less like a farewell than like an inauguration of a new campaign. She’s unhinged, writes Michelle Goldberg—but so is much of her competition.
______________________________________________
AP Photo
Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?
by Max Blumenthal
The suddenness of Sarah Palin’s resignation raises questions about whether a coming scandal caused her to leave office. Max Blumenthal looks at one possibility.
______________________________________________
Mario Tama / Getty Images
How Palin's Resignation Makes Her the True Frontrunner
by John Batchelor
UPDATE: Rather than a blow to a career, Sarah Palin's decision to resign underlines her self-awareness, writes The Daily Beast's John Batchelor. She is now unmatched for the 2012 primary.
______________________________________________
Getty Images (2)
Sarah Palin: The Movie
by The Daily Beast
Who should play Sarah Palin, Todd, Bristol, Katie Couric, and David Letterman in the Hollywood version of the governor’s story? The Daily Beast heads to the casting couch.
______________________________________________
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo
What the Sanfords Didn't Say
by Tina Brown
Tina Brown decodes the governor and first lady’s statements about his sexual escapade.
______________________________________________
Davis Turner / Getty Images
Forgive Mark Sanford
by Meghan McCain
Sex scandals like Governor Sanford’s and John Ensign’s are private matters that don’t affect public policy and shoot down rising political stars. It’s time to end hypocrisy in America.
______________________________________________
Davis Turner / Getty Images
The Passion of Mark Sanford
by Kathleen Parker
The cheating governor—and his impractical, impossible love for a woman thousands of miles away—is the kind of tragic, heart-swelling tale that storybook romances are made of.
______________________________________________
Mic Smith / AP Photo
Sanford's Strange Side
by Max Blumenthal
Well before the South Carolina governor admitted his extramarital affair, there were signs the “thoughtful conservative” had a penchant for concealing potentially damaging and unusual incidents from his constituents.
______________________________________________
AP Photos
GOP Lothario Losers
by John Batchelor
The twin disasters of Mark Sanford and John Ensign expose the Republican Party apparatus for the laziness, pettiness, and emptiness of what is left of the leadership. But the crash of Sanford—much higher on the 2012 list—eclipses that of Ensign.
______________________________________________
Davis Turner / Getty Images
Sanford's Dereliction of Duty Trumps His Hypocrisy
by Paul Begala
That the South Carolina governor stepped out on his wife is his business, writes Paul Begala—though it does underscore the GOP’s culture of hypocrisy. Stepping out on his job, however, is the business of the people of South Carolina.
______________________________________________
William Thomas Cain / Getty Images
Sanford Should Resign
by Mark McKinnon
After his disastrous press conference, the South Carolina governor ought to pack his bags, The Daily Beast’s Mark McKinnon writes. Now who’ll be the GOP's savior in 2012?
______________________________________________
Landov; Getty Images
Mark Sanford: The Movie
by The Daily Beast
Runaway governor Mark Sanford’s South American love affair is perfect for Hollywood. The Daily Beast heads to the casting couch.
______________________________________________
Newscom
Ensign's Sex-Scandal Enabler?
by Max Blumenthal
Senator Tom Coburn knew of John Ensign’s affair 16 months ago—and concealed it from the public. But what, Max Blumenthal asks, did the conservative moral crusader tell his friend in private?
______________________________________________
Isaac Brekken / AP Photo
Investigate Ensign Now
by Max Blumenthal
A leading watchdog calls for the Senate Ethics Committee to look into multiple mysterious payments made to the senator's mistress and her family.
______________________________________________
Susan Walsh / AP Photo
Ensign, Get Your Sorry Ass Out of the Senate
by Mark McKinnon
In the fourth of a series on the 2012 landscape, former Bush and McCain strategist Mark McKinnon says Sen. John Ensign’s hypocrisy makes his misdemeanor of adultery a felony—and he should resign.
______________________________________________
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
Sarah Drops the Act
Tina Brown is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
Palin's Gold Mine
Duff McDonald is a contributing editor at New York magazine and a former contributing editor at Condé Nast Portfolio. His book, Last Man Standing, about Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, was published by Simon & Schuster in October.
Oprahs of the World
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Life After Oprah
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
The Yes List – Tim Burton's Macabre Art at MoMA
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
I think this is great news. She was never going to be elected. She was only going to be a distraction in the primarry. Republicans are fed up with the re-treads in the party leadership. Now, maybe a fresh, new face will step up. The way Obama is imloding it won't take much to beat him next time.
That's very funny.
Coming from our favorite comedienne, I thank you.
I doubt the GOP can beat Obama in 2012 because well educated base voters like myself left the party. Very distressing to folks like me to see once in power the party throws its principles out the window in favor of utterly political expediency.
Doc,
2010 and 2012 elections will be decided on the economy. If unemployment is less than 7.5% Obama and the Dems win handily. 7.5% to 8.5% and it will be a dog fight. If unemployment is over 8.5% - then Obama is a one termer and the Dems will be facing the wilderness again.
Simple
That is a very condesending remark, your eliteism is showing.
Obama's imploding?
Only Republicans could "re-elect" a pair based on national security issues but on whose watch the deadliest terrorist attack occurred, blame the predecessor (who had tried in vain to warn is successor of the problem), portray Bush as a victim of having inherited the problem, and then suggest that Obama is imploding and can't be re-elected because of near impossible economic conditions he inherited but has not ignored!
Repubs have one thing going for them (which explains Palin's popularity): chutzpah.
You are so right. Chutzpah is the right word. What a bunch of phonies.
And the only reason
They're still riding shotgun
In Congress.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
Please respond with a sentence containing proper grammar and I will answer you. Otherwise, you have answered your own question.
With those 3 gone I was feeling 40% less lectured. Thanks Fly, I felt something was missing.
W/O grammar we have nothing. Refuse to answer mispelled words!
I refuse to pay taxes because the constitution has a split infinitive in it. I do not recognize the US government.
I'm pretty sure that he was just using Palin-speak. Surely all good Republicans recognize how elite good grammar is...lol.
actually the way the Republicans are speaking you'd think they expected Obama to fix the problem during the first 6 months - except you and I know that those that are screaming the most are just exercising their freedom of speech to detract from their most powerful enemy. Of course the problem is that their agenda is suspect - consider the result of their running the country - so the wonderful freedom of speech is debased by these Harpies to the detriment of all of us. Do they (the Republican Harpies) care about undermining the value of Freedom of Speech - I think not.
Get a brain!
He is fixing it ALRIGHT!!!!! What a joke. He is driving us into bakruptcy. You must be on welfare. You are the only ones to get anything. Taking from those who work hard to have and give to those who want to sleep in and get checks from the gov. Wake up!!!
Someone has limited their "news" intake to Glenn and Sean! Please get out of mommie's basement and study before you offer your opinions on matter about which you know nothing.
She claimed her predator killing program as a great accomplishment in her lame quitting speech.
Which includes murdering Adult Wolves in various gruesome fashion, then locating the den of their puppies and bashing their heads in. They call that practice 'denning'.
She is basically an ignorant monster and good riddens I hope she gets crusified by the law in her building scam.
These shameful Republicans were marginal at best,
and Palin didn't have the brains to debate Obama
in any capacity.
Palin was a populist candidate who knew little about world affairs, and frankly an awful rambling speaker. It's shocking that she would not find someone to help her speak in a fluid articulate way, a coach of some kind.
As for Mark Sanford.
The man seemed to be channeling Huckleberry Hound,
slow, with a mouth full of molasses.
Imagine, the man with the personality of drying paint, and the speed of a caterpillar, how could he NOT be a hot spark plug in the love making department ? And a real LOOKER to boot.
Who wouldn't fall for this Goober ?
The Argentina Diva must have been
under some delusional spell.
After voting for Obama, unless the economy turns around,
I'm voting for Mitt Romney, who will be the Republican nominee in 2012, mark it down.
Sure George W. Bush was the second worst President ever behind Jimmy Carter, and he left us with an economic mess, but Obama's budget calls for spending more than ALL 43 of his predecessors COMBINED.
Obama said he wouldn't hire lobbyists, he hired lobbyists.
He said people making under $200,000 would not see increases in their taxes.
He's about to break that promise in the tradition
of "Read My Lips."
Obama is hiring CZARS like they're going out of style, unaccountable government
bureaucrats who answer to no one except the President.
Czars, a term from Russia ?
Obama fired the head (G.M.) of a "Free" market corporation.
A first for a President ?
He's taken control of the banks, and soon healthcare.
The man is out of control.
You can take the man out of community organizing (Acorn)
but you can't take Acorn out of the man.
Maybe he did NOT work for Acorn,
but did he not represent them ?
Obama is a brilliant man, and he wasn't kidding when he said
he was going to change this country.
Does he know anything about economics ?
He wants to spend money WE DON"T HAVE.
Does the Constitution of The United States matter to a man
who studied Constitutional Law ?
One wonders if that is the defining ironic twist to this
man and his motives.
Yeah your right. But lets see now what have the republicans brought to the table except tax cuts, tax breaks. I will tell you this much. Under the Bush administration my husband and I didn't get much back in income tax. Under Obama's administration we got back about $500.00 more. We did well under Clinton also. So am willing to give Obama some time. It took Bush to ruin this country in 8 yrs. It will turn around right before his next term.
Right behind you Southernyankee-
These people are beyond hubris
To try and make the case
That all of their mess
Should be fixed by now.
Nice comments, but you should have included pictures for the left wingers.
Sarah's motive? We'll maybe there really isn't one. She's showing vanity, immaturity, delusions of grandeur. She's been lucky, in life, so far. If you want to see what happens when the luck runs out, ask Terry McAuliffe, or WJ Clinton whom we realize is the culprit behind our latest economic woes. (Or Michael Jackson) If her luck holds, she may end up being President, just like William Clinton. George Patton
I can't answer that question. Gov. Palin is missing a critical ingredient of a political education. I don't know what that ingredient is, but something is missing. It's like a fully baked caked with beautiful icing but tastes awful. I know it is a 'prop cake', beautiful to look at but truly not for consumption.
I admit she scares me because thirty percent of Americans could care less if she causes seventy percent of Americans nightmares.
That's the seventy percent who don't vote, so not much to scare them with.
So after listening to Sarah's rambling speech ( several times) she believes that a Lame Duck politician has nothing to offer, and is useless ( that would come to a great surprise to R. Reagan and all that he accomplished his last term ). . . . does that mean that if by some quirk in fate ( and voter ballot manipulation, and having the Supreme Court APPOINT her President as they did G. Bush ) . . . and if by some further miracle she were to be elected to a 2nd ( hence LAM DUCK ) term of office, . . . .does that mean she would resign from that too???
Old hippy, you sound like you got burned out at Haight & Asbury, you are not thinking straight.
Be nice.
rickjr82
With those 3 gone I was feeling 40% less lectured. Thanks Fly, I felt something was missing.
W/O grammar we have nothing. Refuse to answer mispelled words!
Old Hippy Says
You misspelled " mispelled " above. ( in YOUR POST )
Where was your "W/O grammar we have nothing" when G. Bush was murdering the American Language??
Voters don't need to spell correctly or use correct grammar, when they walk into a voter booth.
Question, are you one of those all encompassing, compassionate, tolerant, all inclusive Republicans I keep hearing about?
If voters can't spell corectly- they don't desearve to be heard.
Bush was protecting the language be keeping us aware of how human we are.
Answer- no, i hate encompassing people.
It's difficult to see how Palin could entertain any hopes the presidency now, but she could very well reprise her V.P. run again. Watch out !!
I think she is going to trade on her fame and go for the gold ring. With her book deal, can a talk show be far behind. I think she saw the lifestyle of the rich and decided she wanted it for herself. Politics is not fun, don't ya know, when they are fact checking and criticizing so I bet some sort of radio/tv deal is in the works.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.