Quote, unquote: Palin's speech examined

Sarah Palin was back at her worst-best on the stump for Trump on Tuesday in Iowa, telling the Republican hopefuls supporters, in a roundabout way, that there should be more war, more guns and less help for America's most vulnerable.

Middle East Eye looks at her choicest quotes.

“Are you ready to make America great again? We all have a part in this. We all have a responsibility. Looking around at all of you, you hard-working Iowa families. You farm families, and teachers, and teamsters, and cops, and cooks. You rockin’ rollers. And holy rollers! All of you who work so hard. You full-time mums. You with the hands that rock the cradle.”

You Betcha, Sarah. The hand that rocks the cradle - wasn't that some sort of horror film back in the 1990s?

"Just last week, we're watching our sailors suffer and be humiliated on a world stage at the hands of Iranian captors in violation of international law."

They strayed over into Iranian territory and were placed in custody for a few hours - not exactly a 'violation of international law' - before being released unharmed.

“Are you ready for a commander-in-chief... you ready for a commander-in-chief who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS ass?” 

CNN/Orc surveys show that aside from one month last year, the majority of Americans are opposed to starting another ground war in the Middle East.

“Where they’re fighting each other and yelling 'Allah Akbar' calling jihad on each other’s heads for ever and ever. Like I’ve said before, let them duke it out and let Allah sort it out." 

Didn't Palin just say that Trump should send America's 'warriors' in to fight the Islamic State? Does she know that IS has been fighting other Muslims since its inception way back in Iraq? Palin's foreign policy expertise doesn't appear to have got any better since 2008.

“The self-made success of his - you know that he doesn’t get his power, his high, off OPM, other people’s money, like a lot of dopes in Washington do. They’re addicted to OPM, where they take other people’s money, and then their high is getting to redistribute it, right? His power, his passion, is the fabric of America. And it’s woven by work ethic and dreams and drive and faith in the Almighty, what a combination.”

Donald Trump received a quite a bit of Other People's Money - $40mn of his father's to be precise as he started out in business. And several reports late last year cast doubt on his business accumen, saying he would be worth $10bn more today had he just invested that money. He's also filed four corporate bankruptcies since 1982. But Palin hit the nail on the head about redistribution. Aside from divorce settlements, he's lagging behind somewhat - Trump is not even the main donor to his own charitable foundation.

"Trump Tower - yes Barack, he built that."

Isn't Barack Obama a lawyer? Not many lawyers build towers - that's normally the job of construction magnates, like Trump. And while MEE would hate to call nonsense too many times in one article, Donald Trump's workers built the tower, many of them low-paid undocumented immigrants, who he says he wants out of the country.

“Pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, strict constitutionality. Those things that are unifying values from big cities to tiny towns, from big mountain states and the Big Apple, to the big, beautiful heartland that’s inbetween.”

No, not exactly. Gallup historical surveys show that anti-abortionists have been in a very small minority in the US for the decades since Roe versus Wade. And Gallup polls dating back to 1990 have, in all but four years, shown a majority calling for stricter gun controls. But still, speak to your audience.

“Quit footing the bill for these other nations, who are oil rich that we’re paying for some of their ‘squirmishes’ that have been going on for centuries.”

And we have a new word! MEE calls house on Palin bingo.

“Look back there in the press box! Heads are spinning, media heads are spinning! This is going to be so much fun.”

Just like 2008... To quote another very quotable American, baseball player Yogi Berra, "It's like deja vu all over again."