I heard the Palin tape concerning Paul Revere and it was shocking, not just to hear her talking about bells instead of lanterns, which every grade school kid knows about, and not even the translation of a wartime alert that the enemy was approaching into some kind of Second Amendment rant.
No, the real problem is that she insisted later that she had gotten the story straight after mangling it beyond recognition. The ultimate topper is that at the end of her comments she threw in that the question about Paul Revere, the one we all learn in elementary school, the question she was under no obligation to answer in the first place, was another "gotcha" question.
It isn't so much the stunning ignorance, it is the appalling arrogance that strikes me. I heard someone say that she sounded like a beauty contestant answering that question, and I think it really does.
I think this thing was silly and wasn't worth the time the media spent on it. But comparing the mistake of Obama to those of Palin is laughable. I get years wrong all the time (although - it's typically the previous year and not multiple years ago though).
Getting the year wrong in January or February .. that is one thing .. in May though .. by several years - some one must have been doing some serious partying.
Again .. history experts on Paul Revere said she had the story right .. it is not her fault that Americans are ignorant about Paul Revere.
She said he was warning the British and that's not the story because that was not his intention. He was warning militia along with about 40 others. Whether or not he was caught by some British soldiers is not relevant.
I realize it's a small mistake she made and individually I don't really care but it's a pattern with her that shows her speaking skills are about on par with myself - except that I'd be willing to admit I made a mistake. As cmassaro pointed out her mistake is willful and vehement ignorance.
I imagine Obama is willing to admit that it's not the year 2008 but if Palin had made that mistake she would make up a reason to claim it was. And we all make mistakes but she does things correctly very rarely.
Thanks, for the last link in your initial comment post. I've never, to my recollection, read that letter.
This re-writing history by just anyone with a ahole thing has to go. We do it too
but it is not effective. Once we get Lee up and running on the White House propoganda office, we can block all but a very few specially chosen people to make Wiki edits. We will first offer Wiki federal funds, if they take them we own them.
As president of 57 difficult to control states, the president has the entitlement to make errors now and then.
Big_T
If Palin 'apparently' messes up and you're the American Press .. you jump all over it ... if your the president of the US and don't know what year it is .. you don't print the story.
I am not a Palin supporter - but the smearing smugness of the mostly liberal media only distorts the fact about the actual Paul Revere story - just maybe she has more on the ball than many can admit. If you can accept that Obama really knows what year it is and can't accept that Sarah Palin just may know more about Paul Revers ride ... then you have a problem it seems.
You know how Sarah Palin said Paul Revere warned the British? Well, he did. Now, who looks stupid? ...probably something you won't read on CNN or Huffpo ... why ruin a good smear from the left.
Those quibbling with Governor Palin 19s statements have their history incomplete. During Paul Revere 19s ride he was stopped by British soldiers, which Revere recounts in a 1789 letter maintained by the Massachusetts Historical Society ,in his original language (emphasis mine): I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for that. When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse back,and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared to have the command, examined me, where I came from,& what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere, he asked if it was Paul? I told him yes He asked me if I was an express? I answered in the afirmative. He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and aded, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River, and that There would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up. He immediately rode towards those who stoppd us, when all five of them came down upon a full gallop; one of them, whom I afterwards found to be Major Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by name, & told me he was going to ask me some questions, & if I did not give him true answers, he would blow my brains out. He then asked me similar questions to those above. He then orderd me to mount my Horse, after searching me for arms.He then orderd them to advance, & to lead me in front. When we got to the Road, they turned down towards Lexington. When we had got about one Mile, the Major Rode up to the officer that was leading me, & told him to give me to the Sergeant. As soon as he took me, the Major orderd him, if I attempted to run, or any body insulted them, to blow my brains out. We rode till we got near Lexington Meeting-house, when the Militia fired a Voley of Guns, which appeared to alarm them very much.
from the historical society in Mass