Politics

Team Sarah out for blood

In their universe, Team Sarah members have the right to be gloomy. They lost an election, big time, and their girl has been skewered in the press. Even many in her own party have stated that Palin represents what ails them. Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in the Washington Post that Palin stood for the "right wing, Evangelical oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP," which, she said, is in the process of killing the party. (This spawned huge debate in conservative intellectual circles, and now there's even a new blog for the secular Republican.)

TeamSarah.org won't hear of this kind of conservatism. Its members think it's a big plot by the media and the powerful to take Sarah down.

Here's Ronald, a Team Sarah member, in the chat room on a recent night: "Most people (like the media) who try to make others believe that Sara is dumb and stupid or inexperienced actually fear her because of her faith and goodness."

TeamSarah.org was founded to advance Palin's vice-presidential candidacy. Now the group sees her as their presidential candidate for 2012. The group boasts it has more than 60,000 members. At any given time, you'll see as many as 60 people in the chat room, where you'll find an endless stream of ranting about President-elect Obama. Is he a Muslim? (Probably.) Is he Socialist? (Definitely.) Another Hitler or the anti-Christ? (If not, he certainly carries the stench of evil). Sometimes, the conversation will veer to Sarah Palin and what she has done. Here's Ashley posting a "random fact" about Palin while the rest of the group discusses Obama's birth certificate:

"When she took office as Governor, she had a $68,000 salary (paid by the people) she cut 10% of her own salary, in order to create a sales tax, which increased the states revenue by a large percent, the people did not have to pay any more or any less, because she cut her salary 10%. Smart Idea, and shows that she isn't power hungry or money hungry, but just looking out for the state of Alaska and its people."

(If any of this were true, it would be while Palin was the mayor of Wasilla. But none of it is true: under her tenor, the city's long-term debt actually grew from about $1 million to $25 million, most of which was the result of a $15 million sports complex that voters had approved. She did cut personal property taxes and was in favor of reducing her own salary to save the city a few bucks. According to the City of Wasilla, her initial salary was $64,200 a year. The city council lowered her pay to $61,200, yet she didn't put up a fight when it was increased to $68,000 two years later. Again, the council voted for another $2,000 cut, and a year later, again it raised Palin's salary to $68,000)

But nobody seems to care much about Palin's record on TeamSarah.org, or really anything substantive about Palin at all. The conversation stutters and stumbles as members discuss how good she makes them feel. What Team Sarah members really want to talk about is Obama:

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Susie Chilberg: Palin is incredible, isn't she. Today as I was getting ready for church there was a rerun of the Beltway Boys......both said she has incredible star power and what a good thing that is for GOP

BJ:We just have to watch and be careful of 666 right?

James:I'm just really worried that Obama is indeed the anti-Christ. The Revelations is too similar to Obama's success. I hope I am wrong but it is hard not to believe

Later, in the same chat, James asks the group if anybody has bought the new Obama coins.

SavantNoir: yes James, and i melted it down to see the look of agnoy on his face, made it a BB

pellet and shot it into a pile of shit.

This was unusual for SavantNoir. His role in the chat rooms seems to be to calm people, to tell them they can't believe everything they see on YouTube or Fox News. Last Friday, he was trying to show a woman named Deb'rah that a quote she had taken from one of Obama's books did not prove that he was a Muslim. Besides, he said, "This is a country where ALL peoples, of ALL faith......have equal rights to pursue truth, liberty, and happiness."

Her response:

Deb'rah: that is not the point, Savant!! he paraded himself around as some big Christian, quoting scripture to fit his poltitical views, and then he comes out with "My Musim Faith" AND I AIN'T TALKING ABOUT IT NO MORE TONIGHT... GOOD NIGHT YA'LL

They're fixated mostly on Obama's religion, rather than the color of his skin. But sometimes, it can get pretty off-color in Team Sarah's chat room:

Wendell Edwards: I just can't wait to see the Inaugeral ball... I heard the Presidential Waltz will be replaced by Barack and Michelle "Crumpin"

tami: I am sure michelle will dance like a horse

Wendell Edwards: followed by the new cabinet break dancing...

Wendell Edwards: the entertainment will be NWA...

Christopher J. HolmesNot trying to get too racial, but I have never met a black woman who could not dance.

tommykb3grz: disco night in the east room of the white house

Wendell Edwards: A mirror ball from the ceiling, and baggies of rock everywhere

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tommykb3grz: the 4th of july watermellon roll on the south lawn

tommykb3grz: obamas new limo will have boom box speakers

Wendell EdwardsA new cabinet position, "Secretary of Crack"

Wendell Edwards: Spinner wheels on the Limo

Wendell Edwards: Gold-plated chrome

tommykb3grzeveryone in the cabinet will be sitting on there crack

Wendell Edwards: a 4-inch diameter Presidential Seal in gold hanging from Obama's neck

Wendell Edwards: A white fur coat and hat on inaugeration day..... for Barack

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tommykb3grz: i hear on here that the white house will have a zebra paint job

Wendell Edwards: OK, enough jokes. at least I hope those are jokes!

tommykb3grz: they're jokes all in fun

These may be the kinds of water-cooler exchanges well-intentioned people all across the country are having. If nothing else, Obama's election might allow us to discard the collective hair-coat of political correctness and actually start the conversation that Obama himself implored we have. To begin that conversation, we might have to start off with a few off-colored jokes.

But there's a bit of a powder keg in this water-cooler chat. Team Sarah members can spend hours feeding off of each other's fear and anger; comparing what Obama has planned for the this country to Hitler's plan for Germany, or implying that he is in cahoots with Middle East terrorists, imploring each other to keep vigilant watch and to keep their guns handy for the day when Obama's master plan begins to unfold. In the forum, a 14-year-old named Ashley asks if it's possible to like both Palin and Obama.

Dave the Jarhead: Sure it is. Aside form Obama being an utter Moron I suppose he is a nice enough person. I personally put his happy little smile on every Terrorist face in Rainbow six, just before my cross hairs line up...(Rainbow six is a video game.)

Ashley: This is the comment that makes me want to retract my positive view points on Sarah Palin. I don't want to be in the same company as whack jobs like you. That's no fault of hers though...

Later, after Ashley is excoriated by others for even thinking of liking Obama, she says, "I don't necessarily support one person over the other. All I'm doing is trying to maybe quell some of these ridiculous and divisive things being said. Clearly I'm not wanted here and I misjudged the maturity of grown ****ing adults. Never have I been so personally attacked for absolutely no reason. Later folks."

At about the same time Ashley was sounding off on the board, a woman posted the following poem describing the kinds of people who visit TeamSarah.org:

We all have something that connects us

no matter what it may be.

Sometimes the connection is less then great,

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but the connection we have is the best ever.

We are connected through Sarah,

A woman who is strong.

We stay up for hours talking about her.

When we talk about Sarah,

it's hard to leave the site and go to bed.

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We don't answer the door or feed the cat

when we talk about Sarah.

We ignore the phone and ignore other sites.

We are the people that don't watch the news,

except for FOX.

We are the people that even after the election,

are wearing buttons.

We are the people that can watch youtube videos of Sarah,

and never get tired of them.

We are the people that have Sarah Palin ringtones,

making our liberal friends uncomfortable.

We are the people that are thinking about moving to Alaska,

just to be closer to Sarah to protect her from the smears.

We are the people that still scream when we watch Sarah online

and hear our families laugh when we do.

We are the people that make never-ending facebook groups

and websites galore to support Sarah.

We are the people that will fight against liberals

when they bash Ms. Sarah.

We are the people that oppose Oprah and Ellen,

and just about every show from Hollywood.

We are the people that like to make nicknames,

nice and mean,

for conservatives and liberals everywhere.

We are the people that stand strong for our beliefs,

because that's what Sarah taught us to do.

We are the people that love Sarah

to the ends of the earth.

We are the people that want to make Sarah shine

showing the beauty she has inside and out.

We are the die-hard supporters across the nation.

We are the Team for Sarah

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