I am smarter than Olbermann...he is a big joke and a tool for Obama

Serious question: why does Palin keep asserting that the VP would be in charge of the Senate? Is it possible this is what she's been told (and is therefor parroting)? Is it possible the McCain team intends for her to have that power - despite what the Constitution does or doesn't say? Or is she really so out of touch she has corrected herself on this fact?

While Palin is apallingly inarticulate, she isn't hugely different from any other mainstream Republican or Democrat when it comes to misrepresenting the power of the Executive within the US government. Both parties have had a long history of presenting, in their rhetoric, the role of the Executive as more far-reaching than the US Constitution actually spells out.

Indeed, up here in Canada, the Prime Minister actually has a fair bit more power within his/her government than the President has - or rather, is supposed to have according to the Constitution.

The problem is, "President of the most powerful Western nation in the world" just sounds too sexy for it not to be a position of disproportionate power...

Sh, I'm sure you think anyone who disagrees with you is a "tool". The irony is not lost on us.

I think Palin is a big tool for Obama. Her intellect is a complete train wreck. Think or say what you want about Olbermann, he isn't running for public office.

I love the guy. Thanks for posting the clips, Norm.

My daughter is a third grader and I very strongly object to any insinuation that Sarah Palin may in some way be smarter.

Thanks to Mr. Olbermann for clearing this up and setting the record straight, confirming what I already know: my 8-year-old is probably more qualified to be VP than Gov. Palin.

What also floats?

Man, she is such a ditz. I can't wait until she goes away. I'm so tired of listening to her.

Just a pet peeve of mine - smartness refers mental accuity, the ability to learn, and not what you know.

In that regard, I think Palin is actually quite smart, but DAMN! she is ignorant.

New Rule: You cannot talk condescendingly to a third grader if you have the intellect of a third grader.

One thing I still love about Matthews is how he can laugh at how stupid his guests are--sometimes while they're sitting in front of him. During his confrontation with Zell Miller in 2004 he was getting a huge kick out of it. The Bachmann debacle is enormous fun.

I'm not sure why Harry Reid and Chris Matthews are saying Palin needs to read the Constitution. The Constitution does not say that the VP only has a formal role to play. It says the VP is the President of the Senate and has a vote in the case of a tie. That's all. According to the reality of majority rule in the Senate, Senate rules, and the custom over most of the country's history, no, Palin is not correct about the VP's role. But the real take-home point is not her stupidity, it's her disturbing, Cheney-esque, very expansionist view of the Vice Presidency. She clearly believes that she'll be weilding a lot of power if she and McCain are elected.

"Joe the Plumber's crack" LOL

Sorry, it take so long for my system to load videos on these proprietary players that I only caught the Matthews/ Maher clip and was reponding to the Palin quote on that.

Olbermann worries that the bar is set that low. Dude, why do you even think the neo-cons have a bar??