| Sarah Palin Comes to Hong Kong |
| Written by Our Correspondent | |
| Wednesday, 23 September 2009 | |
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It was standing room only as 1,100-odd financial sector types attending the CLSA annual investment forum packed the Ballroom of Hong Kong's Grand Hyatt Hotel to hear the investment wisdom of Sarah Palin, the vice presidential candidate in the 2008 US national election who energized the Republican base only to lose the confidence of a majority of the electorate before the campaign was over. CLSA, the Hong Kong-based investment bank, has had a habit of making its annual conferences controversial, inviting speakers who have gone on to the national and international stage. Some of the audience were there as though it were a freak show, expecting the gaffe-prone former Alaska governor to display her ignorance of the world beyond her own isolated state. Others were expecting some verbal fireworks, some very straight speaking to explain why the event was not only closed to the media but delegates were warned not to record her speech. Her handlers carefully didn’t expose her to the press in an open press conference although she did take a few questions from investors. What they got was 90 minutes of boredom which had half the audience fiddling endlessly with their Blackberries. Ninety percent of her speech could have been – and probably was – written for a domestic US audience receptive to her "mom and pop" populism. Indeed the only newsworthy aspect of the speech was why her remarks had to be kept private despite their predictability. Claiming to speak for Main Street USA, and the "little guys" ignored by Washington and Wall Street, Palin launched into what she claimed to be "common-sense conservatism". She delivered long but not very eloquent diatribes against politicians in general as well as government interference in the economy, the health care plans of US President Barak Obama and the very notion of income redistribution. She quoted from Margaret Thatcher and frequently invoked Ronald Reagan and his tax cuts as examples of fiscal responsibility and the way to revive the economy. Blame for the recession rested with the Federal Reserve and Washington, not the market. The way to recovery was to end capital gains and inheritance taxes, cut spending – and it was inexcusable not to tap all US natural resources. That naturally included Alaskan oil and gas. "God" she said had "dumped a bucket of resources on Alaska" intending them to be used. She clearly felt that her audience of fund managers and investment bankers needed to learn from her numerous achievements as (until she resigned) governor of Alaska. And an international audience needed reminding of the dangers of Islamic terrorism. Lee Kuan Yew was quoted on the importance of winning in Afghanistan and the need to send as many troops there as the military asked for. All in all this was standard conservative Republican stuff but it bored than surprised a naturally conservative audience waiting for something that might be quote worthy if not memorable. The only slightly interesting bit was when she got to discussing China. It had indeed had "miraculous" economic growth and she hoped its rise would remain peaceful. However she warned that the US and the rest of Asia had to be prepared in case things China "went in a different direction." She criticized its missile threat to Taiwan, lack of pressure on North Korea on the nuclear issue, its dealings with regimes in Iran, Burma and Zimbabwe. She noted that political freedoms had not followed economic reform and contrasted it with democratic progress in India, Indonesia etc. She criticized suppression of domestic critics and also mentioned those two words Chinese leaders least like to hear: Uighurs and Tibet. Palin was clear that the strong US defense posture had enabled Asia to prosper and continued military strength and the alliances with Japan, South Korea and Australia had been and remained crucial its peace and success as China was rapidly building up its military even though, she claimed, it faced to major threat. While expressing a desire for free trade she also criticized China on intellectual property protection and state assistance to "national champions" in industry. Palin's remarks on China were forthright but entirely in line with conservative republican views as expressed almost daily through organs such as the Wall Street Journal – including in its Asian edition. So the lack of surprises left many in the audience wondering the reasons for the secrecy about the speech. Surely a "tell it as it is" politician would like to be heard by friends and foes alike. So was it CLSA which wished to keep her remarks about China from being the headlines in all the local and international media? Investment banks are not known for being prepared to offend their biggest clients, especially when they are as sensitive as Beijing. But the speech blackout makes nonsense of Palin's own claims to honest debate.
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(18)
And review (who protest too much author so ALB), I think this is a fairly balanced reports palin tips. This sounds like a lot of standards line her again and again that the previous appearance, in some Chinese spilled into the mix related ideas. Since she didn't know have the expertise of the foreign policy and the investment strategy, it is hard to understand why this organization is willing to pay large sums of money, she is their main spokesperson. I guess the celebrity and dispute to fill the room enough factors, but I guess it does not pay off, their final victory. They have a speech by others most likely rehashed, small room is big, because only gaffes during the problem is approved. So, without interest or even entertainment value. Sounds like most worth mentioning is that she shows great change (.). Better luck next year!
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I invite you to peruse several posts on the subject at http://nailinpalinnow.blogspot.com, starting with Sept. 2nd post "Big Scarah In LIttle China - Murdoch Will Have The Last Laugh".
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Long story short, she was invited to the CLSA because Rupert Murdoch has connections to the group and wanted her to have an "out of town" speaking event to get people talking about her, mostly to publicize her upcoming book release by his company. It was also a group that could pay her exorbitant speaking fee - paydays like this were why Palin quit as Gov in the first place, also under Murdoch's advisement. report abuse
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Thank you very much. I am wonderring if I can share your article in the bookmarks of society,Then more friends can talk about this problem.
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A man wanted to buy an ass. He went to the market, and saw a likely one. But he wanted to
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test him first. So he took the ass home, and put him into the stable with the other asses. The new ass looked around, and immediately went to choose a place next to the laziest ass in the stable. When the man saw this he put a halter on the ass at once, and gave him back to his owner. The owner felt quite surprised. He asked the man, "Why are you back so soon? Have you tested him already?" "I don't want to test him any more," replied the man, "From the companion he chose for himself, I could see what sort of animal he is." http://www.happytiffany.com http://www.happytiffany.com/Tiffany/index.html report abuse
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 written by MaoMao , September 25, 2009
It is so stupid for CLSA to put up Palin as the speaker for this forum. People in Asia don't give two hoots about Palin. Now, if the speaker was Obama, or Hillary, or Bill Clinton, you can double the price of the tickets, and it would still be a standing room only event. Palin is a nobody out in Asia.
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God, you cons are predictable. whining about media bias, whining about coverage, bashing the Huff Po as liberal and then saying even they wrote positively about the speech, as if that makes Princess Palin a foreign policy queen.
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You do realize that the HuffPo has Republican con writers? See, it's not like the sites cons read. But I guess that's beyond you people. also, too, coverage of her speech is irrelevant. She didn't write it and they aren't her ideas. Randy Scheunemann wrote the speech, with two other experts on Asian markets helping him. So, the speech was your typical Galtist con fantasy, taking cheap pot shots at the President of the USA while on foreign soil, because Republicans hate America when they lose elections. report abuse
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As the currency in the Warhammer world, plays an important role in the economic system.
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written by Eskimooo , September 24, 2009
Palin was happy and contented as the queen of Alaska. And her loyal subjects loved her. And all was fine in the Alaskan kingdom. Then this old man McCain came around and whoooshed her into the national limelight. The it all goes into her head that she is destined for the national and world stage. She did not even know that her lack of worldly knowledge helped McCain to lose the Presidential race. She looked like a fish out of water. She still thinks she will be the next President of the USA.
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written by KarenJ , September 24, 2009
"Palin's remarks on China were forthright but entirely in line with conservative republican views as expressed almost daily through organs such as the Wall Street Journal – including in its Asian edition."
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Not too surprising, since the owner of the WSJ, Rupert Murdoch took Palin under his wing even before she quit her governor job, and his private jet was at the Anchorage airport waiting for her to get on board right after her speech. She and Todd went to NYC, had dinner there, talked to her publisher (Rupert Murdoch's conservative Harper Collins house), talked to Faux "News" luminaries, then she disappeared for 6 weeks, presumably to (choose one or more): 1) learn her lines; 2) learn to obey her mentors, her handlers, and her bosses; 3) Botox; 4) detox; 5) get away from the hubby and children, 6) have a va-kay... report abuse
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written by MO Inkslinger , September 24, 2009
Please do not judge Americans by the ramblings of Sarah Palin. She lost the election in Nov of 2008 and she quit her job in Alaska. Sarah is a embarrassment to the Republican Party, the female sex and conservative values. She is the Britney Spears of politics.
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written by Sadie , September 23, 2009
I live on "Main Street USA" and Sarah Palin does not
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represent the reality of my beliefs and my life. She represents the ultra-conservatives in the USA (and that is putting it mildly) and not the mainstream. The politics she purports to represent were soundly defeated in the last presidential election but it still doesn't seem to have sunk in. Not only did she lose a major election, she quit as governor of Alaska with more than two years left in her term. She is a loser and a quitter. Why do people bother to listen to her. report abuse
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written by Bamabama , September 23, 2009
Palin can't even hack it as a VP cnadidate. What makes her think she has a chance of becoming President? The biggest mistake McCain did was to choose her as running mate. It gave the impression that he had bad judgement of people. And now it has gone to her head. She thinks she is president material. But then again the American electorate is very unpredictable. Like the way they voted Bush Jr into presidency TWICE!!!! Who knows, maybe she may become President of USA one day. If it happens, God Bless America! In fact ,God Bless the World!!!! Palin may genuinely think that Australia is the 52nd state of the USA.
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written by Tokkok , September 23, 2009
We were there to network with other investors, bankers and other VIPs. She was only of secondary interest. At most we just want to see who this also-ran person is. Surely you don't expect investors to pay any attention to what Palin has to say about the economy, trade, finances and what not? I must say that CLSA should have put up a more notable speaker. Nothing wrong with the way Palin speaks. It's just that we are not interested in what she has to say.
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written by mj , September 23, 2009
God, you cons are predictable. whining about media bias, whining about coverage, bashing the Huff Po as liberal and then saying even they wrote positively about the speech, as if that makes Princess Palin a foreign policy queen.
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You do realize that the HuffPo has Republican con writers? See, it's not like the sites cons read. But I guess that's beyond you people. also, too, coverage of her speech is irrelevant. She didn't write it and they aren't her ideas. Randy Scheunemann wrote the speech, with two other experts on Asian markets helping him. So, the speech was your typical Galtist con fantasy, taking cheap pot shots at the President of the USA while on foreign soil, because Republicans hate America when they lose elections. report abuse
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written by Jit Lee , September 23, 2009
I got nothing against Palin. But I just wondered why CLSA invited her to talk at an investor forum. I mean, she is not a guru in economic or financial matters. And she is not part of the USA administration of the day. So in effect whatever she says at the forum would not carry weight. It is not Palin's fault. But CLSA is the one who had poor judgement in inviting an inappropriate speaker for an investor event.
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written by JS , September 23, 2009
Unlike the comments from ALB (who doth protest too much methinks), I thought this was a pretty well-balanced report on Palin's presentation. It sounds like many of the standard lines she has repeated over and over in previous appearances, with a few China related thoughts sprinkled into the mix. Since she is not known to have any expertise in matters of foreign policy or investment strategy, it is hard to understand why this organization was willing to pay big bucks for her to be their keynote speaker. I suppose the celebrity and controversy factors were enough to fill the room, but I'm also guessing it didn't really pay off for them in the end. They got a rehashed speech most likely written by someone else, and little room for major gaffes since only pre-approved questions were taken at the end. So, nothing of interest or even entertainment value. Sounds like the most newsworthy thing is that she showed up for a (big chunk of) change. Better luck next year!
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Looking to launch on an international stage, the former Alaskan governor fails to ignite the crowd
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