One of the first things Sarah Palin said when she graced NBC's crown jewel of a morning program today was this: "Anybody but Obama will be so much better for our country." Anybody? Hitler, Courtney Stodden, Joseph Kony? Alrighty then.
Palin — appearing today as a Very Special Co-Host — went on to praise Oprah in the "Today's Professionals" segment, while simultaneously erroneously noting that Oprah represents that America is all about having the chance to succeed and to fail. Theoretically, yes, but half of all schools did not meet federal achievement standards this year, almost ten percent of American families are living in impoverished and food-insecure households (in some places, like Wilcox County, Alabama, 38% are food-insecure), and black people are more likely to attend high-poverty schools and less likely graduate from high school. Palin also opined that Oprah's network would stick around if it "got some conservatives." She's probably right about that.
It wasn't surprising to see Governor Palin stick to her usual rhetoric. When Matt Lauer asked if she had ever seen "Today's Professionals," she replied: "I watch Fox." Ah yes, the network that has repeatedly been accused of bias. Good one.
Governor Palin did make a good point when she declared that it's nobody's business how much weight a pregnant woman gains, and rightly noted that Hollywood is full of stars who are "itty bitty" and "unrealistically tiny." But she also made a "thumbs down" gesture while talking about Game Change, the HBO movie in which Julianne Moore plays Palin — admitting she hadn't seen it but would not "waste her time" on lies. (And yet she watches Fox News!)
In a party-planning segment with Tori Spelling, Governor Palin jokingly asked if the pigs in a blanket were made with moose or caribou, and congratulated the reality show star for "living life vibrantly." (Watch the clip above closely to see Ann Curry reach out to grasp Palin's hand and Palin recoil from Ann's touch.)
In a different segment — about raising teenagers — Palin said it "would be nice" if reality shows started portraying "healthy, independent young women striving for a strong work ethic." A dig at Tori Spelling or Keeping Up With The Kardashians? (Before the segment aired, Palin told Matt that raising teenagers was "like a crapshoot.")
The best part came at the end of that parenting portion, when Ann Curry declared that they'd run out of time. Governor Palin steamrolled right over that declaration and kept on talking. She's a renegade, a maverick! But also folksy and completely down-to-earth: Why, she doesn't even have any new clothes! Palin was going to sport a pink blazer on the air, but realized she'd worn it four years ago. A busy lady with nothing to wear: Politicians are just like us!