Lawrence O'Donnell said on his Thursday show that the New York Times has "jumped the shark" in its coverage of a potential run for the presidency by Sarah Palin.
An article in Thursday's paper set off a renewed round of speculation that Palin might actually jump into the race after all. For O'Donnell, it was more evidence that, as he put it, the "political press ... learned absolutely nothing" from its experience with Donald Trump.
One line in the article--about Palin's rumored purchase of a house in Arizona--proved to be especially amusing for O'Donnell. It said that the house "could serve as a base for a presidential campaign."
"My house, in theory, could serve as the base for a presidential campaign," O'Donnell said. " ... But most $1.7 million homes in Scottsdale, Arizona serve as a base for retirement of very rich white people who enjoy the company of other retired very rich white people. The Palin home is actually minutes away from the home of Dan Quayle, where Palin can easily obtain authoritative advice on what life has in store for losing vice presidential candidates who will never be president."
O'Donnell also scoffed at the Times' quoting a local Republican Party chair in Iowa, who said that Palin's followers think she will run.
"We called him today and he confirmed my suspicion that he has never met Sarah Palin, and has no idea about what she may be thinking about anything," O'Donnell said. His conclusion? Palin is simply trying to keep her name in the national spotlight. He pointed to Fox News' quick assurance that it is not removing Palin as a contributor as evidence that she will not run.
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