Can Palin's $150,000 shopping spree boost the U.S. economy?

But Pete,

The clothes are going to be donated to charity!

Like when she's done with them?

And after today, who isn't going to be shopping at Goodwill stores?

Why is it only her shopping that is reported? I'll bet Mrs. O can spend a dime or two herself. I don't see THEIR children wearing worn out clothing.
Next time be a little less bias in your reporting... this is worse than the Inquirer.

Allie: How many hockey moms do you know who drop $125k on a Saks/Neiman Marcus wardrobe?

The reasons no one is talking about Mrs. O are:
A) She is not a candidate.
B) She is not hypocritical enough to call herself an average American.

What a HORRIFIC POLITICAL BLUNDER on the part of McCain's campaign and the Republicans.

This smacks too much of merely adding to the "window dressing appearance" of Sarah Palin's selection to be the VP candidate. Apparently Palin is not capable or can't afford to dress decently enoughtor approriately to be on the platform with John McCain. The SNL head bobbing to a rather racy skit was bad enough (she was obviously subtley duped by SNL); and now this "revealation" doesn't exactly "qualify" her to be "a heart beat away from the presidency".

Granted I am not the most fashionable guy in the world, but as a somewhat middle-middle class American, I seriously doubt that I have spent that much money on clothes during my entire adult life.

This is nothing more than a "marketing costs" to sell an illusion. I had been somewhat open to Palin being VP; but now I certainly have to reconsider that.

As a Republican for over 38 years, McCain's platform is being more and more distateful to me . . . the taxing of health insurance benefits, etc.; and yet Obama is not a viable alternative either. This is worse than the Bush-Kerry election. Which is the leser of the two "evils"? They are almost as bad as each other, just in different ways.

the American people have become "captive" to the DNC or the RNC, both of which are controlled by special interests.

I find it rather amazing how the majority of the American people can be distracted from the primary critical facts in our economic problems with articles like this.

The crux of the national economic debacle is the FULL DISCLOSURE of the CDSs, the CDOs, and the CMOs that the financial institutions are holding . . . that undisclosed information is what has caused the lack of confidence between the FIs to do business with each other.

However, the FULL DISCLOSURE of this information was not requied for applying for, and receiving any of the BILLIONS of dollars in "Bail Out" monies. No Grup of Congressmen are DEMANDING this dislosure, and the FI obviously are not eager to reveal the information either.

Our economy is NOT going to bottom out until this information is disclosed; there can be no "confidence" in business until this is resolved . . . but the government is not requiring that, are they?

It appears that something is rather rotten about all of this tacit "non-disclosure". Meanwhile the American people are being taken to the financial cleaners on a daily basis.

who cares about what that women spent on her clothes. I care more about what are they going to do to get us out of this financial mess. This is just smoke and mirrors. Let's talk about something that is important. Unless your personally paying for her clothes, why should you care.

PRETTY EXPENSIVE SHIT FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO BE A MAVERICK AND TURN OUR ECONOMY AROUND----GET REAL, THIS ONE IS STRICTLY IN IT FOR WHATEVER SHE CAN PERSONALLY GET--- SHE MAKES ME SICK ALMOST AS MUCH AS BUSH, CHENEY AND MCSAME

EDA---I GUESS YOU DIDN'T READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE---SHE DID SPEND TAX DOLLARS-- ALASKAN TAX DOLLARS TO VACATION FOR 4 DAYS WITH HER DAUGHTER IN AN EXPENSIVE NEW YORK HOTEL----SO IT WAS MY MONEY SHE SPENT

I honestly can not imagine spending that much money on any clothing shopping spree! What in the world is wrong with that woman??? Does she honestly think that people give a damn about what clothes she's wearing?

I know many find her to be attractive, but my opinion is that she happens to stand out in a mainly male dominated field. In the 'real world' she is just an average woman who is able to buy the best of everything and charge it to the state she lives in or the US government. If we all had access to that kind of money we'd look pretty damn good too!

Am I on the the wrong blog? Oh yeah, it must be ANOTHER unbiased political commentary from Peter Cohen. What exactly does this have to do with the financial markets? Just because it's somehow tied to money? What do any of your posts have to do with this blog? I don't CARE what Palin spends on clothes. I read this blog for financial analysis and insight. Reporting on specific stock movement depending on who wins the Presidency is wholly appropriate. This drivel is not. Next time you feel like posting, use this litmus test: would Jim Cramer care about the content?

Whats that saying about dressing up a pig?

WTF? I guess Obama wears $3 suits....I wouldn't know since McCain doesn't have private eyes following him around to see what he spends on clothing. Why? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!! How about the nasty Mrs. Obama ordering 2 lobsters and IRANIAN caviar....along with RUSSIAN champagne. Sounds like a peanut butter & jelly family to me--Ha! What a joke!

SARAH FEEL'S PRETTY

(I Feel Pretty, West Side Story)

WilliamBanzai7


SARAH
I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and even bright!
And I pity
Any trailer girl who isn't me tonight.

I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.

See the pretty hockey mom in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive mom be?
Such a pretty Vice Presidential face,
Such a pretty $5000 dress,
Such a pretty red lipsticked smile,
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a bunch of GOP red necked cowboys!

GIRLS
Have you met our good friend Sarah,
The craziest girl on Joe sixpacks block?
You'll know her the minute you see her,
She's the one who got a broken clock.

She thinks she's smart.
She thinks she's got a great campaign.
She isn't smart,
She's merely shopping McCain insane.

It must be the campaign heat
Or some rare hypocritical disease,
Or too much foies gras to eat
Or maybe it's media fleas.

Keep away from her,
Send for Gap Chinos!
This is not the
Sara we thought we knew!

SARAH
I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty
That the District should give me its key.
A Senate committee
Should be organized to honor me.

GIRLS
La la la la . . .

SARAH
I feel dizzy,
I feel sunny,
I feel fizzy and funny and fine,
And so pretty,
That the Miss GOP title can be mine!

Peter, I am really amazed at your perverse anti-Republican fixation!

@Allie - they did check and nothing showed up for Mrs. O. Either she paid for her own clothes or the DNC is better at hiding it then the RNC.

@eda - I care as I DONATED to the RNC prior to McCain picking Palin so MY donation is going to clothes vs. helping out candidates in tough senate races such as Colorado who are facing some serious challenges against the DNC money machine. I cannot see the return on investment of dropping $150K on clothes when there is a serious issue of the DNC OVERTAKING the senate.

@phatkrome - agree that Peter has some great views on money but I am getting sick of the partisan notes that have nothing to do with anything. If I wanted to hear some left-wing mongering I can head to the Huffington post.

@Sean - well the problem is that post from NYPost on Obama and caviar was wrong. See their retraction from yesterday.

Bottom line as a long-term RNC supporter I am stupefied that someone did not see how dumb a move like this was. They are putting out Palin as a common woman, yet drop $150K on her clothes. I am sickened and will vote for Barr and the Libertarian party.

I've never shopped at Saks Fifth Avenue, but I did go to a men's clothing store, that's right next door, to get Allen Edmond shoes, once. They cost $300+ a pair, but they last forever, look beautiful and make a man feel very sharp. My first pair lasted over 20 years. This pair will probably be the ones that I'm buried in, unless I get cremated; then, I'll give them to a deserving young man, just like the last pair. I once heard, that the Italians import over 300 brands of mens leather shoes, to the U.S. However, they import only one American-made shoe, to Italy... Allen Edmonds. They may be expensive, but if you divide out the cost, they don't cost any more than other American-made shoes. Even Italy imports them, and that says something!

Back to Sarah, if she's just "modeling" them for a fundraiser, with the proceeds going to charity, what's the problem? It's good exposure for her and it's all above board. Maybe, Obama will sport a men's hat and revive an old tradition, that's been sorely missing for many years.

"She used to look good to me, but now I find her -- simply irresistible."

-Robert Palmer-