Continue reading Chasing Value: New Years Quick Takes

Chasing Value: New Years Quick Takes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Former Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, will work for Fox News as an on air contributor.

Palin will provide political analysis and commentary for Fox News. She will also host a series called: "Real American Stories."

Continue reading Fox News Hires Sarah Palin as an On-Air Contributor

Fox News Hires Sarah Palin as an On-Air Contributor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As most investors know, before President Obama took the oath of office, there were a half dozen problems waiting for him and his administration -- problems that no-doubt have discouraged many qualified, future aspirants from even thinking of running for the presidency during what will surely be a decade of repair and correction for the United States.

But if one had to isolate one problem President Obama must fix -- one on which his presidency will likely hinge -- it would be, of course, the U.S. economy, and within that, the issue of jobs.

Continue reading The unemployed are seeking answers: Obama, Democrats must deliver

The unemployed are seeking answers: Obama, Democrats must deliver originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HarperCollins has elected to push up the publication of Sarah Palin's memoir to November 17 -- it had originally been planned for the spring, but now you'll have time to get it for the holidays.

The book, which is titled Going Rogue: An American Life, is highly anticipated because it's special on two counts. It's the first book Sarah Palin has ever written and perhaps the first book she's ever read. It's currently the number six best-selling book on Amazon.com (Glenn Beck is number two, so lock your doors).

Continue reading Palin publisher delays e-Book to drive hardcover sales

Palin publisher delays e-Book to drive hardcover sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A governor's resignation: $40,000
The feeling afterward: priceless

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's mid-term resignation is estimated to have cost the state's citizens at least $40,000. Among other expenses, it cost the state approximately $14,100 to swear in the current governor, Sean Parnell, on July 26, 2009, according to results secured by The Associated Press. The state spent another $3,328 to move Palin and her family out of the governor's mansion.

Continue reading Alaska spends $40k to ditch Palin

Alaska spends $40k to ditch Palin originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Now that she doesn't have to serve as Governor of Alaska anymore, former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin can get started on what really matters: making loads of money by capitalizing on her fifteen minutes of fame.

In other words, let the speaking engagements begin. From the "Some people will do anything for publicity files," Bloomberg reports that Palin will address CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets' global investment conference in Hong Kong, scheduled for September 21 to 25. William Pesek writes that "it's hard to know what intellectual fortitude she will add at an event attended by 1,300 fund managers from 32 countries managing more than $10 trillion of assets."

You're darn tootin" right, Mr. Pesek!

There's something unbelievably cynical about this. In her resignation speech, Palin quoted General MacArthur: "We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction." Right: She is moving out of the public service direction and advancing in the makes-loads-of-money-off-her-name direction.

Continue reading Sarah Palin set to speak at global investment conference

Sarah Palin set to speak at global investment conference originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clearly Sarah Palin, failed Washington aspirations and all, still has her supporters. They like her political positions on abortion, taxes, and gun control (limiting the control that is), to name a few. It just shows how many of us will ignore continuing inappropriate behavior if need be, as long as the end justifies the means.

Now that our political leaders have morphed into celebrities like never before -- doing commercials, late night television, radio, musical and comedic cameos and the like -- it looks like the Sarah Palin show can legitimately be accused of "jumping the shark!" ... and then some.

Continue reading Has Sarah Palin jumped the shark -- again?

Has Sarah Palin jumped the shark -- again? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Voting continues in our Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature, and it looks like early favorites include falling gasoline prices, Wal-Mart, Joe the Plumber, and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Did they get your vote?

Close races include the Breakout Person of the Year, in which vice presidential contender Sarah Palin and Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps duke it out for first place, while poor Neel Kashkari, who is in charge of the U.S. Treasury's financial relief funds, is in last place with only about 6% of the vote.

The Most Disturbing Consumer Trend is another close race, with plunging retirement accounts and falling home values virtually a tie. It's also a very close race between Wall Street and Kmart for Most in Need of a Makeover. Not much interest in making over Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), however, as it has only about 4% of the vote in that category.

Lower fuel prices are clearly the most popular Silver Lining to the Recession with about 62% of the vote so far. Joe the Plumber, with 57% of the vote, has a clear lead over distant second place Rev. Jeremiah Wright as the Most Notable 15 Minutes of Fame. And disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer leads the Biggest Fall from Grace category with about 56% of the vote.

Continue reading Best & Worst in Money 2008: Early voting results

Best & Worst in Money 2008: Early voting results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our feature on Money Winners of 2008. See all 20.

They called her Caribou Barbie. Saturday Night Live lampooned her mercilessly during the presidential election. The media elite denounced her as an idiot and a right-wing loony tune. But Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is not going to fade into the snow of the beautiful state she governs. In fact, she is coming to a book store near you.

Media reports indicate that the former vice presidential nominee is expected to earn $7 million to tell her life story to a ghost writer. That's not too shabby considering that former president Bill Clinton got about $11 million for his life story and he actually was the leader of the free world. Barack Obama and his former rival John McCain both have earned big money from their books, so why shouldn't Palin.

There was also some talk during the campaign about a talk show or reality show starring the woman responsible for giving Tina Fey's career a boost -- as if it really needed one -- but that seems to have gone nowhere.

Palin, though, will have the last laugh on her naysayers, including me. During her brief time in the spotlight, Palin transformed herself from an obscure politician to a cultural icon. Along the way, she infuriated many voters and charmed more than a few. The power of Palin's celebrity will entice people who may not agree with her politically to buy her book. Her devoted fans will line up at the bookstores to buy it as well. Palin's tome has the makings of a best-seller.

Continue reading Money winners of 2008: Sarah Palin, coming to a book store near you

Money winners of 2008: Sarah Palin, coming to a book store near you originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our feature on Money Winners of 2008. See all 20.

2008 was Tina Fey's year as the award-winning TV star, writer, and creator of 30 Rock, then completing her first hit movie Baby Mama, followed by a return as SNL's Sarah Palin. Fey is now one of the most sought after people in Hollywood.

Evidence of this can be found in the recent Barbara Walters interview listing her as one of the ten most interesting people of the year as well as the current issue of Vanity Fair.

Sarah Palin was a gold mine for political pundits, tabloids, and comedians alike during her run as the vice presidential sidekick of John McCain, but to none more than Tina Fey, the seven-time Emmy award-winning star and writer. Fey's satiric renditions of Palin brought more publicity to both women then either of them could have hoped for.

Continue reading Money winners of 2008: Tina Fey, writer, producer, actress, superstar

Money winners of 2008: Tina Fey, writer, producer, actress, superstar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature.

The great media circus that so richly illuminates American life is constantly producing new stars to dazzle us, and this year has been no exception. In addition to the usual offerings from television (Tina Fey), sports (Michael Phelps) and books and film (Stephanie Meyer), 2008 saw new stars emerge from the presidential election (Sarah Palin) and the spectacular and ongoing financial crisis (Neel Kashkari). Of course no one knows what 2009 will bring, but we can be sure of one thing: that each of these new stars will likely try to cash in on their new-found celebrity in the new year.

Tina Fey has been fairly well known for several years, first as the head writer and Weekend Update host on Saturday Night Live, then as the creator and star of the critically acclaimed show 30 Rock. However, she ascended to a higher level of celebrity with her dead-on impersonation of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. (It's so good that if you search for the phrase "dead-on impersonation" on both AOL and Google, the first results that come up are clips of Fey doing her Palin shtick.) There was a lot of debate about whether Fey hurt or helped Palin, but it's pretty clear that all of the attention helped Fey enormously, making her one of the most famous female comedians in the U.S. Look for more TV and film deals for her in 2009.

Continue reading Best & Worst in Money 2008: Broke out in 2008 and will cash in the most

Best & Worst in Money 2008: Broke out in 2008 and will cash in the most originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature.

Well, 2008 has come and gone. If you were looking to be entertained over the past 12 months, you had a lot of choices. From Batman's battle with the maniacal Joker to Hannah Montana singing her little heart out in 3-D, there was something for everyone. Let's look at five of the hottest properties that made their way into the heart of the cultural mindshare in '08.

Up first is The Dark Knight, the second iteration of director Christopher Nolan's new vision of the Caped Crusader. That movie killed at the box office, and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) could not have been happier. Knight scored almost $1 billion at the global box office. More than half that number was captured in the domestic marketplace. There's no question that the movie mesmerized the collective intellect of the audience. There's also no question that Heath Ledger, who tragically passed away earlier in the year, impressed everyone with his portrayal of the chaotic and cruel Joker villain. I, however, do have a question. Is it just me, or was Knight not as awesome a film as the hype makes it out to be? I saw it, thought it was okay. I don't know, I'm just not sure that this new entry in the cinematic Batman mythos would have brought in as many bucks if the notoriety of Ledger's death wasn't attached to these particular reels of celluloid. To be honest, I didn't think Ledger did that unique of a job. And I thought The Joker's voice was annoying, almost sounding like Sam Raimi -- did anyone else happen to think that? Maybe it's just me. Nevertheless, I salute the success of Knight and respect the project for the impact it had on theaters 'round the world.

Continue reading Best & Worst in Money 2008: Hottest in entertainment

Best & Worst in Money 2008: Hottest in entertainment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading John McCain pledges to cut taxes and will still lose big

John McCain pledges to cut taxes and will still lose big originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

John McCain has made several unexpected moves during his campaign. For instance, he picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice president. After an initial surge of support, her charming personality has given way to revelations about her lack of familiarity with the issues and Troopergate -- which led a bipartisan committee to conclude that she violated an Alaskan law prohibiting abuse of power. Now McCain may be questioning whether this maverick move hurt him more than it helped.

McCain also decided to suspend his campaign last month to deal with the financial crisis. Coincidentally, this decision came just a few days before McCain was to debate his opponent during a week when he was down in the polls. As it turns out, McCain resumed his campaign in time for the debate but without fixing the crisis. Did this maverick move strengthen McCain's image as a strong, effective leader?

At the end of a week in which the S&P 500 fell over 18%, more than it ever has in any previous week in history, some in the Republican party are questioning whether McCain's campaign is functioning as well as it could. Former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, has suggested that what McCain needs is a "broad vision of how he would lead the country through the economic crisis," according to the New York Times. This comment suggests a maverick move that McCain could take to revive his chances: replace Palin with Romney.

Continue reading Memo to McCain: Replace Palin with Romney

Memo to McCain: Replace Palin with Romney originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

John McCain, losing ground, goes for broke tonight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading What I hope Sarah Palin and Joe Biden say about the economy

What I hope Sarah Palin and Joe Biden say about the economy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This morning markets in Asia fell about 4% -- a relatively muted response to the 7% drop in the Dow Monday. Should we trust our increasingly fragile global financial system to the 73-year old gambler who claimed a victory in yesterday's failed vote on the bailout bill? One poll suggests that the answer is no.

A September 29th Gallup poll found that Americans have the least trust in the Administration's ability to handle this financial crisis and the most in Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), 47. Here is the percentage of Americans who approved of how various people were handling the economic crisis:

• Barack Obama (46%)
• Democratic congressional leaders (39%)
• John McCain (37%)
• Republican congressional leaders (31%)
• Hank Paulson and George Bush (28% each)

Our national decision is less than six weeks away.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter.

Who should we trust to lead us through this mess? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Get serious John McCain, dump Palin now.

Get serious John McCain, dump Palin now. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier this month I posted that John McCain may have made a mistake in selecting Sarah Palin. Now it turns out that the National Review agrees with me.

Katherine Parker argues that while Palin has a pleasant personality, she is "out of her league." Parker believes that her interviews with Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, and Sean Hannity reveal a candidate who probably could not handle the job of president if she were required to take it.

Or as Parker wrote, "it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion."

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter.

One more time: Should John McCain let Sarah Palin go? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Democrats, including this one, are betting that once Palin is no longer the flavor of the week voters will move onto more pressing issues such as the economy (and, of course, "American Idol"). The economy is in terrible shape. The federal budget deficit is soaring and unemployment is at record levels. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers endorsed the second stimulus plan today in testimony before Congress.

Continue reading Will a second economic stimulus revive Obama's campaign?

Will a second economic stimulus revive Obama's campaign? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.