Mike Krumboltz reports: "In the video, which was taken at Boston's Old North Church, Palin gives a bizarre version of Revere's 1775 ride. Addressing an unknown person, Palin remarks: 'He who warned the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms by ringing those bells and, um, making sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that, uh, we were going to be secure and we were going to be free.'"

Sarah Palin campaigning in Hew Hampshire, 06/02/11. (photo: Reuters)

Sarah Palin: "Paul Revere Warned the British"

By Mike Krumboltz, The Upshot/Y!News

04 June 11

arah Palin is a divisive figure. But no matter where you stand with the former Alaska governor's politics, this recent video of her speaking about Paul Revere's historic ride is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

In the video, which was taken at Boston's Old North Church, Palin gives a bizarre version of Revere's 1775 ride. Addressing an unknown person, Palin remarks:

He who warned the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms by ringing those bells and, um, making sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that, uh, we were going to be secure and we were going to be free.

A couple of things are wrong with that interpretation, but one central main point seemed to be lost on Palin: Revere wasn't warning the British about anything. Indeed, he was warning the Americans about an impending British attack - as his celebrated historical catchphrase "The British are coming!" made abundantly clear.

But Palin can take some small consolation in knowing she's not alone among high-profile leaders affiliated with the tea-party wing of the conservative movement in misremembering a key development in colonial American history - even as the movement prides itself on serving as the guardian of the American Revolution's founding principle of liberty. Last month, Michele Bachmann - Palin's likeliest rival for the tea party vote should they both elect to run for president in 2012 - told a crowd in New Hampshire that they came from the state where the first "shot heard round" helped set off the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord. Lexington and Concord, of course, are in the neighboring state of Massachusetts.

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+44 # cydfan 2011-06-04 08:05

Why was there no one there to ask for the long form birth certificate of her history teacher?

+46 # Regina 2011-06-04 09:25

There was nothing wrong with her history teachers. There's everything wrong with her desiccated skull -- if she was born with a brain it has atrophied. Ditto for Bachmann. But of course, those are the only kinds of women Republicans accept -- they've declared war on the rest of our female population.

+33 # minmouse 2011-06-04 08:15

Any one who would vote for this woman if she decides to run must be missing their marbels also. How the press can spend time running after this woman is beyond me, there is too much other news to report than this dummy.Don't they remeber? JOB, JOBS, JOBS.gIVE US A BREAK.

+42 # isafakir 2011-06-04 09:14

when you pan palin for missing the point, you miss the point: Americans historically hate smart people. George bush's defeats of Gore and Kerry were precisely because Gore and Kerry were better qualified. Sanders kucinich Frank Franken Pelosi Rodman or anybody with character intelligence whit integrity won't ever get elected president because of American's deep distrust of better people, of anybody putting on airs. the Palins are the "real" Americans in the minds of t-party KKK white knight pentecostal working class bigot americans precisely because they are dumb enough to value rapture myths over and above any other possible rational reality. Simpson and Homer are "real" Americans. white trash dumb.

+8 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:55

@ isafakir: But keep in mind Palin's last book tour was a disaster, both in terms of turnout and book sales. As well, her pathetic 'reality' TV show only lasted 13 episodes before it was canceled. The first episode had the highest ratings of any TLC show in the history of the network; then the audience realized how boring and petty Palin and her family are, and the ratings precipitously plunged. Not too many are anxious to pay her $75K-$100K speaking fee, either. The only things keeping her afloat these days are Fox News and the incredible obsession the MSM has with covering her.

+8 # bruin75 2011-06-05 11:26

Isafakir,I agree with every comment on this page, however yours is significant in that yours addresses a point that few have addressed. This country, founded on an agragrian, relious (puritanical) base (not to include the majority of the Founding Fathers, who were deists and/or agnostic). The majority of the electorate in this country reflect this tradition in their distrust of those whom they consider "elitist". That is to say, educated and intellectual. The majority of this country's electorate is relatively poorly educated, especially compared to their couterparts in Europe and Asia. Few are intimately familiar with their own history, few have any knowlege of geography as demonstrated time and again in schools accross the country. They are not required to learn a second or even third language. They are for the most part ignorant of anything outside threir own borders, whether it be the county,state or country. They continue to believe that somehow Americans are the "chosen people" in their stanch belief in American Exeptionalism". Few can quote anything from the Constitution unless it pertains to restricting their obsession for guns, or restricting a woman's right to choose, or restricting gays from having a marital relationship. Education seems to be the weak link, particularly when compared to Europe and Asia where it is cherished by nearly every citizen in their society.

+40 # RSJ 2011-06-04 09:27

Why can't we have a 'historical literacy' test for candidates? Anyone who wants to run for office has to pass a college-level test on American and world history and the Constitution. If they have a poor 'SAT' they can't run, just as you can't get into the college of your dreams with low test scores. I realize this would invalidate most Republicans, such as Junior Bush and Palin, and some Dems, but I think that's a plus.

+35 # JLL 2011-06-04 09:55

Funny...the GOP is pressing for "standards" that voters should have to meet before stepping into a voting booth. O'Reilly says that one of those standards should be a history "literacy" test. Gee, if the voters have to pass a test, then the candidates should at least be able to pass the test as well. My dead cocker spaniel knows more about American history than this twit. Watching this is downright embarrassing.

+14 # Regina 2011-06-04 10:16

The real problem with such a test is: Who is going to compose it, who is going to designate the correct answers, and who is going to grade it? Do we assign those tasks to the cretins described by isafakir @09:14? Worse, who's writing the new American history texts for the upcoming population of kids? Palin and Bachmann could become curriculum creators!

+10 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:33

@ Regina: Excellent point, and there's the rub: would the tests be based on textbooks from Texas or the Koch-financed faculty at Florida State University, or on the history traditionally taught in the US prior to the era of Christopublican revisionism?

+11 # Dave W. 2011-06-04 14:03

JLL, Immigrants to the United States have to pass a very rigid exam before attaining citizenship. That exam should be standard issue for ALL politicians wishing to hold political office in this country. Would make a VERY entertaining "reality" show. How about "IN JEOPARDY."

+29 # GeeRob 2011-06-04 09:58

I'm a little impressed that Palin didn't identify Paul Revere as the lead singer in a rock band from the 60's and 70's.

+5 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:36

She might have been better off if she did. "Paul Revere and His Raiders were just so great in showing our great liberty and keeping our guns free!" At least then she could try to laugh off her ignorance as a joke.

+15 # J.Lind 2011-06-04 10:06

If Palin runs and wins that means
that God hates us!!!!
And He's going to show us the errors of our ways!

+16 # Syd 2011-06-04 10:45

If the media ignored her completely maybe she would dry up and blow away. Unfortunately, she's a great source for jokes.

+9 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:45

Good point, Syd. She calls the MSM 'lamestream,' and prompts her kids Piper and Willow to snark to reporters (incredibly) "Thanks for ruining our vacation" (while her media-whore mother leases a bus with her name painted on the side), and otherwise flips them off and they just keep coming back for more.

Why not simply cover Palin after she announces she's running for president?

The truth is, if the lamestream media ignored Palin she wouldn't be able to afford her new 'Real American' $1.7 mansion in Scottsdale, AZ.

+18 # brucezell 2011-06-04 11:24

It's amazing what a shameless rambling moron she is! Only other morons would take her seriously.

+9 # angelfish 2011-06-04 11:33

Out of her own mouth she has proven herself to be ANENCEPHALIC!(i e; WITHOUT a brain!) Case closed, Next Case!

+1 # madeline 2011-06-05 21:37

it looks like drugs to me

+15 # Kayjay 2011-06-04 12:16

Hey Sarah..... I gotta admit, my middle school student is smarter than you! I gotta wonder how you ever got through sixth grade last year.

+14 # feloneouscat 2011-06-04 12:17

15 Minutes. Time is up.

Now, STOP COVERING HER. She is unimportant.

+10 # DaveM 2011-06-04 13:01

If there were people like her back in 1776....we'd all be speaking English now!

+2 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:47

Uh, DaveM, I hope you were being sarcastic -- we ARE supposed to be speaking English right now, although I grant you some of our fellow Americans don't help prove that case.

+12 # mtnview 2011-06-04 14:06

Dear Sara: you can not fake a real education.

+9 # Lorraine Miller 2011-06-04 14:11

Ya know, we laughed at George Bush's ignorance for 8 years...his half cocked idiocy and stupid remarks were surely quotable...as are Palin's. The eight years of Bush may have been quotable, but not enjoyable.

+8 # RSJ 2011-06-04 16:48

Imagine if we found out someday that Dan Quayle was Junior Bush's political hero.

+9 # fhunter 2011-06-04 16:20

Sarah Palin's brilliant explanation of Paul Revere proved that she was also absolutely correct in her earlier comment on AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM. In fact, she is the preeminent example: EXCEPTIONALLY DUMB.

+8 # Monty Gee 2011-06-04 16:51

She's never even read the poem about Revere?!

+9 # RSJ 2011-06-05 03:06

@ Monty Gee: Of course she's never read the Revere poem -- it wouldn't fit on the palm of her hand.

+10 # Ken Hall 2011-06-04 17:38

A high school student challenged Michelle Bachmann to a debate. I think a third of fourth grader could be successful against Palin.

+5 # nirmalandhas 2011-06-04 19:01

..this is exactly the kind of person most americans will vote for...

+4 # RSJ 2011-06-05 03:10

Yet she still has a 60 percent disapproval rating. She could, possibly, get the GOP nomination, but even that's a stretch -- the GOP Elite loathe her, and won't be paying for her clothes this time around. OTOH, the Republicans need a sacrificial lamb in 2012 and who better than Palin?

+3 # boudreaux 2011-06-06 11:00

Need to put her on that show, Are you smarter than a 5th grader...she might struggle there too...put MIchelle Bachmann on there too..

+2 # Larry 2011-06-07 02:25

Question: If Sarah Palin makes a sound in the middle of the forest and no one is there to hear it, is she still lying?

+3 # Christopher 2011-06-07 15:06

Palin fans attempted to rewrite Paul Revere’s Wikipedia page... thereby leaving crayon and Sharpie scrawling all over tens of thousands of computer screens nationwide!

On a more serious note, I posted this to Sarah Palin's Facebook Page, and it was deleted and I was blocked. Now you know what kind of hypocrite you're dealing with. -- Sarah, I am sure you agree with the King of Kings Socialist in Matthew 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

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