Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, said at the ICSC RECon show in Las Vegas that President Obama has an addiction problem. He’s addicted to OPM (pronounced by her as “opium”), she said, referring to an acronym for Other Peoples’ Money.
And that was the main message of her keynote speech to kick off the largest retail real estate convention in the world. The former vice presidential candidate stuck with politics and the differences between her and the Democrats rather than talk much about the retail industry like past keynotes such as former President Bill Clinton and cycling champion Lance Armnstrong.
In fact, Palin even admitted: “I have never been someone to want to shop a whole lot.” She did have some nice words for the industry, though, saying that retail employment is the “backbone of the economy” and that shopping centers are an “anchor” of communities.
Besides that, some of her remarks were a little on the obvious side. “There is a shop for everyone. Whatever you’re looking for there is someone out there happy to sell it to you.” And: “Shopping centers are everywhere. Conveniently located, too.”
Most of Palin’s speech was spent defending her track record and attacking the current administration, which she characterized as big spending. She also put down the government’s bailout of big businesses, and without naming any specific situations, we can imply she was talking about car companies in Detroit, investment banks on Wall Street and insurance company AIG. “The government that governs least governs best,” she said.
Palin’s remarks were greeted by measured applause and a few walkouts by the audience.
Like her or dislike her, Palin did have one interesting piece of information for the audience — apparently 35,000 people are attending RECon this year.
Counter Culture 
Is anyone surprised that she was a horrible choice as the opening speaker of the most important meeting of our industry? What else could she talk about? I have no idea what the powers of ICSC were thinking? If they wanted a comedian they were lots of better choices. Or maybe they wanted to demonstrate to the industry how lucky we are that she is not the Vice President.
With the current state of the economy as it is why did they not select someone who would be better abled to address the attendees with useful, and not useless, information.
I agree with Greg! The authors of this article are biased and ignorant of Obama’s real agenda and how dangerous he is for our country. He is destroying our economy and he is doing it intentially. He is as dishonest and unethical as the Chicago machine which spawned him, and he is using the same tactics to advance himself and his one world agenda. If you ask a politician to speak, you should expect a speech about his/her views. More power to Sarah Palin to take advantage of this bully pulpit. I am tired of people bashing Sarah Palin. Get a grip on where this country is headed under the current administration and do something to stop it.
Palin’s a great choice. Seems the only political slant is the author of this article.
Can you imagine if it was Obama. Ha Ha Ha… He’s killing the economy and that’s why he would never be invited.
He’s the most dangerous man in American now.
We need people like Palin who understand business.
Obama is the Community Organizer in Chief .. Nothing more.
Second worse to Obama would be Pelosi with that very very large gavel of hers — ready to strike down business wherever she sees it.
Obama / Pelosi — destroyers of American business.
you are a dumbass idiot to think Obama is killing the economy. Palin understands how to sell out for $$…Palin is joke! Get a real republican next time!
“We need people like Palin who understand business.”
What are you talking about, Greg? How does Palin understand business? That’s just fucked up. She is a fool and a phony who seems to not understand how business or government works.
Has anyone asked ICSC how much Sarah Palin was paid as an honorarium? If it was more than expenses, it was too much.
I think Sarah Palin is the perfect keynote speaker for the shopping center industry — a narcissistic airhead with barracuda instincts. She doesn’t like to shop? Maybe she has already forgotten about the little spree she went on during her vice-presidential run that brought her campaign embarassment. Way to go ICSC.
Oh c’mon Starman, you can’t really believe your own rhetoric!
The clothes, the budget, all those things were orchestrated by that very hmm ‘effective’ campaign manager who threw everyone under the bus. The only one who brought the campaign under embarassment was the man who did such a poor job of running it.
Quit throwing undocumented javelins and do something positive.
“Undocumented”?
Mercy…..
Incredible…maybe ICSC tried find someone who is the highest on the BIMBO scale! the woman is ignorant, obnoxious and mean spirited, an embarassment to intelligent women throught the US…retail RE leaders need to protest this incredibly stupid choice!
Paul — Mean spirited? You must be referring to Obama — the most hate-filled and hated pres in the history of this country. The man-child is so egotistical, condescending and unpolished as any politician one has seen. Oh, and yes Completely incompetent — he has ruined our economy which sees unemployment continue to climb under his Regime and facade leadership.
Thank you shopping centers for having sarah palin. She is our best hope for electing Barack Obama to a second term. We need organizations like yours to promote her. As the republican nominee she will be the next Goldwater ensuring a Democratic second term.
Let’s find likely the most expensive speaker possible (our dues apparently well spent) who will have her own agenda which has nothing to do with retailing OR real estate. Brilliant! Mind you, I would have no problem with a keynote who had nothing useful to say about the industry as long as said keynote didn’t cost so much. And if ever there was a year we all could use some genuine relevance and exuberance and good humor to open the show this would be it- I didn’t hear any of that yesterday.
Palin:
She’s both highly competent and understands business.
We appluad the ICSC’s choice.
The Dems led by Obama and Pelosi are lame, confused and perhaps even un-American, especially to American business.
Obama has never held a real job and his total lack of experience and understanding is coming home to roost — giving us the worst US economy since the Great Depression.
Obama and his side-kick Pelosi are utter failures.
Palin is light years ahead of them and she was the perfect choice to jump start ICSC. She energizes people.
Obama and Pelosi only csst dark clounds on business and optimism.
I agree with the sentiment that Obama is no leader, only a Community Organizer in Chief. True words.
Are you kidding? Barack Obama was a senator, state senator, and constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago (a conservative school) prior to be elected President of the U.S. Palin? She resigned during her FIRST term as governor, was mayor of a backwater town, and…..what did she do before that again?
Sports new reader.
Palin:
Superior Choice!
Thanks ICSC.
Palin brings a fresh and optimistic approach to business and certainly honesty to politics (something the Dems know nothing about).
Look at General Motors — they pulled their much lying ad about having paid off the US Gov’t 5 – years early. A bold lie that only Obama and Pelosi, or any Democrat could enjoy. When in fact GM lost $4 Billion and still owes us taxpayers over $60 Billion. They merely engaged in trickery worse than Enron…
Palin — honesty, integrity and the perfect choice.
Thanks ICSC. (no Demorcrats allowed — they have ruined our economy and now it’s time to eject every last one of them from office).
Wouldn’t it seem prudent to ‘vet’ a keynote speaker prior to subjecting a paying audience to an airhead?
Given the personal and professional striving of someone like Lance Armstrong, and the numerous luminaries in our own industry who might have brought wisdom, information, or reflective comedy to the retail world’s largest convention, it is impossible to understand how ICSC chose to bring a devisive, ill mannered, no-nothing to a position where she could further her book selling campaign, and her ill advised continuing relationship with the conservative side of the Republican party. She pretty much tanked McCain, and now she’s working tanking the nation spewing hostility on her way down while picking up personal riches, with no knowledge about or care in choosing her subjects or words.
What a waste, and poor reflection on ICSC.
I feel sorry for you all. You got took by the grifter.
I have built several retail shopping centers and can tell you; Sarah Palin is a perfect choice. The only people who don’t like her are the same people who don’t like shopping centers. It’s amazing how small interest groups, because they make no money on development and construction of retail shopping centers find themselves against them.
I’m a bit confused by two things:
1. What was the thinking behind the choice of Sarah Palin? I’ll admit I’m not a fan, but wonder what her true value to the organization was, especially given the hefty price tag she demands.
2. Given that the audience doesn’t necessarily skew one way or the other, wouldn’t a more professional presenter deliver a more targeted speech? Seems like all she did was add some fairly ridiculous comments about retail onto her standard attack speech.
Whether or not Ms. Palin brings any additional attendees to the event (doubtful), I know I’ll question my future attendance to ICSC events overall.
Sarah Palin? I guess when you have no ideas of your own all you can do is criticize other people. Does this woman actually have any constructive ideas?
No, she doesn’t.
Come on over. http://www.palingates.blogspot.com
Oh please, spare me the republican rhetoric. The economy is solidly Bush’s fault. Nobody but eight years of republicanism has caused it. anybody being in office for 17 months could not solve it or make it worse. Palin is an idiot plain and simple.
The stupidity of some of these comments is astounding. 8 years of the juvenile GW, and it’s the Dems ruining the economy? O.M.G.
ICSC can not be taken seriously when uninformed political losers are brought in as the keynote speaker. What a waste of members dues and an embarrassment to members of the industry.
If this is what the leadership of ICSC has lowered its standards of professional integrity to: a keynote speaker who does not know anything about retail, claims to be knowledgeable in international affairs because she can see Russia from her house, does not know what newspapers she reads, and has to write her speech on her hand, we need to all be concerned about ICSC leadership.
How can anyone here say that Palin “understands business”?? She may be “pro-business”, but her track record suggests a very limited understanding of business.
I am a huge believer in limited government and am as conservative as you can get, but we need educated leaders that understand the issues and have track records that show great success or the American middle will never support our candidates… Palin was a poor choice ICSC if you wanted to bring legitimacy to the carried interest argument… and I sincerely hope she is not the hope for the American right in 2012.
Palin experience is a shopping spree on Republican Party money, dubbed “the Wasilla Hillbillies go to Bloomingdales”.
ICSC — You are good visionaries. You realize that having a person such as Palin — a woman of substance and friendship to American business was the best formula. Congrats and Thanks.
We shiver if not gag at the thought of Pelosi, Reid and Frank who drove our economy into the tank over the last four years. Now a new airhead — Barak has ensured us that yes indeed there are at least four people in DC with total space between their ears — and are now masquerading as leaders. Obama, Pelosi, Reid and Frank should, at the end of the day, be tried for crimes against American business.
We needed a fresh personality, one of great heart, honesty and turth for a change — Palin gave us that.
Thanks ICSC. We support you all the way.
Todd, is that you?
Is this the new republican line? The economy was tanking before Obama arrived so it was the brand new democratic congress who did it. Even GWB was not so cynical and disingenuous as to blame his own failure on a congress that had barely even taken its seats when the shit hit the fan.
Considering almost all retail development is done using ‘OPM’ perhaps this was not the right angle for her to take. And another rule of public speaking: a speaker telling people what they know far better than anyone is a sure way to prove that the speaker is an idiot who has nothing to add to the conversation. Case in point “. “There is a shop for everyone. Whatever you’re looking for there is someone out there happy to sell it to you.” And: “Shopping centers are everywhere. Conveniently located, too.”
Oh criminy.
OPM????????
The ENTIRE real estate industry has been built with “other peoples money”. Investments, Deveopment, Lending, Institutions, etc.
Regardles of the party, if you have to engage a speaker, wouldn’t you think that ICSC would have someone with a “little bit” of knowledge instead of someone with their head up where the sun does not shine?
What a terrible mistake. Did anyone leave “awake”
Harvey
Harvey — You hit on exactly why no Democrat would ever be invited to something like the ICSC – because by definition that is exactly where their heads are.
Suppose I was a Democrat. Suppose I was a complete Idiot. But then I repeat myself.
Just underscsores the growing irrelevancy and disconnect ICSC has to the industry. There is absolutely no justification for choosing, let along PAYING for, Sister Sarah to speak to this gathering..NONE.
Palin knows America and American spirit and investment.
She’s successful and instills a spirit of optimism in us all.
I’ve read all of her books and believe that with more leaders like her — willing to bet on the American people and the American dream, America will be great once more.
Thanks Sarah for your genuiness and Thanks ICSC. Fantastic choice.
L
Besides grifting you, she’s turned you against each other. That’s Sarah. Nobody sows seeds of discontent and division better than she does. Worse than a village idiot, because people don’t usually give village idiots power and a podium. You shouldn’t have.
You people who buy into that manufactured corn pone that came out of Alaska deserve to have her as your next presidential candidate. Barack would have a cake walk for another four years. It took a republican administration just 8 years to completely blow through all of the budget surplus that we enjoyed during the Clinton years and now Barack Obama is cleaning up Bush’s mess.
Hmmm… Folks in these blogs can have their own opinions but they cannot have their own facts. Sarah Palin’s Gubernatorial record is one of great success. She managed one of America’s most strategic states. She skillfully handled the delicate balance between the US, Canadian and Russian interests over the environment. She balanced the budget and lived within the dollars the citizens of Alaska granted her — not deficit spending like CA, MA, NY and many other states.
Her success is a motivational model for young business men and women all over this country and even the world.
To that end we thank ICSC for giving us such a highly regarded and highly esteemed leader. We thank Sarah Palin for being that person.
C
The ‘fact’ is, Alaska, and it’s citizens got huge subsidies from the government and oil. It isn’t too hard to run a state where everyone gets a check just for living there another year… although to put up with Sarah, being paid to stay helps!
Oh, and who’s to say if the country suddenly takes a brain enema and elects her president, she won’t up an quit when the Congress doesn’t see things her way?
Geez people, wake up…. its all about Sarah! Got it?
ICSC: Thanks for speaker Palin.
I’ve now heard her speak many times and I realize that she speaks the truth and with great wisdom — no matter how hard hitting. Leaders of business and leaders of other countries would do well to follow her lead. She’s one to be admired. She’s a leader and full of integrity.
Thanks.
Wake up you bloggers….
The Democrats, led by dur leaders — Barak Hussein, Pelosi, Frank, Reid, Boxer, and on and on — have completely trashed our economy. So knowing that ICSC could not in good conscience invite a Democrat they naturally picked a pro-business and proven leader.
Just take a relaxing breath and be thankful the speaker was not a Democrat…. what a disaster that would have been.. they’ve imploded this country.. but America will overcome the Democrats…
Palin — A real American hero; a real American success story; a true patriot and a best friend to US Business.
Glad she was the keynote speaker.
Oh, no.
That’s just wrong. She’s no patriot. She and her husband wanted to Alaska to secede from the union.
As usual, Sarah Palin has stoked the fiery passions of both sides of the political debate, resulting in accusations, half-truths and overall ridiculousness. As an American, I applaud the concept of this kind of discourse (although, as usual, I am disappointed by the lack of concrete, fact-based discussion). Regardless, I am STILL left with an unanswered question…WHAT VALUE did Palin bring to ICSC and its attendees, whom are, presumably, attending the event to advance their business and themselves? Realistically, Sarah Palin does neither, a fact that should have been abundantly predictable before she set foot in the door. Again, my point is not that she is a bad speaker, just that she was inappropriate for this gathering.
JGK:
Look in the mirror for potential half truths….
No one is more divisive than Barak. Passions run so high against him. Intensely against him. Fore example: The Democrats led by Barak trashed the citizens of Arizona by standing up and applauding the President of Mexico. That was very offensive to people in the border states. Even if one disagrees with AZ law (which by the way is less offensive than Federal law and certainly less offensive than Mexico immigration law) one would think that BO would speak with his own citizens first before trashing them.
Instead he looks down on those who he perceives as his opponents and talks condescendingly to them. So he brings no one together.
The only bi-partizanship on the Medical bill was on the Republican side — Reps and Dems holding hands together against the bill.
Palin engages in no such similar tone or actions. Palin has passion about what she believes and that moves people to speak who disagree with her. Fine.
One may not agree with her, but she does not instil hatred toward her unlike Barak.
Seriously – She doesn’t engage in the hatred? The first time ANYONE heard of her the FIRST thing she did was give that ‘a mayor is sorta lika community organizer…only with real responsibilities!’ The first thing she said was a jab at Obama. The only time she doesn’t sound like she has no clue what she’s talking about is her like 5 talking points (drill baby drill, we need no restrictions on the 2nd Amendment, pro-life talk {which Republicans have no mind to change, see 2000-2006}, lip service to huge military, and lip service to lowering taxes to encourage employment {which isn’t necessarily so, many companies were firing workers for increased profit during Bush Administration when tax breaks were in place).
It is this nonsensical babbling and snarky comments that turn people off.
When she looks bad, the Republican Party looks bad. When the Republican Party looks bad, Democrats get elected. When Democrats get elected, businesses get taxed.
Another example of how the Republican Party is screwing up…Ron Paul. Ron Paul spoke intelligently about issues and got nixed from the Republican convention. He could speak all day about real issues…not just general ideas, but specifics. He can run circles around people on economic issues, yet he gets the axe and Palin gets nominated for the 2nd highest position in the Party???
When you put the base over the average voter, you are planning to lose. That’s why Obama won handily.
No surprise to see that we have two sides to the debate here. Having been to over twenty ICSC gigs in Las Vegas, it is about entertainment folks! You pay to see the razzle dazzle of Las Vegas, why not get to see a polarizing politician too. I have never seen any keynote speaker say much of value to our industry, especially to stir up this much debate. So why not have a thought prevoking 21st century female patriot speak at a conference that needs some new spirit! BTW, for the uninformed,the OPM she was talking about is yours and mine, and not by our choice.
It is amazing how uninformed, and under-educated the ICSC members are who support Palin. The facts are that Bush deregulation, and Wall Street fraud and greed caused the economic bust we are suffering from now. When Bush left we were losing 750,000 jobs per month. Over the past year the Obama Administration has been cleaning-up the enormous mess left by the Bush Administration, and last month Obama reached a monthly increase of 290,000 jobs.
It is amazing how even good real estate people can be so simple minded. The idiot that ICSC payed hundered of thousands of dollars to was the simple minded fool who was yelling “Drill Baby Drill”, and now she is saying that the non-regulation of oil drillling is the fault of the Obama Administration.
I am about to puke in my mouth, hearing all these people that think that Palin is “a real american hero, a real american success story”… please… a real american success story are people like George Soros who started with nothing and built cash-flowing enterprises that provide jobs and increase GDP (yes he was born in Hungary, but he is now an american citizen)… real american heroes are people like Pat Tillman, who left a prosperous NFL career to fight in Iraq and died for our country… it isn’t riding the tabloids to fame… Lets find a conservative with BRAIN POWER, oratory skill, private sector experience (other than working on snowmobiles) and isn’t a career politician, it shouldn’t be that hard… Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Tom Pawlenty, Bob McDonnell, are all much better choices for people to idolize than Palin…
I am not saying Palin is a bad person, or that she doesn’t have integrity… because I bet she is a great person who wants the best for her country… but her leadership is not whats best for the country.
If I were selecting a professional to manage my commercial real estate portfolio, I couldn’t care less as to their party or ideological penchants. What I WOULD care about is their business acumen and ability to make me money. The barest minimum of said ability would be to understand how micro/macro and local, regional, national and international economies operate. The comments here demonstrate an abysmal grasp of economics. If I were one of the commenters above, I would be embarrassed to demonstrate to potential clients that I value politics above black-and-white description, explanation and prediction of economic conditions and actors.
I am not a member of ICSC or even in the industry, but you look very foolish for having wasted your time and money on a useless keynote.
If the economy is bouncing along, then I might understand bringing in an entertaining speaker. However, commercial real estate is in the hurt locker and Ms Palin’s comments apparently provided no insight or useful information.
For an industry that is getting its collective butt kicked by the economy, the retail real estate group sure seems to be fiddling while Rome burns.
Whoever invited her looks like a fool.
C’mon folks… how have so many people forgotten that GW Bush entered the White House with a strong economy and annual budget surplus, and left with the largest deficits in US history (possibly the largest in world history).
OK, so you don’t like Obama because he is left of center, or because you think that he wasn’t born here, or because he’s black… whatever your reasons, you can’t blame him for tanking the economy… that distinction goes to Bush. I’m not Obama’s biggest fan but I know that his policies are more grounded in prosperity for all American’s than any Republican who might be lining up for a 2012 run.
Industry and the so-called free market will never work for the common good and for the most part would be happy to bankrupt everyone other than the shareholders.
Oh, and who can say with a straight face that Sara Palin is expert at anything… she is kind of good looking, in a Musollini-as-a-hot brunette kind of way.
I know ICSC has many members, and we can’t all be intelligent. But I refuse to believe the comments written here about her being a “hero” were written by ICSC members. (Methinks some spamming is going on)
And even staunch conservative republican ICSC members have to laugh at “There is a shop for everyone. Whatever you’re looking for there is someone out there happy to sell it to you.” And: “Shopping centers are everywhere. Conveniently located, too.” How anyone can take this person seriously is beyond me.
No Thanks ICSC for wasting tax payer, er um, dues payer money on her speaking fees.
Whatever they paid her, it was too much
We came perilously close to having John McCain and this woman in the Whitehouse. Can any of you imagine where our industry would be today if that had happen and Republican policy had been implemented? Just let the banks fail, let the auto industry collapse, let Wall Street run wild, deregulate the mining and oil industry even further, healthcare reform, forgetaboutit, just say no to any and all social programs, encourage continuing corporate greed, greed is good, etc, etc etc.
Its Ironic she was picked as a keynote speaker to an industry her administration’s policies would have destroyed! Lets not do this again.
There isn’t two sides to this debate. Look at the people defending her, they all use the same exact punctuation. Lots of unnecessary dashes. With a quick look at the comments section I can tell you that Greg, JaMarcus, Irish, Support US Business, Stuvesant, LaQuish, Lasient, Coval, Mussafa, Grover and Yavee are ALL THE SAME PERSON.
When you cancel out those comments, there is only one or two other people defending Palin.
It’s obvious from the pro-Palin comments that they just like her as a cheerleader beacuse she’s ‘for business’ and ‘gets it,’ and then they get a dig in at Obama and Pelosi and other ‘libs.’ Seriously I doubt if any of these posters are real estate folks. Those are the type of comments that come from Redstate posters and Newsmax subscribers, rather than non-partisan businessmen. Regardless of where her political compass points, she should be able to speak about issues relevent to her audience, but found herself unable to do as such. It is this inability to speak beyond talking points and snarky jokes about Democrats (while using the Limbauesque term of ‘libs’) that upsets business people. Sure she may have their interests at heart, but by coming off as ignorant on specific issues (and possibly in general as well) she ends up damaging the party whose interests are in favor of business. Guilt by association – plain and simple. Possibly the biggest moment of the last election was McCain saying the economy is strong and then having the economy immediately collapse.