Palin Doubles Down On Paul Revere History Lesson: ‘I Didn’t Mess Up’

[^_^ 5,021]

During a June 2 stop in Boston on her “One Nation” bus tour, Sarah Palin managed to spectacularly flub the historical account of Paul Revere’s famed “Midnight Ride.” Describing Revere as warning “the British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells and, uhm, making sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells,” Palin’s version inspired confusion and some much-deserved jibes from across the media.

None of this has deterred Palin herself, however. This morning on Fox News Sunday, she doubled down on her creative re-imagining of Paul Revere’s ride, saying “I didn’t mess up.”

CHRIS WALLACE: I gotta ask you about that real quickly, though. You realize that you messed up about Paul Revere, don’t you?

PALIN: You know what? I didn’t mess up about Paul Revere. Here’s what Paul Revere did. He warned the Americans that “the British were coming, the British were coming.” And they were going to try to take our arms so got to make sure that, uh, we were protecting ourselves and, uhm, shoring up all of our ammunitions and our firearms so that they couldn’t take them.

But remember that the British had already been there — many soldiers — for seven years in that area. And part of Paul Revere’s ride… And it wasn’t just one ride. He was a courier. He was a messenger. Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there that, “Hey. You’re not going to succeed. You’re not going to take American arms. You are not gonna beat our own well-armed, uh, persons, uh, individual private militia that we have. He did warn the British.

And in a shout-out, gotcha type of question that was asked of me, I answered candidly. And I know my American history.

...

If Palin knows her American history, this latest bit of jujitsu shows no evidence of it. The purpose of Revere’s ride was to inform John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and other colonial American patriots that the British Army was marching from Boston to Lexington. As such, secrecy and stealth were essential. So contrary to Palin’s claim that Revere warned the British they would not succeed, Revere attempted to avoid all contact with British troops or British loyalists already living in the colonies. The entire point of Revere’s mission was to inform the patriots of the British movements without the British knowing they were being informed.

At one point in the night, Revere was temporarily detained and interrogated by British soldiers at a roadblock. He intentionally provided them a falsely inflated description of the colonial militia’s strength, though only in the most strained metaphorical reading could this be considered a “warning.”

Furthermore — again due to the need for secrecy and stealth — Revere used no bells or warning shots, and delivered his message in face-to-face contacts throughout the night. (Palin seems to simply forget her creative inclusion of the bells and warning shots in her initial recounting.)

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/06/05/236840/palin-doubles-down-on-paul-revere-history-lesson-i-didnt-mess-up/

[Danno 1,228]

To be honest, I would rather have a president that gets incidentals of history wrong.... than the whole US economy.

[^_^ 5,021]

To be honest, I would rather have a president that gets incidentals of history wrong.... than the whole US economy.

Good point. Something like this may amuse lefties like myself but I do understand if those in the middle look at this and yawn.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Good point. Something like this may amuse lefties like myself but I do understand if those in the middle look at this and yawn.

No. We are also amused...now slightly more amused.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I blame the media. Anyone quoting her is reporting falsehoods. Oh wait, that was Newt.

[slim 1,530]

Wasn't everyone British at that time?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Wasn't everyone British at that time?

Yes, he would have said the King's regulars or some such thing.

Btw. Technically there is a reference that indicates that Revere may have given misinformation to the soldiers who temporarily captured him and took his horse. I suppose you could say this misinformation was a sort of warning to the King's soldiers....though I'm not saying Palin knows about this.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

....though I'm not saying Palin knows about this.

Of course she doesn't. Sarah is a bona fide know-nothing.

[The Dude 206]

To be honest, I would rather have a president that gets incidentals of history wrong.... than the whole US economy.

So is that your peculiar way of admitting that Reagan wasn't as great as you conservatives seem to think?

[slim 1,530]

Yes, he would have said the King's regulars or some such thing.

That is most likely what he called them. Either that or lobsterbacks!

Btw. Technically there is a reference that indicates that Revere may have given misinformation to the soldiers who temporarily captured him and took his horse. I suppose you could say this misinformation was a sort of warning to the King's soldiers....though I'm not saying Palin knows about this.

The misinformation he gave was to the patrol of officers who'd captured him in the early morning hours of Apr. 19, 1775 after he'd informed them that their mission to disarm the colonials would be unsuccessful. He told them they were in mortal danger if they remained where they were (just West of Lexington) and did not return at once to Boston.

The funny part of that misinformation is as Paul Revere exaggerated the number of troops on Lexington's green to several hundred armed men (there were probably only around 35) those men discharged their muskets so they could enter the tavern while they waited around for the rest of the redcoats to come marching down the road. I can only imagine the look of surprise as Maj. Mitchell and his accomplices heard the ragged volley of 35 muskets discharging right after listening to Revere embellish the story. "Maybe this upstart is telling the truth."

Did Palin know that?

I'm guessing Palin read a book called "Paul Revere's Ride" by David Hackett Fischer and remembered the story. She may not have been exact in the details, but everything she's commented on this week is rooted in truth. Details may be slightly off but I'm guessing she's 1000 times more informed of the history and forming of our country than most in the current or past administrations.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So is that your peculiar way of admitting that Reagan wasn't as great as you conservatives seem to think?