The Gadfly In Defense Of Sarah Palin
Sarah Barracuda, the lipstick-wearing bulldog of a political dynamo who has now been savaged by the best of the mainstream media piranhas, has a rough two months ahead of her, but in a perverse way, the instant, non-stop personal attacks already launched may have made her bulletproof from any impact future attacks might have.
Based on polling of the public's reaction thus far to the attacks, the critics have created sympathy and support for the Alaska governor and have given Republicans renewed reason to attack the elitist media members whose demeaning, snide, in bad taste and often ignorant remarks about her border on slander and libel.
Some of the attacks demonstrate more about how of touch with ordinary citizens the critics are than how bad the governor is.
Witness this acerbic analysis from two writers for The Associated Press: Since the Palin announcement, snippets of potentially damaging information have dribbled out - Todd Palin's youthful intoxicated driving conviction, the pregnancy of the Palin's unmarried daughter, Palin's lack of international traveling, reality vs. hype on her effectiveness as a governor.
Potentially damaging? How so? And in whose opinion? Her husband isn't running for anything, and the driving deal was 22 years ago. The pregnancy of her daughter should be off-limits and most Americans agree. The only folks bothered by her "lack of international traveling" seem to be those who travel on the credit cards of their media employers; the average person doesn't have a passport and doesn't travel internationally. Her effectiveness as governor is fair territory and thus far, the pluses far outweigh any negatives reporters have come up with. The attacks from some media talking heads have been disgusting. MSNBC and CNN are the chief offenders, with constant nit-picking, snide remarks and questions designed to diminish, without factual foundation, the governor and her accomplishments. The goofballs like Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman, Soledad O'Brien, Wolf Blitzer and others have overplayed whatever hand it was they thought they had and all they've done is further diminish their own importance as credible sources of news and demonstrate their lack of civility. Sarah Palin isn't Joan of Arc. She's a governor, mother, wife and conservative politician who apparently can take care of herself. She'll need everything she has to endure the next 60 days and whether she'll be proven a plus or minus for John McCain remains to be seen. What doesn't remain to be seen is how nasty some in the left-wing media become when they feel threatened. Hugh Hewitt got it right in his Town Hall column: "Millions of Americans are deeply ticked off at the assault on Sarah Palin launched by people who have never done anything but talked for a living and who wouldn't know how to turn on a snowmobile, a jet ski or an RV to save their lives, much less how to negotiate an oil lease. Millions of Americans who have never received a government check are shocked at the dismissiveness of Palin's background especially in contrast to the worship of the government-backed lifetime careers of Obama and Biden. And millions of American women are especially outraged that the feminist elite in the broadcast booths and newsrooms have joined the blogger mob in peddling smears about a wonderful mother and wife who also happens to have been an extremely successful professional in a variety of settings. Why, they wonder, has Obama gotten a year-long pass on his entire life including Ayers, the Annenberg Challenge, Rezko and Wright while Palin is put on the big media rack on made-up charges? Because she's a woman?"
Based on polling of the public's reaction thus far to the attacks, the critics have created sympathy and support for the Alaska governor and have given Republicans renewed reason to attack the elitist media members whose demeaning, snide, in bad taste and often ignorant remarks about her border on slander and libel.
Some of the attacks demonstrate more about how of touch with ordinary citizens the critics are than how bad the governor is.
Witness this acerbic analysis from two writers for The Associated Press: Since the Palin announcement, snippets of potentially damaging information have dribbled out - Todd Palin's youthful intoxicated driving conviction, the pregnancy of the Palin's unmarried daughter, Palin's lack of international traveling, reality vs. hype on her effectiveness as a governor.
Potentially damaging? How so? And in whose opinion? Her husband isn't running for anything, and the driving deal was 22 years ago. The pregnancy of her daughter should be off-limits and most Americans agree. The only folks bothered by her "lack of international traveling" seem to be those who travel on the credit cards of their media employers; the average person doesn't have a passport and doesn't travel internationally. Her effectiveness as governor is fair territory and thus far, the pluses far outweigh any negatives reporters have come up with. The attacks from some media talking heads have been disgusting. MSNBC and CNN are the chief offenders, with constant nit-picking, snide remarks and questions designed to diminish, without factual foundation, the governor and her accomplishments. The goofballs like Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman, Soledad O'Brien, Wolf Blitzer and others have overplayed whatever hand it was they thought they had and all they've done is further diminish their own importance as credible sources of news and demonstrate their lack of civility. Sarah Palin isn't Joan of Arc. She's a governor, mother, wife and conservative politician who apparently can take care of herself. She'll need everything she has to endure the next 60 days and whether she'll be proven a plus or minus for John McCain remains to be seen. What doesn't remain to be seen is how nasty some in the left-wing media become when they feel threatened. Hugh Hewitt got it right in his Town Hall column: "Millions of Americans are deeply ticked off at the assault on Sarah Palin launched by people who have never done anything but talked for a living and who wouldn't know how to turn on a snowmobile, a jet ski or an RV to save their lives, much less how to negotiate an oil lease. Millions of Americans who have never received a government check are shocked at the dismissiveness of Palin's background especially in contrast to the worship of the government-backed lifetime careers of Obama and Biden. And millions of American women are especially outraged that the feminist elite in the broadcast booths and newsrooms have joined the blogger mob in peddling smears about a wonderful mother and wife who also happens to have been an extremely successful professional in a variety of settings. Why, they wonder, has Obama gotten a year-long pass on his entire life including Ayers, the Annenberg Challenge, Rezko and Wright while Palin is put on the big media rack on made-up charges? Because she's a woman?"
Labels: Gadfly's Columns
posted by Mike McCarville @ 11:37 AM
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