Having already won the coveted “Lie of the Year” award from PolitiFact, it is time that we recognize Sarah Palin for the truly superlative accomplishment of her brief public tenure. It is an achievement for which she has no peer. She has masterfully positioned herself as the undisputed champion in this highly specialized calling.
Congratulations Sarah Palin, for being this year’s most “Pitiful, Sniveling, Coward.”
The path to victory for Palin was characterized by her trademarked apprehension of, and disdain for, the press. Palin’s fear of the media is an all-consuming neurosis. She has exhibited these tendencies beginning with her initial introduction to the national stage. After being tapped by John McCain as his vice-presidential running mate, Palin immediately ducked for cover.
From the earliest days of the campaign, Palin sought the refuge of friendly inquisitors like Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren. Needless to say, Fox News had a virtually exclusive relationship with Palin. That was smart strategy on the part of Palin and her handlers with the McCain staff. On the rare occasions that she strayed from the protective cocoon of Fox she was stymied by brain twisters like “What do you read?” Nevertheless, she pretends to have an interest in being accessible. At least that’s what she told Carl Cameron of Fox News:
Palin, 10/3/08: “I look forward to speaking to the media more and more everyday and providing whatever access the media would want. My life is certainly an open book.”
For something she claims to look forward to, she sure did avoid it like the plague. Palin’s fear is palpable. She runs from the press like a Tea Bagger from a library (the Teadiots really hate that “socialist” style distribution of elitist books containing “information”). Throughout the campaign, and to this day more than a year later, Palin has declined to appear on any of the Sunday news programs. Not even Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. She has not held a single press conference. And in a fit of uncharacteristic candor, she even admitted that she resigned her governorship to avoid further press scrutiny. Quitting, of course, is just another manifestation of her renowned chicken-heartedness.
So how does a media-phobe like Palin conduct herself in a public sphere that demands access and fresh bones on which to chew? By hiding behind a curtain of social media, an online version of a one-way mirror. Palin tweets and posts updates on her Facebook account as a means to communicate with her legion of fans. The problem is that the press seems to regard this as an appropriate method of interaction and they faithfully regurgitate every keystroke as if it were newsworthy. It isn’t.
The media seems to be oblivious to the absurdity of reporting Palin’s tweets. First of all, they don’t even know if they are from Palin or her ghostwriter. Secondly, there is no opportunity to question her about her comments. These postings are nothing more (and actually something much less) than press releases. Why do newsrooms on television and in print feel the least bit obligated to pass them on? And when they do so, why don’t bother to at least fact-check them?
By cowering behind an Internet firewall, Palin can shoot spitballs at the press and quickly duck back into her shelter. For that she deserves to be the Pitiful, Sniveling, Coward Of The Year. But what award do we give the news media? They present an even bigger problem by letting Palin get away with her cheap shots and cheesy antics. In some respects you can hardly blame Palin. She must know deep down that she’s a woefully unprepared dimwit who was elevated to national prominence by a fluke of political desperation. She has to behave this way now or risk further embarrassment. But the press has no such excuse.
So far this month, Palin has criticized Nancy Pelosi, Eugene Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore, and of course, President Obama, from the safety of her Facebook page. This sort of attack plan assures that she is shielded from return fire. It is a sterile battlefield that she controls and from which she need not worry about pesky rebuttals or corrections. She also took a couple of swipes at the press who still, for some reason, obediently yield to her siren’s call.
If the media is to preserve whatever crumbs of credibility they are clinging to, they need to start exhibiting signs of life. They need to start acting like professionals. And that means that they need to ignore Sarah Palin. If Palin will not stand before them and engage in a substantive dialogue, then let her tweet to her followers and enjoy her fame the same way other celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Lindsay Lohan do. Let her sign books at church picnics. Let her go on Dancing with the Stars. But don’t under any circumstances patronize her contempt for the practice of journalism. Don’t be played for suckers. Don’t be seduced by the short-term attention rush you get from recounting Sarah’s latest online insipidness. That’s not reporting. That’s just repeating. And the public deserves more than that from the press.
Palin’s tweets, books and fluff pieces on Fox do nothing to contribute to the public’s understanding of her or her positions. If she persists in ignoring the media, then the media must ignore her back. When she wants to behave like an adult public figure and political leader who will address the issues of the day, then the press can pay her some attention. Until then, who cares? Twitter is not proxy for honest, informative discourse. Facebook doesn’t replace old fashioned newsgathering. If Palin won’t or can’t interact with news people, then she isn’t news. Walk away. Don’t look back. You’re not missing anything.
and don’t forget her Wapo editorial, published with no scrutiny, defended by the number of page hits (no matter for what reason), and not allowed to be rebutted in a timely manner.
Yep. And it was the Washington POST (librul commies), not the Washington TIMES (God-feerin Merkins) that gave Palin that megaphone.
I like a term that I saw on Daily Kos. From now on they aren’t “main stream media”; they are “tootsie pop media”. Big suckers that are soft at the center.
Works for me. 😉
Sarah Palin is tap dancing vaudeville act, doing the shimmy to the tune of KA-CHING $$$$$$$$$.
“So far this month, Palin has criticized Nancy Pelosi, Eugene Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore, and of course, President Obama, from the safety of her Facebook page.”
This statement is correct but disingenuous. Palin posted a Washington Post Op-ed about climate change. All of the people listed in the quote above verbally attacked Palin, mostly in answers to interview questions. Palin simply and correctly shot each of them down.
First of all. Palin didn’t shoot anyone down. She is barely coherent. Secondly, the difference between Palin and the others is that they all will participate in interviews where their comments can be challenged, but she won’t. Hence she is a coward.
Now YOU need to STOP LYING!!!
This column is simply a wish that Palin will go away. Don’t count on it. Palin is going to be all over the 2010 congressional elections like white on mashed potatoes. Its going to seem like she is running for half the seats in Congress. And she is going to tap into the Tea Party protesters to access her political power.
By the time the election is over and republicans have taken both houses, Palin will be a bonified political giant.
She will then walk through the Republican primary process and accept their nomination at the convention.
She will overwhelm Obama in three debates (mostly because of expectations: he is brilliant; she is stupid), and because the country is so screwed up after four years of Obama she will be the first female POTUS.
Well, I hope you’re right about one thing – that she runs in 2012. I can’t think of anything more entertaining. Unfortunately, she isn’t likely to get very far because of the facts presented here. No candidate can prevail if they run from the press. She can’t run a Twitter campaign.
Hey Glen
Can I have some of whatever drug you’re on? I need to poison my neighbor’s dog.
OMG. Do you actually believe what you posted? Amazing. Oh, I get it. It’s sarcastic satire. OK. Whew! I thought you were serious.
Glen, you might just have nailed it on the head! I don’t know how old you are, but the things being said about Palin are very very similar to what the left wing kooks said about Reagan. I hope for the same results.
For the truth about Queen Palin, please educate yourselves. http://www.palingates.blogspot.com or http://www.breepalin.blogspot.com . Decide for yourselves on a faked pregnancy. Her latest news can be found on palingates…..just scroll down to the “abortiongate” article. She is a liar, a phony and a hypocrite. She belongs nowhere near the White House.
Nicely done.
excellent article, one of the best i’ve read. found you on daily kos and adding to my blogroll.
Glenn – what’s “bonified”? Some sort of subjunctive adjective twice removed from “boned”?
“Palin will be a boned political giant.” [fixed]
🙂
Palin is a huge boost to the Democratic party. Reasonable, thinking Republicans know what she is. Those “others” who call themselves by various pseudo-rebelous names are loud and obnoxious, but are still the fringe. Through all of the self-agrandizing currently rampant on the internet, the participants get their 15 minutes then thankfully disappear into oblivion. The fringe elected memebers of Congress now serving will continue to demonstrate their unfathomable ignorance and will go away, just like Sen. McCarthy.
No matter what writers like “Mark” say, it’s obvious to all who read, he’s afraid of Sarah Palin and can only resort to name calling and insults. It’s a perfectly clear example of just how low the liberal media have fallen. And straight out of the Sol Olinsky handbook, “if you can’t beat them with facts, then resort to personal attacks and try to destroy them with lies about their character”. Only this time it won’t work. Much like a kid who yells too much, we’ve learned to tune him out and ignore him. I truly feel sorry for people like Mark, they’re mean-spirited and sad.
I’m SO afraid of Palin that I’m praying she will run in 2012.
And if you are going to regurgitate crap you hear from Glenn Beck on TV, you might want to pick up an actual book by Saul Alinsky so that you can see how it’s spelled. I know it’s hard because they have so many “words” in them, and Beck is so much easier because he just tells you what to think – no reading required.
By the way, you have done a terrible job of tuning me out. You’ve already left 2 comments. But I appreciate your concern for my alleged sadness. 🙁
I for one am scared of Sarah Palin! I’ve already seen what a semi-literate, dis-interested, policy-challenged, Constitution shredding, moron could do to a Country in 8 short years(2001-2009)!
Who wants a repeat of that?
The question is, will the media(which is mostly rightwing) ask the tough questions, and will they follow-up when the Republicans Lie to there faces?
After the Bush Administration lied us into War with Iraq and the media’s complete failure to hold there feet to the fire, I’m not holding my breath waiting for the media to get tough on the Republicans!
Palin is to politics what Burger King is to fine dining.