Palin, Vanity Fair, Envy, and Hate
Just about a year ago in this space, I endeavored to defend Bill Clinton against a highly suspect and agenda driven attack launched at him from the pages of Vanity Fair. Now, I will attempt to do the same for Governor Sarah Palin knowing that such a defense will be met with visceral anger and contempt by a great many readers of this site.
As has been highlighted on Huffington Post and just about every site, "news" or otherwise, Vanity Fair, through the poison pen of Todd Purdum -- who it seems not by coincidence, also wrote the piece attacking Clinton one year ago -- has gone after Palin with a vengeance.
In reference to the Vanity Fair screed against him, President Clinton said it was, "A tawdry, anonymous quote-filled attack piece," and "Journalism of personal destruction at its worst." And so it was. As is Purdum's vile assault now against the Alaska governor. Of course, as many haters on the right took great delight in the unfair Vanity Fair onslaught against Clinton, even more haters from the left will rejoice in the further slandering of Palin.
Which brings me to a question I've been asking for months of my liberal friends: Why do so many on the left have such an unhinged hatred of this woman? Why do so many alleged feminists and female members of the mainstream media openly and gleefully despise Palin?
On any given day, like the regularity of the Sun rising or setting, you can expect Maureen Dowd of The New York Times to hurl even more insults at a woman she has relentlessly assailed for almost a year. Why? If -- as Dowd and other attackers on the left maintain -- Palin is inconsequential, ignorant, untalented, and part of the unwashed masses, why not just let her recede into history? Why the constant attacks?
As to why Vanity Fair and other liberal outlets go after her, the answer is quite simple: money. With uncounted thousands from the left who equally hate Palin, Vanity Fair and the other outlets understand -- especially in a bad economy with declining circulation -- that there is gold to be mined from the fragile minds of those who hate. For them, this is the story that keeps giving. And as long as the uncounted haters from the left continue to froth at the mouth at the very mention of Palin, Vanity Fair, Keith Olbermann, and others, will feed the beast for ratings and revenue.
Fine. I get that. But why Dowd and the feminists? With regard to The New York Times columnist, I asked a female friend of mine who happens to be a psychologist, what might prompt the anger? She mentioned a host of possibilities, but settled on one theory. That being that Dowd "may be threatened or envious of Palin... or both. As an aging but still attractive woman, Dowd may resent Palin's good looks. Further, as a single woman of a certain age, she may be envious that Palin has a husband, a family, and has carved out an accomplished political career."
While not a fan of psycho-babble, it does seem to be a plausible explanation.
With regard to why Purdum, David Letterman, and other liberal males continually go after Palin, the answer might be as easy as they secretly lust after her while also seeing her as the "girlfriend of the quarterback" they could never get in high school. Seriously, look at the "men" who belittle Palin on a regular basis. For the most part, they fit the description of "the pencil-neck geek" from high school. Are they now trying to make Palin pay for their long-ago inadequacies? Is that why Letterman imagines her now as a "Slutty Flight Attendant?" Because she is his fantasy and rather than admit it, he strikes out at her?
Finally, we come to the "GOP family feud" caused by the Vanity Fair article as reported by Politico. The "feud" is between Weekly Standard editor William Kristol in the corner of Sarah Palin, and former McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt in the corner of Satan.
If you're Todd Purdum and you need to write a sleazy story, best to find a sleazy source willing to check dignity, honor, and facts at the door. In Steve Schmidt, Purdum found such a source.
Like a number of GOP "communicators," Schmidt had next to no real-world experience or success before becoming a communications guru and "genius" for the Party. Rather, like many in Washington, he attached himself to the coattails of others and slowly moved up the ranks. The fact that Schmidt is attacking her to try and salvage his reputation, should be a badge of honor for Palin.
One part of the Politico story that I did find of real interest, is the section where Schmidt admits "what has been whispered about for months following the campaign: that he and another top aide had ordered a leak hunt in the campaign's internal email system." Now, I'm not a lawyer, but is that even legal?
Did McCain or someone else authorize Schmidt to pour through everyone's personal emails? How exactly did he accomplish the task? How long did the "leak-hunt" go on? Did they print the emails and keep them?
In summary, we know that the left really, really, really hates Palin, that the left-wing media needs Palin to stay in business, that certain liberal female columnists may be envious of her, that certain liberal male reporters and talk-show hosts may lust after her, that the GOP is still populated with disloyal weasels who put self before all, and that Sarah Palin is still standing tall.
What else is new?
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the novel, "The Apocalypse Directive."
Bruce Wilson: Palin Says She'll Stump for Democrats, Hints at Third Party
Sarah Palin appears to have manipulated the media with impeccable timing and considerable finesse. First the media, next the nation. Onward, Sarah Palin.
Greg Mitchell: The Myth of How the Media Destroyed Palin
The undermining of Palin happened well before the networks and SNL got to her. The polls proved it.
Bill Mann: With Palin and Media Gone, Juneau Returns to Its 'Blue-State' Normal State
This scenic, remote southeast Alaska town of Juneau, the only state capital inaccessible by car, is not that big. I had no idea what it would look like, just that Palin lived here. Would the stench linger?
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Please! I don't ENVY Palin.
I hate her 'cause of the damage she is deliberately doing to our wildlife. I cannpt stand her 'cause she wants power and doesn't know the difference between left and right. All this while other people have to work hard.
With the way she is NOW. I am frightened as to what she would so if she HAD more power.
It bothers me that YOU back this up. Two folks that this world does not need.
Thank you Mr. McKinnon!
Let's start with, as one poster here has well-noted, her put-on, folksy, mannerisms and speech, her inability to say or even write a coherent thought, as well as her repugnant political views. She symbolizes everything that is hollow and inauthentic me about America.
Silvanus I agree with you on all of your points.
However I do NOT think that is a reason to subject Palin to personal hate and gutter press attacks. We can respect while disliking, show the futility of her political positions rather than resort to personal attacks.
I dislike gutter politics whether it is carried out by the right or by the left. However much I dislike her Palin has been subjected to more than her fair share of such personal attacks.
As liberals we should be above this sort of thing. Let the Limbaugh's of this world do it - the high road will win out in the end.
You gotta point. I respect you.
Ugh. This blogger sounds like every other Palin defender/supporter. If he (or his psychologist friend) would have actually read Maureen Dowd's reasons why she doesn't like Palin, they wouldn't have to try to hypothesize. I guess the next time this blogger criticises a guy who isn't bald, I'll just assume the only reason he doesn't agree with the man is because he's jealous of the man's hair. Or the next time his psychologist friend disagrees with a woman, I'll assume it's because the other woman is better looking, younger, wealthier, etc. But alas, I guess I should expect this kind of commentary from someone defending Palin; totally irrational and requires minimal thought.
she's offensive to feminists, because she seems to depend on many things other than her own intelligence to get her ahead. that's why...
Why do I not like Sarah Palin....she took money away from the schools so that just abstinence could be taught, (which worked well for her daughter); she fired the librarian for having Harry Potter books and others she disapproved in the library; she used her children to campaign when they should have been in school instead of on the political stump. she was still using Bristol a few months ago preaching to the right about abstinence. Both of her oldest children dropped out of high school. this is not exactly the women i would want running the country. a 79 year old lady who is not interest in her looks nor jealous of them.
The thing I don't understand -- and never will -- is why people like this blogger think that just because of our gender, we must support every female candidate that comes along, even the incompetent, clueless, mean-spirited ones. A true feminist will support a deserving candidate like Hillary or Napolitano, but I will NEVER support anyone simply because she is a woman.
It's not hate, it's contempt. It's contemptible for her to put herself forth as a viable candidate for POTUS when she knows in her heart of hearts that she is NOT qualified. She is thinking solely of the glory of being POTUS, not what she can do for this country. Her motives are purely selfish, THAT's why I detest her.
May be she truly believes she can be POTUS?
Palin also thought she could be governor.
Bless her heart.
"Palin also thought she could be governor."
- - -
And look how that turned out. She couldn't handle it.
If you're setting out to refute something, as you claim, you need, at a minimum, to mention it and say why it's false. After reading your opening sentence, and then noting nothing but paragraph after paragraph of ad hominem, I began counting the graffs, waiting for you to do what you said you would. Nope, not in the first...nor the second...fifth...eighth...eleventh...
I ran out of new paragraphs to read before before you got around to addressing even single one of Purdum's supposedly false allegations. That's what you call 'defense'? Color me 'impressed'.
Now that Sarah has decided to leave liberals ought to take stock: What is wrong with a mother defending her daughter against sexual innueond? Are liberal values that bad that they can't desgiuish between people undr age and people above the age of consent. As a liberalI find this tragic and insensitive. Liberals grow u[!
As a liberal gay male I don't particularly "hate" soon to be former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. She irritates me with her put-on, folksy, mannerisms and speech, her inability to say or even write a coherent thought, as well as her repugnant political views. She symbolizes everything that embarrasses me about America. The Founding Fathers would turn over in their graves if they saw to what their noble fight had come.
"put-on"? Do not confuse her with Molly Ivins .. California transplant who imitated (badly) the speech patterns of Texans in her columns. Also, she transplanted to Austin - the only city in Texas that does not have a Texas accent, so she did not just "pick it up". She picked it up by studying movies where Southerners were routinely played by Yankees - that is, over the top.
Sarah's problem was that she was too authentic. Her speech patterns, for anyone who has lived in rural Alaska - where she spent her entire life - are authentic and a bit hard to follow. But making fun of her for that is like making fun of Mexicans for putting their nouns before their adjectives.
This article misses the point. No one hates Sarah Palin or despise her. She is doing to herself. Its one thing to be totally unprepared and go pull a third shift at Taco Bell..its another thing to be unprepared while running for VP, etc. I think the thing that is bothersome is that she purports her weaknesses (lack of knowledge of politics/inability to listen to sound advice from her handlers, etc) as strengths. You throw in the quirks..doing an interview while a turkey is being slaughtered, Her husband being a secessionist, the ethics probes, etc. Its as if we're watching a train wreck right before the moment of impact...over..and..over..and over again.
No self-respecting woman of any political persuasion has an issue with "jealousy" where Sarah Palin is concerned. What does Palin really have that anyone would want?
why do i as a progressive, feminist, woman hate palin? i don't hate her. what i do feel about her however is a lack of regard, a total contempt.
i've worked hard to establish my bona fides in my area of expertice, i've gotten degreed in two disciplines, followed up by decades of professional level training, and courses. palin on the other hand, with a degree in journalism, couldn't even name one newspaper or periodical she reads. if this is how she performs in her area of expertice how was she able to rationalize the competence and training necessary for the v.p. slot? i'm supposed to find this acceptable? i don't think so.
she's an empty suit at the very least, even without considering her abysmal politics and regressive religious views.
pathetic:
"
COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.
"
I do not see anything pathetic about her statement regarding Alaska and Russia. You are exposing your own ignorance; Russia is the only country that routinely violates our airspace .. and it only violates it over Alaska. One CAN see Russia from Alaska and thus Sarah's "front yard" so I also do not get the ridicule over that. Since the facts cannot be denied, I suspect it is more of a racist objection to her Alaskan speech patterns. As her husband is an Eskimo, she probably picks some of it up from him.
I'M sorry that Sarah Palin is resigning from her governorship. The constant attacks by the media and her detractors who abused the complaint system and piled up a huge legal debt to defend herself and family is unconscionable. Sarah Palin is my kind candidate. I pray that she can do more good
out of office without the senseless attacks every other week.
Thank you for this article, it is way overdue. My feelings are exactly the same as yours. The hate for this woman is unbelievable. I could not finish reading the Vanity Fair article it was way over the top. I was amazed at the terrible press that Hillary received during the campaign and the fact that very few people, including women did not come to her defense. That was nothing compared to the bashing Sarah and her family has received. I wish her well and I am sure whatever she decides to do she will be fine. I did get a laugh when I realized Sarah was the only one who could knock Michael Jackson's news coverage off cable for a few hours.
I'm no Palin supporter, but there is another explanation to why the feminists hate Palin. She renders tham obsolete, old news, no longer relevant. And as it should be. There are zero areas left in our government where females are descriminated against. There is no real reason for feminism beyond simple lobbiest motives to get an upper hand on men. Federal small business loans and preferences for female owned businesses, but nothing for men. 75% of domestic violence initiated by the female, while 95% of those criminally charged in dom. violence are males. Custody laws with overt favoritism toward women. The list goes on. Please someone out there name ONE thing in GOVERNMENT that discriminates against women. You can't. There are none. Sarah Palin is a women that does need or want the feminists and that really scares them.
All I can say in response to this article is "Wow!" Thanks for the laugh.
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