I'm Voting for McCain... And Yes, I Wrote the Us Weekly Cover Story
"Shame on you for writing that article! Shame on you!!!" "I'm calling you because what you wrote is so politically slanderous. I'm shocked that a woman would do that. You are a disgrace to your gender and your country." "Yeah, great story. You and your freak publisher. Just quit writing those kinds of stories. It's stupid, it's demeaning. People aren't as stupid as you think they are. Get a different job."
These bon mots are just a sampling of the messages recently left on my home answering machine. Seven others simply hung up. I didn't receive this many phone calls on my birthday. But everyone has a birthday; I was the only one to have a byline on the much-scrutinized Us Weekly story about Sarah Palin. That was me who explained the Alaska governor's grandma predicament, outlined her poor judgment traveling while having contractions with her fifth child and detailed her political controversies. And the whole experience left me reaching for my bottle of extra-strength Tylenol and wishing I had a flask in my office. Call it the latest side effects of being a John McCain supporter.
It's true. I am the Elisabeth Hasselbeck of Us Weekly. During our spirited office debates, it's up to me (along with the office's outnumbered Republicans -- hey, it's New York City) to defend the old man from Arizona, while the Democrats cheer for Barack Obama like he's a Jonas Brother. For months, I've touted McCain's vast experience and his economic policies without a trace of postmodern irony. (The credit -- or, uh, blame -- mostly lies with my parents, the only conservative Jews in Detroit). My take on his VP pick? "I think she's fascinating!" I chirped to my editor in chief early on September 1. "She's a mother of five and she hunts!"
A few hours later, Palin announced that her 17-year-old daughter was knocked up. All I could do was shake my head and sigh at the realization that the original "mom under attack" angle was going to change into a far-more tantalizing story -- and rightfully so. Rule No. 1 when running for the second-most important position in the free world: Never allow yourself to draw comparisons to the Spears family. The day only grew more frustrating as the revelations trickled into my inbox: The vetting process was rushed... Palin got her passport last year... wait, she called her former opponent what?! Oy.
The facts were out there, and there was no way to sugar-coat them. All I could do was address the relevant issues -- and, most importantly, remember the readers' needs. We're a magazine that thrives on babies, intriguing women and scandals. For this particular week, our potential vice president just happened to fit the bill. (Sorry, Angelina).
As I typed away in my cramped Manhattan office, I never expected the article to become a Fox News rallying cry (the jeers were all the more perplexing given that so few people had even read the piece beforehand). Nonetheless, despite the baby-mama dramas -- and the stinging phone calls -- I still feel that McCain would make the best president. And, no, I'm not ashamed of myself. Beep.
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I'm always shocked when I see anyone under the age of 50 supporting McCain. The world is changing so fast--tech
Voting for McCain, huh? Thanks for standing up for women's rights, way to go, sister.
McCain Finished?
Over for McCain?
Um, yup yup!
OK, I'm back and I still can't figure out why you wrote this article on Huffpost. Can you put an update or something on the page explaining why you felt the need to communicate this information on a liberal website? Were you interested in our reactions? Looking for kindred spirits? Looking for support, converts, justification, vindication, just wanting to b itch, or what?
I wonder if you will read the comments.
I wonder if our comments will make any difference to you.
I just can't figure it out. Please tell us.
Im going out to buy Us Weekly to show support to them. .
Then buy a copy of the Atlantic to debrief.
If McCain is so keen on change and "non-Washington" politics, he's had at minimum, eight years to be that person, and his record speaks for itself...h
I'll bet if you voted for Bush the last two election cycles, you were probably voting for change then, weren't you?
"The facts were out there, and there was no way to sugar-coat them."
and....you
Oy
That must be why you're not weeding through the comments.
"The facts were out there, and there was no way to sugar-coat them."
and....you
Oy
That about sums it up. How can you be so willingly ignorant in the face of facts. I respect your choice (unlike Palin), but I am really trying to understand.
Is it that you think that since she has been corrupt in the past (even outside of the pending investigation) that she won't be in the future?
Is it that despite her corruption, you believe in her values? In other words, you follow the Christian right ideals, but don't care about her hypocrisy, or ethics?
Do you believe that she is a reformer, despite the factual evidence that says otherwise?
(Cognitive dissonance, bangs head against wall)
Just goes to show you CAN fool some of the people all of the time.
The RNC is now telling CNN that Sarah Palin is a rock star because her teleprompter scrolled to fast and she had to adlib.
RNC technical crew issued a statement yesterday that there was noting wrong with the teleprompter.
Story line from Saturday Night Live's character played by Jon Lovitz's: tells a "lie" and then says Yeah! That's the ticket....
I watched Sarah Palin's speech that she delivered while Govenor to the congregation of her church. I knew that she would do a GREAT job delivering a speech that was crafted for her.
I was not surprised that the McCain campaign used "queen of belittlement" to deliver their belittlement message because I listed to the Shock Jock radio program that she appeared on and just LAUGHTED when the Shock Jock called her opponent the term used for a female dog.
scary, ain't it...
I think hounding you at your home was inappropriate and shame on the ones who did that. Second, I feel thast Bristol Palin needs to be left alone. She's a kid. Third, you want McCain? Well, that's your internal contradiction.
Who in the hell reads "US" and Mara your glowing endorsement of McCain can't save this doomed campaign
exactly
http://www
An_gry readers dump Us Mag_azine over Pa_lin
As you sounds rational, you're a mess. Electing someone who changed drastically from what he stood for. With an extremist that could succeed him and hatred and racism out of the JM camp now. The Reps could get rid of JM and put SPon the top ticket. And when they see that they're not winning they could "black ballot",(see linktv.org) and god knows what, to win. There's no diversity in their party and they showed their true colors at the RNC. One woman said "SP is a hockey mom", another "she's all American". What the h--- is that supposed to mean. And why are you telling us who you're voting for. Are you afraid the wackos from your party might hurt you? You haven't seen anything yet. Watch what they do when they don't get their way. Let's hope we are not traveling back to the Jim Crow days. And one more thing please do not compare Senator Obama to the Jonas Brother,s. If you can't digest that this is a movement and not about him, don't lower yourself to SP' level. He's not a rock star or Jesus, he's an intelligent and respected,
You understand his Economic policies??!! Finally, someone to answer one simple question..
Can you explain how we continue to pay 10 bill / per month in Iraq going after "terror-wrist" and lower taxes at the same time?
Be sure to copy the McC camp on your solution, they haven't been able to answer this yet.
I'm glad you live in blue state New York (or even New Jersey, or Connecticut :). It'll be Obama all the way in those states.
Did you write an equally scathing article about Obama when his history (Wright, Rezko, etc.)
was in the news? If you did, then I guess you were being fair. If not, then now is the time to write that scathing article about Obama to show fairness with equal time.
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