Sarah Palin, You Owe The Media An Apology

"I told you so" moments are pretty sweet — and thanks to Sarah Palin, now I've got one. Ten months to the day after her speech at the Republican National Convention, I would like for this woman to eat her words:

I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.

Back then, she got a pass on the whole "for that reason alone" thing, mostly because she hadn't done anything yet. John McCain had stunned the political establishment by naming her as his VP on the Friday morning after the DNC, and by Saturday afternoon the chattering classes were further rocked by the revelations of her daughter's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. News started to bubble up over the next few days as the press tried to find out who this newly-announced VP nominee actually was, but certainly not with any help from the nominee herself: By Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, when Palin strode to center stage at the Republican National Convention, flanked by her sparkling extended American famiy, she still had not made herself available for any interviews or presented herself to be vetted in any way, shape or form.


Back then we didn't know that John McCain hadn't vetted her, either. We didn't know about Troopergate. We didn't know that she was completely unfamiliar with the Bush Doctrine, or the Supreme Court, newspapers. We didn't know where she got her snazzy new wardrobe, nor how much it cost, nor who paid.


Back then we hadn't seen Palin Meet The Press or Face The Nation, but we assumed she would, eventually. (She didn't.) Back then we assumed she'd be interviewed by all the nightly news anchors, and cablers, in their role as Fourth Estate, kicking the tires on candidates on behalf of the voting American people. She made it to the evening news, eventually, after the McCain campaign tried to stage-manage her into the most limited access possible, in the hopes that she'd somehow avoid making huge gaffes. (She didn't.) She finally made it to NBC Nightly News over a month and a half after her RNC speech, weakly promising to release her medical records really, really soon. (She didn't.) Did she promise at one point to have a nice chatty sit-down with Sean Hannity? Oh, well, that she did. (cont'd)


...Continue reading here at Mediaite.com

Rachel Sklar is the Editor-at-Large of Mediaite.com. Follow Mediaite on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/mediaite

Follow Rachel Sklar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rachelsklar

Comments

[ppace60657]

All Republicans do that, though. The minute anyone in the media starts looking at their positions and asking questions, they whine and cry about how unfair the evil, Liberal media is. What's sad is, it works. The media owes all of us an apology for being asleep at the wheel the last 8 years. Imagine if Nixon had today's media.

[gypsysailor]

I've heard the woman say "I'm sorry." several times over the last 10 months and this proves just how SORRY she really is!

[pissedmichael]

Apology? Are you delusional? She doesn't have that word in her vocabulary unless she's demanding it of others.

[DestinationsUnknown]

One thing you are missing is the number of times she mentioned Oil and Gas and National Security.

A few weeks ago Palin was in Central Texas when she slammed Letterman.

Does anyone recall this? Anyone in the media ask why she was in Central Texas- a few weeks ago?

Central Texas?

Why is no one in the msm picking this up?

In her rambling appearance on Friday- did anyone pay attention to her speech?

Some of Palin’s rambling points:

*Gatekeeper of the Nation
*Oil and Gas
*God gave us energy
*Humbling responsibility- Alaska for National Security
*No more politics as usual
*Developed responsibly to develop their resources - oil and gas
*Petroleum development office
*Drilling for Oil and Gas
*58 to 1 victory protecting Alaskans to flow to the lower 48 - pro private sector project

A few weeks ago she made her decision to quit- In a few more weeks – she will be connecting to K Street in DC or in the proximity of K Street

National Security- oil and gas!

Central Texas!
Most governors are behind Obama’s Energy Plan- 34 or 36-She was not one of them.

The train is leaving the station- enter Lobbyist Palin.

[Jamie Frevele - Huffpost Blogger]

Nice article, Rachel! I only wish someone in her camp could set her straight, but then she'd leave us without any comedy material.

[llisa]

Do not underestimate this woman nor the Republican Party. I don't think she would have been anyone's first choice, but they are running out of prospective candidates. We may have to suffer through her homespun bigotry and dunce-worthy pronouncements yet again.

I hope not. But, ya never know.

[Balzac]

Everything you said is true. I agree with all of it. She was unqualified, ignorant, un-serious.

But I have to say, that first picture with her son is nice. I'm glad she's proud of her son.

Hopefully she'll make up with Levi before his tell-all book is written.

She should stay off the national political stage and get into entertainment instead.

But she does owe the media an apology. Finally her pageant training has come up short, and she's finished with a whine instead of a congenial smile.

[OGreatOneAndMe]

No one owes the media an apology except for today's reporters. They don't report the news, they create and shape it.

[MamacitaOfLove]

Great post. Thanks for lining it all up - easy to forget when there were so many 'highlights' to her brief time in the national spotlight.

Maybe she'll announce next that she's taking a vow of silence?

[nana4g]

Sarah Palin is NOT a politician and never was one. She is not a statesman; not a Governor. She is a hockey mom who claims to hold religious, ideological, beliefs that got her elected in Alaska to a small mayoral office in which she accomplished nothing for that little town and then she parlayed into the Governor's office by using the divisive, slanderous, destructive, politics as usual, ordinarily reserved for big time Republican politicking. She believes nothing of what she purports to hold as a belief system. It is just her overwhelming narcissistic need system that allows her to exploit anyone and anything, including her children, for her personal gain.

She took 6 years to get an undergraduate degree in jounalism at several colleges, quitting numerous times and she quit her job at the TV station; she also quit an appointed job in government in Alaska.

Sarah Palin is a quirk, a fluke, a fake. She is very flawed in her emotional make up and it affects her thought process and her inability to coherently answer a simple question or express an opinion. She has a personality that needs conflict in order to survive; if none exists, she will create it.

The best way for the nation to handle this freak show that McCain created is to ignore her. She will be popping up all over the place soon and she should get minimal, if any, press.

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

Watch out, Rachel! Now Sarah's gonna sue you, you betcha, for "abusing freedom of speech" (and mainly, for being part of the media).

[wm1066]

Nice article Rachel.
Boy ,the Trolls are all over the Palin thing telling us we are wrong about her.

[Mapleave]

Thanks Rachel. Best commentary yet.

[mrskorn]

She owes you nothing.

Btw, she did release her medical records. More info on hers than O's.

[sjones66]

Boy, you guys never quit being petty, do you?

Actually, you are incorrect. Covering for your messiah with her higher calling by blatantly ly . ing does not help her cause. Those of us on HuffPo read, and we take the time to vet our candidates.

We "read" the "doctor's report" Palin released the day of the election, which was not her medical records, but rather a one page cover letter saying she was in good health by the doctor whom she appointed to a Health position in Alaska.

Obama released his full medical records, as did Biden. It is only McCain and Palin who would not. We can only surmise as to what the two of them had to hide, but I'm feeling confident that they both share some psychological challenges they felt best left out of the voting public's eye.

[BBinMT]

Not surprisingly, more info. than she has in her head.

[godivademaus]

No. She did not. She released a 2 page letter from her Dr., which, is not at all the same thing as releasing medical records. Medical records are lab tests, checkups, BP and temperature. They are details about births and well exams. A 40 year old woman should have at least a half-inch thick of medical records, especially one that has had 5 children.

And I don't know what you read in Obama's records... but his records were FAR more detailed than her two page letter penned by her Dr.

Perhaps you ought to research what you're talking about, before commenting.

[Checquoline]

none so blind as those who will not see.

[Dana Legg]

Sarah Palin is a dangerous politician, and would lead this country down a path where there may be no return. She is the type of person who is historical, who brings down empires. She is Cleopatra without savvy. She is Helen without loyalty. She is Marie Antoinette without irony. And she is Imelda Marcos without as many shoes (as far as we know). Heck, she's Leona Helmsly without quite as many employees. She is a strong woman, but not in any positive way. Hers is a self-centered, selfish and dictatorial method of governing. Praise and fealty are required of her. Bow down, ye cretins, or I will be forced to take my ball and go home.

[thinkagain2]

Excellent comments!

[SUIGENEROUSLA]

Great comments Dana!

[fetchezlavache]

Wow! What a great post! It's nice to see a really intelligent AND funny post on this topic. Do you perhaps have a blog of your own?