So, the media (aka: Fox News) is all in a tizzy about how Tina Fey Sarah Palin and her daughter have been demonized by "Obama surrogates". Never mind the fact that the "surrogates" they're referring to also happen to be the media themselves, not anyone officially related to the Obama campaign.
I'll admit, the now magically vanished DailyKos posts that asserted Palin's youngest son were actually her grandson were loooowww. Period. All they had to do was some requisite math to figure out that there's no way her daughter could be pregnant twice at the same time.[1] There's no way you can defend that sort of "journalism". Period.
It should be noted, however, that the Palin campaign only announced the daughter's pregnancy after the DailyKos hit piece placed pressure on them. I still don't think the kid's pregnancy is any of our business, but perhaps this rabid speculation could have been squelched had the family simply admitted this up front. Again, I'm not in any way defending the DailyKos, but still. The Palins had to know this was coming.
Now, of course, the "media" (aka: Fox News) is making this election and Palin's selection as Veep a referendum on sexism in America. As if this is the first time sexism has reared it's ugly head this year. Of course, it's easier to be so concerned about the plight of women and candidate's families when you actually endorse said candidate. Fox was predictably mum as they (and other news outlets, but NOT the Obama campaign) slammed Hillary Clinton. And let's not forget the constant hatchet job they did on Michelle Obama all Spring. But now, we're supposed to believe they're so concerned about sexism. These same folks who called a candidate's wife a "Baby Mama".
Wigga Please!
Anyone with a 3rd eye can see the obvious Grand Hu$tle here: the more they make Palin a victim, then less people focus on the sketchy job she did while in Alaska.
There's the somewhat discussed Troopergate issue, that found Palin doing a Kwame Kilpatrick style revenge-firing of a the State Chief of Police. His problem? He wouldn't fire Palin's ex-brother in law. So, she fired him instead. This is actively under investigation.Please note that everything above is all a matter of public record, substantiated by "reliable" news sources linked to below. There's no hearsay. This is fact.
She eats a lot of pork. Despite how much the GOP wants to paint her as a "maverick", reality is she's been in cahoots with the very same folks (Senator Ted Stevens and Rep Don Young) she's now so renowned about having railed against. When she was the mayor ofa tiny cul de sacWassila, she received a staggering $27M in federal earmarks from the very gentlemen listed above. Yes, $27M for a town the size of two Boston city blocks. The majority of that money went to build a train line connecting Stevens' hometown with Wasilla. Some maverick.
She gets more "maverick" street cred from challenging and defeating the $260M "bridge to nowhere". Never mind the fact that she supported the very same project as recently as 2006. And the final nail in the coffin: while she rejected the money for the bridge, the state of Alaska still kept the $260M and used it for other projects. So, despite what was said, the money was still spent. Again, some maverick.
She is for teaching creationism in public schools.
She has her very own Rebb'n Wright. Pastor Ed Kalnins makes Wright look like a Disney character.
She is so adamantly pro-life that she doesn't even believe in abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. I can't see this hardline stance being very attractive to Clinton supporters.
Depending on where you look, she may or may not have been a member of Alaskan Independence Party, which favors the 49th state seceding from the US and becoming a country of it's own.
She wasn't even fully vetted for Veep until last Wednesday. McCain had only met her one in person before last Friday's surprise announcement.
Again, I don't have anything personal against Palin. The whole "she needs to be home raising her kids" thing is ludicrous. Peoples' minor daughters get pregnant by 18 year old d-bags named Levi all the time.[2] You can have both a career and a family. Men do it all the time, nobody complains.
But when you look at the facts, it's hard for me to believe anybody thinks Palin is qualified to be POTUS in the unlikely event that John McCain meets an untimely demise. I'm sorry, I just don't see it.
And on that note, what does this say about McCain's judgement? He practically chose Palin is a kneejerk reaction to gain traction once Obama passed on Hillary. He didn't vet her properly, and clearly didn't bother seeing how her past contradicts the very issues he's so strongly advocating. If he's willing to make such a rash judgement on someone who could become The Leader Of The Free World, what does it say about his ability to choose cabinet members and make judicial appointments? I'm just sayin'.
So, I'll peep the speech tonight, and marvel at the fact that Palin has been able to ascend to such heights in such a short period of time. Should the GOP win, her appointment as Vice President will be no doubt be historic.
It's just not the sorta history I wanna live to see.
Question: Do you feel the Mainstream Media is paying enough attention to Sarah Palin's actual record?
Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds [WashPost]
'Creation science' enters the race [Alaska Daily News
Sarah Palin's ties to Alaskan Independence Party are played down [LA Times]
Long-Standing Feud in Alaska Embroils Palin [WashPost]
Palin Was for the 'Bridge to Nowhere,' Too [AOL News]
Palin's Future Son-In-Law A "Redneck" [CBS Early Show]
Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview [HuffPost]
[1] I know. Twins. I know.
[2] Uh, would this be statutory rape or is it just me?
