Palin Potshots
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From trouble at home (with Alaska voters, that is), to the David Letterman insult and imbroglio, to the new and fascinating VF expose that reveals an underbelly to her Vice-Presidential bid even seamier and more desperate housewifey than we ever could have imagined—it has not been an easy few months for Sarah Palin.
There does seem to be something about Sarah…….something that leaves her ripe for and vulnerable to any and all fun-making. That seems to give license to all forms of below-the-belt humor and leaks and innuendo. Right? She’s fair game because she’s so…so…well…Sarah. At least that’s what we all tell ourselves.
I think we’ve got to come to our collective senses. Should a governor be our public punching bag? (Obvious exception–if said Governor has abandoned state, for a foreign country, in the name of love, ridicule not only justified, but mandatory.) Do we assume, simply because Palin seems tough enough to nail us from 40 feet with either one of those tight-lipped Alaskan zingers, or the back end of her high-heel, and keep on moving, that she is a woman without feelings?
Todd Purdam managed to unleash a Republican holy war with his compelling account, and it now feels sort of like we’re having a really pointed and insulting conversation in our living room with our nutty relatives about our crazy aunt. One of those awkward conversations where nobody realizes the subject is actually in the room. SHE’S SITTING RIGHT THERE PEOPLE!
I was still in the “big deal, it’s just Sarah” camp, until I read the bit about her detractors suggesting she may have been operating with postpartum depression last fall. What I particularly like is that her supporters seem think it helps her out to trumpet this accusation far and wide. Hmm. Which side likes her again?
In any event. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Postpartum depression is a serious illness, and hardly one you can put on the back burner while you give a killer convention speech, and then knock the socks off of enthusiastic crowds for weeks on end with your own, um, enthusiasm and exuberance. So….maybe….just maybe….wild guess here….the depression stuff was male code for ….irrational and difficult female?
She may have had her moments, behind the scenes, but I’m willing to bet our male prima donna politicians could match Sarah move for move. Is there any chance we could forget the clothes (I really could care less what suits she or anybody else bought), the rumored hysteria, the family craziness, and just focus on what Sarah Palin has done in her state, what she’s trying to do, and what sort of candidate she might really be? I mean–that’s why–we’re told–the republicans are in such a lather about Palin and the leaks and innuendo right now. Many still see her as a serious contender down the road. Let’s focus on whether that makes sense. And on treating her with a bit of respect? I think we’ll all feel better about ourselves in the morning.
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It is, admittedly, a possibility that the post-partum depression bit was code for irrational and difficult female. Completely inappropriate.
That said, one has to be deserving of respect to gain respect. There has been little about Sarah Palin that has engendered such respect, at least from me. Were she to have been a male candidate who revealed such a complete lack of preparedness for the job the candidate sought to fill; were she a male candidate who spent $150k of the campaign’s funds on personal and family wardrobe; were she a male candidate who preached conservative style family values as her unwed daughter prepared to give birth; etc., etc. – we would have had just as much disrespect for the male candidate as we have for SarahPalin.
What we learned from the VF piece is that she is even less deserving of respect that what some may have previously believed.
Gender is not the issue here (although I agree the post partum comment is way out of line) – quality is the issue. We should not be cutting her any breaks for being a woman just as we should not cut a candidate any special consideration because he is a man. When Sarah Palllin earns some respect, she will get some respect.
Are you kidding?
She’s a woman Republican, who’s attractive and charismatic, and who dares to fight back against her critics. She must be destroyed at all costs!!! No matter how petty or catty it looks!!
[...] depression? To quote Claire Shipman, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Shipman goes on to write: “Postpartum depression is a serious illness, and hardly one you can [...]
Rick,
Good point. She seemed to have been trying to make your point on Friday by resigning! But I’d still argue that whether or not the subject conducts him or herself in a respectable fashion, political pundits and the media need some standards as to how we behave. Sometimes the contrast of respectful coverage and commentary, and a politician’s behavior, is even more powerful.
I do agree with you. Proper media behavior has pretty much gone out the door (the two of you clearly excluded in that assessment!) along with the rise of tabloid journalism on what we used to think of as the “credible” media platforms. And just when we think we’ve seen new lows, along comes the coverage of Michael Jackson where the networks we wish to trust released one false and improperly researched report after another. In an era of 24 hour news, standards no longer seem to exist.