Sunday, January 11, 2009

Sarah Palin talkin', and just DON'T do it!

I was happy I got my Christmas cards done today. When I told Ken, he (jokingly) said, "Wow, you really got an early start!" As soon as I said what I did, I realized that it didn't sound quite right. "Doing my Christmas cards" meant that I took all the Christmas cards we got this past Christmas and cut them up into gift tags. What I couldn't use, I put into recycling. It's a great way to use your cards, and it will be a nice reminder of family and friends when I wrap gifts next year! Get creative, too. Remember there are often little logos on the backs of cards, so just put the holiday logo in the lower corner, and hey presto! You've got a nice little gift tag. There were some cards that I got 6 tags out of! And some cards were so pretty that I was able to use the entire front, and I can put those on large presents. Give it a try--I guar-ohn-tee you'll never have to buy another gift tag!

I've mentioned Sarah Palin's most recent interview, this time with a guy named John Ziegler. I'm not familiar with him, but he is a conservative something-or-another (writer? blogger? radio personality? I don't know, and don't care enough to investigate further.), and he has a website titled How Obama Got Elected. When I went to the blog, there was the picture of Obama by artist Shepard Fairey, except Ziegler had added a halo to it. That told me all I needed to know. I'll preface the rest of this entry by saying that I've made no bones about my utter disdain for and dislike of Sarah Palin, and I gave up trying to be kind shortly before the election, when she disrespected fruit flies. I'm not going to be kind here, either--not by a longshot--so if you choose not to read this, I'm cool with that and will not be offended. You have been fairly warned.

The title of Ziegler's documentary for which he interviewed Palin is called "Media Malpractice," so it obviously takes the position that Palin was unfairly treated by the media. (By the way, I'm not going to link to Ziegler's site, because it almost locked up my computer. You can Google it or search on YouTube for excerpts from the interview.) Palin is on her "unfair treatment" like mud on a pig, and although she previously said she got a real kick out of Tina Fey's portrayal of her, she now says that both Fey and Katie Couric "exploited" her candidacy, and that "says a great deal about our society." WTF? What exactly does that say about our society? That we like political satire, and that news anchors like to interview political candidates? How dare they?!

Palin went on to say that the press treated her harshly because of her background. Personally, I saw none of that, although she and McCain often spoke of the "liberal elite media," and "liberal elites," who McCain said live in the fine cities of Washington, D.C. and New York City. Seems to me that her alleged harsh treatment was more of an insecurity problem, i.e., she herself felt inferior, so was quick to attack others for their "uppity ways." She even spoke of the question asked by Couric about the newspapers she reads (and Palin's infamous answer), and says that she found the question offensive, and felt that Couric was implying that people in Alaska don't read. "To me the question was more along the lines of, ‘Do you read, what do you guys do up there, what is it that you read?’" If she read that Couric was implying Alaskan ignorance with that question, that tells me more about Palin and her insecurities and paranoia than anything else. I know people like that in my life, and it's pretty obvious when someone has an inferiority complex.

Palin really didn't care for Fey's line (when Fey was portraying Palin in the VP debate skit, in response to a question about gay marriage), "I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers." Palin commented, "The mama grizzly rises up in me, hearing things like that. Here again, cool, fine, come attack me. But when you make a suggestion like that that attacks a kid, it kills me."

I'll admit to laughing at the line in the skit, but I am not laughing about the fate of Bristol Palin, nor am I laughing about her future. I honestly feel sorry for that kid and her boyfriend and their child, and if I've ever sounded like I'm attacking them, that was not my intention (but I still think Tripp is a silly name). What infuriated me about the whole thing is that Palin is an advocate of abstinence-only education, and my question is still, "How's that workin' for ya?" A recent study shows that abstinence-only education does not work. I urge you to take a look at the graphs in the study: they show statistically identical results for those who received abstinence-only sex education and those who did not. However, those who pledge abstinence are less likely to use birth control and protection. I know it's a noble goal to promote abstinence, and I applaud any kid who decides to wait, and I applaud the parents who are able to get a kid to make that decision. But I believe that it is wrong to teach only abstinence, because hey--have we collectively forgotten what it's like to be a teenager with raging hormones?! Forewarned is forearmed, people, and I would much rather any kid of mine--kids in general, for that matter--be conscientious about the consequences of unprotected sex, rather than block them from access to birth control, protection, and knowledge! Why are some people still stuck in that rut that knowledge is dangerous? Knowledge is POWER.

Palin also wasn't happy with McCain's campaign, because after her first poor performance in an interview with Couric, she realized that it didn't go well, but the campaign gave the go-ahead for a couple more sessions. Sorry, Palin, but I remember at that time that you were virtually inaccessible to the media, and it was getting to the point where you had to give interviews, otherwise the media was going to get royally pissed. For a while, weren't you pissed that the campaign wasn't allowing you to give interviews? Which way is it? The fact is that you were woefully unprepared, both for interviews and for the vice-presidency, so I have no sympathy for you, the campaign, or McCain. He made the decision and the offer, you accepted. End of story.

The comment that really made me laugh was when she was talking about the Couric interviews, she said, "Katie, you’re not the center of everybody’s universe." Wow, nice job. Way to win friends and influence people--piss off a national news anchor. Here's a news flash, Palin: if you want to be part of the national scene in politics, you are going to face much tougher interviewers than Katie Couric. Couric was asking simple questions, and you couldn't handle it. Couric was not acting like she was the "center of everybody's universe," she was doing her job.

Ziegler said that he enjoyed his interview with Palin, and that anyone who thinks she is "stupid" is seriously misinformed. I've never thought she is stupid. I wouldn't say she's particularly smart, and would be more likely to say she is..."unstupid." I think she's a canny politician, and has a knack for seeing which way the wind is blowing. I do, however, think she is willfully ignorant. As I've written before, she is intellectually incurious, and anything that doesn't make sense in her world she deems as being of no consequence to anyone else. If you wonder why I'm still writing about this woman, it's because she keeps putting herself out there. Meanwhile, John McCain has kept a low profile and has quietly gone back to doing his thing in the Senate. Palin seems to be aiming for national office, and as long as she does so, I'll keep aiming for her...with words only, obviously.

14 comments:

  1. Funny to see her lash out well after the embarassing loss and after the elite liberal media laughed at her :o) More posturing will only result in more ridicule in the future :o)

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  2. Hi Beth,
    Sheesh ... If Palin is so irritated with the "liberal media elite," why does she persist in doing interview after interview after interview. If she's serious about a career in politics, maybe she should spend her time these days reading everything she can get her hands on instead of continuing to make herself look like a moron in the media. Mama Grizzly?!? I don't think so. Media Hound is more like it.
    Best,
    Marty

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  3. This woman seriously makes me concerned for the education and intelligence of Alaskans. I mean, they ELECTED her into office... willingly. WTF were you people thinking? I wonder who ran against her that she was the lesser of the two evils? It had to be Osama right? I mean who else would be worse than Palin? ;)~ On teaching abstinence and nothing else... I think a lot of those people think if they explain condoms, birth control and pregnancy (not to mention STD's) that it's like saying 'hey go ahead and do it but here's how.' I'm with you and want my kid to be well educated on any decisions she would make, particularly one that could be so life altering. Not only are there hormones but there's also that teenage pressure to be like your friends and have that experience, add in the hormones and parental advice gets bitch slapped. Give the reasons why you should wait till marriage or at the very least till you're old enough to make the informed decision about who you're sleeping with and then educate on the safest ways to go about having said pre-marital sex.
    Love,
    Jamie

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  4. Well, since you said it all ...

    ... and to be honest, you were more than fair and balanced. I will again say, that I do think that 'Tripp' is a fine name! I like it, but I do think it is best used as a nickname for as the son of a father who is a 'junior'.

    'Unstupid' isn't copyrighted, is it? The folks involved in 'l'affair de Kilpatrick' in Detroit would qualify ... but not Adam 'Pac Man' Jones ... he is of the traditional ignorant black athelete variety ... ooh, kind of rambling, so I will stop!

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  5. OMG, is she ever going to fade back into the woodwork (igloo)? Why doesn't someone tell her she is only making a bigger (if possible) fool of herself! Hey Sarah...life isn't fair, get over it.

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  6. What a great idea - I use to just save them and hang them up the following year. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

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  7. Stupid should hurt, seriously. It seems if her goal is indeed to be part of the next major election, kissing up to the media would work more in her favor, instead of pissing them off.

    I've come to find the more some one protest, the more you have to wonder what are they covering up. To me it's just one more lame attempt to keep herself in the media front and center. It's only a few months after the election, she's already running out of steam.

    How ironic that she would tell Couric, your not the center of everybody's universe, when she herself reacts as she should be. I'm getting to the point of thinking, Palin needs to go away...hide behind whatever idiocity she came out from behind for the VP nomination. (Hugs)Indigo

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  8. That's a great idea for gift tags, well done you for being creative x

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  9. Please someone just make Palin and Joe the plumber go away.

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  10. I do the tag thingies with my cards too!!! When I read you had your christmas cards done I looked for the date on your entry...hahaha.

    I wish Palin would just go the &^%$ (insert your favorite word here) away. Mama grizzly my a$$, the only thing that witch knows about grizzly's is how to kill & gut them.

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  11. I say one thing for Sarah Palin... She gave you and SNL plenty of material.
    Joyce

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  12. I just said "sour grapes" to the Palin interview. What a "Palin in the a**-" Dannelle

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I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you?