Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I’m no dead quitty fish!

Dead fish I have so much that I want to write about...don't worry, not in this post, but I have started a list of the topics that are already catching my attention! I'll stick to one topic today.

The title of this entry comes from Jon Stewart, whose take on Sarah Palin's resignation riffed on her remarks that she wasn't "quitting," and that she wasn't just floating along in the last days--'scuse me, year and a half--of her term because "only dead fish float." Stewart exclaimed, "You're no dead quitty fish!" That remains my favorite quote from the whole thing so far. My biggest laugh, though, came today when I watched William Shatner's poetry reading of Palin's resignation speech on Sunday. It's posted on my Facebook page, and it's hilarious!

Anyhoo, I've been pondering the whole "quitting" thing, not just with the Palin situation, but in a broader sense. Palin strikes me as essentially a bully. Bear with me while I explain. During the campaign, she felt she had the right to get out there and say anything she wanted about their opponent...terrorist, traitor, socialist...even standing there and grinning as people in the crowd shouted "Kill him!" Rather than stopping such hateful rhetoric immediately, she egged it on. I still give McCain great credit for shutting up the ignorant remarks, at least for one brief, shining moment (the woman who said that Obama is an Arab). Sadly, Palin was under no such moral restrictions, and seemed to enjoy fueling the hatred.

As soon as she was called on her behavior, though, both as part of the campaign and part of her governorship, she cried "foul!" and said that the media wasn't being fair. She paraded all of her kids, including her pregnant teenager and her boyfriend, onstage at campaign rallies, then got pissed off when her family got undue attention from the press. If you want to protect your family, you don't bring 'em out onstage and show them off like your prize 4-H ponies, okay?

I've seen such behavior online and in real life, as well. People believe that they can keep poking the snake with a stick, needling and irritating and bullying, all under the penumbra of free speech, or the illusion of truth (at least their version of it). Yet when poked back, like all bullies they duck and run, hide like the cowards they are, and claim that everyone is picking on them. It's ridiculous, typical, and laughable behavior. I have yet to see a bully not wither under the scrutiny of others, or run away and hide from those who dare--DARE!--to poke back. It's like pouring salt on a slug, or water on the Wicked Witch of the West. Works every time. Cat got your tongue?

I'm no dead quitty fish. How about you?

17 comments:

  1. omg, beth....did you nail that one on the head! i wished i could have stated it as well as you have!

    shane

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  2. Hi Beth,
    I never thought of it that way, but I'll bet you're right. At the same time, there's something disingenuine about Palin even when she complains about the media. She smiles, smirks and all but winks even when calling upon the national media to stop spreading what she calls lies. Naturally, the more she complains, the more coverage she gets ... which I assume is exactly what she wants.
    Best,
    Marty

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  3. You are so right Beth, she is the one who brought her family out for the world to see. Just like you said, her show ponies ~ well last time I checked people are entitled to their opinion of her & her family if she is running for veep. I also heard the day after she quit she gave another speech in which she spewed off again and ended it with a message to "Hollywood" saying, "we eat therefore we hunt". What a jackass this woman is. I can't stand the sound of her whiney ass voice, the stupid things she says or the sight of her. I wish she was floating somewhere....way out of my sight and hearing. I'll settle down now.

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  4. I always find your posts worth reading, but this was truly 'nailing it'. While I did predict Palin's selection as VP candidate (http://selfsufficientsteward.com/?p=304), I had NO idea (nor did John McCain) what a handful she was. 'Crazy as a pet raccoon' as my brother would say.

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  5. "I have yet to see a bully not wither under the scrutiny of others, or run away and hide from those who dare--DARE!--to poke back"

    Then I think the bullies at your school were far weaker than those that terrorized mine. ;)

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  6. The Shatner bit is priceless, and references to semi-offline peeps is as well :o)

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  7. Excellent post! Excellent!!

    They don't eat wolves.

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  8. Great Post and I shall repeat =, I can not stand Palin. Welcome back.

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  9. you are way way smarter than smart.

    WAY.

    i wonder how long those who are "fake" get theirselves off sexually or with their little power trip when they go around bashing others who they think they have the RIGHT to bash? Does their head swell? Do they breath faster? Do they feel better about themselves after going around hurting others with words or their actions?

    do they sleep well at night?

    do they even have a heart beating within them?

    i really wonder what it is...

    i agree with every word you ever write about Palin. She makes me sick.

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  10. Put my name in the "Palin's A Jerk" column. Why, oh why, must she be a woman! It just reflects badly on our sex. Good job on this posting, Beth!

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  11. Well said, Beth. I never thought of her as a bully... but you nailed it.

    be well...

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  12. This Post is priceless! You go girl! Well written.

    Hugs,Rose

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  13. You're spot on, Beth..I can;t stand her..almost like she's PROUD to be ignorant it seems..

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  14. Hi Beth,
    A poetry reading of anything by William Shatner would be hilarious - actor yes, reader of poetry, not really!

    I got a kick out of the media recoiling when they started their attacks on Sarah Palin's family when Obama said he thought her family should be left out of it. Don't you know there was some "Oh you-know-whats" going on in the back rooms of media outlets after that one. No way they could have predicted Obama would have reacted that way. Personally I thought it was just too funny!

    Thanks for the Happy Bloggiversary wishes a couple of weeks ago - glad you're still writing too!

    Dirk
    THE FIRST AMENDMENT, NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT II
    http://tsalagiman2.blogspot.com/

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  15. I think that Shatner reading might even be better than the video of him "singing" Rocket Man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN3MGN899yE) back in '78. :)

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