Another day, another example of Sarah Palin going out of her way to trash the father of her grandson, Levi Johnston. In response to a People magazine reader's question, "How is your daughter Bristol doing as a young mother," the former governor explains:
She's spectacular. She's amazing. Still doesn't get a lot of sleep because Tripp is a light sleeper through the night and Bristol's got him all the time. But she's going to college, she's working and taking care of the baby. She's got her hands full. But very, very strong, very optimistic. She teaches me good lessons through all of this, too. She keeps things in perspective. She is realizing that her good decisions today will bear fruit, perhaps years down the road, but she's seeing now that it's worth it to take the high road when it comes to the [custody] controversy with Levi [Johnston] and him doing his porn stuff [posing for Playgirl]. It's all about the baby, it's all about what he is going to grow up with, and she knows she has to pull even more weight to make sure Tripp has a good upbringing.
Palin's inability to leave a grievance un-aired is quickly becoming the stuff of legend. But the feud with Johnston is one of the more egregious, and ongoing, self-inflicted political injuries I can ever recall seeing. (The irony of her applauding her daughter's decision to "take the high road" in the same sentence in which she throws her "porn" dig is almost too much.)
The obvious, immensely easy play here would be for her to make up publicly with the boy. But even if that's too much--as it obviously is--you'd think she could manage some high-road blather when asked about Johnston ("We've had our disagreements, as you all know, but he's good kid and I hope it all works out for him in the end") and could avoid bringing him up altogether when she's asked about something else, as in this case. But, no, she somehow seems to believe--and no one close to her can evidently dissuade her--that if she can win a war of words with a semi-employed, 19-year-old high-school dropout, it will amount to an actual victory for her.
.jpg)
Print
COMMENTS (2)
Heav'n has no rage like love to hatred turn'd
Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd.
Heav'n has no rage like love to hatred turn'd
Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd.
The thing I love about Palin is that the only thing not genuine about her is the fact that she has a public platform for her otherwise completely ordinary, uninformed, intolerant, working class view of the world. You could dump Palin into the small town I grew up in, or the one I live in now, and she'd fit like a glove. Thinking in meaningless catch-phrases, demonizing anyone who is not "of the clan," and generally, thoughtlessly and intolerantly holding forth on other people and other things of which she understand nothing. The only difference between her and the plumber's wife, is that she has a megaphone attached to her ramblings.
On the other hand, I cry for a nation that actually list ... view full comment
The thing I love about Palin is that the only thing not genuine about her is the fact that she has a public platform for her otherwise completely ordinary, uninformed, intolerant, working class view of the world. You could dump Palin into the small town I grew up in, or the one I live in now, and she'd fit like a glove. Thinking in meaningless catch-phrases, demonizing anyone who is not "of the clan," and generally, thoughtlessly and intolerantly holding forth on other people and other things of which she understand nothing. The only difference between her and the plumber's wife, is that she has a megaphone attached to her ramblings.
On the other hand, I cry for a nation that actually listens to, or is even tempted to listen to, someone like Palin. Ignorance is a qualification for nothing except more education. Intolerance, for nothing at all. That this is genunie ignorance and intolerance, makes it no more appealing, and the notion that the ignorant and intolerant need some like them to represent their interests is the dumbest, most pernicious bit of demos-pandering nonsense I can imagine.
"Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos." - Roman Hruska, defending G. Harold Carswell.