THE DAILY BLADE: We Need A New “Ism”
Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, thinks the MSM is being too kind to Gov. Sarah Palin and her performance in veep debate with Sen. Joe Biden:
[M]uch of the media saw a credible performance. I could quote the hosannas of some of my colleagues, but I spare them the infamy that will surely follow them to their graves. (The debate's moderator, Gwen Ifill, used the occasion to catch up on some sleep.) Many of them judged Palin simply as a performer and inferred that this would go over well in homes with aboveground swimming pools. …
In effect, columnists, bloggers, talk-show hosts and digital lamplighters everywhere have adopted the ethic of the political consultant: what works, works. It did not matter what Palin said. It only mattered how she said it …
Contrary to Cohen’s assertions, a new poll by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism finds that Americans think the MSM has been fair to Joe Biden, John McCain and Barack Obama but “too tough” on Sarah Palin. Overall, 38 percent of survey respondents didn’t think media coverage of Palin was fair – with 63 percent of Repubs, 41 percent of Dems and 41 percent of Indys agreeing that she got a raw deal from reporters. And voters are paying attention, according to poll results:
Public interest in news about the presidential campaign reached a new high last week, though the national news was dominated by coverage of the faltering economy. Fully 57% of the public followed news about the election very closely and another 31% followed developments fairly closely.
Perhaps Cohen should contemplate the staggering level of disrespect – for which an “ism” has yet to be coined, seeing as “sexism” and “lookism” aren’t even remotely adequate – to which Palin is being subjected because of her gender and comeliness. You may disagree with her positions and even look down on her lack of pedigree – as Cohen so obviously does – but she is her party’s nominee for vice president and that alone should guarantee a modicum of decorum in the media’s and public’s behavior toward her, even if deference seems a bridge too far.
Some examples (click on these links at your peril; The Stiletto assumes no responsibility for delicate sensibilities):
† "Times Heir: 'Sarah Palin Can Suck A D--k'", Gawker, October 6, 2008
† Sarah Palin will be “gang-raped by my big black brothers” if she enters Manhattan, Sandra Bernhard, “Without You I’m Nothing” (second item), c. September 17, 2008
† “She’s sexy. Men like sexy women … This is new feminist ideal. Women want to be her, men want to mate with her. It’s as simple as that,” Donny Deutsch, host of “The Big Idea” on CNBC (video), September 5, 2008
† “Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favoured by this decade’s woman, the overtreated hair, puffy lips and permanently alarmed expression. Heather Mallick, “A Mighty Wind Blows Through The Republican Convention,” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, September 5, 2008
Then there are the “drill” T-shirts, the “action figures,” the inflatable doll, the porno flick featuring a Palin look-alike …
The Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby has collected several other (tamer) examples of “the left's scorching assault, so ugly and unhinged.”
The Stiletto Scoops Ann Coulter
Biden seemed to indicate that he will be Obama’s Dick Cheney [“every major decision he'll be making, I'll be sitting in the room”] but then took issue with Cheney’s unprecedented reach and power [“Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. … He has no authority relative to the Congress.”] …
[T]he Constitution says the vice president of the Executive Branch is also the President of the Senate, which is part of the Legislative Branch. …
So while all the pundits say that neither Biden nor Palin made a gaffe, The Stiletto has to respectfully disagree, based on Biden’s answer to what he thinks the vice president does all day.
- “Palin Floats Like A Butterfly And Stings Like A Bee In Her Debate With Biden,” The Stiletto Blog, October 3, 2008
[W]hat on earth does Biden mean when he says that the vice president "has no authority relative to Congress," apart from breaking ties?
The Constitution makes him president of the senate every day of the week. … Article I says the vice president is president of one of the two houses of Congress -- the one Biden is in, for crying out loud - which is what you might call "authority relative to Congress."
Somebody please tell me that Biden wasn't picked for the Democrat ticket based on his ability to function as vice president.
- “Pull The Hair Plug On This Guy,” Human Events, October 8, 2008
Palintologist. a male dinosaur that wants the caveman days back and suffers from performance anxiety every time he hears the phrase, Drill, Baby, Drill.
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