Siskind's rationale for supporting "brave" Sarah Palin is nothing more than backing the enemy of her nemesis, Barack Obama. It's the whole 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' mindset, which is a completely unsophisticated way of looking at the world.
Siskind's entire article comes off as sour grapes. Your candidate lost, P.U.M.A.s. It's time to move on.
I have had problems with PUMA's in general since I think it's identity politics at its worst. I also apparently have a problem with Amy Siskind because of this.
From her blog:
Until finally last week the blogosphere started to ask: Where's Hilary?
Please note that the Where's Hilary? is a hotlink TO HER OWN BLOG! I didn't think that was allowed...
@eadubbs: Where's Hillary? Is she coming out with a puzzle book? Hillary Clinton has only spent the last 6 months jetting all over the globe, trying to repair the damage done to our reputation by the previous administration. That's where.
If by "hiding" she means "placing in a prominent Cabinet position where she'll be representing U.S. interests in foreign policy" then yes, Siskind is completely correct! Hmm, maybe Siskind is in Bizarro World?
@medeasdragons: God, I know. I feel like I'm living in an alternate reality sometimes. I want to knock on people's heads and ask them if they're reasoning center is on or not.
Of course he's hiding Hilary! If he wasn't she would be doing a photoshoot in running shorts next to a draped American flag because that's what real female politicians do, right? They don't do, like, actual work do they?
i really apologize if this has been said before, but whatever cred she may have established on the basis of the fact that yes, jokes about the assumed sexual proclivities of young women are detrimental to the status of all women in society, she lost with me when she winked, winked, nudged, nudged matt lauer friday morning with some bizarre innuendo about not trusting her daughters with david letterman. to quote matt lauer, wasn't that in poor taste as well? at one time her laughably feigned outrage at this situation may have had a point, but like so many in her party she eventually drug it through the mud so much she herself came out (once again) covered with it as well. her back-tracking on that comment was just ludicrous, too.
also, is anyone talking about the fact that letterman's a-rod comment was also racist? why should only women be defended? is anyone else out there worried that the 'rush to defend bristol/willow's purity' is also somehow archaic and totally reminiscent of the persistent and false impression in our society that women are weak-willed/minded and thus in constant need of being protected.
finally, david letterman's crude comments notwithstanding, it is sarah palin who chose to make public figures out of her family for her own sole benefit, thus subjecting them to this sort of ridicule in the first place. the fault ultimately lies with her. if she knew (and she did!) that her family's background wasn't squeaky clean she should have done the honorable thing and not subjected them to all of this in the first damn place!
equal opportunity poor taste - in short, a typical palin situation.
I feel terrible for poor A-Rod. I'm a staunch Christian pro-life conservative but I'm a Latina first.
I am very surprised that no one seems to think that Letterman was really mean in the way he stereotyped Alex as some sort of out-of-control pervert. This is wrong.
Why is it okay to attack a Latino man but absolutely unacceptable to even joke about attacking a Caucasian woman? Why should minority immigrant men get stereotyped as being dangerous to Caucasian women the way black men are? I am very surprised that no one on Jezebel.com has pointed this out. I am also surprised that people are once again rushing to the defense of an upper class Caucasian woman and ignoring the minority person. I suppose people's hidden biases come out.
@DeannaCurveball: deanna, totally agreed, and even though i'm not a minority, when i first heard this joke (assuming it was bristol because that is the OBVIOUS assumption) i thought, wow, that's racist. the joke was in poor taste on so many levels, and i agree that it completely perpetuates the stereotype that all men - especially minorities - are menacing to beautiful, pure, angelic and perfect young white women. it is sooooooo sick.
No, not only does she allow her to daughters to be photographed and interviewed, she has made her children a centerpiece of her candidacy. They can be used to inspire patriotism (Track), sympathy (Trigg), empathy (Bristol) or gosh darnit, isn't she just ADORABLE with her mama's Louis Vuitton purse (Piper). She pranced them around like show ponies, and then Bristol became a Abstinence spokesperson AND People magazine cover girl. You trot your preciouses into the limelight to engender goodwill and you open them up (only the legal aged ones though, I agree) to public criticism.
Oh and also? I am a staunch Democrat but that doesn't preclude me from respecting strong female politicians from the other side of the aisle. Sarah Palin, however, isn't one of those women, with her love of shooting defenseless animals for sport, to her love of telling me what I can and cannot do with my body and denying me the choice to do so. Or, you know, charging Wasilla women for rape kits. I have lived in places where people hunt and fish and are anti-abortion, and somehow, many of them managed to be at least a little bit understanding that our differences in lifestyle need not make us adversaries. Governor Palin's stance is always "Well, if you aren't with me, you're against me and you're part of the liberal coastal, sexist elite."
@thatonegirlsays: I still don't agree that the kids are fair game. Because PALIN is shoving them front and center. And they are probably bored and annoyed. Even with Bristol, I'm not sure how much of her public life is her choice.
It's not totally impossible to conduct yourself, even as a late night host, with a bit of class and tact.
And believe me, my "class and tact" standard is very low.
The real victim here is Conan O'Brien. He has a new show, did you hear? But nooo, all everybody wants to talk about is Letterman. What's Coco got to do to get a little attention? Very simple. Put on this skit:
Have an actress play one of Palin's younger daughters. Pick the developmentally disabled one for extra points. Girl wanders into the Alaskan woods and comes across a strange house. There she finds three bowls of porridge, three sets of beds, etc. And then, the angry owners return, and they're the three masturbating bears!
As a liberal woman, I hate Sarah Palin because she terrifies me: more than anything, she's inarticulate and incompetent and she came super close to becoming 2nd in line to the President. And I feel like if this was four years ago she might have been a shoo-in. Also, if the next four years don't go well for whatever reason, she might again have a fighting chance. And yes, gahdamit, I feel a secret sense of shame that she's a woman. Sue me, I'm just not used to glaringly inane female political figures.
@sugaplum: I share your shame. We had Bush for 8 years and we still fall for this tired, "I'm just like you and I'm not going to pretend to be intellectually superior because that would mean I'm talking down to average Americans" crap. The woman is dumb and she rejoices in it. God make it stop!
Making one joke about someone getting knocked up? Sorry, I can't be arsed to call up any sense of offense. On the other hand, going on a national media tour to twist someone's words and accuse someone of being a pedophile rapist repeatedly? Now, that I find obnoxious. Actively gathering up an angry mob to go after someone over the aforementioned pedo accusations? I can feel my eyebrow going up a few millimeters in outrage. And I'd feel the exact same way no matter who this accuser was.
This isn't about sexism any more. This is now once more a right wing smear campaign of outright lies, hatred and paranoia. You're on the wrong side, Megan.
I am outraged at her sense of entitlement. Madam, your beauty queen credentials do not warrant public office being handed to you on a silver platter. Read a newspaper. Listen to NPR. Get a library card - for more reasons than to find more nasty books to ban.
@Jage: She was thrown into the mainstream political arena because of various things, but she lacked the true background to lead, she lacked the understanding to govern this large of a population and she was unable to answer standard questions. She used sexism to get to the VP position and now she bitches about it. That is the MOST ANTI_FEMINIST thing a women can do.
@Jage: Are you kidding? She thinks she's qualified to run. She climbed over her mentors to become governor. Are you related? Your leaping to her defense in every single critical post is a bit much.
@Jage: alas, it would be great if there was some intelligent analysis here to counter the 'echo-chamber' that sometimes occurs but unfortunately, i think it is time for you to stumble back over to freeper-ville, dear sir. not one other person here buys the 'regular mom/small town mayor' crap and even if we were, you are certainly not salesman-of-the-month...
07/17/09
07/16/09
Siskind's entire article comes off as sour grapes. Your candidate lost, P.U.M.A.s. It's time to move on.
07/16/09
07/16/09
OMG! 0bama is worse than the Taliban!!!111
07/16/09
From her blog:
Until finally last week the blogosphere started to ask: Where's Hilary?
Please note that the Where's Hilary? is a hotlink TO HER OWN BLOG! I didn't think that was allowed...
07/16/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
Hmm, maybe Siskind is in Bizarro World?
07/16/09
07/16/09
Oh, and how "socialized medicine" will kill people.
07/16/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
06/15/09
also, is anyone talking about the fact that letterman's a-rod comment was also racist? why should only women be defended? is anyone else out there worried that the 'rush to defend bristol/willow's purity' is also somehow archaic and totally reminiscent of the persistent and false impression in our society that women are weak-willed/minded and thus in constant need of being protected.
finally, david letterman's crude comments notwithstanding, it is sarah palin who chose to make public figures out of her family for her own sole benefit, thus subjecting them to this sort of ridicule in the first place. the fault ultimately lies with her. if she knew (and she did!) that her family's background wasn't squeaky clean she should have done the honorable thing and not subjected them to all of this in the first damn place!
equal opportunity poor taste - in short, a typical palin situation.
06/15/09
I am very surprised that no one seems to think that Letterman was really mean in the way he stereotyped Alex as some sort of out-of-control pervert. This is wrong.
Why is it okay to attack a Latino man but absolutely unacceptable to even joke about attacking a Caucasian woman? Why should minority immigrant men get stereotyped as being dangerous to Caucasian women the way black men are? I am very surprised that no one on Jezebel.com has pointed this out. I am also surprised that people are once again rushing to the defense of an upper class Caucasian woman and ignoring the minority person. I suppose people's hidden biases come out.
06/15/09
06/15/09
06/15/09
Oh and also? I am a staunch Democrat but that doesn't preclude me from respecting strong female politicians from the other side of the aisle. Sarah Palin, however, isn't one of those women, with her love of shooting defenseless animals for sport, to her love of telling me what I can and cannot do with my body and denying me the choice to do so. Or, you know, charging Wasilla women for rape kits. I have lived in places where people hunt and fish and are anti-abortion, and somehow, many of them managed to be at least a little bit understanding that our differences in lifestyle need not make us adversaries. Governor Palin's stance is always "Well, if you aren't with me, you're against me and you're part of the liberal coastal, sexist elite."
06/15/09
It's not totally impossible to conduct yourself, even as a late night host, with a bit of class and tact.
And believe me, my "class and tact" standard is very low.
06/15/09
Have an actress play one of Palin's younger daughters. Pick the developmentally disabled one for extra points. Girl wanders into the Alaskan woods and comes across a strange house. There she finds three bowls of porridge, three sets of beds, etc. And then, the angry owners return, and they're the three masturbating bears!
Shock! Awe! All eyes on Conando!
06/15/09
06/15/09
06/15/09
06/15/09
This isn't about sexism any more. This is now once more a right wing smear campaign of outright lies, hatred and paranoia. You're on the wrong side, Megan.
06/15/09
06/15/09
She was a regular mom, who ran for mayor, then governor. She didn't come from a rich background with many political figures...
06/15/09
06/15/09
06/15/09
@Jage: alas, it would be great if there was some intelligent analysis here to counter the 'echo-chamber' that sometimes occurs but unfortunately, i think it is time for you to stumble back over to freeper-ville, dear sir. not one other person here buys the 'regular mom/small town mayor' crap and even if we were, you are certainly not salesman-of-the-month...