Jim Stillman
NevarThe media and the bloggers are out of order.
September 5th 2008 19:06
I am about to befuddle many of the readers (and scorners) of these scribbles to suggest that, while I have usually felt Fox News to be irresponsible and out of line, the Roger Ailes’ weapon of choice in fibbing about Democrats and those he perceives to be too progressive, those whose political views have natured beyond the eighteenth century, I had the opinion that the other news outlets were reasonably fair. While I still believe that the major news companies are owned and controlled by Republican-sympathetic corporations, I acknowledge that most of the analysts come to their jobs with a progressive slant, much as they try to be, truly, “fair and balanced”. I still am of that opinion, but in recent days, the media, and many bloggers, have gone to excess and totally out of bounds. To a lesser degree, so have some Democratic supporters.
John McCain, for obvious and pandering reasons, chose a totally unqualified, inexperienced person to join his ticket. The reasons are manifest: Governor Palin will energize and solidify the far Right wing of his party, social conservatives who have had doubts about Senator bona fides. She professes to be, and is, on the far right fringe of the Right;, anti-abortion to the extent of believing it should be illegal even in the cases of rape, incest or where the health of the mother is threatened. She favors unrestricted oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, doubts any human impact or causation to global warming, would limit sex-education in schools to that preaching abstinence, decries any gun control measures, would deny homosexuals the right to enter into legal relationships short of marriage that would allow medical access, inheritance rights and adoption. She has, even, advocated Alaskan secession from the United States – take THAT, party of Abraham Lincoln!
Each and every one of these core principles is inconsistent with the previously expressed views of Senator McCain and, for that matter, the vast majority of the American people.
Each and every one of these principles would be and should be the basis for opposition to the candidacy of Governor Palin.
It would be fair to ridicule the support of Mrs. McCain to the effect that the Governor has foreign policy experience and judgment because of Alaskan proximity to the former Soviet Union. It is certainly fair to challenge the Governor’s experience – just as the Republicans held Democrats to a similar standard.
But there are some aspects of the Alaska Governor’s family and background that should be off limits, both because, except in rare instances where the candidate has placed her family and background in play. This is true even if the Governor has uttered irrelevant and gratuitous insults about Senator Obama and sarcastic and pointless comments in her speech at the GOP convention.
Senator McCain’s cruelty at a 1998 GOP fundraiser: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.", notwithstanding, Democrats should not return in kind. Rush, a Right wing favorite, also picked on Chelsea: “Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" He put up a picture of 13 year old Chelsea Clinton.
In fact, the McCain-Palin team has placed their personal behavior and their respective families’ values in issue. (In her acceptance speech at the GOP Governor Palin made a point of stating that her sons will be deployed to Iraq to demonstrate her family’s patriotism; Senator McCain has made his experience as a prisoner of war as evidence of presidential worthiness.) But as I pointed out in a previous post, any attempt to criticize either candidate’s family is ill advised and counterproductive.
Democrats cannot control the excesses of supporters and their blogs; Democrats cannot control the excesses of radio and television talk show hosts or participants. Democrats can, however, that office holders make darn certain that they avoid sarcastic, insulting or disparaging remarks about the children of either Senator McCain or Governor Palin.
Mark Penn, Chief political advisor to both President Clinton and Senator Clinton, writing in the New York Times:
Senator Obama has been clear and unambiguous. "I think people's families are off limits and people's children are especially off limits". He has emphasized that his campaign was not in any way responsible for the spreading of any of the internet rumors surrounding Governor Palin and her daughter. He continued, “If I ever thought that there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired.”
As Mark Penn noted,
Good advice
John McCain, for obvious and pandering reasons, chose a totally unqualified, inexperienced person to join his ticket. The reasons are manifest: Governor Palin will energize and solidify the far Right wing of his party, social conservatives who have had doubts about Senator bona fides. She professes to be, and is, on the far right fringe of the Right;, anti-abortion to the extent of believing it should be illegal even in the cases of rape, incest or where the health of the mother is threatened. She favors unrestricted oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, doubts any human impact or causation to global warming, would limit sex-education in schools to that preaching abstinence, decries any gun control measures, would deny homosexuals the right to enter into legal relationships short of marriage that would allow medical access, inheritance rights and adoption. She has, even, advocated Alaskan secession from the United States – take THAT, party of Abraham Lincoln!
Each and every one of these core principles is inconsistent with the previously expressed views of Senator McCain and, for that matter, the vast majority of the American people.
Each and every one of these principles would be and should be the basis for opposition to the candidacy of Governor Palin.
It would be fair to ridicule the support of Mrs. McCain to the effect that the Governor has foreign policy experience and judgment because of Alaskan proximity to the former Soviet Union. It is certainly fair to challenge the Governor’s experience – just as the Republicans held Democrats to a similar standard.
But there are some aspects of the Alaska Governor’s family and background that should be off limits, both because, except in rare instances where the candidate has placed her family and background in play. This is true even if the Governor has uttered irrelevant and gratuitous insults about Senator Obama and sarcastic and pointless comments in her speech at the GOP convention.
Senator McCain’s cruelty at a 1998 GOP fundraiser: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.", notwithstanding, Democrats should not return in kind. Rush, a Right wing favorite, also picked on Chelsea: “Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" He put up a picture of 13 year old Chelsea Clinton.
In fact, the McCain-Palin team has placed their personal behavior and their respective families’ values in issue. (In her acceptance speech at the GOP Governor Palin made a point of stating that her sons will be deployed to Iraq to demonstrate her family’s patriotism; Senator McCain has made his experience as a prisoner of war as evidence of presidential worthiness.) But as I pointed out in a previous post, any attempt to criticize either candidate’s family is ill advised and counterproductive.
Democrats cannot control the excesses of supporters and their blogs; Democrats cannot control the excesses of radio and television talk show hosts or participants. Democrats can, however, that office holders make darn certain that they avoid sarcastic, insulting or disparaging remarks about the children of either Senator McCain or Governor Palin.
Mark Penn, Chief political advisor to both President Clinton and Senator Clinton, writing in the New York Times:
Having been through the partisan wars over impeachment in 1998 as an adviser to Bill Clinton, I have a pretty good idea about how politics and personal lives can get tangled up. And the personal lives of potential presidents, especially when running for the first term, are important factors along with their experience, ideas, vision and values. But the personal lives of their underage children? That is a bridge too far.
When people raised personal questions in 2000 about Hillary Clinton, many of her advisers urged her to bring out Chelsea to show what a great child she had raised. Before this year when Chelsea made the decision as an adult to go out on the campaign trail, Mrs. Clinton steadfastly refused to put her daughter in the limelight. She was perhaps one of the few who understood that when you thrust your children front and center one day, reporters will start interviewing their kindergarten teachers the next. That’s just not fair for the children (who never choose a political life) or their teachers. Unfortunately, not enough people appreciate the fact that when a reporter asks questions about an underage child, there is only one answer: it’s a private matter between her and her parents.
There are many legitimate questions surrounding Sarah Palin and her experience and qualifications — and it’s only natural that the press would be tracking down her story. But making Ms. Palin’s daughter the most famous child in the history of a vice presidential nominee is just plain wrong.
When people raised personal questions in 2000 about Hillary Clinton, many of her advisers urged her to bring out Chelsea to show what a great child she had raised. Before this year when Chelsea made the decision as an adult to go out on the campaign trail, Mrs. Clinton steadfastly refused to put her daughter in the limelight. She was perhaps one of the few who understood that when you thrust your children front and center one day, reporters will start interviewing their kindergarten teachers the next. That’s just not fair for the children (who never choose a political life) or their teachers. Unfortunately, not enough people appreciate the fact that when a reporter asks questions about an underage child, there is only one answer: it’s a private matter between her and her parents.
There are many legitimate questions surrounding Sarah Palin and her experience and qualifications — and it’s only natural that the press would be tracking down her story. But making Ms. Palin’s daughter the most famous child in the history of a vice presidential nominee is just plain wrong.
Senator Obama has been clear and unambiguous. "I think people's families are off limits and people's children are especially off limits". He has emphasized that his campaign was not in any way responsible for the spreading of any of the internet rumors surrounding Governor Palin and her daughter. He continued, “If I ever thought that there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired.”
As Mark Penn noted,
There are some big issues in this election, from war and peace to the deficit and finding enough energy for our economy. Maybe it’s time to talk less about the personal lives of the children of the candidates and more about the future of our children.
Good advice
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Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by Lester Caudill
Round Politics
Being a community organizer does not make you qualified to be president. So when you can't measure up, the dems get down and dirty, and goes after the family members, and Barack's campaign may not be doing it, but they sure are reaping the benefits of it, and they are secretly rejoicing over it.
When you have liberal friends like NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and Moronic liberal bloggers you don't have to do the dirty work they will do it for you, so your hands can stay clean. I am glad to see you now recognize that Fox News is truly fair and balanced.
Comment by jimstillman
From my point of view, the reason why Democrats should not attack Governor Palin is that such an approach would be counter-productive and gain her sympathy.
As far as Fox being "fair and balanced", our opinions are not the same. But that's OK.
Again, I am happy for your opinions, as usual.
Comment by Jim Stillman
From my point of view, the reason why Democrats should not attack Governor Palin is that such an approach would be counter-productive and gain her sympathy.
As far as Fox being "fair and balanced", our opinions are not the same. But that's OK.
Again, I am happy for your opinions, as usual.
Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz