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Liberals: Anyone else tired of the Palin pile-on?
I addressed this post to our liberal posters 'cause I'm pretty sure I know how the conservatives feel on this one 
But last night, as H and I were watching tv (yes, it was MSNBC. Yes, it was Countdown), I commented to H that I really think the Palin-bashing is getting a little out of control. I mean, yes, I understand she's had a bad week of press with the Couric interviews. Yes, she's said some things that are difficult to comprehend or understand. But, I don't know, it just seemed so over the top. I just found it unsavory that on a night when real news was happening with the passage of the bailout bill in the Senate, Olbermann devoted more than 3/4 of his show to bashing Palin, and playing many of the same clips over and over. Granted, I know he often tapes his show early but I also know when there's been breaking news, he stays at NBC and goes live and deals with the news at hand.
H disagreed with me. He loves laughing at Palin. I just kind of feel like at this point, Olbermann and MSNBC are preaching to the choir as most of their viewers are liberal anyway. And it didn't help my mood any to get in the car this morning and listen to Stephanie Miller again bash her.
I was encouraged that Steph had Donna Shalala on as a guest and despite Steph's best efforts, Shalala didn't and wouldn't mock Palin. Instead, she spoke about the policy differences between Mac's health plan and Obama's health plan.
Don't we--as liberals and Democrats--run a big risk with the continual Palin bashing? Obviously, it's just endearing her MORE to her base. But could it turn off undecideds too?
Will it stop after the debate this week? Has it just been ramped up this week leading up to tonight?
Or have I just finally hit my election-fatigue threshold? All I know is I'm not a Palin fan, but jeez, even I'm starting to feel bad for her.
Re: Liberals: Anyone else tired of the Palin pile-on?
Just think of how badly burned we've been by "taking the high road," in the past. If anyone has ever needed scrutiny, it's Palin. She's a new height (low?) for it.
I'm tired of Palin bashing without substance and frankly, I'm tired of Palin-as-mom bashing. (fwiw, I'm also tired of the "she's a mom, so she understands us" gushing).
I honestly can't get enough of listening to her speak and watching her interviews. It's like a sick obsession or watching a train wreck. I don't feel bad for her in that respect. Her answers have been so abysmally awful they aren't getting enough criticism, IMO.
Undecided voters have started to take a turn towards Obama, so I don't think it's turning them off too much.
Well, Olberman is Olberman. Palin is to him like Reverend Wright is to Bill O'Reilly.
The problem is that Couric has broken her interview into tiny little bits and has been slowly rolling it out. There is new info every single day. That's what is keeping the focus on her incompetence. Gibson broke his interview up into a bunch of little chunks too. If these things all rolled out at once, reporters would talk about it once and move on. But, every day there's a new problem with her, so they just keep hammering it home.
I think some of the discussion is relevant. She tells us a lot about McCain's judgment. If the clips focused on that - why did McCain pick her? Did he know she knows absolutely nothing about the Supreme Court? Did he know she supported the Bridge to Nowhere? I wish the media would focus more on McCain's judgment in picking her, and not Palin herself.
No I'm not tired of the criticism. This woman may very well lead this country. We deserve to vet her.She has made comments that deserve/demand follow up.
And no I do not feel sorry for her and I'm getting tired of reading all the editorials that wax apologies for her. I think it's a sexist attitude. Did anyone feel sorry for Quayle? She's not a hurt puppy looking for a forever home. She is grown woman who is capable of making her own choices w/out us feeling sorry for her.
First of all, Olbermann is insane.
Second, I think it's the swing of the pendulum. For a hot second, people LOVED Palin. Loved her. She was the Second Coming. So I think you are seeing a reaction to that and the venting of some pent-up anger from liberals who don't understand why Obama isn't running away with this election.
Third, bunny is correct. Nice doesn't win elections, as the Dems finally seem to be figuring out.
lol, ITA.
Discussing her qualifications, past deeds, etc. doesn't bother me. This is good stuff. I'm sick of the hockey mom, lipstick, MILF stuff. That crap has nothing to do with anything.
Okay, so perhaps this cheese stands alone
And I totally get that nice doesn't win but...I'd rather see people going after John McCain than hearing yet again about Palin.
I think there was plenty to discuss of his with that Des Moines Register interview/video yesterday. Instead, I had to watch Palin's Supreme Court answer about six times.
Good thing was I eventually changed the channel and my BP went down...so...yay?
And I was really proud of how Shalala handled the invitation to mock this morning...she's the president of my alma mater. Made me so so damn proud that she wasn't going to engage in that.
I'm tired of it not so much for feeling sorry for Palin, but because it's part of the election drama that reaches a crescendo around this time of year, and is completely a distraction from the issues.
I do think it's reached overkill levels and could result in a backlash.
Ditto this. She was the person who called HRC a whiner, after all.
And in regards to the feeling sorry part--I don't feel sorry for her in the sense that she can't answer tough questions.
But just some of the things I've heard are downright mean-spirited. Not valid criticism. If there's valid criticism--and I believe there is--fine by me. But calling her "Caribou Barbie"? Making up parody songs that insinuate she got her job by being under a desk? Flat out calling her stupid?
In that same vein, do you feel sorry for Bush? He certainly has faced his share of low blows...including but not limited to a major motion picture in his honor.
Is it cool that Palin is called "caribou barbie", meh, probably not. But seriously, if you are going to lead this country out of two wars and an economic crisis, you have to be a little tougher than to let such words rile you. Anyone in the public spotlight faces unfair personal attacks. It's the nature of the business. Palin et al, are perfectly capable of dealing with this, without us having to feel sorry for them.
I'm ditto-ing this.
Palin is one of 4 people who could possibly be president in the next 4 years.
Agree or disagree with their positions, Obama, Biden, and McCain have all proven themselves, and they all have track records to look at to see what kind of president they would be... and - most importantly - we have a sense of what they believe and would institute as president.
She has never proven herself on the national stage.That's why the stuff that's coming out of the Couric interviews is so important (and I'm with the PP's who comment that the interest remains in the interviews because they're being released in dribs and drabs)... I actually care whether one of the "final four" knows the first thing about foreign policy, or about the Supreme Court...
We're only learning now what she believes - - - and to a lot of people her beliefs are way WAY outside the mainstream... the "young earth" stuff, the no-abortion-even-in-cases-of-rape-and-incest stuff....
This is a person who could end up with her finger on the big button, for Pete's sake... I care a lot about what she believes and what direction she wants to take the country.
McCain made the decison to pick somebody who's an unknown. That's fine. But with that comes this level of scrutiny.
I am the 99%.
I haven't seen one of these since the first week.
Are you really seeing them still?
I am the 99%.
I think there's been quite a bit of over-the-top stuff with Bush too. In general, I'm not a fan of personal attacks on anyone in office. I understand it's part of the process and yes, I've even participated in it in the past myself. I'm not proud of that.
I just think there's a difference between criticizing and analyzing and vetting someone and the downright glee some people are taking right now. And again--I think criticism has its place. Even some mockery has its place. I just think it's gotten excessive, that's all. (And yes, it got excessive with HRC and there has been plenty of excessiveness with personal comments made about Obama too...)
I don't mind bashing her if its relevant. I think those things needs to be pointed out and focused on. Especially went it comes to explaining and conversing and giving view points. I just think about how they would do in a foreign relationships forum where there are translators or people who only roughly know english. HowTF are they supposed to get her if we don't?
Obviously bashing her family or her hair or her personal life/choices is silly. I guess I don't see much of that in the past few days. I see a big silly embarassing rookie.
She is probably talking about me. See the "Jesus H Iffil" post on the 2nd page.
I take issue with the sentiment of "feeling sorry" for Palin. Do you honestly feel sorry for Bush in the same way you feel sorry for Palin?
Gotcha!
"As of page 2 this might be the most boring argument ever. It's making me long for Rape Day." - Mouse
I take issue with the sentiment of "feeling sorry" for Palin. Do you honestly feel sorry for Bush in the same way you feel sorry for Palin?
Okay, I typed another response that for whatever reason isn't showing up so, I'll try it again. And shorter.
Maybe for me the bottom line or the turning point was that stupid parody song I heard last week. Implying she got the job by being under someone's desk (take that for what you will)? It mocked her children and Bristol's pregnancy too. It was disgusting and awful and I guess it was my turning point. I'll be the first one to say early on I was laughing too...but my threshold's been reached.
If that makes me sexist, so be it.
I am all for vetting someone but some things I don't believe are relevant, and those are the things that I am tired of hearing about. Unfortunately I think they only serve as a distraction from the real issues. My fatigue about some of the Palin stuff is the same fatigue I felt about Rev. Wright. People have made up their minds and so the media cycle is just trying to provide more fuel to support why we don't like a candidate. If Rev. Wright turned you off from Obama, there was nothing that could be said by Obama to change your mind. The same goes for Palin. If you think she is ill-prepared then nothing anyone can say or performance by her can really change that.
What I notice on the other E08 is that many don't want to partake in the detailed discussions on issues. I think it is kind of a reflection of the overall population. The detailed stuff is too complicated or people don't have an attention span to really learn about the issues. Instead it is easier to focus on things that people can particpate in and be familiar with. Post a healthcare thread and it goes untouched, post a thread about whether someone is a racist or a good mother and you will get 100 responses.
I am sick of the bashing by the way of 'She is sooo stupid!", but I am not sick of the criticism of her interviews ect.