As Nasty As She Wants To Be

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015460.php

AS NASTY AS SHE WANTS TO BE.... Sarah Palin sees her free-speech rights under fire from journalists who've highlighted her personal attacks against Barack Obama.

Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.

"If {the media} convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Let's unpack this a bit.

If I understand her correctly -- and with Palin, it's sometimes tough to understand her general incoherence -- the governor believes she should make scurrilous, dishonest, and personal attacks against Democrats. She's afraid, however, that reporters might tell voters she's making scurrilous, dishonest, and personal attacks, and worse, that voters might recoil from her vicious style of campaigning.

And if that happens, politicians in the future might hesitate before launching scurrilous, dishonest, and personal attacks of their own. What a brutal "chilling effect" that would be.

So, as Palin sees it, the appropriate solution would be for her to accuse Obama of "palling around with terrorists," and for the media to simply pass that along without scrutiny. It's her job to wage vicious smear campaigns, and it's the media's job not to tell anyone she's waging vicious smear campaigns.

And if reporters disagree, and point out reality to voters, it undermines her First Amendment rights.

I realize far-right activists think Palin is a great leader and the future of the Republican Party. I just can't figure out why.

[votetastic]

1. She doesn't respect the 1st Amendment rights of people who criticize her

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I very seriously despise this woman

[babylonsister]

3. You and me both. What's most annoying are the people who

have been snowed by her.

[Left Is Write]

4. She's obviously an idiot who can't even interpret the most basic of our Constitutional rights.

Hey, Sarah! Freedom of speech DOES NOT MEAN "freedom from criticism." Got it? Good. 'Cause you know that First Amendment? It also guarantees a free press. That means they can criticize you and whoever damn else they want to.

[BlooInBloo]

6. It's also astonishing the number of Americans who don't know what the first 5 words of it mean.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Not so much nasty as it is Just. Fucking Stupid....

Like Palin herself, naturally.

[Lucy Goosey]

7. She doesn't UNDERSTAND the First Amendment.

I'm not American, and I knew that the First Amendment had freedom of the press right there next to freedom of speech.

And she has a fucking degree in fucking journalism!!

She is dumber than a bag of hair, and scary as hell because of it.

Everbody vote! Please!

[madaboutharry]

8. I think she is among the 25% or so of the population

that has fascistic tendencies.

[Lucy Goosey]

13. I agree.

Seriously.

[CitizenPatriot]

9. you dare to question the Queen?

she doesn't deign to give interviews or answer questions

and now she wants to tell the press what they can and can not say

interesting line of attack for someone running for VP of a democracy.

think anyone will clue her in before 2012?

and, more importantly, can she still wear her crown in jail, or would it be considered dangerous material for a would-be terrorist?

[sniffa]

10. Barack Hussein Obama and Osama Bin Laden walk into a bar

Obama throws his arm aroung "Bing" as he affectionately calls him and yells out to the crowd, "Hey, everybody! This is my pal!"

[BlooInBloo]

11. wtf?

[babylonsister]

12. Huh? Not getting it. nt

[sniffa]

15. He's palling around with terrorists.

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

16. ...

:rofl: :spank::spank::spank:

[JohnMcCant2008]

14. The 'Palin-logic' just makes my brain spin in circles. oww.. now it. hurts... please make her stop