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Monday, July 06, 2009

Palin-Bashing and Hillary-Bashing: The Same Thing?

The explosion of Palin-bashing (and yes, it’s bashing, justified or not) across the political spectrum reminds me of a campaign that happened a lifetime ago. Back then, Hillary Clinton reprised her role as the political world’s favorite target. Attacking her was elevated to an art form; participants of all stripes joined in. It was the pinnacle of bipartisanship; right and left hammering away at her in an all-out assault that ultimately cost her the nomination.

I don’t want to rehash whether or not any of it was warranted - I’m more interested in another angle that’s been completely overlooked in the torrent of punditocracy about Palin’s resignation.

It’s that Sarah Palin, like Hillary Clinton, is a person, a human being, a mom, a wife, a daughter, once a little girl.

Vulnerable, like all of us.

Self-centered, like all of us.

Fragile, like all of us.

Opinionated, like all of us.

Defensive, like all of us.

Deceptive, like all of us.

Lost, like all of us.

And totally wrong on the issues as far as I’m concerned.

Unlike Clinton, Palin didn’t have time to develop the layers of thick skin required to handle the withering glare of the national celeb/politico spotlight, a glare that for some reason shines much more harshly on women like Palin and Clinton.

For three years I lived the gulf between Hillary Clinton’s image as an inhuman, Borg-like ambition-machine eager to destroy or assimilate everything in her path and the all-too-human, funny, considerate person her friends have the privilege of knowing. When a reporter implied that Hillary Clinton was ‘pimping’ her daughter, Hillary’s private reaction was as emotional as any mother’s would be - it was a stark illustration (and there were many) of the chasm between the public image and the private person.

With Palin, we should also keep the public/private distinction in mind.

Patrick Hynes, my co-blogger at CTN, is chronicling some of the more offensive remarks about Palin. All I ask of my fellow Democrats and progressives is that no matter how wrong-headed Palin’s policies, no matter how inconsistent her rationale for stepping down, and no matter how muddled her infamous press conference, we remember that she is the rare public figure who for some reason attracts infinite interest and attention, much of it negative.

Granted, you ask for scrutiny when you enter public service, but not this much, not so quickly. She may not have Hillary Clinton’s character or experience to cope with the spotlight, but even if she did, it behooves us to avoid outright viciousness and mockery on a level that few of us could handle.

Topics: palin, clinton, hillary

Posted by Peter Daou on 07/06 at 03:10 PM

Permalink

Comments

Peter,

Would you be sympathetic to Palin if she spent two months on national tee vee calling Hillary a domestic terrorist (FALN and internship at Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein) and a socialist(Alinsky)?

I hope not.

Lord knows, Palin wouldn’t be sympathetic. By now you’ve seen the video of Palin calling Clinton a whiner.

Posted by Truth to Power on 07/07 at 02:57 AM

“she is the rare public figure who for some reason attracts infinite interest and attention, much of it negative”

For some reason? If you don’t understand why, you’re as intellectually incompetent as she and GWB are.

Posted by ianam on 07/07 at 07:09 PM

Palin came dangerously close to being the vice president of the USA. I still shudder when I remember how terrified I was that such an arrogant, foolish, vindictive, stupid, delusion, dangerous, religious-fanatic, lying politician almost became second in command.
Give her a break? Of course not! She brought all of this down upon herself by reaching for the penultimate office. If she had been fit to hold that high office, or even the governorship of Alaska, we would be having a very different conversation.

Posted by Blizno on 07/07 at 09:01 PM

Couple of great comments, perfectly illustrating Peter’s point.

In the real world, Palin did not “spend two months on national teevee” calling anyone a “domestic terrorist.” She did a number of times call William Ayers a domestic terrorist. Which is an interesting reason to flame out about Palin because Bill Ayers actually was a domestic terrorist, and plenty of nice liberal bloggers and commenters also wondered why Obama would associate with someone with a past like that. Including me. I lived through the ‘60s as a lefty anti-war activist and I well remember the Weathermen. They were domestic terrorists. There’s no other way to describe them.

As for calling Obama or any other Dem. a “socialist”—yawwwwnnnn. Republicans have been calling Democrats “socialists” since the beginning of time.

Thank you, Peter. Why so many find it emotionally so necessary to turn this rather mediocre politician with perfectly mainstream dingbat Republican positions into the anti-Christ is a bit of a mystery, but I suspect it has something to do with those high heels and short skirts and killer smile. Would the reaction have been the same if she looked like, say, Kay Bailey Hutchison? Somehow I don’t think so.

Posted by gyrfalcon on 07/08 at 10:02 AM

The hazing of public figures and their families doesn’t make you right, or wrong. It makes you petty. It’s the same as those who fault Obama, not the policies.
Obama may be a nice guy, he’s a good dad, and he’s personable. I just disagree with his policies. Doesn’t make me a villain, doesn’t make him one either.
People have become pundits, unwilling to debate calmly and HONESTLY. Until our behavior changes we’re gonna be chasing some decent folk, who would make fine public servants, out of the game for the current lot we choose.
So before you make a snarky snide comment, ask yourself, “How does this benefit anyone, anywhere, in anyway?“

Posted by niteboss96 on 07/08 at 11:17 AM

gyrfalcon -

You PUMA’s are a sick group.

And you in particular are doubly sick, as you objectify Palin. Heels? Heels? Ya got foot fetish, too? Triple sick.

Posted by Jeralyn E. Merritt on 07/31 at 02:59 PM

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