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The Liberal Spin on Palin

By Robert Stacy McCain on 11.3.08 @ 11:13PM

Josh Marshall is the latest liberal pundit (joining Peter Beinart, among others) to write Sarah Palin's political obituary. Notice that both Marshall and Beinart are reacting to a media-filtered perception of who Palin is and what she stands for, based on the attack messages she's been delivering on behalf of a McCain campaign that's been trailing in every poll since the third week in September.

To my knowledge, neither Marshall nor Beinart has ever seen Palin in person or talked with the ordinary people in the crowds who turn out to see her. Certainly, they've never talked to Palin herself. So she is being evaluated on second- and third-hand impressions based on a campaign that isn't her own.

Let me share this one anecdote: At Shippensburg, Pa., the "overflow" crowd -- those who hadn't made it through the doors in time to get into the main rally -- waited in the performing arts center. Palin and her husband Todd came out on stage and the governor had changed into a T-shirt with the Shippensburg University joke slogan, "Ship Happens." I jotted that down on my notepad.

When she'd finished giving her short speech, the crowd rushed the stage for handshakes and autographs and I pushed forward to get some photos. Palin worked her way toward where I was standing. I figured, "What the heck? Why not?" and handed up my notepad for her to sign. She looked at the pad, saw where I'd written the T-shirt slogan, then looked at me and with a laugh pointed to her shirt, saying, "Ship! Ship!" -- just to make sure I had it right.

Think about that. Amid a madhouse of fans and autograph-seekers, after a day of campaigning, she deciphered my scrawled note, recognized the potential misunderstanding, and cheerfully played it off. A minor incident, but displaying a keen perception that some others who've met her have likewise noticed.

Relieved of the pressure of this campaign, and allowed to craft her own message, I suspect Sarah Palin will reappear as a personality much different than the one Marshall, Beinart and other hostile pundits now criticize. And once the media is no longer acting as Obama's Praetorian Guard, Palin won't be subjected to this relentless slagging.

View all comments (15) | Leave a comment

Tom Paine| 11.4.08 @ 12:34AM

But she'll still be the same woman who couldn't tell the difference between a clown from Canada and the president of France.

She'll still be the same woman who could not so much as describe a single Supreme Court case other than RvW.

She'll still be the same woman who referred to the vice president's job as being "in charge of the Senate."

Palin lost you this election, fellas.

If McCain had chosen a moderate Republican woman, he would have won half of Clinton's voters and you guys would be getting the champaign one ice now rather than contemplating how you'll pass the next four years in the wildnerness.

Spicy Joker| 11.4.08 @ 12:47AM

"Tom,"

Sarah Palin hasn't made half the ridiculous misstatements that Joe Biden has. Of course, I'm sure you have a good explanation why Biden thought "Roosevelt" got on "television" during the Depression to calm the nation.

The Fool| 11.4.08 @ 2:24AM

"Spicy Joker,"

Joe Biden was fortunate enough to be a little-known Senator for fifteen years, acclimating the press to his nature. The media, in addition to its other biases, prefers that which it knows. While it did pile on top of him in 1988, they still liked him a lot (and, honestly, you have to admit that he really is likable even if you think he's an idiot that shouldn't be near Washington much less the Vice President) and looked for a chance to redeem him, which they got with the Violence Against Women Act.

Sarah Palin, by contrast, wasn't known to the national political press the same way Biden was, so they felt much freer to rip into her first missteps on the national stage as a stranger than they did with Biden as a long-abiding friendly presence.

It's hardly fair, but that's Washington

Deborah| 11.4.08 @ 4:51AM

Yeah, Tom -- but at least she knows there are 50 states in the Union, not the 57 Senator Obama claims. (You'd think he'd know that since he lived in the 50th). Palin was thrust into the liberal, in-the-Obama-tank press pack, and now that she's knows their game, she's doing just fine. The folks love Palin whether the media and Obama-supporting Democrats want them to or not.

Lisa| 11.4.08 @ 6:43AM

Not to mention Biden's 14 + factual errors in the vice-presidential debates, telling a paralyzed man to "get up," saying Hillary would be a better vice-president, etc. The list goes on, but the Obamania media let them all go.....how pathetic. Go McCain-Palin!

ampontan| 11.4.08 @ 7:04AM

For people interested in a more intriguing analysis than telephone calls by clowns and the clowns who take that seriously:

http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/toast/

This guy is convinced McC/P win, based on a Pennsylvania win. Says he has worked in campaigns. It's long, but worth taking the time for. He does not seem to be a jive artist.

Two interesting points he makes: the "broken glass conservatives" (who will crawl over broken glass to vote) are back this year (thanks both to Palin and Obama), and *counties* are more important than *states*. M/P have been spending more time in previously blue counties in PA, according to him.

Captain America| 11.4.08 @ 7:53AM

Liberals always react the same to conservatives they consider to be a force: (1) they lampoon them, and (2) they will begrudgingly speak favorably of them about "on the margins" attributes that doesn't directly threaten them.

Think about it. This is how the Left portrayed President Reagan and how they choose to portray Gov. Palin.

james23| 11.4.08 @ 9:24AM

"once the media is no longer acting as Obama's Praetorian Guard,"
What makes the author think "the media" will not play exactly the same role going forward? "The media" are propagandists for the left; that is not changing.

Hey Tom Paine, your guy biden broke records this year for asine statements. Who said, before 70 million viewers, that the US and France had teamed up to drive Hezbollah out of Lebanon? It wasn't the Governor from AK. So dumb as to never be taken seriously, that's yiour Joe.

Charlie F| 11.4.08 @ 9:42AM

The VP's job IS to be President of the Senate, as outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, Tom. But of course Sen. Biden wouldn't know that, seeing as he cited Article II in trying to 'correct' Gov. Palin.

Kingfish| 11.4.08 @ 10:11AM

I wasn't aware knowledge of stare decisis was a requirement to be president.

Supply and Demand| 11.4.08 @ 10:21AM

"... once the media is no longer acting as Obama's Praetorian Guard ..."

This is the same media that, 16 years ago, constantly called the president-elect "Bill Clinton of Arkansas," so obviously meaning "Jesus Christ of Nazareth."

And that, 8 years ago, hook-line-and-sinker bought the demonstrably fraudulent Texas Air National Guard letter, while not batting an eye at the despicable NAACP James Byrd ad.

And that, 8 years ago, barely noticed Al Gore's attempts to suppress the overseas active military vote -- which had a higher minority representation than Palm Beach County.

And that, 4 years ago, never once asked why a Yale-educated son of Boston privilege attended BC law school instead of Harvard. Of course Kerry is smarter than Bush! (Until we finally saw his Yale grades.)

Need I go on? Palin -- and any other Republican, for that matter -- will get fair press coverage about the same time that Obama pays that lady's gas and mortgage.

tjrpoudamerican| 11.4.08 @ 11:02AM

The worst thing about partisan political blogs is that everyone "frames" an issue.

McCain did Sarah Palin a favor and a disservice. The favor was to pluck her from obscurity, a bet that if he wins, will pay off greatly for both.

The disservice was to bring her up before she was ready and then give her the attack dog role. I think people would have reacted much better to Governor Palin if she did press interviews right away, and said that she had specific principals, but that on a case-by-case basis, she was still learning.

I also think she must have some Obama-type appeal to non-GOP True Believers. She got to show none of that appeal.

It was as if the scouts said Sarah Palin was a Major League ready Reliever who could pitch at least three innings and was really good at striking out the side in the 9th, and McCain's campaign brought her in to throw at the opposing batters.

We do not know who Sarah Palin is yet. The woman on the Campaign Trail did not even try to give the non-believers any reason to vote FOR McCain.

That is McCain's problem. He thought everyone loved him so much all he had to do was convince the voters his opponent was bad. The more McCain made no case for himself, the better Obama looked and looks.

Newt Gingrich won with a Contract FOR America. Reagan won with "Our best days are ahead of us" optimism. McCain tried to win with "My opponent is bad." Obama might be, but you still have to say why someone should vote FOR you.

Palin has a great chance to reach out and say the GOP=a more hopeful future. At least once she no longer has to give all her pre-written Jeremiads to The Choir.

ruth| 11.4.08 @ 12:05PM

Governor Palin is a force to be reckoned with; regardless of the results of this election.

Oliver| 11.4.08 @ 12:09PM

So the point of the anecdote in this blog, as far as I can tell, is that she read a word on a pad of paper, figured out what that word referred to, and then said that word out loud?

"Ship! Ship!"

Gosh but that's impressive! If only I hadn't already voted for Obama...