If you read anything I have written about Sarah Palin, you might have noticed that I dislike her profoundly.* I think it's a disgrace that somebody so unapologetically stupid could have become a governor and a vice-presidential candidate.** However, after taking the time to familiarize myself with the blogs and articles of conspiracy theorists dedicated to "revealing the true parentage" of Palin's youngest child, I have come to feel a deep compassion for this poor woman.
Until today, I had no idea that there were so many of these completely loony people who are scarily sexist. They engage in endless scrutiny of some obscure photos of undetermined origins, studying baby Trig's ears (I kid you not) and trying to figure out how many Trigs are in existence. Since multiple Trigs need to exist to support the insane versions of events proposed by the conspiracy theorists, they keep coming up with ever new versions of Trig. One of the most ingenious versions came up with 3 different Trigs: one who's dead, one who's Bristol's baby born before the baby she acknowledged having, and the baby Palin's husband had by his mistress (whose existence, like the existence of Trigs #2 and 3, has never been proven).
The conspiracy theorists treat Palin and her daughter Bristol with so much venom that everything I have ever written about Palin sounds like a compliment. They don't, however, have a bad word to say about Palin's husband Todd. In their version, "the high-heeled spawn of Satan"*** (a direct quote from one of the conspiracy theorists' websites), which are Palin and Bristol, conspired to fake Palin's last pregnancy for unidentified reasons.
These conspiracy theorists explain their determination to "reveal the truth" about Palin by claiming that she is unfit as a politician and a danger to society. I wholeheartedly agree that she is both. But so was Bush. So are most of Republican politicians (have you read my posts on the Texan Republicans' platform?). According to many people, Clinton definitely was all those things as well. But have we heard any suggestions that these men's children were not theirs? Seeing as 1 in 10 men are unknowingly raising somebody else's child, it is a lot more likely that many of our male politicians would be more fruitful subjects for this kind of research.
As I mentioned before, anything that has to do with Palin's motherhood is irrelevant to her qualifications as a politician. Just like anything that has to do with Bush's or Obama's fatherhood. The argument that politicians often put their parenting on the agenda in a political discussion means simply that they are trying to distract us from what they are actually doing as politicians. We should not allow them to involve us in these games. This is politics, not a soap opera. I know that it's easier to bash Palin as a bad mother or a fake mother or admire her as a good mother than to analyze what her presence on the political scene means for the future of this country.
All these discussions about the origins of the baby are actually very useful to Palin. Those who promote these conspiracy narratives are doing her (and by extension the crazed Evangelicals who support her) a huge favor. By transforming her into a soap opera (or a reality TV) character, they make any discussion of her politics irrelevant. Who cares about boring stuff like political platforms, ideology, elections, etc. when this huge drama about a baby (or two, or three babies) is going on?
Let's stop discussing how Palin is doing as a wife and a mother and finally take a look at what the hell she is doing as a politician.
* See here, here, here, here, here, and in many other posts. Just enter "Palin" in the search box if you are curious.
** I consider it just as much of a disgrace that somebody as unapologetically stupid as George W. Bush could have become a governor and a two-term president. Palin and Bush are equally stupid, they are both an equally sad joke as politicians, and my dislike for them has nothing to do with their gender.
*** I'm not going to link to these people's blogs because I don't want to give them extra hits. You can find them easily enough yourself, if you really want to.
15 comments:
Personally, I keep hoping against reason that the conspiracy theories are true. I just find it more understandable that a mother would protect her daughter by faking a pregnancy than that a woman would be so foolish and uncaring that she would risk her baby's life by flying from Dallas to Alaska, rather than head to a hospital. I voted against McCain/Palin simply because I did not want such a foolhardy woman anywhere near the White House. If she is that unconcerned with her own child's life, how can I expect her to be concerned about the lives of our military or our poorest citizens.
Agreed. The more I read about Wasilla and the rumors about Bristol in 2007, her 5 month absence from school (mono?) and the actions of Gov. Palin when she finally said she was pregnant (in her 7th month and not showing) the more I think Bristol is the mother of both boys.
It also explains Palin's relentless slamming of the Obama administration, because if she can deflect anger from her fake pregnancy and place it on him, people stop talking about that and talk abut her insane accusations and 'manifestos' offered from cyberspace. I'll say it again: Palin is dumb, but she is sneaky.
So she fibbed about a heroic transcontinental flight while in labor, what's the big deal? Clinton fibbed about her heroic military exploits in Bosnia. This is what politicians do: they fib in order to make themselves look better. That's a very unattractive trait, but it's all that is.
I don't want Palin on the political scene any more than you do. But the number of her children is of no interest to me whatsoever.
I'm sorry to break these news to you but not "showing" in the 7th month is absolutely normal.
This works the other way around: these soap-operish stories of fake pregnancies and stuff like that are meant to distract us from what is going on politically. Let's stop talking about babies, people, and start talking about politics. The Tea Party is getting stronger by the second while we sit here analyzing somebody's completely irrelevant pregnancies.
These people will overtake the Congress in November, that's what matters, not who gave birth to whom, when and where. I don't care if Palin gave birth to Rand Paul or vice versa. I care that these people will destroy this country.
Just wanted to add that my sister was kept out of school for a year in third grade for no particular reason. Thank God my parents are not politicians because I can only imagine the sinister motivations people would ascribe to something so entirely innocent.
It obviously wasn't a fib because she had the baby shortly afterreturning to Alaska. Plus it doesn't excuse her recklessness in being in Texas in the first place. Flying in the last trimester is strongly discouraged for healthy young mothers carrying normal babies. So why would an older mother, especially one who has had 2 miscarriages and knows she is carrying a special needs child, take the risk of flying across the country just to give a speech. She obviously places her own ambitions above all. This is insight into her character, and I really don't want politians that are so ruthless they will risk their own children for power to actually gain any power. JMHO.
If we needed any proof that she is a sucky politician, it would make sense to discuss this story. But we know a lot more important things about her. Even if she were the mother of the century, what would that change? She would still be horrible news as a politician.
I see a lot of sexism in your post, and that's not good. Palin is horrible not because she is a woman, a bad/good mother, places her ambitions above her children. She has a right to do that. Male politicians do that all the time. She is horrible for the exact same reasons that George W. was horrible. They are both ignorant religious fanatics. Their parenting skills are of no interest to me whatsoever.
This is so disturbing. The "mass of information" irrefutably proves that the sociopath, Sarah Palin, did not have Trig.
It never fails to astonish me when mountains of data fail to convince people of the truth. Obviously, some just don't understand the importance of ferreting out sociopathic behavior and exposing it.
I commented elsewhere that if Hillary Clinton suddenly said she was seven months pregnant, everyone would KNOW that she had lost her mind. That's important news. I'm a fan of Hillary's, but I would KNOW that she wouldn't be fit for office if she tried to float that kind of absurdity/insanity/hoax. Therefore, it's not really about the baby. It's about Sarah Palin being a Sociopath with power. Now, where have we read about that before?!
And, as far as proof that she did give birth to Trig, we just can't ask someone to prove something they want to lie about. It's crazy talk. The shift from "innocent until proven guilty" is anathema to our democracy and our laws.
Those who make accusations have the duty to prove them. The accused, in this case Palin, doesn't have to do anything other than what she continues to do--obfuscate, spin more plates, wave shiny things before the mob and wink a lot.
Oh, and one more thing. Try hiding a 6lb bowling ball in your pants when you only weigh 120lbs. Ha. Absolutely not possible.
Palin doesn'r have any power, my friend, because she abandoned her public post. Her only power is to make you and other people so interested in her irrelevant personal life that you would forget to engage in political activism. Political action, not gossip about pregnancies or childbirth, is what can defeat her and other members of religious right.
We have important elections coming up in November. Let's not allow Palin and Co to distract us from that with this pregnancy drama that they stoke ON PURPOSE. The real reason why she is not releasing documents related to her last childbirth is because by creating this aura of mystery she has you exactly where she wants you: distracted and focused on trivial, unimportant stuff.
Just think about it.
Absolutely untrue. As a community activist who began to expose political hucksters in 1970 as a teenager in high school, I have continued my entire life to concentrate on political activism on many levels. My home has been vandalized, my family threatened and my life endangered for speaking out and being locally, politically active. My home and vehicle sustained 27, 9mm Luger gunshots for my activism. And, guess what, I still march while swat teams stand watching and military helicopters fly overhead taking photos.
You don't understand the Gestalt in the political process. You call it "gossip." As I have written before, if someone parades their personal business as currency for political power and influence it must be questioned along with the rest of their erroneous and harmful lies.
You see, you presume things, like presuming that sociopathic behavior in all its forms is irrelevant to "bigger issues." This is a trap.
School me on activism after you've pulled bullet lead from your son's bedroom wall.
With all due respect, what exactly have you and other Babygate conspiracy theorists achieved exactly? Palin's popularity is growing and so are her speaking fees. The problem is that in today's economy nobody cares whose baby it is or isn't. People care about losing their homes, paying bills, being unemployed, not being able to afford a doctor. And Palin's verbiage provides relief from this constant nagging worry for some people. With the current economic crisis, other people's babies is the last thing voters care about. If I see a politician who I believe will offer me a way out of this situation, believe me, I couldn't care less if that politician gave birth to ET.
We need to combat Palin by revealing how inane and unintelligent her political statements are, how she is incapable of serving out her term. We shouldn't make people feel compassion towards her as a victim of gossip mongering.
Clarissa,
Wrong answer.
The point is not whether or not her child is an alien. The nature of her child isn't a concern. It's that she, the adult, has made a preposterous personal claim. Her claim is equivalent to "I have given birth to a baby from another planet... and I have a way out of this situation."
That's the level of her credibility, and yet, people still follow her. Apparently, you think that's normal-- exactly what you would do.
You say "Palin has no power," and then you turn around and say "Palin's popularity is growing," [while inexplicably suggesting that 'gossip' about her baby is increasing her popularity.] The two are contradictions. This is a democracy: popularity is power.
You were wrong in the first assertion: she has power because she has influence which is giving her serious consideration for more influence. And she is, no matter how laughably, positioning herself for a Presidential run.
She is dangerous because she is willing to lie about anything, up to--and beyond--the magical birth of a baby, for the purpose of promoting Sara. And that's important, because there are still people who are ready to follow her down any Pied Piper's path. Her people are energized, and progressives are demoralized that she gets the time of day from anyone, much less CBS and Huffingtonpost.
... and I think thou dost protest too much.
Having popularity is not the same thing as having political power. Britney Spears is outrageously popular but does she have any political power? Obviously not.
However, the scary part is that Palin IS getting ready for a presidential run in my opinion. And unless we, the progressives, make it abundantly clear what that will bring us all in political and economic terms, she even has a chance at winning.
This "he/she lied!" strategy has already proven itself useless with George W. Remember all this liberal screeching of "Bush lied!" that didn't prevent him from being elected for the second term? The truth is that people don't care that politicians lie. They especially don't care if politicians lie about their personal lives (remember Bill Clinton?) Voters don't care about that. Once again: voters are losing jobs and homes all over the country and you seriously expect them to give a rat's ass about somebody's baby with weird ears? Seriously? Have you been unemployed recently?
And yes, I protest a lot because I'm terrified of Palin gaining political power, which she hasn't done yet but is very likely to do if we, the liberals, don't wake up.
Interesting post - I think you make really great points. There has been so much sexism in the way Sarah Palin has been treated in the press and the blogosphere. I agree - let's focus on her politics, not her outfits, or her baby, or anything else that isn't directly relevant to her ability to do her job.
Thank you for this post, Clarissa.
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