Caroline vs Sarah

For people who think there's no cultural divide in this country, consider the treatment of two women much in the news in 2008.

The first is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. A woman from very humble roots and with a very blue-collar life story, she worked with her steelworker and professional-fisherman husband to provide a life for their large family. She got involved in the PTA. She became mayor of her small town, then rose, by dint of her dedication and almost naive fearlessness, to the job of governor. In a mainstream, almost romantic sense, it's almost like she was designed by God for a Hallmark movie of the week.

But, when John McCain picked her to be his running mate, the full fury of the liberal establishment — and sizable swaths of the conservative establishment, some of whom dubbed her a "cancer" on the GOP — came down on her with a vengeance usually reserved for Klansmen and pedophiles. Don't get me wrong: There were valid criticisms to make. But that is quite a different thing than saying all of the criticism was valid or that the intensity and volume of the criticism was warranted.

Then there's Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, brother of John Jr., niece of Sens. Ted and Robert Kennedy, granddaughter of Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, and the cousin of myriad other Kennedys and Shrivers who've burrowed deep into the timber of the house of liberalism. A multimillionaire from birth, Kennedy has spent most of her life on the charity-benefit and cotillion circuit. A product of the Brearley School in New York and the Concord Academy in Massachusetts before she attended Harvard and Columbia, Kennedy has made the importance of public education her signature cause.

Sweet Caroline (she was the inspiration for the Neil Diamond song) recently made it known that she would like to be appointed to Hillary Clinton's vacant Senate seat.

One could say without fear of overstating things that the liberal reaction to the inexperienced Caroline has been somewhat more gracious than the reaction to the "inexperienced" Palin. Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post has devoted two columns in as many weeks to this "fairy tale" scenario in which Kennedy, our "tragic national princess," is finally rewarded — for her years of quiet dignity, selflessly avoiding scandal and the paparazzi — with the Senate seat that once belonged to her uncle Bobby. What's astounding about the normally sensible Marcus' case for "the Cinderella Kennedy" (New York magazine's phrase) is that she doesn't really make one, at least not on the merits. Marcus doesn't even bother. It's all schoolgirl gushing.

The editors of The New York Times, in a more skeptical editorial, summarized her qualifications thusly: "Ms. Kennedy has much going for her. As a public figure, she carries the glamour and poignancy of her family ... " The editors then went on to describe what great liberals her dad and uncles were. That's it.

Here's a news flash: Not everyone truckles with doe-eyed awe at "America's royal family." Some of us don't even like the idea of American royal families. JFK and RFK had their good points, but they don't deserve the beatification they receive on a daily basis. As a man, Teddy Kennedy is hardly a role model, and as a public servant he's not much better. I, for one, don't think denying poor black kids private-school scholarships (aka vouchers) is heroic. Nor do I think his support for alternative energy, except when it might obstruct his Hyannis Port estate's views with windmills, is admirable.

Simply, the Kennedy clan is no priestly caste, serving as the conscience of the nation, and its progeny do not deserve eternal deference.

Randall wrote:In retrospect, I don't think Palin was the best choice for VP. However, I continue to be astounded and disgusted by the unabashed hatred she draws from the Left.

Randall wrote:In retrospect, I don't think Palin was the best choice for VP. However, I continue to be astounded and disgusted by the unabashed hatred she draws from the Left.

Alec Baldwin, "mistaking" Sarah Palin for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live during a conversation with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels: "Lorne, I need to talk to you. You can't let Tina go out there with that woman. She goes against everything we stand for. I mean, good Lord, Lorne, they call her... what's that name they call her? Cari... Cari... What do they call her again, Tina?"
Sarah Palin: "That'd be Caribou Barbie."
Baldwin: "Caribou Barbie. Thank you, Tina. I mean, this is the most important election in our nation's history. And you want her -- our Tina -- to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Stephanie wrote:This is ridicule?

Alec Baldwin, "mistaking" Sarah Palin for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live during a conversation with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels: "Lorne, I need to talk to you. You can't let Tina go out there with that woman. She goes against everything we stand for. I mean, good Lord, Lorne, they call her... what's that name they call her? Cari... Cari... What do they call her again, Tina?"
Sarah Palin: "That'd be Caribou Barbie."
Baldwin: "Caribou Barbie. Thank you, Tina. I mean, this is the most important election in our nation's history. And you want her -- our Tina -- to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman. What do you have to say for yourself?"

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/saturdaynightlive/v/palin-snl-video.htm

bmd wrote:I think you are mistaking ridicule for hatred.

ziggy wrote:

bmd wrote:I think you are mistaking ridicule for hatred.

That is the politically correct Republican misnomer for 2008. And we can look for it to re-run in 2009. After all, doesn't "hatred" sound much more sinister than "political ridicule"?

Keli wrote:

ziggy wrote:

bmd wrote:I think you are mistaking ridicule for hatred.

That is the politically correct Republican misnomer for 2008. And we can look for it to re-run in 2009. After all, doesn't "hatred" sound much more sinister than "political ridicule"?

When liberals ridiculed moron monkey-boy Boosh was it done in a spirit of love and kindness?

sodbuster wrote:http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/30/rnc-pushes-unprecedented-criticism-of-bailouts/

I meant to post this link but I guess it didn't "take"...

Aaron wrote:If Bush lied to Congress, why wasn't he impeached BMD?

bmd wrote:

Stephanie wrote:This is ridicule?

Alec Baldwin, "mistaking" Sarah Palin for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live during a conversation with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels: "Lorne, I need to talk to you. You can't let Tina go out there with that woman. She goes against everything we stand for. I mean, good Lord, Lorne, they call her... what's that name they call her? Cari... Cari... What do they call her again, Tina?"
Sarah Palin: "That'd be Caribou Barbie."
Baldwin: "Caribou Barbie. Thank you, Tina. I mean, this is the most important election in our nation's history. And you want her -- our Tina -- to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman. What do you have to say for yourself?"

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/saturdaynightlive/v/palin-snl-video.htm

This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but the skits on SNL aren't real. It's a comedy show. Even the news segment is pretty much just made up. That whole Palin-Baldwin-Fey skit was, well...just that, A SKIT.

You can tell the difference between real life and satire, can't you?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Stephanie wrote:

bmd wrote:

Stephanie wrote:This is ridicule?

Alec Baldwin, "mistaking" Sarah Palin for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live during a conversation with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels: "Lorne, I need to talk to you. You can't let Tina go out there with that woman. She goes against everything we stand for. I mean, good Lord, Lorne, they call her... what's that name they call her? Cari... Cari... What do they call her again, Tina?"
Sarah Palin: "That'd be Caribou Barbie."
Baldwin: "Caribou Barbie. Thank you, Tina. I mean, this is the most important election in our nation's history. And you want her -- our Tina -- to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman. What do you have to say for yourself?"

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/saturdaynightlive/v/palin-snl-video.htm

This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but the skits on SNL aren't real. It's a comedy show. Even the news segment is pretty much just made up. That whole Palin-Baldwin-Fey skit was, well...just that, A SKIT.

You can tell the difference between real life and satire, can't you?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

No, I don't think that was a skit. That was Baldwin being the pig that he is. If that were the worst thing that arrogant, self-serving pompous POS dirtbag had done I might believe it. However, given his treatment of his own daughter, I suppose nothing should shock me.