Courtesy of, often, unnamed “McCain aides,” “McCain friends,” and “persons familiar with,” Todd Purdum explores at length “the Sarah Palin phenomenon” for Vanity Fair. (And just about a year after Purdum’s lengthy exploration, courtesy of unnamed “former Clinton aides” and an unnamed “Clinton-watcher,” of, “What’s the matter with [Bill] Clinton?”)
Some samples from Purdum’s Palin piece:
Some top aides worried about [Palin’s] mental state: was it possible that she was experiencing postpartum depression? (Palin’s youngest son was less than six months old).
And:
Another aspect of the Palin phenomenon bears examination, even if the mere act of raising it invites intimations of sexism: she is by far the best-looking woman ever to rise to such heights in national politics, the first indisputably fertile female to dare to dance with the big dogs. This pheromonal reality has been a blessing and a curse. It has captivated people who would never have given someone with Palin’s record a second glance if Palin had looked like Susan Boyle. And it has made others reluctant to give her a second chance because she looks like a beauty queen.
I guess we make the assumption that being a VP nominee is a higher position than being Senator? Despite it being a non-elected position. And despite actually losing the election.
Otherwise, I think Kirsten Gillibran, who is two years younger than Palin and also with young children, certainly qualifies. Amy Jean Klobuchar and Maria E. Cantwell might also qualify.
Posted by Thalia on Tue 30 Jun 2009 at 05:24 PM
Todd Purdum is a demoralized piece of trash. He demeans Sarah Palin who did nothing bu show-up for a job she was asked to take.
At least she is SOBER..that's more than we can say for the wife of slasher Purdum who kissed the "---" of Bill Clinton THEN went on to be arrested for drunk driving. IF she were sober and had her wits,....well I guess we now know why she married Purdum.
Purdum is scum and would have to improve to reach the status of Asshole. Purdum,can only hope to ever be merely close to the human beings the Palin family is. Screw you, scumbag Todd Purdum.
Posted by Mary Riley on Tue 30 Jun 2009 at 06:53 PM
I SEEMS THAT MR. PURDUM THINKS HE IS GOD AND KNOWS ALL. BUT, WHAT HE DOESN'T KNOW FEEL EXTREME VOLUMES. AND...TO USE INPUTS TO HIS ARTICLE THAT ARE VERBAL IS A LOT ABOUT MR. PURDUM. IT TELLS ME HE HAS NO PROOF IN HIS ARTICLE TO BACK HIM UP.
I WONDER WHEN THE ADVERTISERS IN VARITY WILL START REMOVING THEIR ADDS FROM THE MAGAZINES BECAUSE THE PEOPLE BELIEVES HIS STORY WAS "A HIT TO SMEAR THE GOVERNOR".
I FOR ONE WILL GO TO THE STORE PICKUP, NOT BUY AND LIND THE BIG ADVERTISERS IN VANITY FAIR AND VIA A THE WEB WRITE THEM TO TELL THEM DUE TO MR. PURDUM'S ARTICLE WIE WILL BE SENDING E-MAILS TO BOYCOTT THEIR PRODUCTS.
HE IS NOT TOO SMART, HE FORGOT LETTERMAN'S COMMENT AND HE HAS NOT RECOVERED YET FROM IT.
VANITY FAIR, LIKE ABC, CNN, CBS, NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST AND THE HEARST PUBLICATIONS ARE FEELING THE HURT FROM THEIR ONE TIME READERS ARE FED UP WITH THEIR BIAS REPORTING.
CAN VANITY FAIR SURVIVE THE OUTRAGE OF PURDUM'S ARTICLE AND THE LOST OF PURCHASERS OF THE "NOW RAG MAGAZINE". DON'T FORGET THE BACKLASH THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND MR. OBAMA HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS.
Posted by R. J. VANSICKLE on Wed 1 Jul 2009 at 12:17 PM
I deplore most of what's in the national press; what isn't outright disinformation is either commercial trash or so bland as to be useless. But the two defenders of Sarah Palin and her wonderful family stoop as low as, if not even lower than, the writers they object to.
This country is still very sexist, as it is racist, also. I suspect this is most pronounced at the top of whatever organisation you're looking at, with exceptions, of course. The types who get into authority positions tend to be after power more than consensus.
I can find more than enough fault with Palin without resorting to ad homonem attacks. For instance, I wonder if, as she accused Obama of being a socialist, if she is/was aware that absolutely no actual socialists claim him, trust him or even particularly admire him. Things she said to inflame crowds against him were similarly untrue. I can't speculate whether she knew that, but I'm not sure which is worse, ignorant ranting or deliberate crowd-baiting.
I advise every American to take responsibility as a citizen to study in school, learn English grammar, spelling and punctuation, rhetoric, logic, history, and then to boycott ALL commercial media. It is a disgrace, from CNN to MSNBC to the NYTIMES to Vanity Fair to the National Review & the Economist!
And none of it is owned by socialists, by the way!
I rely completely on listener-sponsored radio (not NPR, commercially sponsored government stenographers) and alternative online sources, and I am almost always aware of facts long before they are reported in the mainstream commercial media.
Then, even better, as Scoop Nisker always said, "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own!"
Posted by Kathleen Greene on Wed 1 Jul 2009 at 01:11 PM
Anbody can make stuff up and give it the ring of authenticity. You start with a bias, add a few facts, embellish with some vitriol, lie like hell for 10,000 words, and you have what passes for "commentary" and anlysis in Vanity Fair.
It looks like this:
"Purdum is obviously an embittered hack whose wife is a known drunk and whose once-promising career has gone nowhere since she stopped being chief apologist for a known rapist. In this hit piece on Palin, Purdum tips his hand, displacing all that contempt onto a public figure whose intelligence, wit, charm, perserverance, self-control and personal accomplishments he can only oggle from afar--but never approach, especially at home."
At least now two McCain campaign staffers have gone on record disputing his "anonymous" claims. Maybe more will speak up and put creeps like Purdum where they belong: Among the unemployed.
Posted by Patricia Ellen Carroll on Wed 1 Jul 2009 at 11:45 PM