Writing-on-hand-gate reminds me of one of the reasons Sarah Palin was put on this earth: To bring out and expose the worst misogynistic impulses in the hard core of the Democratic base.
I’m not talking about criticism or mockery of the handwritten notes. That’s fair game. Considering all the grief we give the teleprompter-addicted-won, who are we to complain?
I’m talking about the impulse in the Democratic base to use a non-sexual situation to sexualize and demean a female politician. Hillary had to deal with it. And there is a long history of sexist treatment of Palin, including the Newsweek cover last November.
Today, the story was a play on Palin giving a “hand job”:
- TMZ – Sarah Palin’s Hand Gets Job Done
- Democratic Underground – I say we call it the “Sarah Palin Hand Job”
- DailyKos – Sunday Talks Liveblog–Sarah Palin Hand Job Edition
There’s also plenty of play on Twitter for the “Palin hand job” theme. Blue Lyon has collected some foul comments from popular “progressive” blogs and forums, and sums it up with this:
Way to go progs. The “Progressive” blogosphere needs to get their heads out of their junior high asses (no offense meant to junior high kids) and get smart. But I am not holding my breath.
The Democratic base has revealed itself once again. Thanks Sarah.
Added:
Here’s how Larry D. Halstead describes himself: “Bio News Junkie, Political Scientist, Activist, Progressive, Dem Leader, Consultant on Econ Dev, Green Energy, Environment.” He has a website for his government consulting business.
Here’s how John Cobarruvias is described in his author’s bio at the progressive Mother Jones magazine: “John Cobarruvias is President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings (Texas chapter) and a longtime consumer activist in new home construction, insurance, and tort reform.” He runs the Bay Area Houston blog, and is an activist for government ethics reform.
Update: Left Coast Rebel has more.
——————————————–
Related Posts:
The “Other” Palin Beach Photo
Sarah Palin Too Sexy?
Wonkette Goes After Trig Palin Again
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
There's really no comparison between jotting a few key phrases on your hand before a speech, and reading every word of every speech you give from a teleprompter.
This hand business is another inroad to the same destination – the name calling that Sarah is not bright, not qualified.
She is a lovely, gracious lady with a brain and that is intolerable to many. Women in this country will long remember this treatment of one of our own. Next you will want her to wear a burka (spellilng?). Essentially, that is what you are doing to Sarah – making her a second class citizen by verbally "dressing" her down. You are no different that the Taliban. Think of it all of you bright liberals.
Ditto MBS – constant teleprompter addiction even for a school kid appearance versus a few words – just no comparison, not even worth discussing.
Sarah Palin is so clever. She does not need to do anything except be normal and exist to make the liberal's heads explode.
An enviable gift, indeed. I am surprised they haven't gone into why she has been allowing her child to "skip school" so she can travel with Mom – yet. It would be so like the liberals and MSM to try the bad-mother smear, too.
Jayne and MBS are right on – as is your whole post. Funny how these guys are so SCARED of this woman! 🙂
It is disgusting to use that kind of sexual slur as a head line…. just truly disgusting….
Progs are disgusting.
What's the big deal about using a PalmPilot?
What's the big deal about using a PalmPilot?
I remember when the left was almost giddy when they managed to put her in a position where she had to step down as Governor. Fast forward to the present. She commands six figures for speeches, is leading a rebellion of the status quo that has the Democrats crapping their pants in every state and big city. She sold more books in two weeks than past presidents, snarky "thinkers" on both sides, and now the best they can come up with is writing notes on the palms of her hand? When do you think they'll figure out if ever, that by doing such things they strengthen her and her supporters resolve and more Scott Browns will be entering the scene?
The truely sad aspect of this mysogyny is the contributions of erstwhile feminists who see no hypocrisy in their support of the attacks on Palin.
That being said, "keep doing what you are doing Sarah," drive them out of their minds. If nothing else happens you galvanize Americans to stand up for themselves and remind the political elite that it is our country and they serve us, not vice versa. You go girl!
The whole "hand-job" thing is disgusting. Are all Progs red-necks (apologies to any real rednecks who read this). It sounds like the sort of slurs toward women I've heard (many years ago) in low-class bars.
I'm really not at all surprised that the left wing blogs went batsh*t over something Sara Palin did at the Tea Party event. Frankly I was waiting for them to make some snarky sexist remarks about her stiletto heels.
We always knew that the leftists at Kos and DU were crude degenerates. It's not revealing in any special way, and certainly Palin doesn't deserve credit for "revealing" it. But whatever you may say, it's not necessarily "misogynistic" to make a lewd joke.
What I think this episode actually reveals is that Palin is extremely bad for genuine conservatism, as I've always maintained. Like no other figure she brings out the feminist PC one-upsmanship of the eager-to-please right wing of the commentariat. If Palin is going to get so-called conservatives crying "SEXIST!!" like some campus feminist harpy, reinforcing and validating the oppressive yoke of the Identity Politics Police, then I want no part of her.
How about the Facebook group – 'Intelligent Women against Sarah Palin.' Talk about your oxymoron.
Sage, do you have to work at being this dim, or does it come naturally? Can you give me even a single good reason why *others* [not Palin] should not be allowed to show up the Dems for their hypocrisy?
I don't know whether you're a concern troll, and Axelbot, or just room temperature IQ, but that comment is just dumb.
The fact that these undersexed degenerates would highlight Sarah Palin only needing 4 bullet-points to accomplish what it takes Obama a whole teleprompter fed speech to accomplish speaks to the shear idiotic insanity that has taken over the left… Actually, I take that back. She accomplishes more because she actually says something when she's talking.
"Words…Just words" -POTUS
Uh oh – Clean up on aisle "Sarge". We have us a concern troll infestation. Get a mop and a clue bat, stat!!
Sarah Palin, love her or hate her, she is a triple gold medalist at my favorite sport….Driving Liberals Batshit…..
Heh. The dude's web site has a hand on a business card, that has some kind of white stuff pouring into it.
Talk about your glass houses . . .
I'm not sure what a "concern troll" is, but if flinging invective, making content-free insults, and calling names are the best anybody can do, then I remain secure in my view that Palin is no good for conservatism.
Warning gratuitous self promotion!
http://vn750a.blogspot.com/
Seems to me we're seeing a real life example of what Matthew 7:3 is talking about.
If it's ok for this guy, it's ok for Sarah:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4339415391_65ecc9c707.jpg
The difference between using a teleprompter for an entire speech and 5 words on the palm of your hand to give a similar length speech is huge. C'mon, where is the sensibility in Palin's opponents?
When we read the leftist Tweets and blog posts we are looking right into the eyes of The Monster.
Heh. That isn't the first time Sarah Palin has used her hand for notes. (I've done so myself, but don't get much chance to address a crowd that big [<---evah]) Here she is with Gov. Perry: Gov. Palin and Gov. Perry
or http://tinyurl.com/Palin-Perry
That being said, the sexualizing of all things Palin is pretty disgusting and quite revealing. What is it with these people?
Sarah is an inconvenient mirror. Those who look into her and see values they can only wish they had are repulsed, not by her, but by their own reflection. It doesn't matter where you stash your notes. It matters what's in them. Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address on the back of an envelope. Apt words Abe, even without a teleprompter or a palm pilot. 147 years hence, the struggle apparently continues.
I don't understand this. Someone uses notes for a talk and they are consdered stupid. Another person reads from and promter and can't pronouce the rank designation of his own military and he is a genius. That is not logical.
These people are 14 years old. The Anchoress calls them "perpetual adolescents." Bingo.
Sage,
You want no part of her because she is polarizing? If she isn't polarizing she isn't what we need. We need people who don't toe the center left line. She is so American she gets the libs upset? I say Good!
She didn't use the notes scribbled on her hands for the speech she gave people! How is everyone missing the facts of what happened? If you people actually watched her speech, you could see that she had full notes on the podium and she was flipping through them during the speech. This is totally fine and almost everyone does it (it's nearly impossible to memorize a 45 minute speech). Some people use notes, some people (like Obama) use a teleprompter.
BUT what makes this story so ridiculous is that she had the notes FOR THE Q&A; PART after the speech! You can see her glance at her hand when she is asked what her priorities would be as President. That is the batty part! She can't even remember what her priorities would be…. and people think she is fit to be President? Unbelievable! Can't wait to hear all of the late-night jokes on this one!
I don't recall using the word polarizing, or even making reference to polarization. I said she is bad for conservatism because she is not particularly conservative herself and brings out the tendency, not merely to point out the left's hypocrisy, but to actually mirror the left's hypocrisy by adopting leftist rhetoric. One cannot do that for long without becoming a leftist oneself, as we have seen over and over with putative conservatives who wind up mouthing all the tired liberal cliches about "sexism," "racism," and "homophobia." Oh, and policing private comments for supposed insults to the mentally retarded–oops!–I mean "differently abled."
Hope nobody tries to take my job away for that little slip.
Sarah Palin is a parasitic shepherd to mindless sheeple. Only the fearful and the ignorant. The far out fringes of America could find cause in such an ignorant, quitter, traitor, and secessionist as Sarah Palin.I make no apologies for passing along the funny references to her 115,000 dollar hand job to the ignorant 600. Especially in light of all the times she mocked Obama's use of a teleprompter( what she couldn't afford to RENT one?) in the past. If your going to make your living preaching hate,fear and lies.You deserve whatever comes at you from those INFORMED of the issues you misrepresent.So why dont you and Palin succeed your sorry butts on out of here and found the nation of teabaggahstan and leave the good American people alone?
For the readers, @Wolf is the author of the first Tweet pictured above.
Mr. Jacobson,
Thank you for pointing out the misogyny of the Democratic base.
And as the folks at Hillbuzz have pointed out, Governor Palin has turned the "liberal outrage" right back at them:
http://hillbuzz.org/2010/02/07/the-reason-sarah-palin-will-be-president-in-2012-distilled-in-one-picture/
The liberal media and the misogynists in the Democratic base are going to wish they did not make such a fuss about Sarah Palin writing a few notes on her hand.
On Monday, Sarah Palin spoke twice before the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference at Redding Convention Center in Redding, Californina.
According to press reports (and confirmed by personal accounts from those present), during the course of her first speech, she held up her hand and read what she had written on it:
"Loggers Rock!"
The crowd responded with a roar of approval.
http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2010/02/governor-palin-in-redding-california.html
Actually William FOR THE RECORD
I am NOT the Author of any of the tweets above. As I said. I passed them along and I did find them funny. I do not expect you to laugh about it. After all you guys paid six hundred a head to hear a speaker that had to write her notes on her hand. No wonder your not laughing. Besides you cant have a "sense" of humor if you lack all sense to begine with. But you can give me credit/blame if you want. It only increases my Twitter "fame" And nobody really holds teabags like you to any kind of standards of truth. Much less holds expectations that you would know how to find a fact or be interested in doing so if you could. Anyway thank you for the artistic and twitterific credit,and enjoy the weather there in Teabagahstan.
See ya !
This is disgusting. As a former Democrat, I'm saddened that my old party has become such a den of sex perverts. NO ONE on the right talks like this. Seriously. For all the criticism of Obama by the right, it never descends into adolescent sex jokes, at least in mainstream conservative circles. We're talking here about mainstream outlets trafficking in filthy slurs.
Odd, you'd think a wolf would want a lousy shepherd on the job…
And people like Wolf and Keith Olbermann wonder why they never get a second date.
I find this whole thing rather strange, actually. The base childishness of the left is hardly surprising; they're a disgusting, dysfunctional bunch on the best of days. But it IS hard to defend Palin writing on her hand like that; I'd far prefer her to carry a stack of note cards and look at them openly and often, to be honest.
The bottom line here, it seems to me, is that Mr. Greatest Orator of All Time Ever has turned out to be a stuttering fool who can't function without ten teleprompters and then gets lost and confused if he loses his place and mispronounces words that aren't spelled out phonetically for his most articulate, highest minded, super-intellectual self. He also has a habit of saying the exact wrong thing when he's off-script (revealing his Marxist agenda to Joe the Plumber, for instance). Oops.
Sarah Palin has never been held aloft as a great orator (though she's certainly got a boatload of common sense and clear passion), so her jotting down some talking points on her hand just doesn't resonate as much as showing Emperor O with no clothes on.
As an aside, some of my brightest students over the years have stunned me by jotting down notes on their hands during office hours. It's always taken me aback, but I think I'd rather have someone who can get the right message from a few words than who hammers the wrong one with hundreds of carefully-written speeches. The former always seem to get the A's in class, while the latter . . . not so much.