I went AWOL yesterday, at least as far as blogging goes. As much as I enjoy writing, and as much as I enjoy the politics I write about so often, sometimes Real Life just takes precedence. Today I’m playing catch-up at work, which will just kill me because I’m dying to read all the debate aftermath. I was really looking forward to that debate; I kept getting the day wrong but I was determined to watch it. And I was not disappointed.
One of the things I really love about Palin is that she’s earned what she has. She has not risen to her current position based on her husband’s career, as Hillary, Liddy Dole, Mary Bono, and many others have done. She doesn’t whine about how she’s been persecuted as a woman. She hasn’t complained about the blatantly unfair treatment by the media. She just keeps at it until she gets what she wants. And last night, she did it once again. I thought it would have been a nice touch if she had congratulated Gwen Ifill on her upcoming Obama book, but Palin took the high road on that too.
Ifill’s bias was displayed more in what she didn’t ask than what she did; a subtle move which will fly right over the heads of the vast majority of non-news junkies. I’d say, “Well played,” except Palin steamrolled right over her and made energy a huge topic anyway. I’m increasingly viewing this election as “us vs. the media.” I find the open bias – no, not bias, the electioneering on Obama’s behalf shocking and disgusting. I wasn’t aware of how much I respected the media until now – the absence of that respect is quite a vaccuum. That respect has been dissipating over the last decade, but the process has been kicked into overdrive this year.
My husband, who is a good deal less political than I am, noticed and commented on how well Palin did. He doesn’t follow politics closely enough to catch all of Biden’s lies, but at the end of the debate, he was impressed with Palin and said she seemed strong, smart, and determined – and not the typical politician.
What do you think of a few of these ridiculous polls (e.g. from CNN and CBS) that showed more respondents claiming that Biden won? They’re hard for me to believe, personally. I didn’t think Palin really could’ve done any better. She even brought up a few of the Sean Hannity soundbites which the media has ignored, like the one about our military “air raiding villages.”
What did you expect? They’re so in the tank it’s ridiculous. They WILL have Obama for president. And as long as McCain refuses to fight, the media will get what they want. Not only does it fit with their ideology, but the mainstream media stands to benefit the most financially from the free speech restrictions – Fairness Doctrine, internet regulation – that will be implemented.