But the real problem is, all too many people DO take what Sarah Palin says seriously, just because it fits with their thinking. And while none of them read the Washington Post, they find the article via Google or AOL, and the damage is done.
@unclevanya: I never thought I'd be rooting for the presidential aspirations of Mike Bloomberg. 'Cause he may be the only one who can save us from her two years hence.
@Han Valen: It's hurting any conservative cause significantly to defend Palin. There are plenty of people who can and do put forth thoughtful arguments on these subjects that are not full of outright lies and misstatements with absolutely no back-up, regardless of the correctness of their conclusions. The Washington Post chooses not to work with those people, because they are not pretty.
@allyzay: I tend to agree with that, as I don't really think she's the brightest bulb, but she is an effective rabble-rouser, which has always had a place in mainstream politics.
@JohanPaladin: Man made 'climate change' is not a scientific fact. Not even close. It's a remote possibility, at best, and more than likely nothing more than a moneymaking racket on behalf of massive, corrupt special interests and one-world government socialists. And you're saying that its impossible to be a scientist and conservative at the same time? Because if so, you're less worth listening to than Palin.
Dude, I have a great idea for the Washington Post - you know what would get them LOADS of attention? An op-ed by David Duke! Or Jon Gosselin! Or Charles Manson could write something for the paper, possibly in feces! Seriously, if the sole object of journalism is to stir up tabloidy controversy, there are loads of better ways to go about it.
If, on the other hand, you want to pander to a disturbingly influential segment of the populace that clings desperately to nonsensical pseudo-science and bigotry and possibly also please your corporate advertisers who would really feel more comfortable without all that well-meaning but profit-reducing governement regulation, then you have hit the Palin jackpot, Mr. Hiatt.
So, we're being asked to believe that the woman, who when asked if she was intelligent said " I believe that I am because I have common sense and I have I believe the values that I think are reflective of so many other American values, and I believe that what Americans are seeking is not the elitism, the uhm, the ah, a kind of spineless, spinelessness that perhaps is made up for that with some kind of elite, Ivy league education and, and a fat resume that is based on anything but hard work and private sector, free enterprise principles. Americans are could be seeking something like that in positive change in their leadership, I'm not saying that that has to be me," could actually think write, comprehend, or even read this editorial. Pull my other leg, please.
@WordyNinja: I'm kind of serious. That's their justification: anything that causes talk and draws attention is good. We're not going to maintain any standards about whose opinion we publish, we're just going to go for whatever will generate the highest-volume response.
In a world where Matt Drudge is considered a journalist, it almost makes sense.
@MissNormaDesmond: Well, at least they're honest, unlike many other 'news' organizations which do the same thing under the pretense of presenting austere and unbiased journalism.
I'll not attempt to defend the editorial standards at the Washington Post, but I would like to relay a quick anecdote.
I emailed Marcus Brauchli, the executive editor at the Post yesterday, attempting to take him to task for the lack of fact-checking or editorial responsibility at the paper.
He actually emailed me back, which is pretty damn rare. I've excerpted his response below:
"Thanks for taking the time to write. The Op-Ed page is under the editorial-page editor, Fred Hiatt, who is copied here and can address your concerns about the contribution from Sarah Palin. I will say, however, that I don't think most of our readers believe we print whatever is submitted to us, nor do I think sensible readers believe we are biased, nor do I think those perceptions, even among those who may hold them, have anything substantial to do with the problems facing our industry."
@Lysergic Asset: HAHAHAHA!!!! That's cracking my shit up!
I should say, in his defense, that I've never had someone personally respond to an email like that. I do give him props for that. Rush Limbaugh never emails me back; I guess he must be really busy.
@AndPreciousLittleofThat: Rush is just stocking up on his hypertension medication in preparation for properly responding to you.
Also, you are awesome for doing things like this. I am a huge cyber-activist (I live in Mexico and can't do much else). I can't tell you how many impassioned e-mails I sent to CNN before they dumped Beck & Dobbs. No one ever replied, but I sure had fun expressing myself.
I'm really mortified that the Province, BC's sleaziest newspaper, has run the Palin op-ed. It's not like we don't have our own inbred troglodytes in BC, and we can pay ours in timbits and poutine.
@raincoaster: Oh The Province. Another wonderful Canwest product.
CANWEST: A 1-act play.
"Hey we're canwest! Let's gut local news and arts coverage".
"Okay boss, but what are we going to do about content".
"Look at how many articles already exist on [topic x], let's get them from somewhere".
"But won't that make our paper look fucking retarded? To have articles written by people who aren't necessarily attached to the newspaper, or even the city, or even the province".
"Oh Bobby, you're thinking is small potatoes. Look at this article about Dane Cook from the Los Angeles Times. Since he's coming to Ottawa, Canada for a show, wouldn't it be great to pipe that article from LOS ANGELES to OTTAWA?!??!??!?!"
"Sir wasn't that too much punctuation just now?"
"I jUSt hAd a STroKe. I'm A GodDDamn ReTArd."
@Pope John Peeps II: The homogenity of our culture, where vast radio corporations broadcast weather and news for smalltown America from one central metropolitan location, and where every small AM community is offered for free one each three-hour block of Limbo daily, gratis. And where in our town, which went for Magoo and his doxie to the tune of 19%, the bookstore which has been in the community forever scoffs at Simple Sarah, whereas the chain and Costco present her in stacks like oatmeal as if we were Dallas.
So, who's winning, us or them? I forget how many outs it is.
Wait: didn't the WP exec ed just announce last week that it wasn't a national newspaper serving a general audience? Why then would it run on the op-ed page a piece by the former gov of a state very far away about an international subject??
One thing to add: why does the media love to give a platform to anti-science politicians to comment on scientific theories. Not believing in evolution should disqualify you from seeing a doctor, driving a car, watching TV, or using basically any 19th or 20th century technology... and writing about science.
@buda: Because it's simple enough to be presented in gooey chunks for their audience to gum, like at the nursing home. Which is the best cable news grabber:
(1) A gaussian graph of global temps for ten thousand years has established -
(2) Leaked emails prove scientists fudge data in global warming conspiracy!
"The increasingly blatant nature of the nonsense uttered with impunity in public discourse is chilling. Our democratic society is imperiled as much by this as any other single threat, regardless of whether the origins of the nonsense are religious fanaticism, simple ignorance or personal gain."
As I listen to the manifest nonsense that has been promulgated by the likes of right-wing fanatic radio hosts and moronic ex-governors in response to the effort to bring the U.S. into alignment with other industrial countries in providing reasonable and affordable health care for all its citizens, it seems that things have only gotten worse in the years since I first wrote those words.
After the Various Women Tiger Woods Has Fucked discuss monetary policy, the Washington Post is pleased to announce that it will run a series of op-ed pieces by the cast of Jersey Shore on the state of feminism today.
12/10/09
12/10/09
But the real problem is, all too many people DO take what Sarah Palin says seriously, just because it fits with their thinking. And while none of them read the Washington Post, they find the article via Google or AOL, and the damage is done.
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
@JohanPaladin: Man made 'climate change' is not a scientific fact. Not even close. It's a remote possibility, at best, and more than likely nothing more than a moneymaking racket on behalf of massive, corrupt special interests and one-world government socialists. And you're saying that its impossible to be a scientist and conservative at the same time? Because if so, you're less worth listening to than Palin.
12/10/09
If, on the other hand, you want to pander to a disturbingly influential segment of the populace that clings desperately to nonsensical pseudo-science and bigotry and possibly also please your corporate advertisers who would really feel more comfortable without all that well-meaning but profit-reducing governement regulation, then you have hit the Palin jackpot, Mr. Hiatt.
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
In a world where Matt Drudge is considered a journalist, it almost makes sense.
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
I emailed Marcus Brauchli, the executive editor at the Post yesterday, attempting to take him to task for the lack of fact-checking or editorial responsibility at the paper.
He actually emailed me back, which is pretty damn rare. I've excerpted his response below:
"Thanks for taking the time to write. The Op-Ed page is under the editorial-page editor, Fred Hiatt, who is copied here and can address your concerns about the contribution from Sarah Palin. I will say, however, that I don't think most of our readers believe we print whatever is submitted to us, nor do I think sensible readers believe we are biased, nor do I think those perceptions, even among those who may hold them, have anything substantial to do with the problems facing our industry."
Well, ain't America great?
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
I should say, in his defense, that I've never had someone personally respond to an email like that. I do give him props for that. Rush Limbaugh never emails me back; I guess he must be really busy.
#tips
12/10/09
Also, you are awesome for doing things like this. I am a huge cyber-activist (I live in Mexico and can't do much else). I can't tell you how many impassioned e-mails I sent to CNN before they dumped Beck & Dobbs. No one ever replied, but I sure had fun expressing myself.
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
CANWEST: A 1-act play.
"Hey we're canwest! Let's gut local news and arts coverage".
"Okay boss, but what are we going to do about content".
"Look at how many articles already exist on [topic x], let's get them from somewhere".
"But won't that make our paper look fucking retarded? To have articles written by people who aren't necessarily attached to the newspaper, or even the city, or even the province".
"Oh Bobby, you're thinking is small potatoes. Look at this article about Dane Cook from the Los Angeles Times. Since he's coming to Ottawa, Canada for a show, wouldn't it be great to pipe that article from LOS ANGELES to OTTAWA?!??!??!?!"
"Sir wasn't that too much punctuation just now?"
"I jUSt hAd a STroKe. I'm A GodDDamn ReTArd."
12/10/09
So, who's winning, us or them? I forget how many outs it is.
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
12/10/09
One thing to add: why does the media love to give a platform to anti-science politicians to comment on scientific theories. Not believing in evolution should disqualify you from seeing a doctor, driving a car, watching TV, or using basically any 19th or 20th century technology... and writing about science.
12/10/09
Although what palin did certainly wasn't science. Or technical. Or goddamn english. It was more like a "scientific sounding dry heave".
12/10/09
(1) A gaussian graph of global temps for ten thousand years has established -
(2) Leaked emails prove scientists fudge data in global warming conspiracy!
"The increasingly blatant nature of the nonsense uttered with impunity in public discourse is chilling. Our democratic society is imperiled as much by this as any other single threat, regardless of whether the origins of the nonsense are religious fanaticism, simple ignorance or personal gain."
As I listen to the manifest nonsense that has been promulgated by the likes of right-wing fanatic radio hosts and moronic ex-governors in response to the effort to bring the U.S. into alignment with other industrial countries in providing reasonable and affordable health care for all its citizens, it seems that things have only gotten worse in the years since I first wrote those words.
Read it here.
12/10/09
12/10/09