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Irony alert: Weekly Standard's Matthew Continetti decries the Palin haters

November 12, 2009 1:33 pm ET by Eric Boehlert

Irony, hypocrisy, call it whatever you want, but it clearly drives the conservative media movement in America, and specifically this notion being peddled by Weekly Standard writer Matthew Continetti, via his new Sarah Palin book, The Persecution of Sarah Palin, that it was crazy how quickly Palin became "hated" by her political enemies.

From American Spectator:

"It's not new for a prominent political figure to be hated," Continetti tells TAS. "But it is novel when a political figure becomes so hated so quickly, and for that hatred to be based on so little information."

Hmm, Continetti can't remember the last time a national politician became so hated so quickly, and for that hatred to be based on so little information; for it be be so darn irrational. I'm not sure if Continetti spent the 1990's in high school, and I'm not sure if Continetti has been so busy finishing his Palin book that he hasn't been able to gaze across the political landscape in 2009, and specifically the right-wing terrain, which views the current president as a racist/fascist/communist/Nazi/socialist.

But if Continetti is that oblivious, I'd like to suggest that two Democrats by the name of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, immediately after being inaugurated, became the subject of sweeping, hysterical hatred that infected the conservative movement, and conservative media; hatred that makes the Palin situation look quite tame in comparison.  

Also, I think Continetti fails to acknowledge that many of Palin's critics simply mock her failed attempt to step up to national politics. Laughing at a politician is much different that hating one.

UPDATED: See Eric Alterman's take on Continetti's Palin apology book, here.

Even a casual student of American politics will notice some rather odd omissions. For instance, in an entire book dedicated to the proposition than an evil conspiracy sought to brainwash the American people to believe that Palin was unready for office, I found no mention of the postelection admission by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis that his choice didn't have anything to do with Palin's qualifications for office because, as he said, "You've got to win first." Second, did you know that to this day Sarah Palin has never held a single full-fledged national press conference with actual professional political reporters?

UPDATED: Of course, don't forget Continetti's book compares Palin to Tina Fey, or actually with Tina Fey's TV character. Or something.

UPDATED: I haven't seen the book yet, but I wonder if Continetti recycles the glaring Palin error he was pushing this summer.

Expand All Expand 1st Level Collapse All Add Comment
    • Author by Bad News (November 12, 2009 1:37 pm ET)
         
      Ummm "In God We Trust"

      Need i say more?


      Mr. News
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DellDolly (November 12, 2009 1:44 pm ET)
      2  
      The right DOES hate their political opponents. And they have terrible problems with projection, and so they can't imagine a world where we don't behave the same way that they do. That's one of the reasons why we consistently have to shoot down false equivalency arguments!
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Don Hussein Fabuloso (November 12, 2009 1:54 pm ET)
        2  
        Sarah of The North isn't the wingnuts only Damsel in Distress this week. Check out the victim mentality in overdrive they're using to give away the beauty pageant knucklehead's book.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by DellDolly (November 12, 2009 2:15 pm ET)
          4  
          Man, Carrie Prejean is a train wreck, isn't she? She claims victim status, and claims that liberal media figures are much tougher on rightwingers than vice versa. What a joke.

          She was on Larry King recently and he asked her why she dropped her lawsuit, and then a gay caller got on the line. She didn't reply. He asked her again, and she replied that she couldn't hear him - how did she know that he asked her again if she couldn't hear him? Hmmm, that's a tough one. Then, he asked her again, and she again complained, and he said, well, if you hadn't taken your mic off, we could hear you, you know! It was hilarious! She threatened to leave and she accused him of being unfair and asking an inappropriate question! Nope. Didn't happen.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by MidWestThnkr (November 12, 2009 2:34 pm ET)
            1  
            Geez - she's got to have an IQ somewhere upwards of 67. Does she even know what inappropriate means?
            Report Abuse
          • Author by princeofwheels (November 12, 2009 2:55 pm ET)
            1  
            Who is handling this woman? Can't she see what a dunce they turned her into? She needs Dick Morris to guide her career as a "victim".
            Report Abuse
        • Author by wookie (November 12, 2009 3:03 pm ET)
          2  
          You would think that they would start looking outside the pageant circuit for their standard bearers.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by letsbefair (November 12, 2009 7:00 pm ET)
           
        That is quite a sweeping generalization....
        Report Abuse

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