Ed Koch: Palin Holds High Ground Over Harsh and Unfair Critics

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/01/18/palin_defeated_unfair_critics_at_nyt__msnbc_108561.html

Why do I defend Palin in this case? I don't agree with her political philosophy: She is an arch conservative. I am a liberal with sanity. I know that I am setting myself up for attack when I ask, why did Emile Zola defend Dreyfus? Palin is no Dreyfus and I am certainly no Zola. But all of us have an obligation, particularly those in politics and public office, to denounce, when we can, the perpetrators of horrendous libels and stand up for those falsely charged. We should denounce unfair, false and wicked charges not only when they are made against ourselves, our friends or our political party but against those with whom we disagree. If we are to truly change the poisonous political atmosphere that we all complain of, including those who create it, we should speak up for fairness when we can.

In the 2008 presidential race when Sarah Palin's name was first offered to the public by John McCain as his running mate, I said at the time that she "scared the hell out of me." My reference was to the content of her remarks, not to her power to persuade voters.

It was McCain who lost the presidential election, not Palin. Since that time she has established that she has enormous power to persuade people. A self-made woman who rose from PTA mother to Governor of Alaska, she is one of the few speakers in public life who can fill a stadium. Her books are enormous successes. Her television program about Alaska has been a critical and economic success. When Sarah Palin addresses audiences, they rise to their feet in support and applause. She is without question a major leader of the far right faction in the Republican Party and its ally the Tea Party.

I repeat my earlier comment that she "scares the hell out of me." Nevertheless, she is entitled to fair and respectful treatment. The fools in politics today in both parties are those who think she is dumb. I've never met her, but I've always thought that she is highly intelligent but not knowledgeable in many areas and politically uninformed. I don't believe she will run for president in 2012 or that she would be elected if she did. But I do believe she is equal in ability to many of those in the Republican Party seeking that office.

Many women understand what she has done for their cause. She will not be silenced nor will she leave the heavy lifts to the men in her Party. She will not be falsely charged, remain silent, and look for others - men - to defend her. She is plucky and unafraid.

While I disagree with her and I am prepared to oppose her politically, in the spirit of longed-for civility I say, Ms. Palin you are in a certain sense an example of the American dream: You have the courage to stand up and present your vision of America to its people. Your strength and lack of fear make America stronger and are examples to be emulated by girls and boys, men and women who are themselves afraid to speak up. You provide the example that they need for self-assurance.

That has to be one of the most gracious things I've ever read, deliberately avoidng anything negative. He said she scared him but wouldn't post any of the reasons why. He just focussed on the upside of what Palin brings to the table, most of which I agree with to one extent or another. If you're going to strike a more positive tone in political speech you'd be hard pressed to do a better job than Ed just did. Wouldn't it be great if Palin could respond as graciously about a Democratic opponent and spark a "politeness" race?

My problem with Palin is primarily that she is a very thin skinned fire starter. She lives to attack and start controversies. By her own words she is mean and vicious (what's a baracuda?) Yet at the same time while she is comfortable slinging stones, shooting arrows, and lobbing grenades she beleives any rebuttal or criticism against her to be beyond the pale. In this, she's the classic bully. She's all for hitting you, shoving you down, and taking your lunch money. She loves to mock you and laugh in your face, but if you ever call her a name back or push back she immediately goes crying to the principal or her parents.

I wish she was the champion of an honest conservative conversation and maybe she sometimes can be, but far too often she is a destructive force of antagonism and simply a vile agitant.

politicians don't deserve the respect owed to normal human beings, especially when they don't even hold a political office.

My problem with Palin is primarily that she is a very thin skinned fire starter.

nailed it

That has to be one of the most gracious things I've ever read, deliberately avoidng anything negative. He said she scared him but wouldn't post any of the reasons why. He just focussed on the upside of what Palin brings to the table, most of which I agree with to one extent or another. If you're going to strike a more positive tone in political speech you'd be hard pressed to do a better job than Ed just did. Wouldn't it be great if Palin could respond as graciously about a Democratic opponent and spark a "politeness" race?

I wouldn't say he avoided anything negative but he certainly avoided anything inflammatory and he practiced a great deal of courtesy and respect. This is how it should be done:

I've always thought that she is highly intelligent but not knowledgeable in many areas and politically uninformed.

That is a reasonable assessment of weaknesses. Along with Burgold's thin-skinned critique, its all the reason I need to avoid voting for her. I don't need to pretend that she is destroying politics, that she's stupid, or that she is somehow responsible for the recent tragedy.

Koch's article is a high water mark in the whole conversation about a new tone Washington. I hope Republicans are taking note.

Burgold

Thin skinned? Don't all politicians get butt hurt when someone speaks out against them? Don't they all try to bully people around in one way or another? You make it sound like Palin is the only politician in America who acts like this, how convienient.

I'm not a big fan of her at all, really can't stand the woman. But for such a country bumpkin soccer mom she sure does have the left running scared. Bully? Maybe a little but there's a huge difference between pushing someone down in the school yard and picking up a baseball bat and cracking somebody over the head with it. Within hours of the Tuscon tragedy mediots were blaming Palin's "crosshair" list. People were blaming Palin, her supporters and the tea party. That's beyond bullying, that's putting the blood of a 9 yr old and several others on Palins hands. I don't care how you look at it, that's out of line and completely uncalled for.

After being stationed in Europe for a total of 5 years I discovered if you really want to find out whats going on in America, without the media bias, pick up a European news paper and see whats going on. A couple days after the Tuscon tragedy the front page of a UK paper said "How America Elite Highjacked a Massacre to Take Revenge on Sarah Palin". That's exactly what the liberal media did. You think she shouldn't defend herself? She should just slink away into the shadows? I promise you, if someone put the blood of a 9yr olds murder on your hands, I betcha you'd be fired up and ready to go whip somebodies ass.

Instead of constantly casting stones yourself, walk a mile in someone elses shoes. That's all I'm saying.

http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/uks-daily-mail-how-americas-elite-hijacked-a-massacre-to-take-revenge-on-sarah-palin/

Love Ed Koch. Hate Palin. ....and I'm a fiscal conservative.

If this had been something more along the lines of Columbine II, u know Palin et al would be blaming heavy metal music, TV, and the movie industry. It's like when she wants Rahm Emmanuel fired for using the word retarded, but nary a peep when it's Culter or Limbaugh, and claims it's unAmerican for Dr. Laura to lose her job for saying the "N" word.

Just posting my perception by how she acts and how she reacts, Zoed. I know it's uninfluenced by cable because I don't have cable. She has been in my experience a very aggressive speaker (that's not necessarily a bad thing) and two things are also true 1) she has been attacked unfairly and with a mean spirit at times and 2) whether the criticism is valid or not she whines about it a lot.

I think the target stuff was way overboard and not fair criticism of Palin at all. Simultaneously, I think that she has a history of martyrdom and going nuts over very small slights that most politicians or even simple public figures brush off. After all, you can't expect to be a public figure or politician without scrutiny these or any days... and yeah, she's a bully.

Love Ed Koch. Hate Palin. ....and I'm a fiscal conservative.

If this had been something more along the lines of Columbine II, u know Palin et al would be blaming heavy metal music, TV, and the movie industry. It's like when she wants Rahm Emmanuel fired for using the word retarded, but nary a peep when it's Culter or Limbaugh, and claims it's unAmerican for Dr. Laura to lose her job for saying the "N" word.

But thats the problem, when is all the finger pointing going to stop? Ok, so she HYPOTHETICALLY would have blamed this and that but did she blame an individual for it? That's how low our country has gotten, on both sides. How can you defend the way the media has treated her since the Tuscon tragedy? Like her or hate her there's no way to rationalize the way she's been treated.

BTW, Rahm Emmanuel is a flaming prick and epitomizes bully, I'm sure there were more reasons to fire him that him using the word retarded. And guess what, Dr. Laura used the N word, as ignorant as it is for her to us it, it is America and we love to beat that freedom of speech drum every chance we get. How ****ed up of a society do we live in where your skin color allows you to use certain words but if you're the wrong skin color it costs you your job? Seriously?

I like Sarah Palin for having more cajones than a lot of members in the GOP.

Thin skinned? yeah right name one far left liberal politician, pundit, comedian on HBO who isn't thin skinned.

The Elites always call their opponents stupid or dumb when they realize they can not use misinformation to persuade them or those of like minds to embrace their position.

'Pick the Target, Freeze It, Personalize It and Polarize It.'

- Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals.

But thats the problem, when is all the finger pointing going to stop? Ok, so she HYPOTHETICALLY would have blamed this and that but did she blame an individual for it? That's how low our country has gotten, on both sides. How can you defend the way the media has treated her since the Tuscon tragedy? Like her or hate her there's no way to rationalize the way she's been treated.

Those on the left are just deranged when it comes to SP. You can see residues of it in this thread. They conveniently leave out all in harsh invective that emanates from the left on almost a daily basis towards her.. IMO it's really pretty funny because SP has no chance of being a major player in politics anymore. The Tucson tragedy is a clear example of their disorder.

Those on the left are just deranged when it comes to SP. You can see residues of it in this thread. They conveniently leave out all in harsh invective that emanates from the left on almost a daily basis towards her.. IMO it's really pretty funny because SP has no chance of being a major player in politics anymore. The Tucson tragedy is a clear example of their disorder.

This may be true, but on the other hand, I think Sarah Palin is the new Ann Coulter... and the reason people react to Palin is pretty much the reason people responded to Coulter (who for a long time was vigorously defended by the Right). Also, notice how aggressively the Right wing media fought against the notion of civility... that in itself is telling.

Burgold

Thin skinned? Don't all politicians get butt hurt when someone speaks out against them? Don't they all try to bully people around in one way or another? You make it sound like Palin is the only politician in America who acts like this, how convienient.

I'm not a big fan of her at all, really can't stand the woman. But for such a country bumpkin soccer mom she sure does have the left running scared. Bully? Maybe a little but there's a huge difference between pushing someone down in the school yard and picking up a baseball bat and cracking somebody over the head with it. Within hours of the Tuscon tragedy mediots were blaming Palin's "crosshair" list. People were blaming Palin, her supporters and the tea party. That's beyond bullying, that's putting the blood of a 9 yr old and several others on Palins hands. I don't care how you look at it, that's out of line and completely uncalled for.

After being stationed in Europe for a total of 5 years I discovered if you really want to find out whats going on in America, without the media bias, pick up a European news paper and see whats going on. A couple days after the Tuscon tragedy the front page of a UK paper said "How America Elite Highjacked a Massacre to Take Revenge on Sarah Palin". That's exactly what the liberal media did. You think she shouldn't defend herself? She should just slink away into the shadows? I promise you, if someone put the blood of a 9yr olds murder on your hands, I betcha you'd be fired up and ready to go whip somebodies ass.

Instead of constantly casting stones yourself, walk a mile in someone elses shoes. That's all I'm saying.

http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/uks-daily-mail-how-americas-elite-hijacked-a-massacre-to-take-revenge-on-sarah-palin/

---------- Post added January-18th-2011 at 08:52 AM ----------

Those on the left are just deranged when it comes to SP. You can see residues of it in this thread. They conveniently leave out all in harsh invective that emanates from the left on almost a daily basis towards her.. IMO it's really pretty funny because SP has no chance of being a major player in politics anymore. The Tucson tragedy is a clear example of their disorder.

---------- Post added January-18th-2011 at 08:56 AM ----------

'Pick the Target, Freeze It, Personalize It and Polarize It.'

- Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals.

Thank you for reminding me that conservatives have been drawing completely unsubstantiated parallels between Alinsky and Democrats for years. Kind of ironic that they've spent the past week sobbing that some in the media drew unsubstantiated parallels between Loughner and Palin, et al.

[/color]Almost impossible for any reasonable person to read Ed Koch's words and then post these words.

.

Perhaps you just missed this. An Interesting and yet so apropos qualifier from Mr. Koch as opposed to the many on the left without sanity. The history is clear of the lefts ATTACKS on SP.

"I am a liberal with sanity."

Burgold

Thin skinned? Don't all politicians get butt hurt when someone speaks out against them? Don't they all try to bully people around in one way or another? You make it sound like Palin is the only politician in America who acts like this, how convienient.

Or he spoke about the one being specifically spoken about in this piece and this thread.

I think from now on if I ever criticize anyone in public office, I have to add the disclaimer

"and I equally critiicze the opposite party of the person I'm criticizing above so as to make sure everyone knows at all times that no one is unfairly jumping the other party for something we all damn well know they do anyway."

My problem with Palin is that she's a cheerleader, reading the lines to whip up the base, and people have somehow elevated this to a person that is qualified to hold the higest office in the land.

And when you say something about her that isn't the most ginchiest kissy kiss approval, then her followers appear from out of the woodwork to make people stop picking on her.

Oh, and I equally admonish and criticize the opposite. yadda yadda yadda.

I think that extracting the events of the last few weeks and people pointing out the overall violent euphemisms in her presentations as somehow attacking her to silence her is a joke.

It is quite apparent that it simply IS too much to ask in the light of yet more tragedy that we want our leaders to lead, rather than incite thru inflammatory rhetoric. It was made clear by most who asked this that the problem came from everywhere. (It 's just easier to show a poster to someone as an example. Obama didn't have posters made when he called the GOP "enemies to be punished" if he had, I bet we'd have seen a lot of it in the debate.)

But alas, it has been turned into a pity party of the poor oppressed loudmouths on the right.

Poor Sarah. Poor GOP.

Oh so victimized.

~Bang

She's a loser, a quitter, a liar, and a rube. And ignorant.

Outside of that she's worthy of respect.

This piece echoes how I feel about Palin at this point.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/opinion/17douthat.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

For their part, the media manage to be consistently unfair to the former Alaska governor — gossipy and hostile in their reportage, hysterical and condescending in their commentary — even as they follow her every move with a fascination bordering on obsession. (MSNBC, in particular, should just change its name to “Palin 24/7” and get it over with.) When commentators aren’t denouncing her, they’re busy building up her legend — exaggerating her political acumen, overpraising her communications strategy, covering her every tweet as if she were the Viceroy of Red America, and spinning out outlandish scenarios in which she captures the White House in 2012.

Palin, meanwhile, officially despises the “lamestream” media. But press coverage — good, bad, whatever — is clearly the oxygen she craves. She supposedly hates having her privacy invaded, yet her family keeps showing up on reality TV. She thinks the political class is clueless and out-of-touch, but she can’t resist responding to its every provocation. Her public rhetoric, from “death panels” to “blood libel,” is obviously crafted to maximize coverage and controversy, and generate more heat than light. And her Twitter account reads like a constant plea for the most superficial sort of media attention.

It’s a grim spectacle on both sides, and last week’s pointless controversy was a particularly low point. So let me play the relationship counselor. To the media: Cover Sarah Palin if you want, but stop acting as if she’s the most important conservative politician in America. Stop pretending that she has a plausible path to the presidency in 2012. (She doesn’t.) Stop suggesting that she’s the front-runner for the Republican nomination. (She isn’t.) And every time you’re tempted to parse her tweets for some secret code or crucial dog whistle, stop and think, this woman has fewer Twitter followers than Ben Stiller, and then go write about something else instead.

To Palin: You were an actual politician once (remember that?), but you’re becoming the kind of caricature that your enemies have always tried to make of you. So maybe it’s time to turn off your iPad for a while, and take a break from Facebook and Fox News. The world won’t end if you don’t respond to every criticism, and you might even win a few more admirers if you cultivated a lighter touch and a more above-the-fray persona. Oh, and when that reality-TV producer sends you a pitch for “Sarah Plus Five Plus Kate Plus Eight,” just say no.

lol' date=' we're back to the Alinsky stuff.

Thank you for reminding me that conservatives have been drawing completely unsubstantiated parallels between Alinsky and Democrats for years. Kind of ironic that they've spent the past week sobbing that some in the media drew unsubstantiated parallels between Loughner and Palin, et al.[/quote']

Funny thing is, I cant stand Palin and I think she has mishandled so mnay things its scary.

But to deny that the obvious strategy used isnt akin to the Alinsky strategy is disingenuous. It;s a textbook example, despite the denials.

This guy really REALLY wants Palin to get the nomination for POTUS.

This guy really REALLY wants Palin to get the nomination for POTUS.

LOL, I'd bet most Dems do! They would roll in a landslide!

a loser, a quitter, a liar, and a rube. And ignorant.

Outside of that worthy of respect.

Characteristics of 95+% of all politicians.

Characteristics of 95+% of all politicians.

95% of politicians can't tell you what newspaper they read, quit office in the middle of their term and blame the "liberal media" for it, then sign up for a reality show?

Palin is special among a special bunch.

The only reason I like Sarah Palin is because of how she make the Leftists react.

She is inexperienced (so is the current President but that didn't stop his election)

She is in some areas uninformed (so is our current president but again that didn't stop his election)

From Henry's article... wow, couldn't be more on-point:

"Palin, meanwhile, officially despises the “lamestream” media. But press coverage — good, bad, whatever — is clearly the oxygen she craves. She supposedly hates having her privacy invaded, yet her family keeps showing up on reality TV. She thinks the political class is clueless and out-of-touch, but she can’t resist responding to its every provocation. Her public rhetoric, from “death panels” to “blood libel,” is obviously crafted to maximize coverage and controversy, and generate more heat than light. And her Twitter account reads like a constant plea for the most superficial sort of media attention."