AP Gets It Wrong Again (The Other AP, That Is)
First of all a big thank you to RAM and the crew for the honorable invite to come and blog on this site. I meant what I said over at Poligazette a couple of weeks ago: when it comes to swiftly and ruthlessly rebutting smears and fake outrage stories about Governor Palin, this site is as good as any I've seen on the web. It's certainly without competition on the right (though admittedly Romney does have the increasingly popular Moderates 4 Mitt).
Just how good are they, you ask? Well, they've even succeeded in getting Hotair's Allahpundit to change his tune about Palin, at least to the extent that he's now started using a more indirect way of criticizing the good governor. Sure, he loves her, but her position is so fragile he fears for her. I mean he really, really fears for her. Take his post about Eminem's new video, for instance. Somehow, AP manages to present it as a major threat to Palin's reputation:
As cheap and stupid as this is, and as cheap and stupid as the Johnstons’ tabloid turn was, this does hurt her by playing into the narrative that she’s not to be taken seriously. For every person who read her statement on missile defense last night, a dozen more will watch the Eminem video or the Tyra show and come away thinking she’s a sideshow. It’s not fair but it’s something she has to deal with. I wonder what another two years of it will do to her image by the time of the primaries.
So let's see: some has-been rapper produces a video in which a spoof version of Palin is included along with spoof versions of other celebrity 'side shows' like Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears, and AP fears that this will somehow help to convince the great American public that she is nothing but a monumental irrelevance. But of course it will. Keep believing AP, and who knows, one day your wish may even come true. Just keep clicking those heels!
For the sake of argument, let's try and see if we can come up with a different interpretation of this cultural non-event. A politician, what's more: a conservative, Republican politician somehow makes it into a video that tries (and fails) to make fun of A-list celebrities from the world of popular culture. Hmm... There must be a problem in there, but I really can't see it. The fact is that in its limited way, this video only helps to confirm what we already knew, namely that Palin has made the transition from mere politician to universal celebrity. Her 52-46 approval rating in the recent Rasmussen poll was remarkable not just because it showed Palin with a healthy positive margin and a growing band of supporters among independent voters, but also because practically every single person asked seemed to have an opinion about her. In politics, only current and former presidents have that sort of name recognition. That's why Oprah Winfrey cried when Palin refused to appear on her show. That's why daytime talk show hosts and gossip magazines can't get enough of her family saga's. And that's why an average day will see around 150 news articles and comment pieces and 400 blog posts devoted to the Palin phenomenon - including at least one a day on Hotair. After all, nothing quite matches a snarky AP post about the woman he loves to hate for instant impact on visitor numbers to his site.
My prediction? AP will still be writing those posts a year from now. And he will still be just as wrong as he is today. Does that mean he has to learn to stop worrying and love the governor? Of course not. It's a free country, and he can like (or dislike) whoever he damnwell pleases. But it would be nice if he could stop bothering us with his wishful thinking analyses. Like her or dislike her, AP, Palin isn't going away anytime soon. Not even because of Eminem.
Posts
18 comments:
While I agree with all of this, I must say that Mr. M&M's does look pretty good in pigtails.
http://www.gigwise.com/gallery/1847629_eminem-lady2.jpg
This is why it is funny to read AP when he posts about Sarah.
He is such an insecure beta-male, and you can just imagine his wobbly legs barely holding him up.
He needs to bring a 5th of bourbon to the computer when he blogs to make him brave, but hopefully not stupid.
It's wobbly urbanites like him that really need to step up and not be afraid to defend conservatives and libertarians.
However, when your hero is Hitchens, you go into the world already at a disadvantage.
Of all the bloggers on the net, he more than anybody needs to solidify his convictions and take a page from the Cuda and stand up.
He must have been beat up by girls when he was a kid. I sometimes feel sorry for him.
He'll never win the heart of Kirsten Powers unless he becomes the alpha-male that KP knows in her heart she needs and secretly desires.
Poor AP. Let's pray for him. No really I mean it.
Whoever did the edit, thanks for sorting it out. There was some sort of problem with the html codes, but I couldn't figure out where. Now at least superficially this piece looks like it isn't out of place on this site. Many thanks!
Joshua
Joshua,
Umm Allah has been like this for as long as I remember being on the HA site. He has never liked Palin, ever!
So posting about this isn't going to do anything. What everyone needs to start doing is get Michelle Malkin to B-Slap him back into the reality that Allah is not the center of the blogging world.
Just an observation, especially since he and I go after each other quite often.
uppy
AP wrote the following:
"For every person who read her statement on missile defense last night, a dozen more will watch the Eminem video or the Tyra show and come away thinking she’s a sideshow. It’s not fair but it’s something she has to deal with. I wonder what another two years of it will do to her image by the time of the primaries."
Perhaps someone should point out to Mr. AP that the people who are disposed to watch Eminem and Tyra aren't those that will be voting in the GOP primaries anyway. Who cares what they think? I would be shocked if they even know where to vote in the first place. I'm quite sure Governor Palin isn't counting on the votes of "Tyra viewers" in her political calculations.
AP's only motivation for posting Palin threads is to drive up hits b/c the trolls emerge. Most of the Palin posts quickly degenerate into useless insults b/w posters that have nothing to do with the actual topic. That's not to say some of the posts aren't funny (some of the posters there have a great sense of humor), but the site has been going down hill since the election.
I don't think Michele deals with the site day to day anymore, it is strictly a business for her now. It looks to me like she lets Ed and Allah run the show. Maybe she needs to get back involved a bit.
I probably haven't seen enough of AP's posts to judge fully, but am conscious of the many references here to the concern that he's trying to drive up the number of comments his posts receive.
From experience of reading the recent threads, I can't see that much of what is written will offer any satisfaction to those who run the site. Equally, the way in which comment privilege is controlled means nothing when there isn't the courage to remove privileges for those who are openly abusive. Thereby, giving the impression that there seems to be an unspoken complicity.
Unfortunately some boards measure their success only by the quantity of their traffic - not the quality.
As said before - AP knows that a Palin thread will always be in the 500 - 1000 count. He doesn't care that 75%+ of the posts are nothing more than the trolls insulting her and people insulting the trolls in return. And perhaps he agrees with the bashers but knows he would lose traffic if he joined in wholeheartedly in the bashing.
People have complained to MM and it does appear that she is now hands off. At this point people either need to acept that HA is a site where Palin bashing is accepted, ignore all Palin threads, or leave.
What takeoff or spoof of Sarah Palin was the most ridiculous?
1)Tina Fey on SNL
2)Eminem video
3)use of the Hitler video while he is reviewing war plans
4)LisaNova's "Is McCain Palin's Bitch?
5)Red State Update: Sarah Palin Goes Rogue
my answer: #4 it was hilarious
Yeah revolting, typical, it would be better if he buried stories like that in the links, like he did with the comic, and the latest crazy musings of Brooks or Parker. This is going to be a problem, yet another poison pen, directed
against her.Ed excuse "he doesn't like personality cults,' really doesn't apply since he probably was a Moderate for Mitt, possibly now a Sap for Sanford, yes those well springs of excitement. Yes it's more important Marshall's comeback video, than her statement
on missile defense; which even the likes of Cuffy Miegs MD blogger, took a shot at her. and Allah faulted her, for not bringing up the F-22, or the FCS program,that's
not her responsibility
Welcome, Joshua!
@ Sapwolf: harsh but fair. I'll join you in prayer. And I'll be comforted by the thought that, like every good moderate, every once in a while AP will suddenly flip-flop onto a position also held by the likes of you and me.
@ Upinak and others: don't be too hard on him. I mean, by all accounts go over there and give him a good kicking every once in a while. But remember that come 2012 we're still going to have to work together to fight the good fight. He may be an annoying wet so and so, but he's OUR annoying wet so and so.
@ RAM: great to be here!
"(though admittedly Romney does have the increasingly popular Moderates 4 Mitt)."
Perhaps it's just me but... doesn't RAM write for M4M?
From M4M:
Unhand Mitt's Family Jewels!
OMG! Some maintenance worker has lifted Mitt's family jewels!
The very idea of some grubby hard-hat man-handling Mitt's family jewels just sickens me.
Posted by R. A. Mansour at 10:19 AM 4 comments
speaking as a moderate conservative, by the way, I like how they keep all their options open at M4M. "We can go either way on that issue" is of course definite proof of pragmatism rather than ideological snobbery.
Yeah me likes it.
Heh.
BTW: it is a pity that RAM and others created that site to go after Romney. That's a great way to blow up the party 3 years from now people.
@ Michael: yes, Michael, it's called a spoof. And if you don't stop your moderate moaning, I'll spoof you too. Now take your toy bike off my lawn and get back to your own site. I'll call on you again when I can find some use for you after Palin's won the nomination.
@ RAM: I think what Michael's really trying to say is that he's unhappy about the fact that you claimed the domain name before he could lay his moderate hands on it. (Btw, Michael's not really a moderate, he's just got some kind of weird boy-crush thing going on for Palin's future Treasury Secretary. I mean, that's the only semi-plausible explanation I've been able to come up with for his strange infatuation with the dullest man in politics)
Joshua, How long have been on HA? And then tell me that AP hasn't been (pissy) like this since he was told about Palin?
LOL, well, as a fiscal conservative, I favor people with a long career in business - who have proved to be good business(wo)men.
Sadly, the Internet is public territory. So you'll just have to accept me crapping on your lawn. :) It feels good, by the way. Nice. Hmm. Lekker.
As for the M4M: Dude, you speak differently when not surrounded by your tough Palin-buddies. "Conservatives shouldn't go after each other," and then here "it's great to go after Romney and those who support him!"
Oh: the real reason I don't support Palin is, of course, that I believe a woman should stay at home, do the dishes, cook, and clean the home. Enough with this "feminism." Now they even take over our jobs.
Lastly, and on a more serious note: I already said I'm not even sure I'll support Romney in 2012. I think he's good, but if a better Republican rises up to the occasion, I'll support him/her.
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