Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Dana Milbank: "I'm declaring February a Palin-free month. Join me!"

Baraka_Guru · 01-23-2011, 09:26 AM

The thing about Palin is that she has a high profile for a number of reasons. A big reason is that she came from nowhere (well, Alaska) to become a candidate for the vice presidency. She came to the spotlight at a time when the Tea Party came into the spotlight. She has essentially aligned herself with them, and so you get this individual who has popularity, has a high media profile, and is supporting a high-profile political movement during a high-profile economic/political upheaval in the U.S.

Also, take a look at the recent poll numbers regarding support for the GOP presidential nomination:

Code:

Mike Huckabee   18.2% 
Mitt Romney     18.1%
Sarah Palin     16.6%
Newt Gingrich   12.4%
Ron Paul         5.6% 
Tim Pawlenty     4.1% 
Mitch Daniels    2.8% 
Haley Barbour    2.3% 
Mike Pence       2.3% 
John Thune       1.7%

I fail to see how Palin truly matters so little that we should stop talking about her for a month. I can see this as a personal exercise in your own relationship with consuming and publishing within the media, but I don't see the wider application within the public and within the practices of the media.

If anything, most of the attention she gets is deserved. If anything, Huckabee and Romney should be getting more attention than they are. But the thing to understand is that this isn't just about political positions and plans for the presidency; it's also about how you communicate that and engage in the political environment.

Palin's methods get her a lot of attention. To look away is like looking away from a train wreck. Well, maybe it's more like looking away from a runaway train that just might wreck itself.... Should we look away from that?

01-23-2011, 09:26 AM	#22 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Some perspective The thing about Palin is that she has a high profile for a number of reasons. A big reason is that she came from nowhere (well, Alaska) to become a candidate for the vice presidency. She came to the spotlight at a time when the Tea Party came into the spotlight. She has essentially aligned herself with them, and so you get this individual who has popularity, has a high media profile, and is supporting a high-profile political movement during a high-profile economic/political upheaval in the U.S. Also, take a look at the recent poll numbers regarding support for the GOP presidential nomination: Code: Mike Huckabee 18.2% Mitt Romney 18.1% Sarah Palin 16.6% Newt Gingrich 12.4% Ron Paul 5.6% Tim Pawlenty 4.1% Mitch Daniels 2.8% Haley Barbour 2.3% Mike Pence 2.3% John Thune 1.7% I fail to see how Palin truly matters so little that we should stop talking about her for a month. I can see this as a personal exercise in your own relationship with consuming and publishing within the media, but I don't see the wider application within the public and within the practices of the media. If anything, most of the attention she gets is deserved. If anything, Huckabee and Romney should be getting more attention than they are. But the thing to understand is that this isn't just about political positions and plans for the presidency; it's also about how you communicate that and engage in the political environment. Palin's methods get her a lot of attention. To look away is like looking away from a train wreck. Well, maybe it's more like looking away from a runaway train that just might wreck itself.... Should we look away from that? __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 01-23-2011 at 09:30 AM..