Sarah Writes

Judging by the reactions to Sarah’s book, what she seems to have accomplished is mostly to prove she can’t remember phone conversations any better than email, or that she even knows the difference (what might be a legitimate point for someone who thinks a photograph for a running magazine wouldn’t turn up anywhere else). Apparently, to her it’s all just words. I can’t argue with that.

But moving on to important stuff, it’s not the shorts in the photo. It’s the classic “I am sex object on display” pose that’s sort of offensive. I’ve seen some dramatic photos of Palin running along a rocky beach somewhere in front of a glacier that seem to say more about an effective personality than standing with your hands and one leg hitched up in a beauty-contest, fashion-mag celebrity pose, although even with the glacier, she is alone. She may be a highly intelligent and savvy politician, but she’s channeling it into a fool’s image. How are we supposed to respect that? She has to get beyond Wasilla-league popularity to be a serious political factor.

"I'm going to have my official portrait painted on the nose of an F-22."





And by the way, isn’t it a desecration of The Flag to throw it over a chair and plant your elbow on it like a placemat? I thought there was a specific way to fold and store an American Flag when it isn’t on proper display? What do the swift boat veterans for patriotic BS have to say about that?

No doubt Newsweek chose the photo because it seems to reflect badly on Palin’s ideology and would generate controversy, but that isn’t even the issue. Yeah, unless you’re Bill O’Reilly or Hannity, and sexual harassment is your cup of tea, so to speak, this is a demeaning photo, whether it’s Newsweek, Runners World, Hustler, or the Catholic Review. What makes her think she can get away with it? I’ve seen photos of presidents running and playing golf or tennis, but unless they were just being goofy I’ve never seen presidents dressed for exercise and standing around in a Mr. Universe flex pose with American Flags wadded up under their arms.

If you have some, trot them out.

Here’s Thinking for You.
Iffy