Some Kind Of Ugly

[Anonymous]

Tom Bevan at Real Clear Politics describes the role of Andrew Sullivan, a Barack Obama supporter at The Atlantic, in propagating the Palin story:

ST. PAUL - Let me get this straight: an anonymous blogger from the left wing site Daily Kos cobbles together snippets from newspapers, undated or misdated pictures, and other anecdotes and tidbits of information to produce a conspiracy theory that Sarah Palin is covering up the fact that her daughter, Bristol, is really the mother of Trig, the five month old baby born in April with Down's Syndrome.

This ugly rumor - ripped straight from the headlines of Desperate Housewives - is then picked up, turned over, and promoted repeatedly by a "respectable" writer in the online version of one of America's most venerated magazines.

The result is that an unfounded personal smear, which really should have no business existing outside of the bowels of the left wing Internet, becomes an overnight sensation among the political chattering class.

The sordid chronology of the last few days will get lost quickly as the mainstream media turns its attention to the dramatic announcement yesterday that Bristol Palin is five months pregnant. But make no mistake about it: this was a litmus test of the media's responsibility and integrity, and at least one journalist failed that test miserably.

While all the major media outlets shied away from repeating this crackpot theory, Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic jumped into the fever swamp with both feet. Not only that, but he continues to demand that the Palins produce medical records to refute the rumor even after yesterday's announcement about Bristol made it clear that she could not possibly be the mother.

Just a couple of weeks ago Sullivan latched on to and began promoting another rumor that bubbled up from the left wing blogs that John McCain had lifted his "cross in the dirt" story from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago only to discover no such passage existed in the book.

Sullivan appears to want to justify his descent by arguing that trafficking in rumors is perfectly appropriate for his blog. He's just asking questions, after all. But The Atlantic is not Daily Kos, though these days it's becoming harder and harder to tell the difference.

I initially cheered Sullivan for at least posting the photo that showed Palin obviously pregnant, but I'm disgusted to read that he's demanding the Palins produce Trig's birth records even after forcing them to reveal Bristol's pregnancy. Pursuing a rumor like this is NOT responsible or respectable journalism, friends. And given Sullivan's own history, the hypocrisy is breathtaking. I agree with Bevan that "this was a litmus test of the media's responsibility and integrity, and at least one journalist failed that test miserably."

[Anonymous]

This ginned-up outrage and indignation is straight out of the GOP playbook. And they hope the outrage will diminish the real story: Palin was a horribly BAD choice. BUt for now, shame on those nasty, nasty liberals. And somehow we'll try to link this outrage to Obama. It was his supporters who did this! I wonder how long Palin will last. It's one embarrasment and weird story after the next.

I mean the Alaskan Independence Party?! And they said Michelle Obama was un-American?!!

I still say the Palin birth story was enough to question and to raise eyebrows. She's an odd lady and she should have thought more about her family and less about her own political ambition and ego than to put them through this. And before you say I'm sexist, I'd say the same thing if Todd Palin were nominated.

[jsteele]

I made my feelings about Sullivan clear back in July:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/20315.page#124907

"I really don't care what Andrew Sullivan thinks ... Sullivan has been wrong about enough that he can be pretty easily discounted. Give him six months and his position will be completely different in any case."

The ellipses replaced "of Obama", but my feelings aren't limited to that topic.

Ethically, questioning who gave birth to Trig was always beyond the pale. But you would think someone like Sullivan would at least understand that it was a political minefield as well.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I made my feelings about Sullivan clear back in July:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/20315.page#124907

"I really don't care what Andrew Sullivan thinks ... Sullivan has been wrong about enough that he can be pretty easily discounted. Give him six months and his position will be completely different in any case."

The ellipses replaced "of Obama", but my feelings aren't limited to that topic.

Ethically, questioning who gave birth to Trig was always beyond the pale. But you would think someone like Sullivan would at least understand that it was a political minefield as well.

Yeah, you would think. I hear there's more than a little embarrassment at The Atlantic.

To the PP, sure, Palin is a bad choice, but her children should never enter into the discussion -- and the discussion should be framed around her merits as a potential vice president. To do as Sullivan did, and pursue the rumor about Trig into the ground, is ethically wrong for a journalist. And, as Jeff said, it's a political minefield as well. He did Obama no favors with this and only stokes the claims of media bias. But targeting Palin's children is uglier than anything I've seen from the mainstream media before.