the "Gotcha Media": Was Palin Right?

It was about a year ago America was graced with the new face of the GOP: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. With her quirky smile and her history as a "soccer mom" who dared to have it all, it was no secret to the American People that John McCain was trying to give his constituents a conservative's answer to Hillary. Trading in a pant suit for a skirt suit and raspy voice for a cuter, more feminine twang, Sarah Palin's star rose faster and higher than anyone could have foreseen.

But then came the snag: the media. With frequent sit-down interviews with the most elite journalists in the country and countered by an award winning skit by Tina Fay, Palin was doomed from the start. Rather than propelling the GOP machine forward into the White House, she instead served a the cog that brought the crumbling party to a screeching halt.

She was wrong for so many reasons. It was wrong to believe that America's heart could be won by an ex-beauty queen turned housewife turned politician and it was insulting to think that the modern American woman would look to her as an example. But one question I have to ask is, Was Sarah actually right about the media and the tactics used in the run for ratings?

For over 16 months straight, CNN, MSNBC, FOX and others were hardly competing for news. The Election 2008 was an amazing demonstration of democracy at it's finest; and the competition was coming down to a nail biting tie. The media loved Barack Obama; he was a fresh burst of air on an otherwise stagnant, stuffy tradition. Charismatic, athletic and thoughtful, he stunned the nation by appearing everywhere from Oprah's Couch to Hot Dog stands on Main Street.

But then something unprecedented, unpredictable happened: he actually won the election. And the media pundits and critics who spent 16 months reporting his glory have now become responsible for his declining numbers.

I don't expect you to agree with me. And frankly, I don't really care. But someone needs to say something about the media and the attention the Democratic leaders of this country in comparison to the grumpy, conservative GOP.

Former President George W. Bush has left a gigantic, ugly scar on my generation. He lied to us, he deceived us and hand in hand with his administration and his ridiculous conservative fleet, he managed to make a mockery of the democratic system. But do you notice that there has yet to be any repercussions of this what-so-ever? Where is our David Frost? Where is our redemption? When will it be our turn to get some much needed answers from this man regarding his choices?

I believe that Barack Obama has been given an impossible challenge. And maybe before y'all go about pointing fingers at your President who 6 months ago, you supported, you should ask yourself, "If I was the President, where would I even begin???" I ask myself that question everyday -- and I have yet to find the answer.

READ THE BILL on Healthcare and then post your lame Facebook statuses on how he's changing his mind.

READ THE BILL on the Stimulus package and then cry about the failing economy.

I'll admit, it was trendy to vote for Barack Obama last year; just like it's trendy to drink your coffee out of a paper cup while carrying your groceries in a recyclable bag from Whole Foods. But ya know what? Your country needs you to be informed.

So read. Process. Think. Be better than you were with the last administration.

THEN and only THEN can you pass judgment.

Because if nothing else, don't you want to believe Sarah Palin is never right?

Dear Miss Manners...

The past week has been chalk full of displays that have been nothing short of shocking. I find myself having the same argument in my head which consists of Left Brain asking Right Brain, "Why do you even care?"

Manners.

I was brought up in a house where the salad fork was to the left of the dinner fork and the dessert spoon was above the plate above the soup spoon. Not everyone had this luxury. And no, I'm not a snob. My parents wanted to make sure my sister and I could go out to nice dinners, whether in regular or professional life and be able to hold our own regardless of company.

I learned that the terms "Please" and "Thank you" are more powerful in a formal setting, than knowing the state of Wall Street. And that when the most well-to-do woman in the office comes in wearing an atrocious outfit, the last thing you do is stare. Lastly, when someone of importance and authority is speaking, you do not, under any circumstances interrupt, but rather listen carefully, wait your turn, and then voice your opinion in a calm and collected manner.

These are all basic skills (yes, skills) that I was brought up to believe everyone knew.

Rep. Joe Wilson's famous outburst on the House floor last week shocked me for no other reason than it put a callous man with no respect for his Commander in Chief on display for the whole country to see and possibly support. And support is what he gained. My disgust has little to do with his views on health care and everything to do with his views of the Presidential Office. How can anyone support a man who is so rude and scathing. What kind of a role model does that create for America's youth?

I do not care if you are a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent. I could care less if you are liberal or conservative, rich or poor. But the future of this country and the future of our democracy rests on the principle of respect; the foundation of our government was not laid by who could shout the loudest, but on freedom of choice and freedom to say what is on your mind. Joe Wilson should have understood that a Presidential address to a joint session of Congress was no place for him to make his voice heard.

I sat through 2 State of the Unions under President Clinton and likewise 7 State of the Union addresses by George W. Bush. While the President stood before a joint session of Congress and cast blame on the wrong country which sparked an international conflict and put the United States of America's reputation on the line, Congress still had the respect to listen.

Shame on you, Joe Wilson.

Shame on you.