Laura Ingraham Hearts Sarah Palin
Reported by Priscilla - November 2, 2009 -
Laura Ingraham filled in for Bill O’Reilly last Friday and conducted an interview which, while structurally “fair and balanced,” included some classic Fox News right wing reportage techniques such as painting with the broad brush and interjecting right wing talking points. The title of the video, on Fox News, is “Success Envy, are feminists jealous of Sarah Palin?” The right wing meme used to be that the nasty, bad feminists were “scared” of Palin. Now, according to Fox, it seems that feminists are falling prey to the good old “green eyed monster.” At any rate, both statements show a woeful ignorance of feminism on the part of the right wing; but as the intent is to smear librul feminists, it’s all good. The interview provided good discussion as Sally Quinn held her own while Kellyanne Conway and Laura Ingraham, both sporting Christian cross bling, (Kellyanne’s was smaller) spouted the usual right rhetoric espoused by their patriarchy. And as a feminist, I can honestly say I’m not jealous of Palin. Like South Park, she’s amusing and occasionally bizarre – but unlike South Park, she’s very real!!!
Ingraham lead off with a stroke of the broad brush: “Sarah Palin, obsession in America...She’s still the target of attacks…the author of an upcoming book about Sarah Palin says the anti Palin rhetoric is all about jealous.” (Oh, you mean the homophobic Lynn Vincent who says that Planned Parenthood is genociding black babies and who “pals around” with a white supremacist) Ingraham “joked” about how journalist Sally Quinn is always talking about how feminists are jealous of Sarah Palin. “Admit it, Palin is hot, she’s pro-life, she shoots, she hunts, she has a big family…” (Is Laura “hot” for Palin?) “and all these feminists are seething with jealousy.” Quinn agreed that Palin is a feminist and believes in equality for women at which point Ingraham quickly worked in a right wing, anti choice talking point when she interjected “babies in the womb.” Quinn said that she knows many feminists and none are jealous of Palin and those who aren’t feminists “don’t like what she has to say.” Ingraham then asked Kellyanne Conway if those who say that Palin is a masterful politician but it stops there are right. Not surprisingly, Conway claimed that Palin made many women “feel inadequate” and that Palin didn’t have advantages like an Ivy League education, a husband…(hmm, is she talking about another famous feminist politician?). Conway continued with a rather sexist comment about “spinster, childless columnists who attack her for her right to choose.” Ingraham, who is a “spinster” and who was childless until she adopted her Guatemalan daughter, asked for names; but Conway said there were too many. (Actually, I don’t think Laura was pleased about the “spinster” thing.) Conway, claimed that “most of the criticism” came from females. (But still no names) She continued on about how pro life Palin is and said that the feminist movement is “rooted” in the notion that if a woman runs for president, she has to be pro-choice. (But, a Republican woman can’t be pro-choice and be a viable Republican candidate. Just ask Dede Scozzafava). She made another claim that Palin makes women feel inadequate because she has five children and no household help…a supportive husband (Laura said “he’s cute”) and that because she lost “the baby weight,” it “drives women crazy.”
Ingraham continued the meme of “if she were pro-choice,” the nasty, bad libruls wouldn’t have written “all these columns.” To Ingraham’s comment that “most people like” Palin, Quinn said that most people are feminists and made the point that the people who feel that women should be home raising children are Palin’s base. Ingraham worked in another talking point when she claimed that if a “conservative guy told a liberal woman to say home, the Maureen Dowd’s…the elite Washington establishment would have been done their throats.” Conway then accused Quinn, who questioned whether Palin should have spent more time with her children, of having written a “mean” article about Palin. She added that “Palin… acts like a woman and governs like a man.” (No stereotypes here, no sireee!! And do we really want “governing like a man?) The absurdity continued with “she didn’t raise taxes and put all that money into social programming, instead she put the governor’s jet on E-bay..But the people who attack her control the poison key boards of this country…”
Comment: What fun! Kellyanne and Laura defended Palin against the slings and arrows of outrageous feminism. But if they understood feminism and ventured onto feminist blogs (as I do) they would see that there is still an argument about whether a true feminist can be “pro-life.” (I, personally, don’t think so because for women to be fully actualized, they must be able to control their reproduction and that means that safe, legal abortion is vital.) And while Palin had the choice to have her Down’s baby, she would deny that to other women and that’s a big problem. But Fox Opinion News loves Sarah Palin and that’s why you won’t hear a rebuttal to Kellyanne Conway’s lie about Palin not putting any money into social programming. Here’s a few “social programs” that Palin funded: “Governor Palin called for increased coverage of Alaska's children under Denali KidCare, state funding to reverse childhood obesity and improve diagnosis of autism, and increased funding for Alaska's Head Start preschool programs.” And according to right wing diva Michelle Malkin, Palin increased funding for pregnant teens. And “attacks” on Palin – while Jeremiah Wright was broadcast on an endless loop, the press was mute about Palin’s out of the mainstream religious beliefs. But next to Jesus Fox loves Sarah. Just ask Laura Ingraham and Kellyanne Conway!
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/03/anti-palin-lie-of-the-morning-she-slashed-teen-pregnancy-funding/
