If you listen to Republican legislators at the underwhelming Republican convention these past few days, you understand how disciplined these guys are at message control - and how totally dishonest.
The talking points have obviously been circulated. You hear the following:
"Sarah Palin has more experience than Barack Obama."
"Sarah Palin is a maverick who fights corruption."
"Sarah Palin was thoroughly vetted."
Now I would imagine all good soldiers in movement conservatism would say these kinds of things, but even moderate Republicans like Olympia Snowe are saying them. And, of course, they are all lies, as the media is and will continue to prove.
But here's the dead giveaway, the talking points that prove Repubicans are completely fabricating things. Each and every elected Republican congressman and senator is saying the following:
"People all over my district are stopping me or calling or emailing and saying how excited they are about Sarah Palin - not just Republicans, but Independents and Democrats."
"It doesn't matter if Sarah Palin was vetted or not, America is falling in love with her and her story."
"The media is sexist."
Now these three things cannot be proven or disproven. The first two will play themselves out only on election day. Then we will know if Independents and Democrats turn away from a proven visionary and leader and choose an old soldier, with memory and judgment problems, because he has chosen a hockey mom (her words, not mine, so don't cry "sexist") as his running mate.
The third talking point, that the media is sexist, just doesn't cut it. The media went after Dan Quayle too, and it wasn't because they were biased against white guys. It was because he was a surprise pick who people knew nothing about. As the press learned more that was unpleasant about him (eg. using connections to get him into the National Guard to avoid the draft) they went after him more.
The media, as well as the people, had better take a long and critical look at someone new running for one of the highest offices in the land. They have sure put Obama through the ringer for 18 months, and still are. And Obama has never once cried "racism."
Accusing the press of racism and sexism when they are doing the vetting that needs to be done, or when a campaign is failing because of bad strategy, is what losers do.
Have some in the press made sexist or racist remarks? Sure, that's still the society we live in. Does the press also go after white guys? Ask Bill Clinton how it felt the entire time he occupied the White House. Can you spell Whitewater? Or John Kerry in the last election. Does the term Swift Boat ring a bell? (Sorry for the cliches)
Did the press, the tabloids and the bloggers take the baby story too far? Probably. But remember all the stories about the "murder" of Vince Foster, and the press frenzy whenever any white guy drops his pants when and where he shouldn't? From Larry Craig to John Edwards, sex scandals sell papers and get ratings. This isn't sexism and it isn't racism. It's capitalism.
The press does what the press does.
And politicians do what politicians do.
And Republicans lie.
