Posted on 10/01/2008 11:59:28 AM PDT by presidio9
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a traitor and an idiot. Also, my mother should have aborted me and left me in a Dumpster, but since she didn't, I should "off" myself.
Those are just a few nuggets randomly selected from thousands of e-mails written in response to my column suggesting that Sarah Palin is out of her league and should step down.
Who says public discourse hasn't deteriorated?
The fierce reaction to my column has been both bracing and enlightening. After 20 years of column writing, I'm familiar with angry mail. But the past few days have produced responses of a different order. Not just angry, but vicious and threatening.
Some of my usual readers feel betrayed because I previously have written favorably of Palin. By changing my mind and saying so, I am viewed as a traitor to the Republican Party—not a "true" conservative.
Palin's fans say they like her specifically because she's an outsider, not part of the Washington club. When she flubs during interviews, they identify with that too. "You see the lack of polish, we applaud it," one reader wrote.
Of course, there's a difference between a lack of polish and a lack of coherence. Some of Palin's interview responses can't even be critiqued on their merits because they're so nonsensical. "Let Sarah be Sarah" has become the latest rallying cry among my colleagues on the right. She'll be fine if we just leave her alone, they say. Between prayers, I might add.
Not all my mail has been mean-spirited. A fair number expressed polite disappointment; others relief and gratitude. Still others offered reasonable arguments aimed at changing my mind. I may yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Ms Parker must have been touched with the enlightenment of The Messiah?
she’s been getting angry emails since 1988???
Cool.
I don’t know why Kathleen would do this. She is a lovely and smart person.
I am very disappointed in her.
Who knew that Nostradamus was a conservative?
KP is a lefist tool, always has been. I’ve already cancelled my subscription to Townhall because of her, and I let them know it. Let her wither on the vine of her own biased agenda.
My prediction is that her career as someone that Conservatives take seriously is over. She’ll resurface writing for Slate or as a house negro on MSNBC.
...and her parents saw FDR on TV in 1929.
If she and the MSM would be honest with the public on who they support, we would not give a fat rats arse!
But her love of Hussein is what lead her attack Gov Palin, after all she did vote for Clinton once.
She is quite the idiot. I didn't realize she had previously said positive things and then said bad thing about Palin. I just care what she said in her stupid, negative critique.
Again, what an idiot.
Don’t bother changing your mind. You are as vacuous as the Ditsy Chits and are in good company.
You insult Governor Palin and then you are insulted when you get your own ignorance back at you?
Conservative columnists should know that they are dealing with an intelligent, principled readership. We can read Leftist drivel in a vast variety of places, so we don’t need to read it in “conservative” columns.
However, perhaps she can be the token “conservative” on CNN if she plays her cards right. The pathetic David Gergen can’t last forever.
I sent her an email and told her to quit whining about ‘bipartisanship’, that that was just a euphemism for the Republicans caving in to the Democrats.
I told her that politics was a rough and tumble business and if she couldn’t accept that then she should find something else to do.
BTW, I was nice. I didn’t offer threats or personal attacks.
reasonable discourse is fine tight up until the day we wake up in the American soviet socialist republic.
Less obfuscation, more straight effing talk.
beyond tired of politi-babble. say what you mean and mean what you say.
too much to hope for.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am a traitor and an idiot.”
I wouldn’t agree with those characterizations, Kathleen. I think you’re mostly an ignoramus and a hypocrite.
What qualifies you to declare Governor Palin as unqualified to be the VP nominee?
And where is your article declaring Obama the most unqualified major party presidential nominee in memory of most living Americans? His ‘qualifications’ and ‘experience’ to be president are thin, and almost non-existent.
With the article you wrote, you simply made yourself look clueless, biased and ignorant, etc., etc.
She’s wrong about Sarah, and maybe she’s wrong about a lot of other things as well, but this sentence, buried later in the article, does read true:
“The picture is this: Anyone who dares express an opinion that runs counter to the party line will be silenced. That doesn’t sound American to me, but Stalin would approve. Readers have every right to reject my opinion. But when we decide that a person is a traitor and should die for having an opinion different than one’s own, then we cross into territory that puts all freedoms at risk.”
We don’t need to become like the loony frothing libs. We can express disagreement with decorum and dignity, rather than resorting to death threats and name calling. That is not the way that real conservatives - real AMERICANS - should behave.
I’m disappointed she did such a rapid about-face on Gov. Palin. I don’t think it’s morally or intellectually justified. But even more disappointing is the kind of reaction this has let loose. We are supposed to BELIEVE in the IMMORTAL ideals of America - free speech, the right to dissent, the value of RATIONAL AND INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION in the public space. Isn’t this the VERY REASON we find it so absolutely critical to defeat Obama??
Let’s not become what we hate.
There are idiots in every large group, Parker points them out to paint those that oppose her with the wacko label. She certainly hasn’t had the kind of vicious attacks that Gov. Palin has, and she stuck her knife in the back.
Sooner or later Rachael Maddow is going to tell Pat Buchanan "shut up Pat, it's my show" one time too many, and after he explodes there may be an opening for Parker.
I myself am irked that there are fellow conservatives who express themselves via homocidal/scatological/sexual disgust imagery. It is so malicious and imbecilic, it makes us sound like leftists.
C'mon. We can do better than that.
Sour grapes...she is a Romney supporter.
Here’s an email I just sent off to Kathleen Parker.
Dear Kathleen:
The vicious and threatening email you’ve received palls in comparison to that which Sarah Palin has been forced to endure, simply for the honor of being chosen McCain’s Veep. That certainly does not excuse its coming your way! Vile is vile and always outside of legitimate political or any other type discourse.
But now you know it’s out there. Hatred and vitriol beyond comprehension has been the norm at web sites like Daily KOS and Huffington. It’s sad that it has shown a bit of its ugliness in conservative circles. But conservatives are much better at self-policing same. Liberals encourage it, snicker at it, laugh out loud at it. It’s disgusting.
Palin has been the brunt of far worse than you have experienced. You’ve called people out for your mean-spirited treatment. How about doing the same for Gov Palin?
Sincerely,
A CONSERVATIVE RESPONDS ...
“The picture is this: Anyone who dares express an opinion that runs counter to the party line will be silenced. That doesn’t sound American to me, but Stalin would approve.”
How grotesquely unfair of you!
Consider the fact that you have a soapbox read by millions. People writing you emails do not. They are at a distinct disadvantage.
You wrote something that was IMMEDIATELY used by the liberal media and the Obama campaign itself as “proof”
that Palin was unqualified etc. It offended, annoyed and outraged many who think that Palin is getting smeared
and unfairly treated. It was like watching a rape and criticizing the victim for wearing the wrong clothes.
(You may not agree with that categorization, but that’s how many people see it; you attacked a fine woman while she was down due to
very unfair media treatment.)
Nowhere in your unfair column did you mention how CBS News spliced up the Palin interview to make her look worse.
Nowhere in your unfair column did you mention the pervasive and massive liberal media bias and specific actions to hurt her and to
favor Obama. These factors are real. You could have dissected the unfair NYTimes article. instead, you ‘piled on’ and did
it unfairly to Gov Palin.
Given all that, and given the fact that the ‘silent majority’ is increasingly voiceless, you get some over-the-top
email. I am sorry some people get so mad that they say threatening and dumb things. But we all get it; I’ve been called far
worse on internet forums. Michael Moore says it out loud and he gets to sit next to an ex-President. That’s a real problem,
validating his hate.
So, please grow up and realize that your words have been used to help elect a far more dangerous
and unqualified candidate than Gov Palin, and that is Barack Hussein Obama. Remember him?
“Everyone’s to blame, by the way.”
Not really. But I guess that must include you, for calling people ‘stalinists’ for having the temerity to pop off to you
about your opinion. That’s as ‘over the top’ as what people were telling you. phew!
Your column was dumb for the basic reason that you didn’t seem to grasp that McCain couldn’t replace Palin. People telling
you that is not a serious attempt to stifle your right to write, but to correct the record.
I would urge you to consider this:
1. Instapundit’s info on the in-the-tank Obamedia:
“Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working.” I asked permission to reprint without attribution and it was granted.
2. The many attempts by BHO’s campaign to silence critics. Why are you whining about your mailbag when
Obama has assembled DAs to intimidate speech in Missouri? Where are your priorities!?!?
...and much, much worse.
LLS
I’m just sorry I didn’t send Parker a nasty e-mail last year when she declared Hillary “well qualified to be president.”
opps... musta mis-read that.
And I agree... that kind of vile is best left for the leftists.
This b!tch is dead to me... I will never again give her the time of day... she is a begala from this day forward.
LLS
Publicity?
What’s her email addy?
Laura Ingraham said this morning that she might have to do an intervention with Kathleen. They are good friends.
“I’m a poor persecuted Idiot” Alert.
I’ve been direct-sending data files P2P over phone lines since the winter of 1983.
“I don’t know why Kathleen would do this. She is a lovely and smart person.”
Compared to who?
I hear Eva Braun was a lovely person also, but she had lousy taste in men.
She knew what she was doing. She was jumping in Sarah's spotlight. Good for her! Now she can get herself a book deal: "How to Lose Friends and Influence an Election."
I have met her and corresponded with her. She is a peach with a great family, that’s who.
Well, if true, a very sad event.
Anything is possible.
I remain very, very disappointed in Kathleen Parker.
Maybe she can get John McCain to go on Katie Couric with her and tell people to stop picking on her?
When a writer decides it’s all about them, it’s over.
I’m with you. There are certainly ways to make Ms. Parker aware of one’s disagreement with her commentary without having to sink to the level of the Daily Kos or Democratic Underground.
Remember how mad we all were at the comments made after the announcement of Tony Snow’s cancer, then again after his death.
I can’t say I have agreed with Ms. Parker or Peggy Noonan or Tammy Bruce very often but the fact that they have expressed views on occasion in accordance with some of the ideals of conservatism such as small government and individual freedom and reponsibility pleased me a lot more than reading the rantings of Medea Benjamin, Katrina vanden Heuval (The Nation magazine) and Madeline Talbott (head of ACORN).
No Kathleen, you've never written favorably about Governor Palin. You're a long time Romney supporter and you've been beating the drum for McCain to dump the governor in favor of Mitt from the very start. So don't play "shocked" when you hear from us about what we think of your backstabbing.
No one is claiming she should be silenced by government intervention. They are saying they won’t read her column and think she is an idiot. That is also free speech!
I’m guessing she gets death threats just like liberal blacks get nooses - only in their minds.
Follow-up Ping!
Kathleen Parker is right. Sarah Palin has allowed herself to be corrupted by the Bush handlers and she apparently has cut herself off from news sources, relying heavily on White house “briefs”. (Limit the data in... Limit the data out)
The result? She comes off as a simpleton with a flawed memory on the “talking points”.
God willing, Sarah will be herself in the debates and abandon the positions she has been force-fed by the Bush handlers.
It was a shame to see how quickly the Republican idiots undid her after her initial introduction.
On an aside- I will change the channel the first time she says “John McCain deserves our support” or some other kissup comment. *barf*
What kind of e-mail did she get from the left while she was in Palin’s corner? Any better or worse than when she changed her mind?
Note to author: When you attack “our” Sarah you PO all the normal people........
Sorry Kathleen. When Obama does this to you then ping me. Until then take the criticism like a man.
ROTFL...Parker hasn't noticed the "public discourse" that she joined that has been savaging Palin for weeks? What a dim bulb.
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