“Of course I hope Palin, as well as Obama, can distinguish between “the media” — journalists doing their jobs and reporting on what politicians do and say — and the entertainment industry, which (fortunately) knows no bounds when it comes to satirizing public officials”

Since real jounalism died when Walter Cronkite retired, ‘the media’ and ‘entertainment’ have become one in the same. There certainly continues to be a media double standard in how Palin has been treated. For that matter, when are you going to start investigating ANYTHING about Obama. The fact that he did an internal report that ‘cleared’ him and his campaign from any wrongdoing in the Blago mess; and you’ve let him get away with it, speaks volumes.

She has no leg to stand on in MHO. President Elect Obama and his very qualified wife, Michelle asked reporters to leave their children alone, true statement. BUT President Elect Obama and his wife, Michelle DID NOT repeat DID NOT have their daughters on stage at almost every Campaign appearance like Sarah who displayed her WHOLE family including her poor little baby boy even at night , at almost every event she attended !

In FACT, I only saw the Obama’s daughters on stage twice and the second time was when their Daddy won the Presidency! The first time was when their mother was speaking and their Dad was on Video at another location! HUGE DIFFERENCE! The Obama’s weren’t using their daughters to gain publicity. Sarah WAS and in my opinion still Is.
If the reporters abided by the Obama’s wishes regarding their daughters why wouldn’t they have done the same regarding Palin’s family? Huh? Waste of time Sarah. You need to see the reality, get out of the spotlight or take what you get for plastering yourself all over the Media! Now let’s move on this woman is done. Put a fork in her!

Though I did not support Palin in her run for VP, I do totally get where she is coming from, though I do believe some of her thinking is flawed.

I have never thought that the action of children, especially in their late teens, should reflect on their parent. I would hope that if people analyze my life, they can see that I tried things, made poor decisions all of which my parents believe is wrong. But that my doing so wasn’t because of a lack of instruction or guidance in the home.

Palin’s opinion that Kennedy may not be as scrutinized as her; well, good morning Governor, Kennedy is seeking a senate seat and not the vice presidency of the United States of America!

But throughout the campaign, I heard very few postives about Palin and have had to spend time digging up stuff to see what is really accurate or not. For all of the reports about Alaska. I am curious how many people have gotten reports from those that live there. When I go there, the things that I see and hear are not at all what was reported. As the state celebrates their 50 anniversary, I would hope that people would recognize them as a state and see all that they have to offer the union rather than thinking that it is hiding spot or the more harshly things I have heard and read.

of course she isn’t right. there is no double standard. she (and the gop party) made an issue of her children as a way to appeal to their ultra conservative, anti-abortion-in-all-circumstances, abstinence-only-education base. therefore, the fact that her abstenence-only “educated” daughter is knocked up at 17 out of wedlock by a fellow high school dropout IS news.

Well to be fair Obama’s girls aren’t pregnant teenagers and aren’t in question because of their age. Though society has drastically changed we still don’t condon children having children.

You said, “Earth to Sarah: OF COURSE they exploited you – gleefully, as a matter of fact. Psst, you were really, really famous, you know.”

The point is that they didn’t “exploit” Obama and his family. Psst… they were really famous too you know.

To be honest though society has definitely changed we still don’t publicly condon or smile upon children having children! Sarah’s lack of real concern of expression of being atleast disappointed in her daughter’s actions baffles most. She seemed more accepting of it and tried to pacify america by forcing them to get married at a young age which was not a solution. What controversy the media could get off of Obama they did! it’s not his fault his children aren’t of age for the media to gather stories about! “Sasha stole an extra apple at lunch” doesn’t make a good headline.

Palin is completely wrong – she appeared on the front cover of both People and US magazine to discuss her children. Obama never appeared once on those fluff magazines with his children. Palin chose to put herself into the media spotlight and now regrets it since it turns out her family (i.e. Bristol) isn’t as picture perfect as she wanted to portray it to be. Palin needs to just go away.

I get where Palin is coming from, and I do agree that there is a double standard to some degree. That being said, I also agree that she put her family in the spotlight. Had she left her kids at home throughout the campaign, I don’t think the media would have torn the them apart like they did. Does that mean they wouldn’t have been reported on at all? No, because the fact is, if your 18 year old daughter is knocked up and you sling your kids all over the country while running for VP, it’s going to be reported on. People are going to talk. There is no way around that. I think that if Obama’s children had any sort of controversy surrounding them, it would have been put out there by the media just the same.

No she is not right this time, or any time.

She brought this ALL on herself. The press did not invent this stuff. SHE was the one who brought her kids into the mix. SHE was the one who put the teenaged daughter’s personal business into the press. SHE was the one who dragged the infant around from place to place, with no thought or care for his health and well-being. SHE knew the rumors that the baby actually was the daughter’s not hers, BUT SHE refused to release her medical records which would have settled the matter either way. SHE was the one who proved that she is a moron during the Couric interview, now she says they were trick questions.

SHE also was the one who started all of the hate-filled speeches, and stood by and said nothing while her crowds of crazies threatened Obama’s life. SHE was the one who went on SNL trying to look cool and then got mad when it backfired on her.

Now it’s everyone else’s fault. No, Sarah, you are a rube and you need to return to the backwoods, where you belong, and stay there.

If the Repubs ever want to make a comeback, they have to get rid of people like Palin.

Sorry, she made her children public figures when her campaign used them as a selling point for her vice presidency.

Sarah Palin is a double standard. If she was so upset about Tina Fey’s sketches why did she agree to participate? Perhaps to gain more media attention just as she is doing now.

Whoa wait a minute…who was it that carted her kids out in front of the cameras every chance she got, who was it that threw her daughter under the bus about the baby instead of saying that’s a private matter and those thinking her new kid was actually that of her daughters could just sit and spin? Also who is the one that sold the pictures of her new little one to People magazine? The media isn’t making the kids a story…she is. As for Tina Fey, Palin didn’t have a problem with it while she was running, it’s only keeping the story in the paper. I believe even SNL has moved on thank goodness. After the 3rd episode it was kind of redundant and well frankly expected.

As for the media and Obama’s kids, did you see the spectacle made of his girls and their first day of school?! That was unnecessary and frankly sad. From the transition team releasing the photos they did to the journalist who covered it and those that “covered” it and then talked about how unnecessary it was to cover…..they all went to far. That argument I’ll give you but the fact that the Palin kids weren’t off limits and Obama’s were yeah that I won’t give you.

BTW I’m not sure there is a line anymore between “media” or journalist and the “entertainment industry” and that’s what this article really should have been about.

Marcy
Mobile, AL

she made her bed, let her sleep in it. she should just stop talking! every time she opens her mouth she digs a deeper hole. she’s an idiot. she trotted out her family and kids at every opp. while i agree that the media should not exploit any of the children, she herself set it up to happen that way.

now she’s spouting off about class (re: c. kennedy). hallo! kennedy HAS class, Palin WANTS to be class. big difference. one does not GET it or buy it. one IS it.

The fact of the matter is unless you have been living in a cave and dont read the paper,watch tv or listen to the radio , this is how its done. Any politician running for office on a national level or a Sen or Congress person who goes on all of the network and news channels knows this is how it works. I to totally disagree with Palin. Of course I think McCain ran a terrible campaign for his second attempt . I think he chose the wrong person. Its got nothing to do with being a women at all. If you compared every governor who routinely goes on national network news and is asked questions on anything they all whether democrat or republican come off as knowing what they are talking about and giving straight answers. They make sense and understand the questions and understand the role and purpose. McCain wanted to make history only he showed that picking a women isnt always more important as is picking someone who is ready and sophisticated enough to handle the role they accepted on the campaign. The media “elite” isnt perfect but its all we have. She knew this. She would have to. I cant imagine she doesnt watch the news. All of them do their job. The media did their job. Yes some crazy lies on blogs were spread, but they are not the news media. To say Couric or Fey had job security because of how they treated her is an outrage. Couric was doing her job and treated to her the same as any politician. Fey left SNL long ago and has her own show. They asked her back just for this. Palin says Alaska isnt in another country and she is like everyone else. No one ever had a problem with
Alaska. Maybe Palin is the one with the problem. She seems to think that because she majored in Journalism that she knows all about it. The fact is she is a politician and most journalist spend years and decades before they make it big and print journalism and television journalism are two different worlds with different training. If she wants to blame anyone or be angry maybe she should blame herself and McCain. He rushed to pick someone and she clearly didnt understand what she was getting into.

Palin is upset that she and her family are being covered by the media, for better or worse? Hello, so is all of Hollywood, and other public figures, you’re no exception!

Palin, you brought it upon yourself the moment you decided to step into public office. Did you actually think the media would leave you alone? They’re not far off with their reports on your intelligence either, you proved that all on your own during interviews, so don’t blame the media for that. Why don’t you stay in Alaska, and leave the rest of the world alone. Crawl back under your rock.

Well I don’t believe I remember hearing so much about Bush’s kids nor any other figure in politics especially any Vice Presidential candidates, so yes the media has completely been unfair to Sarah Palin!
Why? Could it be they were afraid of a REAL woman running for office unlike the dikes who usually run and try to pull of their straight identity, Sarah has a REAL family with REAL problems, so the media like to poke fun at her and make her seem stupid and dumb but the truth is she is a Woman who has a large family and even a challenged child and yet she is a Governor and she did run as a vice president, so could it be people were jealous that this woman could multitask so well and they can’t?

You know they say if you hate someone its either because they mirror something about yourself you don’t like or you are jealous and wish you were that person!!! Gee wonder which it is for most of the media?

Sarah is a little disturbed but it isn’t the media that is her problem. Thank goodness that she never really had a chance of being next in line. She should seek help.

Best line of your article: “But don’t worry, Sarah. I never really believed Fey’s hilarious suggestion that you could see Russia from your home.” Had me laughing out loud!

I agree that there should be standards when children are involved when it comes to the parental celebrity. However, when a parent is making the conscious decision to parade their children in front of the news/entertainment media then that parent chooses to take the lumps that are undoubtedly going to come along with that decision. In that case: Sorry, but you can not have your cake and eat it too.

She needs to suck it up if she’s going to play with the big boys. Having lived in Washington D.C., I may have more experience than Sarah Palin does when it comes to dealing with the inside the beltway gang.

There are plenty of wonderful people there but you truly have to think of how something is going to sound before you say it and maybe be able to name a newspaper or two, a few constitutional cases and if you want to keep your kids out of the media then keep them out.

Ms. Palin will do herself more good if she stopped whining and move on with some concrete suggestions that may help the world get back to normal.

So tired of hearing her complain. If she wants her kids to be left alone so bad then why does she continue to bring them up.

The main reason her kids became a story was because she paraded them around while campaigning, even the pregnant.

Well um…it’s not rocket science people are going to be interested when she publicly stated how she is for abstinence only then her teenage daughter is pregnant. If she wanted her kids left alone she should have left them at home like the Obama’s most of the time. Besides if Obama had a pregnant teenage daughter the media would would me telling that story to, but lets hope the Obama girls aren’t like that.

Sarah, its cause your daughter and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” were so closely correlated that there had to be press about your kids. I mean you are the REAL AMERICAN!!!

P.S. its because your kid wasn’t an average kid where school and friends are their only worries. Your kid was pregnant at a young age which is different then most. it does not matter who much money or were you live in the US, it is something different than the normal that is why?
Life is not fair and the many people in the media are ruthless therefore, they are ruthless to all in their way. At the end of the day they are just reporting what people will read.

The real difference here is this: Obama and his family, were in the news for over 20 months,Gov. Palin and her family were in the news for 8 weeks. It seemed like you saw more of Palin’s family because every thing was pushed into that 8 week period. And, Obama saidhis “Family was off-limits.” and the news obeyed. Gov. Palins family was not given the same respect. And, yes we did see Obama’s girls , get ice cream, be on vacations a couple of times, attend church, play soccer games etc. etc. The only real difference is it was spread out over 20 months. And, no the Obama girls aren’t pregnant,stupid comment, what are they 8 and 10. let’s see what happens when their 16 and 18.

More whinning from Sarah Palin again…why don’t she fixes her own family image first before she complains about the difference in media coverage over her children and Obama’s children. It is probably due to her own hypocrisy – being the ultra right wing conservative and let her teenage daughter get pregnant out of wedlock.

double standard … maybe …

but it really is that the media and entertainment industry look at all events through the filter of their own liberal world view … they don’t even realize that other people have other standards …. and despite their advocacy of tolerance for “others” … they don’t even acknowledge that others have standards different from their own.

The liberals believe in the standards that each individual deems correct and valid …. and never question if their own “wisdom” is enough to validate any set of standards.

Are the media and entertainment industries displaying a double standard or are they simply prejudice/intolerant against/of everyone that doesn’t agree with their set of standards?

Palin’s complaint just shows she will use anything and everything to stay in the limelight – even her family. In the campaign they were everywhere she was – why wasn’t Dad keeping them in their regular routine at home? And now when attention is naturally shifting over to the winners and the inauguration as well as other issues, Sarah uses them again to whine that they were exploited unlike the children from Obama’s family. And this gets her more attention. She needs to do her governor’s job in Alaska and not try to reach for a job that is above her mental capacity. Dan Qualye was smarter than this one and that isn’t saying much.

If Sarah is so upset at the way the press handles her, she needs to keep her butt off the air waves! Get a decent education before you open up your mouth with Harvard & Yale graduates. Palin you are not a smart woman and it shows everytime you open your mouth. How you became governor? ….. was done on a HOOK & a Prayer.

Obama girls are not pregnant.
Enough said Palin!

Hello!? Palin IS a backwoods rube, as are the majority of Alaskans. She did everything, but name her sons and daughters Ebb and Dubb. Knowing full well of the skeletons in her closet as well of her lack of personal qualifications and sophistication, the simple and honest thing for Palin to do would have been to turn down the nomination. Instead, with Palin’s full support, the GOP tried to fool the American people for politcal purposes by pretending she was something she is obviously not and then hide her from the media. What was the media to do? Aid and contribute to the charade? The media is to be congratulated for exposing Palin for what she is and has done while in office: abuse of power, ethics violations, misuse of funds, nepotism, favoritism, political corruption and other chicanery that continues to unfold to this day. Look it up and get real.

What is it with you guys and gals on CNN trying to constantly defend Sarah Palin. Sorry guys and gals but this ignorant myopic woman has been thrust into a position where she could potentially have been Vice President of the United Sates with a guy that could very well have not lived out his term as President. She has ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATED time and time again how inept she is at truly understanding the world in which we live. Not only in a gobal general knowledge sense but in her personal family life as well.

An out of wed lock teen age pregnancy, an over protective and seemingly very jealous husband with absolutely no class, the teenage ‘boyfreind’ and out of wedlock father who looks like he might get married sometime if it isn’t hunting season and if he feels like it maybe and last but not least the Drug abusing and Drug BUSTED maybe sometime mother in law. Not to mention the self proclaimed ‘Red Neck’ maybe sometime husband to be with GED ‘online’ high school diploma (maybe if he passes and doesn’t get distracted hunting Caraboo or Bears or Birds or Fish or Beaver). Does any American that really cares about this nation and its image in the world really want people like this in or near the White House and our National Government ?

As was said before Something indeed has happened to genuine news reporting when reporters can’t seem to tell the difference between an entertainment tonight personality and a genuine political reality. Has G W Bush dumbed down een CNN new reporters to this level ? My God you guys were always so very professional. What happened to you ?

It is amazing the reaction to Sarah Palin by some. You would think she was an evil person with no values. Just because her values are different to some..does that make her an idiot? Where is the tolerance? I thought America was a country where we respected the views of others. If most people had the demeaning things said about them that were said about the governor of Alaska, they would probably expect the media to show some fairness in their reporting to set the record straight.

If anyone watched the campaigns, they would know that the Palin children were not always on stage “for display.”

I think recent surveys of Obama voters tell exactly what happened in the campaign. The media was “pro- Obama” and very much negative of McCain and particularly of Sarah Palin. Obama voters could not answer the most basic questions about the government or the candidates. The record speaks for itself. Of course there were uninformed voters in either party. The press was responsibile for the disportionate facts they presented that favored the Democrat party. Therefore, we had an uninformed electorate.

We will have a new president that did not get my vote. He will, however, have my respect as my president. I wish him well for the good of our country.

Unfortunately for Sarah Palin, Obama’s daughters are innocent young children, and an unmarried pregnant teen is rather different. Sorry, Palin. And why did you parade all those kids in front of the media then? In my opinion Palin sounds vindictive and immature. I’m thoroughly disgusted. She makes my skin crawl.

P.S. Jon ou mentioned i this article something about the Omam girls having a little breathing room … well Palin’s teen age daughter getting pregnant out of wed lock is just a bit over the top of a ‘little breathing room’ don’t you think ? Palin is dead wrong and to be honest she emarasses EVERY American when she trots onto center stage and acts like a complete AIRHEAD TWIT in some third rate beauty peagent before the eyes of the world !

If she didn’t want media coverage on them , then she shouldn’t have been talking about them or had them at her rallies. The only information that I know of her kids are things that i hear COMING STRAIGHT OUT OF HER MOUTH!

“The media’s standard is designed to make Palin look like a backwoods rube…!? Hello!? Palin IS a backwoods rube, as are the majority of Alaskans (who do you think voted her into the Governor’s Office?). Palin did everything, but name her sons and daughters Ebb and Dubb to convince Alaskans she was one of them. And during the Vice Presidential debates, it sure wasn’t the media that repeatedly winked and talked about “Joe six-pack”, on national television. Knowing full well of the skeletons in her closet, as well of her lack of personal qualifications and sophistication, the simple and honest thing for Palin to do would have been to turn down the nomination. Instead the GOP, with Palin’s full support, tried to fool the american people for political purposes by pretending she is something she is obviously not and then try to hide her from the media. What was the media to do? Aid and contribute to the charade? The media is to be congratulated for exposing the Palin and simple truth. The truth can be Palinful.

She made herself look like a backwoods rube

Sarah keeps making the wrong comparison. Caroline Kennedy has nothing to do with this (and hasn’t had much great press anyway). If she wants to make her comparisons the only legitimate one is Hillary Clinton.

I recall that Palin said that Clinton was whining about the treatment she got. (Then of course came out praising her as she & McCain tried to pick up her voters)

Hillary is about 5x as smart as Palin and went through 20 years of relentless attacks. If she wants to talk about a woman who has stood the test of time and weathered all kinds of weird personal attacks – including some on her child – then look to Hillary Clinton.

The media practicing double standards? No, you’re kidding.

Look, Obama’s children are 8 and 11 what the heck is there for the media to cover? What pj’s they wear to bed? Give me a damn break.

Tell me how much coverage do you think the Obama’s would have received if they had a 16yr old unmarried pregnant daughter on stage with them? I’ll bet the moose’s head the media coverage would have PALIN comparison. Please don’t talk to me about the media’s double standards!!

All children of famous people should be off limits no matter what. These kids didn’t choose to live in the bubble or be put into the families they were (either by birth or adoption). It’s bad enough they have to watch their parent’s every move being scrutinized and slammed by people with the intelligence of a rock. What is worse is when these kids themselves are scrutinized and slammed by these same dimwits. I really feel sad for all of these kids, because it really does suck to never know whether you achieve what you do by your own merits or because your parents’ names earned you privileges you never would have received otherwise. What really sucks is realizing that your “friends” really aren’t, but are simply riding your coattails because of your family name and what they think hanging around with you can provide for them. Here’s hoping by some miracle they all find “normal” in a life that by their parents’ choices never will be again.

Well said, EJ – USA… I agree completely!

The election is over; the American voters had spoken. President-elect Obama is about to be inaugurated as US president in a week. Sarah Palin needs to accept defeat with dignity and grace, and stop whining and using her kids as trajectory points and avenues to whatever political agendas she has up her sleeves in the future!

Any comparisons of the Palin children to the Obama girls or of the Palins to the Obamas, the Clintons, or to Caroline Kennedy are light years–yes, I repeat…light years–apart. Palin has a lot of gall to even go that route. Is she really that clueless not to know that the press was only reporting the “grist from the grind?” She needs to give it a complete REST. McCain has; why can’t she?

Gee Sarah, of course there is a different standard for you. The other candidates didn’t offer themselves and their families to the press like you did, and continue to do so.

Face it, the campaign ended over two months ago. It’s time for you to own up to and deal with your mistakes. Stop casting blame around, quit acting like the teenager that got dumped, grow up, control your ego, learn from your experience, and get back to work!

Palin is 100% wrong! She’s the one who trotted her brood out in public and her unwed daughter’s choice of a bright red dress just shows the hypocrisy in her so-called platform. Abstinence only for everyone, but when it didn’t work for her own daughter, she said that she was glad that her daughter CHOSE to have the child. So, her daughter has a choice, but no one else does?

She won’t stop talking either. Tina Fey didn’t have to make up words to portray palin as a joke, and palin’s turkey episode was probably just another “home movie” that she makes on a regular basis up there in Alaska. I heard that Larry King said, “What’s next, the Cartoon Channel?”

She made a split-second decision to run for the position that is one heartbeat away from the presidency and now she wants to complain after everyone found out that she couldn’t debate her way out of a box. I, for one, am totally insulted that she was picked just because she had the same chromosomes as Hillary. And, I am glad that she lost!