Time for the Straight Talk Distress

In the American League of Major League Baseball, pitchers are criticized for throwing at batters because with the designated hitter rule, the pitcher will not be coming to bat to face the wrath of the opposing pitcher; therefore, he can throw with impunity. Every newspaper worth its salt must cite sources and be ready to be questioned as to a story’s veracity or face the ridicule of more mainstream publications or conversely be completely ignored by the target of their negative attention and attack.

It is in this scenario that we find ourselves with the lovely Miss Sarah Palin. Like the American League pitcher, given the instruction to bean the batter on the opposing team, she does so knowing full well that she can deliver her attack line with complete exoneration. Unlike just about every other political animal in the jungle, she attacks without fear of reprisal, because she is protected in a way completely unprecedented in the annals of presidential campaign history.

In light of Governor Palin’s slur today against Senator Obama, making reference to an old story so completely discredited that it has never been taken seriously by any journalist who values truth and credibility, I feel that one that slings mud at another must either be exposed to questioning and having to back up the accusation or that person’s words of attack should be discounted as one discounts headlines on tabloid magazines in the supermarket checkout line.
It is for this reason that in addition to the Obama campaign calling Palin’s comments offensive and an obvious attempt to divert voter attention from terrible economic news, I feel that it is time to point out that Sarah Palin is being protected from exposure to the media because the McCain campaign knows that she is capable of speaking or making assertions, but incapable or unwilling to have her words scrutinized or challenged.

Further, it is my opinion that everyone except Barack, from Biden to each spokesperson, should point out that Ms. Palin speaks to crowds, but is not being allowed to be questioned by the media when she makes false or misleading statements, nor is the media allowed to explore the source of her assertions and whether there is any basis for them or even if she has any comprehension of the accusation that she is making.

I realize that these are harsh terms to use for an opposition candidate, but it is difficult to sit back and witness an attack dog who has no accountability. The McCain campaign is quite transparent, and it is my opinion that most of the educated public recognizes the desperation that drives them to make baseless accusations, but it should no longer be tolerated from someone who , like a tabloid magazine, makes headlines with outright lies and innuendo and then goes back and hides behind the scenes without any credibility.

Governor Palin apparently will be dispatched to Florida this week to stir up the base and presumably make sensational, misleading and outright false statements to her uninformed crowds. I think that the mantra has to be that in addition to the fact that what she says is absolutely false, presuming that she continues to follow the path from the past couple of weeks, that her non-exposure to the media and the McCain campaign’s tactic of shielding her from questions and investigation, diminishes her message and calls into question what they are trying to hide, and that unless they give her an opportunity to answer unrehearsed questions from the mainstream press, that her performance on ABC and CBS is what will stand as her ability to think on her feet and respond to unprepared questions or canned speeches.