Palin's idiotic argument about her free-speech rights

[ProSense]

October 31, 2008

AS NASTY AS SHE WANTS TO BE....

Sarah Palin sees her free-speech rights under fire from journalists who've highlighted her personal attacks against Barack Obama.

Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.

"If (the media) convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Let's unpack this a bit.

If I understand her correctly -- and with Palin, it's sometimes tough to understand her general incoherence -- the governor believes she should make scurrilous, dishonest, and personal attacks against Democrats. She's afraid, however, that reporters might tell voters she's making scurrilous, dishonest, and personal attacks, and worse, that voters might recoil from her vicious style of campaigning.

<...>

So, as Palin sees it, the appropriate solution would be for her to accuse Obama of "palling around with terrorists," and for the media to simply pass that along without scrutiny. It's her job to wage vicious smear campaigns, and it's the media's job not to tell anyone she's waging vicious smear campaigns.

<...>

I realize far-right activists think Palin is a great leader and the future of the Republican Party. I just can't figure out why.

[Unsane]

1. She doesn't understand the First Amendment.

What a fucking idiot.

[ProSense]

4. She obviously believes that the First Amendment

guarantees her a right to legitimacy and places her about criticism. :crazy:

[fishwax]

11. there's a lot about the constitution that she doesn't understand

she's scary that way ...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. Prima donnas and divas have special superior First Amendment rights

that others do not have.

[louis-t]

3. I'm glad the framers put in lots of flexibility

for idiot repug VP nominees.

[damntexdem]

7. Hmm, I wonder what Diva Palin thinks of this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh9BmNuqeiQ

[Lancer]

5. Palin's shouting fire in a crowded theater

[damntexdem]

6. I heard a movie review on NPR today, really panning Clint Eastwood's new movie, Changling.

NPR should be ashamed of denying Clint Eastwood his constitutional rights by critiquing his movie!

;-)

[RoadRage]

8. To Sum it Up:

Palin can use her "FREE SPEECH" right to say what ever she wants or thinks (right or wrong, true or not).

The MEDIA however should censor or be censored from allowing anyone else to rebuke her statements (other media, opposing campaigns, opposing supporters).

According to Palin, Free Speech only applies to her. She should be allowed to spew whatever she wants, but - no one else should be allowed to do the same.

They have something in one of those other big countries.. what's it called... you know, where political leaders say whatever they want - but no one else can say anything negative against the political leaders?

Ohh yeah.. CHINA. :eyes:

[bushisanidiot]

9. She wants the "freedom" to lie without being called out or questioned.

the woman seriously thinks she's Queen of the U.S.A. and should never be questioned about anything ever.

what a friggin CRY BABY!!

[Lucy Goosey]

10. I'm not American, and I knew that the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of the press.

She has a fucking degree in fucking journalism!!!!

What the fuck, Sarah?! Did you actually not know that freedom of the press was in the constitution, right there next to freedom of speech? You might want to check that out - there's some good stuff in there about freedom of religion, too.

I know for a fact that I would make a better vice president than her. (I even have experience in a relevant area - I work in policy at Canada's federal health department. And did I mention that I apparently know your constitution better than the Republican VP nominee?)

[ProSense]

12. Maybe she missed those classes. LOL!

Palin is an idiot!

[David__77]

13. Yeah, cause the constitution protects you from criticism? What an idiot...

"Oh no, my rights are being violated by 'fear of attacks by the mainstream media!'"

[ProSense]

14. LOL! n/t