Hello Debbie,
I usually agree with your articles and opinions.
However, this time I think you are wrong. Maybe not wrong with your analysis of the specific ‘facts’ concerning Gov Palin’s family affairs; wrong in calling her ‘utter ignoramus, lightweight, and ideologically spineless person … trashiest family in America … starstruck, media whoring family’. This type of attack is beneath you, Debbie.
As we look at the published reports of various celebrities, we make judgments we shouldn’t make. How do we honestly KNOW any real facts except what has been spoon-fed to us.
Also, I saw Mr. Johnston on the Larry King Show and he said he was treated well by the Palin family and allowed to visit his son often, but was not permitted to take him for visitation. He also said he had not gone to court to force visitation rights.
We don’t know what’s really going on with this family … and quite frankly … it’s none of our business.
[U: FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. CLEARLY YOU DIDN’T WATCH A SINGLE TV INTERVIEW SHE DID, IN MOST OF WHICH SHE WAS JUST PLAIN IGNORANT. KATIE COURIC INTERVIEW: COULDN’T NAME MAGS AND NEWSPAPERS SHE READS, COULDN’T NAME ANY S. CT. DECISION OTHER THAN ROE V. WADE WITH WHICH SHE DISAGREED, SAID SHE BELIEVES IN THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY, WHICH WAS THE BASIS OF THE WHOLE ROE DECISION. SPINELESS: CAME OUT FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE, PRAISED CONDOLEEZA RICE, CAME OUT FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY, ACCEPTED 69% OF STIMULUS MONEY SHE CLAIMED SHE OPPOSED.
ON THE TYRA SHOW, JOHNSTON SAID HE HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE KID AND THAT IT LOOKED LIKE HE’D HAVE TO GO TO COURT. HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO TAKE THE KID FOR VISITATION. HE’S THE FATHER, AFTER ALL. SO SAD THAT YOU’VE ABANDONED EQUALITY FOR MEN AND FATHERS WHEN THE PALINS ARE INVOLVED. IF THIS FAMILY WERE NOT MEDIA WHORES, THEY WOULD QUIT PRESS RELEASING THEIR BABY MAMA DAUGHTER AND FARMING HER OUT FOR TV INTERVIEWS. I’VE CRITICIZED OTHER FAMILIES FOR DOING THIS. I AM CONSISTENT. PALIN’S BLIND FOLLOWERS AND DEFENDERS ARE NOT.
WHEN CELEBRITIES ARE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, WE WILL HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO JUDGE THEM. AND FRANKLY, SINCE THEY PARADE THEIR VIEWS AND THEIR TRASH ON AMERICA, THEY NEED TO BE JUDGED, RIGHT NOW. AS FOR IT BEING “NONE OF OUR BUSINESS,” YOU CLEARLY NEED TO TELL THAT TO THE PALIN FAMILY, NOT ME. IT’S NOT ME WHO WENT ON GRETA AND ALSO SENT OUT A GAZILLION PRESS RELEASES ABOUT IT. THAT’S THE PALINS. IF SHE CAN’T GET A HANDLE ON HER OWN KIDS, THEN I DON’T WANT HER IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THAT’S ON TOP OF HER UTTER AND COMPLETE IGNORANCE. SINGLE MOTHERHOOD IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS, AND SHE HELPED FOSTER IT UNDER HER OWN ROOF BY ABANDONING HER FAMILY FOR A POLITICAL CAREER. WAKE UP.
TRUTH IS NEVER BENEATH ME. IT’S THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS SITE.
DS]

utah333 on May 5, 2009 at 4:50 pm

As a Conservative I can state that I no longer consider myself a Republican, since the party has abandoned my belief system. There is one of two things Conservatives can do, abandon the Republican Party in hopes that it dies out (unlikely) or take it back. I haven’t found a true Conservative Voice that stands out and says, “This is who we are, and this is what we stand for. We will not allow you to disgrace our country, and make it weaker for your personal gain.”
I blame the Republican Party for these first four years of Chancellor Obama. It wasn’t just the pathetic “candidate” McCain, but the approach the Party took in the campaign, you would have thought Bob Schrumm was in charge.

ramrod on May 5, 2009 at 4:56 pm

You’re absolutely right about the Palins. I too cheered the display of responsibility that seemed heroic when they announced the teenagers were getting married, and I felt like I’d been sucker punched when Bristol Palin took the $300 grand and locked the door on Levi.
Now Bristol’s agreement to act as amassador for The Candie’s Foundation–a group that has honored Katie Couric and Jane Fonda–seems to indicate that the Palin girls will go wherever they can be promised the best wardrobe.
The implosion of the American Christian church is the saddest dimension of this whole spectacle. The church, at one time, embodied the sort of values that kept government out of the parenting business. Now, the American church appears to have all the moral discernment of Bill Clinton at a beach party, or Sarah Palin on a shopping spree.

Jim on May 5, 2009 at 5:55 pm

A lot of conservatives, particularly social conservatives abandoned sound judgment and principles to climb aboard the Palin bandwagon. The ended up defending everything they claimed to oppose. And it made them look like hypocrites.Feminism, single motherhood, unwed pregnancy, the whole caboodle. Those are things they’d rightly criticize in a liberal. When Sarah Palin is involved, the sin can be tolerated because she is “one of us.” The woman wouldn’t know what conservatism is if you smacked her right side up. We need to put a principled conservative in the White House, not someone who says whatever they need to say to get elected. Debbie is right: if she is nominated in 2012, Obama will win a second term and conservatives will bear the blame for the result. Telling the truth can keep that from happening but only if people are willing to listen to it. Without
universal standards of right and wrong, there is no conservatism – and there is no one to speak truth to power. That’s what we need now more than ever.

NormanF on May 5, 2009 at 6:34 pm

At least she wasn’t born in Kenya.
When I see anybody drive the liberal media into a fit of sustained apoplexy like Palin has, I have to wonder what she’s doing right. They wouldn’t be so vicious if she didn’t represent a threat to them and their values.
Anyway, it’s not like the GOP have an all-star conservative line-up to chose from. And unless they close the primaries to non-republicans, they’re going to let the liberal media pick their candidate yet again.

Tempus Fugit on May 5, 2009 at 6:53 pm

Deb, this reminds me of your Oprah post a while ago about some doctor and Oprah teaching a ten-year-old about masturbation and vibrators for some reason. The media could learn a few things about being subtle.
Second of all; the press has no credit anymore, anyway. Teen-mommy can go on any show and I still won’t watch it. Also, what makes them think I’ll believe any of their interviews are real anymore? They’re no longer a force in my life. Case in point: I wouldn’t had know about the interview unless I read about it on this posting.
Palin’s family problems are also just that: her problems. Bringing in the media will only continue to make it worse. This is obvious common sense.
Personally, I’m fishing that morning. It’s the wife’s baking day. Kids are tending animals at that time. Then there’s the other things we do during the day… so, no, won’t watch it – don’t care.

bhparkman on May 5, 2009 at 9:20 pm

Debbie,
You said, “IF SHE CAN’T GET A HANDLE ON HER OWN KIDS” then you don’t want her in the White House.
Do you have adult children?
If so, do they always do the right thing? Do they always do what you wish they would do? I have adult children, and mine don’t.
I do agree, that her children should not be appearing on these TV shows, however, what are the circumstances in this decision. We don’t know, and I doubt you do.
What the old saying about walking in someone else’s moccasins ….?

utah333 on May 5, 2009 at 11:21 pm

utah333,
I have adult children, and I encouraged them to marry before they decided to have babies. I realize, of course, this is terribly antiquated, backward, judgmental thinking, so please accept my apologies, but I do want to say that it does have this benefit: if you don’t have the benefit of showing off the preggy-pooch before the national media and selling the baby pictures for $300 grand, it means that the grandchildren will have both a mother and a father who can care for them in the off chance you don’t collect tabloid cash for the bastard children.
I think it’s sort of practical, but I’m old fashioned.

Jim on May 6, 2009 at 1:17 am

Debbie, you are soo right about (S) Palin, I did watch her during the election, and as you, I started out exctied, but after a few of her interviews it was clear she was no conservative (though she did hold some semi-conservative views on a few issues); more so than McCain..(I think that was the game..). Did you also know that she’s not a biblical creationists (I am), and she’s also “pro-gay” right..? She said as much in an interview. Cheers, but the Palinistas (I frequent freerepublic) either 1) Don’t know these facts becuase they were swept up in the hype or 2) Don’t believe the Republicans can do any better (they’re blinded).

JSDude1 on May 6, 2009 at 1:20 am

Debbie you have been right about Palin. I tend to agree with you. I think at the time of the election most people on the right felt compelled to defend Palin because the media whores were hell bent on getting Pimp Daddy HUSSEIN COBRAMA as the president. Well the media made Bill, Hillary and Geraldine Ferraro racists when they got through with them. I knew they got wronged and was upset, not because I gave crap about them, but I saw how evil and manipulative MSNBC, NYTIMES, The View, CNN and the rest became. The MSM had to destroy Palin one way or the other to make sure Pimp Daddy HUSSEIN COBRAMA was President. Remember it was GUILT THE VOTE ’08. It worked and now KING HUSSEIN COBRAMA is without challenge. Back to Palin, she is not ready for prime time and may never be. However she is the wet dream for many Conservatives like COBRAMA is for Liberals. They are both fakes. Both concoctions of what they want in a candidates.
Your story about VP candidate Kemp made wonder what you thought about how Kemp and Palin would have sized up. Since you knew Kemp very well, you probably saw a more sincere and direct person than Palin. I suspect this may have shaped your view on Palin.
I have agreed with Palin on her Pro-Life stance. For me and many Conservatives it is an instinct that cant be compromised. I hope she influenced her daughter in keeping her child or hopefully her daughter was grounded by her parents and the notion of abortion never came up. Rightfully she is trying to amend the Alaska Constitution for a parental notification law.
http://www.lifenews.com/state4110.html
She may fall very short on other issues but as for Pro-Life issues she is on the right track.

californiascreaming on May 6, 2009 at 1:22 am

Sarah Palin is a very smart and intelligent person. None of us are a know it all. She just has to spend some time preparing for a much larger arena, and she’ll do just fine. In one of her speeches, the teleprompter malfunctioned, but she didn’t. She continued on without missing a beat, by memory.
JMO, Sarah Palin is more human, than the animals that are attempting to destroy this up and coming star. It’s just plain wrong what they’re doing to this woman.
Had Sarah Palin’s detractors spent half the time dumpster digging on her, and the other half on Barack Hussein Obama, aka Barry Soetoro, aka Barry Dunham, aka Barack Dunham, the holy one would have never been president. To date, Barack Obama HAS NOT proven he’s qualified to be a Constitutional, Article II president.

Jackson Pearson on May 6, 2009 at 1:26 am

I think the Palin matter is really closed. It is just a goofy soap opera now.I really have no sympathy for the Palins or the Johnsons at this point. Governor Palin will be lucky to hold on to her current position in 2010, much less seek a presidential run in 2012. Let Sarah sit in the tundra in obscure peace, and not let her become a leftist media club to be used against Republicans. The Republican Party is rapidly becoming a permanent minority party nationally, as it has already become in so many states, such as California(Arno is not a Republican) and New York.

Worry01 on May 6, 2009 at 1:34 am

Palin was bad, McCain was worse, and Bush was worst. My dear Republicans and conservatives, you gave us Obama!!

ramjordan on May 6, 2009 at 2:18 am

You’re wrong in point on your response to utah333, Palin didn’t accept 69% of the stimulus funds, I repeat she did not accept 69% of the stimulus funds.
She accepted 97% of it.

lowandslow on May 6, 2009 at 4:28 am

Deborah, I have to agree with you. It’s time to drop Palin. She has a lot of emotional baggage, and I don’t think it will be good for conservatives. She may be (and she is) very conservative but being a strong conservative sometimes is not enough (but it’s a sine qua non).

Mats on May 6, 2009 at 4:30 am

Well the area’s that upset me the most was her feminism which seemed pretty obvious when at first her speak about the glass ceiling which really isn’t relevant because women make different decisions in life in tend to have interest that are different then men. Not allowing the father to see the child is clearly against basic property rights. He has as much right to the child as she does. America leads all developed countries in fatherless homes and the pathologies that this is leading to are very serious and this is very anti-conservative and communism to think fathers are just to be used for a women’s agenda. It is interesting that since Clinton not one president has any son’s.
Having said all this THE RELIGIOUS WORLD BOTH CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM have a lot of blame as well. I can’t believe what is going on in the so called Orthodox Jewish World with divorce and most cases are women not wanting the child to have a male role model feeling this would lead to women not wanting to be career oriented and focus on acting like a little man. The Rabbi’s don’t care and in my opinion view other men as threats to them and Rabbinic Judaism in general doesn’t seem to care much about fathers sadly which a child needs BOTH PARENTS AND BOTH PARENTS ARE IMPORTANT. In many ways Rabbinic Judaism has become a cheap imitation of the real religion and what clearly the G-d of Israel feels on certain issues which G-d does not discriminate in any way on gender in any sexual sin except rape (and real rape) for obvious reasons but Rabbinic Judaism does and always makes women out to be victims (when women chose lousy men knowing they are lousy in the first place) which the real religion doesn’t unless a woman is a widow and/or from a poor family.
In Christian circles it is the same story. The American Family Association openly supported Palin despite her obvious problems and you really wonder what kind of Association this is.
I’m not sure if anything will change although it needs to.

adam6275 on May 6, 2009 at 7:02 am

“Did you also know that she’s not a biblical creationists…”
She doesn’t believe the Earth, the universe,…..heck, EVERYTHING wasn’t built in 7 days???
Sounds like a smart woman to me.

guitarguy on May 6, 2009 at 8:28 am

I thought Hockey Mom went home to obscurity in Alaska on November 5th last year???
Let’s call a spade a spade here, we all know that Hockey Mom is simply trying to keep her name in the spotlight for her ill-fated attempt at the White House in 2012.
I will not tell a lie, I voted Obama. I agree with alot of what you say Debb, but I beg to differ on the “Obama is a President in Name Only”.
IF anyone epitomizes the term of President in Name Only it was the man that Obama replaced.

trewsdetroit on May 6, 2009 at 9:56 am

I absolutely respect your opinion, but we differ on this one and that’s fine. I enjoy reading all your writing and appreciate your perspective on things. I like Sarah, can’t help it.. For now anyway : )

sharon61 on May 6, 2009 at 10:22 am

Let me join the “Amen,Debbie” chorus.
I liked Palin at first, too, because she talked conservative values and she’s very, very charming and pretty hot!
But, I can’t support Palin. She’s a phony conservative, just a prettier John McCain. The Dems will have a field day with her if she runs in 2012.
This is the kind of play both sides Republicanism that appeals to neither.
How can the Republicans have had the most perfect, ironclad candidate ever, THE Ronald Reagan, and forget every single thing he stood for and demonstrated?
Keep up the great work exposing this fraud, Debbie!!!!!

Jeff_W on May 6, 2009 at 11:35 am

Sarah Palin’s position on sex education has been poorly understood.
Go here to read her true position.
http://sarah-palin-2012.blogspot.com/2009/04/sarah-palin-supports-sex-education-in.html

History Chaser on May 6, 2009 at 11:40 am

Palin has zero grasp of grammar. SHe is trailer trash and could not hold Reagans sock. I hope the GOP runs her, she will be the poster child for the end of the GOP. I as a independent and moderate, the last thing we need is a bimbo in office. Bush was bad enough. ANd stop bashing Obama. I did not vote for him, but I wish I had

dump palin on June 7, 2009 at 3:26 pm

JSDude1: What are you? Twelve? The name calling does NOTHING to promote respectability in you or your party. It just makes you look like a whiney cry baby that didn’t get his way. Guess what? YOUR way BROKE MY COUNTRY! I want it FIXED and it wasn’t going to happen with McCain/Palin. No way, no how, not ever.
NormanF: President Obama was born in Hawaii. The State of Hawaii says so, the Supreme Court of the United States says so, the Birth Certificate says so, The President of the United States says so. Your wild dillusion is pathetic and worn out.
Same goes for you, California Screaming (how appropos a moniker!). President Obama is MORE Constitutionally qualified than McCain, who was NOT born on U.S. Soil and is NOT a natural born citizen. He was naturalIZED in his teens via LEGISLATION and got his buddies in Congress to make an exception for him when he wanted to run. Look it up, BIG difference.
Do you people even REALIZE that it takes far more than an opinion on abortion, gay marriage and feminism to run this country? It’s NOT about being a “Christian” nation! Our founding fathers made SURE that there would be a SEPARATION of Church and State. Christianity is NOT a requirement for the smooth running of this country. Why, exactly, do you think it is?
Palin has NO CONCEPT of economics, history, constitutional law, foreign or domestic affairs, foreign policy, geography, military, ethics, world leaders, what the VP does, or how to run her own household, let alone a whole country.
She hates “the feds”, yet wants to BECOME one.
She refers to Alaska’s statehood as being some big favor to the U.S. instead of being happy to have JOINED the U.S.
Her husband (GUILT BY ASSOCIATION) was (and probably still is) a secessionist.
Her blatant disregard for the education of her own children is abhorrent.
Her blatant disregard for a special needs baby who needs his mommy HOME and not running around the country is sickening.
Family values? I think not.
Christian? Not in deed and word, anyway.
Educated Enough? Not by a long shot.
Curious Enough? Not by a long shot. What other countries has she studied? Where has she been besides a photo op in the Middle East?
The republican party has NO ONE that is even remotely up to the task of the Presidency. Least of all Palin and her sick, control freak, ignorant, mean, spiteful and stupid approach.

samper on June 7, 2009 at 5:43 pm

Ms. Schlussel and dump palin, well said.
She is, as you have noted, no conservative, and certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Included in the 97% of stimulus money she is accepting are funds for the extension of unemployment benefits, which does nothing to provide jobs, while the 3% she is rejecting can be used for weatherization and renewable energy programs, something much needed in our state due to extreme temperatures and the high cost of fuel, and which would provide jobs as well. Certainly those funds would have a longer lasting impact than the $1200 she handed each Alaskan just before the election last year in an attempt to buy votes.
Now she’s been caught plagiarizing as well. As long as the party continues to back candidates who are hypocrites that don’t do their own homework, I’ll be glad I’m no longer a Republican.

Valley Independent on June 7, 2009 at 9:38 pm