Tweet
On February 2nd, I posted an article at my blog and a diary here, suggesting Palin apparatchik Rebecca Mansour, the writer of most Palin Facebook posts, may be the person behind the Palin attack on Rahm Emanuel. Soon afterward all hell broke loose.
Early February 4th, I started getting emails suggesting I would soon come under more scrutiny at work and at home, from Palinbots. I live in Wasilla, and have dealt with this kind of stuff from the far right here since the mid-1990s. Since I started writing the Saradise Lost series in 2008, the threats increased, but not much.
Between the end of Palin’s book tour and the Tea Party party, I’d shied away from writing about her, but important stuff came out:
Andree McLeod’s motion for reconsideration
The State of Alaska’s release of thousands of pages of Todd Palin-related emails
Questions about the Palin’s tax filings on one of their properties in Alaska
At the end of last week, like many other progressives, I was appalled that so much attention was devoted to Palin’s upcoming appearance at the first annual Tea Party Convention in Nashville. Last August’s Netroots Nation attracted thousands of participants, yet almost no national media coverage was devoted to the well-structured event, featuring dozens of nationally prominent politicians and experts.
I’ve been to Wasilla PTA candidate forums that attracted more audience participation and better speeches than we witnessed at TeabaggerFest 2010. It pissed me off. I wrote about it. More threats came in.
I may have then over-reacted.
I wrote another diary about this and about Palin’s palmprompter for The Seminal. At the version of it for my blog, I titled the article What a Slut!
I’d never used that term in writing before. Many readers thought it to be both an ad hominem attack (it was) and sexist (my record on women’s issues over the years stands in opposition to that premise).
I then may have compounded the trouble caused by the headline, by posting a poll at my place that is still active:
Which Term More Accurately Describes Palin to You?
Saint
Slut
Needless to say, Saint is not winning, in spite of efforts by a Palin fan blog to encourage readers to vote.
Soon after I posted the poll, the blog, Conservatives4Palin – widely read in my part of Alaska – posted another critical article about me. One commenter suggested people photograph, me, my house and car, call my employer, etc. Here’s my description of what happened within an hour or so of the comment:
As I was fueling up the snowblower, I heard a diesel truck idling at the bottom of our driveway. People sometimes come up the long, narrow, hilly driveway in error, and get stuck trying to back out, so I went out to check.
There were two guys outside of a big red Dodge 3/4-ton crewcab. One appeared to be taking pictures of the driveway, the back of my shop, boats and vehicle. When they saw me coming, they ran to the vehicle, which was already turned around, and quickly left.
It was about 12:15 p.m.
A while later, I read a comment at PA (and a couple of emails from friends, alerting me to it) that states this:
Uh Oh Phil…The Urine of Sea has got you in their sights. Saw this comment today:
Kjanlady
Can we get his address and post it on the web….along with a picture of him, his house, and the car he drives?
Today, 10:26:54 AM
– Flag – Like – Reply – Delete – Edit – ModeratePhil, you know better than to poke "The Crazies"(hey, isn’t that a movie coming out soon?)
Here is the link:
http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2010/02/foul-mouthed-alaska-democrat-in-new-low.html#comments
Soon afterward, three fellow Alaska progressive bloggers wrote critical posts on the ethics of my use of "slut," which I then reposted:
Progressive bloggers on Palin: Civility versus namecalling – by Mel Green. Mel thought the "slut’ headline and poll to both be sexist, inflammatory and demeaning.
Blogger Tourettes – by Steve Aufrecht. Steve reiterated some of Mel’s points, and presented the unique argument that I can’t resist swearing (I write "fuck" fairly often) and scatology in some posts.
Is it possible to reason with Palin’s "Rebiblicans"? – by Linda Kellen Beigel. Linda defended me, as she detailed her experiences of frustrations, threats, intimidation by Alaska and Outside rightwing zealots, how they don’t want to engage in dialogue, and how over-the-top reaction might be not only understandable, but a better way.
The comments to these critical articles are from across the spectrum, as I don’t limit access to Progressive Alaska, past occasional cleanups of really yucky messes.
I’m interested in hearing from members of the Seminal and Firedoglake community on this, before I post a response at PA at the end of the Saint-Slut poll voting period.
Did I over-react by calling Palin a slut, and polling the way I am?
67 Comments
Hi ET,
I’ve always appreciated the insight you’ve provided us about Wasilla, Sarah and her family. It certainly has helped us get a good perspective as compared to the poor national coverage. As for your blog title and poll, I would have to say it was a mistake to use such a sexist word. At this site, she has often been described as a grifter which certainly seems accurate to me and avoids the whole sexism problem. Slut is a word my Dad used to describe girls who slept around. Even if Sarah did that, I don’t think that sort of behavior is what worries us about her. Hope this helps.
ET, in your shoes I wouldn’t have called the woman a slut.
I’d have called her an attention whore.
And I wouldn’t apologize for it.
What Rayne said.
ET, dontcha hate it when that trombone doesn’t slide to the note you intended?
I tried looking for the opposite of saint, but apparently there is no such word.
As someone who has had to face insults and critisisms for living out my belief that I’m allowed to enjoy sex if I like, I’m afraid I do find your use of the word “slut” troubling. When I read your original post I was immediately reminded of a comment that a couple of women who used to be friends used to make about me, “you date like a man.” This was not a compliment.
However, I do want to thank you for asking other people’s opinion rather than just getting defensive. I hate so much being the shrill feminist that I’ve stopped complaining about these things.
No.
And what exactly is wrong with calling her what she acts like?
It’s not as if she or her followers are nice people they’re not, they’re scum.
mfi
The basic sentiment troubles me not (although the specific word has a rather heavy load for some that envelops it irrespective of intent and context, thus rendering its use problematic) – Unfortunately, using it could be seen as handing a group of one’s enemies a cudgel with no compunctions about violence, and no concerns about any collateral damage during the event.
I might suggest acquiring the habit of photographing any and all who show an untoward interest in yourself, your people or your property, ET.
Actually the word originally meant a very untidy and slovenly person. :-)
And yes ET – get into the habit of paying attention to security.
mfi
I think she should be ignored. I really do. Life has dealt her a set of circumstances that resonate with people who want politicians who are just like them (the days of wanting an Adlai Stevenson are long gone). So being the working mom, dealing with a house full of kids, pregnant teenage daughter, Down Syndrome child, etc. means she “connects” as just a regular gal who shares our problems.
Politically, she’s a birdbrain. Every time she appears in public that becomes more clear. She will burn out, as all celebrities do. It’s already happening.
Ignore her.
Slut? I like “birdbrain.” If you write about her at all, stay on the high road.
If the shoe fits, throw it, mfi.
;>)
She’s out there selling herself and her family for tons of money. Maybe it’s a variation of the line “My dear, we’ve already determined what you are, now we’re just arguing over price.”
We’ve already determined what she is and in the best tradition of liberals everywhere in this country, we’re looking for a politically-correct name for it.
Personally, I’d go with attention slut but no fucking way would i back off.
And like markfromireland said, pay attention to physical security.
I greatly appreciate all the fine work that you do, ET.
Unfortunately, regardless off our record as individuals, some terms and images carry so much associated historic baggage that I am inclined to consider their use in any public forum ill-advised.
Palin’s transgressions are the sort that could be committed by a person of either gender. In my opinion using a term in reference to her which has historically been used to demean women is at the very least, needlessly provocative.
Talk to the police and the FBI after all Bloggers are organizing the campaign against you so it does go across state lines.
Ask Jane how other Bloggers handle being stalked. Get a few big dogs and maybe a Bee hive or two and place signs saying beware the bees around your property. Then grow flowers around your property so during the day bees are always there.
Bees like sugar Booze is very close chemically to sugar any bets these guys are loaded before they stalk you?
Slut / Saint good question but unless you got confirmation not rumor that Sarah has been playing around I think the word slut is offensive.
Gov Mark Sanford male Slut yes, Mr Wide Stance Sen Larry Craig picking up strange Cops at the airport very Slutty.
You got a good record ET heck I’m the one normally go over board on your posts so hey we all make a mistake
the fact you question your self and are willing to take the criticism that comes with it says allot.
Its the difference between us and them.
Think of it this way when has Sarah, Bush, Darth, Rummy ever admitted a mistake? We get better because we don’t wait until mistakes grow to the point we can’t avoid them.
The organization, ethics and willingness to change course and admit wrong make our side better. I think we need to write a business book.
Ed, I would like to add that the saint/slut dichotomy strikes me as sophomoric and can only detract from the good work that you do. Please pull the plug on that poll as soon as possible.
I listened to Sarah’s whole speech while she was teabagging in Tenn. I swear David “axis of evil” Frum has to be helping with those speeches. Every Republican jingle was in that speech, fearmongering, I love America, hold the Obama administration accountable, but no need to look back on how we got here, I love our troops, we win they (terrorist) lose, we need to take back America (veiled racism), don’t look back, where are the jobs, debt, I love America. That speech was piled high with bullshit that works with the white, highschool educated, god, gun, gay crowds.
She is getting some serious coaching about her delivery and big time writers have been pulled in to fuel her appeal to this crowd.
The more she can be challenged to stand without a script in front of her the more she is likely to be cut off at the pass.
Hi ET.
What ratfood said. Any good that could be done is overshadowed by the use of the language.
Hi ET. You make good points in your posts. However, I do think “slut” is a bit too charged a term; besides, Rayne’s term “attention whore” is a better fit for Palin.
May I suggest you write another post in your blog something to the effect of “Sorry I said the word ‘slut’, I really meant to say attention whore.”
Darkblack gave very good advice – start photographing those ‘visitors’ who hang around your property, and be very obvious about it.
I spit and curse a lot when I write, so, even as a woman, the word slut didn’t offend me, it just seemed inaccurate or off-point to me. Using the word slut distracts the audience from the real story. Everybody ends up talking about slut-or-no-slut and not the evil things Sarah is/was doing.
I also got more insight when I realized that you live in Wasilla and so the craziness and hypocrisy and manipulation and preaching (and on and on ad infinitum) of Sarah can become very personal to you. Thus, perhaps, the overreaction. Standing back as a reporter/observer, parsing her words and comparing them to her past words and actions and reporting and commenting from that perspective probably adds the necessary distance.
Myself, I take her very personally and I live in Paris! I can’t hardly stand looking at her because I think she’s mean and conniving and as stupid as a fox, but much, much more dangerous. I yell at the TV when she’s on. So, I might be tempted to go all slutty on her too. I keep praying that she will implode sooooooon.
Ding.
I like doings better than clunks.
I have a little Fuji I carry to events, and use it a lot for blog posts at Progressive Alaska. I have an iPhone too, but image-recording-wise, I was naked when these dudes showed up at the edge of our property.
At urban dictionary, #1 of 259 definitions is “a woman with the morals of a man.”
I emailed Jane, but it was more about whether criticism of going over the top language-wise (like using “fuck” in posts) had had any influence on how she chose to use profane terms. My curiosity on that stemmed mostly from my friend Steve’s post about me having “Blogger Tourette.”
In her reply, Jane noted that she is more judicious because repetition diminishes value. She dislikes intrusions by the “language nannies” when the writer’s intent wasn’t to malign the target of the epithet.
Time will pull the plug on the poll Sunday afternoon, I believe. Until then, it stays up.
All good advice.
I intend to write a post on Sunday at my place, after I go through the comments at the posts linked to above. The comments by my longtime blogging pup buddies here mean as much to me as anything I’ve learned from the blowback from using a term I had always refrained from using in the past.
We’re the good guys: we’re allowed to call people names. It’s one of the perks of our moral and intellectual superiority.
elitist snark
since you meant the term to be demeaning and were fully aware of the overriding sexual component, absent any actual information concerning her sexual activities, you’ve certainly thrown out a gratuitous insult.
whether you’ve gone too far or not is for you to decide.
Looking through the hundreds of comments at my place, I may have gone too far. I’m not yet sure, though. And not all the definitions have an explicit sexual component. I’ve called John McCain a “male slut” in the past – long before he discovered Palin, and when I used that term, no sexual activity component was implied. And nobody complained.
Nobody is better positioned than yourself to know what you meant, and I’ve read enough of your stuff think that you but intend to be fair, fact-based and truthful.
But I think that you’re best off not worrying over whether you’re a micron on the fair side of the line with this. Maybe you should walk it back.
(and there’s no shortage of stuff that she’s earned being called *g*)
There are rumors of Sarah having an affair which I’m sure were in the back of ET’s head when he wrote this. However without mentioning some proof about this rumor I agree this was too far.
Agreed:)
More along the lines of things like this.
“Sinner”…. would be the logical “opposite” of Saint.
Or maybe…. Colts? :p
It would be pretty difficult for anyone to argue that (Caucasian) men have ever been oppressed or discriminated against during the course of U.S. history. As a result most of us tend to be pretty impervious to gender baiting in which we are the target.
Is it okay to call John McCain a slut? Sure, nobody is likely to connote the reference with the word’s traditional implications of sexual promiscuity.
Is there a double standard? Yes. Is it fair? In a perfect world, no, however in a perfect world this discussion would be unnecessary. In THIS world, I think it behooves us to use some discretion in how we refer to people who for most of our history have been excluded from our nation’s power structure.
Just my opinion.
Holy Crap!!!! Suggestion ET the eye color of all the people in the pictures sorry to my eyes its not that clear might give us ideas about who is related to who. Also the eye color of Sarah’s other kids might help.
A point well made.
And in Palin’s case, one can only hope the exclusion continues on a case-by-case basis, when appropriate. But not based on her sex, of course.
Many of her defenders on the right, appealing to what they perceive the center to be, argue that media distinctions between the quality of Hillary Clinton, for instance, and Sarah Palin, show a terrible bias by the media. Film maker John Ziegler is trying to make a career out of this. Now there’s a male slut for ya.
There are layers and layers of mystery in that single Palingates article, TCU…
http://www.ectomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/gomez.jpg
Thank you, Things.
Agreed, it is inconceivable to me how anyone could believe a person with Palin’s record would be a suitable candidate for ANYTHING.
I can’t imagine her even wanting to be president, I mean, if she thought being a governor was too hard… However, hubris may be enough to motivate her in the absence of genuine desire.
I hope if she does throw her hat in the ring that her Republican opponents can take her down (based on her record). Mittens wants the nomination pretty badly, so I doubt if he will pull many punches.
Have you considered building a hedge row around your property? Fast growing flowering plantsmight grow enough in 3 years when Sarah runs for President to provide some protection.
A flowering hedgerow wood attract bees. Also my dad had cheap lights that went off with a motion detector maybe you could hook up a sprinkler system to a motion detector in case of intruders?
You could run some sugar water through the sprinkler system assuming there is some way to keep the sugar from gumming up the sprinkler lines I suggest asking a chemist. Sugar water will attract bees so any intruder in the day will get swarmed a remote shut off can turn it off anytime you want.
I wonder if bees will react to the sound of sugar water sprinklers going off at night. Connecting just some sprinklers to motion detectors aimed where the Sprinkler sprays should reduce water usage.
Hooking up flood lights in the same way should also help.
Wait does booze attract bees that won’t gum up the sprinkler lines and booze in the lines will prevent freezing at colder temperatures.
Plus the Police will be able to identify the intruders by scent maybe mix in some skunk oil?
Shocked me and I thought I was keeping up with Sarah news too much.
707!
Big problem – for five or six or seven months of the year, depending on the year – 165 feet of property line is the edge of a frozen lake.
Reminds me of the PSA on radio right now about setting up a sprinkler system in the Olympic National Forest to prevent forest fires.
Add lots of booze to the sprinklers then to prevent freezing and get some high out put pumps nobody likes getting wet in winter and booze cools you off even quicker than water I suspect the intruders won’t like that.
Also you can break the ice around your home to form a moat in deep water so they can’t drive across or just add rock salt on the ice so the ice isn’t strong enough to hold a truck. Granted not to good for the lake maybe the artificial rock salt is safer?
A kid on my street once blocked the school bus with snowmen and a garden hose assuming you have snow a snowblower you could form a quick wall then just add water. Use traffic cones to form truck crunching spikes.
Maybe feed the local animals some fish on the lake and edges of your property bears and wolves scare people.
I had a pet raccoon family for a few years at my bird feeder.
Yeah, ‘slut’ was a bit difficult to get around….it’s a little too sexual….’bad girl does football team.’ And, gee, there are so many other words available: ‘grifter’ was someone’s great choice early on; ‘attention whore’ is a great one; liar, fool, idiot, light weight, empty dress; and my new favorite “strident.” It’s fun to play words around this dummy, so no point in getting into word-wars with her cheer squad. I loved the idea of walking it back from slut to attention whore……whore being so much stronger and appropriately insulting, I think, than slut. Enjoy. :)
Speaking of animals – my time might be better spent opening a Wasilla franchise for Eternal Earth-Bound Pets USA:
It’s called a demon.
My opinion is that the forces that continue to push her into the public consciousness for their own future gain will enlist a ‘helpful’ and ‘proactive’ VP (a la Dick Cheney) to ensure that the Presidentin’ don’t get too hard – and one fully prepared to take that shit over should she get a bad case of the drizzling quits.
;>)
Snark? If these guys got any real customers interviewing them would be very interesting.
I like crazy or on drugs I’m still not sure what fits but if the ex Mayor of the Meth Capital of Alaska can’t handle drug jokes well maybe she should have cleaned up her town before running on her record of accomplishment.
it doesn’t matter what your record is on other womens issues, use of the word slut to demean either a man or a woman is sexist.
To me, “slut” really misses the mark. The problem I have with her has nothing to do with her sex life. It’s her ignorance, fecklessness, and lust for power that bother me.
An insult that was closer to the mark might have worked better.
BTW, I think markfromireland is right – you should be more aware of security. Most of those folks are harmless. A few may not be.
interesting.
Only takes one, doesn’t it.
I worked in law enforcement/public safety for over 13 years, have had weapons aimed at me and so on. Not shot at since the Army, but I’m not highly concerned. Thanks, anyway.
Yes, I did think that the use of the word “slut” was disturbing. I’ve followed your coverage of Palin with appreciation, but that bothered me. I don’t think I’d have had the same reaction if you’d said “prostituted herself” for cash or political gain, or called her an “attention whore”, since there are plenty of males who fit that, too. “Slut” just has too much of a sexist connotation.
I don’t really like the usage of the word slut because I am sure they have said worse but I would just say be careful and watch your back because you will never know how these teabaggers will react.
now that is ambiguous.
It was a bit too far, Rayne had it right, attention whore is better.
But it’s already out there. You can’t “walk” it back. You will look weak. Then they will smell blood, or fear, or see that they were able to intimidate you.
You can apologize but do in a very snarky, smart assed way and take the provocation even further.
Like “I’m sorry I called Sarah a slut, – We all know she doesn’t do anything for free!
You can cross out the slut with a strike tag and write in whore, and an asterisk, details found at the bottom.
What a
slutwhore! **** Attention whore.
Then ask them why they didn’t complain when you called McCain a slut and accuse them of being sexists and having selective standards.
Don’t. Back Down. If you do, they will know they can intimidate you and they will bully you to no end for every thing you write they don’t like. Dont give an inch.
They aren’t your fan base anyway so you don’t have to please them.
I think that asking to get your pics, address, and personal information is against the law. I think they were originally for anti-abortion stalker laws. There’s plenty of lawyers here, you might mention it in ew’s blog.
I think you should call the cops but know the law before-hand, lazy cops don’t like to fill out reports.
You do need to report it so there’s a record, just incase they decide to increase their intimidation tactics.
don’t let the terrorists win.
Don’t they know satire when they see it?
No, they don’t And thanks for all the ideas in #60.
Ed, I think you learned a lesson.
I agree with ratfood and macaquerman.
What you did was a wee bit like kicking a hornet’s nest.
Experience has shown that sometimes such behavior is not wise, but of course you don’t know till you kick one whether it will explode into something exciting.
Did you imagine there would be a reaction?
Ed, I appreciate your perspective and your courage, however, as markfromireland says, these are not nice people, so be careful, not so much in your language, generally, but in your person.
I do not think you should be afraid, and clearly, you are not, nor even even overly cautious, just careful.
We live in a time of what I term obsequious politeness, which is only required of some, usually “us”, “others”, expect to behave in as bullying a fashion as they may muster, whether we are speaking of Dick Cheney or the “visitors” or “tourists” who showed up at your place of residence.
I wouldn’t go out my way to tweak the noses of these folks but it is past time to put up with intimidation and other such bullshit.
We walk a fine line, Ed, all of us who seek a more humane and rational world, as this offends others for no apparent genuine reason. So reason is really the issue, underneath it all.
If you catch my drift …
And, I know, you do.
Take care of yourself (seriously …) and keep on keepin’ on.
Ed, I’ll take this opportunity to salute you, for all you do, always standing for reason and humanity.
Thank you, Ed.
DW
You’re welcome..
You remember “satire” was Sarah’s excuse for not going after Rush right?
Her arsenal is now yours :)
Take pictures of their tire tracks/shoe prints and include a tape measure for scale just in case. write down all the details you can remember asap. Make sure you either get a copy of the police report or a reference number from the officer and his name/badge number. Don’t let them talk you out of it or make light of it. Tell them how quickly someone showed up at your house after the call went out, and how nervous or afraid you feel for your own safety, and especially your partner, property, kids, and ask exactly how they’ll deal with the harassment.
These people are serious bullies. They don’t bully people that stick up for themselves. Don’t apologize to them either or admit you were wrong. They aren’t rational.
Sorry Ed.. faceplant::
Let’s say Democrats are Mods and Republicans Rockers, just for kicks. When asked, back in the ’60′s, whether he was a Mod or a Rocker Ringo Starr said he was a ‘Mocker’.
As a Mocker I don’t think you went too far. But Mockers piss people off so I agree that you should be careful.
Good luck and keep up the good fight!