That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

KRW — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:13:08 GMT

*That* clip is spreading like wildfire? Really? Why?

Compare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5thPwpddUg

amongst others. Will, I've sensed a shift to more slanted stories here since my favorite blogger started working for KO. What gives?

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Ben, Euless, TX — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:15:50 GMT

KRW is right, Will. In the past you avoided politics or at least covered both sides. It seems that once Palin joined the campaign you started trying to show Obama in a more favorable light than you do the republicans.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

JD, Bismarck, ND — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:58:51 GMT

What she says in the church clip and what she claims in the interview to have said is NOT the same. She WAS claiming that the war is God's will, and I can't believe so many people are letting the wool be pulled over their eyes by the GOP when it comes to Sarah Palin.

Anyone else notice how rehearsed and scripted she sounded in the interview? She has clearly been prompted on what to say and I wonder how often over the next few week she'll repeat the same phrases *verbatim* like she has with the whole bridge to nowhere/plane on ebay spiel (which was also written for her, by a Bush speechwriter no less).

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Will Femia — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:28:23 GMT

You guys are killing me with this bias stuff. Yes, THAT clip is spreading like wildfire because it's the teaser clip for the ABC interview everyone is anticipating. It's the first look at what Charlie Gibson is going to ask and what Sarah Palin is going to say. That is as straight a fact as there can be. And BOTH sides are interested in seeing it. It's not a "gotcha" clip. It can't be bias to just show her talking. It must be your own bias if you think just showing her speak is attacking her. It's relevant here because television is increasingly seeing the Internet as an ally instead of a competing medium.

I don't really understand the point you're making with that YouTube clip but I gather you're perceiving an anti-Palin slant. And yet by my count this makes the third defense of Sarah Palin that I've published here. Wanna take a guess at how well received my entry shooting down the pregnancy rumor was by Palin opponents -the comments I didn't publish?

Those links to maps of Alaska are also a defense of Palin if you actually pay attention. It's a classic case of the facts cutting through the spin. Their airport is on the other side of water from the town for Pete's sake. Of course it occurred to her that a bridge might be a good idea.

And this entry is also a defense of Palin. It's the facts. It's what she actually said. Not a three second media clip, not a gross generalization. Anyone who wants to know what she really said should take the 15 minutes and listen to it. Some people freak out when they hear the kind of "Christian-speak" she uses but she doesn't actually say anything all that scary in this clip as far as I could hear.

And the one entry that has my conservative readers all worked up wasn't even all that pro-Obama. It was just anti-Obama-bashing. The point of that entry was that the bill is bipartisan and arguably even bi-candidate if there is such a term.

You've been reading this blog long enough to know there's only one political allowance I've granted myself and that's to bash American-hurting partisans. Jon Stewart's "Stop stop stop hurting America" was my favorite political moment of the last ten years.
My biggest political issue is that I resent politicians and pundits who try to get Americans to hate each other. I like Americans. I think we have more in common than we have in difference. I revile partisans who'd have us all hate each other and it makes me crazy that the major parties have so polarized this country that people assume without hesitation that if someone doesn't appear to be on their side they must surely be on the other. "Both sides" is a false construction by partisans to ensure every issue is couched in their terms. What's worse, it's a false construction perpetuated by split screen TV interviews as if the sum of two spinning blowhards is a whole truth.

Maybe it feels like a shift because I generally avoid online politics. There's no uglier portrait of America than in our online policial forums. But since Palin was selected the Web has exploded with content about her. I can't very well report on the Web without mentioning her.

And if you're all swept up in Olbermann hatred, don't put that on me. I don't have anything to do with the content on that show. I spent most of my day today trying to figure out how to get their RSS feeds to render in a Twitter stream. Yesterday I was reading about how to construct a Facebook fan page and what I can do with it. I'm not writing show scripts. I haven't even met Keith yet. If you're caught up in the cable news wars, that's your problem. The real impact of that show on this blog is that I have only a fraction of the time I used to have to write it.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Scott, Melbourne, Australia — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:30:57 GMT

Don't let them bully you with claims of bias Will. You're the most unbiased guy on the net.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

JE, Detroit — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:14:24 GMT

I'm standing up and cheering your reply, Will! I haven't watched the Palin video, but my impression was that it would be a video that would not show her in a positive light (and to be honest, she'd have to do a 180 on pretty much all of the issues I consider important for me to personally see her in a positive way). I'm not saying that your words accompanying the videos led me to believe that the videos were anti-Palin, simply that that was the general impression I had. And while I was thinking that, and reading the first two comments here which criticize you for posting the videos, I was mentally defending you, thinking pretty much exactly what you said in your reply, "It must be your own bias if you think just showing her speak is attacking her."

Then I read your reply in which you state that this is actually a defense of Palin. I want to thank you for that. Not for defending her, but for making me do some introspection. When I was under the impression that the videos hurt her image, my thoughts were, "So what? If her own words hang her, why shouldn't Will post the links?" The truth, regardless of which candidate it helps or hurts, is all that matters. But I thought about it again after finding out that the videos can be seen as helping her. I asked myself, "Do I still feel the same now that I know the videos may help her?" My answer was yes. Even though I have an extremely negative opinion of Palin, I still think it's only right that you post whatever truthful information you have, even if it helps her. The truth is STILL all that matters.

Will, I don't know your politics, and I don't care. That's not my business because you haven't made it my business, period. But whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or something else entirely, an extremist or a moderate, you and I have at least one thing in common, something that is more important to me, a reader of your blog, than anything else: You choose to put the facts out there and let the reader decide for themselves what to make of those facts. If anyone has a problem with that--screw 'em. They can write their own blogs (or find one, because there's plenty out there), that quash whatever truths they find personally find unpleasant.

Sorry for the long comment; I'll understand if you choose not to publish it :)

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

KRW — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:10:44 GMT

Wow, Will. I didn't think my comment was all that provocative. I was just genuinely surprised that the clip was that big of a deal. The interpretation I took from that was a perceived concern about SP expressing "wrong" relgion ideas. Perhaps I was biased in that perception by watching Matt Damon's little tirade (on another, admittedly biased blog) concerning SP and dinosaurs shortly before reading you blog. My posting of the Obama YouTube clip was my apparently too-subtle way of implying that some people are wrong about things that don't matter, while some are wrong about things that are more important and central to the issues we are facing today.

And yes, I guess you could call me a KO "hater", but only because I see him as one of those who are "hurting America". He's one of the biggest ego-driven blowhards on TV. I think he's moved way past O'Reilly (of whom I'm not a big fan), but then again, my bias. It used to be you could just avoid his stupid show but then they let him cover the conventions and now one of the only two blogs I enjoy reading appears to be fading away because you've (presumably) been consumed with working for him. Given all that and given that others do think things have shifted a bit here (probably more to do with the "Tangled Web at RNC" post that seemed very KO-influenced, rather than this one), I think it was a legitmate question. And in my defense, I hadn't gotten around to reading the "Nowhere" post, but then that's something I would also disagree with SP about. I admire Alaskans for their self-suffiency. I don't see why the rest of us should build them a bridge to the airport, but then that's exactly the problem with all this earmark crap (which is of course a whole other issue).

We all have bias, including yourself. Some of us just admit it. I figured you were one of us in that regard. I hope that's true and it's just the election nonsense that is putting us all a bit on edge.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

KRW — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:26 GMT

Oh, and BTW, I totally agree with your comment:

Some people freak out when they hear the kind of "Christian-speak" she uses but she doesn't actually say anything all that scary in this clip as far as I could hear"

I just didn't think that there were that many "Some people". I have hope for this country, after all. Wish you had put that in the original post.;)

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Michelle, Auburn, AL — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:30:48 GMT

Right on, Will. Anyone who thinks you're biased hasn't spent much time playing in the online political sandbox lately. The vitriol and bile being spewed from both sides is sickening and you are right on when you say it is hurting America. I've had to take a few self-imposed time outs from participating on such forums, because it makes me sad for our country.

Keep up the good work, Will.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Will Femia — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:00:36 GMT

KRW, in an earlier, longer draft of my reply I listed my biases but ultimately decided that was irrelevant and really they're pretty obvious. This blog is pro-science and technology. Folks who think science is a liberal conspiracy are going to notice that bias. I think the Internet should belong to the people who use it, so there is probably an imbalance of links in favor of online community efforts and opposing tighter corporate/government control of the Web. I don't like cars - or more specifically what cars have done to American culture. This blog has always been a fan of renewable energy sources so I'm pretty sure if I've ever said "Drill baby drill" it's been in the context of geothermal. I think street art is cool so there's probably a pretty bad imbalance of links celebrating vandalism versus links celebrating law and order.

And how's this for bias: If McCain wins I'll be able to play audio for my grandkids of me interviewing the president. (It takes a while to load, so be patient. It's 21 minutes of audio. I'm working on making a downloadable mp3 version.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4759580/

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Ben, Euless, TX — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:10:41 GMT

Will, chill. It was just some constructive criticism. I liked your blog because there was no bias in the past. You just posted links from both sides and went on. That seems to have changed. It is an election year I understand it can happen, but I would like to come here and not get caught up in all the politics. If you think I am wrong and you aren't showing a bias, then I guess I am wrong. If you are showing a bias and you are fine with that, then so be it. It is your blog. I was just pointing out, from a long time reader, that things seemed to have changed. But whatever, you keep clickin' and I'll keep readin' (unless you post some pro-hillary links, then I'll never read your little two-bit blog again :).

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

KRW — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:32:24 GMT

Will,
OK, not to beat a dead horse here, and to be honest most of the biases you stated I sympathize with, though to a lesser degree. But one thought occurred to me whilst reading this morning's paper...Re: "Folks who think science is a liberal conspiracy", reading some of the hysteria concerning tiny black holes and the LHC, and for that matter, anything with the word "nuclear" in it, science conspiracy theory does not appear to be limited to just one side of the political spectrum.

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

LAMarlowe — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:18:40 GMT

Excellent decision on not listing out your personal biases, Will. One never knows when one's own words will come back to bite them on the arse.

Personally, however, I am quite curious to see what you would have written, since I find that your postings and asides display an uncommon amount of common sense and detached observation, liberally sprinkled with a sense of the absurd and an active sense of humor.

And, no, there isn't any hidden significance to my uses of the adjective form of the word 'liberal.'

That video of Sarah Palin speaking at church

Chris B, Groton, NY — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:11:54 GMT

At the minimum, thank you for redirecting my attention to Jon Stewart's mini-treatise delivered on the Crossfire show. What he said was true on many levels, but as he experienced, its difficult to get it into words never mind have anyone listen.

But back to the present issue: I've tracked your blog for quite a few years now; I appreciate the just-the-facts approach you take while trying to encapsulate what's happening on the "internets". At the risk of sounding too soap boxy, in the long run your defense posting is one of those you will have wished stayed in the drafts folder - I understand an appreciate your intent, but it really is much ado about nothing.

Keep up the good work Will. Stick to your guns (or your gun rights as the case may be). And remember those that actually care about your blog could care less about your politics.