British sports columnist Martin Samuel destroys American vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in the English Times
You know that things have truly turned weird when a British sports writer hands in the best piece on Sarah Palin’s contribution to the Republican campaign, so far. Here is quite a long quote from the article by The Times’ main sports writer, Martin Samuel. I could have pruned it but that would have been a sin. It’s too close to perfect for my crude editing:
“There is a time when it is necessary to take the gloves off and that time is right now, said Sarah Palin in Colorado. Interesting that she did not want the gloves off before her vice-presidential debate with Joe Biden. Oh, gloves on then. Headgear, too. Maybe some of those big shoulder pads that quarter-backs wear; and throw cushions for a softer landing. In fact, Palin and her minders could not have demanded a safer arena for debate when the opposition was within striking distance. Biden appeared with his hands tied, his intellect muted, his manner subdued, lest he should seem smarter, better informed or more competent than his opponent, a move which was inexplicably deemed undesirable. This shows how far we have come. Intelligence is now viewed as a threat. Isn’t that how Pol Pot operated?
Meanwhile, the Republican lobby put pressure on the debate moderator not to go heavy on foreign policy, perhaps fearing that Palin would repeat her view that experience in this area was linked to proximity to a coastline, and expectations were lowered so that just avoiding intellectual humiliation would be seen as victory. And it worked. She got the name of the Nato commander in Afghanistan wrong and Biden smiled politely. She pronounced nuclear the same way that Homer Simpson does and he had to find it charming. She failed to answer direct questions, while advancing a carefully moulded image as a straight-talking maverick, and it went unquestioned. Now, from a safe distance, Palin wants the gloves off. Of course she does, with no chance of instant scrutiny.”
(From The Guardian’s ‘comment cartoons’)
Now, you really should read the rest of the article: I think it deserves to be syndicated, and published and read from coast to shining coast, as it were – and you know what? I find that infuriating.
Why is it that a British sports writer has to do the job for all those political analysts and commentators in the States – and why is it that Jon Stewart is one of the most trusted people in America: a man who presents a political comedy show, for Christ’s sake…?!
Remember Watergate, remember Robert Redford playing one of the hero journalists in the movie? No, I’m not that shallow – and I’m not suggesting all journalism is or can be like that. For every ‘Deep Throat’ story that has the potential to bring down presidents, there will be a lot of humdrum business as usual. What’s more, these days, the bad guys would probably win, anyway.
Still, it’s not that long ago that journalists were seen as at least potential heroes. In the movies, journalists were like those gumshoes: honest, hardworking, self-sacrificing and dependent. Were they ever as Hollywood used to portray them? How many Lou Grants did ever work our newspaper floors? The answer to those questions is, most probably, “No,” and “None,” respectively – but that is not the point.
The point is, People trusted journalists, and they trusted their newspapers and TV news shows to present them with the best information and the best analysis there was to be found, on the day.
Now? Now, we’ve got those annoying, partisan talking heads, lazy pundits who just repeat whatever the spin doctors from all sides present them with.
Even worse, when Obama merely says the word ‘Change’, about 33% of the press come in their collective pants. When Sarah Palin winks, grimaces and spouts inanities, another 33% get their orgasm on camera. While the other 33% of the press is too busy chasing yet another Paris Hilton story.
Political coverage by the national newspapers and the big TV studios has become worse than depressing, worse than pathetic, even. It has become criminally negligent and despicable.
It is a disgrace that it takes a British sports columnist to ram that message home again.
We have to be thankful to Samuel, not merely for the few home truths he wrote about Sarah Palin – though I think all that he said was spot on. No, he deserves a medal, for services to democracy, for showing up all those other so-called journalists as the truly useless wankers and vapid air heads that they have become.
(From ‘The Black Commentator’)
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