COMMENTARY | If a famous American athlete made a vicious attack against a famous American politician, should it be reported in the news, no matter how vile? That seems to be the argument between the Daily Caller’s Tucker Carlson and Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, according to Politico.
The story in question is an interview with Mike Tyson titled, “Mike Tyson: Sarah Palin met the ‘womb shifter.’” The article related to some comments Tyson made about allegations Joe McGinniss made in his new book about a one night sexual encounter between then-Sarah Heath and basketball star Glen Rice. The allegations and the book itself have been condemned by a wide variety of people and media outlets, including the New York Times, not usually numbered among Palin’s defenders.
Van Susteren has attacked the publication of the article, calling it a promotion of violence against women and suggesting Carlson was a “pig” for running it.
Carlson has responded that the Daily Caller in no way endorses the remarks made by Tyson and, in fact, condemns them. Carlson will be on Van Susteren’s show Monday to explain further.
While one cannot have sympathy with Van Susteren’s position, the fact that Palin has a certain effect on people is news and needs reporting. Palin has been the target of the most vile personal attacks in the history of the American republica, in large part because she is a woman, conservative, religious, intelligent, and may well become president of the United States. The phenomenon says more about her attackers, not only McGinniss, but HBO ranter Bill Maher, who has said things about Palin that would start fisticuffs in most social situations.
The assaults by people like McGinniss and Maher have actually garnered a degree of sympathy for Palin, even from people for whom her politics cause bouts of rage and revulsion. This is because there are limits, even in American political discourse. The attempt to not just destroy a woman in the public eye but to annihilate her, her family, and anyone who ever had regard for her has caused something remarkable — a backlash and a serious, as opposed to bogus, questioning about the level of political discourse. This too is something worth reporting, in this writer’s opinion.
Sources: Greta Van Susteren: Tucker Carlson’s a ‘pig’ for Palin story, MJ Lee, Politico, Sept 19, 2011
‘The Lamestream Media’ Palin’s Unlikely New Friends, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, Sept 16, 2011
Report: Bill Maher Calls Sarah Palin Another Vile Name, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, May 29, 2011