They whine for the sake of whining.

They whine because they are always the victims.

They whine because questions should never be asked: orders should always be followed.

They whine because if the media ever gets back into the habit of asking pertinent questions, Sarah Palin is doomed.

Hey, Jackie's media savvy; she saw the rocket to stardom of "Joe the Plumber" after a chance meet-up with Obama, and figured "You go for it, girl friend!"

-Easier than getting on American Idol. . .

It's hardly beyond the pale to ask Palin's anti-bailout supporters about this. So what's with all the whining?
-----------------------------

It's just what they do. Speculation that it's some sort of mating call seems to be unfounded.

O'Donnell asks the young woman, named Jackie, whether she realizes that Sarah Palin actually endorsed the bailout. "Where'd you hear that?" the Palin fan asked. -- Steve Benen

That's quite typical of the Palin fans and not limited to 17yr olds. While "shilling for Dems" in front of our precinct earlier this month, I got into conversation with the oppo rep. A virile-looking 44yo, he had all the answers about the evil of socialised medicine, the superiority of the brainiac Palin, etc, mostly backed up by anecdotal "evidence". Whenever I brought up a contradictory story, his answer was always either "I haven't heard that" (with the underlying: "and therefore it can't be true"), or "Where did you hear that?" (with the whiff of: "obviously, some discredited source like MoveOn or Acorn"). There's *no* convincing them, no matter what...

It's hardly beyond the pale to ask Palin's anti-bailout supporters about this. So what's with all the whining?

They're just imitating their charlatan of a "hero." Everything is always somebody else's fault, they're always the "victim" of "gotcha journalism" and, by extension, that venerable old warhorse the Liberal Media. Ignorance is to be celebrated and stupidity is a virtue. Sarah Palin is no different from a snake oil salesman; gullible fools bought it then, and they're buying it now. Anyone who brings this uncomfortable truth to light is the enemy, hence all the whining.

Hey, if asking Palin what she reads is a gotcha or asking Prejean what her thought process was when she decided to settle is a gotcha...

Colber's "Word" earlier this week - 'victimry' - pretty much sums it up. Palin et al "snatch victimry from the jaws of defeat."

I also bet NBC News doesn't let Norah ask such a mean ol' question again, either.

Playing the refs always works-for the Republicans!

You know I really enjoyed Olberman's commentary about right wingers using children as props. I think Olberman had this young woman's age as 13 and then worked his way down all the wingers attacking or using even younger children.

They have no shame, they are Republicans.

Know-nothings who support KNOW-NOTHIGS know nothing when asked what they know.

Asking pertinent questions of idiots is considered by a vast, ignorant populace, to be impertinent.

Thus the whining.

Haven't you heard? The LIBERAL MEDIA hates all real Americans like Sarah and Jackie. It's a conspiracy.

When the zombies rise up from the grave to feed on the brains of the stupid, they won't starve if they just follow the Palinoids.

Steve, you and I agree on the large majority of issues. But, I think that in this case, you and Norah are coming dangerously close to picking on a child. While the questions Norah asks are perfectly reasonable, there are many adults whose understanding of the issues closely mirrors that onion article (sadly). We should probably leave the teenagers alone on this.

Steve, you and I agree on the large majority of issues. But, I think that in this case, you and Norah are coming dangerously close to picking on a child. While the questions Norah asks are perfectly reasonable, there are many adults whose understanding of the issues closely mirrors that onion article (sadly). We should probably leave the teenagers alone on this.

There are plenty of stupid adult Palin fans to press for answers. The problem is, no one's asking them very hard questions.

It's not just whining...it's the new right wing radio rants....if a reporter asks a question of Sarah or a follower they are 'badgering' the person. I heard it on local radio yesterday and called them up madder than hell! They were talking about how Oprah 'raked Sarah over the coals' and then they started with fat jokes. If we are not allowed to even ask a legitimate question in this country why are we fighting so hard for our 'freedoms'? C'mon GOP I'm talking to YOU!!!

It looks like Nora has come down with a case of "Perky Journalist " you know , like Katie going and asking those reasonable questions.

in the world palin and friends have created, truth is an infinitely flexible commodity designed to be bent to the needs of the moment.

She called O'Donnell a "buffoon" who asked "a gotcha question."

Well, of course that's a gotcha question -- you know, like, "what do you read?"

Journalists are getting arrogant. They need to remember that they're a cross between a stenographer and a hand model. All they have to do is read the press release over the footage sent by the RNC. They shouldn't ask questions, that's the worst kind of badgering gotcha journalism.

I usually am all for asking pertinent and pointed questions but I must admit, this made me feel a little uncomfortable - especially Norah checking her the notecards. If she had continued her conversation with the man or chose another adult to interview (so, so many to choose from), it would've made for a more powerful statement as to how uninformed these "adults" are...although Jackie will be old enough to vote in a year...hummm...this is scary!

Cut the Bronx cheese and pour the whine...

Benen: Palin really did endorse the bailout at the time, and did so again in "Going Rogue"

Yes but as the guy in the interview pointed out, she was a victim there too.
The bailout she supported was different than the one that got passed.

You say: Sarah can't walk on water?
They will say: Blame the water.

Short of deprogramming there is no winning here.
They believe because they have faith...

Aphorism of the day

You can lead a wingnut to the waters of rationality,
but you will have better luck convincing a mule to drink...

I dunno, Jim G. @4:33, maybe it was a teachable moment for that young woman. Young people are impressionable and as a teen, she's still evolving -- maybe a seed was planted. We can hope, anyway.

On the one hand, you can tell by the way O'Donnell looks at her notes that she had set-up the question in advance; on the other hand, once you put stupid on a t-shirt, you're a fair target.

Also, I love pictures like this:
http://img.wonkette.com/images/thumbs/cd4d779f4dd9719a185fb40b8b92f73f.jpg

The problem with this whole thing is that NBC, if that is whom O'Donnell works for (I don't pay attention to who works for whom), will not follow-up with any of their higher rated "journalists." The story will die or be relegated to tabloid-level commentary. The ignorance of the majority of USians can be laid at the feet of MSM and, more and more, the educational system. Watch the decline of "higher educational resources" and the dumbing dowm of the educational system, in general.
Ignorance is not bliss; ignorance is the beginning of the end of civilization, as we know it, or think we know it.

peace,
st john

For me this reveals the essence the Wingnut Moran Insanity. They set themselves up out of ignorance and stupidity then grip and whine when they get busted for being idiots.

Neo-victims in a fact-free Universe.

The Adult interviewee (presumably the father of Jackie, judging by all the head nodding and similar hand-made attire) did try to defend Palin by saying the Treasury Secretary (the name he was searching for was Hank Paulson) changed the rules after the bailout.

Let us pause and remember he was the GOP's treasury secretary and the Democrats were the party to demand accountability before signing on to TARP (Hank had drafted a short memo declaring himself grand poo bah over TARP)and after signing on, when good ol' Hank started treating TARP like a personal slush fund to give hand outs to whomsoever he saw fit anyway.

Irregardless, these people are clearly watching way too much FOX, the signature network designed for muddling facts and cognition while placing a premium on "feelings" and getting people worked up.

You know the participants at the teabagger parties always have children dressed up in ridiculous clothing and holding signs bearing some of the most hateful racist stuff I've ever seen. Now of course we're supposed to ignore a 17 year old wearing a political shirt. I'm starting to despise these people.

Somehow the girl is only 13 years old on right wing radio.

It was really sad when the girl said she wanted Sarah Palin to be president so she won't have to worry about paying for rent and gasoline anymore.

One of the commenters here (can't remember who, sorry) used a term "right whinge", recently. Struck me as perfect, since it merges "whine" and "fringe", while also being perfectly good (if British) word by itself (they say "whinge" where we say "whine").

milo: something about "under age" girls that turns on the RePigs(mostly white men).

So what's with all the whining?

that's not a serious question is it? Is there anything else wingnuts do except whine? Oh yea, salivate over killing people and blowing shit up. In between: nothing but whine.
.

Whereas the anti-Palin people whine (and often worse) because they can't stand the fact that a female politician found a popular base without going through the expected liberal channels.

I'm not sure why else they'd get so worked up about her. Well, except for the ones with secret crushes.

Oh, and sorry to interrupt the goings-on in the echo chamber.

Actually the word(s) is "West Michigan", where the thought processes run that deep as a rule, and where "a dream is a wish that your heart makes" is a political ethos.
It's where that 17-year-old from east Grand Rapids knows that she has another ten years of adolescence left.

Whereas the anti-Palin people whine (and often worse) because they can't stand the fact that a female politician found a popular base without going through the expected liberal channels.

ROFL.... Q.E.D.

Thanks so much for proving Steve's point.

Norah O'Donnell is incredibly hot.

Of course back during the election FOX heavily promoted clips purporting to show that Obama backers were clueless idiots. But that was completely different.

"So what's with all the whining?"

Do you really have to ask?

Really?

Maybe Norah should go to some of Chicagos' housing projects and ask some questions about obama? How many do you think will answer her questions any better? Fact is most voters don't know enough about the people they elect to run the country. So instead of trying to embarass a young woman venturing into this arena maybe for the first time because she see's a woman standing her ground despite an avalance of negativity, Norah should have made it a more educating encounter but, I guess Norah couldn't find any preschoolers to taunt.

What got me was the homosexual Palin fan she interviewed first. Why would he want to support someone who hates homosexuals?

What good did the question serve? Why would Norah O'Donnell's audience care about the answer, whatever it was?

It was a gotcha question intended to unsettle the person being interviewed. Legit? Of course. Seemly? Not so much.

If she had continued her conversation with the man or chose another adult to interview (so, so many to choose from), it would've made for a more powerful statement as to how uninformed these "adults" are...

I think she was hoping the kid would be a step up after interviewing the adult who said Palin was more qualified than Biden, Obama and McCain to be President.

How much more of a statement do you need than that one?

Exlibra is so right. There is no intelligent discussion with these people, which is different than with older Republicans I know and talk with, who have a distinct point of view and can defend it.

Tempered Optimism: "Irregardless"? Really? What does that mean, compared to "Regardless"?

"She's a fresh breath of air." Mangling idioms is de riguer for those sans mentant.

For all of the blowhards blasting O'Donnell, remember that the 17 year old VOLUNTEERED to be on television. Another woman, an adult, declined and told O'Donnell to "ask her." This is from Seal's own blog.

So, while on the surface it seems unfair to "pick on a minor," the minor seemingly knew what she was doing and asked to be on television. No parent or guardian objected or halted the interview, so they must have tacitly supported young Ms. Seal being exposed to a nationwide audience. Given MSNBC's reputation among the crowd that supports Sarah Palin, Ms. Seal or her parents/guardians (her father, according to her blog, was there) knew what she was about to get into.

Once again, it is always someone else's fault; the Liberal Media; the elite; Barack Obama; ACORN, etc. No proof necessary.

Buckley, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ike, Tricky Dick and Everett Dirksen must all be rolling over in their graves at what their party has become; a collection of aggressive crusading neo-cons and far right racist nutcases and arrogant CEOs and contractors who peddle fear in order to advance policies that benefit the few; fantasize about a puppet like Palin that they would like to force to give them a Monica.

What is boils down to is the girl was asked a question off air in preparation for her being on-air. She was then asked a different question when on TV.

Now, what does wearing a Stimulus shirt have to do with her views on Palin? The shirt said NOTHING about Palin. Second, this girl was waiting in line for a book to be signed. That Liberally biased news reporter had a Blackberry with NOTES so this teenager could be blind-sided. How many people would wait in line with notes handy to debate a biased news reporter (I use that term loosely)who has her whole biased news department behind her? I doubt anybody would. Second, pick on somebody other than a teenager. It is easy to pick on somebody you know would be little defended. She was an easy target and Norah O'Donnell knew it. Little did she know it would blow up in her face.

Funny... People talk about Fox News being biased but MSNBC has them beat by a longshot.