I have no comment on this, really. It’s just an interesting thing to see.
Though, I do wonder how she came across the quote. Is she a conservative? Does she follow Herman Cain on Twitter? Is she a political geek like the rest of us?
We may never know - but let’s keep an eye on Ms. Kardashian.
PS: That is an excellent quote. Certainly worth spreading around.
- tdc
UPDATE: March 1, 2011
A few minutes ago, Mr. Carlson apologized for his language last night. Via Twitter:
At this point, there’s not much more to say, except - Thank you, Mr. Carlson! I’m happy that this episode has ended on a positive - and mature - note.
- tdc
Generally speaking, I have nothing against Tucker Carlson.
He founded the Daily Caller website, which I read regularly, and seems to be a pretty good political analyst. That said, I was pretty shocked to see a tweet from him this evening in which he used the term “MILF” (if you don’t know what it is, Google it) in reference to Governor Sarah Palin.
The story Carlson was referencing was a CNN write-up about the former governor’s poll numbers in Iowa. It was all perfectly fine until you got to the end of Mr. Carlson’s tweet and saw the word “Milfistan”. The original tweet has been deleted, but I managed a screen cap of a couple of retweets and responses (the second one is my own):
I assume he was trying to be funny, but it just ended up being rude.
Using that unfortunate term about any woman is simply tasteless, and I would expect more from someone like Tucker Carlson. I’m not calling for him to make some grand apology to Governor Palin, or the Twitterverse, for that matter. But, since the original tweet was deleted, someone must have clued him in.
Thus, it would be nice if he acknowledged his lack of judgment in referencing a word that only boys - not men - find appropriate (or, in Opposite Land, somehow complementary).
More importantly, the reason I am even bothering to write this post is to call attention to the fact that we should all be mindful of the language we use. Hyper-sensitivity is never a good thing, but when someone like Governor Palin (or Michele Bachmann) has been routinely objectified as a means of diminishing her political and governing skills, it’s important to speak up and point out what a slippery slope we’re on.
If you *must* use locker room language, save it for the locker room. Don’t display your inner-most Neanderthal to your 23,000+ Twitter followers - some of whom will take the opportunity to offer their own crass retort. Surely, we can expect more from you, Mr. Carlson - can’t we?
- tdc
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Today’s Gallup poll for likely 2012 GOP presidential candidates reveals a close race between Governors Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin. The poll was conducted with Republicans and “Republican-leaning” Independent voters and asked which candidate the voter would be “most likely” to support.
It’s interesting to note the shift that has occurred in recent months, as indicated in the chart below:
You will see that Huckabee’s numbers have increased 4% since the fall of 2010, perhaps due to his recently released book, Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need From Washington; while Mitt Romney’s numbers have decreased by a similar amount, 3%, in that same time period. By contrast, Governor Palin’s numbers have maintained a steady trend since last September - a remarkable feat considering the constant barrage of negative press directed her way. The latest, of course, being the leaked manuscript by a former aide (blogger Stacy Drake has a straight-forward post on this matter at Big Government).
Though daily and weekly polls are nothing to hang one’s proverbial hat on, reviewing the trends revealed in these statistics can be useful for understanding the mood of the average voter. Poll numbers can certainly be illustrative in pointing out preferred candidates and those with the highest name-recognition. However, these numbers are also instructive in revealing falsehoods (or wishful thinking) that are simply not the reality of the situation.
In the case of Governor Sarah Palin, the prevailing meme in mainstream press is that she is polarizing, disliked, and disrespected. This week’s Gallup poll, however, shows a different trend. Despite the efforts of those who would banish her from the political scene, Governor Palin remains a strong, steady presence - she manages to persevere in the face of extraordinary odds.
Regardless of who enters the race to become the GOP presidential candidate in 2012, the numbers released by Gallup today should be a reminder that this election will not be a foregone conclusion - in the primary or the general election.
Voters’ opinions are fickle and the majority of Americans don’t pay much attention to politics outside of a few weeks before a major election. The most important thing for conservatives to do between now and November 2012 is to remain strong and steady, continuing to persevere through the blitz that is sure to come from the other side.
- tdc
As this coming Monday is President’s Day, The National Review Online has published an article titled “A Great and Mighty President”. The article features the commentary of three historians who discuss the nature of the American presidency and the men who have held the office.
Each president has left his mark on the office, but the NRO story points to several who were particularly influential in shaping the scope and responsibility of the presidency. While noting the contributions of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, the author, Brian Bolduc, notes the impact of one modern president - Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Bolduc writes:
“The most obvious and dramatic effect of his inauguration was the restoration overnight — it really was overnight — of American self-confidence and patriotism,” Morris argues. “It’s one thing he and TR had in common: It was a personal dignity and they embodied the national dignity as well as its force.”
The other quality Morris emphasizes is Reagan’s courage. “Before him, every president seemed to be scared of the Soviet Union — terrified of it,” he says. “Reagan seemed to instinctively understand that it was a ramshackle system, a house of cards that just had to be tipped over and then it would crumble.”
Reagan was the last president who strengthened the office, Morris says: “Clinton was much more accommodating with Congress and the latest Bush was much more controversial. But Reagan somehow managed to hold it all together.”
In a time when the world is as unstable a place as it has ever been, one can’t help but hope that our next president is, once again, an individual who displays that Reagan-esque sense of self-confidence (not to be construed as conceit) that simultaneously embodies our “national dignity as well as its force.”
Indeed, perhaps it is appropriate that we ask whether one can exist without the other.
- tdc
*Photo credit: thehistoryplace.com
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