Palin on Bachmann's Newsweek Cover: Headline Was Worse Than Picture

COMMENTARY | Despite what many of her critics and detractors say about her, Sarah Palin can sometimes get something right. Take, for instance, her recent comment to Politico's Kasie Hunt about the controversial Michele Bachmann Newsweek cover. Although most of the controversy centered on the wild-eyed image of the Congresswoman and Republican presidential candidate, Palin noted that the headline was worse than the picture.

"I've had my own experience with Newsweek 'cause they put me on the cover (in gym clothes)...I think that the headline is really worse than the picture, the 'Queen of Rage,' because I don't think normal everyday average Americans ....if you asked them if they think she's the 'Queen of Rage' would agree. I think they're trying to make a particular candidate look bad right there, not necessarily having to do with her gender. They're trying to make a fiscally conservative candidate look bad."

Tina Brown, editor of Newsweek, offered a statement after the flap: "Michele Bachmann's intensity is galvanizing voters in Iowa right now. Newsweek's cover captures that."

But it did not. Conservatives were up in arms over the picture chosen for the cover. The National Organization for Women labeled it "sexist." Even liberal comedian and talk show host Jon Stewart said, "Shame on you, Newsweek."

And the headline, "Queen of Rage," didn't adequately describe the Charles Manson-eyed headshot that was chosen, either. In fact, rage wasn't even mentioned in the featured article, nor did the article make Bachmann seem overly angry.

Jon Stewart suggested several quotes from Bachmann that Newsweek could have used to make their point in a journalistic fashion, if making the Minnesota Congressman look crazy had indeed been their goal.

Like Palin, Stewart was correct in his assessment. And his suggestions point to perhaps using the headline "Queen of Crazy" or "Crazed Queen." But mental stability can often be a matter of ethical and social perspective. Perhaps in the spirit of accuracy, Bachmann's more outlandish quotes and statements, her misstatements, exaggerations, and falsehoods, lend themselves more to a headline that reads "Queen of Lies." Such a headline seems accurately representational of the presidential candidate given her track record with fact-checking agencies like Politifact, where most of her statements (those verified for accuracy) are labeled "false" and "pants of fire."

Palin was right. The headline was worse than the cover picture.