Sarah Palin Calls David Letterman a Pervert

The problem with politicians in general -- and Sarah Palin in particular -- is that they never know when to shut up, like, for instance, in the case of the current controversy boiling over about David Letterman's egregiously distasteful joke told during the Monday "Late Show" monologue. Instead of taking the high moral ground, which she had appeared to be doing at first, Sarah Palin has now begun insinuating that David Letterman is a 62-year-old pervert -- a "dirty old man." She told Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today Show" to take her spokesperson's comment that it might be wise to keep 14-year-old Willow Palin away from David Letterman any way he wanted to...

David Letterman apologized for his "poor taste" in joke selection Wednesday night, but Sarah Palin's did what most people would have done: She struck back. Nothing wrong with a little tit-for-tat, but a joke told in poor taste is not indicative of deviant sexual proclivities -- and that is exactly what Sarah Palin is implying about Letterman.

When Matt Lauer read the statement, he asked Palin, "Are you suggesting David Letterman can't be trusted around a 14-year-old?"

Sarah Palin told him, "Take it the way you want to take it. It's from the heart."

"But is that also not in bad taste?" Lauer asked.

"No, it's not," said Palin.

Sarah Palin is wrong. Her comment and her implication -- as well as that of her spokesperson -- are indeed in bad taste. Calling David Letterman a perverted old man is almost as bad as making a joke about a teenager getting "knocked up." (Letterman's joke Monday evening: "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.")

But some hair-splitters will maintain that Sarah Palin never said anything about David Letterman being a pervert, that she is only implying it. Although she is implying it, she also said it.

Thursday on Facebook, while husband Todd ranted about David Letterman being "despicable" because he talked of someone raping his 14-year-old daughter (something that Letterman most definitely did not say and the exaggeration, though again understandable and attributable to anger, distorts what was actually said), said, "Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands - that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'"

She signed it, "Governor Sarah Palin."

It is understandable that Sarah Palin (and her family, friends, and supporters) is angry. It is also understandable that she retaliate. Far better her addressing the issue as a broader sexist issue, an issue that highlights the social acceptance of the denigration of women in general. In fact, Governor Palin did just that on the "Today Show" as well, calling for David Letterman to apologize to all young women for his offensive joke.

But she got right down in the mud with the talk show host when she and her spokesperson decided to run with the "dirty old man"/ pervert angle. And Todd Palin's and many other conservative pundits' assertions that Letterman was condoning rape is also a bit over-the-top.

Letterman explained that he was actually referring to Bristol Palin, the oldest Palin daughter (and it would be a fair assumption to think that most people -- other than those with political agendas -- would have thought he was talking about the daughter who had already been "knocked up." Like Letterman, most people did not know exactly who was at the Yankees game with Sarah Palin). Sarah Palin -- and others -- assert that that was just a "convenient" cover.

Now, instead of defending the moral high ground, Sarah Palin has decided to do battle in the gutter. And although she has the sympathy of many -- if not most -- people in this argument thus far, continued lowbrow remarks made against David Letterman will find many of the sympathetic also reproachful of her retaliatory tactics.

Sarah Palin has a problem not understanding that she appeals to the base of the conservative ideology, which is, by and large, a very reactionary group. And it is the manner of overly aggressive reaction that most see, dislike, and turn away from. When the controversy began, Palin had the ear of everyone and even those who might have thought the joke was pure lowbrow humor could see Palin's side of the issue. But not knowing when to stop -- calling Letterman a pervert, distorting the joke to focus on a 14-year-old, equating "knocked up" with rape -- is beginning to cost her, much as it did during her unsuccessful bid as the 2008 vice presidential candidate.

Sarah Palin simply does not know when she has the advantage and needs to simply be quiet.

By coming off less as the offended mother and more like a sniping, vindictive politician, Sarah Palin lost all the good will she started with in this matter. Like that pit bull (with lipstick) she likes to compare herself to, once she's locked onto this issue, she just couldn't (and can't) seem to let go.

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Sources:

"Late Night with David Letterman," CBS Television

"Today Show," NBC Television

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