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Brilliant' Ifill Cousin Scours Palin As 'Offensive to Black Women'
newsbusters ^ | October 2, 2008 | Tim Graham

Posted on 02/26/2016 7:40:59 AM PST by MarvinStinson

Here are more signs Sarah Palin could face an uphill battle with PBS host Gwen Ifill.

Professor Sherrilyn Ifill of the University of Maryland Law School, whom Gwen Ifill has lauded as "my brilliant baby cousin," has written that black women are not buying Sarah Palin's "false claims to feminism" and is portrayed as too perfect: "when women who are privileged present as though they have it all together, it's offensive to black women."

The Community Times, a suburban Maryland newspaper, found Professor Ifill was ardently opposed to the Alaska governor when they did an e-mail interview:

"From the first day, Palin presented herself as shooting a bear in the morning, field dressing it, cooking up the breakfast, diapering the babies, passing legislation in the afternoon, cleaning the house, satisfying her husband, etc., etc., etc. And it's just not true," she wrote in an e-mail interview. "It's hard to be an average working mom, really hard. And when women who are privileged present as though they have it all together, it's offensive to black women."

She said, "black women are not easily confused by false claims to feminism. When women like Palin lay claims to 'representing' average women, I think that black women have a visceral reaction to it."

Ifill added that Palin "missed her opportunity when she announced Bristol's pregnancy to explicitly talk about how painful it was to her as a mother - instead of making it as though this too was also part of her perfect life.

"Hillary has the sympathy of women because of what she went through with Bill in front of the whole country.

Michelle [Obama] takes pains to be self-deprecating and to talk about her concerns and fear about her girls. She insists that she couldn't do what she does without the help of her mother. Most importantly, both champion issues that affect the lives of real, average women - universal health care, equal pay, choice, etc. To do so is a recognition that real working women (not political wives or politicians) need policies that will help them maintain their families. What's the point of Palin's brand of feminism if it doesn't translate into real returns for average women?"

It can be noted that the professor is so passionate an Obama supporter that she also denounced Hillary Clinton as a phony feminist: "When she knocked back a shot and a beer in that bar in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Clinton ended any pretense of running as a feminist." She compared it to Michael Dukakis in a tank, a failed "macho stunt."

Gwen Ifill's family pride came through in her monthly washingtonpost.com online chat on October 4, 2007:

Pittsburgh, Pa.: Is Professor Sherrilyn Ifill at the University of Maryland Law School, who's spoken out so eloquently and thoughtfully on symbols of racial hatred lately, any relation to you?

Gwen Ifill: She is indeed my brilliant baby cousin, and the author of an excellent book "On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 20th Century."

Cousin Gwen supported that book at an event at the liberal D.C. bookstore Politics and Prose. As The Politico reported in February of 2007:

Ifill's reading illustrates how decisions are made. She had everything you need: a name to draw a crowd (her cousin, moderator of PBS's "Washington Week," introduced her); a friendship with Jim Lehrer of "The News Hour," also on PBS; and a book with a liberal, social-justice bent, about lynchings that took place outside the Deep South.

"Jim Lehrer's a great friend of the store," Meade said, adding that the store probably would have held the reading anyway, given the content of Ifill's book. "If it's something that involves civil rights, civil liberties, we're pretty interested in it usually."

The idea that Politics and Prose has a liberal bias has caused the store some consternation, but it's rooted in reality. The bookstore draws a graying, turtleneck crowd in a neighborhood known for its liberal politics in a city that gave George W. Bush fewer than 22,000 votes in 2004. Would you expect the shelves to be buckling under the weight of Sean Hannity and Co.'s latest books?

The bookstore's most well-known snub went to Matt Drudge, a conservative and the creator of The Drudge Report. Cohen reportedly called him "a rumormonger and a troublemaker" in 2000 when the store rejected his request for a reading.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: gwenifill; ifill; maryland; naacp; npr; palin; pbs; pds; sarahpalin; sherrilynifill; uofmaryland; waronsarah
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To: MarvinStinson
"From the first day, Palin presented herself as shooting a bear in the morning, field dressing it, cooking up the breakfast, diapering the babies, passing legislation in the afternoon, cleaning the house, satisfying her husband, etc., etc., etc. And it's just not true," she wrote in an e-mail interview. "It's hard to be an average working mom, really hard. And when women who are privileged present as though they have it all together, it's offensive to black women."

The woman is an idiot. Palin does not claim to be perfect, nor does she claim her family is perfect (and some of the flaws are quite obvious). However, the example of someone who is even mostly doing well should be inspiring to everyone. I don't get offended when someone has a good life; I at least internally celebrate their success.

If Todd Palin is enjoying the company of his exceptionally attractive wife, that is a very good thing. If the Palin children are learning to fish (recreational or professional), or to hunt, or are serving in the military, that is also wonderful. If the Palins are eating fresh, wild game, I strongly approve. If they are raising all of their children instead of killing inconvenient ones (is it two or three?) like a democrat would, I celebrate that too.

I don't see anything in Palin's life or in her (mixed - Todd is Yup'ik) marriage that is unique to whiteness or to those who are accepted as if they were white, whatever that means to the professional racists. What I see are good life choices by her (not always by her daughter), including marriage first, stability second, and children third chronologically. Any black woman could avoid taking offense at the impossibility of Palin's success by merely recognizing her personal responsibility and following the same order of steps in her own life.

41 posted on 02/26/2016 8:55:10 AM PST by Pollster1 ("A Bill of Rights that means what the majority wants it to mean is worthless." - Scalia)
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To: MarvinStinson

Both Ifills are privileged..they just don’t realize it. Two dopes making a lot more money than they deserve. Only in America.


42 posted on 02/26/2016 8:57:21 AM PST by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: MarvinStinson

I realized this morning that white people do have an advantage over blacks, but it isn’t skin color. It’s that whites have nobody to blame. If we fail, we cannot blame blacks or Hispanics.
Some of us will blame our family situations, but we cannot scapegoat another race. If we screw up, it’s our own fault. The advantage comes with knowing it’s our responsibility to fix it. There’s no point in waiting ten years while politicians promise a fix that requires no effort on our part.
That’s quite an advantage, for the wise.


43 posted on 02/26/2016 9:23:58 AM PST by Wiser now (Socialism does not eliminate poverty, it guarantees it.)
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To: Mr. K

Nailed it! including the sarcasm.

The “Hate America First” crowd uses similar logic when discussing illegal immigrants. To them, the fact that someone is born bedrock poor in a place like MehHeeCo or Crapistan with no real prospects for a good life somehow becomes my responsibility to fix. SMH ...


44 posted on 02/26/2016 9:30:57 AM PST by ByteMercenary (Healthcare Insurance is *NOT* a Constitutional right.)
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To: Leaning Right; MarvinStinson
Actually, we should. And that's because the article gives a snapshot of the sick world Gwen Ifill lives in...the same Gwen Ifill whom the GOPe cheerfully accepts as a debate moderator.

Exactly right and poster Stinson has rightly posted this account of the bias liberal scumbag Gwen Ifill and her cousin Professor Sherrilyn.

45 posted on 02/26/2016 11:33:15 AM PST by Mr Apple ( GO TRUMP / CARSON GO)
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To: traderrob6

Which statement: who is the conservative? or I’ve become a Trump supporter.

You certainly can’t say Rubio is a Conservative. And now that Cruz has thrown in with Rubio, he’s lost all credibility.

I’ve been neutral all throughout the primary season, trying awfully hard to be objective.

If you think otherwise, that’s your opinion. Regardless, my question remains unanswered: who’s the Conservative?


46 posted on 02/26/2016 12:22:15 PM PST by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: NTHockey

Cruz has displayed unwavering conserative ideals. past and present. Trump however, has a 2 decade history of taking liberal positions

1.He thinks affirmative action is okay.
2.He would fund Planned Parenthood except for abortion. (This is current federal policy)
3.He supports a progressive income tax. He does not favor a flat tax.
4.He doesn’t want to cut Social Security or Medicare.
5.He’s in favor of a ban on assault weapons.
6.He invited Bill and Hillary Clinton to his wedding.
7.He doesn’t “fully believe in supply-side economics”.
8.He wants to lead “from behind” on Ukraine. Trump believes that Germany should take the lead on Ukraine.
9.He hates the Iran deal, but he wouldn’t abrogate it after taking office.
10. A short 5 years ago he termed the Republican approach to immigration enforcement “mean spirited”.
11.He supports “touchback amnesty”.
12.He has supported/supports such liberal sacred cows as ethanol subsidies, Kelo and govt. bailouts.

Why do you think all the best conservative minds of our time (Limbaugh, Levin, Sowell, Viguerie etc) all back Cruz?

It’s because he’s the only true conservative of the lot.

No thank you, I’ll support the man with both a past and present history of principled conservatism.


47 posted on 02/26/2016 12:39:26 PM PST by traderrob6
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To: MarvinStinson; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; ...
Thanks MarvinStinson.

48 posted on 02/26/2016 3:55:40 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv; MarvinStinson; onyx; Abbeville Conservative; abigailsmybaby; afnamvet; alley cat; ...
Thanks for the Ping SunkenCiv!

Seriously, Who is the Hell is this Ifill family Ping to Sarah's Amazing List!?

I honestly don't know who this woman is beyond vague recognition of the name.

I guess it would be best to ignore her, but it's hard to ignore the kids who Egg your house on Friday night too. So here we are >:(


49 posted on 02/26/2016 5:02:17 PM PST by KC_Lion (I think it is obvious, feminism stops where Islam begins.)
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To: KC_Lion

Apparently, this woman is Gwen Ifill’s sister. Gwen Ifill was a talking head for PBS at the time of the 2008 election, and moderated one of the Republican debates.

Yeah, she’s a big lib.


50 posted on 02/26/2016 5:09:54 PM PST by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
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To: MarvinStinson

Let’s all be like the ideal - nasty, angry black women.


51 posted on 02/26/2016 5:15:26 PM PST by SaraJohnson
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To: Tennessee Nana

We should all care. These are the people who want to stifle dissent. They want their agenda to be the only “True” agenda.

The only “True Religion”.


52 posted on 02/26/2016 5:15:43 PM PST by AFreeBird
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To: MarvinStinson

Sarah lives inside their heads for free.

When she mentions her accomplishments, she is “too perfect”.

When she mentions her disapointments, she is “not perfect enough.”

What a maroon the writer shows herself to be!


53 posted on 02/26/2016 5:18:37 PM PST by marktwain
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To: MarvinStinson

Everything is offensive to those perceiving the advance of the liberal/progressive mantra.


54 posted on 02/26/2016 5:20:06 PM PST by onedoug
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To: MarvinStinson; KC_Lion
Here comes the hit pieces on Sarah Palin to couter Any thought of Palin for VP. . Sorry libs, it's Not going to work.

Trump/Palin 2016!

55 posted on 02/26/2016 5:28:28 PM PST by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: KC_Lion

Jealousy is an ugly thing...and they ARE ugly. REAL ugly!


56 posted on 02/26/2016 5:36:42 PM PST by luvie (Cruz or Lose! "Where the vision is lost, the people perish"--Proverbs 29:18)
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To: traderrob6
I quit defending Sarah Palin when she sold out the one true conservative in the race.

Oh geez, your judgement is all screwed up so you blame it on Sarah?

57 posted on 02/26/2016 5:39:38 PM PST by upsdriver (I support Sarah Palin.)
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To: MarvinStinson

I no longer care about what any Democrat may find “offensive”.


58 posted on 02/26/2016 5:47:21 PM PST by PapaBear3625 (Big government is attractive to those who think that THEY will be in control of it.)
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To: MarvinStinson

I started reading this, because I was curious. Then it all came together: Gwen Ifil is like the child getting tied into knots over imaginary monsters in the closet. She needs to be fed her teaspoon of sugar water and sent back to bed.


59 posted on 02/26/2016 5:55:07 PM PST by jonrick46 (The Left has a mental disorder: A totalitarian mindset..)
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To: upsdriver

If you believe that Trump is a conservative, you’re the one with the judgement deficit.


60 posted on 02/26/2016 6:26:10 PM PST by traderrob6
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