Not trying to be unsympathetic to others who may have been more deserving, but I don't recall hearing stories of people who felt denied because Johnston was offered this apprenticeship. I admit that doesn't mean they weren't out there, but I can't imagine that there is a lot of competition for the harsh working conditions of the area. It seems to me that it would be more of following a family tradition, as with fishermen, steel workers in the northeast, or textile workers in the southeast, that is, factory families -- like father, like son.
So back to my point -- that Johnston was used as a pawn to attack Palin, probably by the same people who were inundating her with ethics complaints. So now, it's just a different bunch of enablers still using Johnston to attack Palin.
Requiem for an Alaska oil-worker? Is Johnston destined to be handed off from one user to another for the rest of his life?
-PJ
It was Palin’s decision to showcase him at the convention and ramble to media about what a fine young man he was. If she had distanced herself from him as much as reasonably possible, then I’d have some sympathy for those who claim she’s being unfairly criticized for his various antics. But she didn’t distance herself. Not one millimeter. And now she gets to experience the consequences of associating with someone like that and singing his praises.
During the campaign, she should have deflected all questions about her daughter’s pregnancy and baby-daddy with a terse “This is a private family matter”. And after the election, when Levi started the scummy media appearances on his own steam, she should have refused to comment at all on anything he said or on the fact that he was speaking to the media. She just doesn’t seem to get that people like this need to be ostracized. Instead she keeps feeding the beast.