Why Levi Johnston Matters

Pajamas Media ^ | Sept. 4 | Jazz Shaw

[AJKauf]

The magazine Vanity Fair opted to open up the fall season featuring another groundbreaking interview with Levi Johnston, a young man whose previous claims to fame included a decisive slap shot in hockey, the ability to navigate a snow machine over rough terrain, and sufficient spermatozoa to impregnate the daughter of a vice presidential candidate. The punditocracy and their associated acolytes across the web immediately fell into predictable patterns of applause and outrage.

You may recall that during the Battle of Ought Eight, Levi was held up — albeit somewhat reluctantly — as a hero of traditional American values. Rather than traipsing off to the nearest abortion clinic, he was going to marry the young woman who found herself in a family way by accident. It was the essence of bootstrap conservatism and personal responsibility, serving as a mark of credit to both the Palin and Johnston families.

What a difference a year makes! With dreams of ceremonies — both inaugural and nuptial — crumbled into dust, Levi has shouldered a new mantle as right-wing whipping boy. He is scorned as a habitual liar, amoral, and a scumbag. But why does the opinion of this young man carry any cache in the political arena?....

[ClearCase_guy]

I think the message in this piece is that Levi Johnson, Carrie Prejean, and Meghan McCain are all tools used by Conservatives to push a political agenda. Conservatives should knock it off and stop screaming about these poor people and just leave them alone.

Is that the message? Cause ... uh ... I think it's wrong.

[Jeff Head]

Levi matters because it shows to what depths the left is willing to go to try anything...anything...to get at Saraah Palin. They are taking a young man, wholly unfamiliar with the world, and appealing to his absolute worst side and corrupting him and ruining his life with appeals to money and vice (and of course, he is accepting it all and flying high in that false environment) to use as a tool and nothing more, to try and discredit Sarah.

But the attempt is so transparent, so obvious, that apart from their own radical and avidly left wing elements, who themselves are infected with the same degeneracy, no one believes it.

To the contrary, they are drawn to stand up for and support this good woman Sarah, and her family all the more.

"...like that grizzly guards her cubs, as a mother naturally guards her own. I will keep my vow wherever the road may lead." - Sarah Palin, July 26, 2009

SARAH PALIN STANDING IN THE BREACH

MORE DESIGNS HERE

[Durus]

Talk about articles that miss their mark. The reason why conservatives speak out against the people mentioned in the article is that they oppose basic conservatism. Sure there are always going to be snide remarks about appearance, but generally conservative are opposed to the positions an individual takes. Liberals will mock anyone ideologically opposed to them but never want to talk about substantive issues. For that same reason conservative support those that are conservative.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Clearly the message is that no Socialist, Leftist or Statist Democrat has EVER had a teenage kid who made bad choices. Oh, no, it could never be! Thank G’d she didn’t end up married to this twerp.

[Buckeye McFrog]

BTW, Levi Johnson is another name that sounds like it belongs to a porn star from the 70’s. (Hey, Baby, get a look at this Johnson I’ve got inside my Levi’s, while Mr. Jones brings his Van around....Twang-whacka-whacka-Twang-Twang.....)

[DJ MacWoW]

Article sux. Levi is in the game because the left can use him.

[70th Division]

OK, Went to the web site. FREEPERS pay attention here. We have a true patriot. Visit his site.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Levi was held up — albeit somewhat reluctantly — as a hero of traditional American values. Rather than traipsing off to the nearest abortion clinic, he was going to marry the young woman who found herself in a family way by accident.

That was a mistake, of course, showing an inability to judge character, of which Levi doesn't seem to have any.

Of course, Levi was never going to traipse to an abortion clinic, as he is the father, not the mother, and has no rights. However, it is true that many women are forced into abortions by their sex partners.

Of course, we don't know if Levi was pushing for an abortion, only that Trig didn't choose to have an abortion. Maybe he was pushing her, and the family simply didn't want to embarass him. And if he was going to be married to the daughter, they certainly wouldn't want to reveal his true character.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

You may recall that during the Battle of Ought Eight, Levi was held up — albeit somewhat reluctantly — as a hero of traditional American values. Rather than traipsing off to the nearest abortion clinic, he was going to marry the young woman who found herself in a family way by accident. It was the essence of bootstrap conservatism and personal responsibility, serving as a mark of credit to both the Palin and Johnston families.

Sorry, but I missed that part. And I was intensively following the campaign. That is an entirely false premise (show me cites of those who held him up as a "hero of traditional American values".) Then again, this is Vanity Fair and they believe they have a license to just make shit up out of thin air.

[Stand Watch Listen]

But why does the opinion of this young man carry any cache in the political arena?

Simply...Because he's trashing a Republican.

Paging Cindy Sheehannn???

paging Cindy Sheehan

paging Cindyyyyyy Sheehannnnnnn?

Soon Levi will be cast aside and joining Cindy in the 'dustbins of history'.

[DJ MacWoW]

Even if that was true, he now represents the left faithfully since he pays no child support, kisses and tells lies, doesn’t mind being a heartthrob to gays and will pose nude for enough money. He fits in with the left very nicely.

[Jeff Head]

OATHKEEPERS and a petitiond rive for CONSTITUTIONAL RESTORATION

[RichInOC]

Jazz, concerning the divergent treatment of the individuals in question, and particularly concerning conservatives’ change in attitude toward Spencer the BS Dispenser between convention time ‘08 and now, I commend to you the words of somebody I know you’ll respect:

“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

—John Maynard Keynes

[JustaDumbBlonde]

The left uses Levi because he makes the heads of rabidly partisan republicans explode. If everybody shrugged and ignored him, he would lose all value to the left.

Levi means nothing. Treat him that way.

[r9etb]

Mr. Shaw makes an excellent point ... though he could have done so much more effectively by cutting the number of words in half....

To boil it down to two words, I'd call it "Tabloid Politics," and unfortunately too many conservatives have joined the left in practicing it.

[r9etb]

Conservatives should knock it off and stop screaming about these poor people and just leave them alone. Is that the message? Cause ... uh ... I think it's wrong.

No, I think his message is that conservatives are using folks like Levi Johnson, Carrie Prejean, and even Susan Boyle as a substitute for thought and rational argument.

And he'd be right.

[ClearCase_guy]

I see the Left exploiting people and destroying people far, far more than I see Conservatives doing the same. I think the article almost presents this as a one-sided story in which conservatives chew people up and spit them out when they've outlived their usefulness.

I see this as projection from the Left.

[r9etb]

The left uses Levi because he makes the heads of rabidly partisan republicans explode. If everybody shrugged and ignored him, he would lose all value to the left. Levi means nothing. Treat him that way.

Actually, that's probably incorrect.

I'll grant that they enjoy the sound of exploding heads, but the real point is more subtle and vastly more effective for achieving their ends.

In the first place, you have to remember that the leftist media thrives on right wing hypocrisy. Levi Johnston's claims suggest that Sarah Palin's "family-oriented" persona is false; that she is instead just another ambitious politician.

Second, the leftist media don't like Sarah Palin to begin with, so they'll lap up bad stuff about her.

Those two are essentially knee-jerk, reflexive responses -- they're not "strategic" in the sense of being planned out, they're just the standard meat and potatoes for sensational journalism.

Third, though ... If there's anything conscious and planned about this "campaign," it would be geared toward defining the "atmospherics" surrounding Sarah Palin.

Though the FR partisans are loathe to admit it, I think the general public tends to view Sarah Palin with amusement rather than respect, caused by a combination Tina Fey's dead-on impersonation and Ms. Palin's own unfortunate mannerisms; not to mention a few major flubs that merely fed the stereotype.

Now add a whiff of alleged hypocrisy to that general air of amusement, and you end up with a general public whose view of Sarah Palin will be very difficult to shift.

When you look at it that way, our ignoring Levi Johnston won't matter a bit. Everybody is to some extent aware of what he's saying, and to many folks it probably just adds to what they already suspected about Ms. Palin all along.

Truth doesn't matter in that sort of environment.

[sauropod]

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