Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bristol Palin’s Pregnancy Reveals the Left’s True Colors
National Review ^ | 07/02/2015 | David French

Posted on 07/02/2015 7:50:48 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Let me begin by clearly stating my biases — I like the Palins. They are dear family friends. My wife, Nancy, worked with Sarah on her most recent book, she worked with Bristol on her book, she edits Bristol’s blog on Patheos, and I represented Bristol in a lawsuit — when a man sued her after he profanely accosted her at a bar. (He lost.) In the years since my wife first flew to Wasilla to meet the Palins and work with Bristol, I’ve seen just a fraction of the non-stop hatred and vitriol directed at the family.

Much of the hatred is quite public — and publicized. Imagine, for a moment, how you’d feel if a hostile journalist quite literally moved next door to monitor your family. Then there are the periodic stalkers — including one who recently invaded Bristol’s home. Like many celebrities, the Palins live in a world where people can make money by selling rumors about them. And the press is all-too-eager to humiliate them.

So, while it hasn’t been much noted in conservative press, it should surprise no one that the liberal side of the Internet has virtually melted down over the news that Bristol Palin is pregnant. Crowing over the unwed pregnancy of an “abstinence advocate,” many on the left aren’t letting the facts — or their alleged principles — get in the way of a good mocking. To be very clear, while Bristol has said that she aspired to abstinence herself after becoming pregnant as a teen and experiencing the challenges of teen motherhood, she’s also advocated both abstinence and birth control as means of preventing teen pregnancy — even cutting a Public Service Announcement with an MTV reality star where she supported abstinence, he supported contraception, and they agreed that both methods kept kids from having kids.

This nuance is of course lost in the avalanche of mockery, always justified by the ever-present reminder that, “She has a blog” or “She puts herself in the public eye” — as if rules of decency simply no longer apply if you appear on television or write on the Internet. Yet it’s always worth remembering that the Left’s principles are situational, as the Palins know better than most.

Crowing over the unwed pregnancy of an ‘abstinence advocate,’ many on the Left aren’t letting the facts — or their alleged principles — get in the way of a good mocking. Remember how it’s important to #BelieveAllWomen when they tell stories of date rape or sexual assault? Not when the woman in question is Bristol Palin. When she wrote in her book of her first, drunken encounter with Levi Johnston, noted sex columnist Dan Savage wrote, “It’s just that Bristol’s story — which comes so long after her two broken engagements to Levi — is the kind of self-exonerating bullshit that scared teenagers offer up to parents and other authority figures when it’s just their good-girl reputations and saving-myself-for-marriage self-images that are on the line.”

Remember how it’s beyond the pale to joke about violence against women? Yet when taped evidence emerged that Bristol was physically beaten at a party and dragged through the mud by her attacker, CNN’s Carol Costello called the police recording of a hysterically crying Bristol “quite possibly the best minute and a half of audio we’ve ever come across” and urged readers to “sit back and enjoy.”

Remember when Rush Limbaugh was so out of bounds for calling Sandra Fluke a “slut” that President Obama himself called to see if she was okay? Well, Bristol is still waiting for the president’s call after his million-dollar-donor Bill Maher crassly declared years ago that Bristol was “f***ked so hard, a baby fell out.”

But few things top Gawker’s latest – a piece declaring that Bristol “made a great argument for abortion” when she announced her second pregnancy. That announcement, which expressed the pain of letting down family and friends, also declared her resolve and her trust in God, ending with “Tripp, this new baby, and I will all be fine, because God is merciful.”

As we ponder this level of hate, it’s worth remembering the Original Sin that put Sarah, Bristol, and the entire family in the Left’s crosshairs — in 2008, Sarah Palin stood in the way of The One. For a very brief time, after McCain selected Palin as his running mate and after Palin’s convention speech, McCain actually pulled ahead of Obama.

Palin, the key to McCain’s resurgence, had to be destroyed. It’s not worth recounting here the avalanche of lies and vitriol that poured down on Governor Palin. I’ve followed politics for a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like the combination of leftist hate and Republican-insider betrayal that Sarah Palin endured. The attacks went beyond politics to include a targeted effort to financially ruin the Palin family.

After Obama won in 2008, Palin didn’t do what the Left demanded — slink off, defeated, into obscurity. Instead, she (and Bristol) used their public platforms to continue to advocate for their beliefs and values. So the destruction continues, and it will continue until the Left gets what it wants — which is for the Palins to simply “go away.”

The Christian experience so often means trying, failing, and repenting. We don’t all fail in the same ways, but we all fail. Sometimes, we even fail to try. The grace of God gives us not just the humility to acknowledge failure and disappointment but also the resolve to face an uncertain or intimidating future. I’ve admired Bristol and the rest of her family for enduring hatred I can’t imagine confronting in my own life, and I’ve appreciated Bristol’s longstanding willingness to publicly and honestly own up to her own failings.

Despite the Left’s best efforts, Bristol has actually built a large and loyal following, people who mainly appreciate her strong voice for life. So, no, she’s not “going away.” In true Palin fashion, she’ll persevere — and if the Left doesn’t like it, they don’t have to watch.

— David French is an attorney and a staff writer at National Review.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; bristolpalin; fakefreepers; getpalin; left; palin; pds; pregnancy; sarahpalin; waronsarah
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-59 next last

1 posted on 07/02/2015 7:50:48 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’ve ALWAYS known the Left’s true colors: RED.


2 posted on 07/02/2015 7:53:27 AM PDT by Old Sarge (Its the Sixties all over again, but with crappy music...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Bristol will tell you that abstinence is not a reliable method of birth control, especially if you are drunk and horny.


3 posted on 07/02/2015 7:53:33 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Well said!


4 posted on 07/02/2015 7:57:17 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

This article is longer than a bumper sticker. Big problem.


5 posted on 07/02/2015 7:57:43 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The Left and Bishop Romney began these attacks
to ensure that McCain-Palin would not win,
as they were ahead, weeks before the Election.


6 posted on 07/02/2015 7:57:50 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("When a crime is unpunished, the world is unbalanced.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ben Ficklin

Casting stones now are we.


7 posted on 07/02/2015 7:57:51 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
“This nuance is of course lost in the avalanche of mockery, always justified by the ever-present reminder that, “She has a blog” or “She puts herself in the public eye” — as if rules of decency simply no longer apply if you appear on television or write on the Internet. “

Many on FR would do well to appreciate this.

8 posted on 07/02/2015 7:58:00 AM PDT by Hulka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diogenesis
And the well-organized, well-coordinated, and well-funded attacks continued long after November 2008 to ensure that Sarah Palin would not be able to challenge either Obama or the GOP-E in 2012 and afterward, as has been extensively documented here.

Never forget!

Next for GOP leaders: Stopping Sarah Palin

9 posted on 07/02/2015 8:00:40 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Like many celebrities, the Palins live in a world where people can make money by selling rumors about them.

*************

Yep the choice is theirs and I expect they’ll survive just fine.


10 posted on 07/02/2015 8:00:59 AM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

This is not the Virgin Mary, so why is this young woman with the horrible judgement still in the news; didn’t she make enough on her speeches about chastity to be out of the spotlight?


11 posted on 07/02/2015 8:01:27 AM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Timber Rattler
You are prescriptive and I am descriptive, and you don't like that.
12 posted on 07/02/2015 8:06:03 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Preaches abstinence until she gets drunk and horny.

13 posted on 07/02/2015 8:09:01 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ben Ficklin

Charming.


14 posted on 07/02/2015 8:10:29 AM PDT by sauropod (I am His and He is mine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind; Old Sarge; onyx; Abbeville Conservative; abigailsmybaby; afnamvet; alley cat; ...
A Bookmark Ping and Great Read to Sarah's List

I’ve ALWAYS known the Left’s true colors: RED.- OldSarge

Pick a Target, Freeze it, Personalize It. Polarize it.

(I am at work and don't have access to any Sarah/Bristol Pics sorry about that)


15 posted on 07/02/2015 8:10:54 AM PDT by KC_Lion (PLEASE SUPPORT FR. Donate Monthly or Join Club 300! G-d bless you all!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

I, for one, firmly believe that the psychotic hatreds shown by the left, such as the treatment of the Palins, Romney’s “Dog on the roof”, and now a Republican hopeful’s heinous crime of accumulating a couple of parking tickets, has caused terrible harm to the country.
At virtually ALL levels, from the local to the state to the Federal government, the people who you would really want to see in office, will have nothing whatever to do with the sewer that politics has degenerated to.
For example, take the family history of my state’s, the Peoples’ Republic of Massachusetts, leading political family, the Kennedy Family. Now change the last letter of their name (D) to, gasp (R) and imagine the explosion of hatred, vilification, scorn and bad publicity that would fall on their heads.
With today’s LEFT, it all depends on Who does What, depending on their political identification.


16 posted on 07/02/2015 8:12:53 AM PDT by CaptainAmiigaf (N.Y.Times: We print the news as it fits our views)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Old Sarge

Seems a lot of them have accounts on FR judging by the speed in which the PDS hit this thread. Be nice if Jim fixed that oversight someday.


17 posted on 07/02/2015 8:25:25 AM PDT by Norm Lenhart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CaptainAmiigaf

Yes, the left is all about anger and hate. It is what they thrive on.

The left lives on lies, and dies with the truth.


18 posted on 07/02/2015 8:26:29 AM PDT by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Hulka

yep. it was a bit disgusting last week to see so many Freepers piling on Bristol Palin and mocking her while echoing the same talking points of the libtard sites.

is there anyone on this site who would rather have Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus as a daughter instead of Bristol Palin? ...i didn’t think so.

she made a mistake (fornication), but at least she isn’t going to compound it with an even bigger one (abortion).


19 posted on 07/02/2015 8:28:08 AM PDT by TangibleDisgust (The Parmesan doesn't go like that.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: TangibleDisgust

Personally I think there are a lot of that crew that should talk to the Commie pope about cannonization. Because they must have led some pure and sheltered lives. Never drinking, partying, having sex.

We should all learn from their perfection and pray to them.


20 posted on 07/02/2015 8:30:29 AM PDT by Norm Lenhart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-59 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson