Is Levi fair game?
posted at 2:55 pm on April 9, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
We’ve noted the Levi Johnston saga, especially his post-breakup appearance on Tyra Banks, here at Hot Air. Normally, the kind of celebrity-dish interviews Banks offers would not create much of a stir with political writers, but Levi Johnston isn’t your average celebrity, and his tell-all about the Palins has some of her supporters mightily annoyed. Erick Erickson got some flack for writing this as a criticism of Levi:
Below is the actual Levi — no preppy clothes. No polish. Just good old boy who knocked up the Governor’s daughter. Not exactly the image Tyra Banks and he would like you to think about.
What’s even more creepy is that the other person in the picture is his sister. And, as if lifted from the pages of Deliverance, she has his name tattooed on her back finger. Think about that one for a minute.
That prompted return fire from Tommy Christopher, who most recently took on the Daily Kos for smearing conservatives, for leaving a strong implication of an incestuous relationship:
This is not some anonymous, black helicopter freeper accusing Levi Johnston. It’s the managing editor of Redstate, as identifiable on the right as Daily Kos is on the left. The irresponsibility here is extreme.
I really don’t get it, there’s plenty of legit garbage to throw at Levi and company. Why risk this kind of loose talk? Are there any Redstate readers who are unsure whether to hate Levi? And why demonize guns? That seems highly counter-intuitive.
I e-mailed Erick this morning, and he said he was aiming for an Angelina Jolie vibe. I’ll take Erick’s word for that, but even so, he miscalculated. All of us whiff from time to time, and I know Erick wants to help defend the Palins from the media’s attacks, but this was the wrong execution of the idea.
In fact, I think a lot of people miss the point with Levi. Both sides seem to have forgotten that these are very young people who obviously have little experience in interpersonal relationships. The Left forgot that during the election when they pilloried Bristol (and her mother) for not getting an abortion and demanding to know whether Bristol used birth control — which was really none of anyone else’s business. Some of us are missing it now when we attack Levi personally, rather than just criticize his caddish “kiss and tell” appearances for what they are.
Maybe we should just let the Palins and the Johnstons work out this family feud, and both sides should refrain from calling Levi a redneck and Bristol a slut. They’re neither; they’re just two young adults who are obviously in over their heads. Maybe the families should stop feeding the media and let the two work this out quietly, and maybe we can help by tuning out Tyra and the rest of the gossip-mongers.
Blowback
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High level B.S. there. What exactly did the Palins do that hasn’t been done by every other politician in the history of the country? Of course their children were around, and of course cameras were around.
And the families didn’t screw the kids. Other way around. Of course, that comes with raising kids. But I’m quite sure the Palins weren’t encouraging their daughter to make out with a high school boy, or happy when she became pregnant.
The only real question at that point is, what now? Bristol and Levi at first glance appeared to step up and be responsible. Now they’ve split. Why, we don’t know. And for all the curiosity, they really have no obligation to air their dirty laundry for the world.
And then Levi goes on TV and talks about these things, without Bristol, and with his sister who bears a grudge against the mother of his child. So much for not airing dirty laundry.
“If Levi is a cad” seems pretty obvious when he behaves like one. Maybe he’ll grow up. But that’s just hope.
“If Sarah Palin allowed them to shack up,” is based on the word of who, again? Is it really plausible?
Unless you know she did, there’s no point in criticism based on an unproven hypothesis.
tom on April 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Actually your words seem to indicate a different relationship between you and Jesus.
Be that as it may, you DO seem to have looked things up since the last time we spoke.
At least now you know the difference between what Paul said and what Jesus said.
And you now seem to be aware of sanctifying grace.
The next step in your faith journey is to understand that none of us really know what’s in the heart of someone else.
Thus, when you said this you were actually committing a sin:
It’s doubly interesting that you seem to want to apply the “sins” of the daughter onto the mother.
Jesus was quite clear about that each of us are responsible for our own sins.
Thus you might want to be a little more worried about YOUR sins then whatever sins Gov. Palin may or may not have committed.
Religious_Zealot on April 9, 2009 at 5:06 PM
So, Palin’s views on birth control are especially egregious because her daughter got pregnant while a teenager? In your mind it invalidates her views because if she knew what she was talking about her daughter would not now be a mother?
If this is the standard you’re going to use you should also apply it to Barney Frank, Dodd, Schumer, Obama etal. when they presume to lecture us on how our money should be spent and the ethics of big government being responsible and worthy of public trust, etc.
gwelf on April 9, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I got news for you dude. I know the Bible better than you. I am just not studying to be the next Tammy Baker phony like you seem to be.
If SP allowed her underage daughter to set up camp with her hook-up in her home, unmarried, but allowing them to live in sin, she will have to answer for that. Remember, we will be judged by our works.
So please, cool it with the talking down to me like you know so much more than I do. Save it for when you get your own show and you can tell people to put their hands on the TV set so they can get saved…assuming they send you their pension check.
The Wall on April 9, 2009 at 5:13 PM
The Wall on April 9, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Your grace is exceeded only by your humility.
You owned up to being Roger Waters on another thread.
kingsjester on April 9, 2009 at 5:17 PM
If Levi is off limits, can we go after the white-trash, junkie, baby-daddy grandma that went on the show with her son and daughter and allowed that circus to take place.
My mother would disown me for even sitting in the audience of one of those shows. I cannot imagine a grown woman dragging her family to have their dirty laundry aired in the 15 minutes of infamy forum. SHAMEFUL!
Laura in Maryland on April 9, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Thanks, I think. :)
I feel bad for both of them. It’s a tough situation to begin with, let alone with the eyes of the world on you. No one forced Levi to go on Tyra but I have a feeling his mother and sister are the ones pulling the strings. His sister especially. Why are all of these pictures of her and Levi with Trig suddenly popping up all over the place? And quotes from Bristol’s MySpace pages? She has to be leaking them. Just a sad situation all around, especially for Tripp.
SnarkVader on April 9, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Exactly. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the sweater vest.
29Victor on April 9, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Anyone attacking/defaming someone who isn’t themselves fair game is a human shield.
Liberals have enough human shields.
29Victor on April 9, 2009 at 5:39 PM
What makes you think you’re gong to get there yourself?
Don Carne on April 9, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Thanks, I think. :)
Ok why can’t you act like this more often Snarky?
as for the myspace… you can take them off others pages. Sad, very sad. Someone is taking their trust and selling it.
upinak on April 9, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Humility is to The Wall as rice cakes are to Rosie O’Donnell.
MadisonConservative on April 9, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Nothing makes me angrier at a teenage guy – because Levi has shown he knows “the moves”, but he still has A LOT to learn about becoming a real man – than one who does the “kiss-and-tell”.
Cap’n Ed, I think the media wants to keep airing this as a soap opera calculated to destroy Sarah and the Palin family. They want them destitute and their reputations ruined. She’s not a woman, according to them, because she’s a Republican and, therefore, “she’s not a human being.” To bring Bristol’s dirty laundry, so to speak, is the media’s way of trashing that family.
And, with the way many have talked about little Trig…
I’m sure that was the last thing they wanted when Sarah was picked as a running mate. They are probably thinking now – and I don’t blame them one bit if they are -, “With this kind of character ambush and assassination, who wants to go into politics nowadays?” A good person who wants to make a difference – like Sarah, for example, and many like her – will think twice before facing a powerfully destructive political/media machine. That was not what the Founding Fathers wanted for our nation or our people.
And as for Bristol? She has had to grow up quicker than fast, I tell you. I’d advise her to earn a college degree while taking care of her son, embark in a successful career and find and marry the right man for her, who will have no problem at all being a mature father for her son.
Success is the best revenge for Bristol, and for Sarah Palin.
(I’m sorry to say this, and you can call me a conspiracy theorist here, but I have become to suspect, strongly, that Levi and his family were encouraged to get closer to Bristol and do what he did, in order to destroy her mom. Remember that Sarah has a lot of political enemies in Alaska to begin with, and that they would do anything to destroy her.)
newton on April 9, 2009 at 5:41 PM
I doubt there was much “ugly bumping” once she got pregnant. So who cares if they lived together? They were technically engaged after all. If Sarah Palin had left Bristol in Alaska during the Convention, every single leftist media outlet would be saying she was embarrassed by her and denying she existed and so on. There was no way to win.
Speedwagon82 on April 9, 2009 at 5:46 PM
I think this is the worst part of it , you can only get into politics if you’re connected. Cause if not , you’ll get destroyed. Thanks journalism for destroying Democracy.
the_nile on April 9, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Between Levi and Megan McCain, I think you good people have finally learned what is wrong with the republican party.
Way to keep your eye on the ball — things will look up once you get those two in line!
benny shakar on April 9, 2009 at 5:59 PM
I agree with Ed 100%! Couldn’t have said it better myself!
sarahpalinfan99 on April 9, 2009 at 6:01 PM
I’ve decided to mellow out. Life’s too short.
SnarkVader on April 9, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Because I am the guitarist in this band…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8
The Wall on April 9, 2009 at 6:05 PM
So did you remember to thank God publicly and loudly for not making you a sinner like that Religious_Zealot guy, and the Bakers and Sarah Palin?
sloopy on April 9, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Yeah, you’re right. They handled it the way other families would. I think they probably did their best to rally behind the young family.
But I think that at the urging of John McCain, Sarah Palin allowed herself to be put in a position of always having to play her family life out in public. Bristol seems very supportive of her mom and loved her baby from day one. But I always got the sense that Levi was urged beyond his seemingly limited sense of judgment to play house for the camera.
Palin is very smart, but I think that she underestimated the intensity of the light that will always shine on her family.
Palin has a legitimate gripe with the frenzied media sniping.
The Race Card on April 9, 2009 at 7:42 PM
Lay off, are you kidding me? Not only has the little sh!t walked away from his responsibilities but he’s also dishing the dirt in public. I’d say he, unlike say Joe the Plumber, deserves every innuendo and slight thrown his way.
edshepp on April 9, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Hello??
The Wall on April 9, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Well said, Mr. Morrissey. Well said.
Levinite on April 9, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Levi, you ignorant slut!
omnipotent on April 9, 2009 at 8:30 PM
I see the little Alaskan douchebag once again gets star billing here on HA.
Pathetic.
Sweet_Thang on April 9, 2009 at 8:43 PM
OT, but why not?
Why in God’s name is that swill POS Kathy Griffin anywhere near HA, never mind promoting something for Bravo?
Oh yeah, she has an in with the atheist.
Sweet_Thang on April 9, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Maybe Levi should ask Meghan McCain out on a date and they can bash Palin and all things conservative.
angryed on April 9, 2009 at 9:21 PM
Uh, this thread is about Levi, not Sarah.
capitulus on April 9, 2009 at 10:20 PM
You can’t blame Levi, it was obviously all those gotcha questions that made him look bad.
bileduct on April 9, 2009 at 10:34 PM
If Levi really loves his young son more than anything like he claims, then he should be thinking about how his actions will affect his son’s future, including trashing the little boy’s mother and her family on national TV. What a video legacy to leave your child on YouTube. Levi should man up and shut up.
inmypajamas on April 10, 2009 at 12:40 AM
But she does. Her daughter didn’t. And you don’t practice what you preach, and I’m willing to bet you that at least one of your daughters won’t either.
unclesmrgol on April 10, 2009 at 12:42 AM
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
I’ll bet you know the outer cover of the Book real well.
unclesmrgol on April 10, 2009 at 12:44 AM
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!
The Wall on April 10, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Funny capitulus…that was the first thing that came into my mind also.
Shelby on April 10, 2009 at 3:11 AM
Didn’t sarah also get knocked up before marriage? Seems to be a pattern in the Palin household.
sarah is the common denominator…bad sarah!
Shelby on April 10, 2009 at 3:18 AM
Proof? Hmmmmm. A common denominator between you capitualtion and wally.
littleguy on April 10, 2009 at 9:17 AM
People who broadcast on a nationally syndicated talk tv show their sexual partners exploitation without the partners’ signed mutual consent deserve to be sued.
Of course, Levi set himself up on the “fair game” hit show. So knock him down hard.
maverick muse on April 10, 2009 at 10:02 AM
I agree. Both kids are exceptionally teenish in their talk and demeanor. But I don’t think Levi’s mom is done yet.
AnninCA on April 10, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Deer Levi,
Welcome to the Bigs, kid. Now buck up.
Speaking of which, have you provided any sort of child support to, umm, your child?
I R A Darth Aggie on April 10, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Over half of the comments are from trolls, and several of them are offensive and even libelous. Yet the mighty banhammer is never swung. I find it hypocritical that after my comment was deleted — which was asking the question what Levi’s sister did with her
backfinger to make her tattoo her brother’s name to it — Allahpundit writes this:You delete my comment then rewrite something worse that I never even said? You’ve been called out repeatedly for being maliciously unfair in what will and will not pass your smell test here.
Fair enough. Everyone thinks Allahpundit personally dislikes Sarah Palin, because he has allowed comments like this to not only remain but, in the minds of some, encourages them.
I would love to hear Michelle Malkin defend that comment. I would love to hear why this Proud Rino person is commenting in this thread.
How about Trig trutherism? Here is someone insinuating Trig Palin, in a thread about the Special Olympics, might be a “retard” because of inbreeding. I’m sure “shelby” will post another 100 times about Sarah Palin’s medical records. I’m sure the dates of Sarah Palin’s marriage and the birth of her first son will be discussed, or some troll will just say she had a shotgun wedding and turned a blind eye to her own daughter’s whoring. There are endless insults that can be thrown at Sarah Palin, her supporters (as capitulus how to define white trash; they have all kinds of jokes about teeth and incest and NASCAR.)
Allahpundit on April 9, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Here’s a thought, Allahpundit. Maybe if the title of your thread is: Is Levi air game? then it stands to reason you would have to police it more than something about tax codes. That is, going by your logic that anything short of raving about Michelle Obama’s toned arms or her fashion sense or how she’s hotter than Carla Bruni would be racist.
By the way, once you go down the road of discussing Michelle Obama’s looks period, you will get comments from some about National Geographic and primates. Then others will point out how the left called Bush a chimp and his wife a murderer and their daughters out-of-control-alcoholic-sluts.
So, you asked whether Levi is fair game? We can discuss his use of birth control with Bristol. Why not his sister? She’s got his name tattoed to her somewhere… My mind is no dirtier than anyone else’s. I don’t think my comment was any big deal compared to what I’ve seen here and elsewhere.
chunderroad on April 10, 2009 at 10:34 AM
You have a lot of free time, race fan.
capitulus on April 10, 2009 at 11:11 AM
You’re leaving? Aww, that’s sad. Well, have a Happy Easter! Things will get better for you, you’ll see.
Godspeed my friend. You will not be forgotten!
capitulus on April 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM
chunderroad on April 10, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Sad.
Predictable, given the latitude given to… certain types… of commenters and the perceived unfairness/lack of moderation.
But still sad.
cs89 on April 10, 2009 at 11:35 AM
OT: Palin is speaking in Indiana next week, and the tickets sold out quickly. Now overflow tickets at an adjacent auditorium are selling quickly as well.
http://jconline.com/article/20090410/NEWS09/90410015
cs89 on April 10, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I’m sure it’s just a fluke. /s
Snowed In on April 10, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I don’t suppose you know about the NASCAR Democrats, right? You know, with mullets, NASCAR jackets, bibles on the bedstand. I know its hard to believe that the Democratic Party isn’t comprised only of college professors, students and the fabulously wealthly, but there you go. But, you’re free to mock the poor smucks all you want — no doubt they’ll still vote Democrat no matter how much the party leadership despises them.
littleguy on April 10, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Well, you’re no ‘smuck’, that’s for sure!
capitulus on April 10, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Jeanne: Those two are yours, not ours. Be sure you know who the players are and which team they are on, or you will never understand the game.
Oh wait, You might never understand anyway.
Buh bye.
tcn on April 10, 2009 at 1:20 PM
The issue is pretty obvious to me, anyway. Levi’s mother was behind these interviews, based on drumming up fear in Levi over custody and offering him extremely poor advice on how to proceed. More important, watching her cry indicates she’s hitting the oxycotin still. That stuff is very pricey.
She needs money, too, for her legal problems.
AnninCA on April 10, 2009 at 1:44 PM
He delegitimizes HotAir with that BS. Ban him now. Cant play with adults…ban him now.
The Wall on April 10, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Physician, heal thyself.
Snowed In on April 10, 2009 at 3:34 PM
I obviously don’t agree with his statements… but he did have an interesting quote from another poster, didn’t he?
Wonder if MM would like to defend
csdeven on April 10, 2009 at 10:45 AM
(If that’s the standard AP is using today).
cs89 on April 10, 2009 at 4:00 PM
I find it hard to believe that MM would defend ANY of the misogynistic comments about Gov Palin routinely made here at HA. So the fact that they continue unabated indicates – to me – that she is totally hands off this site.
katiejane on April 10, 2009 at 4:09 PM
I didn’t then but am now starting to wonder. I still think it was something more innocuous than it’s being made out to be. From what I understand, they dated off and on all throughout high school, and he and his family were genuinely excited at the news of her pregnancy.
That, to me, sounds more like someone who was happy to go on the trail, especially since news of Bristol’s pregnancy had just spread, and I can imagine she was uncomfortable in the spotlight alone.
I’ve been to cheap clinics that hand out birth control, and that’s a common sight: the girl is there all by herself, even though it’s obvious she’s there because of a boy.
I’m sure that’s true. Then again, I think few expected it to be this bad, especially after the election. I imagine she’s learning.
Maybe so, but it doesn’t seem to matter.
Yeah, so did Obama’s mom. Bad Obama mom!
That’s so stupid.
Any chance you want to act like a mature adult?
Esthier on April 10, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Or the white tr*sh comments, etc.
Spirit of 1776 on April 10, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Of course he is fair game. When doofus goes on Tyra, any shield is gone. Oh, but he is young…men and women his age have died keeping us free. I have zero sympathy for his sad state.
Dingbat63 on April 10, 2009 at 9:23 PM
I insist…
Dude’s not a gentleman; he screwed up once (agreed, Bristol has her share of responsibility since it takes two to tango) but to kiss and tell, is the worst a woman has to face. There’s enough bad blood to go around, and we don’t know for certain what happened. Maybe he did not hold up his end of the bargain. Unstable provider? Things said that cannot be taken back?
Like I said before, not the first and not the last. I feel I have to remind all of you that this was discussed with McCain before choosing Sarah, and he agreed. What was not expected was the media’s outrage and distortion of events. If he has to make amends, boy it is gonna be incredibly uphill. How will this help him get more visits to see Tripp is beyond me.
If he wants to be an Octo-Dad type that vents his life in public with or without Tripp it’s still to see. I see he is off to a great start/sarc.
ProudPalinFan on April 10, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Hmmmm, now that’s nasty. The common denominator is the single mom and fatherless boy. Perhaps a little less vicious character assassination, some historical perspective and what used to be called common sense would be helpful. Up until the sexual revolution when abstinence and/or marriage were the norm, no few young women were pregnant on their wedding day. Those percentages held up from colonial times and seem to be reflected among Mormons today. Thse young women were able to get those young fathers to marry them. That is the fatal difference.
Sarah Palin married her man and is still loyally married to her man … and her man is quite devoted to her.
So where is Levi Johnson’s dad?
Mike OMalley on April 11, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Let me add that America’s historic “White” illegitimacy rate hovered between 3% and 4% from Colonial times up until the Sexual Revolution.
.
It should trouble us that much of America prefers to viciously smear a good woman and a good man, Sarah and Todd Palin, rather than address the obvious real problems of illegitimacy and the destruction of the institution of marriage in America.
Mike OMalley on April 11, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Mike……I followed the Anna Nicole story. The media feeding frenzy on Howard K. Stern was a sight to behold.
Same thing with Palin.
The common denominator is a media, which has completely fallen apart. It’s not even something that has to be said. It’s just obvious. When the LA TIMES is publishing ads on the front page?
Says it all.
We’re still giving the media credit, but it’s frankly too painful letting go of credibility.
But the truth is obvious. They are nothing more than the paparrazi these days.
AnninCA on April 11, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Of course the Palins have too much class to turn all this to their advantage, as your average no-class, bad-faith lefty or TV host would. They could point to this loser and say, look, isn’t this the kind of thing that all parents of teenage girl dread? And here’re our worst fears splashed across the tabloid shows.
curved space on April 11, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Link please. Implications of your statement are that Sarah Palin had a voluntary abortion or miscarriage. Her biography indicates that the Palins married in 1988 (an elopement) and first child (Bristol) was born in 1990.
unclesmrgol on April 12, 2009 at 4:11 AM
unclesmrgol on April 12, 2009 at 4:11 AM
Married 1988, Track born 1989. I think the time frame would allow for Track to have been conceived before the wedding, but if that’s the case they must have gotten married pretty fast after conception.
Don’t know all the details, don’t really care. I’m a Palin supporter, but thought this information might be helpful.
To me, the larger issue is she married Todd before any of their kids were born, and they’ve stayed together for over 20 years. Good for them.
cs89 on April 12, 2009 at 1:30 PM
You’re the racist, not me.
You’d give both your floppy tits for my life.
Thank you just the same. You were always my favorite troll.
Goodbye cruel world!
chunderroad on April 12, 2009 at 9:23 PM
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