WaPo columnist: Hey, let’s make February “Nobody Write About Palin Month”
posted at 8:32 pm on January 21, 2011 by Allahpundit
Or, as I like to call it, “Blogger Totally Out Of Content Month.”
As with any addiction, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
I have written about her in 42 columns since Sen. John McCain picked her as his presidential running mate in 2008. I’ve mentioned her in dozens more blog posts, Web chats, and TV and radio appearances. I feel powerless to control my obsession, even though it cheapens and demeans me.
But today is the first day of the rest of my life. And so, I hereby pledge that, beginning on Feb 1, 2011, I will not mention Sarah Palin – in print, online or on television – for one month. Furthermore, I call on others in the news media to join me in this pledge of a Palin-free February. With enough support, I believe we may even be able to extend the moratorium beyond one month, but we are up against a powerful compulsion, and we must take this struggle day by day…
It’s impossible, I figured, because Palin is a huge source of cheap Web clicks, television ratings and media buzz. If any of us refused to partake of her Facebook candy or declined to use her as blog bait, we would be sending millions of Web surfers, readers, viewers and listeners to our less scrupulous competitors…
We need help.
Milbank actually did a Lexis/Nexis count of how many times various celebrity pundits have mentioned Palin since ’08 — and incredibly, Keith Olbermann and Kathleen Parker are not the leaders in their respective media. Which is not to say that I’m being judgmental; on the contrary, we’re in, er, no position. A quick crunch of our own internal numbers reveals an average of slightly more than two mentions of Palin per day … every day since she joined the ticket. Blogging without her as a subject would be like writing a novel without using the letter “e”: It’s technically possible, but who the hell would want to try?
Good work by Milbank, though, to hatch this idea during a month when there was plenty of gravely important news to write about that was totally unconnected to Palin — until the left and its media enablers gratuitously inserted her into it. Instead of swearing off all Sarah stories for a month, how about simply swearing off stories that really aren’t about Palin at all? That ought to cut the mentions of her by 50 percent, at least.
Via Ben Smith, here’s a sneak preview of tonight’s Parker/Spitzer, in which the panel wonders if the media is spending too much time talking about Sarah Palin by talking about Sarah Palin.
Blowback
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Civility at last!!!!
Gohawgs on January 21, 2011 at 8:34 PM
The “Palin-free” zone coincides with Reagan’s 100th birthday. I look forward to watching her participation in the festivities without any commentary from the Left.
alwaysfiredup on January 21, 2011 at 8:35 PM
Please?
Notorious GOP on January 21, 2011 at 8:36 PM
Or an Obama speech without using the letter “i”?
malclave on January 21, 2011 at 8:36 PM
I bet they can’t, no really they can’t Sarah Palin is in their heads.
Sharr on January 21, 2011 at 8:37 PM
I see the idiots picked the shortest month of the year to try this. They won’t be able to go Palinfree for 2 hours, let alone the whole month.
ZeeMI on January 21, 2011 at 8:39 PM
HA must already be feeling the shaking, the sweats, the total pain of cold turkey.
Limerick on January 21, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Great a month without the MSM hounding her will give her time to work on her 2012 presidential run. Maybe shoot a couple of caribou, get in some family time, and make all of their heads explode.
Tommy_G on January 21, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Hey Dana, the National Enquirer says Todd Palin is having an affair. What say you?
Knucklehead on January 21, 2011 at 8:40 PM
How about we make February “Nobody-Buy-a-Washington-Post Month”.
Only looks like that’s already happened, and not just for February.
http://pajamasmedia.com/eddriscoll/2011/01/21/pop-goes-the-wapo/
In fact, looks like WaPo will have to work up a lot more stories about Sarah Palin — to survive.
rrpjr on January 21, 2011 at 8:40 PM
She lives rent free in all of their heads. This is Mission Impossible.
BetseyRoss on January 21, 2011 at 8:40 PM
Good luck.
/snort
Cody1991 on January 21, 2011 at 8:40 PM
Oh darn I wasted my humour on the headlines…
Well… here’s the gist… Palin is just like Voldemort… not really but pretend… and they have to say, “She who must not be named.” In a spooky voice… and then they start calling her “You know who.” with a knowing look…
But the really brave ones use the name anyway… until… oh you know the story.
That’s all I’ve got.
petunia on January 21, 2011 at 8:41 PM
This will have the same lifespan as the “civility” thing.
They can’t help themselves.
juliesa on January 21, 2011 at 8:42 PM
I would love to see them try it. They wouldn’t last two hours, but it would be funny all the same.
Emily M. on January 21, 2011 at 8:42 PM
Sharr is on the money with that statement. That can’t help themselves, but I’m hoping it does indeed come true. Sarah has a bullseye firmly planted on her at the hands of the Progressives and their media. It’s way beyond creepy. Sissy Matthews admission that he has wet dreams thinking about Barack Obama is silly; on the other hand the Progressive bullseye they have put on Sarah and Michelle is extremely dangerous.
Keemo on January 21, 2011 at 8:42 PM
Bugs to a bug zapper …they can’t help themselves
Aggie95 on January 21, 2011 at 8:43 PM
Face it, Dana. You were already cheap and demeaned long before you were obsessed.
viking01 on January 21, 2011 at 8:43 PM
the first facebook blast and they will howl
rob verdi on January 21, 2011 at 8:43 PM
So Funny AP.
Well there could be a solid month of HumpBot to keep your readership entertained while you comb the internet for some content devoid of any connection to Palin; or any references more than three degrees removed from the topic of her future candidacy; if there is such a thing. :)
Nobody talks about Palin anymore, she takes up too much band-width. Yogi Geo Berra
Geochelone on January 21, 2011 at 8:47 PM
This will end badly.
Weight of Glory on January 21, 2011 at 8:47 PM
February would be a really great time for Palin to announce her bid for the Presidency.
yogi41 on January 21, 2011 at 8:47 PM
So they’re finally taking time to fumigate their brains?
malclave on January 21, 2011 at 8:48 PM
I guess most of the shows on MSNBC and CNN won’t have much to talk about. Although, it would be entertaining to see these morons with their eyes bugging out, bitting their lips, trying desperately not to let the name “Sarah Palin” be uttered.
ZeeMI on January 21, 2011 at 8:48 PM
Who is this Dana chick?
Kini on January 21, 2011 at 8:48 PM
Liberals are such…..
childish people
blatantblue on January 21, 2011 at 8:50 PM
Imagining the bulging eyes and foam dripping a la SNL last week when she announces and they can say nothing… :)
alwaysfiredup on January 21, 2011 at 8:50 PM
Isn’t that the way it always goes? They can’t leave her alone and they know it. This sounds more like, “Ya know, we haven’t destroyed her using our usual tactics, so let’s try something else”.
ddrintn on January 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM
Another gem by AP. Hilarious.
Geochelone on January 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM
But wait, doesn’t black history month already have dibs on February?
TxAnn56 on January 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM
Cheer up, Allah. There are always those bacon stories cropping up. Something to get through the rough times with.
Limerick on January 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM
The Liberal MSM can’t help themselves. The Palin-oia is too strong.
Phil-351 on January 21, 2011 at 8:53 PM
JournoList in the WaPo.
freedomplow on January 21, 2011 at 8:53 PM
Bacon flavored breast milk/cheese!
blatantblue on January 21, 2011 at 8:53 PM
They’d try to leave her alone, maybe, until her favorability ratings started to inch upward.
ddrintn on January 21, 2011 at 8:53 PM
These are the same people who’ve been psychotically inserting Palin into stories she had no business being in.
Is there a more socially worthless and poisonous group of people in America? Think of the millions of dollars spent by their collected familes on their expensive educations — the finest America has to offer. What an education for the rest of us.
rrpjr on January 21, 2011 at 8:54 PM
algore would rise to the occasion by setting up a market where you could buy
undulgencesoffsets where someone who would have posted about Palin would sell them to a reporter who needs to keep their mansion heated and ego fed.pedestrian on January 21, 2011 at 8:55 PM
sound familiar?
She Who Must Not Be Named
By CHARLES M. BLOW
Published: December 3, 2010
This is it. This is the last time I’m going to write the name Sarah Palin until she does something truly newsworthy, like declare herself a candidate for the presidency. Until then, I will no longer take part in the left’s obsessive-compulsive fascination with her, which is both unhealthy and counterproductive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/opinion/04blow.html?_r=1
unseen on January 21, 2011 at 8:39 PM
unseen on January 21, 2011 at 8:55 PM
I worte this in the headline but its the reason the left can not stop talking about Palin:
unseen on January 21, 2011 at 8:56 PM
I’d like to see Barry go one month without a teleprompter.
Heck, how about a day.
Geochelone on January 21, 2011 at 8:58 PM
BREAKING NEWS: NBC ends it contract with Keith Olbermann effective immediately.
SnarkVader on January 21, 2011 at 8:59 PM
Over 1,000 comments at the WaPo site. What does that tell you? LOL
ddrintn on January 21, 2011 at 9:01 PM
Why not have all the left wing papers write about their fellow “journalist”…..kind of an expose of all the talent national papers have to offer. Everyone will assume it was the dog that slobbered all over the paper.
Rovin on January 21, 2011 at 9:01 PM
This is only for the Left right? I say go for it! Please!
CCRWM on January 21, 2011 at 9:02 PM
LOL!
Nicely played, sir.
John the Libertarian on January 21, 2011 at 9:04 PM
In related news, Meghan McCain is taking February off from blogging at the Daily Beast, citing lack of ideas of what to write about.
ynot4tony2 on January 21, 2011 at 9:04 PM
I noticed it’s a trending topic on Twitter. I wonder if it’s true? Wow!
yogi41 on January 21, 2011 at 9:08 PM
Holy Cow
Knucklehead on January 21, 2011 at 9:09 PM
Only for a month? And you dolts say this now?!
Dark-Star on January 21, 2011 at 9:12 PM
Honest to God, I thought it was a joke related to this thread and I laughed cause without Palin content Doberman would have nothing to say but its true:
KO has been TKO’d
Geochelone on January 21, 2011 at 9:13 PM
…Olbermann gets the boot? No kidding? Why?
Dark-Star on January 21, 2011 at 9:15 PM
Its a thread on HA
http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2011/01/21/bombshell-keith-olbermann-quits-countdown/
Geochelone on January 21, 2011 at 9:15 PM
This is like a crack addict in a crack house saying they’re going cold turkey. It won’t last. They’ll be blaming the Groundhog’s day shadow on Palin.
Tuari on January 21, 2011 at 9:16 PM
I’m going to make February “No Coffee Drinking Month!”
Not the whole month, just Feb. 1st between 10 AM and noon.
Mr. Wednesday Night on January 21, 2011 at 9:20 PM
As with all addictions, one must first surrender to a higher power. This prayer should help:
Disturb the Universe on January 21, 2011 at 9:22 PM
LOL, it sounds like Lent.
ddrintn on January 21, 2011 at 9:22 PM
Ya gotta love this over at the link:
Keith Olbermann was the primary reason I watched MSNBC. As of now, MSNBC just lost a household of viewers. Comcast sucks!
Comment by J Stein — Friday January 21, 2011
I am just stupified over this one. I really don’t care what the “powers that be” at the network have to say about this: It’s stupid stupid stupid.
I literally come home in the afternoon and await my day’s joy: Olbermann and Maddow.
MSNBC were MY PEEPS…and Keith was the best freaking thing on the network.
Who can I smack over this idiocy?????????????!????
Comment by David — Friday January 21, 2011
Well that sucks.
Comment by Greenie — Friday January 21, 2011
Good riddance, ya liberal dirt bag!Comment by best news all week — Friday January 21, 2011
Rovin on January 21, 2011 at 9:23 PM
Somebody reads Neibuhr.
darwin-t on January 21, 2011 at 9:27 PM
Does anyone care that Newt said he is going to run for POTUS today?
Nope thought not.
unseen on January 21, 2011 at 9:30 PM
ROFL…ooooooh, I just LOVE it when those moonbats get rough…
ddrintn on January 21, 2011 at 9:31 PM
Or just found it a handy place from which to copy the serenity prayer.
Disturb the Universe on January 21, 2011 at 9:34 PM
Of course.
February being the shortest month!
I doubt any leftwing columnist goes along with the suggestion!
ToddonCapeCod on January 21, 2011 at 9:36 PM
I was wondering how long it would take before the left wing media stumbled onto the concept that not doing stories about Sarah Palin might actually do more damage to her political aspirations than constantly whining about her and attacking her every chance they get. The same goes for conservative media as well. Especially those who constantly whine that she is unelectable, yet still write blog post after blog post about her. How about instead of trying to convince everyone that Palin is such a bad candidate they spend some time examining some of the other leaders in the GOP and explain what makes them such ideal candidates.
Hellrider on January 21, 2011 at 9:51 PM
I’ve seen high school papers that are better than the WaPo or the NYT.
n0doz on January 21, 2011 at 9:53 PM
Bet my next retirement check it won’t happen. She occupies the left’s mind 24/7. For someone they call a ‘nothing’, they certainly are obsessed with her. Sometimes I think she keeps going just because her mere presence upsets them.
GarandFan on January 21, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Or, as her agent will soon be calling it: “Everybody Forget That This Columnist Exists Month.”
logis on January 21, 2011 at 9:55 PM
Serenity NOW! Serenity NOW!
/wapo
ted c on January 21, 2011 at 9:55 PM
The “palinmorals” email likely belongs to a POS named Jessie Griffin, a child molester up in Alaska who was fired from the day care he was working at.
He runs a blog called the Immoral Minority. He’s one of the hand picked bloggers Obama and Pete Rouse rounded up.
He and that idiot CNN stringer are the ones that started the rumor the FBI was about to indict her.
He’s also a Trig troofer.
They are the lowest of the low.
He also published a map, GPS coordinates, as well as the best way to “sneak up” from the frozen lake to her house.
Pretty much inviting the crazies to attack her, and showing them how.
These are vile, sick, demented people.
And you wonder why Palin supporters are the way they are.
BTW, Stacy Drake has something to say about the BS article in NE
What About The Rumors of President Obama’s Affair?
Todd is a hottie. If he was going to screw around, he could do a hell of a lot better than the cow he is supposed to have hooked up with.
gary4205 on January 21, 2011 at 10:15 PM
This will last until the next video or facebook post. Palin is like catnip for these guys.
Mord on January 21, 2011 at 10:22 PM
I hope she pumps out Facebook posts ten times a day in February.
JammieWearingFool on January 21, 2011 at 10:24 PM
When two entities are in competition for the attention of the masses, and one quits, (or proposes to quit) which one won the competition?
News2Use on January 21, 2011 at 10:27 PM
She’s got two big speeches next week in front of hunters (guns!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!)
One on the same day as Scooter gives the SOTU!
It will be fun to watch how these clowns act.
You KNOW she is going to trash Obama and the blood libel media!
gary4205 on January 21, 2011 at 10:28 PM
THIS:
gary4205 on January 21, 2011 at 10:30 PM
Of course, when Milbank does break down and write about her, it will be her fault.
malclave on January 21, 2011 at 10:35 PM
I think its a good idea.
Can Palin be successful without the mega media exposure she gets?
I think she can but it would be a fun experiment to try.
Conservative Samizdat on January 21, 2011 at 10:35 PM
I hope they do it.
That would set up a great response.
An op-ed on a pertinent subject in the WaPo, by Sarah Palin, on say, Feb 10.
Let the wailing begin.
Brian1972 on January 21, 2011 at 10:39 PM
It is hard not to write about the 800 pound gorilla in the closet, because that is how the writers see her. If they keep this up she might hit 1000
It isn’t just the clicks they heed, it is the call of the siren to the lonely sailor, singing a siren song they cannot quiet
She has great power, this one (unlike Prince Guiliani the Spoiler)
heh
entagor on January 21, 2011 at 10:48 PM
If Palin were a product instead of a person, the company making it would be have received hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free advertising.
The media apparently was never taught about the “elephant effect”; an old camp joke is to tell someone “don’t think about elephants!” and then ask them what they’re thinking about 10 seconds later. Three guesses what’s on their mind. It’s a corny joke, but we’re seeing the very same thing now with Palin.
Dark-Star on January 21, 2011 at 11:01 PM
28 days without mention of Palin? They’ll never make it to the end of the first week.
If I were SP, I’d make use of Facebook in February. She’s an Aquarian, you know, and the sun has just moved into Aquarius.
disa on January 21, 2011 at 11:51 PM
Wow, they’re still on the air?
RINO in Name Only on January 21, 2011 at 11:56 PM
Sarah Palin’s obsession with getting the media to talk about Sarah Palin even though the stories aren’t really about Sarah Palin is what’s causing all the violence in the United States.
The blood is on Palin’s hands!
Nethicus on January 22, 2011 at 12:15 AM
Every post I prepare will have Palin in the title, and Palin-related news during the month of February. I don’t write about her much, as she is covered so well by other sites. However, as I view Sarah Palin is a proxy for Tea Party grassroots participants (that is, a good indicator as to how the average, non-elite, non-Beltway American would be treated), I now feel obliged to pick-up the gauntlet.
Mutnodjmet on January 22, 2011 at 12:21 AM
Uhmm, how about if she announces her bid for 2012 in February?
milemarker2020 on January 22, 2011 at 12:24 AM
Don’t think of a polka-dotted elephant month is next.
Schmucks.
profitsbeard on January 22, 2011 at 12:44 AM
It would be nice if everyone, not only on the left, but the right as well (including Palin herself) would stop talking about her, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. She has become badly overexposed, and is in danger of becoming the political equivalent of Snooki.
JFS61 on January 22, 2011 at 12:47 AM
You know who would probably be all for this idea?
Sarah Palin.
But I’d love to see them try it. They’d be redefining a month to mean 3 days in a row, because they just couldn’t take it any longer than that.
There Goes The Neighborhood on January 22, 2011 at 12:50 AM
gary4205 on January 21, 2011 at 10:15 PM
+100 Good job. Saved me the trouble of saying it myself. The C4P article was a nice retort highlighting the 0′s alleged affair as retribution for this latest lie paid for with stimulus money.
shmendrick on January 22, 2011 at 12:50 AM
In other news, Big Brother today declared a February halt to the two minute hate.
Bruno Strozek on January 22, 2011 at 1:08 AM
Oh so there is a real rumour. That’s sad… but in the spirit of Democrat projection… it is just possible that the story is a distraction from something real happening with Obama or on the left somewhere.
Because that’s what they do. If they are worried about something on their side they start accusing the right of the same thing.
If they are doing this my guess is they are distracting from something bigger on their side.
petunia on January 22, 2011 at 1:58 AM
Just curious.
Did Charlie Blow stick by his statement not to write about Gov. Palin? Or did he join the pack of MFM hyenas in their journalistic gang bang (’cause he deemed that as “newsworthy)?
least1 on January 22, 2011 at 2:45 AM
As with”JournoList” they can’t seem to do anything alone.
Lonetown on January 22, 2011 at 4:45 AM
Oh please do,try to ignore Sarah.You have beat-up on her daily for three years and she made fools of you all.
If you think you can now change course and minimize her by ignoring her,do it ,please do it.
You have created the mechanism of your own demise.
SARAH RULES!!
Palin 2012–the only sensible choice.
DDT on January 22, 2011 at 5:16 AM
Heh, if she survives a week of no media oxygen she’s more viable than appears.
{^_-}
herself on January 22, 2011 at 5:33 AM
If this works out like most Leftist concepts we will have wall-to-wall Palin coverage by mid-FEB.
They have no morals, no ethics, and no stamina against their own motivations… all they have is motivations. The Left doesn’t need to stop talking about Palin, it needs rehab.
ajacksonian on January 22, 2011 at 7:09 AM
Late to the thread:
We’re talking about Sarah Palin!
We’re talking about talking about Sarah Palin!
We’re talking about not talking about Sarah Palin!
massrighty on January 22, 2011 at 7:40 AM
No kidding! Hell, I defy them to survive reporting for a “Palin-free ” minute !
cableguy615 on January 22, 2011 at 8:53 AM
It’s like hearing a chain smoker saying “Just this one last cigarette and then I am quitting for good…..for REAL this time.”
cableguy615 on January 22, 2011 at 8:55 AM
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