Upon reading Governor Palin's Facebook note regarding the Palin's new neighbor, Palin Derangement Syndrome sufferer, Joe McGinniss, late last night, my initial response was one of sarcasm. Governor Palin, you guys need to build a danged fence around your house! Todd deserves the medal of courageous restraint for not clobbering McGinniss when he met him. Governor Palin, you need to move to the White House now...for your own protection. Not to say that I did not feel outrage and sadness for the Palin family, but even Governor Palin used humor in her post, asking if she could call him Joe (as she did to Joe Biden during the VP debate). However, upon further thought, this is nothing to laugh about. Actually, this situation is an extremely sad commentary on both Joe McGinniss and the mainstream media as a whole.
Joe McGinniss is an author who writes true crime and non-fiction novels, most well known is his book about Richard Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign that he wrote as a 26 year old. He has also written a book about a year traveling through Alaska published in 1980 and is currently writing an anti-Palin book due out next year. He has written several Palin hit pieces over the past year and a half. He wrote a piece for the no longer existent Conde Nast's Portfolio . This piece full of quotes from noted Palin detractors, and McGinniss called her Alaska's Eva Peron. The false claims made in this piece regarding McGinniss's assertions have been debunked here. McGinniss also made an attempt to win an auction for dinner with Governor Palin, the proceeds going to Ride2Recovery effort for combat victims (Cathy Maples won the auction). He bid on this auction event because he " would have enjoyed the opportunity for a frank exchange of views with Gov. Palin."
McGinniss has stopped by the Palin's home before in his "research" for his book prior to his move to the Palin's neighborhood, stopping by the Palin's home once last fall to drop off a copy of his book, Going to Extremes. A story published last November by the New York Daily News quoted McGinniss as saying, " I'm not intending to write a salacious book about Sarah Palin's sex life. But if it's true, I'll find out" (emphasis mine). McGinniss also spent significant time analyzing every move of Governor Palin's book tour over the winter, even stopping by at one of the book tour stops in Florida. He seems to be willing to go to the lengths of moving in next to the Palins to find that out. If that previous quote doesn't creep you out, the quote from McGinniss's son should:
Sadly, she's right. We tried our best to intervene, but alas, the heart wants what it wants. We can only pray for him now. He's convinced that Todd will step aside and when the time is right, he'll be there, right next door, to pick up the pieces.Some have argued that this is a tongue-in-cheek comment from the younger McGinniss. Regardless, the lack of respect for a private citizen, the violation of privacy, and the sickening voyeurism that McGinniss is engaged in is beyond pale, and the desire to know the details about the Palins' marriage is despicable! While it is not illegal for McGinniss to rent the nearby property, it is certainly disturbing. If Todd and Sarah get into a minor argument over who takes out the garbage, McGinniss should not be privy to such things from the comfort of his porch. If Willow and Piper go out to the Lake to fish or swim, McGinniss should not be able to view such things. Regardless of the positive or negative slant of a book, it should be researched by analyzing news pieces, articles, and interviews, not by drinking a beer, laptop powered up sitting on your porch while peering at your neighbor's daily activities. While McGinniss's publisher claims he will respect Governor Palin's privacy while he "investigates her public life", his past behavior indicates the contrary.
McGinniss' publisher is RandomHouse. On his radio show today, Glenn Beck took RandomHouse and McGinniss down a peg and suggests not supporting RandomHouse while McGinniss is on the payroll:
If you would like to follow Beck in this, here is a list of RandomHouse's authors. Be forewarned, this means that you cannot read either President Clinton's or President Obama's books. You can also contact this publisher here .
Additionally, I have to say that this does not speak well of journalism today, not that we didn't know that already. Our press has no decency, objectivity, or basic research skills. Governor Palin's book got the fact checking treatment of 11 AP staffers.President Obama's 2010 State of the Union address only had 6 AP staffers scrutinizing it. You know, because a former Governor's book requires much more scrutiny than a sitting President's speech? We have an administration who has had time to play golf and watch the NBA playoffs, but not time enough to sufficiently address the spill in the Gulf. The administration has essentially ignored the problems in Oklahoma and Tennessee, yet the media turns a blind eye to the President's lack of attention. Despite having a "laser like focus" on jobs, the unemployment rate is still 2 points higher than they claimed it would be if they DIDN'T pass the bill. Our borders are not secure, and the administration doesn't care. They are too concerned about "human rights" violations. What? No one has an automatic "right" to be in a foreign country! Has the media chosen to focus on these things? No. They won't read the laws, analyze the effects of legislation, or appropriately cover tragedies! However, one man is willing to disrupt the life of a private citizen and her family to publish what will likely be a little read book. His efforts will be an exercise in futility, as the dirt he is looking for while only be found on the shoes of the Palin family after they return from summer outdoor activities. Journalism is beyond dead, and after reading Governor Palin's post, I have to say the Palins are among the most gracious people that I have ever seen.
Palin Twibe
