<p>“I remember frame by frame photographic analysis of Sarah Palin’s stomach during her pregnancy while investigative sleaze reporters tried to figure out if she was really pregnant at that time or it the baby was actually Bristol’s first child.”</p>
<p>I never heard anything like that at all. Was this on 24/7 cable new channels (CNN, MSNBC, Fox etc.) or National Enquirer type media? </p>
<p>jeez, I don’t know. that was a long time ago. The speculation that she wasn’t actually the mom made the rounds.</p>
<p>Enough is enough @saintfan! Time to remove your current thumbnail pic & replace it with an adorable cat in costume pic! :)</p>
<p>Emily, MSNBC and wherever andrew Sullivan was appearing at the time (NBC?). Katha Pollitt and Andrew Sullivan (particularly Andrew Sullivan) were driving forces in the whole Palin reproduction drama, but it was discussed pretty much everywhere, although not for nearly as long. Andrew Sulivan was still casting doubt as late as October 2014 on Sarah Palin’s last pregnancy. It was an utterly bizarre, absolutely freakish obsession. Made more so by the fact that the things he questions and finds suspect are completely normal parts of pregnancy and recovery for some women in some pregnancies. I always just wanted to tell him (and I knew him tangentially) that he is confused and freaked out by all this because he isn’t a woman. It makes more sense to him that Bristol could have had two pregnancies less than nine months apart than that an active, busy woman could work up to the end, not show very much and recover quickly. I was not a governor with my last child and I am not as tall as Sarah Palin, but I worked fulltime and had two other kids at home. Most people didn’t realize I was pregnant with number 3 and I was back up and about in a week.</p>
<p>“Katha Pollitt and Andrew Sullivan (particularly Andrew Sullivan)”</p>
<p>Never heard of either of them. I must need to get out more. 
</p>
<p>I do remember the speculation about the Down Syndrome baby (I’m sorry, I don’t remember his name) being Bristol’s first. I thought that was inappropriate, too. I don’t remember whether it was on one of the major networks because I’m not really one to watch talking heads. </p>
<p>Discussing a woman’s reproductive process, children, etc in the context of elections or public officials is bizarre and none of anyone’s damn business. </p>
<p>
That is very surprising because they are both very important commentators on the left. Andrew appears often on Meet the Press, Hardball, etc. and was the top blogger for Time for years until he struck out on his own. He is very well known. Katha Pollitt is a very well-known blogger for The Nation and is frequently quoted on “women’s” issues.</p>
<p>“That is very surprising because they are both very important commentators on the left. Andrew appears often on Meet the Press, Hardball, etc. and was the top blogger for Time for years until he struck out on his own. He is very well known. Katha Pollitt is a very well-known blogger for The Nation and is frequently quoted on “women’s” issues.”</p>
<p>I watch PBS Newshour, listen to NPR, read the NYT’s and watch The Daily Show & Colbert. I rarely have any of the 24/7 cable new channels on - unless there is a plane crash, tsunami or earthquake. </p>
<p>Emily, Andrew Sullivan wrote for the Times for years and appeared regularly on NBC, CBS and ABC news Sunday shows. He has also been the special guest on PBS’ coverage of various state of the union addresses, he was most prominently known as the editor of the New Republic. He is as mainstream as it gets.</p>
<p>^ Ok, Still never heard of him. </p>
<p>Maybe this is why: </p>
<p>“Sullivan describes himself as a conservative and is the author of The Conservative Soul.”</p>
<p><a href=“Andrew Sullivan - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sullivan</a> </p>
<p>Andrew Sullivan isn’t a conservative. He is a very important figure on the left, the conservative thing is his schtick and his way of claiming credibility (as I said, I now him). Katha Pollitt is as left as left can be. I have always heard that people on the right are more familiar with views on the left than the other way.</p>
<p>Wow. I vaguely know who Andrew Sullivan is but I didn’t know he had a fascination with the Palins. It continues to this day. Anyway, even he says the mainstream media did not cover the “who’s your mommy” story concerning the Down Syndrome baby. And I certainly never saw paparazzi photos of Sarah Palin pregnant during that time.</p>
<p><a href=“The Odd Lies Of Bristol Palin – The Dish”>http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/10/23/the-odd-lies-of-bristol-palin/</a></p>
<p><<<
Bristol Palin, on the other hand, has ACTIVELY SOUGHT OUT the limelight and profited handsomely from it, as has her mother. (And she seems to have far more fans than detractors, by the way.)</p>
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<p>When Bristol and her siblings were first thrust into the spotlight, she and they were criticized. What she’s done since is different. </p>
<p>As for this aid who posted inappropriately about the Obama girls…some people just have to be snarky (and that’s what happened to Palin kids, too.)</p>
<p>I only know what it said about him on Wiki. He certainly isn’t someone I would consider important on the left (obviously, since I have no idea who he is.) </p>
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<p>Which is it?</p>
<p>In any case, he certainly isn’t anyone I follow and the fact that he is obsessed with the Palin family all these years later removes whatever respect I might have had for him otherwise.</p>
<p>Bill Maher is no stranger to vulgar attacks on the Palin children, or Sarah herself…and then there is Martin Bashir who was fired ( or force into resignation as is speculated of Lauter )
For someone who doesn’t hold any current political office, she sure lives rent free in a lot of people’s heads.
I find Maher to be so abrasive and offensive and so far from being comical…but then I feel the same about Letterman. He hasn’t been funny in years</p>
<p>What is the point of all the tit-for-tat here? This is what Tatin was doing several pages ago. Wrong is wrong. We’re not keeping score.</p>
<p>I’ve heard plenty about Andrew Sullivan and I don’t think anyone on the left considers him a “very important figure”. </p>
<p>He is a libertarian, if anything. Just because he criticized the Bush administration, doesn’t make him a leftie. Yes, he has some “liberal” positions but he has them from a libertarian point of view. </p>
<p>He does not support the modern GOP because he thinks they jumped off the deep-end. Again, certainly not a leftie. </p>
<p>
Both. Mainstream is synonymous for the left.</p>
<p>Romani, Andrew is definitely a lefty. Not a democrat. Those are not synonymous.</p>
<p>
What tit for tat? It’s a conversation that evolves. The thread would have died quickly if not for evolution because everyone thinks picking on the Obama girls is obnoxious, so no discussion there.</p>