COMMENTARY | Sarah Palin is threatening to sue Crown Publishing Group (CPG), publishers of Joe McGinniss's book titled "The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin." Palin is threatening to sue due to what her lawyer calls "series of lies and rumors presented as fact" and for "knowingly publishing false statements."
To be sure, Sarah Palin has a right to be outraged. After all, most independent critics have assailed the book because of its heavy reliance on unnamed sources. In fact, even the mainstream media, which Palin delights in calling the "lame-stream media," have also come to her defense on this point. All these go to show that there is something seriously flawed about the way McGinniss went about his book, if not about the "facts" of his book.
Still, one cannot help but wonder if Palin is being served a bit of her own prescribed brand of politics. Clearly, 2008 presidential elections come to mind, and bring with it a picture of caustic Palin spewing different unsubstantiated allegations against Obama and other political opponents. Remember Palin's charge that Obama was palling with terrorists in regard to Bill Ayers? She firmly defended her comment as "fair" when criticized for that extreme extrapolation.
Throughout the 2008 campaign right up to a few months ago, Palin took center stage mostly through her ability to say almost anything she felt the conservative base wanted to hear, not withstanding how uncivil it might have been. Most recently, when Donald Trump embarked on a free-for-all attack on Obama's birthplace and academic qualifications, Palin openly cheered him on and even visited with him in New York.
In this light, and perhaps only the in this light, McGinniss's book is potentially a good thing to happen to Palin. That is, if it helps her to pause long enough to evaluate the consequences of unflinching, sarcastic and spiteful attack on those who disagree with her politically. You know, it is rather easy for a politician to say that our political process is all the better because of "vigorous" political debate (sometimes, a thinly veiled word for vitriolic political statements); that is, until they become victims of such "vigorous" political statements. Is it any more fair for Palin to stand up before thousands and accuse Obama of palling around with terrorists (no matter how much conservatives may dislike him), than it is for McGinniss to publish allegedly a "series of lies and rumors" against Palin (no matter how much he may disagree with her politically or maybe even dislike her)?
If Palin seriously believes in her own brand of politics and harsh comments about those who disagree with her, then she should also show some thick skin in absorbing criticisms, even unsubstantiated allegations. But the mere fact that she is smarting from the publication of this book (and rightfully so) shows that there is something fundamentally wrong with political discourse that is filled with anger, bitterness and wide accusations against those on opposing political ideology. Americans see through hurtful political and personal statements against political opponents, whether it comes from Sarah Palin or from Joe McGinniss.
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