Sometimes, the more effective route is not to respond. This woman seems incapable of understanding that. By responding, she elevates the objectionable material or person, and seldom herself.

I do have to say, much as the Drop Out Governor of Alaska shamelessly used her children as props during the Kampain and as recently as the (White) Tea Partiers Konklave, yanking them out of the discipline of school and the regularity of home, trotting them across stages from Bangor to San Diego, thrusting them into our living rooms, she is now using Trig. It is really terrible parenting. Shameful for a shameless woman.

While some might think that being “the former Governor of Alaska” is an insult, if I were Ms. Palin, I’d wear the title with pride. After all, there are only eleven others who can claim the same.

I wish that WOEman would shut up and get her tubes tied.

Royal, perhaps if you had a handicapped child, you’d have a little more sympathy and put your political ideology aside for a minute. Sad.

Let me get this straight…an animated comedy show using satire exploits one of Sarah Palin’s children, so she turns around and exploits another one of her children in response. Pathetic.

It’s unfortunate that she continues to whore her children out for public consumption. Hiding behind your children is also disgraceful. By calling for Rahm to resign while stating that Limbaugh was using satire, she’s left the door open for what I’m sure the writers of family guy will describe as SATIRE!

The far left’s sympathy in lieu of political ideology is touching. So out of any subject Family Guy could have dealt with, making fun of a handicapped child is what they came up with. And the left sees no problem with it. This is really exposing the left’s blind hatred for anyone with dissenting opinions.

Whether you hate anyones parents for anything they do, don’t ya think it’s a fuzz over the line to make fun of people with Downs Syndrome? Seriosly, isn’t that just kind of cruel?

I don’t care what your politics are, that’s just freakin’ cold. Period. What did you guys (TRRK etc) do for fun in school, beat up the special ed kids?

@writer: I’m sure you had a similar statement when Rush mocked Michael J. Fox too, right?

Seriously, she picks Family Guy to make a statement about? A show that routinely pushes the envelope? I hear next she can make a statement about Mad Magazine for “daring to mock popular culture” and Howard Stern for “indecency”.

She really needs to just crawl in a hole and go away already and stop using her kids to further her political ambitions. We already know she’s not sincere when she wouldn’t even criticize Rush for saying the exact same thing as Rahm – oh, wait, that was “satire”.. I forgot…

Once again, the old two wrongs make a right argument. No, Rush was wrong. And so is Family Guy. I can admit Rush was wrong. You can’t admit Family Guy was wrong. And of all subjects to satirize, handicapped kids is the last thing I would think of. Guess you’re different.

@writer: They didn’t “make fun” of a handicapped child. They just made a pop culture reference.

I mean, for all we know, the cartoon character’s mother could’ve been another former Governor of Alaska because that’s the only thing that matched Ms. Palin and her kid’s circumstances and how would Seth MacFarlane know that being the child of a “former Governor of Alaska” is something for which one should be ashamed?

Heck, it’s not like they were the former Governor of New York, Illinois, South Carolina or Louisiana… now those could be called insults in some circles.

digitaln3rd……Family guy chose to spotlight and make fun of people with downs syndrome. You’re ok with that?
The argument that Sarah Palin put her kid in the spotlight somehow justifies making fun of that kid and any others that are “retarded”? Do you laugh at the “retards” in elevators? What do you do for entertainment, carry a stick to shove into the spokes of people in wheel chairs too? You move the furniture around on blind people too? I’ll bet you’re just a laugh a minute, do you hide the wigs of cancer patients too?

Spin it all you want. Palin has a Down’s Syndrome child, and Family Guy deals with a Down’s Syndrome child whose parent is a former governor of Alaska. And that’s a coincidence? The left isn’t getting out of this one. Put ideology aside for a second and see this for what it was. Despicable.

There she goes again putting one of her children out there. Someone on here went after me on an earlier blog because I said if she put them out there then she needs to deal with the media going after them. And she does it again. If she doesn’t want them to refer to her special child then she needs to keep those children out of the spotlight!!! She deserves what she gets and yes if a Dem did the same I would say the same.

However Blueblogger, a dem would never be treated this way. That is the difference.

Sara Palin’s face book commentary once again rules the news; she is an amazingly powerful individual who the left loves to hate and mock.

Did you criticize Michell Obama for putting her kids out there in regards to her “obesity” campaign?

So when Obama’s kids are with him and someone films it, he’s “putting them out there”. And if someone would mock anything about them, the left would say it’s okay because he’s “putting them out there”. Again, no matter how the hateful left wants to spin it, this was despicable.

Blueblogger…It’s your opinion these “downs syndrome” kids should just be kept in closets then?

Liberals are so caring, so giving, so forgiving, their entire philosophy is one of helping those less fortunate, unless of course you happen to be a “retard”.

If this little excercise doesn’t make it clear that “progressives” have no soul, I don’t know what ever could.

I realize that it was a different era, but Laraine Newman did a recurring Amy Carter on SNL during her father’s presidency and when Jimmy said in a debate with Ronald Reagan that he had asked his daughter to name the most important issue of the day, it became fodder for countless Johnny Carson jokes, SNL routines and I’m pretty sure, if memory serves that Ronnie Reagan also made light of the comment.

Magister, was Amy Carter afflicted with Downs Syndrome? Edgy humor is one thing, making fun of “retarded children” is despicable by any standard of human decency. We kept a cousin in a “home” almost all of his life because of people like you and the other “tolerant” posters on this thread.

writer says:
February 16, 2010 at 9:40 am

Royal, perhaps if you had a handicapped child, you’d have a little more sympathy and put your political ideology aside for a minute. Sad.

—

Geez, that’s enough crap for an O’Reilly book. It’s also a cheap distortion on your part. My empathy for the child is boundless, even more so because he has such a crappy, exploitive mother.

—

As for the line about Republicans/rightists/conservatives never doing something similar, Geez, Limbaugh alone tormented Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton. Spare us all your phony outrage. The incident at hand is all about some sick comedy, and it has no political dimension.

Just who on the “left” might I ask has indicated that this sick attempt at humor is anything but tasteless and despicable? No one I’ve seen at this blog.

TRRK, are kids with cerebral palsy as hilariously funny as kids with downs? Just wondered.

Can you even read, Royal? See the above post, where I said Rush was wrong. But you absolutely cannot ever say that anyone on the left is wrong. Your “boundless sympathy” is bullshit. You hate the mother, so the kids are fair game.

@timzank: I have to admit that I haven’t watched anything beyond Colby’s clip and I’m probably not going to get to it in the next couple of hours because I’ve got some work to do, but all reports from every corner is that other than a song from Stewie (which had nothing to do with the GovofAK throwaway line), the episode doesn’t make fun of Downs.

And again, as I’ve said previously… why is being a former Governor of Alaska an insult? If the Downs kid’s mom worked in a Circle K would it be a slam against cashiers? And, how should we feel about all of the jokes about Woody Allen marrying one of Mia’s adopted daughters; Was that insulting to Mia’s other kids? Did Shiloh cry, when folks joked that Angelina was in Haiti shopping for another baby?

timzank — turn the TV off! Simple as that! Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, For the Love of Ray Jay, Buccaneer games… all bore/offend me for their lack of entertainment. You know what I do… I don’t watch/listen! And I feel better for it!

And why would you put your cousin in a home because of the posters on this site? You know I don’t lose any sleep because of what people post or believe here. You should reconsider putting your cousin in a home because of “other” people. I’m not sure I would put anyone anywhere because other people aren’t tolerant. But you do you.

Oh, and for TfTerrible and those making the Obama children argument… I’ll blast Obama the first moment his children go on the View, Oprah, Larry King, etc…. or post a “statement” on Facebook. Maybe next time Palin knocks Obama as a socialist he can have his daughter respond via Facebook. Fight your own fight.

Magister, watch the whole show, and get back to us. If your “comfort” level isn’t a bit challenged, then you are a-moral.

Writer, it may well be you who cannot read, for I constantly criticize Olbermann, I frequently criticize Maddow, I think Pelosi is an ineffective moron, and the list goes on.

Yes, Royal, your criticism of the left is endless. You’re a regular right wing ideologue. And since you’re such an open minded fellow, I’m sure you’re getting ready to admit that no matter how much you disagree politically with the mother, singling out a Down’s Syndrome child is going too far. We’re waiting, you fair-minded fellow.

Did The Real Royal King actually say: “Sometimes, the more effective route is not to respond.” For God’s sake, what an ass-hole!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Writer, how many times must that be said?

My, SFP, your vocabulary puts me in mind of a former, discredited who has been embraced by a site more accustomed to foul language.

Not talking about Olbermann, Royal. Talking about how you diverted the subject away from a Down’s Syndrome child and onto your hatred of Sarah Palin. As if that made everything okay. Gotta hit the gym now, so you’ll have plenty of time to formulate what I’m sure will be a well-reasoned response. Trust me, I’ll return later. Can’t wait to read your reply. Almost getting as tingly as Chris Matthews in anticipation.

AHHHHH< now Sarah is USING the "Bristol" card! Tell Brisket and Scarah, it's only SATIRE. Just like when Rush Limbaugh does it.

The Faux Royal King says

Seek help, soon!

OK _ One of the benefits of being semi-retired is that you can set your own schedule, so I just watched the episode in its entirety and I’m sorry, but I’m just not seeing it.

I’ll start by saying that thing wasn’t funny, but that should go without saying.

And, the Downs Syndrome girl may be somewhat insulted because she’s declared “just like everybody else”, which most of the episode is about the gullibility of the American public and how people are susceptible to projecting meaning onto vague statements, which if you think about it, it’s pretty much what those who think that the one-off line is somehow insulting to Palin or her infant son are doing.

@Writer-

Did you see the episode? I’m going to assume from your comments that you have not, because the episode did verrrrry little to “make fun” of a person with down’s. She was an honestly conceived, well rounded guest character that, frankly, I think was more helpful than harmful to the extent that it showed (for one of the first times in prime-time, really, is my guess) the humanity and kindness of kids with special needs. The character wasn’t put there to be laughed at for having down’s. The Sarah Palin quip was just one of the many pop-culture references that Family Guy makes. I don’t quite understand why this is seen as that offensive. Chris has a crush on the lovely girl, for gosh sake! That’s why they’re on a date!

@hhtdt: Yeah, Chris thinks Ellen is beautiful and unattainable. She should be ashamed.

Now, now, Writer, I specifically remember that the show made reference to a mother who was the Former Governor of Alaska. To my knowledge, Alaska has had but one governor who was also a mother. So, indeed, we were speaking of the Drop Out Governor, weren’t we?

I understand your frustration of having lost this ridiculous argument you began, but let’s keep to the facts.

What an interesting pin-up you have, Olby S***s (I don’t use vulgar language). Most men go for young, well-endowed women. I have particular fondness for the young Marlene Dietrich, the “Cat on A Hot Tin Roof” model Elizabeth Taylor, the “Graduate” era Ann Bancroft, Susan Sarandon, any age Meryl Streep and my wife. Keith Olbermann in a turban is, however, most interesting, as I said. Few men I know would be so drawn.

(I don’t use vulgar language).

by the faux royal king

You’re a liar, but, what’s new?

I did see the show. Big fan till Seth found it necessary to inject his far left viewpoints into it. Like Dave Letterman on his show, it makes him look like a bitter ideologue and detracts from the humor. And Royal, surprised to hear I ‘lost’ the arguement because you said so. This thread started out discussing whether Family Guy was out of line for the subject matter. Of course, those of you on the left pretty much ignored that debate and launched into your extremely tiresome “I hate Sarah Palin” diatribes. I could be wrong (but I’m not) that if Obama had a Down’s Syndrome child and said child was presented similarly in a cartoon, the far left’s howls of anguish could be heard for miles. But because the left hates the mother in this case, the child is fair game. What a bunch of hateful hypocrites the far left is.

@writer: …but it’s not Palin’s kid. It’s a teenaged girl, whose father is an accountant and there was no mention of Fox News, her being a successful author, a millionaire or having been on a Presidential ticket.

So if someone would do a cartoon making fun of or satirizing a black man from Chicago who attended a radical church and had a wife named Michelle and became president, that would also be a coincidence with no connection to any actual person. I see.

“Big fan till Seth found it necessary to inject his far left viewpoints into it.” That must not have lasted too long. Big fan till season 1 when Peter says “Look! The 2 symbols of the Republican Party! An elephant and an old white guy who feels threatened by change”? Family Guy lampoons everyone, on the left and right, but I feel like it established itself as primarily left-of-center from the get-go.

I’m not ignoring the debate. I haven’t disparaged Palin in the slightest. You surely can’t be referring to me.. but you seem to be implying it.

“I could be wrong (but I’m not) that if Obama had a Down’s Syndrome child and said child was presented similarly in a cartoon, the far left’s howls of anguish could be heard for miles.” You can’t state hypotheticals as facts. Please stop doing that. It’s not a convincing rationale. I didn’t find the set up of the reference to be offensive, so I doubt I would have found the punch-line of this pseudo-joke offensive if it had been about Obama. I’m hard to offend. This certainly wouldn’t have done it.

This has nothing to do with being hateful. Please stop using that term so generally and inappropriately. You also haven’t identified how it’s hypocritical by not finding this offensive.

Making fun of ‘an old white guy’ is generic. And let’s look at some of these comments from the left that never seem to bother you. “Whores her children out.” “Should get her tubes tied.” “She deserves what she gets.” These comments are from ‘your side’, but you never comment on the hate exhibited. So if Palin ever appears with her children in public, she’s asking for it. And yeah, it’s hypothitical how you’d react if Obama’s kids were in a similar situation. I’m sure you’d just laugh and laugh. After all, you’re a fair-minded guy.

@writer: I’m going to just address the one point that seems to be directed toward me, but… If the Ellen character were Chinese and if she said that her father starred in an iconic sitcom in the 80s, I wouldn’t say that she was “slamming” Bill Cosby.

Okay. Quick. Someone says “former governor of Alaska with a Down’s Syndrome child”. Who comes to mind? Yeah, Sarah Palin’s probably not even on the list. Totally generic.

@writer – Those are pretty petty insults that don’t further the discussion. They’re not helpful. They’re not addressing me. I choose not to respond to those. I have a hard time believing that you have a problem with me because I don’t address every insult either side throws around on these. That doesn’t seem very relevant to the points I’m trying to make, so how about this, let’s both ignore ‘em? Fair is fair

Moving on-

“an old white guy” is generic, but what makes me think that it is a joke on Republicans is the fact that… it is clearly a joke on Republicans. What was the point you were trying to make here? If there wasn’t one, you don’t have to answer, we can also move on.

Finally- you’re sure I would laugh and laugh? Why? I didn’t even crack a smile at this Palin joke, as I said on a couple occasions that I didn’t find it funny. In fact, I found this reference to be mostly strange and unnecessary, and yes, also not offensive. You are basing MY hypothetical counter-reaction on what you believe to be the prototypical leftist reaction. Both seem to be wrong, at least, based on… not made-up-stuff.

Fine, no hypotheticals. I never cared if Seth was a left winger. Unlike so many from the left (I’m not singling you out) I’m able to have disagreements with people without hating them. And if Family Guy makes fun of ‘the GOP’, that’s a big group. No one in particular is being singled out. I always thought it was funny. South Park, for another example, features handicapped kids, but they’re just part of the gang. No effort is made to say their parents are specific people. Besides the touchy subject of physical handicaps, this is what concerns me. I used to like Dave Letterman. But more and more he started injecting his left wing bias into the show. (Palin compared to a ‘slutty stewardess’, for example) Much of his humor started straying from humor into meanness. I’ve always liked Family Guy and don’t want the same thing to happen there.

First-

“Unlike so many from the left (I’m not singling you out) I’m able to have disagreements with people without hating them.”

It saddens me to hear you say this. Passions run high on both sides of these arguments and I have seen rational debate turn into mud slinging regardless of party affiliation. To turn this into a pissing contest between which side says more hateful things would be counterproductive because it’s really impossible to know, and there isn’t even an answer, because it’s so abstract. So… what you said is true of both the right and left, yes? And if you concede that, than why would you frame your statement in that way? To put down “so many” who have the same ideology as me without being able to defend an identical argument coming from me? That isn’t what this debate is about. It can’t even be a debate because it’s unknowable.

I like South Park too! More common ground! See? Fast friends, you and I.

The “effort” you speak of is literally 2 seconds and a few words- the only time anything Palin-esque comes up at all in this episode. What exactly is it about that is concerning? I’m asking you to think through and put into words why you were offended. What was mean about having a strong, positive, and exceedingly rare character with down’s say that her mom was the governor of Alaska? Especially in a show with a comedic tone where there is even more leniency in how “offensive” something can seem, as argued by Palin in her statement about Rush.

And I don’t watch Letterman. And I don’t know what he has to do with this. I’m not as interested in talking about the degradation of writing in sketch comedy shows.

I’ve never said there aren’t hateful people on the right. There are. But when a statement is ridiculous, pointing out that it’s ridiculous shouldn’t have a ‘side’. Some of the things the left says on here are totally without merit. And if you think I’m just being biased, read some of the posts. For example, most (not all) on the left spout the mantra that Fox News is biased. Shepard Smith is a straight down the middle journalist, and O’Reilly et al are opinion shows. But O’Reilly and Hannity have on guests with opposing views. On the left, Olbermann doesn’t. Does the left point this out? Or give Olby a pass? And this racism accusation that the left throws around so casually. Read the posts if you think I’m being ‘hypothetical’. Anyone who disagrees with the president is automatically a racist? Really? Olbermann says so. Except when Keith disagrees with Obama on gay marriage. Then Keith gives himself a pass. Does the left comment on it? Or keep pointing out the ‘bias’ at Fox? Does the left ever point that Olbermann is being a hypocrite? Why are the tea partiers all racists, but Reverend Wright gets a pass? Why is Glenn Beck dangerous, but Bill Ayers (a guy who actually was dangerous) gets a pass? Do you do this too, or are you something truly apart from the left wing crowd.? Do you give out passes too? Or can you be honest? I’ll now await the attack asking if I can be honest. I like to think so. I thought Beck was out of line when he slammed Scott Brown. I thought Rush was out of line when he talked about Michael J. Fox. Can you do the same, even if you have to chastise your own ‘side’? Guess we’ll see.

1) My point about your statement, and the reason why I bothered to point it out and dissect it from the beginning, was because it is, in fact, exactly one of the insults that you yourself profess to hate. It was without merit and insulting. You are as much a part of the problem as any leftist ideologue troll, and I honestly just want you to be more aware of how you debate so you could hopefully adjust your approach to topics like this in the future.

2) Yes, some things the left say are without merit. Some things the right say are without merit. So yes, how you framed that does make me think you are biased.

3) Fox News is biased. They have practically said so themselves and if you’re still holding on to the idea that there isn’t an overall conservative slant towards how they approach topics, than we have a long and fruitful discussion ahead of us that will ultimately lead to me exhaustingly prove my point by posting a lot of examples of Fox News selectively discrediting figures on the left (which exist, and which is proof enough of the point in and of itself), to which you may say but MSNBC does it to the right, to which I’ll say yeah they do, that’s not what the point was, but MSNBC doesn’t disparage the right using anti-intellectual rhetoric which is what angers me more than the fact that it is a conservative view point. Clear?

4) Again, both sides have been unbelievably irresponsible in throwing out charges of racism. I really don’t even want to go there.

5) No, not everyone who disagrees with the president is racist. I challenge you to find a single person on the left who would agree to that statement you just made, or even find someone who agrees with every single opinion that Obama has. If you honestly find one, I’ll concede. If not, you must concede that again you have overgeneralized and overpolarized people with an opposing viewpoint from yours.

6) It’s not a pass. Maybe it’s a lot less sinister. Maybe it’s acknowledgement that even though they’re both on the left, they don’t see eye to eye on every issue, but they still support in general what they elected him to do. And Olbermann is bound to be hypocritical sometimes. Most of those cable news pundits have proven to be, at some point or another, “hypocritical”. It’s what they’re being hypocritical about that can make people upset, and again, I think this is where I biases come creeping in.

And I don’t hesitate to chastise my own side. I can’t quote Olbermann or Maddow on anything they said that offended me at the moment though, because a) I don’t watch them, and b) with Rush on your side, you’ve given me a pretttty high bar for chastisement. (Last part- humor intended)

Also- I’m still waiting to hear why you were offended.

@writer: By no means am I spokesperson for the “left”, but the “why doesn’t the left” thing seems to occur a lot in comments and if I might say, speaking only for myself, I don’t usually chastise or rebuke others for their comments and I’ve always assumed that the stuff in your 7:37 comment was a given — there are some good folks at Fox, everybody who disagrees with the President is not a racist and while Beck is an entertainer, if he’s more dangerous, it’s because he has a forum and I don’t have a clue (and don’t care) what Bill Ayers is doing.

Hate. Point one. I’ve admitted there are haters on the right. I really don’t know what more you’re looking for here. And you lecturing me like you’re all knowing and I need help in the finer points of debate just proves the arrogance that you and your buddies on the left are always denying you have. Point two. And you’re not biased from the left? You really are delusional. Point three. MSNBC doesn’t disparage the right with rhetoric? That settles it. You’re not just delusional. You’re mentally ill. I’ll skip point four. Point five. Find someone who says anyone disagreeing with the president is racist? Have you seen Keith Olbermann’s show? Point six. Yes. Biases come creeping in. Yours. Point seven? You don’t watch Olby or Maddow? I watch Fox and MSNBC. So again, I watch it, you don’t, but you’re arrogantly lecturing me like you’re the expert on their shows. Look, enough of this dancing. I’ll save both of us some future time. I’m on the right. You’re on the left. You’re never going to change my mind and I’m obviously not going to change yours. Other less tiresome threads are waiting.

@writer

Ok. Now that you got that out of your system, please go back and answer those questions again without being so angry, defensive, insulting, and hateful. My message wasn’t hateful in the slightest. You have mentioned on numerous occasions how “hateful” the left is, but glancing over our back-and-forth, I have been nothing to civil to you and you have responded distastefully. When I call you a hypocrite, realize that it is with a sad resignation, because I wanted you to respond rationally and to have a talk with you about all of the points I brought up, but you seem to want to reject it. Why is that? Why can you drop the angry tones and just talk about this? I want you please to answer these questions without acting like a trampoline and blaming things on the left. I want you to address your own negative comments. I want you to not be an ignorant boob.

A.P: After eating dinnner at the Olive Garden, Sarah Palin took to Twitter to express outrage and dismay that her waiter didn’t bring a second order of garlic breadsticks after she asked. “This is yet more examples of how the liberal media tries to ignore real, hard working Americans, by denying them breadsticks. Clearly Barack Obama’s job stimulus has failed. How’s my makeup?” The former half-term governor of the 47th least populated state in the union remarked. Her 17 Twitter fans agreed, as well as the 24 attendees at “Teabagger-Palooza,” being held in the local Tea Klux Klan hall. Polls showed 98% of Americans no longer cared what Palin had to say about breadsticks. Regardless, the Sunday talkshows booked breadstick manufacturers, Olive Garden employees, people who’d eaten breadsticks and, of course, Newt Gingrich, John McCain and Joe Lieberman on all three networks for commentary on what they’re now terming: “Breadstickgate.”