Letterman Toons for Thought (update) **OPEN THREAD**

Yeah, it does seem to be more a matter of convenience as to WHEN “off limits” is acceptable and when it’s not.
So many NQ posters actually continue to listen to that blowhard, Rush Limbaugh, DESPITE his abhorrent rhetoric (incidentally, compared to Limbaugh’s “apology”, Letterman kissed Palin’s ass and then allowed her to tie him to the mast and give him 40 lashes), simply because Limbaugh bashes Obama.
As to Amy Carter, I don’t really recall her being the target of political attacks. I think the Carters wanted to keep her comings and goings under less press scrutiny so she could have as normal a childhood as possible. (At the ripe old age of 9, Amy was the first President’s CHILD to be in the White House since JFK’s children. LBJ only had one minor child, Luci, when he took office–and she was 16 then. Both of the Nixon children were legally adult when Nixon took office. And Ford only had one minor–Susan–and she was 17 when Ford took office.) More importantly, when the Carters moved into the White House, there was a general consensus that children up to about 16 were off-limits to the press at all levels (it was a bit double-sided–politicians didn’t want their children being in the “fish bowl” but would use them to play up the “family” angle; of course, it was also important to show that you were always “thinking of the children” when making stump speeches, even while you were talking about cutting gov’t programs designed to help children). Then, after Reagan took office, we didn’t have any minor children in the White House (all of Reagan’s kids were legal adults during his 1980 campaign and GHW Bush’s children were legal adults during his 1988 campaign–the youngest of the Bush children, in fact, was already a legal adult when Bush ran for the GOP nomination in 1980) until Clinton took office, and it was Limbaugh who fired the first (cheap) shot at Chelsea (and Limbaugh rarely would let up if he thought up a new insult). Then with Dubya, his daughters were also legal adults by the time he took office.
I do agree that taking aim at children of politicians is pretty mean, but I’m also willing to have a cut-off period for when the children become fair game for the press and media. IMO, once the kid is 16, he or she shouldn’t expect any more privacy than any other public figure (I’d be willing to make an exception for a “special-needs” child in a general sense and include some personal situations–we probably don’t need to be witness to a politician’s child getting his/her driver’s license or report cards).
BUT, I’d like for some on this site to play fair. If you’re going to criticize Letterman for his “jokes”, don’t you dare let Limbaugh get away with some of his “entertainment”. (And don’t you dare forget that Limbaugh has been at the “attack-the-kids” forefront for a far longer time.)

Just for your information, “knocking up” a fourteen-year-old girls is called statuatory RAPE.

(And don’t try to excuse him by giving the blather about his thinking it was the 18-year-old daugher. He’s such an all-important celebrity and he can’t get the facts right about who is at the game? Give me a break.)

I agree. The people who seem to hate Palin the most know nothing of her positions or policies. They have no idea what she’s done as governor except she wants all wolves dead (deliberate exaggeration here).

These are the same folks who supported Obama with no knowledge of his positions or policies. They ignored the fact that Obama consistently said one thing and did the opposite. They simply knew they “liked” him and “hated” Palin.

I gotta give the Obama campaign and the media credit for a master stroke. Obama didn’t run against McCain. He ran against Palin. The Obama campaign managed to demonize Hillary, a fellow Democrat. They were ready for Palin.

Yes, but, even SusanUnPC admitted, she hated HRC until sometime during this campaign cycle. Yet she - HRC - was the same person before running for POTUS as she was after getting into the race.

I have never met so many people who hate someone they have never met almost to the point of detest.

I would say the hatred toward Obama by people who have never met his FAR outweighs hatred directed at Palin.

it’s all a big plan in order to “keep women in ther place”. that’s ridiculous. if that’s the case, nobody called me to tell me what to do and say in order for the “plan” to be successful.

yeah there are a lot of jerks in the world who think that way… just as there are racists, people who hate Jewish people or people of faiths different from their own, but to say that’s its a conspiracy designed to keep women in their place is ridiculous… is it a worldwide conspiracy or just here in the U.s.?

People can think and say whatever they want, either agree or don’t. Surround yourself with like minded people and never watch tv if you don’t want to be, god forbid, offended.

Misogyny sells well in America… Ultimately they are attacks on all women and designed to send us a message to stay in our place.

That comment, particularly the “stay in our place” phrase, reminded me of Sarkozy’s stance against the burqa:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/5603070/Nicolas-Sarkozy-burqa-not-welcome-in-France.html

Although the shared bed does sound plausible, I imagine a greater possibility of the two of them arguing over the taxi fare.

Good points Moss. Let’s hope it is a history changer. I get so worked up when Sarah is put on the grill. And for what? How I hope she’ll be able to cut all of them down to size. I’d love to see her in the Senate before the next presidential election and expose the liars for what they are.

Are you aware of the constant and frivolous complaints and charges being thrown at her by the opposition in her own state? It’s costing her a fortune in legal fees. I think there is a group that is raising money to help her but I don’t know who it is.

She may now be somewhat immunized nationally, so they’ll quietly attack her locally. I remember that the same kind of fear that Reagan whipped up on the left is very similar to the type Palin inspires now. Like Reagan, Palin also went to a modest college, not some high fallutin’ eastern, ivy covered, snob factory. She shares many of the best qualities that put Reagan in the Whitehouse. She terrifies the left because of that. They will not stop flinging the mud. What a disgrace.

I don’t think Obama is any better. But he has a few decent people in his camp. Thanks to the Clintons.
God help us from the Rethugs that would surround Palin.