This Levi Just Doesn't Fit

When I was a kid growing up (some might argue that that process is still ongoing) I remember that soap operas were the very definition of daytime television. Talk shows like Donahue existed but they had not gained the reputation they have today. By the time I got to college, shows like Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones and Jerry Springer were filling the airwaves with nothing but trash talking idiots who had nothing better to do than insult one another one air and then erupt into a fight. The reason I bring it up is because the current situation with Levi Johnston, the former future-son-in-law of Vice Presidential candidate and now officially former Governor Sarah Palin, and how his forthcoming article in Vanity Fair magazine could be a blight on Palin's reputation reminds me very much of why America seems to love talk shows. They love to see families more dysfunctional than their own. I guess it helps them feel better.

Now Johnston, who broke up with Palin's older daughter Bristol a few months after the birth of their child, is lashing out at Palin for his own personal reasons and the accusations he is levelling against her aren't very complimentary. Supporters of Palin and her agenda have been quick to point out that Johnston is a high school dropout and that his mother is a drug using alcoholic but that's beside the point. Many accuse the media (more specifically the 'liberal' media) of giving voice to someone who doesn't deserve a voice. I argue that he got the voice the same way Palin did; it was thrust upon him. When Palin was announced as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, it was within a few days that the announcement came out that Bristol Palin was pregnant.

Had this been any other candidate (specifically one on the 'liberal' side) then I'm sure Republicans would have been jumping up and down like organ grinder monkeys shouting about how this is proof that liberalism was eroding family values and how it was a blight on responsibility. Now Palin could have responded to those questions and could have stated that she would want the media to respect the privacy of her daughter during this time but instead they were thrust front and center and were showcased at most every one of her speeches and were always shown to be walking hand-in-hand at all events. Even then you could see that he was awkward; I remember seeing Johnston and John McCain hugging at the Republican convention, it was like watching two versions of "The Mummy" played by Boris Karloff attempting to hug while in costume. According to spokesmen and Palin herself, Bristol and Johnston were showing that they were taking on responsibility sooner than most. How hypocritical.

But after the election and once it became clear that Palin would not be making any major strides into politics anytime soon, it suddenly became clear that Johnston wouldn't help their situation any with the fact that his mother was arrested and Johnston himself deciding to drop out of high school. So what did they do? Nothing other than drop him like the proverbial hot potato. Now while Palin can continue to charge up and down getting speaking gigs (I don't know why she does, she's nothing more than a former governor.. that too one who dropped out before her term expired) then why shouldn't Johnston. Johnston makes many accusations in his self-written article about what kind of person and mother Palin was.

According to early reports, Johnston indicates that Palin never cooked and responsibility often fell on the kids. Perhaps Bristol really was older than she was given credit for. Johnston also indicates that Palin knew about the relationship he and Bristol had and when they discovered they were pregnant, Palin demanded to adopt the child so that perhaps the actual pregnancy of Bristol could be kept quiet. See what I mean about this starting to sound like an episode of Jerry Springer? Johnston further contends that Palin often came home early from work ("no later than five and as early as noon on some days") and then had the kids get her food or bring her the things she wanted. Perhaps it's exaggeration and perhaps it's complete fabrication coming from a spited and jealous former potential son-in-law but whatever the case may be, no one from Palin's camp can question the reason behind why he was put in the forefront or is being given a voice.

Johnston spent significant time on the campaign trail leading up to last November's election and so he saw a great deal of who Palin was behind the scenes of the campaign trail. Maybe he is just playing the part of a jealous ex but it's only because he was put up like a model child during the course of the campaign. Republicans accuse anyone of now listening or giving this kid (who I admit isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch) but if it was okay for him to be touted like he was father of the year during the run up to the elections, then what's wrong with letting him speak his piece when he's no longer part of the family? If Palin isn't going away then neither will the other media monsters she let loose. I wish McCain would just come out and admit that the real reason he chose Palin was that he was attempting to court women voters who were disappointed Clinton didn't get the nomination. Are you wondering how I could make such a statement? Well some Republicans (cough cough... McDonnell) have a very distinct opinion on where women belong whether it's in politics or in the home. I was just stating what they said.