It’s Schadenfreude. My own spin on the definition: the bitter joy one takes in the suffering of others.
I loved Obama’s take on the Palin misfortune: back off and let the family take care of its misfortune in private. Of course, the world little noted his injunction, let alone remembered it, and the hits just keep on coming. Governor Palin’s embarrassing moment with her daughter’s pregnancy–and hey, it’s Senator McCain’s moment, too–is really the least of her, or his, problems. She’s just a Christmas stocking full of early holiday surprises. See TPM Election Central for a handy list of the pies that hit her (and Team McCain) in the face over the last couple of days. My particular favorite, though it’s of no particular importance, is her giggling on a radio talk show while the host-lout calls one of her opponents “a bitch.” Who knew Christian zealots could be such fun?
Anyway, as Labor Day drew into Labor Day night, I recognized the guilty truth that it’s kind of fun to see a Republican candidate driven from pillar to post over some of the same kinds of issues–including a matter that is arguably private–for which Democrats have been harried for years by the self-anointed saints of the right.
Enjoy your time in the spotlight, governor. If the tide keeps running this way, you just bought yourself a ticket back to Juneau.
Technorati Tags: barack obama, mccain, politics, presidents, palin
Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Karl Rove would have a field day with this stuff if the same thing happened to a Democrat. Anybody remember Thomas Eagleton? Probably not. Best though for the Dems to get out of the way and let the Republicans do their self-immolation.
Palin as vice-president is about as close as we will come to having Ann Coulter as vice-president. They seem to have similar nasty streaks.
I think there’s a chance (call it 25%) that she’s out by tomorrow afternoon, with Lieberman replacing her.
I’d call it 50-50 she makes it to November.
That said, I think there’s a small chance (let’s say 10%) the Republicans might spin this in her favor…. Plucky Alaska gal, a regular sort with real-world problems like you and me, stands strong in the face of ruthless attacks by evil hate-America lib media etc….
By the way, another fun thing about this brouhaha is reading the Anchorage paper for the local angle. Noted a great comment today, on a story about Palin’s Troopergate (Wooten is the ex-brother-in-law she was pushing to get fired):
“If Palin is elected she can simply shoot Wooten; If I recall correctly that’s one of the perks of the VP office. It’s known as the ‘Cheney Clause.'”
Yeah, they’re sure trying to spin it in her/their favor. I heard Bay Buchanan saying this morning how this would increase Palin’s appeal by making her more real to people. Or something like that. That seems pretty desperate.
Schadenfreude: truly one of my favorite words. And so right in this season.
I can’t help but think this will turn ugly real soon.