Salon.com: Bristol Palin offers "inarticulate, bumbling interview" to Palin fan Greta Van Susteren

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Bristol Palin stammers the truth

In a Fox interview, the new teen mother makes an almost unwitting argument for reproductive choice before Mom barges in and twists her words

By Rebecca Traister

Bristol Palin holds her son Tripp on Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record." (Fox News)

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/02/18/bristol_palin/

Feb. 18, 2009 | All over the news on Tuesday were clips of 18-year-old new mother Bristol Palin stuttering awkwardly in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren and saying what many Americans already know all too well: that the idea of teenage abstinence is unrealistic.

But more than just sound bites, Van Susteren's interview with Bristol (and her "surprise-guest" mom) was a vivid reminder of how, sadly, this unremarkable high schooler got dragged into the spotlight by a Republican ticket anxious to paper over its party's family-values inconsistencies with the addition of a just-folks clan led by an Alaskan governor determined to use her family as an illustration of her policies. It was also an embodiment of all that was frustrating and tone-deaf about those policies, and about the governor's candidacy for the vice-presidency.

The Van Susteren interview provided a new chapter in this jumbled saga of gender, reproductive and class politics, kicked off when a craven and desperate John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate in August 2008. Palin's acceptance of the nomination meant the prompt exposure of her then-17-year-old unmarried daughter's reproductive life to the world, a circumstance that made Bristol and her self-proclaimed redneck boyfriend, Levi Johnston, accidental cautionary tales (or poster children, depending on your perspective) for what happens when the faith-infused reproductive health policies favored by her mother's supporters meet real life.

Bristol, sitting down with the Palin-friendly Van Susteren, did not come across as any more eloquent or incisive on matters of sex, pregnancy and new motherhood than anyone would expect of an utterly average teenager, but she did offer up an inarticulate, bumbling and nakedly honest interview about how her life has changed since the birth of her son, Tripp, two months ago. Wittingly or not, she touched on issues close to the heart of reproductive rights activists and feminists who fiercely opposed her mother's candidacy: how her life is no longer her own, how she wishes she had waited 10 years, how the choice to have the child was hers and not her mother's and how abstinence was not a realistic answer. All this was discussed before the governor entered and robbed Bristol of her voice and her arguments, making a mash of everything her daughter had said so far.

[Gregorian]

1. Someone actually watched that?!

My god. Obama should start handing out medals of honor like Bush did. Brave a conserative, get a medal.

[JFN1]

61. I tried

but it hurt my brain...

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. Interviewers can shred Sarah all day long for all I care, but leave the kid alone

Just let her situation speak for itself

[Bolo Boffin]

3. The reviewer agrees with you

The biggest criticism is how Sarah won't "leave the kid alone," in a way.

Bristol's interview was nearly painful to listen to, so vulnerable and untrained was her description of her love for her son, and her wish that she hadn't had him so young. These sounded like the pure and comparatively unscripted answers of a young woman who was not politicizing her situation, just living in it and trying to describe it to the rest of the world.

But the whole awkward purity of Bristol's interview got wrecked once Mama Palin purportedly "surprised" the pair by entering the room holding Tripp, offering him to her daughter and asking, "You want this joy?"

Very thoughtful review.

[norepubsin08]

18. She's 18 and not a kid anymore!

That makes her fair game as far as I am concerned!!!!

[lunatica]

28. So what if she's eighteen. She's more of a victim than we are

She's the one who was dragged into the spotlight by her mother and I'm willing to bet this interview with Greta was her mother's idea. She's still being dragged through the muck of her mother's delusions of grandeur. She's not 'fair game'. Her mother is.

[norepubsin08]

36. At 18 she could have told her mother to fuck off!

She's not bound to live by her mother's or her father's rules anymore. At 18 I did just that and made my OWN way through college...no help from any parent or other relative and lived in my own apartment...the nice thing is, I never had to put up with anybody's bullshit...I made my own rules! and lived how I felt I should live. Got my degree in three years also!

[BuelahWitch]

60. Not everyone can or wants to tell their parents to fuck off

when they turn 18. She's got another mouth to feed. If she told Todd and Sarah to "fuck off" more than likely she and that little one would be homeless and hungry. She'd be better off to keep quiet try and learn some skill so she can get out from under their clutches.

[Fly by night]

69. If it weren't for her mother's VP run, she might have had two mouths to feed by the age of 18.

'Nuf said.

(On edit: maybe not 'nuf said):

Mooselini seemed pretty anxious to hand off "her" baby to "Aunt" Bristol, 'eh what?

Now that's 'nuf said.

[lunatica]

67. Were you foolish enough to get pregnant? That changes everything

And not everyone is smart enough to get the hell out from under their parents' crazed power

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

55. The sins of the mother are not visited upon the daughter.

As a culture we seem to forget that.

[OmahaBlueDog]

71. Fair game? This is what -- hunting?

She's the 18yo daughter of a prominent politician, and - save for brief campaign appearances of the sort almost all pols kids make -- she's not been politically active.

If the media wants to go after Gov. Sarah for her hypocrisy of crappy mothering skills, then they should do that. Otherwise, leave the non-combatants out of this.

[BlooInBloo]

27. When she leaves us alone.

Or was she *forced* into that nationally televised interview?

[OmahaBlueDog]

70. Would the media be interested in any other 18yo mom on the planet

Unless the mom had some additional, far more compelling story, no they wouldn't

[Atman]

4. Please, no one post until you've read the article.

It's awesome. And very surprising, until you get to the "surprise ending" when Sarah busts in. Really...please read it.

.

[apnu]

17. Great point made above!

I read the whole thing, it was very informative.

[Believing Is Art]

5. Mummy showed up? Ugh!

I hate Sarah Palin. I.frickin.hate.Sarah.Palin. There are a lot of politicians with whom I disagree. There are a lot of politicians who are hypocrites. But this awful woman . . . she can't just humiliate herself, she has to drag her unwed, pregnant teenage daughter onto the national scene. I was 17 once. If I had been pregnant, I would have been too embarrassed to show my face at school, much less be used as a prop by dear mum for political purposes. She practically offered her daughter up as the sacrificial lamb to the media.

She could have said no. Even if she was too naive to realize her inadequacies for the job of VP, a passing knowledge of current events would allow her to know that there were other extreme right-wingers available for the nod that did not have such a demanding and potentially embarrassing family life.

So she let her 17-year-old daughter get pregnant by a boy who had, for all purposes, dropped out of high school and whose mom dealt drugs. Her oldest son was faced with jail or deployment. Obviously, these things make her "family values" spiel hypocritical and raise questions about her parenting. But this sort of thing happens all the time to even well-meaning parents. The difference is that these parents don't put their family problems under the microscope of national media scrutiny and don't use their children as frickin props, with no regard for their emotional well-being.

Sure, Bristol isn't the brightest crayon in the box. But thanks to her mother, her situation has been thrust into the national spotlight. That put her in the position of sharing her experience - good and bad - and actually reaching teenage girls who are pregnant or having unprotected sex. But mommy had to make sure Bristol didn't go on and say something too progressive and ruin her chances of running in 2012. Bristol is a mother, she's almost an adult, and she has the right to say whatever she wants on TV without editing by her mom. I.frickin.hate.Sarah.Palin.

:rant:

[regnaD kciN]

7. Yep, and it was hysterical...

Even the interviewer (who had planned on "bringing in the baby" as a climax to the interview) was expecting Levi's mom to bring Tripp. Instead, Caribou Barbie barges in and basically tries to take over the interview, making it all about her as usual. Bristol did not look happy. All I could think of were the countless episodes of I Love Lucy where Lucy finds some subterfuge or other to get herself in Ricky's show, and winds up making a fool of herself.

[Cleita]

6. Who get's to write the "Mommie Dearest" book about Sarah?

Jeez, talk about the mother from Hell.

[BuelahWitch]

59. I'll bet it will be the youngest daughter, the one who flipped the bird

at someone. Hopefully one of them will tell the world the truth about that narcissistic. loudmouth bitch.

[Greyskye]

66. That was a photoshopped pic

sad to say...

[cobalt1999]

8. If I was interviewed on national TV at the age of 18...

I'd be happy if it was only described as an "inarticulate, bumbling interview". I'm sure I would have done much worse.

[Lost in CT]

41. i was thinking the same thing... Good God nt

[Political Heretic]

9. I don't appreciate her being dragged into all of this by the media (and us at times).

Sara Palin is fair game, but leave the poor kid alone fer christ sake.

[LisaL]

10. Oh I am sorry. The "poor kid" went on TV to give an interview.

If "poor kid" wanted to be left alone, I presume she could have said no.

[Political Heretic]

12. Going on TV or no, she's still a kid

[LisaL]

13. At 18, I don't think so.

[orleans]

21. yes, and what an absolute shame we allow these poor kids to vote. right? n/t

[lunatica]

29. I'm sure her TV interview was her mother's idea

I wonder how many people could resist a mother like Sarah Palin. Bristol doesn't seem to be an assertive person at all. She probably copes with having a mother like Sarah by giving in and being passive. How else could one cope with the force of nature that her mother is?

Sarah doesn't suddenly become normal behind closed doors. She's exactly who we get to see.

[emilyg]

16. I agree 100%.

By the way - I watched it and enjoyed the young lady and her baby.

[norepubsin08]

19. She's 18 and an adult

and that makes her fair game!!!!

[Political Heretic]

22. Bullshit.

Fair game for what? And why?

I'm sorry I believe you need a justified reason to treat someone like shit, not a justified reason not to otherwise its "fair game."

The only reason you've got is that she's the daughter of someone we can't stand. That's not good enough to me.

[MajorChode]

23. Bullshit on your bullshit

Bristol Palin is allowing herself to be used as a political pawn by her mother. If she were avoiding the spotlight then I would agree with you completely, but the fact is she is an adult and no matter how foolish her decision she is allowing herself to be used politically by her mother. Therefore she is "fair game". Politicians can't have it both ways. If they want to use their adult family members for political gain and those family members are willing participants, they are no longer off limits. It's as simple as that. Bristol is no different than Todd or the Bush twins at this point. There is little doubt also that she will eventually profit financially from the spotlight.

[Political Heretic]

39. Whatever. A bunch of words strung together to justify acting like an asshole.

Nothing more.

[MajorChode]

42. In your opinion, of course.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Some are just more relevant that others.

If you can't defend calling someone else an "asshole", I suppose everyone is just going to have to consider the source, no?

[norepubsin08]

35. She's reaping the benefit's of her mom's stardom

There is no financial worry about making it day to day for her because of her mother's position. Also she was front and center with mom. At18 I had already ran a household for two years. By the time I was 18 I had lost my dad because of Vietnam at 7 and my mom had a stroke at 16. I held a household together for two years by that time. I had also been involved in a couple of campaigns. I knew what adult responsibilities were and I also knew what it was like in the political game. If she's under 18, leave her alone...over 18 you're an adult! If the Democratic Party can score some points off of her---go for it!

[MajorChode]

43. I don't see it as the Democratic Party scoring point off of her

I see it more as negating the points from Palin and her enablers when they try to use her for political gain.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

53. Does scoring political points off of an 18-year-old young woman with a lunatic mother...

fit into your church's vision for peace and justice? The church you reference in your profile...

[MadBadger]

11. Why does the author feel the need to descibe her as "utterly average", or "Unremarkable"?

I just dont see the need.

[biopowertoday]

14. The author had lots of demeaning comments about

Bristol. I believe she is projecting her disgust of Sarah onto her daughter.
The article is a disgrace for Salon to put up. Huffington post had a better one.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

58. I don't think the author's the only one projecting.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I am starting to sympathize with Lizzie Borden...

[depakid]

30. DUzy

[Raine]

20. I saw it, Bristol wasn't doing to bad till Sarah

showed up. You could actually see Bristol kind of wilt, she went from confident to looking like she was scared to death of saying the wrong thing in front of Mommy.

[MajorChode]

24. I watched it also and came to the same conclusion

She was like a deer in the headlights. Even though she was obviously coached by her mother and the half-wit Faux commentator which I won't name was constantly throwing her the softest pitches possible, she still folded like a tent.

Then when it got too sad for anyone to watch, mommy had to come in and tell everyone what Bristol's opinion was. It was one of the most pathetic examples of political pandering I think I've ever seen in my entire lifetime.

The only thing that surprises me is that Palin hasn't come out and claimed she has been victimized by the press once again, but I guess that's pretty hard to do when it aired on the Republican softball network and by Palin's favorite hairlipped cheerleader interviewer no less.

[Blue_In_AK]

50. I thought it was revealing that she said telling her mom she was pregnant

was worse than being in labor. Wow.

[BuelahWitch]

62. Remember this Oliphant cartoon?

Bet it wasn't so far off the mark...

[Blue_In_AK]

63. I hadn't seen that one before,

but it seems to be spot on. :rofl:

[BuelahWitch]

64. Yes, "Who did this to ME?!"

It's :rofl: but I'd certainly HATE to be her daughter! :scared:

[Pachamama]

25. My fav part of the interview: That dealing w/ her mother was more difficult than Labor itself.

Enough said.

[Fly by night]

26. Why any surprise that Bristol is inarticulate? Intellectual capacity is an inherited trait.

But, of all the Palins, Bristol seems the most likable to me, her choices (or non-choices) notwithstanding.

[Quantess]

44. I watched the video, and she isn't inarticulate or bumbling, and she doesn't stutter.

She interviews like a typical, average 18 year old. Calling her inarticulate is unfair.

[Fly by night]

46. I am responding to the OP. My Pony Express dial-up service won't allow me to watch on-line video ...

... so I haven't seen the footage. Again, just responding to OP.

My points remain the same, but thanks for playing.

[Quantess]

47. "Thanks for playing"?!

What a rude response. Did I offend you somehow?

[Fly by night]

49. "Calling her inarticulate is unfair."

Perhaps you meant your generic criticism for the OP.
If so, link your comments to the OP, not to me.

Or whatever. Have a nice life. (Really).

[Quantess]

51. That was a conversational statement. I could have posted it to the OP,

but on a whim, I posted it as a reply to yours. I wasn't being rude or nasty, I was just offering my opinion that Bristol Palin's communication skills were being critiqued too harshly, and unfairly. I could have posted to the OP just as easily, but, I ended up posting to yours. Can't handle that?

Why do people even bother posting comments about a video that they haven't seen? And then, get nasty when someone disagrees with their opinion of what they didn't even see?

[Fly by night]

52. Your statement wasn't "matter-of-fact" -- it was your opinion. My statement was my opinion.

I already responded to you that my comment was based on the OP and my points (that intellectual capacity is an inherited trait and that I find Bristol the most likable Palin of the bunch) didn't require viewing the video to make. (As I've already told you, I can't view the video from my farm computer.)

If you must persist in picking a fight with someone over your opinion, please take it up with the OP. That is who you should have directed your critical comment to in the first place. But then I've already said that, haven't I?

Bye, bye. (Really).

On edit: you changed your post from "matter-of-fact" to "conversational" pretty quickly. My points still stand. I don't want to argue with you -- I've never had any exchange with you whatsoever on DU and I've been here for four years. If I could, I would even give you one of my "hearts". (Really).

Well, playtime is over for me. Back to shoveling some useful shit at the compost pile.

[Quantess]

56. I have also had enough for today.

You are the one who got rude with me first, and continued to be rude. You are the one who turned this exchange nasty. But, I'm sorry that you took my first reply the wrong way.

And over what? That idiot Palin's daughter. What a waste of time.

[Fly by night]

57. Agreed. Finally. (Really).

On edit: Ignore.

[Juche]

31. meh

On another note, its great if she contradicted everything her mom said about sex, pregnancy and abstinence. That shows how unworkable those solutions are for everyone to see. The fact that she is inarticulate is because she is 18.

[jasmeel]

32. As a prochoice woman this was the most impt line of the interview

snip "It's like I'm not living for myself anymore. It's for another person." Later in the interview, she again repeated this line -- a heartbreaking point if ever there was one, and one we don't talk about much because we feel obligated to acknowledge that of course motherhood is a sacrifice, of course there are consequences, of course for many women and men, choosing to have children and become less self-obsessed is a pleasure. But so much of what pro-life advocacy is about -- whether it denies people sex education or contraception or access to abortion -- is in valuing the cells that make up a fetus (or baby) more than the woman in whose body those cells have grown."

That just says it all about what's so sad about this situation for any woman- especially one trapped in that family. I have nothing but sympathy for her.

[JVS]

33. Has Greta had a stroke?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

45. Botox

It's a hell of a drug.

[JVS]

34. Grandma Sarah creeps me out!

[TwilightGardener]

37. I would love for this train-wreck of a family to just get the fuck out of our faces.

[nc4bo]

38. OMG how could they say this1!!1

She'll just get better and better the more interviews she does - just like her momma.

Wait.

Nevermind.

[malaise]

40. You have to wonder why the Palins who claim that their children

should not be part of the public discussion are so fucking visible.
Has FUX ever interviewed other unwed teenage mothers with children?

[Blue_In_AK]

48. And I went WAY out of my way not to report anything about Bristol's interview.

We just can't get away from the Palinator.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

54. Acorn, oak tree, proximity of fall, etc.

[NC_Nurse]

65. Just like Mom. Nice house, nobody home.

[steelmania75]

68. It's the usual interview you get from a minor who got knocked up to a meth supplier