I Will Not Watch The Sarah Palin – Donald Trump Interview, And Neither Should You

I Will Not Watch The Sarah Palin – Donald Trump Interview, And Neither Should You

For a period of time on Friday evening, Sarah Palin was the top trending topic on Twitter. Why? Well, it was a one-two punch from the ex-Mayor of Wasilla as she latched on to the recent controversy caused by ESPN’s Curt Schilling and scored a big-time interview with current Republican Presidential frontrunner and sentient Cheeto Donald Trump. Apparently, the one-time GOP Vice-Presidential nominee now works for a low-rent right-wing ‘news’ network known as One America News. (Palin’s attempt at a subscriber-based channel failed earlier this year.)

From all reviews of the ‘interview,’ it was just as batshit insane and nuts as one would expect. But I wouldn’t know. There was no way I was going to watch it. A person can only take so much when it comes to Trump’s sham White House run, and watching an attention whore like Palin desperately attach herself to The Donald’s media spotlight is just a bridge too far for me.

Right now, we are at a point when cable news, large media publications and the national networks really should be ashamed of themselves for how they’ve covered Donald Trump’s campaign. They’ve let him use them as he would advertising agencies, kowtowing to his Twitter trolling and public complaints about how he is covered in order to maintain their access to him for potential ratings. This isn’t how the news is supposed to work, especially when covering a candidate seeking office. The media shouldn’t be afraid of a person seeking office; it should be the other way around.

Some critics have already chastised networks like CNN and MSNBC for the endless coverage they’ve given Trump in deference of actual news. Providing live coverage of yet another campaign speech is not legitimate news. It is free advertising for Trump and his brand. Allowing him just to call in to any given news show just to ramble on incoherently and take up valuable time is NOT newsworthy. It is just the hope from producers and executives that they might get another silly soundbite from The Donald, who knows that anything he says won’t hurt him with his supporters because they revel in his douchebaggery.

The mainstream media has to not allow themselves to be used in this manner. If they are going to cover Trump’s White House run, they need to cover him as if he is an actual serious candidate for office, and not like they are part of his PR team. No more allowing him to call in whenever he feels like it. No more giving him uninterrupted live coverage of speeches. No more interviews where he is allowed to get away with saying factually inaccurate things without pushback. No more treating him like he’s a celebrity whose words have no consequence.

And this gets me back to Palin. She sees how the media is handling Trump and pushing him to the stratosphere, and she wants on the ride. Before Trump’s rise as a political superstar, there was Sarah Palin. She was the monster the GOP establishment wished they hadn’t unleashed on the American public. A person who was unfazed by pesky things like truth and facts. Someone who rose to fame based on her looks, anti-intellectualism and self-portrayal as perpetual victim of the ‘lamestream’ media.

Eventually, her star faded as she revealed herself to be both a quitter and grifter, and her public appearances became embarrassments for the GOP and her supporters. Fox News gave up on her (twice) and whispers of alcoholism and personal issues started coming to the forefront after her involvement in a family brawl at a party and a rambling incoherent speech at the Freedom Summit earlier this year. It seemed we were finally done with Palin being a national political figure.

Yet, with the rise of Trump, here comes Palin once again, hoping The Donald’s Know-Nothing candidacy will help boost her celebrity enough where she can maybe scrape a few more dollars from the rubes who want to Make America Great Again! It would surely help her if you click on her interview on YouTube or OAN’s website, as clicks equal revenue, and that is what all of this about. So, be like me, and say fuck that shit, I’m not gong to help her rebuild her career.

Justin Baragona

Justin Baragona is the founder/publisher of Contemptor and a contributor to The Daily Beast. He was previously the Cable News Correspondent for Mediaite and prior to starting Contemptor, he worked on the editorial staff of PoliticusUSA. During that time, he had his work quoted by USA Today and BBC News, among others. Justin began his published career as a political writer for 411Mania. He resides in St. Louis, MO with his wife and pets.

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