First Dude, Unglued – Another PR Catastrophe for the Palins in Alaska
What’s gone and perturbed our would-be first couple this week? Apparently someone with a …. dum da dum dum….. VIDEO CAMERA. (insert scream here)
Imagine the horror when the Palins were catching a plane at the Valdez Airport and met someone who was taking a video of them in a public place! The outrage!
Now, generally when someone is taking a video of a famous person, that means that there’s going to be a byproduct at the other end of the encounter – which is generally A VIDEO.
So one would think (especially if one has just been caught in an embarrassing situation on video tape in Alaska the week before) that there would be a certain amount of care and thought to what would happen when others saw the tape. You might imagine that said famous person(s) would grit their teeth and ignore the videotaper, or go out of their way to be nice. You see, that way when the video is viewed it doesn’t make the subject of the video appear to be…. oh, I dunno… let’s say - unhinged, or hostile, or bullying, or full of him/herself, or passive-aggressive paranoid.
That’s what you would think. Then, there are the Palins, who have their own peculiar philosophy of public relations which is rather unforgettable. My personal favorite moment is when Todd Palin sticks his face right in the camera, starts snapping pictures and saying to the small business owner from Valdez, “Why you shaking so bad? Why you shaking so bad?” Nice. How to Bully Your Way to the Whitehouse for Dummies.
And yes, the starry-eyed “don’t confuse us with how she really is” Palinbots are shrieking about the “creepy stalker” and how poor Sarah is yet again a victim. (I pause to dab my eyes with a hanky)
The whole thing just begs the question, “If this is how the Palins react to a curious onlooker with a video camera in a local airport, are these the people you want living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with access to the nuclear codes?”
[Video and photo from palingates]
No.
In the words of the Orange man, “H3LL, NO!”
In the words of thatcrowwoman, “OY, VEY!”
and pass the popcorn, also, too, please.
hahahahaha caw Caw CAW!
Being covered in Valdez
http://kvakradio.com/Local-News/3279346
Using Alaskans as usual, it will be nice when her series comes on tv and she eventually drifts away into the sunset with that little screetchy voice.
I think I’d die if she wanted to shake my hand, ooh, touched by “it”.
Why don’t they just walk away? What normal people would make eye contact with someone intruding on their personal space? What mature adults exposed to public review for their public lives would continue to behave like eighth graders?
AKM, that was a rhetorical question, right?
Rhetorical or not – the answer would still be “No” ( thousand times “no” even)
Todd seems to get more and more unhinged as time goes on. Maybe he needs a retreat to NY?
And why does he refer to his wife as “Sarah Palin?” Wouldn’t a normal person ask why your recording “my wife?”
Todd $Palin talked???
Yes, that was weird. It was like he was trying to make a point for his own video or recording.
Not more and more unhinged, but unfortunately more and more relaxed in public so that the ‘real’ dude is more and more evident.
My comment about this wouldn’t pass the spam filter, so suffice it to say I am moderately PO’d at this behavior
And that I have an unfavorable view of the Palins because of it.
“moderately”
“unfavorable”
I bow to your restraint (and fall chortling off my chair)
heh heh heh heh heh
See the problem is those danged TSA rules about not packing guns on flights. Second amendment remedies anyone?
HaHaHaHaHa…!
NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!
Any pr pro with 5 minutes of training could have stopped that. It appears Fox didn’t bring any. Only greta and the no animal film crew.
“magine the horror when the Palins were catching a plane at the Valdez Airport and met someone who was taking a video of them in a public place! The outrage!”
They’re outraged because they still haven’t figured out a way to charge an admission fee of every single person in the world who happens to come within 50 feet of the Royal Flush.
Yeah, Hank needs to pay up!
If the Hawk had offered her money, she would have stopped and smiled for him. Remember, at her book rallies you had to PAY for a picture of her, or with her.
I’ll say the same thing here as I’ve said on other websites posting this video. This “hawk” person seemed to be behaving like nothing more than a paparazzi; taping the Palin’s for no reason other than the celebrity factor. This person continued taping them until he was able to illicit the desired response from both Todd Palin and the Fox News person.
I find it rather abhorrent behavior on the part of the videographer. This was not a Kathleen Gustafson moment whereby she placed a banner expressing her feelings and then had a conversation with Sarah Palin (and Mrs. Gustafson would not have even had her encounter on video if someone else had not recorded it….)
Mrs. Gustafson was airing a grievance with the Ex Governor; Hawk in Valdez was behaving like a run of the mill paparazzi videographer, in my opinion.
If someone followed me around the airport filming me for absolutely no reason, after giving me a false name, I can guarantee you that my partner would be in their face as well, probably taking their camera away or calling security. Is this what we’ve stooped to, harassing those that we don’t agree with until they behave badly so that we can catch it on tape and put it out YouTube??
I agree with you. However, they need to be more savvy about their public behavior.
BS She’s a “celebrity” and that’s what people do to celebrities, catch ‘em when they see ‘em. That’s how she makes all the money she does. If she doesn’t like the publicity and attention she should go the F$%^ home. And stay there.
Had Toad not acted like such an A-hole who would care about this video? Or the banner one? No one.
Now imagine if the Obamas had reacted the same way when they left the bookstore… hundreds lining the street, cameras everywhere, pictures snapping. What did they do? Smiled, waved & moved on. Period.
And the Obamas are real people….they could be the children of any of us, and they know to have manners when you are in the publics’ sight…
Exactly – it comes with the territory of being well known and famous. You smile, you wave, you move on. Maybe you’re having a bad day – but you certainly don’t chuck a fit about it. We all have a choice – don’t like the publicity, then go home and stay there, quit doing stuff so people will pay attention to you.
The Palins just no grace whatsoever.
Also too……it just seems like Sarah’s MO is “all the glory, none of the work”!!
” This “hawk” person seemed to be behaving like nothing more than a paparazzi; taping the Palin’s for no reason other than the celebrity factor.”
Well, yes…but they are celebrities. If they were the first couple, they would also be video taped by many people in many venues. They would have the Secret Service right there with them too, of course.
When Obama came to NIH, there were many many people lining the campus roads and crowding into the Clinical Center to hear him speak, or view him on the campus video feed. Yes, a lot of them were toting their handheld cameras and video equipment.
Yes, a private citizen would be upset that a stranger was following them with a camera.
But Sarah is a public figure and has been for many years.
Poor Sarah. Too famous for her own good.
Yeah, and if this is the way Barack Obama handled paparazzi, I don’t think I’d have voted for him. I’m not voting for the videographer for anything. Kinda like kicking the tires on a car before you buy it to see what happens. If Toad wigs out because some dude videos them and they also happen to be two of the most famous people in the world…. uhhhh. I’m thinking Hawk isn’t the problem I care about.
If you were cashing in on being a public persona, you’d best get used to being video’ed and having photos taken. You can’t pick and choose when you want to be on camera if you want to be a celebrity.
Even if Hawk really were a paparazzi, the Palin’s behavior is weird and inappropriate. He was taking a video from a good distance and they aggressively got in his face. Totally bizarre.
in the same vein as sharon angle talking about wanting the press to ask her only the questions she wants to answer???…DUH…..and whats that ol’ saying about staying out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat…oh yeah, thats it…..LOL…i always knew the quitter wasn’t much of a cook anyway….
hahahahah STILL the best quote from a politician this mid term cycle! That Sharron Angle is a complete nut bag!
“please don’t ask me the HARD questions! I can only handle easy ones that I know beforehand and have cheat notes for!”
Let’s call that the Palin Model =D
Nonsense.
This episode could have been handled with aplomb and class by more sophisticated people than the Palins. If they had just waved and gone about their business, the tape would have been boring.
Palin is a celebrity who still uses her title “Governor Palin” at her many speaking engagements and political endorsements for national and state candidates. She interjects herself and her opinions in almost every public controversy where she really doesn’t have any business doing so (NYC Mosque and Dr. Laura’s racist rant are the two most recent). YET, she does this meddling from Facebook and Twitter where the public can’t directly question her for an interactive debate.
If anything, Mrs. Palin’s one-way sniping from “private quarters” is actually the cause of public videos such as these once she sets foot out in public.
I hope this kind of public scrutiny continues with these types of power-mongers because more and more politicians are adopting Sarah Palin’s attitude of trying to avoid public and media accountability.
Kudos to Hawk!!
Who’s “People”? Seriously. Sarah was perfectly pleasant. No doubt she has to shake hands with, take pictures with, and all that many people every time she’s out without an entourage. Anybody remember Obama’s “You people are tiring me out” moment? Sure she was distant- I would be too after having to fake interest in a thousand different people. And more than that, when he introduced himself as Hawk the Meek Skate Shop and Coffee Shop Owner, which sounds ridiculously fake, who also ended up lying through his teeth about his wife (whether he was there or not for his wife, she was NOT who he was filming), she kept her cool.
Todd was an arse. But hardly a psychopath or a bully- it’s hard to be a bully in response to an event, especially when you violate no rights.
Also, it’s entirely acceptable and appropriate to use the title “Governor.”
I would recommend that you listen carefully to the tone of Sarah’s voice and then view the stills from the video. They show that mean girl spirit very well. She was not adverse to having her photograph taken by other people. It’s the video aspect that got her in trouble last time.
Obviously, Todd and Sarah do not learn from experience. They should have brushed this off, been nice and there would have been no story at all. Listen to her outside on the sidewalk, she’s not sounding very nice – the words are innocent enough, but the tone is not.
Her tone is downright aggressive. She is being extremely passive aggressive towards the guy with the camera.
I recall that the Branchflower Report described Todd has having his own table and phone in Sarah’s Governor office, although he held no official office in the state. There are numerous recorded telephone calls of Todd bullying and threatening people with the goal of firing a former brother-in-law. When Trooper Wooten was not fired, the man who would not fired him lost his job. Todd’s actions are the actions of a bully. And, if he cannot control them, then he has a more serious problem. It wasn’t very long ago that Todd was photographed threatening a woman who was exercising her constitutionally protected first amendment right to free speech. He bumped and menaced her, too. He displayed the same confrontational style when greeting a new neighbor next door.
By now, Todd has been seen and photographed in a confrontational mode regarding everyday citizens who have not done anything wrong. If Sarah intends to run for public office, no one would want a loose cannon like Todd anywhere near the White House. Our real leaders engage in diplomatic behavior, not confrontational behavior. Bush’s “My way or the highway” made enemies around the world.
You’re very much twisting the argument. The “new neighbor next door” happened to be writing a book about the Palins- whether you think that’s fair or not is your decision, but it does show Todd’s not simply a jerk of a neighbor.
Todd had no authority to fire anyone. Acting like it was his decision, his authority, and his rule that did it is ridiculous.
And saying that somebody following the Palins around video taping them is nothing wrong is unfair. Just because it’s legal and constitutionally protected doesn’t mean it’s not, as we tend to call it down here, a “dick move.”
I hope more Alaskans post their videos of Palin. Obviously the feeling inside of Alaska is a lot different than with the lower 48 tea partiers who love her “reload” version of racism. Reload against people who don’t like being called N::::::, that’s exactly what she said and meant.
To DK, the house that the author is living in next to one of the Palin’s huge houses was built before the Palin’s built their red house. We don’t know what that neighbor thought with the Palins built their huge house practically on the lot line, with huge picture windows looking straight into the neighbor’s yard. So it’s OK for the Palins to install picture windows looking into the neighbor’s yard, but not OK for the neighbor and their renters to look back.
I agree. While I loathe Ms. Palin, there was nothing particularly wrong with this video. She was perfectly civil to the photographer and Todd was protective, but not crazy-rude and certainly didn’t melt-down as had been suggested in earlier posts. The lady gate-agent or whoever she was, was the rudest one. This is no more than a tempest in a tea pot named Palin.
I would not call her behavior civil at all. She approached him and demanded answers to rapid fire personal questions, then took out her phone to take pictures in order to intimidate.
Remember, she is the public figure here, not him. He was just doing what fans do to celebrities anywhere in the world. he had a reason to photograph her; she’s famous. Her only reason to photograph him would be to bully him. She is the one who escalated the situation.
She’s a junior high mean girl in an adult’s body.
mudkitten,
sure he had a reason to videotape her. He did videotape her, and the whole “she approached him and demanded answers to rapid fire personal questions” is an extraordinary stretch. The guy was standing /right/ there video taping her. She showed a casual and forced interest. Nothing more.
He had a reason to photograph, sure. He didn’t have a reason to follow.
“It’s entirely acceptable and appropriate to use the title Governor” — IF you honour your oath and finish your term and not quit half-way through it. Remember, Palin said, as she quit her position, that she doesn’t need titles.
She does not deserve to be called Governor.
Agree with TruthSeeker.
I think it would be entirely appropriate to refer to Sarah Palin with a title that appropriately describes her tenure as head of the Executive Branch of the State of Alaska. Inasmuch as she completed some 60% of her term, I submit that she be referred to as “Gover,” pronounced similarly to the character portrayed by Jim Nabors on Andy Griffith.
i would be ok with “governor quitter” or “half-term governor”…..but, “governor” suggests and implies she fulfilled her “contract/obligation” to the people of alaska…..
DK – It’s disingenuous to say he had a reason to film her (she’s a celebrity) but didn’t have a reason to follow her. Of course he had a reason to follow her! Let’s take it out of the true context where Todd demanded identifying information about the man taking the video and typing it into his phone presumably linking it to photos of the man. Let’s pretend that the Palins were gracious, did not take repeated photos of the man and ask for identifying information. Anyone with a brain would follow them and continue to videotape them from a distance. What if she fell flat on her face? You could sell that for a few thousand at least. What if someone spit on her? Tens of thousands. What if she and the Toad got into an argument? Enquirer here I come.
They are public figures. If I came across any of them anywhere I’d film from start to finish.
(Note to all of you brunette 20 something’s wearing the bump-its. If you don’t want people to stare at you take the bump-it out of your hair I always think you’re Bristol and you get a lot of scrutiny for it.)
Didn’t she even say “I’m governor Sarah Palin” in her robocalls for the fairbanks candidate? You’d think she would know that Alaskans dont’ think of her like that. Ie being a governor now.
Getting in someone’s face is, in fact, being a bully. And that’s what Todd did.
Yes, Todd approached Hawk, not vice-versa. I LOVE the headlines in Valdez….
LOCAL VALDEZ BUSINESS OWNER BULLIED BY PALIN’S
This is what Alaskans really think, and they are evidently tired of the ever flattering picture painted of Palin by Greta (whose husband helps Palin), Beck, and the others.
Sarah and Todd immediately asked the fellow’s name and snapped photos of the fellow so they could identify him later. Immediate negativity. That’s what the Palins are all about.
Please, she hasn’t been governor for quite some time. She no longer deserves to be called that, especially after quitting like that.
What do you mean that he lied through his teeth about his wife? She got on the plane and was actually seated next to Palin who then had to be reseated, not that I blame her.
And just because YOU think that what he said about the shops he owns sounds fake, doesn’t make it so. Do you personally know this? And he did NOT introduce himself as Hawk the MEEK. Those are your words.
Sarah herself may have been perfectly pleasant; after all, she has Todd to do her dirty work for her. And if shoving his phone right up in Hawk’s face isn’t bullying, I don’t know what is.
Hawk, himself, kept a respectable distance. As others have said here, if Sarah and Todd had just gone on about their business there would have been nothing to see. It would have been boring. But they think they can control everything.
Perfectly pleasant people don’t pull out their cameras as if they are brandishing a weapon. And your suggestion that Palin was tired from glad-handing with strangers doesn’t hold water in light of the fact that she went out of her way for the photo op with the counter staff and a chat with the lady who approached her.
And by the way, Hawk (Pierce) really was his name and he really is a local businessman.
Palin did not earn the title of Governor, so she should not be using it. Anyone who quits an elected office hasn’t really fulfilled the terms of the candidacy. The opposite, in fact. Calling her Governor is insulting to the many actual Governors who have withstood much more criticism and faced greater problems without turning tail. I don’t think it’s necessary to actually spell this out in the rules of etiquette. Anyone with personal integrity already knows this.
Tick $arah off and you’ll see the real $arah….and apparently her charming hubby too..! Swell, swell people..!
“This “hawk” person seemed to be behaving like nothing more than a paparazzi; taping the Palin’s for no reason other than the celebrity factor.”
You are absolutely wrong! Paps get BIG money, they follow people for the “Money shot”!
Hawk nor anyone else has received a dime and he was seeing his wife off to Anchorage.
Could you please point out which one she was? Was she the one who looked exactly like Sarah Palin or the one who looked exactly like her husband Todd?
Maybe his wife was the old guy with the giant beard?
If you go to palingates and read the transcript of the video, you learn that his wife had already gone in to get on the plane when Todd came back the second time. I imagine his wife was standing behind him the first time. It was 10 to 15 minutes after the sideway encounter and following the Palins inside that Todd came up behind Hawk to continue intimidating him. Hawk had already taken his wife to her gate. His camera was off until Todd started in again.
Of course. He was there for his wife… and she was behind the camera.
….That doesn’t really make sense.
Also, it was an edited video. I don’t simply trust the description of a creepy guy following the Palins with a video camera.
Todd came back for more – he must have wanted Hawk to get more footage.
Hawk was completely in the right on this – he saw an opportunity to get the Palins on film, he sensed they would give him a show, and he got the show on tape.
He’s a better journalist than the FOX crew that was trailing the Palins.
Wait, could the reason for the fussiness of the Palins and their Bots be that FOX has exclusive rights to the very air that the Palins breathe?
Amazing how many “creepy” guys the Palins attract. According to posters here, this videographer is creepy. The author who moved next door to them is creepy. David Letterman is creepy. Levi Johnston is creepy. Some of the people who worked for McCain during the campaign are creepy. And I know there are others. What IS is about them that attracts so many “creepy” people?
She’s a celebrity….lucky she isn’t in LA…her or Toad wouldn’t be able to get away with that nonsense about “What’s your name?”. Those LA paps. know just what to say to piss off a “celebrity” to get that money shot. The Palin’s got off good.
Does it matter? They are public figures in a public place, if it had been Brad Pitt people would have been taking video tapes because of the celebrity factor. The Palins are paranoid and controlling and it seems very obvious from this tape.
You could ask Todd and Sarah for the videos and photos they were taking of a private person, a total stranger and non celebrity. Those probably showed the wife, who is also a private person and non-celebrity.
As one “guy” to another “guy” the Dud was, by his actions pretty much daring the Hawk to keep shooting.
Sarah did exactly the right thing at the beginning, she smiled and waved. After that if they had ignored Hawk, even if he kept filming he probably would have stopped much sooner.
They gave, by their bad behavior, a reason to keep filming.
Watching the video at the beginning, Sarah seems to be about to pull away from it all but turns back when she sees Todd taking photos of the man. Then snaps one herself just to bring it back to being about her. She has a very hard time reining Todd in. She should have walked away. Todd would have followed. She can’t control her own husband (or children but that’s a different story) for crying out loud.
Keep those photos and videos coming people! They want to be famous? Let them be famous!
You’ll notice that Greta had the good sense to just quietly walk away. Sarah, and especially Todd, would do well to imitate her behavior.
AKPetMom, don’t worry, nobody would want to video tape you or take your pictures! You are NOT a public figure or a celebrity – so why would anybody be interested in you ????!!!!!!
Sorry but Sowah is the one who decided to do everything possible to be a celebrity.
AKPetMom, you know I love ya…. but, in this case I feel that the Palins drew attention to themselves by virtue of arriving at the Valdez Airport with not only an entourage but also a camera crew in tow.
Never mind the fact that she was on the Republican ticket less than 2 short years ago; that she has her own TV series this fall, and has had her mug and those of her family perpetually plastered all over video, internet, radio and print media for the last 2 years non-stop. This makes her a celebrity – whether she likes it or not.
Oh yeah – she was a state governor too! Of COURSE people are going to whip out the cameras when they see her and her party coming toward them!
I grew up in L.A. – and this was a daily occurence. One minute $arah’s on the cover of US magazine, the next she’s lambasting the media. Then, she’s speaking at a convention… followed by ripping a fishermans wife over her WGE sign on private property… and all on camera. She simply can’t have it both ways, and only when she chooses. It comes with the territory, it comes with the celebrity, and so it goes for everyone in tow. That’s the life she chose.
Well put, Lower 48. Thank you.
hear, hear! well put, lower48!
Well said, Lower48!
If you live my the camera, you will die by the camera.
She’s the Paris Hilton of politics. People videotape her. When she does something stupid it’s there for the world to see. Even Paris has learned her lesson on how to behave if she doesn’t want the world to see how stupid she is and she’s only 26 years old.
I take it back. She’s the Lindsay Lohan of politics.
Hawk didn’t give a false name.
http://kvakradio.com/Local-News/3279346
And he really owns a skateboard shop and an espresso shop in Valdez.
I don’t know why you are so upset. You are getting your facts here absolutely wrong, AKPetMom. See also my other comments below, I don’t want to repeat everything again.
Sarah Palin is a celebrity. She charges six-figure amounts to be on the cover of People Magazine, In Touch Weekly, US Weekly etc etc, and I don’t even want to talk about her infamous speaking fees.
She is a public person, and she earns millions of dollars with it.
Being filmed at an airport for two minutes is a small price to pay, isn’t it?
Oh, unless you let Todd loose, the husband/bodyguard/enforcer. It was Todd who caused the controversy, not Hawk.
You can spin this any way you’d like but it all boils down to how a mature, professional, public-seeking individual handles the publicity. This is immature behaviour… on the Palins part. Period. You can’t put yourself in a position to get all the attention you can get, then act in a rude and bullying manner. Decorum evidently is not a part of this family, from the youngest to the oldest.
Me thinks the Palins missed the old adage about turning the other cheek. Oh wait! I think they may have intrepreted this to mean their other set of cheeks… because they are constantly showing themselves as arses.
Oh, wanted to point something out. A friend of mine was a television anchor, way back in his youth. Not national, but a minor local celebrity sort. His employer made it clear to ALL of their news anchors that when they were approached by ANYONE, at any time, they were to be polite, smile, shake hands, sign autographs, have photos taken–WHATEVER the person wanted. If you didn’t like the policy, either don’t take the job (and the very good money), or quit. But you were a poublic figure, 24/7/365, and if you didn’t couldn’t meet their standards for behaviour, they would release you.
Sarah’s made it clear that she’s a celebrity. After all, didn’t she just pose for still photographs with some of the airline employees? Plus all the money she’s being paid to fly all over the place and bray her opinions and “education” onstage? She may want to control everyone around her, at all times, but that is not how it works. She doesn’t get to bill and coo only when it suits her in order to increase her cachet and earning power, but squeak aobut “private citizen” when she’s out and about. Not until she retires from public livfe. And she’s being paid to be a public figure, a celebrity.
If Todd did assault that man, I hope the airport secrurity cameras caught it.
But I bet that you wouldn’t, 10-15 minutes after the incident had ended, go back up to the paparazzi and start the situation up all over again. Bumping him from behind and causing him to pull out the camera that had been put away. The Palins act like they own Alaska.
I totally agree with you. I guess that I do not see what everyone else is seeing. Yes, Toad is an A$$ but, isn’t he always? I cannot stand SP, just ask my poor husband who listens to my rants about her but, this time, I just don’t agree.
I agree with you in that I do not like the fact that “Hawk” followed them through the airport. In fact, when this first came out, I was completely in your camp. Maybe it was because I wouldn’t like it if someone did that to me and I put myself in their shoes.
However, after watching the video again, I’ve come to reconsider a bit. For one, I am not a national celebrity mugging for every camera and tweeting uncontrollably to get the President’s attention, so yeah, my comfort zone is a lot more out of the spotlight than is Palin’s.
Face it, she chased the spotlight until it caught her. I can’t feel that she has much of an upper hand here.
Regardless, Todd behaved like an AWFUL boor from the very, very beginning. I saw a really nasty bully there, not just a husband protecting his wife. There was ugliness there. Sarah tried to play at being nice, but pulling out her camera within 10 seconds was just weird too. If the counter crew photo op hadn’t materialized, I don’t know that she could have maintained control.
And did you notice that nice lady who came by (after the counter crew photo op) to say hello to the Palins? Well, being a normal, anonymous person like me, she just ignored the camera and walked by. Hmnmm… She didn’t get all whacked out and weird. Nor did she pull out her camera. She just…left.
The Palins want to be in the spotlight; they seem to not be able to live without it. Being that way, they should probably behave themselves while it’s lit. They just can’t have it both ways.
I don’t understand why they filmed him, too.
They need to learn the art of ignoring. They are just not smart people.
Intimidation. And childlessness.
I think they were trying to intimidate him – asking for personal details, typing into the Blackberry, photographing and filming him.
I just read that the CofP folks are asking the Palins for photographs of Hawk so they can identify him – implying punishment perhaps.
That is the essence of the Palin problem. They are just not smart people.
All I can say is my reaction during a big part of the video…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Now we all see what you guys have been putting up with in Alaska. I don’t know if you, AKM or Shannyn have ever seen these people face-to-face but I can only imagine how they and their “followers” would treat you.
I was at the infamous “turkey pardoning” and I’ve met Palin before.
Non…stop…entertainment…
Linda you are so wrong for this
….but I have to agree with ya’ BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…SNORT…SNICKER *wipes tears from eyes. Thanks, I needed that.
Awww….the Palins….the gift that continues to give.
Me, too. Not sure if that would be Great or Small minds thinking alike, but so it goes.
(How’s that Look at Me Me Me Me thing workin’ for ya there, $owah? If you can’t stand the cameras…Go. Away.)
A public figure in a public place has no reasonable expectation of privacy from photographers.
I have no doubt that Todd approached the writer who moved into the rental house next door to the Palins in this same inappropriate manner. Threatening, bullying. “Whatchoo lookin’ at mah wife for, boy?”
But this seems to be a “manufactured” episode. This socially awkward person approached the Palins as a mumbling and odd-seeming person; who would not have felt threatened?
I just don’t like it; we don’t touch the babygate stuff here on the Mudflats yet this is allowed to be aired and then giggled at? Granted, they could have ignored this strange person, but they didn’t; they don’t ignore, they confront. Each of us could make a confrontational video of the Palin’s each and every day, at the grocery store, the airport, wherever we could corner them. The will come out swinging, and so would a lot of other people.
I’m just saying that I thought that certain forums were above glamorizing this sort of tabloid journalism, but I guess not.
Since Palin continues to be news it seems that daily people are stooping to new lows to either make fun of her and criticize her. It used to be about the issues, but now it seems that everything is fair game (except her kids, for some reason, I guess soon we’ll be able to pick on her kids and that will be okay too.)
It’s not about the issues any longer it seems to have become very personal and the commenters are stooping to new lows in their criticism.
I’m venting, I’ll stop now, this just really touched a nerve in me. Perhaps time away from the blogs would be a good thing…
How is it manufactured? They could have walked off, they could have been gracious, funny, etc. They chose to be aggressive and antagonistic. Hawk did nothing but hold a video camera. All they had to do was be quiet and walk away and get on their plane if they didn’t like it. They chose not to do that. Nothing manufactured here – just Palin craziness.
No one can convince me that the Palins don’t like to be video taped. They just want to choose who does it, which you don’t get to do if you’re an American in a public place.
As to the question of how it’s manufactured, I don’t think that’s terribly hard. Remember how Palin was duped into believing she was talking with Sarkozy? Think about that. If she went with it, she would have looked like it an idiot, if she confronted it, she could have been construed as harsh to a foreign dignitary, and if she called it as an obvious joke she would have run the risk of calling a foreign dignitary a comical fraud.
The Palins brought it on themselves, but they do have to no doubt deal with countless civilians. All they have to do is let their guards down once with a camera around and they’ll look like jerks. It’s a gamble. If I, Joe Schmoe, take a camera and point it at the Palins I have nothing to lose but everything to gain if they make fools of themselves. The odds aren’t in my favor of winning, but so it goes. On the flip side, the Palins have to win /every time/, otherwise many blogs will pounce at her gaff.
Again, I admit she brought all of this on herself by jumping aboard the money train and I don’t think she’s a particularly good human being. I just know that there are times in my life where if a camera had been rolling I’d look like the scum of the Earth. I bet most of us have such moments.
Now that she’s not on book tour anymore, she doesn’t have the manpower to keep people away from her. There will be many more cameras held by private citizens. If she and her clan have any class, they will have plenty of opportunity to show it.
Sarah herself behaved relatively well, if you ignore her nasty tone of voice to Hawk and take her questions to him as merely taking interest in her fans. If it had been left at that, there truly would have been “Nothing to see here,” as the woman at the end said. She and Todd would have walked away, sat down, and the video would have been totally nothing. But it was Todd’s reaction that was remarkable and inappropriate, given how much of a celebrity she is. THAT’S what made the video interesting.
It may not be pleasant to have a camera taping your every move, but if you act normal and just ignore it, then you don’t give anyone any fodder for comment later.
That fake Sarkozy incident was sheer ignorance on Palin’s part. She’s such a hick and a rube (as were advisors brought along with her) that she didn’t know that foreign heads of state don’t contact presidential candidates during the course of a post-convention campaign, and they ESPECIALLY don’t bypass the presidential candidate to talk to the VICE-presidential candidate.
If there was proper vetting done on that call, Palin would never have been connected, or even known about it, saving her one of her most memorable gaffes of the campaign.
Wait. If she had applied logical reasoning to determine she wasn’t actually talking to a dignitary, she would have looked “harsh”? No, she would have looked intelligent.
If putting a camera in her face “manufacturers” her and Todd’s bad behavior, it’s pretty much their own doing.
Hi AKPetMom,
this is not manufactured. Where did you get that idea?
This was a chance encounter that a citizen from Valdez had with the Palins. Hawk’s wife was on the same flight, he went with his wife to the airport, where he then spotted the Palins. When Hawk started filming, he had no idea that it would turn into such an controversial story. This should have been a boring 2-minute video of the Palins strolling around in an airport, but because Todd in particular chose to confront him, it turned ugly.
I also would like to point out that the “second” confrontation with Todd, from 3:13 in the video, happened after Hawk had switched his camera off already for 10-15 minutes. He was sitting at the gate and didn’t plan to do any more filming. Todd then suddenly approached him again in this intimidating manner, which was Todd’s own choice. Nobody had provoked him to do that. It was only then when Hawk switched the camera on again. Todd really showed his nasty side there – a side of his personality which by the way was already very well documented during the Troopergate investigation.
On the plane, Hawk’s wife was then actually seated right next to Sarah Palin, but Sarah realized that this was awkward and then changed seats with Greta Van Susteren.
AKM, many thanks for linking to the video and picking this story up.
Hope Hanks wife has a good story, also, too
Yeah, now she has mocked an Alaskan teacher, and been agressive towards an Alaskan small business person. But she was respectful towards the witch doctor, IIRC.
Patrick:
I think the other thing that bothers me about AKPetMom’s post is when she decides that Hawk is a “socially awkward person who approached the Palins as a mumbling and odd-seeming person; who would not have felt threatened?” The words in the quotes are her words, except for one word “who” which I added to make it make sense. How does she determine that Hawk is all of these things? Can she not accept things at face value instead of having to make things up in order to make them appear worse than they are?
“Granted, they could have ignored this strange person, but they didn’t; they don’t ignore, they confront. Each of us could make a confrontational video of the Palin’s each and every day, at the grocery store, the airport, wherever we could corner them. The will come out swinging, and so would a lot of other people.”
Not a lot of people are such public figures as the Palins and one of them is coyly indicating that she’ll run for POTUS. She’s already been a public figure when she was Governor. She/they could make the smart and classy choice of NOT responding to people they find creepy or intrusive, but they don’t. Time and time and time again, they turn around. They don’t just smile and wave, they approach. They do not make the wise, calm, rational decision. One of them wants to have the codes to launch nuclear missiles–do you feel comfortable with an impulsive aggressive confrontational person with those codes?
Every time they are given the opportunity to behave in a gracious, mature, classy fashion–they fail. Resoundingly.
!GONG!
Where the hell is the shepherd’s crook to yank them off the national stage?
Pretty soon Larry King will have her, the ex almost miss USA from California, Kim Kardashian, Kate plus 8 and Octomon on the same program to discuss their celebrity seeking success.
For all we know, if Palin were elected president, Todd would be right there, acting in some sort of “role” as an assistant, as he did when she was governor, with HIS hand hoveriing above what ever buttons are required with the codes in hand, prepared to launch the “nucular” missiles. We’ve just seen how aggresive he can be. Now, seriously, is THAT what we want?
I totally agree. i would never want to see SP in a position of power and cannot understand why anyone would want such a snarky, bitter and ignorant person to be elected to any office. But, the person taking this video was behaving in an inappropriate manner. Please attack her on issues. Personal attacks only give her another excuse to play victim.
I would really like to know what’s inappropriate about a guy becoming aware that the actual real former governor of his own state just approached and began talking to another stranger, so he decided to video the episode to show the wife later
Like, “Look who I saw outside, Lucy!!”
How was he to know that the Palins have Rules about who takes pictures of them, or what is allowable and what is not? Dear me, Hawk broke a Palin Rule or two. That apparently gave Todd The Enforcer license to go nose to camera lens with Hawk and ask him “Why are you shakin’?”
Celebrities have to expect ordinary citizens taking photos of them while they wait for planes. It’s just the way the ball bounces when a celebrity puts themselves in the public eye as much as possible.
We do understand, we are all sick of the Palins, all or them.
But when Sarah and the Dud act the way they did in Homer and in the airport, they set themselves up for others to do it again.
Like – don’t laugh at dirty jokes, people will stop telling them to you.
Don’t act like a horses pitutti in public and nobody will react to you.
She is not an “ordinary citizen” and she is a person who has thrust herself and her family in to the media lights – before August 2008. . She wants to be in the light, yet does not want the light to shine on her. Deal with these encounters in a dignified manner. Smile, walk away. Say nothing. Do not be provocative ( both S and T were taking repeated photos of the guy)
You cannot have this perogative if you want to be POTUS. Sorry. She does not get a pass.
I’m sorry your nerves are touched by this unfortunate incident.
I am also disturbed. The Palins are acting like textbook bullies. And if you look at the video of Todd and the others intimidating the teacher in Homer you’ll see Todd deliberately hit her arm with his body.
In this video Todd blocks the man in front, harangues him, and then a young woman comes to stop the action. According the report given by the victim of Todd’s aggressive behavior, Todd approached him after the video camera was turned off and unexpectedly hit him from behind. He also says the young woman hit his camera with her papers as he was filming.
This seems to be clearly simple assault and battery in both cases–along with trespassing in the case of the woman in Homer.
I can tell you that where I live we have laws that are strictly enforcemed pertaining to assault and battery.
There may be an airport surveillance camera showing the alleged hit from behind by Todd Palin.
In any case seeing such up front bullying and taunting by the Palins tells people who aren’t bullies what’s up with the Palins and their allies.
jd stated: “I am also disturbed. The Palins are acting like textbook bullies. And if you look at the video of Todd and the others intimidating the teacher in Homer you’ll see Todd deliberately hit her arm with his body.”
Wow. I just looked at that video. I, too, am disturbed by Mr. Palin’s atrocious behavior. How pathetic that he physically attempted to bully both the woman with the sign and the man with the camcorder.
jd stated: “In this video Todd blocks the man in front, harangues him, and then a young woman comes to stop the action. According the report given by the victim of Todd’s aggressive behavior, Todd approached him after the video camera was turned off and unexpectedly hit him from behind. He also says the young woman hit his camera with her papers as he was filming.”
This is quite disturbing, too, and if it is true that Mr. Palin snuck up behind the man with the video camera and hit him, Mr. Palin needs to be brought up on assault and battery charges. I’d pay good money to see the security camera footage of that incident.
My thought exactly as I watched this. Todd committed a crime.
It is time that one of these people comes forward and charges Todd with assault and battery. I’m hoping that there was a camera there at the airport and that Hawk goes through with it. Or the teacher, if as you say, there is evidence that he actually struck her arm. He can’t be allowed to continue as he as been. He apparently thinks his actions are condoned and will, no doubt, escalate until someone gets seriously injured.
I wouldn’t view this as manufactured, and it is a private citizen, not a paid paparazzi doing the filming. They just display no class, those Palins. If they can’t interact with regular Alaskans while on camera, how can they be qualified to interact with other Americans, whether on camera or off?
This is not tabloid journalism. This is an example of two people terribly unsuited for any type of life in politics or in the limelight and everyone should see it.
Agreed B. Simple and to the point. The Great Palin Paranoia on display.
I “got it” immediately why the guy hesitated to answer them…Alaskans know that the Palins have gotten people fired, harassed and threatened for less than this. If you read my post from the other day on how Palin treated people ON HER OFFICIAL GOVERNOR’S WEBSITE, that’s when she could actually be held accountable (in theory) if something happened. Now that she’s no longer a state official and can’t be held responsible, you’ll understand why folks aren’t willing to give up their names and places of business.
Heck, Shannyn’s video post of the teacher in Homer and how she was treated afterwards should give you an idea.
Exactly.
Also, unless you are antagonists (The Palins) it is NOT a comfortable place to be.
She and Todd showed who they were. That’s all that matters.
I agree, also I think it irks the Palins that many Alaskans are not worshiping the ground they walk on especially in front of there little entourage.
After moving across the state to the Mat-Su Valley, I was very surprised at how intimidated I have felt by Palin supporters.
“But this seems to be a “manufactured” episode. This socially awkward person approached the Palins as a mumbling and odd-seeming person”
There are a LOT of people who fit this description, particularly when they notice the rich, famous, respected and/or powerful others. There are also a lot of people who are like that 24/7–I know a couple of people with Aspberger’s as well as people with varying degrees of autism.
They’re not that odd, nor are they particularly out of the norm.
We have a son with Aspergers and I assure you neither of the Palins would undertstand a thing he said to them. His vocabulary is way beyond their education or intellectual abilities.
I believe in our future there will be a syndrome named after Palin. Some self important people dream of bridges, highways and airports named in their honor – Palin will remembered by a disease or deficiency.
It’s true that a lot of other people would come out swinging as well. There are many irrational people in the world. I try to avoid them. I certainly don’t admire or vote for them.
I can understand how the constant attention and lack of privacy must be irritating. And that is precisely why I have never wanted to be a ‘celebrity’. But remember in the Homer video how excited Palin was to be called exactly that? She loves the attention, but only wants it on her terms. Sorry, but that’s just not part of the deal when you also want to twitter your uneducated two cents about every little issue that comes up in the news.
What strikes me about this video (and why I think it’s important to see) is that it clearly shows how they have learned nothing from their experience with a national campaign. If you’re looking to learn about how to handle yourself in public, you can’t hope to get a much more skilled team of PR professionals than those associated with a presidential campaign. Member of that team have since revealed how Palin refused to take advice or direction from anyone about anything. The majority of the Palin family repeatedly demonstrates a serious lack of judgement and self-control and an unwillingness to respect anyone else’s knowledge and experience.
This are not people I want running a zamboni, no less a country!
I agree with you AKPetMom. It does seem a “manufactured” controversy, based on an extemporaneous video. I really don’t think $arah acted badly at all and Todd was confrontational, but not abusive or crazy. Too much is being made of this, and people are taking unwarranted low shots at the despicable Palins. There are enough other reasons to hate them, we don’t need to make them up.
Let’s be clear – I don’t hate them at all! I despise them, yes, but they will never have the pleasure of me hating them. Remember – that’s what they want in order to play victim while stealing the souls of good and ethical people.
No hating, whatzername and all those like her win if we hate…
No hating.
AKPetMom – I’ve been where you are, and I did leave the blogs and politics behind for awhile (more than once). When I get my sense of humor and hope balanced out a bit, I may just read posts occasionally and not comments. Or visa versa – mix it all up. Step back, change your pace, come back when it’s good again to be back. I make stupid jokes. Doesn’t mean I’m not serious, just means that’s how I have to be to keep my head in the game.
MUYS:
I hear you.
One time I commented on a national blog about Palin – what would you get if you put 100 pounds on Palin? – and my comment was responded to with the nastiest attempts to paint me as a fat, ugly, single, man-hating (!?) Palin hater. Some of the time you just have got to step away.
As Gryphen says – don’t feed the trolls, it goes directly to their thighs.
As for the Palins – those millions of dollars come at a price.
There is one, and only one comment Ben Stevens ever said that I even partially agree with, and this video is proof of the veracity of that statement – as far as some of the Valley are concerned.
Answer to the above – a whole lot of nothing.
Very well stated AKPetmom. I feel exactly the same
I’ve sensed from the get-go that Todd’s nature is that of a bully (even when many Palin bloggers thought he was the gentle stay-at-home dad). Seeing this reaction was not a revalatory scene to me and I’m sure that Palin-bots will not see the intended point, and as such the video dis-credits the bogs I’ve looked to every day for some hope that Palin will soon meet her downfall.
Yes, I hear and see the creepiness in Todd’s reaction, but the set-up was like cornering a pitt-bull and being surprised at the snappy reaction. People who love Palin or even feel neutral will probaably not find fault with this.
I’ve been a little surprised by the reactions of many posters at any who question the importance or appropriateness of this strange little video. And, I’m someone who believes in Sarah’s guilt in every single “Gate”. I’ve developed a serious time-wasting addiction to the internet and I think I’ll make my discomfort on this issue my excuse for finally taking a break from reading these blogs.
I hope she falls soon without my “monitoring”.
**Please also note that I still heartily appreciate the work and the patriotism of those who are dedicated to exposing the fraud that is Palin.
I, for one, do understand. It’s disheartening to feel that one has been drug through the mud by a pitbull w/ lipstick, only to find that it’s not satisfying just to turn around and do the same back at ‘em. Well, maybe for a few minutes, but in the end, one feels tainted to be reduced to such temporary and less than dignified responses.
We refute her ability to think, to add to the important conversations, to lead by example, and so many other things. We want to prove that in a meaningful way, thereby expressing much of what we do hope for in politics and for the improvement of the human condition. To Palin, that’s all elite stuff she would never understand and she finds derisiveness and divisiveness much easier to use considering her small brain and pitiful heart.
This is exactly how she is most comfortable operating in her bubble of snark – tearing down the ethics, resolve, principals of those she is intimidated by. She wants to confront and offend – to knock those intellectuals and dreamers right off their pedestals. She’s really just afraid, and learned that the best defense is a good offense early on. She refuses to play by any rules whatsoever, confounding (gosh I wanted to use confudiate so badly there!) the ones who do. The ground rules are there for a reason, to keep the discourse on track, but that’s not her way. She’s only cunning, not smart. She’s good in the gutter – she revels in it and finds comfort there. She knows we mostly don’t, so she drags us in as fast as she can to even the playing field.
She attacks the press right off the bat, because that is the system which can take her down the fastest. She puts them in the corner by calling them names, and they go quietly because they aren’t used to someone being more obnoxious than themselves. They won’t stay there forever, but maybe long enough for her to plow through her imaginary doors. She’s hoping so!
What, no press to publish her lies, gates, missteps? What, no politicians in shiny armor to ride to our rescue and tell her how unfit she is for any type of public service? Who then, on a national level, with assumed or earned credibility, will call her out?
Things devolve for many, their hope and sense of belonging to a political system which works is shredded. It can get ugly, and scrappy, and that’s what we are seeing. However, it’s a process. It’s not where we will get stuck, it’s only a fork in the road. There is hope, and time, and if we remember our history lessons there have been many a dark hour of retreat before the sun breaks through. Please take the time you need, and come back refreshed.
Well, here I am again. Just once more (ha).
I really appreciate your words here Martha Unalaska. Such wise words and really helps put things in perspective. These are wild times and I hope I honor my resolve bow out for a bit. Carry on, strong ones.
Brilliant analysis, Martha UnAlaska! I am saving this post for my files.
“Sarah Palin” is one for the textbooks, and I hope the silver lining of her dark cloud is that the next time a “Sarah Palin” guns for political office, a more aware populace and media will spot her bag of tricks pretty quick.
It’s because she continues to be in the news and everywhere else that she should expect that she will be photographed and video-taped whenever she is in a public place. It’s the life she chose for herself and having people photograph/video you comes with it. Some will be adoring fans and some won’t. She did the right thing at the beginning when she smiled and waved and started to walk on.
Where she made her mistake (and she keeps doing it) was in asking for the guy’s name, his job status and then using her blackberry to take his photo. If she had just walked on in and taken photos with the employees it would have been over.
But she didn’t, and Todd has no clue how to behave. Like it or not, he’s also famous and has to learn how to deal with people when they approach the couple. He walked toward Hawk who was standing still. And his biggest mistake was in coming up behind Hawk later and starting the whole thing all over. At that point, no matter what Hawk had done, Todd blew it and deserves the criticism.
As for people not talking about Sarah and the issues – well, it’s hard to talk about the issues and Sarah in the same breath. That means she would have to have some understanding about the issues, and she proves every time she opens her mouth or lets her fingers fly that she knows the buzz words about topics in the news, but she doesn’t know the background or implications of anything she says. And continually showing her ignorance makes her a laughing stock and that’s her fault, not anyone else’s.
The only way to expose Sarah and Todd for the inept bullies that they both are is for people to make public any encounter they have with them. I, for one, am all for it. I don’t want to have any further narrow escape of having Sarah Palin near the White House or any other place in Washington, D.C.
This is the very essence of the issue.
I think it’s great that we document the Palins exactly because “Each of us could make a confrontational video of the Palin’s each and every day, at the grocery store, the airport, wherever we could corner them.”
And no, the Palins’ behavior is not how normal people react – especially when they want to become the leaders of the Unites States of America.
This is how irrational, insecure, unbalanced people with something to hide react.
I saw the following comment on another blog, and it was EXACTLY my reaction after seeing these two citizen videos of the Palins:
DOES ANYONE STILL HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO TROOPER WOOTEN AND WALT MONEGHAN IN “TROOPERGATE???”
Exactly. Temperment is fair game. Part of the reason Obama got elected to his position is because he’s unflappable.. cool as a cucumber. Palin? Anything but, and same with Todd. They manipulated the system here in AK because the Branchflower Report called out Todd for being inappropriate and pressuring Monegan about Wooten.
She couldn’t handle it and claimed the report exonorated her. Todd is a flip job, and a bully, and if all it takes is some guy standing there with a camera to bring it out, then so be it. I can guarantee that if someone did that to me, and I wanted my wife to be the president, the LAST thing I’d do is get in the guy’s face and ask him why he was shaking.
Anyone who ever faced a bully in school recognizes this scumbucket.
nope.
I am telling you Todd is Sarah’s Achilles Heel Todd is someone who normally remains in the background…..not being obvious. Yet we know he was the shadow governor and had trooper Wooten’s movements documented I assume via a P.I. Perhaps it is time to delve into Todd.
The low class trashiness just keeps on coming.
I dare the Dud to post is video. He and his half term wife are, by their choice, public figures.
The person making the above video isn’t.
Does the Dud have enough sense to see the down side of loosing the Palin bots on another private citizen with their threats of violence?
Meanwhile, Miss Sarah is out their soliciting pictures with everybody in the airport. I guess its videos that freak them out.
“Meanwhile, Miss Sarah is out their soliciting pictures with everybody in the airport.”
It’s only okay if she leads and everyone else follows. That must be it!
Kind of like how Schlessinger talks about not renewing her contract (translation: either accept that we’re not renewing your contract, or we’ll fire your money-losing mouth) in order to regain her First Amendment rights. Uh…you do realize that the government didn’t shut you down, right honey? It was the free market–lose audience, lose market share, lose advertisers, lose air time. Hypocrite.
I have heard that she owned her own show, so I’m guessing it was franchishers who said they were no longer interested in rebroadcasting her.
Maybe…but it’s already well-known that she lost advertisers for the latest hoof-and-mouth comment. So there is less and less reason for anyone to pick up her franchise and pay her for the privilege of re-broadcasting her show.
Which is fine by me. After all, if the free market is her one true belief, then if she gets punished by it, that wouldn’t bother me one whit. The money has spoken and she’s not worth as much anymore. I heard her a few times and didn’t care to linger, personally. Then when you read about her private life…ewww.
Both of the Palins were photographing a private citizen, non celebrity. So what’s the difference? Clearly they think it’s OK to ask complete strangers what their name is and what they do. Hawk didn’t ask them any questions, but they gave him the 3rd degree and Todd was rude and invaded the private citizen’s space.
These people are such white trash. Which little girl was that? In some states she could be arrested for assault for what she did.
Why you shaking so bad?
We should be grateful that the cast of Jersey Shore are so much more sophisticated than these small town “real” Americans!
Hey, BigPete,
“I” shaking so bad laughing at Toad’s bully-boy bluster.
The Paylin$ are shaking so bad in frustration, seems to me.
Hawk was probably shaking so bad from Toad’s dragon-breath spewed his way.
I’m pretty sure I’ve surpassed my snark quotient for this post, so I’m logging out and really headed for zzzzzzzzzzzzzz now.
g’night, all.
Someone reported it was one of Greta’s team members.
You have a point ibwilliamsi – one that Sarah’s entourage needs to take seriously. That woman’s actions could be alleged to be assault and battery. She actually hit the camera which can be regarded in some states as an extension of Hawk’s body and the hitting could be deemed to be unwanted touching (hence,battery). Considering the bullying context of Todd’s behavior and the way this woman closed-in on Hawk waving those papers, some juries might think it would be reasonable to be be fearful of his safety (assault).
The whole thing just begs the question, “If this is how the Palins react to a curious onlooker with a video camera in a local airport, are these the people you want living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with access to the nuclear codes?”
************************************************************************************************************
oh! the horror!
That is the point of this whole discussion. Their behaviors speak to their ability to respond calmly under stress. This is not a hit job on Sarah or her family, it is a revealing look at Sarah and Todd’s temperment in unguarded, unscripted moments.
I remember GW Bush calling a reporter the A-hole word and flipping a finger. That should have signaled that he had less self-control that a President needs to have. We ignored that lesson to our detriment and were stuck with someone who reacted “with his gut” rather than his intellect.
Thanks, bubbles for nailing the issue.
Can you imagine them dealing with the stress our current president is under? Handling two disastrous wars, a nearly complete economic meltdown, the worst environmental disaster in the nation’s history, a Congress that obstructs everything he tries to do, an opposing party that is willing to sacrifice the entire country in order to take him down, and on, and on…
Talk about shaking…they’d be hauling her out of the White House on a stretcher, wrapped in a cozy white coat as she muttered to herself that everyone was out to get her.
What is wrong with these people. I looked on the c4p site, these people are just plain nasty. A normal person would think they were insane.
They COULD just try to act nice. Oh, that’s right. They don’t know how.
Sorry, they have become their own nightmare.
Complain about being a victim for so long, you start to react like a scared victim. No leadership qualities to say the least.
We all know that though. First thing that comes to mind…the fence…and the outrage.
Sarah Palin, you are a weakling, thank you for another video of your high pitched victimization.
Todd looks onery! It is amazing how horribly the two of them have changed (mentally and physically) after having been in the limelight ‘she’ sought in the political field these short years ago. They in no way reflect the true spirit of Alaskans that I know.
I hope this catches national news…it needs to.
Actually, my thought was that Todd is starting to get the “crazy eyes.” Dude looks loco!
Well, if she does have BPD (borderline personality disorder), then it’s quite likely Todd has picked up a WICKED case of “fleas”. Hanging around anyone with a PD can make those in their orbit pretty unbalanced, if they’re not terribly aware of who and what they’re dealing with.
“The Art of War” is a recommended read, as is “I Hate You! Don’t Leave Me!”. The second one is fairly dated, but still has useful information.
Not to mention, anyone who chooses to marry someone as disturbed as she is, is likely not all that stable to begin with himself.
No…that’s not entirely the case. The deal with people who have BPD and are amongst the higher-functioning set is that they can hold down a job, they can mirror or mimic those around them whom they wish to emulate for a period of time, but EVENTUALLY they are unmasked.
It took over a year before my husband “revealed” what lay within (hollow), and by then I was married, pregnant and stupid (young and “in wuv”). I didn’t know what I was seeing…it took 10 more years before he was properly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder (and BPD). This is despite my family’s background in the mental health world. It’s not always so easy to spot.
I wish to second the recommendation for any and ALL of Dr. Robert Hare’s works on psycopaths and psycopathy. “Snakes in Suits” is also applicable to the white-collar criminals who happen to have no conscience or empathy.
Another good book that fits SP to a T: The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout.
I loved this book. I was given it when I was dealing with roommates that were stealing from me. Horrific, but in my past. This book made me super aware!
It’s front page on the CBS website.
Once again you all must pay attention: THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS ARE FOR THE PALINS AND ONLY THE PALINS. Now do you understand?
You know, this video (and the transcript and still photos from it over at the palingates blog) has clarified something I’ve never fully understood.
I couldn’t understand why people in Wasilla who might know information about the Palins have not come forward to discuss rumors about them – either to verify or deny those rumors based on personal experience. Well, I understand now.
The way both Sarah and Todd tried to intimidate Hawk was truly obnoxious. By asking for his name, what he does for a living, where he was from – repeating to make sure they got it right while both Sarah and Todd took photos of Hawk and the seeing Todd working the keyboard of his Blackberry – man, who wouldn’t feel unnerved. The message they are sending is that they are compiling an enemies list and man, you are on it. They are implying that there will be repercussions
I can truly understand how people in Wasilla can be intimidated now. Before it didn’t make sense, but seeing Todd in action and hearing Sarah’s tone of voice and watching her expressions while interrogating Hawk, yep, I truly, deeply understand. Todd is a bully. Sarah sanctions his actions.
I can understand how annoying it must be to have people stopping you all the time asking for autographs or photographs, how annoying it could be to have unknowns video-taping you, but really, both Todd and Sarah signed up for the celebrity gig. That comes with the territory. What the heck are they going to do if she declares for the Presidential race – make the Secret Service beat people up because the stress levels are going be magnitudes above what they are now. Cameras will be in their faces all the time.
I might even stretch the realms of my acceptable behavior standards to understand how Todd might feel like confronting this man to ask him to give them some privacy, but do it the way he did and then to come at him a second time (from behind) to try to intimidate him again – that crosses the line totally. Todd is the aggressor in both instances, but there is no doubt that Todd’s judgment is impaired and he has little self-discipline. You simply: Do. Not. Do. That. – particularly if you are voluntarily putting yourself in the public eye.
The woman who hits Hawk’s camera could actually be charged with assault and battery – she hit the camera which was in Hawk’s hand in way that was threatening. If I remember intent is crucial. She had the intent to stop him filming, she engaged in unwanted touching (a good attorney can argue that the camera was an extension of Hawk’s body), and tried to intimidate him. How as Hawk to know what would happen next after Todd’s inappropriate behavior and “I’ll show or get you” stares.
Todd had better get his act together or he will just as big a liability to Sarah as Sarah’s mouth and tweets are. He must be supremely stupid to act so immaturely in front of cameras.
BTW, over on palingates, they said that Hawk’s wife had the seat next to Sarah, but as soon as Sarah discovered who she was, she exchanged seats with Greta. She said nothing to Hawk’s wife. That’s how ticked-off she was.
We have to make sure this couple never, ever gets close to the White House. They will be a massive disaster of epic proportions. They are already an embarrassment to Alaska and the GOP.
For historical perspective, George Washington had hundreds of uninvited guests show up at his home, wishing to meet him after he was no longer president. Quite a contrast, yes?
Yet in 1798 alone, a year after Washington’s retirement from the presidency, more than 650 guests dined at Mount Vernon, his Virginia plantation along the Potomac River. True, that was an unusually large number. Some years, Washington and his wife, Martha, only entertained about 230 guests.
A good many of Washington’s hundreds of yearly dinner guests were uninvited. But the rules of Virginian hospitality, combined with Washington’s own deep sense of duty, dictated that if travelers showed up on your doorstep, you had to feed them and even offer a room for the night.
In Washington’s case, though, the travelers weren’t just passing through.
He was seen as the greatest man in the world, says Ellis, and “everybody wants to make the pilgrimage to Mount Vernon.”
Including Washington’s mother, who asked if she could move in. He warned her off, saying his home was like a “tavern …. Scarcely any strangers who are going from north to south, or from south to north do not spend a day or two.”
And he didn’t just offer up a cold mutton sandwich. Well, he may have if you were poor. But if you were respectable looking, you were given a seat at Washington’s daily 3 p.m. dinner. Amariah Frost, a visitor in 1797, recalled a “very good” spread, set with “a small roasted pigg, boiled leg of lamb, roasted fowles, beef, peas, lettice, cucumbers, artichokes, etc., puddings, tarts, etc., etc.”
Yes, I would love to see anyone in the Palin family display some sense of actual graciousness towards other human beings.
What I am getting from these last two ‘Palin Reality TV’ moments, is that she comes off so disingenuous. When Todd started taking the picture it was obviously because he wanted ‘proof’ of something. Then Sarah says ‘I love meeting the locals’ or something like that, when she is trying to run so fast away from him and the guy with the beard it is painfully obvious she wants to be nowhere near ‘those’ locals.
I wonder what Hawk looks like? I suspect the Palin’s flipped out not necessarily so much because of the video camera (phone?) itself, but in part because of the looks of the person holding it. But that is just my speculation. I could easily be wrong.
Still, while, if I was an outer space alien, I would not base my opinion of Sarah Palin solely on this video, this taken with many other pieces of evidence shows a continued pattern of leaps to paranoia and a treatment of people with less than respect.
I may have asked this question earlier. Have we ever seen Sarah Palin give real respect to anyone? (living – Ronald Reagan does not count). Has she ever been truly gracious to people? Or do people just listen to the hollow words and not pay attention to the tone of voice, the eye rolls, and the mouth smirks which she is apparently unable to control?
Maybe it is this lack of respect that is accounting for her not filling the large venue at Jacksonville this Thursday. Downgraded from a nearly 3000 seat house to a 600 seat house, and still today blocks of tickets, good seats, are still available.
North Florida is South Georgia. If she can’t draw a real paying crowd there … she’s not doing something right.
`
“I wonder what Hawk looks like?”
Methinks you’ll have your answer by the end of the news day… the PalinBots will be lighting on he and his businesses like ducks on june bugs… remember the harassment Kathleen Gustafson received after her encounter with The Palins? The phone calls to the school district and high school? The old videos of her with students? Hawk will be getting this and more I’m afraid.
No wonder he was hesitant to give his full name – look what happens when a Palin gets exposed for what they truly are?
Thanks for the reminder about the hospitality exhibited by George and Martha Washington. I was impressed by that when we visited Mount Vernon in 2008. I’m not fond of entertaining, so it’s hard for me to imagine what that was like, just having people show up and not only giving them a meal (that, I could do) but having them stay.
If I remember correctly, though, there was a back stairway (narrow and fairly steep) that led to their private quarters where the general public could not go. Now I really want to go back to Mount Vernon again.
I was lucky enough to go up that back stairway… My husband and I visited Mount Vernon around Christmas time last year and they had the upper rooms open to the public. It was a real treat because they generally don’t allow visitors up there due to the sheer number of visitors/school children in the summer and fall. If I remember correctly, there were 4 rooms upstairs where guests could stay. This was the third level of the house. There were other guest rooms on the second floor.
We went in early December and it was very pleasant and started to snow — it got very wet that day, but somehow it seemed appropriate. What a beautiful time of year to visit. There was a Christmas camel reminiscent of years gone by. Washington kept a number of unique animals (like the camel). There were people dressed in period costumes that were making chocolate. We even got a copy of Martha Washington’s recipe for cake.. which has something like 27 eggs in it! Amazing.
So if you ever go back, you might try to go in December when the crowds are small to get a glimpse of the upper rooms.
I went to a wedding reception at this home. Abosolutly beautiful and a perfect place to stop before moving on!
OK, just one more. This one’s dedicated to the Paylins.
She’s Come Undone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLMF5GM0Kt8
sweet dreams
Perfect! I love that song. But now I’ll never hear it without thinking how much the words fit Sarah Palin.
I have mixed feelings on this video.
From this video (and others), I certainly see the Pay’ems seem to be lacking [how do I put this...] a certain amount of grace! when it comes to interacting with the public. Yes, she is all smiles* when she sees someone and is all ‘chatty’ and all, but it seems as if she’s expecting it to lead to a photo op of that person with her. And that’s it. It seems as if she’ll stand for ages to have her pic taken with her arm around someone. Good PR on the face of it; lousy PR when it’s disected, though. He does come off as rather ‘goonish’ — and both of them snapping “Hawk’s” picture did seem a bit much. BUT…
That said: I most heartily agree with AKPetMom @ 8. To be sure, $arah and “Have you seen Todd” Pay-’em are public figures and they were in a public space – having their picture/a video taken as they’ve arrived at an airport should not be an issue for either of them.
Having it taken in the airport lobby/airline counters should not be a problem for them, either. Nor should having a video taken of them as they go to board the plane, be a problem.
Where *my* heartburn with the video begins, is, when the videographer is asked his name…and he hestiates for a loooooong time, then asks *her* what *her* name is! — then adding to that lame question: “you look familiar”. Well, chit, he doesn’t know who $P is? But he’s patiently standing there and taking a video of her, anyway? Sorry, I don’t buy it. Right there, my ‘this is shady’ flag went up. When he came out with the ‘catch phrase’ of “small business owner” that flag started flapping. Wildly. Do *most* people who have “skateboard shops, espresso shops, things like that” identify their self, when asked what they do, as “a small business owner”? I don’t think so…most would come right out and say –without hesitation!– what *type* of business(es) they owned. [*implied* that they're a 'sbo'.] Leastwise in my experience, they do. For Todd and $P to begin snapping “Hawk’s” picture [in retalliation?] wasn’t cool, but I can see where they could be a bit spooked by someone who was being evasive in answering questions, video-ing them. I’d be concerned, too.
So OK – that was outdoors.
When they go indoors and “Hawk” follows, that gets creepy. And his “my wife is getting on a plane”, sorry, doesn’t ‘fly’ with me, either. If he’s there to see his wife off, why isn’t he hanging out with her? Why is he following a woman who he thought ‘looked familiar’ and videoing her? Eeew — creepy.
So, OK, that’s at the counters…
When “Hawk” *again” pops up at their gate *with* the video running, now that’s downright GOP-intern-stalker-ish. I, personally, would’ve called security. No question about it.
It’s one thing to see someone who ‘looks familiar’ and grab a pic/video of them…another thing Entirely! to grab that pic/video and then *follow them!* (through a public space, or no) to *keep on!* videoing them. “Hawk”, to my eye, was doing nothing more than hoping he could ‘get’ them…hoping he could get one (or both) of them so riled up if he followed them long enough, that they’d do something *really* uncool.
I guess what bothers me *most* about the video, is that someone [who I presume is] from “my side”, would stoop to the same low, snake-in-the-grass ‘tactics’ I so absolutely abhore and denounce when they are done by “the other side.”
How in the world can ‘we’ be indignant and cry “foul” when *they* do stalk-shock video of ‘our’ people, and yet condone such stalk-shocks by ‘us’, of ‘them’? How can ‘we’ insist we’re maintaining the ‘higher moral ground’ when we don’t *equally* denounce this type of gotcha, stalk-shock, pseudo-’journalism’ from one of our own? I don’t think we can — if ‘we’ look the other way when we do it, we’ve sunk to ‘their’ level. And that’s a damned shame. beth.
*I have to chuckle at the automatic tongue swipe across the teeth $P takes before she gets close to anyone. Possibly she’s constantly worried she has spinach stuck between her widdle toofies? Possibly there are some meds that give a person serious dry mouth… [meow!] b.
“Possibly there are some meds that give a person serious dry mouth…”
A lot of antidepressants do have that side effect.
Hawk did not “pop up with his video running at their gate. His was waiting, wife was boarding the plane and Hawk’s camera was off for 15 minutes. Then Todd Palin came to him and got in his face. That’s when Hawk turned on the video again.
Didn’t someone also say Palin was on camera? She had to be nice if she was being filmed. That left Toad to do the nasty work. I am sure, at this very momet, they’re trying to shutter his businesses or have him fired. That’s how the Palins roll.
I wish that people would pay more attention to what actually happened.
You said:
“When “Hawk” *again” pops up at their gate *with* the video running, now that’s downright GOP-intern-stalker-ish. I, personally, would’ve called security. No question about it.”
Hawk didn’t “pop up at the gate.” He went there with his wife, she was just leaving!
Hawk’s camcorder was switched off at this point!!! It was 10-15 minutes after the first encounter.
Hawk was sitting at the gate and didn’t plan to do any more filming. Todd then suddenly approached him again in this intimidating manner, which was Todd’s own choice. Nobody had provoked him to do that. It was only then when Hawk switched the camera on again.
This is explained in the story at Palingates and also in my previous comment.
There was not “shock-stalking” involved. Actually, the stalker was Todd who suddenly approached Hawk again with any reason, 10-15 minutes after the first encounter, and tried to intimidate Hawk in this disgusting way.
In the meantime, the local media in Valdez reported the story, including Hawk’s full name:
http://kvakradio.com/Local-News/3279346
I get the feeling they don’t like the Palins too much down there in Valdez.
I’m sorry, Patrick – Palingates, but your contention [to my way of thinking, at least] is *not* supported by what is visible in the video. In three separate locations, Mr. Pierce videos them: outside, at the counters, and at the gate. Not one, not two, but three locations…and this is *after* he “Who are you?s” her. And, no, I don’t buy the ‘he had to think about giving his name because the Palins are known for being vindictive’ bs. If he had no *intention* of filming them *until* he could get a rise out of them [and/or *until* he 'caught' them doing something questionable], he wouldn’t have thought twice about giving it. The reason he didn’t give his name was that he knew what he was going after. Think about it: $P loves being the center of attention, she loves having her picture taken, she loves schmoozing with people — her ego is fed by it; she, literally, thrives on the adoration of it. If Pierce *hadn’t* had ulterior motives in filming her, why should he have been the least bit concerned about whether she knew his name or not? Like anyone *else* who happens upon a ‘famous’ person and decides to take a few pics and/or feet of video of them, he wouldn’t have been. His story does *not* paint him as an innocent who just ‘happened to’ catch $P and TP –for no reason! at all! — taking exception to his filming of them.
I have to ask: Is there any footage of Pierce’s wife? Is there any confirmation that Pierce’s wife *was* on the plane and *was* seated next to $P? [ref: post # 12.1.2]. Is the video time-stamped? Did Pierce say something *to* TP at the gate *before* he [Pierce] turned the video back on? Was Todd the one who ‘started’ the gate chatter, or did maybe Pierce make a comment, first? Is there *any* corroboration of what Pierce *says* happened, actually happened as he said it did? [Think: ACORN-pimp video and Sherrod video, for starters.] Too many unaddressed questions, P – P, for me to just accept this video as a fully accurate account of what actually transpired on the 17th.
Frankly, what *I* see in the clip, is that he videoed them to see if he could *intentionally* get a rise out of [either of] them. He continued to video them, not out of idle/normal curiosity about/of what ‘celebs’ do, not out of ‘star/celebrity-awe’, not out of admiration for her (or for TP), but *only* to see if he could ‘got’cha’ them. And to me, that is plain and simply: wrong, wrong, wrong. beth.
beth, you imply here that we lied in our blog post.
Maybe you don’t read our blog, but I can tell you that we are extremely careful with presenting facts and we have built up a reputation of reporting truthfully. We certainly wouldn’t jeopardize this for a little video clip.
So I don’t know what I am supposed to answer you, as you don’t seem the BELIEVE us. I could say whatever I want, and you would still not believe me. That’s my impression here.
“beth, you imply here that we lied in our blog post.
Maybe you don�t read our blog, but I can tell you that we are extremely careful with presenting facts and we have built up a reputation of reporting truthfully. We certainly wouldn�t jeopardize this for a little video clip.
So I donâ��t know what I am supposed to answer you, as you donâ��t seem the BELIEVE us. I could say whatever I want, and you would still not believe me. Thatâ��s my impression here.”
Why do you use the first person plural when you refer to yourself (singular)? I’ve only heard people who were referred to as royalty and those with some interesting Axis II diagnoses do that. Maybe it’s just an interesting “tell”.
Agreed, Patrick.
Also suggest to those having trouble identifying the Palins bullying behavior–go online and educate yourselves. Many sites and help available. Just search under bully, bullying etc.
Many schools and workplaces have resources in place now to help identify bullying behaviors and ways to deal with it.
“beth, you imply here that we lied in our blog post.” – Patrick
I did not mean to imply any such, Patrick. If that is how it came across, my apologies. Deepest apologies.
What I was seeking was [is] assurance that All the bases had been covered as far as vetting the video goes.
Why do I seek that assurance?
Are there videos out there of ACORN folks giving a pair of yahoos some really baaaaad –even illegal– ‘information’? You bet there are. Are there videos out there of Shirley Sherrod saying she was *not* color-blind when a white farmer came to her for assistance? You bet there are. Are *either* of the videos — As Presented to everyone and their brother — *accurate* depictions of what really transpired? Ummmm, no. Not by a long shot.
…and yet both videos were uploaded, with commentary, to the ‘net, and off they instantly sped for everyone to see. And, once seen, all felt free and justified to pass (further) judgement against ACORN and Sherrod *because* the video(s) showed what it showed and the commentary/explication(s) reinforced the visual.
The expression: “Once bitten; twice shy” is my operative, here. I’ve seen too many videos and pictures that were *not* what they appeared, at first blush, to be. Once the *real* story behind the images came out, what people *thought* was being depicted, turned out to be so much tempest-in-a-teapot-nothing.
D’ya see why I asked if there’d been any corroboration of “Hawk’s” story, Patrick; any confirmation/verification that what he *said* happened, actually went down exactly as he said it did? beth.
[Frankly, what *I* see in ...]
Frankly…. what *I* see is your *overly fond* use of ****
When I fly home to L.A., I see people at the airport filming… other people. All the time, every time. They do it because other people are filming… or people are excitedly talked about “did you see….is that really him / her….” . Most of the time they don’t even know WHO they’re filming, only that they’re filming because others are doing so and seem excited.
5 years ago, I saw Tyra Banks at LAX, minding her own business, wrangling her own baggage, with no entourage in tow, and walking out to meet a waiting limousine. Typical day in L.A. – most everyone had cell phones up, filming her. zzzzzzzzz. She went about her business, ignoring the crowd.
$arah walked into the airport with a CAMERA CREW. Heads were turning, people were acknowledging her presence, walking up to her, asking for photos with her. The “who are you?” question that Hawk asks? Chain-yanking… (the Palins thoughts: “…how can he NOT know who $arah is? She’s WORLD FAMOUS…! He’s yanking our chains….”) and God knows that $arah and Company yank chains whenever and where ever they can… that fact that he did it to her in the first place is what I think inflamed the Palins.
How dare they be toyed with in front of a camera crew and their entourage by a mere mortal at the airport? He one-upped them at their own game.
–my first comment got stuck in mods…I have a feeling I know which word is causing the heartburn [or modburn, as the case might be.] I’ll ‘fix’ it and try to repost. b.–
I’m sorry, Patrick – Palingates, but your contention [to my way of thinking, at least] is *not* supported by what is visible in the video. In three separate locations, Mr. Pierce videos them: outside, at the counters, and at the gate. Not one, not two, but three locations…and this is *after* he “Who are you?s” her. And, no, I don’t buy the ‘he had to think about giving his name because the Palins are known for being vindictive’ bs. If he had no *intention* of filming them *until* he could get a rise out of them [and/or *until* he 'caught' them doing something questionable], he wouldn’t have thought twice about giving it. The reason he didn’t give his name was that he knew what he was going after. Think about it: $P loves being the center of attention, she loves having her picture taken, she loves schmoozing with people — her ego is fed by it; she, literally, thrives on the adoration of it. If Pierce *hadn’t* had ulterior motives in filming her, why should he have been the least bit concerned about whether she knew his name or not? Like anyone *else* who happens upon a ‘famous’ person and decides to take a few pics and/or feet of video of them, he wouldn’t have been. His story does *not* paint him as an innocent who just ‘happened to’ catch $P and TP –for no reason! at all! — taking exception to his filming of them.
I have to ask: Is there any footage of Pierce’s wife? Is there any confirmation that Pierce’s wife *was* on the plane and *was* seated next to $P? [ref: post # 12.1.2]. Is the video time-stamped? Did Pierce say something *to* TP at the gate *before* he [Pierce] turned the video back on? Was Todd the one who ’started’ the gate chatter, or did maybe Pierce make a comment, first? Is there *any* corroboration of what Pierce *says* happened, actually happened as he said it did? [Think: ACORN-p1mp video and Sherrod video, for starters.] Too many unaddressed questions, P – P, for me to just accept this video as a fully accurate account of what actually transpired on the 17th.
Frankly, what *I* see in the clip, is that he videoed them to see if he could *intentionally* get a rise out of [either of] them. He continued to video them, not out of idle/normal curiosity about/of what ‘celebs’ do, not out of ’star/celebrity-awe’, not out of admiration for her (or for TP), but *only* to see if he could ‘got’cha’ them. And to me, that is plain and simply: wrong, wrong, wrong. beth.
{{Sorry about the double post, ‘pups… iffn Mods wish to remove one or ‘tother…
b. }}
You posted a lot of words just to get Hawk’s last name out there.
No, they don’t, from what I’ve heard. Kinda like Juneau, and Homer.
People are going to see this how they see this, and the discussion is beneficial. We aren’t a cackle of folks who are in lockstep, we are individuals looking for answers and ways to make a difference. We each need to respect our comfort zones, and each other’s. I would find it a horror of all horrors to be compared to the whackos at C4P who run around with pitchforks and are willing to follow anyone off a cliff with the snap of a finger.
Hawk has every right to accompany his wife to the gate. It had nothing to do with the Palins. Once the initial confrontation was over, Sarah willingly posed for photos with an airport employee. (Pictured at Palingates). So, Sarah was happy to be photographed if she controlled the situation. She may have not liked being caught in a candid, unflattering minute.
The important issue is that once the initial confrontation was over. that should have been the end of it. Hawk’s camera was off, and he posed no threat to Todd, Sarah, Greta or the producer from Fox News. When they confronted him again, his defense was to photograph them to document the confrontation. If it was to be a question of his word against theirs, no one would believe him. The power of photography to document an action is important in today’s culture. No one would have believed Rodney King without the video either.
Todd displayed the same confrontational behavior towards a woman in Homer who held up a banner criticizing Sarah for having quit her job as governor. The tactics were the same, demanding to know who the woman was, what she was doing there and bumping her, in very much the same manner as Todd interacted with Hawk. Todd also confronted Joe McGinniss when he moved next door to the Palins.
The bottom line is that the Palins have chosen to stay in the public eye, constantly appearing in magazine photo shoots, and Sarah is a regular on Fox. People who choose that life style are photographed when they are seen on the public streets, in airports, anywhere. Sarah posed for a photo while Todd objected to someone else taking her picture at the same time. And Todd appears quick to lose his temper, and now that it has been captured on video several times. He would do well to think about some anger management before his next public appearance.
the creepiest part for me is the prom hair -windbreaker-heels-boat bag get up. didn’t she ever read the Glamour Do’s and Don’ts? The woman’s lights are on, but nobody’s home.
I noticed that, I’ve never seen anyone in a po-dunk airport in Alaska in stiletto heels.
I think he may have hestitated giving his name because he knew what had happened to the teacher, the author next door, and the trooper and others that have dared to cross the Palins and decided that it would not be in his best interest because the Palins don’t play fair. I don’t think that’s so surprising or indicative of anything special. And, of course he knew who she was. He just couldn’t come up with anything better on the spur of the moment. And as far as his answer “small business owner” once again I refer you to what happened to the teacher after her encounter. He probably now fears that somehow the Palins will destroy his businesses, and we may yet see that.
Sometimes insomnia is good. I’ll echo Linda.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
VIDEO CAMERA=VIDEO Damn! Whoda thunk it.
And what about his 1st Amm rights? Oh yeah…
Todd wants to be from the ‘hood, repeating the same few bully lines over and over! He’s so uncharismatic, and so completely unimaginative. They had a chance to have some fun or show restraint, and as usual, came off looking stupid and mean instead.
Ya know – I’m sorry Palinmonkeys – you just don’t stand a chance trying to put your Twit in the Whitehouse, not ever, not ever. They remind me of the Bonnie & Clyde of politics. They just can’t make the grade…and they can’t change. Love it! Thanks Todd! Betcha your pay gets docked and that you get screeched at behind closed doors!
Maybe…you should get a rill job again?
I be thinkin’ he think he be Kanye West! Yeah – that’s it!
He be Kanye West!!! Yeah-yeah! That’s the ticket! Kanye West!!
This is a video of Sarah catching a plane, I hope she is smart enough this time not to return 9 months pregnant with her water leaking down her legs. Has anybody seen Willow? She has been missing for several months
Todd to Sarah Palin on her 6th pregnancy – 2nd Wild Ride: “Lucie u got sum plaining to do!”
In the next moment we’d see Todd straddling the guy and using Hawk’s own fist to punch his face while yelling, “Quit hitting yourself!” “Why are you hitting yourself?”
The Heath’s and Palin’s are thugs. Pure and simple.
In recent poll Jimmy Carter was named the most dangerous person in the history of the United States. Am I the only one who remembers how scary Billy Beer was?
Wow Todd was pretty intimidating.
Was Todd this intimidating with the guy who got Sarah pregnant and produced Track?
Probably not, he won the stuffed turkey after the other guy walked away.
“He won the stuffed turkey after the other guy walked away” LOL
However it was more like Todd lost and got stuck with the stuff turkey and the drug and alcholic bus brake cutting boy.
That other guy died in a mysterious plane crash.
Sarah leaving Alaska on Air Force Two.
Where is the band playing “Hail To The Grifter”?
Pretty sad, Sarah’s 15 minutes of fame is up and she now resorts to filming her own departures as a crowd of one looks on.
Ha! “filming her own departures as a crowd of one looks on” is a WIN, babs!
Sure. This video was similar to something done by the paparazzi following a celebrity. You would think that maybe they would have learned something about how to deal with this by now.
It is part of the package she signed up for when she decided to trade on her image. Remember she quit her elected position serving the public so she could be the celebrity darling of the right wing. Now she can get paid for being on TV and doing photo shoots for magazines. People pay good money to listen to her attention grabbing hate speech and lies. They even paid for photos at her book signings.
The Palins are not upset about being filmed. They are just upset that they are not getting paid for it.
Bingo!
Palin exerted iron-fist control over her book tour. She permitted no photos or videos by her fans who actually got out of their Barcaloungers, drove to the venue, and bought her book. They could, however, BUY a photo with the maverick-y rouged rogue.
It must seem so Un-American to Mrs. Palin that someone could train a camera on her in a public space, and she didn’t get to squeeze even a thin dime out of it.
Control and money. That’s what this chick and her Dudette of a spouse are all about.
And there were very few photos of her taking a SUV from her plane to board her bus so she could turn around and come off the bus as though she had really been on it.
“Control and money” – well put. She is her own product, and at 1:06 mark she asks “You’re doing the video for… what? She is asking an open ended question, but I believe her meaning was if he intended to sell the footage to some news or gossip site.
(Then we would have footage of a crime scene, instead of just obnoxious bullying.)
I can understand the Palin’s finding this annoying, and I think I would feel the same way in their shoes. There is a big difference between this and the situation in Homer a couple of weeks ago. The Palins approached the woman in Homer and created the altercation. In this case, there was no attempt of dialog on the part of “Hawk”, just an attempt to get a wacky Palin moment on tape; which he did… I’m just not sure which party I think is wackier in this instance.
Bad PR, yeah. But I’m going to have to call it a draw. -5 to Todd for coming across as a high school bully, and -5 to “Hawk” for coming across as a creep.
Perhaps the former half gov. should consider wearing a Muslim Burka (Burqua) to fly incognito.
She has put herself out there as a political celebrity – like her hero Ronnie Reagan did…. you don’t get Public Privacy when you’re a celeb.
Ick. Trashman Todd. How disgusting. Scrawny facial hair and all. I know that is trite, but I just got home from first rehearsal with band and actors, and am tired.
Todd is nothing but a bully. An ick-to-the-nth bully. Too ignorant to realize what an incredible a$$ he really is. I am amazed Alaska came through his tenure as shadow governor as well as it did!
The point is that “Hawk” is just some regular guy,shooting video of a celebrity,and he does not claim to be some sort of “leader”.
Mrs PAYlin ,on the other hand,should know better.
It speaks to the character of the Palins. $arah is a media and attention whore. Dudley is simply an A**. And this is how they react to the attention they crave when it’s not completely under their control.
Explain to me again why we would want them in any position of responsibility higher than dog catcher?
Hey!! What do you have against dogs???!!?!?
Wow, it is amazing how totally uncomfortable the Quitter is wherever she goes in Alaska! Like how she and Tawd skulked out the back door at Ted Steven’s funeral the minute it was over. And the bogus scene in Homer last week. It is clear that unless the Pay-lin’s are scripted and their ‘appearances’ are controlled by handlers, that they are completely ill at ease and don’t know how to behave. They are both such low rent losers.
Sarah Pay-lin is the biggest coward on the planet – that’s why she hides behind Facebook, Twitter and her Fox News studio. I believe that even her rabid fans are realizing that she is a scaredy cat and doesn’t even dare take a simple question from anyone.
Also, like when she and Piper snuck out of Governor Wally Hickel’s funeral half way through and did an interview with a national media group in the foyer of the church. They were so loud , they could be heard by the folks attending the funeral inside. She disgusts me.
She is a paranoid bayatch. (good one?) So is Todd.
Nothing more to be said.
You reap what you sow Sister Sarah.
Brilliant, “Toad.” You’ll make a fine public figure…hick!
“Have you SEEN Tawd?” Yes, we have. And you, also, too. Yecchhh.
Yep, now we’ve all SEEN Todd and refudiate him! Actually I’d seen him and refudiated him already, but it’s good to be sure!
I always wondered what she meant when she said have ya seen Todd,he’s nothing not even especially good looking and he is really ugly inside just like SP is.Beauty and handsome is in the eye of the beholder and this beholder sees the ugly inside of both JMO
Is this what happens when you breathe snowmachine exhaust for 1,000 miles?
I have “a dream” we move on and away from S.P. updates, here and
everywhere. Attention fuels interest and power.
Like reading postings about candidates and issues.
Get out and vote tomorrow. Outcome of this primary is sure to be
interesting.
R
Let’s remember that Track Palin took photos of next door renter, Joe McGinniss while faking he was out in the yard doing sit ups and then pulled out a camera. This all happened after Todd had confronted Joe McGinniss verbally.
Hmmm…why does Todd refer to his wife as “Sarah Palin?” I think the very simple answer is that now that she is completing her TLC circus…er…I mean “reality show,” she is now her own trademarked brand: Sarah Palin TM. Todd would be committing copyright infringement if he called her “my wife.”
So, would this be called Gategate?
First Dude, Unglued – good post title!
Sarah Palin, Unplugged – that’s the next one I wanna see! Sheryl Crow would like that, also, too.
The more I see of these social clods, the more I feel sorry for their children. That brood will be turned loose on the world with no idea how to achieve a reasonable, respectable, dignified life. It’s a real shame.
Looks like Todd was bored and prowling for someone to bully, just for kicks and giggles.
I bet $arah wishes she never “sold that Jet on Ebay.” Wink, wink.
Seriously though, Todd is a d-bag. Can I say that here, AKM? Because it should be said.
Bite my tongue and perish the thought but:
Could Todd even be cleared by the FBI to serve as FDOTUS? After learning of Todd’s AIP history, I thought that that fact would disqualify Sarah’s chance at veep for McCreep in 2008.
What is Todd’s shadowy substance rooted in? Oil slickery?
This guy is clearly being a jerk. You can’t honestly feel he’s doing anything but screwing with the Palins.
The one thing most people have glossed over in this video is the fact that Sarah didn’t like being videotaped, yet as soon as she got inside the airport she immediately started soliciting photographs with the airport employee dressed in orange. I found this very odd.
And I agree with most of the comments here that Todd behaved atrociously. I have no sympathy for the Palins and their privacy. Just remember the black man that was accosted in NYC a few days ago because people thought he looked like a muslim, and also remember who has been busy stoking the flames of racial tension on FB and twitter in an effort to stay in the limelight. What goes around comes around!
Also, I think it is important to note that Hawk was a distance away from the Palins, he didn’t intrude into their personal space. However, in the latter half of the video just after Hawk turned the video back on in response to Todd pushing him in the back, it was Todd who was most definately intruding into Hawk’s personal space and acting abusively.
The Palins have no class.
I think she did this so her back would be to Todd. That way she could say she didn’t see it, so nothing happened. She’s good at that, you know.
My god, I think you might be right.
This is Alaska and tourists are everywhere and they film every thing. I meet many tourists daily and I can not tell you how many times I am asked if there is a chance to see Sarah.
I attended the big hand over picnic to Parnel in Fairbanks. There were at least a hundred people if not more doing just what that guy was doing, at the time the Palins seemed unfazed. People filming Palin encounters has to happen pretty frequently they must be used to that by now, I guess I just don’t understand their reaction.
“This is Alaska and tourists are everywhere and they film every thing.”
Welcome to Washington, DC too. Plus they don’t know how to get fare cards, the metro protocol, and are often turned around by the strange pylons we have indicating the direction and stops on the various lines. I’ve often had to direct people to go to the OTHER side in order to get the correct train. Plus whisper in their ear that it’s “stand on the right side of the escalator, walk up the escalator on the left”. Sometimes, you can’t do that, as neither party has a common language. Then there’s a lot of pointing, smiling and nodding.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what Hawk’s intent was. The Palins are public figures, and after TWO YEARS of this one would think they should understand they are a target and deal with the situations professionally.
Sarah seems to think that celebrity can only be on her terms, and that’s just not how it works. How anyone could think in this day and age they could attain this level of . . . *notoriety* and not be under constant
scrutiny?
In addition to the bullying, thuggish actions of tawd I notice that john coale, hubby of greta, is on the scene. Not only are greta and he worshippers of xenu, dictator of the galactic confederacy, they’re also ambulance chasers that have had numerous run ins with the judicial system because of their lack of ethics. Birds of a feather….
I just figured it out !!! THAT’S where they learned this tactic from! THE SCIENTOLOGISTS!! Xenu Worshipers!! They also surround and get in the persons face while filming and asking the same question over and over and over. Oh my God! I KNEW I had seen this tactic used before!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPol_m8wm8Y
I knew it!! I knew it!!! I knew it!!!
Oh and so much more when ya look them up,When people try to get away they are followed and harassed and called every name under the sun.Is SP now officially a Scientologist instead of a christian.Last I heard they went after big name people like Tom Cruise and sort of kiss their butts so they will join.Some told of the big names getting to live in luxury while the peons,so to speak lived in slums. JMO
The Palins want it both ways…but the bottom line is that if you are a public figure or celebrity, you can expect that people will want to film you. Since you know that, you and your entourage should act accordingly. Be polite, friendly, and quickly move on. End of story, nothing more to film.
Because the Palins think they know it all…..the Palins are handling their own PR. Their lack of professionalism shows through. Also too, Sarah and Toad have set themselves up for all sorts of paparazzi, fans, foes, etc to bait them to illicit some kind of response that is TMZ worthy. The Palins have shown it is not hard to draw them out. These are not bright people…so we can expect to see more and more of these gaffs with the public.
So many good comments so far, and I have to run along after reading only half of them. One thing I will add has nothing to do with the story of the filming and the First Goon’s reaction.
What caught me is that Sarah is initially talking to somebody (the mayor, possibly?), and she’s telling him he needs to hold up his end of the bargain and that the policies coming down the pike are getting worse and worse. (insert scream here) And I wonder, after all her stupid tweets and screwups, how can she still take herself seriously as someone who should be giving advice on policy? I want to think she is in this for the money, but part of me thinks she still thinks she has a chance at the oval office. While having her as the Republican candidate might be the best thing ever for Obama, I don’t want to think about another election cycle where she legitimately dominates the news cycle.
Good point. And I was also wondering if she still does have some sort of power over those who are elected and trying to do their jobs. Is her influence that strong? Scary.
TURN OFF FOX BUMPER STICKERS
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/items/1830
Spread it far and wide today…after Jon’s Smack Down last night.
In case you missed this VERY FITTING Photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32245200@N00/4921804319/
That picture should really set her bots off
You mean the Swag-Haggers actually left their stalker infested compound for somewhere other than a Pee-Party?? Amazing… Are you sure that was the Haggers and not stunt-doubles??
I just did a google search to see if I could find the Valdez article, couldn’t, but boy, are there a lot of postings about this all over the internet!
It’s out there:
9.12
Patrick – Palingates says:
August 23, 2010 at 8:20 PMHawk didn�t give a false name.
http://kvakradio.com/Local-News/3279346
And he really owns a skateboard shop and an espresso shop in Valdez.
http://kvakradio.com/Local-News/3279346
Patrick posted it in comment 27.4.
Much ado about nothing. I’m no fan of the Palins but this is dumb. I actually thought it was funny when Todd Palin pulled out his BlackBerry and started taking video of the dude taking video.
Why did the guy taking the video linger and follow them around?
It’s stalkerish.
I’m just being honest.
If a guy followed my wife and I around an airport and got inside what I considered our personal space I promise you I’d let him know about it, and in a much less-restrained manner than Todd Palin. I know you guys can’t help yourself when it comes to the Palins, but this video is not what you say it is.
For the record, I’m a 100% loyal Democrat.
It was Mr. Palin who approached the private citizen to IMO try to intimidate him.
I have to weigh in on what happened here with Todd as I have been saying for two years that Todd Palin is a bully. Now Sarah may be behind his actions as she may goad him to bully people for her, but he has bully tactics and always has. I am just glad now that the proof is on film. I based my belief that he was a bully on some of the stories we heard about Todd (kicking over cans of fuel, etc.) and on the tone that comes through in some of the emails that were disclosed. In several emails about citizens trying to contact Sarah, Todd is the one who replies with a “I will take care of it” commentary – he also would reply initially in the form of “what do they want” in a way that implied his censorship of any conversation or meetings. I am sure there are a lot of interactions between Todd and others that we don’t know about … yet! But maybe more people will speak up. Just as I believe that Chuck is a weak link for Sarah, I think Todd is also in that if more of his personality and his actions (past and present) are revealed, it is not going to be good for her.
I watched the video last night and found the Palins to be the creepy ones. They came across as total phonies.
For some reason it reminded me of “Spinal Tap” when the band is going on a comeback tour and are no longer popular. They think they are so famous but are laughingly just amateurs. The Palins are such minor league characters.
OK, I have to reply to the “Spinal Tap” reference:
Sarah (looking at marquee): Todd!! I told you, it was supposed to be “Sarah Palin: Evening of Hope” and THEN “Puppet Show!”
I should also add that it is their tone in these interactions, the snarl on Todd’s face, the cutesy derisive looks on Sarah’s face (same as with Kathleen Gustafson episode). They could have politely asked Hawk to stop filming them and they could have walked away. Instead she stopped apparently (and maybe at her own instigation with some) to take pictures with staff and other people at the airport. She is a hypocrite and a terrorist; Todd is a bully.
The video by itself is pretty innocuous, just showing Mr. Palin to be somewhat of a bully and Sarah in her typical sarcastic-snotty MO. But it is a piece in a larger evolving tapestry showing just what we would have had, if McCain had won. To all the people that are sympathizing with the poor Palins for someone videotaping them in a public airport…..please put in context by remembering what Palin did to the Obama family during those red hot inciting rallies….he’s not one of us. Remember the security for the Obamas had to be increased, and what was shouted in the rallies while she smirked.
Who is that guy that Sarah Palin is chewing out at the beginning? I think that is what they are so mad about, getting caught with that conversation.
Bingo!
Mr. Palin’s popping vein, along with taking out their phones to record “Hawk” recording them, remind me of high schoolers…. Very insecure people, these Palins, their own buttons get pushed easily; how quickly would they have their hands on the red button in the White House?
Please everyone, get out and vote today!
Mr. and Mrs.Thug ….
Hmmm. Someone should tell the Palins that if they ended up in the White House (heaven forbid!) there is an almost CONSTANT media coverage of everything they do, say & wear plus every place they go, whether individually or as a family, they will be followed by the media. That doesn’t even include the casual on-looker they bump into on occasion.
My question is – how does Todd or Sarah know that the person taking the video wasn’t a Palin supporter? I mean, seriously, a normal public official would have just smiled, said hello and if they weren’t in the mood to be sociable, just stand quietly and wait for their plane. A normal SANE public official and their family, that is. Geez these people are nuts!
Ok fine, Palin is no longer a public official – but she is a public persona. If she doesn’t the attention that comes with, she is more than welcome to delete her Facebook page, get off Twitter, shut down Sarah PAC, quit writing books, quit making speeches and just go back to Lake Lucille and live out a quiet existence in The Compound. You know – like normal Americans do every day? =D
Hey, didn’t Sarah have her son go out in the back yard and take pictures of the nice neighbor who was sitting on his own balcony, minding his own business, with his BACK to the Palin house? A bit hypocritical of the Palins, now isn’t it?
`
Wouldn’t there be security video inside the Valdez Airport? Right outside the gate waiting area – showing who did what to whom? Might be interesting to get it… public record and all… and didn’t Hawk film the Faux news crew member swatting his cell phone with the papers in her hand? And of course, Todd coming up and starting the confrontation outside the boarding gate?
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Yes and Sarah used her threatening voice when saying what shop the filming guy owned. — (translation: If I can, I will ruin your small business.) Sen. Stevens was right. Sarah Palin is thin skinned and vindictive.
Ha Ha Ha …..The Palin’s are truly in a whacked out world of their own. For people who ARE in the spotlight you’d think they would just move away from anything but friendly confrontation with someone with a video camera. You could tell Tod wanted to go after this guy, but seeing how he’s at the boot heels of his wife (he must LOVE that feeling) he had to show restraint in public. Hillbilly’s!
The faces of the ‘REAL’ Palins! Sarah and Todd Palin, crude, uneducated,
no class! Just ‘WASILLA HILLBILLIES’ trying to be big ‘TOADS’ in a small
pond! I guess their ‘IGNORANCE’ is a blessing to both of them!
Mudflatter, I like you. I like your blog. But this is over the line. Sarah Palin is a nut, but she deserves the same decency and privacy that anyone else does. Especially now that she no longer holds an elected office. If she wants to go on Faux news and open her mouth, feel free to criticize. You should not post videos like the one “Hawk” took and give legitimacy to his harassment.
Public figures do not deserve privacy in public places. I’ve been video’d in public places by people I don’t know. So have you. I did not approach them. I most certainly did not pick a fight with them.
She made $20 million this year. She can buy a jet if she doesn’t like the airport.
What you did was really douche bag material. Just because someone may have done it to you or me doesn’t make it ok.
And she is not a public figure anymore. She’s just another nut who can’t use logic or reason and thinks the Tea Party is a good idea. My sincere hope is everyone will stop giving her publicity, good or bad, and she will fade into the annals of obscurity like Dan Quayle.
Aaaaargh! I can’t get the video to load. Tried IE, Firefox, Google Chrome – it just stalls and quits loading. Is it up anywhere else?