A Project of Sage Steppe Wild
Defenders of Wildlife launches petition drive to stop Discovery Communications from launching a Palin-hosted wildlife show.
I don’t know, maybe she could show us the way to clean oil off birds and turtles, or maybe a recipe for shrimp substitutes?
Wildlife group targets Discovery with anti-Sarah Palin ad campaign. Los Angeles Times.
by
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
Sara Palin really does have a poor record on the environment. I think the thing that annoys me the most about her is that she rarely has the facts right. I received my response back from Discovery this week, if enough people complain about her show it could possibly be cancelled.
There are some funny posts sending caribou barbie (SP) in high heels to clean up the waters after the BP spill.
She is just the biggest loser I have ever seen..BUT..let’s not foregt there are other losers hoping she will run..Oh God..please save us…
What does is she going to show? How to shoot wolves from planes? Shot placement on moose and caribou? How to cook moose and caribou? That would be like the Montana Department of Livestock showing a documentary on buffalo. Is there some sort of petition drive for Discovery?
I had to sign the petition. Even before she was infamous I was aghast at her policy on bears, wolves and the Alaskan use of wildlife.
ProWolf. There is a pettition on Defendeder site.
I know she has nothing to show but…it does not matter..check some states like Tennessee..she is big there..
I am very sure there are people who would vote for her.
I think we had that discussion when grandpa selected her for VP. I promissed that I would move back to Europe if she ever became a president. Seems like I need to start packing my bags…but at least we did not kill all wolves there and have respect for bison…:)
I am getting cranky here with a new proposed increased numbers for Montana wolf hunt in 2010.
It’s not just a matter of not liking her views about the way wildlife should be treated. I have heard little to indicate she knows much in the way of facts about wildlife.
I’d bet almost every person on this forum knows more facts about wildlife than she does.
In my opinion there are too many celebrities — people famous mostly just for being famous. It’s time for publicity for those who should be famous because they can do something or know something.
http://northumberlandtoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2564303
Make a post about this Ralph.
Perhaps she could write down some wildlife facts on her hand to spout off. She is a bona fide dunce.
Jon,
I’m kind of sick of writing about these jackasses for today. I should post it and also Montana’s plans to triple the number of wolves in the next years wolf hunt.
I’ll wait until tomorrow.
Ralph,
As the movie says…it is all about the benjamins…
Get cranky. Get mad. Go watch the movie “Network” again. And then, take your blood pressure.
SP is just a reflection of our madness for media…I am beginning to wish the Internet was not invented, nor cable TV.
Ralph I agree about the celebrity thing. I also agree with the “tired” comment. It’s why I’m taking a break from one of my sites.
Cattlemen want to reintroduce bounties on wolves and coyotes? I suppose they would like to bring back using leeches to bleed sick people too.
Actually Linda,
There are several states that still have bounties on Coyotes, and leeches are used in Surgery at many different hospitals around the country now a days..
Of course, everyone realizes the NorthCumberland newspaper article on re-instituting a bounty on wolves is Ontario, Canada, yes?
Nice try, Jon. Fueling and fanning the fire, once again.
________________________
Palin on Discovery is not about her knowledge of wildlife. She is a political and social inigma. How does someone with so little substantive knowledge, and no worldly exposure, make it to big time politics? As long as she can draw people in to want to know more about what makes her tick, she is a marketable commodity. Discovery, for what people choose to ignore about it, is still a for profit venture. If they can use Palin to draw viewers in, idiot and anti-environmentalist that she is, they will continue their relationship with her.
This is yet another custom-made opportunity for Defenders to gain more of their own publicity, and fill their coffers with donations. You can’t blame them a bit on taking advantage of this opportunity.
If death and destruction and The Rapture are the message that the Discovery Channel wants to make, you betcha they have the perfect spokesman in the dreadfully awful Sarah Palin.
The quickest way to get it off TV, is to just don’t watch the show, I would like to DOW target their funds in something that would actually help wildlife, we all know TV shows run on Ad’s and Audience, so just don’t watch, tell you friends not to watch and they can tell their friends, it wouldn’t take long to get it yanked.
I can’t say Discovery has been doing to well with their shows, they ran that show about Treadwell and still it is running on some of their other channels…they seem like they have made the turn to sensationalism over education in the last few years…
Discovery and Animal Planet both.
As long as Sarah Palin can illicit a strong reactions from people, she will continue to be a force. Unlike a man such as James Watt, Sarah is a woman and cannot be symbolically castrated. She can rant and rave and talk all the crazy things out her head but, since she has no penis to lose, she can remain insular from public opinion. Insults, names, slights, demotions, embarrassments are not going to hurt her. There is little to take away from her…with one exception.
The way you make a Sarah Palin go away is to ignore her. As soon as she is unable get reactions from people, Sarah Palin will disappear back into her domicile and the Palin phenomena will be over.
Perhaps she will have another Thanksgiving Day interview. I agree with all those that advocate NOT watching her. Although, I have to admit, I’d almost pay to see that Thanksgiving Day comedy.
pointwest,
I wish we could igore her, sweep her under the carpet and put heavy sofa of it. But everywhere I go I see her face..in the bookstore, magazines, TV..grrrrrrrrrrrrr I go to my bookstore or grocery store and I see her face on the magazine and guess what I do…I take another magazine to cover the fornt cover. And some stupid Utahns stood in line to get autograph when she came to Costco for book signing… I waoder if it was a a signature or just X…hehehehe
Yeah, well, Madison Avenue knows she riles people and her image gets people’s attention which is what they need to sell you things.
Sarah with a P is doing nearly as much damage to the Republican Party as did Bush II. I like some moderate Republicans but the right turn into LaLa land the GOP took over the past couple of decades was getting downright scary. Like all turns to the far right throughout history, it ended in disaster followed by disillusionment. We are just getting into the thick of disillusionment now. Until the past few weeks, the far right was counting on a big sweep back into power in November.
It ain’t gonna happen. They will not even regain control of the House and they are just starting to see the truth.
I am sorry, but I have to laugh. Sarah Palin, an expert on anything? Ha! The network must be aiming for irony.
The only thing this woman is an expert at is the beauty queen stance and smiling for cameras.
I say we get someone here to do a show, with real and useful information.
What happened to those shows with real educational umph, like Jeff Corwin’s show, and the Wild Kingdom of old?
Whatever, if Discovery wants to blow a ton of money to discredit their channel…this would be one sure fire way to do it fast.
An interesting site on Palin:
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
What kind of a sadistic loser would take a picture of dead wolves with their heads mounted on a piece of wood. Some people are really disgusting- evil really!
And one last thing about the Palin inigma. I have to wonder how many who post here, myself included, will tune in to a Palin wildlife show just to see what it is all about? Critical as we are, most of us will still be curious, and that is what these program producers and their sponsors – yes sponsors, the folks who want you to buy something from them- count on. And, even if a Palin program never goes on, Discovery Channel already has gotten a ton of free advertising.
As Marshall McLuhan, visionary and famed educator on the impact of electronic media (he was only thinking of TV and died before the internet became mainstream) said in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, “The medium is the message.” How it influences our lives. Think about it. Palin became what she is because of media hype and infatuation with the package.
My images of her are best reflected in the caricature created by Tina Fey on SNL – “…. and I can see Russia from my house,” or the astonishing Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson network interviews, in which she showed her ignorance on worldly topics. As VP she would have been just one heart beat away from the Presidency. Duh. What a scary thought that is, even today.
There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I will tune in to this show..if it happens. And Discovery is getting a lot of heat from a lot of sources, not just Defenders, about this show. As they say, stay tuned. It could be the best thing for Discovery to simply pay her the money and walk away. Paylin would be all for that..it is about the money for her these days.
I would highly recommend the new book “Game Change” for an interesting take on the 2008 campaign. Full of insider stuff, it reads like a novel. And don’t skip to the end for the stuff about Sarahcuda; it is pretty amazing how badly the McCain staff screwed up in choosing her, and then how badly she screwed up the whole process of being a candidate.
Obama vs. PAYlin in 2012? The Dems can’t get that lucky…
Oh, come on JimT. Initially, the temptation will be too much to resist, even for you.
Discovery wins either way it goes with this. And, Palin walks away with something just for showing up, whether the show runs its 8 parts, or not, on Discovery. If Discovery backs out, somebody else will pick it up. I think the shows are already in the can (done), as they say.
Alaska + Palin, what a winning combination. Again, its about the package and the money. Oh, and don’t forget this is a Mark Burnett production, of “Survivor” and “Apprentice” series fame, from what I understand. A Defenders anti-Palin campaign will be the best publicity this could get.
http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/sarah-palin-alaska/sarah-palin-alaska.html
I don’t have to worry about the moral choice. I don’t subscribe to cable. Hah, hah!
A well meaning friend suggested I get Palin’s book and read it before passing judgement on her character to which I replied ” She wrote the book! How critical do you think she’s going to be about her own life, her accomplishments or failures?”
Bless you for being gentle with your friend when she suggested it…The book has been thoroughly panned as a fiction to tell her perceptions, not facts. Your friend isn’t, by chance, a Tea Party person, is she? I understand it that after she endorsed Bennet in Utah, who is now bye bye, she got dissed on her Facebook page by being de-friended by thousands..LOL.
BTW, if Bennet isn’t conservative enough for Utah, who is? I am beginning to see Gingrich’s fine hand in this “throw the incumbents out” strategy of the Tea Party. And we all know how well that movement turned out for the country.
Those who ignore history tend to repeat it…
The grizzlybay.org site is right on. Palin has this crazed right wing religious twist to her views on everything- all wildlife needs to be managed and exploited for human benefit. The grizzly pictures of her families sport hunting wall of shame shows were she got these ideas- the apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree. I would love it if in the next life people that treat wildlife in this fashion were exposed to some payback at the hands of a grizzly bear or wolf pack! Now wouldn’t that be something! Watching the interview at the turkey farm last year with Palin unaware of what she was doing was surreal! She is an idiot
I hope and pray that Sarah Palin is nominated at the top of the GOP ticket in 2012 with Jan Brewer as her VP running mate. I hope that, under the new Supreme Court ruling, BP is their biggest campaign contributor and George Bush and Dick Cheney star in every one of their campaign commercials. Sometimes people don’t understand the consequences of what they are wanting until they get it. By the way, WM, it would be “the Palin ENIGMA” with an “E.”
mik,
Enigma, indeed. I sometimes get ahead of my spelling, and grammar. I do apologize. Thanks.
I also equate Palin to a chimera, of mythical origins, and a precursor to natural disaster. Yup. Lipstick on the pig.
Palin is never going to nominated to the top of the party ticket, you guys are living in fantasy land…
Save bears..we don’t want her. I am not living in fanatasy land. being 52, I have seen a lot of things….If there are idiots listening to Rush, Hannity and Beck..if there are idiots promoting her on Discovery…imagine how Bush II got elected…
Is,
I am over 50 years old as well, and have traveled all over the world, believe me, I have seen my fair share, 26 years in the Military, taught me far more than I EVER wanted to know about my fellow man! The GOP is not quite as stupid as many think they are, they are sitting back and letting SP take the lead, while they plan and scheme, just as the Democrats are..Once the real run for the White House starts, Palin won’t even be a footnote. What is sad, is so many are being duped into paying her so much attention, you are all being manipulated, whether you like to believe that or not..
The GOP is sitting saying, lets keep the patsy out front..and take their attention off of what we are really planning!
Palin is unelectable. More than 60 percent of polled americans don’t like her
That is what many said about a washed up B movie actor named Ronald Reagan. Reagan, however, had his brother Neal Reagan behind him along with Micheal Deaver both Madison Avenue advertizing moguls and finally got Donald Regan, CEO of Merrill Lynch and undisputed King of Wall behind him. With Madison Avenue and Wall Street 100% behind Regan, he was swept into power in a landslide election. In spite of scandal (Iran-Contra, Deaver imprisoned for perjury, S&L scandal, reckless deregulation of Wall Street), conservatives put Reagan up as one of the greatest Presidents in history and want to displace Benjamin Franklin’s image on the $100 bill with that of Reagan.
I tend to agree that Palin has said so many stupid things (like the creationist view that man walked with dinosaurs) that she would never be elected but I do not think it is impossible. Greed knows no bounds and Palin has big oil behind her.
No, probably not president. Remember James Watt? Ken Salazar could look pretty good and green in a few years. Sorry if I ruined anybody’s day.
Save Bears,
Planning or not, the republicans are getting stuck with her image. She is the closest thing to the face of their party. That being said, I suppose they could nominate anyone else, and they’d look like a genius gesture of good faith on their end.
No, she is not, she is more associate with the Tea Party at this time than she is with the GOP, the Stanch GOP is not working with the Tea Party, but Palin is talking at Tea Party events…really pay attention to the political system as it is currently be run in this country, Palin is a SMOKE SCREEN The GOP is thrilled the Tea Party started up as a 3rd party, it gives them a back room stance they can plan from..
SP is not very bright and she will never be qualified enough to be president. Palin didn’t even know Africa was a continent.
All that may be true Save Bears, but educated people will see the Tea Party as a seperate entity. Most people in America (and I say this in the most realistic way I can) are not that educated. We are now composed of a largely ‘english as a second language’ population. They won’t likely see the distinction until they have been around America’s political block.
People will associate her with their first impression of her. That would most likely be “republican”.
Since the republican camp was inclined to put her on a ticket, she will remain, in the minds of many, associated with that party.
I am very baffled by the logic in any of it. I tend to believe she gets “idiot” points. People will watch her, just to laugh at her. She is a political Jessica Simpson.
As far as her being on any future tickets, well, I doubt it would be the republican ticket. But I put nothing past the extreme right.
I can’t tell if I am coming or going politically anymore. I definitely have no confidence in politicians these days.
Obama won my vote because of his stand on environmental issues and education. I was very iffy on his foreign plicy. And I am a supportrer of Arizona cracking down on illegal aliens. I guess I am too conservative, and too liberal. But either way, Obama is floundering, and McCain wouldn’t have been any better. We need true “hope”. We haven’t had much to be inspired by lately.
So, I will take SP for what she is, a joke with the potential to be rather nasty in the end.
Well Vicki,
We will indeed know the outcome in Nov 2012, but I don’t happen to think Americans are as stupid as you do….and with the political climate now a days…I do hope you are 100% wrong and I say that in the most respectful way I can..
Save Bears,
I didn’t call anyone stupid. Wow, that was a bold leap on your part.
And you would hope I am wrong about what, exactly?
I guess, being the average American that I am, I grow weary of people who toss out their credentials, as if that makes them some how more worthy of people’s attention. I also grow tired of people throwing out their resume out there, and expect that will get people to listen and agree with their stand on issues. Many of these “experts” are no more quality, or qualified, an individual than anyone else. They throw out their ‘stats’ because they know without them, most people wouldn’t give their opinions the time of day. Most people wouldn’t give those types the time of day even with all their experience and qualifications.
Having said that, it should be obvious that I am neither persuaded by, nor impressed by, most politicians of any affiliation.
Their are a lot of very experienced, very intellegent people, who I would not trust to walk my dog, let alone run a country. SP would be one of those people. I knew that prior to her making a ticket. I was strongly opposed to so many policies she favored on environmental and wildlife issues. Hearing her speak during her candidacy was just validation for me. Appearantly, the republican party felt otherwise.
I would vote for a honest person before I would vote for a qualified one.
Either way, I would hardly consider Palin someone to watch in effort to understand wildlife or ecology.
As far as people being stupid, well some are, but not most. And I said our population is increasingly less educated. (Which is definitely not the same as feeling they are “stupid” That was your word, not mine.)
An increasingly under-educated population is a direct result of our rising population of imigrants who speak a language other than english as primary. In 2004 (almost an entire generation ago) over 96 million residents of the USA were estimated to be ‘less than proficient’ in english.
Knowing that, I would say it might make it difficult for those persons to understand our political system, with all of it’s complexities.( Most college educated people I know still find it puzzling at times). That could be rectified if they were to become more educated, which to a great degree would require them to speak, or read english.
I have read your stand on political issues many times. Some I agree with, some I don’t. But this wasn’t so much about politics as it was about expectations.
I expect SP is, and will always be, extremely conservative. I also expect that many bumpy rides will be a part of the 2012 elections. I expect Discovery will find that SP has a low fan base in the venue of people who care enough about wildlife to watch their channel. I don’t expect much to change in 2012, it will be politics as usual. I expect that, in one way or another, what needs to be done to better our economy, environment, and security, will always be second priority to the personal agenda of whom so ever we elect.
It always amazes me, those of us on the same side of the issue always end up arguing about that issue, I find Palin to be a no starter, and nothing more than a smoke screen for the real politics that are going on behind closed doors in Washington..
Save Bears,
That she is, even if not intentionally. Who knows, maybe by some miracle, a new party will be formed that actually represents most Americans? Dare to dream.
For once Jon,
I will agree with you, what we see in the news and what really goes on, it two entirely different things, I played the political game far to long as a commission officer, I know exactly what they are doing, and it is really a smart political move, in my opinion, it is a classic rope a dope..
Jon,
Since when does someone need to be qualified to be elected president? If only that were truly a requirement of the post. SP is as dumb as the Atlantic is polluted right now. Yet, very ‘intellegent people’ put her on their ticket.
Will she ever be president? God help us, no! Will she continue to further damage the environment with her backward butt beliefs…probably.
The only thing this woman is an expert at is the beauty queen stance and smiling for cameras.
And shootin’ shit.
And shopping…don’t forget her shopping spree.
Evidently, according to the chapters about Palin, she is pretty good at rote memorization, so she is able to respond and look ok if the question is one she and her team got prepared for. Notice she isn’t and didn’t give any more free wheeling interviews after the Couric debacle.
As far as the Republicans being this smart entity, hiding its real intent behind the curtains, I urge you watch CSPAN sometime; they are hiding nothing; they are a party stuck in anger and blame, period. No new ideas, nada. No contributions to any problem solving. Nada. And they seem proud of it.
If you get the book and read it, you will see just how much a cock up the selection of Palin as VP candidate by the so called Republican strategists really was.
Not defend Palin, as everyone talks about how stupid she is.. What about our current president? Last I checked he knows less than shit about wildlife, the west, or anything not big politics.
Obama isn’t that bright either, but Palin takes the top prize as being the most stupid vice president candidate ever. You should watch the interview she had with Kate Couric. You couldn’t help, but laugh as she clearly had trouble answering some of the questions.
Jon, you should really think twice about putting Obama and Palin even within light years of each other in terms of knowledge and stupidity…Obama is not a Western issues guy, that is for sure, but that hardly makes him a Palin like figure. Palin is vapor; Obama is substantive.
Jim, Obama is a terrible president. Obama is in my list of worst presidents of all time.
All I can say is WOW, things have changed!
Jon and Ryan,
What has Obama done, or not done, to deserve your wrath? Do be specific.
WM, are you serious? What has Obama done? About healthcare reform being unconstitutional.
Healthcare..unconstitutional? Really…do tell me what Glenn Beck or some other person said to convince you of the legality of that view..
Worst ever? After one year? Versus 8 years of Bush’s record?
I mean…
Are you serious?
Bush I consider worse than Obama, but don’t kid yourself, Obama is a terrible president.
Jimt and WM,
Lets see..
Cap and trade
Healthcare
Big business bailouts (stimulus package)
More troops in the gulf and afganistan
Tons of broken campaign promises
He hasn’t done shit for the enviroment or protected public lands.
Time will tell, but right now he’s lining up to be a one term president on the level of Jimmy Carter.
I am pretty sure Obama WILL be a one term president.
I’m going to write this down, Jon and I agree on something.
Ryan,
If not Obama, then who? Given the mess he inherited, not only from Bush’s eight years, but the residual from the “party on” Clinton 8 years before, I’m not sure what any mortal could do with all that in 18 months.
With respect to racking up environmental gains, my guess is that Obama’s advisors told him not to float too far to the left for fear of a conservative backlash. That backlash is not too far off in the West already. While some here are throwing stones at Salazar (who has been in office, less than a year?), they may be surprised at what is around the corner if that backlash gains traction, especially with the economy still in the toilet.
I spoke with my dad, an economist, his stand is that we can give most of the credit for the crappy economy to Clinton. But the crappy economy in the next few years will go to the credit of Bush.
Economic trends point to change and result being evident 7 to 10 years after the changes are put into play.
Basically it boils down to this : Obama is not worse than his predicessors. He is not as good as we all would have hoped.
He may be a one term president, but playing into the conservative hands will only create a blockade in the way of any good changes that occur now, or atleast give them the chance to undo any good, and they will.
As far as the legalities of the healthcare bill, and it’s constitutionality, what difference does it make? The plain and undeniable truth is, we pay these monies for health care, if not by bills being passed, then by increased prices on health insurance and taxes to pay for the free care we provide to outrageously large amounts of people who DO NOT contribute to our tax base.
We could end all the b.s. surrounding health care and how much it costs…we could save umpteen millions of dollars…if we refused care for people who cannot provide proof of legal citizenship. Stop making being Americans free to illegals, after all those here legally don’t get that luxury.
Oops, did my democratic leaning fingers just type that? Yep. Sure did.
Enforce the law, preserve as many of the natural resources we can, create alternative energies(make them a darn requirement or atleast more frigin accessable) and end our dependence on the very people who fund terrorists who kill our soldiers and citizens, and give the tax paying legal residents the benefits of the government they fund.
Palin is the hardline, I get that. She is a serious twit. I get that too. But the Tea Party has it’s valid points, each party does.
No matter all the politics, Discovery is footing the bill for a glamour queen without a clue.
Vickif,
Personal responsibility seems to be a novel idea these days..
Ryan,
No doubt, sad.
Well, since she’s so adept at seeing Siberia (Russia) across the Bering Sea, maybe she also put that talent to work in the Gulf of Mexico, by spotting the exact lcoation of the gusher. After all, spilled oil means less to be sold to “consumers” and fewer campaign contributions for her from Big Oil.
If you look up the word stupid in the dictionary, you would see Sarah Palin’s name. lol God help us all if she did decide to run for president and actually win in 2012.
I am not a Palin supporter, but I wouldn’t mind being stupid enough to make 12 million a year, like she has!
LOL
You don’t have to be smart to be rich. Plenty of rich people are stupid. Case in point, most of the hollywood actresses/actors. Regardless of how rich Palin is, american people know she is stupid and unqualified to be president. She is a joke and a good amount of people know that. I also think deep down Palin knows people know she is unqualified to be president. Her ratings on foxnews aren’t that great either.
Jon,
You did read I said I am NOT a Palin supporter? Maybe I need to dumb down, so I can finally make some good money…
Yeah, I read what you said. I am just telling you what I think of Palin.
Being honest with you, I don’t even think she will run, she is making to damn much money being a reality TV personality…
I used to work as a tour guide/naturalist in one of our National Parks.
We had a coworker we named Miss Information, she thought it a complement.
Never underestimate ego and stupidity, it’s a deadly combo.