Sarah Palin’s Turkeygate

How Palin’s light-hearted turkey pardon went sour

Well, Sarah Palin has done it again, said Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic online. In an attempt at some Thanksgiving levity, Palin pardoned a turkey—the only problem was that, while addressing Alaskans from a farm in Wasilla, another turkey was being slaughtered in the background. (Watch Letterman’s take) The cameraman claims that he told Palin about the gruesome backdrop and she said, “No worries.” But “wack-job” Palin “is once again denying reality” and “calling the photographer a liar.”

Who cares? said Jim Newell in Wonkette. All she did was film a goofy TV segment, which was even funnier because of the accidental turkey-death background. This should give rise to “harmless humor” instead of the typical “gotcha” journalism that has ensued. And why is Palin lying about this? “When anything is covered up, it becomes a scandal”—she should know this by now.

Turkeygate isn't important because we expect Palin to be squeamish or remorseful about turkeys dying, said the Alaskan commentary site Mudflats. It's important because it shows how much Palin exists in her own bubble. “The critical step of imagining the scene from another’s perspective was completely missing.” She couldn't imagine that there might be viewers—small children, for example—who don't want to see a turkey murdered. If a politician's job is to represent her constituents, what does this say about Palin?