Last night I read filmmaker John Ziegler’s scathing article on Sarah Palin featured on the Daily Caller titled “The Sarah Palin I Know.” I have two theories as to why John Ziegler would all of a sudden do a complete about face from defending Sarah Palin from as early as April of this year only to transform into her most ardent critic. Since Ziegler is chock full of salacious accusations against Palin’s character, allow me to make two against his.
Two words: “The Undefeated.” Ziegler takes a cheap shot at the prospects of this documentary making political headwind for Palin in the coming months. His comments reek of jealously. One would have to believe that Ziegler’s name was being thrown around as a potential director/producer for this project. He was rejected a
nd the Palins went with Steven Bannon.
nd the Palins went with Steven Bannon.
It was a good move on the part of the Palins to go with Bannon. Bannon, a former Wall Street investor, had the stones and the resources to raise a million dollars to produce it something that Ziegler—obviously from listening to his bellyaching about not being able to find work—couldn’t do. Bannon also had a clear, cogent vision. If anyone hasn’t watched his documentary on Ronald Reagan vs. Communism titled “In the Face of Evil: Reagan’s War in Word and Deed” you will come to understand that Bannon isn’t just a documentary filmmaker. He’s an artist.
So one could believe that this flare up from Ziegler is because he feels the Palin’s jilted him and whatever other irrational fantasy he may have about loyalties they should have had to him. “The Undefeated” is getting rave reviews from those on the left and the right who screened it. Personally, I believe the film is going to blow up in popularity. It’s a stroke of marketing genius if you ask me. The film will be released in July and the Palin buzz will start up all over again. If she does decide to run the movie will most likely be released on DVD right around the Christmas season—the same time of the Iowa primaries. Buzz, buzz…
It’s my opinion that Ziegler felt that he was entitled to direct this film, and when they decided to go with another filmmaker, he saw his ship about to come in only to have it pulled back out to sea without him.
Claim: “At this point, Sarah and I had met only once, but we were already developing a bizarre relationship.”
The second theory is there is a slight possibility that Ziegler is probably but one in a long line of men that Palin has encountered in her life. It could be that Ziegler has a hidden crush on the former Governor. “Bizarre relationship?” How so? How do you meet someone a few times over the past three years and call that a relationship? And to use that word–“relationship.” “Friendship” would be more accurate.
“Over the almost three years that followed, we would often act like friends—while at other times she would act like she barely knew me.”
This is an unsupported claim and I like to know if Ziegler intends to prove it.
“I’ve fought so hard for Sarah, I’m almost unemployable.”
Yes, Ziegler has been defending Palin in the media since making a documentary about the way the media handled her and gave preferential treatment to Barack Obama. First, he was never asked by the Palins or anyone in her camp to be her attack dog. Ziegler volunteered his services at free will. He’s a self-described libertarian, therefore, he should be familiar with the concept of free will.
Like all of us who believe in Sarah Palin and feel passionate about her, many of us are not looking for anything in return. I do not write my blog or comment on my show about her because I have an irrational expectation there will someday be a payday. Nor do I believe that my support or defense will get me personal acknowledgement from her. And I certainly would not allow my support for her effect my livelihood.
Did it ever occur to Ziegler that perhaps Sarah Palin isn’t the reason he cannot get work in Hollywood? Has it ever occurred to him that perhaps he’s not the best filmmaker to ever come down the pike? Further, perhaps it was his zealotry and attack dog mentality against the media and the left ie: staging protests, getting handcuffed, pissing Barbra Walters off to the extent that she waved her crooked, old finger in his face on national TV.
Let’s point out the obvious here—the title of his documentary. “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and How the Media Targeted Palin.” Ziegler’s movie obviously targets the entire media cabal from the newsrooms to studio lots of Burbank. He HAD to have known, minus the zealot behavior, he would become a target of the media for shining the light on the cockroaches hiding in the kitchen cabinets.
I find it hypocritical that Ziegler now attacks the same woman who was instrumental in putting him the national stage. I think Ziegler’s documentary is a fine one and it should be shown in every elementary school history class and studied in the halls of every journalism department at colleges all over the nation. However, if the film didn’t center around Palin and feature an interview with her—which I recall was the only interview that Palin did after the election—we would all be still going “John who?” Which is why I have such a problem with his latest screed. As recent as April 2011, Ziegler wrote a piece for the Daily Caller regarding the E! True Hollywood Story on Palin. After reading that and comparing it to “The Sarah I Know” diatribe one would agree both are night and day.
So if Ziegler is worried about going broke and not getting work before he wrote this article, not much will change for him. You ever hear the old saying “you can never go home again?” Well, John Ziegler is a man with no home. Conservatives and those who support Palin will now turn their back on him. Sadly, I think he believes that by writing this article he will now be embraced by the left. My guess is that they’ll probably embrace him temporarily. The left will use Ziegler to their benefit much like they did with Cindy Sheehan. Then, when they get tired of guzzling down his bullshit, they’ll toss him over their shoulders like an empty beer can.
There’s also the character deficit thingy. I would suspect that Ziegler’s attempt at damaging Palin’s reputation with insider information that he was not willing to share for three years and then, for some crazy reason, unloads private correspondence between the Palin and Co. makes you wonder. Ask yourself, would you want to deal with a person like John Ziegler if, God forbid, you do not live up to his expectations or further enhance his life and career?
Ziegler’s sudden candor and recollection of the “Palin He Knows” has incredibly bad timing. If the filmmaker and media critic wasn’t paying attention, some 24,000 pages of emails were released showing the Sarah Palin that we knew all along—an effective conservative Republican Governor of Alaska, adroit in pushing her agenda for the betterment of the state, and one hell of a boss that anyone would want to work under.
Since 24,000 emails were produced by the media in the attempt to show how “stupid, idiot, evil” she is, perhaps another two or three won’t hurt. For example, Ziegler claims Palin had playfully snubbed him in an email to her staffers when she wasn’t aware of cc’d him in the email. He also recalls a conversation he had with Rebecca Mansour who is Palin’s speechwriter. If Mansour wishes to step forward call out his lies, that’s her business. All I will say is, again, publish these emails if you got them. A few more about Palin isn’t going to hurt her or anyone.
The fact that he’s now calling her a “quitter” and has no chance at beating Obama because “the media will not let her” is repulsive. Again, when Republicans resign it’s “quitting”. When Democrats do it, they “resign”, “step down” or, my personal favorite, “I have to go spend more time with my family.” Ziegler resorts to the typical left wing talking points on her resignation rather than feature the inconvenient fact as to why she really did it. The fact of the matter is, Palin passed the ethics laws that drove her out of office. When every gadfly came out of the tundra to file bogus ethics complaints against her—ALL OF WHICH SHE WAS EXONERATED—this would cost her money to fight in court. And unlike other state’s ethics laws, Alaska does not reimburse the accused for any legal fees they might incur fighting them off. Ziegler has the nerve to talk of Palin’s courage, where is his? I doubt such a man with such a character deficit who would sell out those who trusted him and his “me me” attitude would snap under the adversity that Palin has faced.
But back to Ziegler’s comments regarding Palin’s chances of beating Obama if she decided to jump into the race. In his article, Ziegler claims that after the interview he did with Palin for Media Malpractice, he made a comment directly to her and in front of her family and his film crew. He writes:
“Before I left, I felt I had to give the governor at least one piece of advice. After all, I know how politicians work. They surround themselves with yes-people. No one dares speak up. I figured I’d never get another opportunity like this again, so, with the very best of intentions, I told her: “You have to know, you can’t beat Obama in 2012. The media won’t let you. They won’t let him lose and the narrative about you is too negative to correct in three-and-a-half years. “She said nothing. No-one else spoke, either. I looked around at my crew, and the same thing was written on everyone’s face: “What the hell are you doing, Ziegler?””
Good question and I will second it: what the hell were you doing, Ziegler? Sarah Palin does the interview after, as he claims, being advised not to do it. Ziegler confesses that having her in the documentary was very important and Palin’s intervention and going against her staff’s advice (she should’ve taken it by the way) and saved his movie. So, she invites him into her home, takes the time to do the interview and then he unloads a ridiculous comment like that? This speaks volumes about his character deficit and it would also show that Palin and her camp had every reason to be standoffish with Ziegler from that moment on.
There are other comments that continue to be unsubstantial, borderline insane and sexist. Ziegler “goes there” and stoops to the low of making the observation that without make-up on, Palin is “difficult to recognize.” He refers to a “phone call” he had with Todd Palin where the first Dude jokingly admits to being a “kept man”. Sorry Ziegler, Todd has an actual job unlike yourself. If he didn’t, he sure wouldn’t be bellyaching about it like you do. Also, you’ve made several references to the idea that Todd is a guy who “looks like he could kick your ass.” Yeah, might want to be worried after this recent article.
“It is a myth that “Palin 2.0” energizes the base in any extraordinary way. I know this from sales and traffic figures, and because while screening my film around the country I was essentially doing Sarah Palin focus groups—“
“Palin focus groups?” Seriously man, you need to seek professional help.
“the only opportunity she would have to get a second look is to do high-profile interviews with liberal media types and, against my counsel, she has indicated she has no intention of doing that.”
Right. After you did a two hour documentary highlighting every reason why people like Chris Matthews, Katie Couric and others in the media shouldn’t be taken seriously, are nakedly biased and should not be trusted, you now think it would be in Palin’s best interest to grant them interviews? In many polls, which remain fluid at such an early stage in the game, Palin is either in a dead heat or a few points behind Romney—and she hasn’t even formally declared her candidacy. Thank God she never took your “counsel.” Following your counsel would be the equivalent to drinking a hemlock.
Then he’s crying about the Palin camp not being able to get him tickets to the Tonight Show on a day when Sarah was scheduled to appear. Boo-hoo. I mean, sheeesh, at best this guy sounds like a chronic complainer. At worst, a stalker. He even admits that he contacted the Palin’s telling them it would be best if they parted ways. What a shock—they obliged.
More comments: “All of which has left me wondering why she appears to be disregarding the advice of me and others as she seems ready to embark on this politically suicidal campaign.”
Yes, doing a bus tour of most of the 50 states, visiting key states and building momentum with a film about her life which will get worldwide distribution and may launch “Sarah 2.0” is political suicide. As opposed to the politically suicidal candidate who she trails by a few points who declares that global warming is still a threat to the planet? Or as opposed to a seventy something hack Congressman who defends the legalization of Heroin, has been endorsed by a Michigan Muslim newspaper and who still doesn’t get it that his political career is over and should get off the stage?!
Lastly, this comment is rich: “There is the issue of how she greatly (thanks largely to being an attractive and successful mother of five who is still in love with her husband who makes women like Joy Behar feel bad about themselves) exacerbates the gender gap, which is the Republican Achilles heel in presidential races.”
Do me a favor, go to Newsbusters.org and put in the search “Sarah Palin Joy Behar” and read some of the nasty, dirty things Behar has said about Palin, her family, etc. and then you tell me if she should care about the idea that she makes women like these feel bad about themselves.
Folks, I can go on and on about this former Democrat turned Libertarian Benedict Arnold but I’d rather point to an incredible article if you missed it: http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2011/06/the-undefeated-is-our-story-not-just-sarah-palins.html
The writer explains something that people like John Ziegler simply cannot comprehend—why conservatives identify with a person like Sarah Palin. It also explains when geldings in the media and the backstabbing phonies like Ziegler take pot shots at Palin, those pot shots are directed at us. We feel them because when liberal media types laugh at Palin, they’re also laughing at us. For conservatives and middle America, her values, views are ours. Palin, with pitch perfect political ear, is our voice.
One more thing, if Ziegler’s piece of crap got the Palin supporters down just know this: Reagan’s folksy demeanor was laughed off by the media. His whacky assed daughter Patti and her shenanigans never stuck to him. His often brash style in dealing with the media and protestors on the left were thought to be damaging to his chances at the presidency in 1980. George W. Bush got elected and then re-elected even though he admitted to a DWI and Dan Rather tried—but failed miserably—to prove that the former president didn’t serve in the National Guard.
What I’m trying to say is, whether Ziegler’s unsubstantial accusations, defeatist attitude and insanity laden scribe may be true or false, a lot can happen in 16 months. In the end, this does not matter.
–Mr.L
Mr. L's Tavern 
Thank you for this piece. When will everyone realize, she ain't goin down! Love your defense of this Ziegler guy.
LikeLike
You are right about everything. There's a rather embarrassing clip of Mr Z on a dating tv show, as David Foster Wallace had mentioned the radio host moving to a new venue alone. It's very dangerous to make public figures into quasi-family, or to dramatize media conflicts as family squabbles, which appears to be his style. If Palin was 'pretending not to recognize him' one could easily imagine her imposing a certain formality on their interactions, that ticked him off. Her main antagonists are former flatterers, hungry for what she can't give them.
LikeLike
Thank you for this piece. When will everyone realize, she ain't goin down! Love your defense of this Ziegler guy.
LikeLike
You are right about everything. There's a rather embarrassing clip of Mr Z on a dating tv show, as David Foster Wallace had mentioned the radio host moving to a new venue alone. It's very dangerous to make public figures into quasi-family, or to dramatize media conflicts as family squabbles, which appears to be his style. If Palin was 'pretending not to recognize him' one could easily imagine her imposing a certain formality on their interactions, that ticked him off. Her main antagonists are former flatterers, hungry for what she can't give them.
LikeLike