"Sorry, kid. I'm saving my love

for Brad, my snowmobiling partner."

AP/Keith Srakocic

Comments

[joant]

Contrast and compare to the holiday photo of the Obamas. How sad for Piper.

[queek]

Piper will take it out on the wildlife she'll cut down with her assault rifle when she gets a little older!

[panicbean]

Heartbreaking. What kind of parent doesn't extend an arm to surround and comfort their child?

Bleh.

[TeddySanFran]

Even goofy McCain in the left margin is shocked at the parental coldness on display. What a whacked family the Palins are.

[smurph7878]

Sadly, at this rate, Piper might unload on mom and dad before 11/04/08!

Other than Britney Spears' and Brangelina's kids, I don't think I've seen news photos of any sadder, more desperate, lonelier "celebrity" kids than Piper. (Oh wait, Obama is the "celebrity," not Palin. Right? The head spins.) Willow seems truly enamored of her "surrogate mom" role, which is terribly sad all by itself. I like to think of myself as a supermom, too, but it never occurred to me that my young daughter(s) would become nannies for their younger sibs. Tragic beyond belief that the beauty queen would press her daughters into service to promote her political ambitions. Uck . . .

[CatStaff]

Todd's got to keep a sharp eye on Caribou Barbie these days. Now that she's had a taste of the big time, it's going to be hard to keep her on the porch, and he appears to know it.

Piper? Bah. He can make more.

Schmuck.

[smurph7878]

Hmmmm. BTW, when exactly is the blessed event, when bristol "makes an honest man" out of levi, as my dear old mom woulda said? Huh? What's that? They are holding off until after the election, and they can decide if a hitchin's plainly politically necessary? Same test for whether/when SP has to release her own medical records? What's that? No need to reveal who Trig's real mom is, if we don't *absolutely* have to?

[pansypoo]

Piper may be a bundle once the cameras go away.

[Sharkbabe]

I hate this bastard because I hate fucking snowmobiles. Snowmobiles (and their aquatic noise/pollution/pointlessness equivalent, jet skis) are a huge reason I cheer Peak Oil.

Look at this stupid prick, ignoring his daughter whose life is gonna suck because dad used up all her resources for his vanity.

[g]

Other than Britney Spears' and Brangelina's kids, I don't think I've seen news photos of any sadder, more desperate, lonelier "celebrity" kids than Piper.

How true. That thought has struck me many times during this campaign.

I am encouraged, however, by the thought that, like many great artists and dreamers and geniuses, Piper may become an extraordinarily gifted adult who draws on this lonely life to create great art, promote a truly life-affirming vision, or find freedom in making her own life.

I see Piper Palin growing up and leaving her narcissistic rigid family, and becoming a true individual. God help her.

[JDM]

Toad Palin, XTreme Asshole and Dogshit Pisspoor Dad.

[Caveat]

Having been the parent of a precocious, prima donna type of kid (whom I adored, difficult though she was), I won't slag Todd the Snowmobiler over this snap.

The kid seems to be very aware of the fact that there are cameras around - posed much?

No, I'm not blaming the kid, it's this Reality TV Anybody Can Be a Star culture that put the wee tyke in way over her head - like the rest of the family.

[Molly Ivors]

Wow, the body language here is.... wow.

[zoe]

In the Palin family interview with Gretta Von Himmler, I was struck by Piper - she attempted in vain to get her parents attention, then turned to shoving Halloween candy in her mouth. Her mother chucked her once on the chin, and nothing else. Todd the jackass just kept his eyes glued on Barbie. Piper had the most pathetic look on her face throughout. These parents are beyond reprehensible.

[Elspeth Ravenwind]

Not to mention, First Dude's WIIIIIIDE stance. Guess he has Larry Craig on speed dial?
As for Piper and 'daddums' - he's either incapable of emotional intimacy (w/females...) or he is a staunch control freak that will withhold affection just because he wants her (or any person he views as under his auspices) to beg. He may not give it even then. Since Sarah strayed w/his biz partner and now that she's so busy w/bumping uglies w/the global spotlight and boutiques, Todd wields his 'control' on the only available family member - Piper. Afterall, Track is in Iraq, Bristol is out w/wedding plans and a possible fake pregnancy, and Willow is taking care of her's or Bristol's baby.
Pathetic - nice "family values"!?!?!
Elspeth

[Frances the Cockatoo]

Why do some men shave their faces into the shape of a pussy?

[psychobroad]

Which brings me back to a point that Elspeth and others (including me)have made--if you don't particularly care for children, why on earth keep having them?

[HarpoSnarx]

To quote Bill Maher, "bottom of the barrel."

[DrDick]

Hmmmmmm. A little Broke Back tundra, ya think?

[moistenedbink]

She might be whispering strategy to him, doncha know.
No, sad, fail, especially when compared to the photos of Obama with his girls or indeed any child.

[smurph7878]

trying hard not to go all freudian (or oedipal) here on the "body language," Molly Ivors; poor little Piper struck me as being like a cat sidling up to a bored/distracted/inattentive owner, rubbing fuzzy face on chest, owner trying hard to restrain rage and *not* swat cat in front of the AP for getting fuzz all over his (expensive? heckifiknow . . . ) meticulously pressed suit and lite blue "wish-i-had-power" tie; cats like to push the envelope like that; i'm *not* a big fan of cats, but they have this knack for bringing out the best/worst in all of us . . .

[JimmyDean'sFuckedUpCousinClyde]

"We can go as soon as your mother finishes calling the black guy a dangerous pansy communist abortion-loving antiAmerican terrorist threat...another ten minutes..."

[larue]

Seems to me Piper is leaning in, Todd is fixed on something and has cameras on him he KNOWS it, but I don't think ANYONE can miss his chin dipping down on the top of her head in a basic parental acknowledgement. Also known as a legitimate means of saying I Love You Too Honey in such a hugely public medium such as the shot was taken in.

Sometimes, you folks are a bit harsh.

And men grow beards in the shape of a pussy cuz we like pussy. You got a problem with that any of ya?

A little bit too much snark here, people. Mean snark, not the good kind. Yer hostility, it shows. Mellow out, a new dawn comes up Nov. 5th. And all our lives will get better.

BTW, loved the Fire Island plea for a new gay boyfriend. Hilarious. Snarkalicioius and well done! *G*

[Gindy]

he is a staunch control freak that will withhold affection just because he wants her (or any person he views as under his auspices) to beg.

Elspeth, you NAILED it. My dad was like this and both of my sister and I struggled to maintain his "love". I would bet this is the same thing that has made Cindy McCain the unhappy heiress she is. McCain does the same damned thing. Both Cindy and Piper have that same scarred look on their faces, with Piper's being more open since she hasn't learned to hide her sadness as well as Cindy has.
My heart just breaks for these kids.
And larue, SHE is leaning UP into his face, not him leaning down to her.

[Diva]

How could he not put his arms around his precious child when she so clearly is looking for his attention?

[Elspeth R]

Larue, this is THE place for snark and has been since before I started frequenting it around the time of the Roberts appointment to the SCOTUS. If you don't like it, don't come here. We can and will be as brutal as we see fit. I am sorry, am I supposed to give a 'pass' to First Dude when HE is the one that doesn't love this country and would rather secede? When HE is the one w/the marriage-hatin' wife (and maybe his own anti-one-man/one-woman view of relationships?)???
Too harsh? Um, La Palin wants to outlaw birthcontrol, let alone abortion rights. Fuck that shit.
Elspeth

[Elspeth R]

Oh, and to boot Larue...Watertiger will be the one to rein us in if we go too far. This is HER blog, not yours.
Kthxbai!
Elspeth

[Diva]

Elspeth R, you're my hero!

[woody]

There are rumors to the effect that she's not his child, innit?

If there aren't, there should be...

And, JimmyDean'sFuckedUpCousinClyde, sometimes a beard is just a beard...

[queek]

Elspeth - speak it!

Woody - Intriguing! Like maybe his business partner's?

[larue]

Gindy, my parents weren't the greatest touchy feely folks in the world. But we had their attention when we asked for it or needed it. I'm 55, both are dead.

We were all raised in the 50's/60's. We three were hard work for my parents as we got older.

But they in turn, started us all out by raising us in Vietnam, Laos and Bangkok.

From basically the start for us all.

For ten years, until '63, we lived overseas. Parenting was NOT any issue in our formative years. We were exposed to WAY more stuff than anyone stateside. Languages, foods, colors of skin. Diversity. Hell, we got to be the minority all them years!! And our parents were always there for us then. And later, stateside, as we aged and became really incorrigible like all the rest of the kids were in the 60's, they just were there for us as we made our mistakes and needed an arm, a couch, a talk.

I truly think too much is made of staged photo's and I firmly believe it's uncool to drag kids and their parents into a political process . . . . you want some serious scarring?

How about when these kids get a bit older and start seeing and hearing about the things said about them and their parents from places and people in the blogosphere?

Diva, he's got something going on, something he has to do or pay attention to . . . the photo is but a snapshot. I maintain he is lowering his chin a bit to acknowledge, but that don't mean squat.

We don't know the circumstances. It's almost spiteful or hateful to hoist accusations against kids and parents in these circumstances.

Sides, there's SO much more bad stuff about the candidate and her husband beyond their parenting that deserves much greater attention.

I say, parenting is off limits from now on unless it's about abuse or incest.

And interpreted neglect is NOT abuse, it's speculation, when singular or multiple staged photos are used as the factual or even contextual mechanism to hurl accusations of bad parenting.

Some things are just not right. I hope in the future, the gossip birds don't use photo's to judge and then condemn some standard of parenting based on circumstantial evidence.

Having said that, I hope Palin and Toddy get their asses kicked on Tuesday, and then indicted and convicted quickly, post election. Never to return to the political stage. And I think the GOP corpcore is gonna see to that. I indeedly do . . *G*

And I hope all them kids make it to adulthood with a chance of having quality lives.

And I'm sure all of you in here who judge the parents, wish for that too.

But somehow, this parenting criticism and snark, it comes across like some kinda paternalism, a racism of sorts, a homophobic slap, all those things I know you good progressives don't believe in.

Don't become what you fight and rage against. Or you are no better than them.

Take the higher ground. Even in your snark.
/pompous lecture

[Seamus]

Todd's Christopher Reeve impersonation.

[Personal Health Records]

Heartbreaking. What kind of parent doesn't extend an arm to protect and comfort their child?