Dave Weigel reports that Todd Herman, the new media director of the Republican National Committee, has suggested using embarrassing tabloid photos of Katie Couric dancing at a party as a response whenever the "MSM" criticizes Sarah Palin. (Herman adds that his suggestion is not made "on behalf of my employer.”)
When that sexist Newsweek cover came out featuring Sarah Palin, a number of left-leaning bloggers went after the magazine, including Amanda Hess, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Julie Millican of Media Matters. The reason is pretty simple -- bigotry, even if only applied to one's enemies, perpetuates its existence.
The GOP operates on a different principle, one that I've articulated before. The Bender Theory of Discrimination holds that only the only bigotry that matters is bigotry that is applied to oneself or one's ideological cohorts. So it makes sense that Republicans would respond to Palin's perceived enemies by launching sexist attacks -- it only counts if it happens to one of them. For them, sexist bigotry isn't something that should be eliminated -- under some circumstances, they think it's appropriate. Like when they need to put that Katie Couric in her place.
Who does she think she is anyway?
-- A. Serwer
