At Least He Never Ruined the Republican Party

David Letterman is my boy. Everyone knows this. Not just because he's a native Hoosier, but because he's actually funny and good at his job. Unlike Jay Leno, Letterman actually puts thought into his jokes and has mastered the art of being a line-stepper. Does he cross the line sometimes? Absolutely. But just as you can't get mad at your favorite football player for fumbling when reaching for the extra yard, you can't get mad at Dave for crossing the line. He goes all out to entertain us, and we love him for it.

Well, most of us.

The conservative folks are up in arms again, this time because Dave made a joke about Sarah Palin and her family. Yes, that Sarah Palin. The one who came out of nowhere (literally) to become John McCain's running mate. And we all know how that ended. McCain's momentum coming out of the primary? Gone. The Republican Party's reputation? Still hasn't recovered. So, needless to say, she needs to realize that she's not above having jokes made about her. They're quite easy, actually, just use the Internets and you'll find plenty.

During his popular Top Ten segment, Dave addressed "Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip (to NYC)", and one of his quips was, "during the 7th inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez." Now that's funny. Not only does it poke fun as Palin's daughter, Bristol, being an 18-year-old unwed mother, it also ribs A-Rod's notoriety for divorcing his wife and being seen with several other women in the ensuing (and sometimes previous) months. Classic Letterman.

The problem came when it was discovered that the only daughter Palin had at the game with her was 14-year-old daughter, Willow. Obviously, the joke wasn't intended towards her. One, because Dave would never stoop to that level; two, because as soon as someone hears about an unnamed Palin daughter getting knocked up, they're gonna presume that it's Bristol. You know, past behavior and all that.

Let's get real, why is this a big deal? Letterman makes jokes for a living. He has for 35 years now. And why is Sarah Palin, who's trying to be taken seriously as a national political candidate, fighting battles against late night comedians? Did George W. Bush ever call out anyone for the millions of late night jokes that were made about him? Nope. You know why? As a person in such a highly regarded position, you're above that. But Sarah Palin isn't. She realizes she's a joke to everyone but the 41 people that still find her credible, and she's not cool with that. Instead of actually building her resume and climbing the political ladder the right way, she's attempting to stretch out her 15 minutes of fame before heading back to Alaska.

So, Ms. Palin, a word of advice: stop worrying about what other people say about you. If you want to be taken seriously as a politician, naysayers and jokesters are part of the deal. No matter which party of which you're a member, there are going to be people to take jabs at you. It's been that way forever, just ask the Israelis and Palestinians. When you start trying to fight back, you're the one that ends up looking petty. And considering you, and what you represent, are a large part of the reason the Republican Party is in shambles right now, looking petty is something you cannot afford to do. Grow up, lighten up, and maybe your approval rating will go up.

~~ Lank