The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Hey, Who’s the Man?

Posted on | September 3, 2010 | 122 Comments

WASILLA, Alaska — No, not me. As much as I’d like you to think I’m The Man, I’m not The Man. I’m talking about this guy:

In case you don’t recognize the boy sitting on his father’s lap, perhaps my latest American Spectator article will help:

Rumor is that the Palins are out of town and hope of an interview seems doomed to disappointment. Then my cell phone rings. “This is Todd Palin,” says the man on the phone. We chat briefly about the recent GOP primary victory of Joe Miller. I explain that I’ve driven 50 miles from Anchorage to Wasilla just to get a sense of the town where Sarah began her political career as a city council member and mayor. Todd then tells me that although his wife is out town, he’s still in Wasilla and …
Half an hour later, I drive down an unpaved road past a large Miller-for-Senate campaign sign and turn into a driveway marked with multiple “No Trespassing” signs, past which no wise person would go uninvited. Here, nestled among birch trees on the shore of scenic Lake Lucille, is the home of the woman whom liberals love most to hate — and Todd, the man who got the nickname “First Dude” during his wife’s term as Alaska’s governor.
Todd opens the front door and his youngest son, two-year-old Trig, scampers across the living room to greet the guest with a “high five.” Rambunctiously energetic, Trig is the focus of his father’s attention — Todd bounces the toddler on his knee, reads him a book, and fixes him a bottle . . .

Please read the whole thing. The First Dude is nothing short of pure awesome. It’s past midnight here in Wasilla and I’m too tired right now to explain how all this happened. I’ll get some sleep and update in the morning.

UPDATE: Linked at If You Seek Peace, by Sissy Willis at Liberty Pundits and by Da Tech Guy, who asks:

The big question. Is Todd Palin or Trig now a member of the Axis of Fedora?

Alas, no, the First Dude turned down the opportunity to wear the fedora. However, he did offer to take a couple of photos of me, for example:

Those “impotent, limp and gutless” reporters couldn’t handle Todd’s Iron Dog racer. At one point during our conversation, we were talking about the Iron Dog (specifically the absurd “ethics” charge based on Sarah wearing a coat with a sponsor’s logo) and I asked, “Is that the kind of sport that you kind of age out of?” Todd grinned and said, “You trying to tell me something?” 

Faux pas? Well, I explained that snow machine racing struck me as similar to motocross racing, where the average champion is in his early 20s. Todd said he has routinely competed against riders half his age.

It’s still only 6:40 a.m. here in Alaska. Seems like there was something I’ve forgotten to say.

Hmmm. Obviously, I need more sleep. Maybe I’ll think of it in an update later.

UPDATE II: Linked by Red at Ruby Slippers and now a Memeorandum thread. BTW, I notice Dan Riehl is doing a workout on Murkowski campaign director John Bitney, one of those disgruntled “former associate” types who finds it convenient to blame the Palins for his troubles.

UPDATE III: Linked by Bob Belevedere at Camp of the Saints, the Underground Conservative, and Cassy Fiano.

And be careful, Dave Weigel — you wouldn’t want to be “limp, impotent and gutless.”

Sometimes the best stories are the ones you can’t report. Sometimes if you’ll just talk to people — put down the notebook, turn off the recorder — instead of interviewing them, you can get a much better idea of who they really are.

Something else: Try to have some regard for the humanity of your sources. It’s worth noting that, at least at this point, the Palins are private citizens and are not obligated to speak to the press at all. So if Todd Palin is kind enough to invite me out to the house — when he could just as easily have spent those two hours doing something he enjoyed — should I repay his hospitality by playing “gotcha”?

C’mon, Dave: Remember how you felt when all that JouroList stuff was hitting the fan? That’s how the Palins have felt every single day for the past two years.

Category: Alaska, Sarah Palin

Comments

122 Responses to “Hey, Who’s the Man?”

  1. How to Write an Anti-Palin Hit Piece : The Other McCain
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 4:09 pm

    […] very smart in the long term.Hit the tip jar, people, I’m moving on.PREVIOUSLY:Sept. 3: Hey, Who’s the Man?Sept. 2: Greetings from WasillaSept. 2: Sarah Palin Calls MSM Reporters ‘Impotent, Limp, and […]

  2. Thomas L. Knapp
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

    I’d never seen that airport video before.

    Being a patient man, I might have given Mr. Palin a free pass on the first Sean Penn impersonation. The second time he’d have been visiting his doctor to get that broken nose re-set.

  3. Thomas L. Knapp
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 4:24 pm

    I’d never seen that airport video before.

    Being a patient man, I might have given Mr. Palin a free pass on the first Sean Penn impersonation. The second time he’d have been visiting his doctor to get that broken nose re-set.

  4. Mrs. The Other McCain
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 8:31 pm

    Teresa in Fort Worth TX.—-Thank you to all of The Other McCain readers. Stacy and Smitty really work hard. When Stacy told me he was going to start blogging I was a little nerves, There have been plenty of highs and lows But the readers and stories like this make the highs seem way high and the lows, who cares about them!

    We (the kids and myself) are very proud of Stacy. Happy to share (or show him off) with all of you guys! Thanks for the Hits too!!

  5. Mrs. The Other McCain
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 4:31 pm

    Teresa in Fort Worth TX.—-Thank you to all of The Other McCain readers. Stacy and Smitty really work hard. When Stacy told me he was going to start blogging I was a little nerves, There have been plenty of highs and lows But the readers and stories like this make the highs seem way high and the lows, who cares about them!

    We (the kids and myself) are very proud of Stacy. Happy to share (or show him off) with all of you guys! Thanks for the Hits too!!

  6. DaveP.
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 9:17 pm

    “Little tearlets of mirth are dipping down on the edges of my beedy eyes.”

    Um… that’s not mirth.

  7. DaveP.
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 5:17 pm

    “Little tearlets of mirth are dipping down on the edges of my beedy eyes.”

    Um… that’s not mirth.

  8. Joe
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 9:41 pm

    Thank you Mrs. Other McCain for letting Stacy do his road trips.

  9. Joe
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 5:41 pm

    Thank you Mrs. Other McCain for letting Stacy do his road trips.

  10. Joe
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

    As for Hawk he seems more of a chicken.

  11. Joe
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

    As for Hawk he seems more of a chicken.

  12. Bob Belvedere
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 9:54 pm

    Thank you, Mrs. The Other McCain.

    You know how to reach me if you ever need anything.

  13. Bob Belvedere
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 5:54 pm

    Thank you, Mrs. The Other McCain.

    You know how to reach me if you ever need anything.

  14. ehvogel
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

    I’m so glad to see that my contribution to your tip jar went to something truly worthwhile. The First Dude, dude! That’s awesome. I guess I need to keep hitting the tip jar, huh?

  15. ehvogel
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

    I’m so glad to see that my contribution to your tip jar went to something truly worthwhile. The First Dude, dude! That’s awesome. I guess I need to keep hitting the tip jar, huh?

  16. sybilll
    September 4th, 2010 @ 12:55 am

    This has been THE buzz of the day over at HillBuzz. I’d be shocked if the Boyz didn’t frontpage it. Great job, Stacey!

  17. sybilll
    September 3rd, 2010 @ 8:55 pm

    This has been THE buzz of the day over at HillBuzz. I’d be shocked if the Boyz didn’t frontpage it. Great job, Stacey!

  18. Labor Day Robo-Love
    September 4th, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

    […] Next up is the blogosphere’s very own Stacy McCain, who truly earns the  title of “Roving Reporter” this week by traveling all the way to Alaska to cover some Republican primary or something. I think Joe Miller’s name came up at some point. While he was in the neighborhood, he stopped in to check on the Palin family. […]

  19. Voices of the Candidates: Korey Welch (r) 5th Plymouth « Da Techguy's Blog
    September 4th, 2010 @ 3:11 pm

    […] However I have an excellent still of him joining the Axis of Fedora, in fact his entire party joined the axis that now perhaps reaches into the Palin home. (Alas no.) […]

  20. I take a day off from the net and Stacy Gets attacked again… « Da Techguy's Blog
    September 5th, 2010 @ 4:18 pm

    […] I take a day off from the net and Stacy Gets attacked again… Posted: September 5, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, business, local stuff, short films/interviews Tags: fitchburg, food, history, nostalgia, resturants, sports, voices of main street 2 I planned on taking a day or two off with scheduled posts and what happens, the left goes nuts over Todd Palin talking to Stacy McCain. […]

  21. Blog of the Week: The Other McCain
    September 7th, 2010 @ 9:21 am

    […] bought a one-way ticket to Alaska to do some light political reporting and in the process scored an exclusive interview with the former First Dude of Alaska, Todd Palin. The piece was published by the American Spectator of which R.S. McCain is a regular contributor. […]

  22. Groan: Murkowski as Write-In? : The Other McCain
    September 8th, 2010 @ 9:55 pm

    […] Meets Personally With Alaska LP OfficialsSept. 3: How to Write an Anti-Palin Hit PieceSept. 3: Hey, Who’s the Man?Sept. 2: Greetings from WasillaSept. 2: Sarah Palin Calls MSM Reporters ‘Impotent, Limp, and […]