Opinion: Palin 'Sambo' Rumor Going Viral on the Internet

Your salacious reading experience of Us Weekly's titillating cover story on Sarah Palin not enough? Want some more juicy stuff? Judging from the many rumors about Sarah Palin flying across the LeftoSphere, you'll get more than your fill between now and Election Day, it would seem. The latest rumor to catch fire on the Dark Side of the Force is that Sarah Palin called Barack Obama 'Sambo' after Obama's victory over Hillary Clinton in the primaries, and it is now going viral across the 'net. Here is what seems to be the original LA Progressive article that started it all. Newsbusters has a lot more on the story. Michelle Malkin has a rundown on the rumor's dubious sources. If true, it would be devastating to Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign. Yet once again I find myself in the position of investigative journalist, trying to get to the truth of the matter in a way many in the MSM seem to have relinquished. For example, notice the general tone and tilt of the remainder of Charley James' story, like this objective and unbiased commentary:

Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, “darkie musical” swipe, people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful “mukluks” along with the totally unimaginative “f**king Eskimo’s,” according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.

But being openly racist is only the tip of the Palin iceberg. According to Alaskans interviewed for this article, she is also vindictive and mean. We’re talking Rove mean and Nixon vindictive.

No wonder the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention went wild for Sarah: They adore the type, it’s in their genetic code. So much for McCain’s pledge of a “high road” campaign; Palin is incapable of being part of one.

So did she say it? Based on knowledge in the public domain, I'd have to say no. I find it hard to believe Sarah Palin would call Eskimoes 'Arctic Arabs' when she's a. married to one, and b. whose children are subsequently all part Eskimo. I would, however, find it utterly believable that Charley James and LA Progressive have it in not only for GOPers but anyone to the right of Lenin, based on Mr. James' 'report.' UPDATE: Comments are closed for the LA Progessive/Charley James article linked above. Surprise, surprise. You know, People, this kind of stuff is really frightening. Between now and Election Day we will hear in the media rumor after rumor and analysis after analysis of Sarah Palin's fitness as a mother, politician and even human being, yet I expect we will see and hear not a whit of the troubling truths about Obama, never mind rumors. There is a price to be paid for such one-sided partisan journalism. Us Weekly knows what it is now. Another example would be the UK Guardian's attempt through a letter-writing campaign to influence the vote in Ohio. Their meddling may have just cost John Kerry Ohio, and by extension, the Presidency. I'm sure RatherGate stirred up a number of sympathetic votes for Bush in 2004 as well. And that is the real danger here if Democrats don't put a screeching stop to the media ambushes the far left is perpetrating on Sarah Palin. In trying to help their beloved candidate Obama, and at the same time trying to destroy Sarah Palin (and by extension John McCain), they risk alienating huge segments of the voting population come Election Day.