> The glee that the liberal press take in reporting the (thoroughly
> ordinary) problems in Ms Palin's family life seems to exemplify their
> disdain for ordinary people.
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Is it the allegedly "liberal" press - or a "sensationalist" media oriented
towards personal gossip rather than social issues? And gossip about
"ordinary" people? The media only became interested in Palin's family life
when she became an extraordinary national figure. If the media expresses
disdain for so-called ordinary people, it does so by ignoring and frequently
blaming them for their personal hardships. It's overly preoccupied with
salacious gossip about the rich and famous, liberals and conservatives
alike. It's overriding interest is boosting readership and ratings, and
there has always been a mass audience for this sort of fluff, except perhaps
when a rise in political consciousness has been able to, at least partially,
displace the circus in pursuit of bread.