Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
(Source: Washington Independent)
Housewife and mother Anne Kilkenny was not prepared for instant national attention when her September comment about Sarah Palin went viral. She's been overwhelmed by the response.
Kilkenny's viral email experience began as an online comment to an article about Palin by Laura McGann at the Washington Independent website.
"I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska," wrote Kilkenny. "I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first-name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city."
These sound like solid credentials to me, yet what's behind the viral letter?
"So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write something up." Kilkenny began. "Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2 things in common: their gender and their good looks."
Kilkenny then added, "You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on any websites, as there are too many kooks out there."
So, a few readers in Washington State did copy and forward Kilkenny's comment, who emailed it to their friends, who emailed it to their friends, who emailed it their friends, and so on.
I received a copy Kilkenny's comment on Tuesday, September 2, and I immediately responded with a request for permission to quote her. She replied later that day with thanks for me even asking. "This is getting overwhelming. Somebody posted my letter without my permission. Now it's everywhere. Emails are coming at an ever increasing rate."
She gave me permission to quote her, but she also said that she preferred not to be quoted. To clear up my confusion, I replied with details on the four levels of journalistic confidentiality (on the record, off the record, background, and deep background).
I also said, "You have shared information not available elsewhere. That's why your words are being distributed so widely."
She responded this morning with an apology for the delay. "I haven't been able to keep up with all the email," she wrote. "I'm getting used to having strangers declare they know why I said this or that, and what I think, or what kind of person I am. And I'm finding out that there are WAY more good people out there than kooks. Out of hundreds of responses I've received, only a couple have been negative, none terribly nasty, and, most importantly, none threatening. THANK GOD!"
Giving me permission to quote her on the record, she added. "I don't want my words to be the used in a piece which is just against Palin; if you're not writing a balanced piece, please don't quote me on the record. Please try to not quote me out of context. I don't need to read my name in the press. The important thing is that the information get out."
Given her sensitivities, and with respect for her rights, since so many others have published her letter on the Web without permission, I've decided not to quote any more from her letter than its introduction.
Instead, I'm going to give you below the link to Laura McGann's initial article and invite you to scroll down the long page to read Anne Kilkenny's comment in it's original context. The other comments there are worth reading, too.
If you want to get past the hype on both sides of the debate about Palin's suitability to be president if something ever happens to aging John McCain, if you want insights that you cannot find elsewhere from someone who knows Sarah Palin first-hand, if you want more than the opinions of national pundits like me, I urge you to click the link below and get the facts for yourself.
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/3671/the-reform-candidate
Google Search for "Anne Kilkenny Alaska"
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Comments
With the political death of the feminist standard bearer at the hands of a further left unknown black man from the depths of the Chicago Daley machine, the feminist hoards in the media and elsewhere are ready for the blood of another woman. Not just any woman. A woman who, if elected in November, will have WON the 40 plus year old war against traditional values.
From burning their bras to going to work (and leaving the kids with a sitter) to entering the board room.
Now a woman has achieved ALL those things and is about to be the first woman Vice President of the United States. When Sarah Palin enters the WH as VP, HER side , the side with the traditional values, small town values, family values, will have won the cultural war against the feminists.
It is like being the first on the moon. Once its done its done, NOTHING can take it away. The far left feminists and their feminized male counterparts, will have to concede. The war of 40 years will have been won, and NOT by their side. They will do whatever it takes to stop this fine woman.
They WILL fail.
Nice try. This is a fake, and you know it. How naive could "Anne" be to put her name and email address on something like this and then ask her "friends" to keep it on the hush-hush.
C'mon. Stop peddling this crap. No one with a brain believes it. Hoaxes like this are a dime a dozen on the internet, but democrats seem hell bent on doing whatever it takes to undermine the Republican ticket.
Geez I'm glad I'm a Canadian.
"...if you want more than the opinions of national pundits like me, I urge you to click the link below and get the facts for yourself."
Hmmmm. The "national pundits" I know tend to do a little more spade work before enthusiastically linking to a housewife in Alaska for "the facts." Just a suggestion.
Lest we forget about Obama’s “Kilkenny moment.”
www.wweek.com/editorial/3418/10516/
Written by a journalist / neighborhood guy in Chicago who positively exists and was also on a first-name basis with “The One.” It should be posted on every blog that mentions the Killkenny email.
Since last spring there are millions of people blogging who weren’t doing so until recently. Let’s make sure everyone reads this great insight into Obama’s climb to power!
See for yourself. Here is the Video:
Sarah Palin, touts her service as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. This slide show takes you to the remote town where Palin's political career began.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988092926/bctid1772099431
I think there is more to the story about the firing of the librarian than meets the eye.
Hearsay that the firing relates to the librarians refusal to rid the shelve of certain "books".
Maybe this hearsay will be proven false, but I'd like to find out more.
Another disturbing news item. Ms. Palin hid her pregnancy with Trig from people very close to her (including her parents) until she was 7 months pregnant.
Why?
Thanks for the invitation to comment Annie
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