One year ago, in January, 2011, the National Enquirer ran with a story about Todd Palin having a mistress. A woman who had been arrested for prostitution. A single mom by the name of Shailey Tripp was exposed to national attention and humiliation. For Ms. Tripp, it was a calculated move. She’d sold her story to the tabloid, she’d passed the lie detector tests, she’d shown them email exchanges between herself and the First Dude. Game on.
Babygate bloggers grabbed the ball and ran with it. Those of us on the side lines cheered; we wondered what the next offensive play would be, and what defense the Palin team would use. Woo hoo! Trig Truthers had a new player to cheer for, to get to know, to follow the way football fanatics follow their favorite quarterback. Sarah Palin had someone new to belittle. Someone to whine about with her "Oh, geez, can you believe it," defense like she uses when she calls us Wackos.
We know how it turned out. The team on the side of truth and Palin exposure took a trouncing. The officiating was rigged. What should have won points with the media and move Team Tripp into Super Bowl-level completion for national attention, was instead, called back and reversed by crooked law enforcement officials. By the time the Packers defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, the powerhouse playing for the Palins had put the fledgling Shay Tripp team to rest, too.
But Shay is no quitter. And Truthers are determined. And, bloggers have their individual reasons for taking up the Babygate story, and each Palin blogger took a position. Some in prominent starter positions and some second string. Whether on the field or in the stands, the folks who continued to believe that Todd Palin’s connection to a prostitute in Wasilla was a story that could still make it big were the bloggers and their readers. This team continued to show up and work out. Details emerged through Ms. Tripp’s testing out of creative strategies -selling Todd Palin email exchanges on eBay, giving interviews with bloggers, starting her own blog, and self publishing her first book.
That book, “Looking for Inspiration” is Shailey’s most personal story. It’s far more personal than any recounting of sex acts with strangers could be. In this short book, Shay gives an honest account of troubled familial relationships. Details of sex for hire might sell, but if you’d rather pick up something that stirs the compassionate side of you, I recommend “Looking for Inspiration.” It’s only 32 pages and that includes the “Special sneak Preview” of Shailey Tripp’s next book.
I’m going to give you a snippet from that Preview. I don’t think anyone else in Babygate bloggery has told you what’s in “Looking for Inspiration;” what follows if from page 30.
“One officer was introduced and I was told this was his bust. I asked him his name and when he spoke I looked closer. He was a former client; a sexual client. Then I noticed two FBI guys there who were also former clients. No way in hell I was going to say anything now. I knew this was serious.”
If that “Sneak Preview” doesn’t make you return to your seat for the second half of the game, you should turn in your “Wacko” team jersey.
According to Shay’s blog, her second book, the one about Todd Palin, will be out early this year.Team Tripp is coming back onto the field after a rousing halftime pep talk delivered by all of us “coaches” who visit her blog – and we need to get behind her. Buy her first book if you are so inclined, I got mine through Amazon.com. Then, watch for the second one. I’ll announce it here as soon as I know it’s available and how to obtain it.
Gotta tell 'ya, I’m more excited about Ms. Tripp's next book than I am about Super Bowl XLVI . Go Shay! Sent a “hail Mary” pass into the end zone of the Anchorage Police Department. Game on!.
12 comments:
You know, I bet anything that the more S Palin made a name for herself in Alaska, the more prominent Alaskan names watched Todd as a potential "pimp". He's attractive, tough and courteous. I bet the more THEY promised him and the more he entangled himself within the web, the more lost he became and conflicted he felt. I am sure he, today, fully regrets those decisions. How could he not?
I've always thought our national government and high profile figures were embroiled in a huge ring. It's not the only shady business they're all involved in by any means.
You never know who someone is and you should never judge anyone based on anything. That's one thing I've learned in the last 35 years.
Kowabunga! I doubt Sarah will be saying much for a while. Go ahead and pick her Newt! We would all love to see that! Going to be an interesting year political wise and bet we'll see a few APD boys resigning real soon. FBI anyone?
Shay's big mistake was going to the NE in the first place. Nothing of worth comes from there. I'd even put Edwards in that boat, as he was quickly forgotten. I might just blame naivete on her part though. The big bad world of media is not a good place to play around in. You wont find a bigger group of selfish, ladder climbers.
Julie,
You cannot honestly believe that citizens do not have a right to question the behavior of those that spend so much time and effort to be elected leaders of our nation. The implications of having leaders with scandalous pasts would be perilous to the security of our nation. These people would be under constant, unrelenting threat of blackmail. No matter how Todd feels about what he knowingly or unknowingly got himself into, he should have known better. And, he has now publicly endorsed the presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Todd is fair game.Should we just not judge Charles Manson because he was taking drugs at the time he murdered some people, and he really didn't mean to do it?
I really want to see Shailey's book get the attention it deserves, and not only because the Palins are involved. I've really had enough of men and women in positions of power using that power to take advantage of, or physically harm women, men, or children who are vulnerable. I have always felt that Shailey was targeted as much for who her clients might be, as she was for having clients in the first place. Maybe they thought they could pin a whole bunch of stuff on her, and silence her by sending her off to prison. If Shailey's refusal to keep silent about what has happened to her has kept others from starting and maintaining new trafficing operations; her courage could mean the difference between life and death for others who would find themselves in the same situation in which Shailey found herself. Shailey is speaking for those that don't have a voice, and I commend her for that.
Too little too late, I'm afraid.
No one really cares about the Palins anymore.
But good luck to ST on wringing out some money on this.
@Cracklin'. You are so right. The Palins may have given Shay the route to a bit of name recognition, but her story is important even without the P-name. She was vulnerable and she speaks for others who are vulnerable.
If you have seen the movie The Whistleblower, you know how important it is to stop trafficking--and how difficult.
"you should never judge anyone based on anything. That's one thing I've learned in the last 35 years."
Well, maybe you can spend the next 35 years getting some common sense. Your kind of "reasoning" is how Joe Paterno got into trouble.
Great coach. Moral bankrupt.
Cracklin' Charlie and B, there are other things in the "Sneak Preview" that will make you say "That's what I suspected!" For immediate satisfaction, I encourage you to get this book. Based on what you've said today, I can promise you'll find it to be worth $7.
It's such a small book that I don't feel right giving away more of the goodies.
LOL, hasn't anyone noticed since Newt said Palin would have an big part in his administration the polls took a dive. I was reading on another blog where they were saying that congressmember would support Newt even if they couldn't stand him until he mentioned the beast of Wallisa. Nuff said say bye bye to the beast and Newt.
FYI - the previous posting's conversation thread is still fresh with further comments from Cracklin' Charlie and B on the Puzzle Piece post. Stop over, share your ideas.
Ivyfree, regarding Paterno you don't know what you're talking about. He was a man of high integrity. Your frame of reference is what the media fed you. If you want to pick and choose what to think based on media reports, anything you write is suspect. Media isn't interested in truth, they're interested in dollars (witness the Anchorage Daily News vis-a-vis SP and crew). Go ahead and believe what you will. Regarding Paterno you're wrong but continue since it suits your want.
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