Ghost of a flea: Dear Atlantic Monthly customer service

September 02, 2008

Dear Atlantic Monthly customer service

I write and publish Ghost of a flea (ghostofaflea.com) one of Canada's top 25 political blogs by links and traffic. I am writing to explain why I will not subscribe to your publication or link to your articles.

Andrew Sullivan's commentary on the Palin family** these last few days has been the most contemptible, revolting spectacle I have ever encountered in a mainstream media publication, certainly the worst I have ever seen in a publication with the history and stature of the Atlantic Monthly. I cannot endorse your publication in any way until Sullivan has been removed from your masthead.

Yours,

The Flea

* The link is to the Atlantic's customer service email address. That one may be specific to its Canadian subscribers but write all the same. Just so long as they get the message.
** Flea-readers who have not been exposed to the progressive fever swamp may refer here and especially here for background. For days before news was released of Governor Palin's daughter's pregnancy, Sullivan has been "raising questions" regarding the Governor's newest son, insinuating the Governor is not the mother. Even now, he is demanding the release of medical records to establish parentage. I will not say more than that for reasons that should be obvious. The subject is profoundly offensive, profoundly disrespectful of the privacy Sullivan claims for his own colourful private life and suggests a personality so twisted by hatred it will say or do anything to denigrate political opponents.

We see this sort of thing a lot from the left. So enamoured with "the people" in general, so contemptuous of the liberty and dignity of people as individuals.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at September 2, 2008 04:17 AM

Comments

At the risk of being called a homophobe or something, I am actually beginning to wonder if Sullivan is suffering from HIV related dementia. In the last 6 years he has become increasingly shrill and illogical, to the point where he will actually deny facts such as photographic evidence of Palin's pregnancy and the simple arithmetic that concludes that 5 month pregnant Bristol Palin mathematically cannot be the mother of Trig Palin (born in March of this year.)

Posted by: dpatten at September 2, 2008 09:12 AM

Ace speculates at length along the same lines. Normally I would avoid doing so but given Sullivan thinks a months old baby with developmental disabilities and a pregnant seventeen year old girl -- neither of whom are public figures -- are fair game then Sullivan's private life are entirely open to speculation.

I have no more insight into Sullivan's medical condition than he has into the Palin family. That said, I think it is more a case of Bush Derangement Symptom than AIDS related dementia. His support for the Bush administration, the war and against moral equivalence lasted precisely until the President's announcement he would support an amendment to the Constitution barring same-sex marriage. I happen to disagree with the President on that issue but somehow that did not change my view about the necessity to oppose Dark Ages barbarians intent on mass mayhem and murder in the West. But then Sullivan has his beagles to consider in the event of a break up so, you know, priorities.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at September 2, 2008 09:23 AM

Top 25, eh?

I think you can do better than that.

Posted by: agent bedhead at September 2, 2008 10:37 AM

Hmm. I hadn't ever read that particular website before. Ace that is. But he has some decent (if a bit abrasive) points.

Also, Sullivan isn't exactly what one would call a subject matter expert when it comes to male-female sexual relations and reproduction.

It seems his Obamania has reached manic proportions.

Posted by: dpatten at September 2, 2008 01:21 PM