In what has been a strikingly bitter and divisive US election campaign, one of the most distasteful forms of personal attack has been left-wing bloggers labeling VP candidate Sarah Palin as bipolar. These commentators apparently believe it is possible to diagnose Governor Palin as a closet sufferer of manic-depressive illness, without ever having met her or going through a formal diagnostic process. Bipolar is actually a specific medical term and the criteria for bipolar is set forth in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
For those of us who do have bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness), or who advocate on behalf of the bipolar community, this is a disturbing development that epitomizes the extent to which bipolar has become synonymous with bad behavior. Increasingly, lay people feel free to sling the term bipolar around as a pejorative, and seem to believe they have, through pop culture osmosis, become experts on this very complex illness. The term bipolar has become contemporary cultural shorthand for anything we interpret as extreme or obnoxious in light of our own personal belief system.
In reality, bipolar is a spectrum of mood disorders, characterized by mood swings between mania and depression.
The symptoms of mania include excessive risk taking, hypersexuality, reckless financial spending, gambling or investments, and incoherently rapid and disjointed speech. Another common bipolar symptom is grandiosity, a grossly inflated sense of one’s abilities and entitlements.
The bipolar community has disproportionately high rates of marriage breakdown, financial problems, substance abuse, obesity, and career under-achievement. During depressive phases, bipolar people may become withdrawn, unmotivated, despairing, or even suicidal.
Governor Palin has a very happy and successful marriage, her personal finances have been scrutinized and found above reproach through the VP vetting process, she has maintained a successful career, and does not abuse alcohol or drugs. Instead of grandiosity, Palin drives herself to work, listed the Governor’s jet on e-Bay, and dispensed with an executive chef. Like many Alaskans, she does use a tanning bed during the long dark winters to fend off vitamin deficiencies and Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD), a far cry from clinical depression.
Of course, not all Americans are pro-life feminists like Sarah Palin. Some voters disagree strongly with her on the important issues of the day, and will choose to support her opponents instead. It should be possible to go through this process without further caricaturing sufferers of manic-depressive illness. Invoking the specter of mental health disorders to denigrate individuals with a different political perspective is ignorant, hurtful, and childish.
Governor Palin is a hard working, high functioning politician, with views some do not share. Labeling her bipolar in order to express ideological disapproval is taking a medical term already overloaded with cultural baggage, and using it to further marginalize millions of fellow citizens who bravely struggle against this misunderstood disease every day, and who are already subject to a heavy burden of stigma and ignorance.
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How specifically does Sarah Palin make $20 million in the private sector?CNN reported in a blurb that Sarah Palin could make $20 million a year in the private sector. I have no idea how it works and what she'd be paid for. Does anyone have a good explanation as to why Sarah Palin is worth so much? What specifically could she do in the private sector that would make her worth 20 million.
The choice is between an inexperienced socialist and an inexperienced conservative. I will take the conservative Palin anyday over a statist and racist socialist any day. Anyone who thinks up a universal health care program like the one this Congress and President is doing has to be so far disconnected from reality that they have no idea what they are doing. 23 freaking TRILLION dollars man. That is the red ink from this PRESIDENT alone!
I agree with you in
the part where you say that Palin is a moron.
Inte, I see you slinging a lot of mud, but I don’t see many specifics. Let me try my version.
“if you read real news instead of watching PMSNBC you would know opinion of us is PMSNBC has it’s pipe imbedded in your anal canal and apparently your head is there too.”
Wow, that was easy!
Manucalrad – Is the best you can come up with . Sarah failin a quitter as president .
That is original.I can see you did not waste any brain cells on that hard thought out insult .
By the way, I don’t watch TV news. I read the newspaper and check Google News.
Accusations and personal attacks are not a substitute for reasoning.
Deranged ad hominem attacks. You say I am a demon because I have different opinions from you. Accusations of parroting talking points and propaganda, from people doing just that. I’ve told you what I think. Where are your solutions? I have not seen any specifics.
Re: Smart diplomacy. Obama courts the vicious police states of Iran and Syria, and wishes to re-install the legally-impeached Chavez-like president of Honduras. Aside from that, he apologizes and makes gaffes. Where’s the smart?
sarah failin as president sure if you guys dont mind her quitting before half her term.
That’s nice I say something about the progressive Messiah , and you slander me . What did I hurt your feelings with the truth . Man get over it Obama is not going to save shit . Other then Lie his ass off to you , and give you a false hope of something great is around the corner . You keep waiting there .Hell is going to freeze over before your change shows up .
InteGraying
He already has changed the world’s view of us twizzlestick, and if you read real news instead of watching Fox you would know opinion of us is much better. You don’t have the right to tell anyone they are living a pipe dream as long as Fox has it’s pipe imbedded in your ass.
So what experience does Obama have?
Write a book, give speeches. A talk show. But it won't last forever.
I wouldn't take if they paid me – what could her book be about? How to be a perfect incubator, or how to spread legs and churn out kids. Or maybe how to teach your kids to ignore school and have underage unprotected sex? She is a slutty idiot, end of story about her.
I wouldn't be surprised if she hired a ghost writer to write some fairy tale in which she will be presented as an intelligent being but who in their right mind would read that garbage?
why not? she can see russia from her house! (sorry, had to steal the Tina Fey gag)
as much as i dislike sarah palin, we should all remember that no matter how horrible a President or VP may be, its the House and Senate that really drive politics and foreign policy. the recent set of nimrods sitting in the Prez and VP's drivers' seats the last few decades just happen to stick their foot in their proverbial mouths often enough that the House and Senate do everything they can to catch up with damage control.
remember, when it comes to some the most important elections to watch, think local.
as far as palin – let's hope mccain keeps his sodium intake down and takes his lipitor often. if crowned king – i mean, elected president – he should probably have all the safety precautions in place that he can (to possibly include a royal food taster) to ensure a healthy rule free of unwanted heart attacks, strokes, accidental falls down the stairs, kodiak bear attacks – you know, all the stuff that life alert covers you for.
i'd be very afraid if palin was presented the golden slipper in the next few years.
Actually, Sarah supervised the whole affair.
In fact, she acted as "fluffer".
i think fair is fair if you believe in wire tap you can get your email hacked into eye fo a eye right
At least through 2020, when her second presidential term comes to a close.
President? She's lucky to be a greeter in a hardware store like Bush is in Crawford, TX.
Plastic surgery and a K-Mart wig make her face a little stiff. Her husband has the remote in his pocket.