Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Debunking Trig Truthers

I thought it was worthwhile to link to two authoritative articles that have recently been written with the intent to debunk the Trig Truthers. Both articles present loads of information as well as some supporting photos. I encourage our resident Gribbles to read both articles thoroughly, then take a few days off to reflect on the course of their lives and why they would be so willing to engage in promulgating slanderous character assassination. They should earnestly seek to understand what is at the root of their hate filled obsession with destroying Palin at any cost.

The first is written by Julia O'Malley, an Alaskan journalist who works for the Anchorage Daily News.


I read Scharlott's piece. It contains lots of innuendo and some widely-circulated Photoshopped pictures. What is missing from his investigation: facts.


One of my favorite passages is about a picture where Palin appears pregnant. Scharlott presents the original image, and then one with changes to the light balance. She still looks pregnant in the second picture. But he writes "Palin appears to be wearing some sort of pad strapped around her midsection; her lower belly, where a fetus would normally reside, seems flat" This is total fantasy.


But who needs facts? When you don't have the goods to support your ideas, just start bashing the media for not digging them up. (Sarah Palin does this all the time.) Scharlott goes on about how the media didn't do a good job debunking the rumor. It was, he concludes, "a spiral of silence."


But, of course, there was no silence spiral. The journalists, including me, who covered Palin at the time believed she was pregnant because she was pregnant. Even before the announcement, she seemed to be putting on weight. She wore baggy jackets and scarves. Before the announcement, she acted nervous when photographers tried to take her picture. Later on, her face filled out. Her fingers swelled. She had a noticeable belly. And it wasn't made out of foam.


"A trim woman simply can’t hide a fetus in her seventh month of pregnancy, and Palin in no way looks four and a half weeks away from giving birth to a 6 pound baby," Sharlott writes. Actually, women carry babies all kinds of different ways. Some women gain less than 20 pounds. Has this man never seen "I didn't know I was pregnant" on TLC?


Palin also ran all the time at the gym in Juneau. People I know saw her on the treadmill sweating in workout clothes. She had a belly. I repeat: she had a real pregnant belly. Are you going to tell me she was wearing a prosthetic abdomen on the treadmill?


After the birth, we interviewed her doctor who talked about it. Why would the doctor lie for her? That's right. She wouldn't.



The second is from Salon. They exhaustively researched accounts of Palin's pregnancy. This research included interviewing persons in Alaska who had first hand knowledge of Palin's pregnancy. It should be stated that the major proponents of the Trig Truther conspiracy are bloggers and one Professor Bradford Scharlott of Northern Kentucky University. Salon has done their due dilligence by interviewing Alaskans with first hand knowledge. The Truthers never did any due dilligence, they were content to spin fantastical conspiracies from the safety of their offices without ever interviewing those who really knew. Who do you think should be believed?

We've learned, for instance, that an Associated Press reporter in Alaska who was covering Palin during her pregnancy in early 2008 (before she became a national figure) thoroughly investigated rumors that the pregnancy was a hoax. The reporter directly questioned Palin about the matter in a private meeting in her Juneau office before she gave birth. Gov. Palin responded by voluntarily lifting her outer layer of clothing, offering a clear look at her round belly. The reporter quickly concluded that there was no truth to the rumors and never wrote about them.


This April 13, 2008 picture of a clearly pregnant Palin is from an interview with KTVA reporter Andrea Gusty (click for full size):


The Truthers have, of course, questioned the authenticity of the above photo. But Salon linked a video response from Andrea Gusty in which she flatly denounces their claims and provides proof to back it up.

The Salon article is long, but well worth taking the time to read thoroughly.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks DanL for touching upon this today. Hopefully, rational minded people can move away from these two fantastical stories and there can be an honest discussion about who should be our nominee and then who should be our President come 2013.

jerseyrepublican

Anonymous said...

jersey, that is my sincere hope.

Anonymous said...

Dan. We disagree. I've read all of that and more. I've read everything there is to read about it going on for 2 years now. The pics are not photo-shopped, they are from dated Alaskan newspapers. The wild ride story in and of itself is utterly unbelievable.

But I'm not going to have this battle. For one thing, Bosman won't allow it. I think there is reason to question, that's all I've said. But I don't want to get banned. People can decide for themselves if something doesn't make sense. I have, and I am more convinced than ever that something is amiss. I choose to believe my eyes, and my common sense.

I don't know why it matters to you, anyway.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Crazy Train...all aboard!!!

jerseyrepublican

Anonymous said...

Martha,

I like you a lot. With all due respect, put up or shut up. Every time anyone backs you up to a wall on this truther nonsense you come back with a vague deflection saying that you have read all about this for years now and you know better than the rest of us. But you refuse to cite any credible sources. You are as much in denial about this conspiracy as the Huck supporters are about his responsibility in the Clemmons murders.

Why does it matter? Because Palin is not the enemy of humanity as you and Ellie have decided that she is. Has she made some mistakes politically and in her family matters? Sure. So has everyone else who has ever walked this earth (except Christ). But none of her mistakes are so great that she should suffer character assassanation and baseless slander. Trig Truthers are SLANDERING her. If she wasn't a public figure she could sue them in court for slander and she would win. But public figures are not able to win slander suits in court thanks to New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Your behaviour in pursuing and furthering these BASELESS LIES are reprehensible.

Anonymous said...

Dan, I like you too--you know that. But I'm not going to write a post and publish it here about what I have researched. And I'm not going to respond to this today.

I would love to have my say on this! Because I don't, doesn't mean I'm not confident in my questions/opinion! I am. There's too many pieces that don't fit.

I will consider researching and writing my thoughts in the next few weeks. When I am done, I will post my email address for all. Anyone interested can email me, and I will send them my info.

But I won't have the discussion here. There's too much info, and it would be completely pointless.

What I don't understand is why some are hell bent on forcing me and Ellie to change our minds. I have NOT slandered Palin, I said the pictures don't make sense, and neither does the wild ride. It clearly doesn't.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

And BTW Dan. I don't think Palin is the enemy. I think she's a farce, politically and personally. She's become radioactive, in many ways. She doesn't do our party any good at all.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Martha, it is obvious to everyone here but you and ellie that you two are obsessed with Palin. You two are so consumed by your hatred of Palin that you can't even back up and see how consumed you are. In a recent blog showing terrible poll numbers for Palin I recall you querying something like this...have we finally slain the beast? Now I am sure that you were joking, to an extent, and that you were using hyperbole in making that jest. But many a true word is spoken in jest. Just look at how Huck works.

You and Ellie are entitled to think however you want to about Palin. But when you perpetuate lies about her, then I for one cannot sit back with a clear conscience and say nothing. Trust me, we would all have been much happier if you had kept that dirty little conspiracy to yourself instead of airing your dirty laundry for all to read here.

What good does it do for you to share links to conspiracy cites via email? This has become a public discourse. It must be defended or refuted publicly. This was made public by you Truthers. You can't just run and hide now that you have been challenged.

I agree that Palin is radioactive. And so does a vast majority of Americans, and even republicans. Her numbers in poll after poll for months now show that she will not be president. Why can't you let it go? Yours and ellie's inability to move on from Palin is just further proof with how consumed you are by her.

Anonymous said...

One more thing, Dan. You said put up or shut up. You act like I've been on here day after day trying to start a Trig Truther argument, and then offer no evidence.

But I have not done that. I went without saying a word for 2 years. Then one day, in a careless moment, I said something about it. It was not intentional at all, it just happened as it often does with me.

I tried to say why I think there are questions. It went on for one day, and since then I have not gotten into it with anyone, even though many people keep bringing it up.

I don't really regret saying it all that much, because I believe what I said. But I do regret that it started something that Bosman is not entirely happy about.

I'm not on a crusade or anything. I have my opinion, and you have yours.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Dan, I didn't say I would link to conspiracy sites. I said I would write my thoughts and why.

Yes, I was kidding about slaying the beast. Palin is a problem for the GOP, and the sooner she is discredited the better.

I don't hate Palin, I think she is a farce. There' a big difference. Personally, I'm sure she's a very nice person.

I completely admit I am obsessed with her, and I've said so numerous times.

I have never perpetuated a lie about Palin. Not once, and a resent the accusation. I think there are big holes in the story. No one knows, not even you.

It seems to me that you are the one not letting it go. One day, Dan. One day I raised some questions that I think are obvious. Since then I have tried to tamper down the talk. It's everyone else who keeps bringing it up.

I will write my post, as I said, and invite anyone to email me for it. That's all I will do. I'm not going to do it here.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

It's actually quite sad. If I didn't believe you were visiting dozens of sites a day spewing your nonsense about Palin, I would just leave you to your theories but unfortunately there are probably a couple of people out there that are weak-minded enough to believe your stories.

jerseyrepublican

Anonymous said...

I too have followed the faked pregnancy story for two years. As a woman I know that her one month pregnancy and the wild ride story cannot be true. There are several dated photes of her at a school function at 7-1/2 months with a completely flat belly.

If the wild ride story is true she put a lot of people at risk by flying for several hours in labor.
No mother in her right mind would risk the life and health of her DS baby with known hole in his heart by not going to the nearest qualified hospital once her membranes broke. Women are not buying her faked pregnancy. Looks like the only people who are buying her pregnancy story are men who don't really know much about pregnancy. The best part of the story is how reporters who knew she was pregnant but have waited all this time to come forward. One of the reporters who allegedly saw her belly under a think cloth was/is in a relationship with Ivy Frye. I laughed myself silly when I read where she showed her belly to a reporter. We all know the grizzly would never show her belly to any man, she would beat him over the head just for asking.

She will never be elected to any office again, but suppose she were to try...she has to be held accountable for her lack of common sense and good judgement regarding the alleged wild ride.

It's not about poor little Trig who had the misfortune to be adopted by her.

Anonymous said...

Martha,

When Huck asked his question 'Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers?' he was doing the same thing that you did in asking questions in a public forum about the Trig conspiracies. Huck didn't actually say that Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers did he? Trig Trutherism is a lie. You are perpetuating a lie. There is ample evidence in the two articles that I linked to convince any reasonable person that Trig Trutherism is a lie. But you casually dismiss that evidence.

Even if it was only one day, and in a moment of weakness, you still introduced Trig Trutherism to this site. (Maybe Ellie did before you, I don't know. If she did then you only perpetuated it rather than introduce it). But you brought that dirty thing here If I had a moment of weekness, only one day, and cheeted on my wife, would that make it better?

Martha, I still like you and respect almost all of your opinions.

Anonymous said...

"There are several dated photes of her at a school function at 7-1/2 months with a completely flat belly."

Links? From reputable sources!

All that crap has been photoshopped and posted to the internet by conspiracy nutcase liars far removed from Alaska.

When I challenge you Truthers to provide reputable sources, you all fail too. Because there are none. Just like the 9/11 conspiracies, this conspiracy has no evidence grounded in reality. Only manipulated stories and pictures from fringe kooks.

Anonymous said...

"The best part of the story is how reporters who knew she was pregnant but have waited all this time to come forward."

Great point Ellie. Now why is it that Obama took three years to finally release his birth certificate? That must be false too.

Anonymous said...

Dan, yes, I did bring it to this site. I'm totally responsible for it. But I don't think it's a lie, I think it's a question. I said I have questions about it. I said I didn't know, but that I wondered. There is more evidence than the 2 articles you linked to. And then there is common sense.

I still like you too, Dan. I respect your opinions, and have learned a lot from you.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

not, lest ye be judge likelise.” Is Franklin a true Christian? By whose judgement?
I find it amusing that you have quoted the stories of those who deny the faked pregnancy but have completely left out the people who have researched the story since the day she announced her three week pregnancy. Here is the photo of her at a school function. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2vab0IHpgGw/TbLmWr14YgI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/vJVfseob03c/s1600/Nail%2B%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcoffin%2Bpicture%2B-%2BLARGE%2B2.jpg

Come on be brave to to http://politicalgates.blogspot.com/ where you can read the entire story and multiple dated photos. You will find both sides to the story, not just the few stories where they are trying to put the story to bed.

Anonymous said...

Why are you trying to change the subject? This is not related to Obama's birth certificate in any way. This issue is about a woman who thinks she could be president, but tries to fake a pregnancy and creates an insane story about a wild ride. Doesn't seem like a person who used good judgement and who completely lack common sense.

Anonymous said...

Dan, When I made the comment in the chat box, I honestly didn't mean to start a hullabaloo. I can see why you think I did, and I don't really expect anyone to believe otherwise. I didn't think before I typed.

Huck knew the answer, and was doing it to sow division. I honestly was not doing it to start something. I just said what I thought. Careless yes, calculating no.

-Martha

-Martha

Anonymous said...

Anonellie,

LOLOLOL, you linked to fringe kook conspiracy cites and expect that to refute the researched, documented articles written by reputable journalist that I linked above?

Socrates said...

I just did a truther search on this site. NOT ONE of these posts where written by Martha. NOT ONE!

Anonymous said...

Come on Dan...don't be such a coward. Do some research. Don't be afraid of the truth about the faked pregnancy the the impossibility of Sarah's wild ride. When Sarah admits the big hoax and give her weak excuses for doing it, the Paliban will still think it's not true. Sarah's tiny little cult Paliban is made up of middle aged to senior men who have always been shunned by women and live their sexual fantasies via photos of the lying quitter. Women do not believe that she was pregnant...only dumb men.

Socrates said...

Congratulations Dan. You'll probably get 100 comments.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I forgot to sign my name to my last comment 1:07 pm was me...Ellie

Anonymous said...

Imagine if Palin were able to sue the Truthers for slander, how would the case be decided?

Evidence from the Truthers: photoshopped pictures posted third (fourth, fifth, xth) party to the internet; wild speculation about the infamous plane ride; amici curii from dozens of insane, inconsequential, anonymous bloggers; and allegations that the judge and jury are dumb men, therefore unable to understand pregnancy.

Evidence from the Palin counsel: hundreds of first hand, eyewitnesses who saw Palin pregnant; the doctor's testimony; a live and well baby Trig who didn't die or suffer any other horrible fate from that 20 hour 'wild ride'; original photos taken by news reporters at various public events during the pregnancy, photos that can easily be shown to be the originals via digital markers.

Of course, if this were a court case then the court could just order paternity and maternity tests and that would setlle that. But the point is that on the eyewitness accounts alone the court would decide in favor of Palin. And the Truthers would have NOTHING.

Anonymous said...

Come on Dan...don't be such a coward. Do some research. Don't be afraid of the truth about the faked pregnancy the the impossibility of "Sarah's wild ride. When Sarah admits the big hoax and give her weak excuses for doing it, the Paliban will still think it's not true. Sarah's tiny little cult Paliban is made up of middle aged to senior men who have always been shunned by women and live their sexual fantasies via photos of the lying quitter. Women do not believe that she was pregnant...only dumb men."

Still no substantiation, only a rant that would make Glenn Beck look sane by comparison.

Anonymous said...

"Why are you trying to change the subject? This is not related to Obama's birth certificate in any way."

No it isn't a change of subject. You, Ellie, were quick to blast the birthers today when the White House released the birth certificate. That is one nutcase conspiracy sent to the grave. Trig Trutherism is another crazy conspiracy and is directly analogous to Birtherism. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

"This issue is about a woman who thinks she could be president, but tries to fake a pregnancy and creates an insane story about a wild ride."

You have no evidence, zero, none, from a credible source to prove the pregnancy was faked. Your claims that the ride was wild are what are coming across as insane.

"Doesn't seem like a person who used good judgement and who completely lack common sense." Considering your sources, how can you possibly judge what is sane, good judgment? A model of common sense you are not.

Anonymous said...

Dan...you are trying way to hard to make the faked pregnancy story go away. It's not going away...it has only just started to get heated up. Three books are coming out in the next few months that will reveal the truth. I'm sure that's why Sarah made some phone calls to those reporters who suddenly remember seeing her pregnant. Hundreds of eyewitnesses my butt. No one saw her pregnant during her magical three week pregnancy. Heck, even the airlines state that she was not pregnant during the "wild ride". I love it when a man tries to support her faked pregnancy. Women know the truth, men live in Sarah's life of lies and fantasies. Sarah is NOT Trig's biological mother...get used to it. I will not be wasting any more of my time on you or any other member of the Paliban who wouldn't know the truth is it kicked them in the butt. Keep sending her your money, you fool.

Anonymous said...

"Here is the photo of her at a school function. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2vab0IHpgGw/TbLmWr14YgI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/vJVfseob03c/s1600/Nail%2B%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcoffin%2Bpicture%2B-%2BLARGE%2B2.jpg"

I shouldn't even grace this nonsense with a response. But:

1. Anonymous source for that photo. No documentation for when it was shot.

2. Palin is bending down to embrace the kid in that photo. It therefore almost make her breasts look even with her stomach. But even then she still appears to have a stomach. Her belly still appears to recede back, inwards, towards her groin. But the image was conveniently cropped so that we can't see her groin area or legs to see if the belly really is protruding or not.

OhioJOE said...

Haha, shhhhhh, Martha does not want to hear about body parts. Other than that, I am afraid that I am speechless.

Anonymous said...

"Dan...you are trying way to hard to make the faked pregnancy story go away. It's not going away...it has only just started to get heated up. Three books are coming out in the next few months that will reveal the truth. I'm sure that's why Sarah made some phone calls to those reporters who suddenly remember seeing her pregnant. Hundreds of eyewitnesses my butt. No one saw her pregnant during her magical three week pregnancy. Heck, even the airlines state that she was not pregnant during the "wild ride". I love it when a man tries to support her faked pregnancy. Women know the truth, men live in Sarah's life of lies and fantasies. Sarah is NOT Trig's biological mother...get used to it. I will not be wasting any more of my time on you or any other member of the Paliban who wouldn't know the truth is it kicked them in the butt. Keep sending her your money, you fool."

Still no substantiation. Only wild ranting.

Let me clear up a few points anyway. I am not a fan of Palin and have criticized her soundly on legitimate grounds, such as her quitting her governorship.

I have not donated to Palin's PAC and have no intentions of donating to it or to a presidential campaign of hers.

I have two children and a third on the way. My wife miscarried late term once as well. I was there for every birth and very much involved in every one of those pregnancies.

It is a nonsequitor to say that only women can talk intelligently about Palin's pregnancy because men have never been pregnant. That is a false premise. Just as it is a false premise that only those who have served in the military can have a say in military matters.

There are many, many women who do not buy into the Trig Truther crap either. And this pablum was started by men, Andrew Sullivan, Professor Bradford Scharlott, and author Joe McGinniss.

Anonymous said...

Any other sane readers notice how the Truthers keep telling me to do some research? It sounds an awful lot like that nonsense from X-Files 'the truth is out there.'

Sanity in the US certainly seemed to take a dip after that conspiracy fest show became popular.

Anonymous said...

Oh brother. I don't get why you all want to fight about this. No one knows for sure, and so it's all pointless until Palin decides to provide hard proof. Maybe she will, now that Obama has. It seems like there will be more pressure to do so if she decides to run. Then she can make everyone-including me--look stupid, as Obama did today.

I don't really care. Until someone proves the photos are faked, it's still a question in my mind. As far as I know, the newspapers have not said the photos or dates are wrong. It's just as easy to throw out the faked photo claim, as it is to throw out the fake pregnancy claim.

And the wild ride is still the silliest story, and the most irresponsible thing ever.

Noelle said...

Oh my goodness! Are we still talking about this?

NOT RELEVANT!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

@Dan, congrats on your upcoming new baby. How old are your other two children? Do they know that mommy is expecting a new baby? Can they tell by her belly? Sarah says even her kids didn’t know she was pregnant when she announced at 7 months. How can that be? Teen-age girls certainly would have noticed. Did she never hug her kids? Nothing in Sarah’s story is logical and nothing makes sense, except maybe to Sarah, who is also known to be a pathological liar.

No woman goes from flat belly to huge belly in three days, unless she’s wearing an empathy belly.

Anonymous said...

Anony @2:12...What's most important is that neither Palin nor Ram ( her mouth) have ever denied any part of the faked pregnancy,however, they are quick to spout off about silly articles in the NE..where they deny, deny, deny. One would think she would at least remember what town her fifth baby was born....nope..she has changed the story two times. Which is it Sarah, Anchorage or Wasilla?

ConMan said...

Why is this garbage still being brought up?

NadePaulKuciGravMcKi said...

The criminals fear Dr Ron for good reason.

Bscharlott said...

Hi everyone. I think it's great you all are talking about this. Question: why should we have to rely on "eyewitness accounts" of how pregnant she looked? If there was a hoax, isn't the point that she would have disguised herself to look pregnant? Most mothers have no trouble at all proving maternity with documentation.
- Brad Scharlott