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The New York Times did not defame Sarah Palin I



Good news.  

On April 22, a jury in New York City ruled that the NYT had not defamed former Alaska Governor and one-time Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin in a 2017 editorial. Today I will discuss this outcome in somewhat general terms.  Tomorrow I expect to dive into the particulars of the case.  

 This is the second time a jury has done so.  Another one reached the same result on the same facts three years ago. 

Palin refused to accept it, and did manage to get the verdict reversed, a new trial ordered, on appeal.

The safe bet is that she will appeal this one, too, on whatever grounds her attorneys can cook up.  But, having already had a second bite at the apple, the odds have become rather small that the appellate courts are going to give her a third. 

My guess is the Times has won this one.  

Cases like this are fascinating because they involve two well-funded opponents.  I am certain that Palin could raise as much money as she wanted to raise from an endless stream of Republican billionaires. I am also aware that the New York Times takes the burden of litigating such cases as a cost of doing business.  It is baked into their business model and, given the success of that model -- it was founded in 1851 and keep on ticking -- it will continue to fight when someone like Palin puts up her metaphorical dukes. 

"The failing New York Times" is one of The Donald's charming nicknames. But it plainly is not failing.  A year ago in the midst of covering a presidential campaign, its stock price was about $43. Right now, that number is above $50. 

Meanwhile how are other alternative investments doing?  Like, say, MyPillow? 

Personally I rarely read The New York Times. When I want hard news I go to the wire services.  When I want [informed] opinion ... well, it is easy to find. But the Times seems to be the organ that ticks off the worst people in public life today, so I am happy today for its victory. 

Palin is not only a legitimate target of the criticism the NYT doled out to her, but she remains a legitimate target of amusement, too.  I saw a toot recently that said, "Trump is so far up Putin's ass that he can see Sarah Palin's porch."

I suppose you have to have memories of Palin's VP run, and of the Saturday Night Live skits that engendered, to get that.  Sometimes it is worth while having a memory.

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