Alex Knapp argues, along with Jon Stewart, that the media professionals should ignore the Willow story:
No matter how much you may dislike her famous mother, a 16 year old should be able to say something stupid on the Internet without it becoming national news. And she should certainly be able to say something stupid without having it analyzed, criticized, or defended by adults she’s never met and likely never will meet.
Saying stupid things is a part of growing up. Let her find her own way in the world which will mean that, yes, sometimes she will say things that are cruel, or thoughtless, or stupid. I’ll wager you said some pretty stupid things when you were 16, too. So lay off.
What if she had written "ni**er?" And one has to note that her mother has put all her children into an unforgiving spotlight, even subjecting them to reality show exposure. The idea that we should all abide by rules that Palin herself freely violates - her family "privacy" my ass - is surrender to her double standards. Palin cannot cite her son, Track, in every stump speech and not have his history examined. She cannot parade a child with Down Syndrome like a campaign poster and not have any questions asked about the kid's journey into this world. She cannot push one daughter into a reality show and an abstinence campaign without allowing that person's past and present to be a story. If Palin kept her family private, it would be one thing. But she relentlessly exploits them when it suits her and then acts offended if there's any pushback or scrutiny. Screw that.
Weigel, meanwhile, was ignoring the story until GOProud decided to issue a "get-out-of-slur free card."