Enough is Enough. If You Are a Pig, I'm Gonna Let You Have It!

By now, I should not have to provide the following preface comment, but I will anyway. Sarah Palin and I do not have one issue in common. Not a single, solitary issue between us in common. I do not support her, or her narrow, destructive  views for our nation. Barack Obama has my entire, complete support.

However, I am beyond sick and tired of the way she is being treated. If you have a beef with her stances on the issues, please debate and show her ideas/positions up as being false, selfish, uninformed, extreme, unrealistic, and destructive. This takes brainwork, but there is plenty of fodder by which to bring Sarah Palin down. What is not called for is reducing her to an object or sexual outlet. First of all, its too easy and second, its just plain "not right."

I expect many members of the Republican party to have sexist views, for them to talk, act, and vote in ways that suppress women or take away their liberties and freedoms. I expect that party to feel entitled to make chauvinistic derisive comments. Its who they are. They, too often, are filled with animosity, disdain, and resentment. Those feelings spill over onto "others."  What I was not quite expecting was for fellow democrats to take on the once conservative mantra of "at all costs" and "whatever it takes." I have been disheartened with each belittling, misogynist phrase uttered each week by Bill Maher on his HBO series Real Time. I was disheartened by the throngs of democrats who laughed along and added their own hateful diatribes. And now, I learn that some democrats are purchasing and proudly wearing shirts with words describing Sarah Palin in such "hate speech" ways. None of us would stand for shirts that reduced Obama in such racist ways, why would we buy or condone shirts with such anti-woman slogans?

I have two ways of thinking about this sexist travesty. First, if we want to call ourselves true democrats or progressives, we do not condone the wearing of shirts which demean, objectify, and dehumanize more than half our party. When you call a woman a "cunt,"  you really call all women "cunts." Just like most feminists do not believe you can be anti-choice and still be a true feminist, the same holds true for democrats. You cannot vilify one gender and still be a democrat/progressive.  If you want to make fun of, leer at, demean and degrade women, then coin a new party. Call yourselves "The Assholes," because you certainly do not belong in the party of humanism, the party of "we."

Now, the more cynical side of me wonders: Why was I so shocked? Come on, why be surprised? There is one fact, honest and true, that crosses party lines: Women are not valued in our culture unless they are selling "the man" what he wants. Sex. People are not so enraged by Palin because she is so far to the right of most in our party. No, what has so many men's goat, is that she is a woman. How dare she! How dare a woman think she can leap from male fantasies and be taken seriously? How dare women think they have a place anywhere but in men's masturbatory thoughts? Afterall, millions of women are spread across the web highway showing men what they really are, what they really want.  Men move from their computer terminal where every Tori, Daisy, and Holly is being stuffed full of cock. So, they walk to the television and see Sarah Palin. Who the fuck does she think she is?

She is just a hole. She should shut up, go back home, take care of her kids, or put back on that pageant sash. Right, guys? Is that it? And let's not forget the women who don such repulsive shirts thinking they are so "hip" and "cool." None of you are. You are destructive to our party and to women in general. I could get into a big long discussion about why women take part in the fellow destruction of women, but I will save that for another day. 

For now, enough is enough. If you act like a pig, you are a pig. With or without lipstick. 

Don't Let Joe Biden (or the media) Ruin This!!!!!

New Quinnipiac University polls show Obama making small but very significant gains in Florida, Pennsylvania, and my home state, Ohio. New CNN/Time polls show Obama gaining stronger leads in states like Virginia and Nevada. The Yahoo! News Electoral Map--based on averages of all national polls--shows Obama with 330 electoral votes if the election were held today. We have one debate win under our belt, and all the momentum on our side.

And it is with all that positivity in mind that I say to Joe Biden: Don't screw this one up, buddy!

Let's be clear: I love Joe Biden. Unlike some others, I was thrilled that this feisty, inspiring, beyond-knowledgeable veteran Senator was selected by Barack Obama as the Democratic VP candidate. The only stronger pick, in my estimation, would have been Hillary Clinton. I have gone on the record several times saying that Biden was a great pick, will be a great debater, and more importantly, a great Vice President.

But tomorrow's VP debate poses many challenges--and potential landmines are set to explode all over the place. Clearly, Biden knows what he is doing--he's been doing this kind of stuff for decades. And clearly, the Obama staffers are endlessly prepping the Senator from Delaware on precisely how to maneuver in this minefield. However, if there ever was a time for McCain-Palin to surge ahead, tomorrow is it. Obama handled the blustery curmudgeon McCain about as perfectly as one could at last Friday's debate. It is very likely, since the first debate is the most influential, that at worst Obama should be able to more than hold his own in the two remaining presidential debates, especially since the two remaining formats--Town Hall and Sit-Down Intimacy--favor Obama's style and strengths. And so barring a huge Obama gaffe--or a bizarro October Surprise--tomorrow night is the Republicans' best chance to reverse the tide.

And I believe Sarah Palin can do it--don't laugh, bastards...I mean it. She knows how to bullshit to such a degree that she supposedly performed well at several gubernatorial debates in 2006 Alaska. And she bullshitted her way into the hearts of many Republican extremists all over the country. It was an astonishing show. Of course, time, an increasingly catastrophic financial state in the United States, and an increasingly ridiculous string of Palin speaking misfires (to put it kindly) have set the Killa from Wasilla way, way back. But she can still work that bullshit magic, make no mistake.

What is Joe Biden's job? Plain and simple, be the Attack Dog--and set his sights on the top of the ticket. He needs to be forceful...but not jerky like McCain was on Friday. He needs to be knowledgeable...but not so dense that it goes over voters' heads. He needs to wipe the floor with Palin but do it with such a light touch that no one even notices until the damage is done. He can't be condescending, but he needs to make clear just how incompetent his opponent is. It's a tough task, but Joe Biden is more than up to it--so long as he keeps his head on his shoulders and doesn't vomit up some random gaffe like the couple he made a little over a week ago.

And like the wonderful spin doctors they are, members of the media will certainly do their part to tell us what happened and who won, just in case we can't figure it out for ourselves. The media's immediate reaction matters just as much as the performances of both candidates in deciphering which side gets a boost from this debate, and which side loses a little bit of ground. 

Joe Biden should win this thing going away...it's up to him to determine whether we continue riding this powerful wave of momentum or see our comfortable lead become uncomfortable once again. And the media should be fair in their appraisal of the debate...some of that is up to the candidates, and some of it isn't...but they can influence public opinion, and could reverse the momentum just to keep this thing close to the end.

So which Sarah Palin will appear on national television tomorrow night? And how will Joe Biden handle himself? And how will the media portray all of the above?

We'll find out tomorrow...same bat-shit time as last Friday's debate, and any bat-shit channel you can think of.

Debate Will Have Two Participants

McCain decided not to commit campaign suicide, opting instead to lick his campaign-threatening wounds and get on a plane to Mississippi.

Let's see how he tries to spin all this nonsense. And let's see if Barack Obama can grill the guy's ass on every last issue.

Steve Doocy is the biggest idiot working in television today

That's all I wanted to say.

Today I gave a presentation...

...about how today's political culture is driven by the politics of the Narrative--stories and personalites winning out over policies and ideas. That was the perception when Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary, and ever since the nomination of What's-Her-Name, it was clear that the Republicans were fighting to win the election on the back of compelling biographies and identifiable personal histories.

But my presentation today hinged on one key factor that is dominating this race: the MEDIA. Members of the MSM, as Vigilante pointed out not long ago, have taken on the job description of moderators looking to inject themselves into the story whenever possible, and in the MSM's hands, the presidential race has taken on the attributes of a high-stakes, down-to-the-wire sporting event--Presidential Bowl XLIV.

If the MSM has its way, this race will remain close and only get closer until crunch time, when one candidate will come through in the clutch and win the presidency after the "game" has been squeezed of all possible drama. In order for the moderators to achieve such a goal, it means that every story the MSM peddles--every Narrative they spin, whether by perpetuating current campaign narratives or creating yarns of their own--must fit into the "punch-counterpunch" framework of the best boxing matches. In short, each candidate must saturate the news cycle for a period, and then the other candidate must take over...back and forth, so on and so on. Because the simple is this: if you dominate the media narrative, you become the prominent candidate and the poll leader. Obama was the main draw (and, hence, the poll leader) right up through the Sarah Barracuda announcement--after that, the narrative shifted and the saturation of the Palin Story took effect. And voila!...McCain-Palin took the media reigns and rode it right into a slight lead in the polls. The combination of repeating the same old colloquial talking points, flaunting Palin's public speaking skills, and hiding her true stance on the issues worked savvily in the Republicans' favor. They found their version of Obama--a big, new, popular story to attract American voters. They seized control of the media narrative, and in so doing seized control of the national polls.

BUT THEN...

Can you say "bailout"? So can millions of other Americans...and for many of them, "solution to economic crisis" begins with "ousting Republicans from control." And so, as The Barracuda Effect became weighed down by Common Sense and Reality, the McCain-Palin Media Domination Phase came to a quiet close....and so did their lead in national polls.

So what does an old, cranky, tired, confused, desperate, calculating Republican presidential nominee do when he's waffled on the economic crisis and is losing his grip on the electorate, even with his Golden Goose-Killer by his side?

Well, he follows the advice of his advisers, of course, and attempts to TAKE BACK MEDIA SATURATION!

Smart idea...but what if it flies in the face of logic (well, perhaps I shouldn't be asking that question to the man who nominated Sarah Palin)? The last 24 hours of John McCain's presidential campaign have been among the most appalling and ridiculous of this 2-year process. He tries to steal back media attention by usurping a moment of genuine bipartisanship from Barack Obama, and then taking it ten steps further by calling for a delay of Friday's debate?!?! Obama's response was swift and correct (to paraphrase: "uh, can't presidents multi-task?"), clearly underlining just how presidential he is and McCain isn't.

Regardless of McCain's cowardly-whining-disguised-as-leadership, bipartisan negotiations commenced today in Washington, and--lo and behold--a tentative bailout deal was reached that both Democrats and Republicans believed to be passable and workable. "Great," I thought, "the debate will certainly go on as scheduled."

The headline I now read from the AP: McCain Campaign Won't Commit to to Debate on Friday.

Uh, huh. Yeah, I see how it works now. McCain is still holding out...still holding strong...still hoping that he will somehow look resolute and presidential as he bucks against a debate that should never be canceled for reasons so illogical...still wondering what the fuck he's gonna do to repair his image...still hoping one of his much more sinister and devious operatives will come up with a masterful strategy to get the Old Man out of this ditch.

Why is he doing this? ....Because at least it's media attention. And even if it's grasping at straws, what does Johnny have to lose? He's already down....he might as well pull out all the insane stops to try and get up off the mat. He's throwing insanity at the electorate and hoping something sticks....his Media Saturation Period depends on it.

I do want a debate tomorrow. I am naively excited about this election cycle. But if Johnny can't make it, I at least hope the networks stick around, Barack shows up, and uses the 90 minutes to talk directly with the American people about why he's the only one capable of leading this nation....since after all, he's the only one who's willing to show up to share his views with America.

Postpone the Debate? LUDICROUS!

Power's back on here in Obama Country (eh, at least our house is Obama Country)...but still taking care of fallen trees, etc. For now, a quick tidbit...

The events of the past several hours--in which Barack Obama called John McCain proposing a bipartisan effort to deal with the $700 billion financial crisis, then McCain called Obama back to accept, and mere minutes later made the second-most calculated political announcement of his campaign (guess what number 1 is), a feigned attempt to make himself appear "bipartisan" by calling for a delay of Friday's debate until a "solution" is agreed upon--is just the latest example of how Barack Obama is the most sincere presidential candidate we've had in decades, and how John McCain is so lost and so desperate that he's willing to play politics at every turn.

Obama, who is popular because of his powerful message and his inclusive policies, didn't come out with a massive press conference to announce how we should all bow down and respect his bipartisanship--he merely acted unselfishly bipartisan, and made a private call to John McCain. And instead of just politely returning the call and accepting the proposal, McCain refused to stop there; rather, he then unveiled the massive press conference to announce how we should all bow down and respect his bipartisanship. On the one hand, you have to admit that it was a pretty smart call, given the fact that McCain has waffled on this crisis constantly, Palin has done nothing but repeat campaign talking points and set up photo-ops, and Barack Obama has proposed solutions and made gains in the polls for his honest work. He was able to steal the spotlight, undercut Obama's true generosity and bipartisanship, and force Obama to back-track and make clear that he was, in fact, the one who started this bipartisan conversartion. On the other hand, it was as slimy and two-faced a move as one can imagine, one that was made purely for political gain--in short, it was signature John McCain, Presidential Candidate.

And so, to address this call for us to "put aside partisan politics and delay the debate," I first must say that McCain is doing nothing if not playing partisan politics. And then I must say that delaying the debate is the most ludicrous proposal I've heard from McCain since he walked out onto the Nutter Center stage and said, "Hey America, how 'bout Sarah Palin for VP?"

At best, the proposal shows complete tunnel vision and an utter lack of the ability to multi-task, a trait any presidential candidate should be anxious to display. At worst, it shows that McCain is trying to avoid a debate that he fears will further bury him in the polls, and perhaps also make his ultra-slim lead in states like Indiana and Ohio disappear.

As for Barack's response, I don't even need to paraphrase it:

"It's my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess. It's going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once."

Nailed it, nailed it, nailed it.

Barack Obama may one day go down as my favorite president of all time.

Are you there, Ike? It's me, Ohio...

Just over a week ago, the remnants of Hurricane Ike came blowing through Ohio and didn't let up for about 20 hours. I was downtown at the time, going to get some Obama-Biden signs with my two boys...but Democratic headquarters was closed for the day, and then we had to rush back home, as K called to tell me the power had gone out.

Over a week has passed...still no power. So here I write, from the university where I work/attend, just to let y'all know that we're still here...and that our commentary will return when the electricity does.

In the meanwhile, let's all bask in the return to sanity in the national polls, where Barack Obama is again at 50% in some, with as high as a six-point lead.

A big hurray for that...and a prayer for electricity.