Friday, September 26, 2008

When Kathleen Parker Suggests You Go

Although it sometimes leads to butting head with many feminists, I like the idea of feminism being the simple idea that women are human beings deserving of equal treatment under the law and equal pay. Everything after that is debatable. Today feminists from both parties can come together as Kathleen Parker suggests that Sarah Palin bow out of the race. Palin's candidacy insults all women. It's not having a woman nominee for any office that matters. It's having a qualified nominee. If that nominee is a woman, then so much the better for our democracy's ability to expand the number of voices in the conversation. Palin was nominated because of her gender, not because of her policies (although that whole praying for the pipeline thing probably excited the base) or because of her qualifications.

I keep hoping that when the glass ceiling is finally smashed, it will happen because the candidate is a qualified, poised, smart elected official who happens to be a woman.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

"There are times when you are simply required to be impolite."

I've been on a bit of a West Wing binge lately and this Sorkin-imagined conversation between Pres. Bartlet and Sen. Obama definitely hits the spot.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Of Hunters and NASCAR

My Virginia Demcrats weekend reminded me just how in-touch our party can be. But let's keep working on it.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Ralph Stanley for President?

Bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley just endorsed Barack Obama during a campaign stop in Lebanon, Virginia. If you don't know who Ralph Stanley is, you might be an eltist. In addition to all of his amazing banjo pickin', Stanley also sang "O Death" in the Cohen brother's film O Brother Where Art Thou? This endorsement really could go a long way with Appalachian voters.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Roundup

There isn't too much I can say about last night's fairly quiet, but rhetorically interesting, speech that hasn't already been said.

But I do have to say that, optimistically, I have a renewed sense of love for this country and democracy in general. The last eight years have been rough for civil liberties, minorities, women, people in poverty, and pretty much every other marginalized group in this nation. But we're still standing. Even after eight years of failed leadership, we still have a place where free elections are the norm and there is still a modicum of respect for the Bill of Rights among everyday people. Is that silly or simplistic or naive? So be it; it gets me to the voting booth.

Oh, and watch this:

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Priceless

A small apology from the media directed at Gov. Palin.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Language and the GOP

So I'm sitting in my disaster of a new kitchen watching the RNC and, maybe it's just the English major in me, but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with their use of rhetoric. There was just a "detailed" 45-second spot on how McCain will save America by "putting prosperity first." Are you serious? Who isn't for prosperity? And just how do you balance putting prosperity first with the speech former EBay CEO Meg Whitman gave on how government can't solve your problems. If they can't solve your problems, how can they put prosperity anywhere in the line-up? This might just be a preaching to the choir post, but it's this sort of doublethink that brought us wars on terror and drugs and other intangibles that can't actually be defeated.


Why Bristol Palin's Pregnancy Matters

Obama may have declared family off-limits, but his opponents haven't. Bristol Palin's pregnancy could just be a footnote in this election, had her mother not promised during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign "explicit sex education courses will find no support from me" in the conservative Eagle Forum (that page has recently been "rectified", but you can still read about it here).

Palin also slashed funding for housing programs for teenage mothers.*

So while the Obama campaign might "take the high road" and not mention Palin's hypocrisy, she seems to have gotten a free pass. Her daughter made a mistake (or not, who cares?) and Palin appears supportive. It's a shame she couldn't be supportive of all young women faced with unplanned pregnancies, or you know, support programs that teach young men and women alike to prevent them.

Make no mistake, there are other issues at stake here, such as Palin supporting the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it, her possible abuse of power involving police enforcement, and her lobbying for earmarks while campaigning as a "fiscal conservative." But I am a little disappointed in the media backing off on the issues brought to light by Palin's daughter's pregnancy. If she's going to campaign on family values, she ought to be held accountable when she doesn't live up to them by truly supporting all teenage mothers.

*Apparently, she failed to fully fund the program. I apologize.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Watchdogs?

I love to hear journalists say "You didn't answer the question" - maybe because it happens so rarely.



Looks Like His Prayers Have Been Answered

The moral here, I reckon, is to be careful what you wish for as it could cause hundreds of thousands of people to be evacuted from their homes and live in fear of another Katrina-like disaster.



What does Gustav mean if, as Stuart Shepherd says, it's "always up to God"?

Of course, Shepherd "apologized" after being named Keith Olbermann's Worst Person in the World but since his taped segment included him consulting the "Wide-eyed Liberal Mainstream Media Dictionary," you'll forgive me for not taking it very seriously.