September 5, 2008
Facts can be pesky
My thoughts on Palin are as follows: she’s an inexperienced, shoved-into-the-limelight veep pick of an old man who is an unlikely and poorly-qualified presidential candidate himself. She’s got nothing much to offer besides admittedly-likeable aw-shucks persona that will resonate with the ignorant among us, and she’s been told to go into attack-dog mode right off the bat and trump up the ‘us vs. them’ idea to simply energize the uber-conservative Republican base. So much for standing off on the issues versus Obama/Biden.
(Wasn’t this election about the issues this time around? You know, because there are some big questions in need of answers?)
My thoughts on her debut speech are here, and I think everyone should understand the misrepresentation that she weaved into her rhetoric. Not that politicians don’t bend the truth from time-to-time, but just because she’s a newcomer woman and has five kids doesn’t mean she’s not held up to the same standards of accountability.
The biggest pass people are giving her is that she’s an attractive woman who tries, and largely succeeds, in identifying with the ‘everywoman’ via motherood, PTA and hockey-mom angles. That’s great when you’re trying to get elected to the school board, but it shouldn’t fly one bit when we’re talking about VP of the United States.
As y’all have talked about before, this election really is becoming an issue of smart vs. dumb.
comments
12 Responses to “Facts can be pesky”
Leave a Reply
I have to say that, while I agree that this election is about smart vs dumb, the last two elections were even more pointedly so. This is what happens when a country gets spoiled and lazy. People simply haven’t had to make important political decisions in their lifetimes. A huge number of Americans don’t see the possibility that we could suffer at the hands of our government, and they certainly don’t see how easy it could be for our standing in the world to plummet. While September 11 served as a wake-up call to many to think about such things, the habit of taking it easy and jumping to a fast conclusion won out. Too many Americans are soft and lazy and complacent and, if not dumb, certainly ignorant. It is my desperate hope that this election will spur all thoughtful Americans to vote with their minds. I fear this is our last chance.
Sept 11 was a springboard and platform for our government to start imposing policies that violate our civil liberties in the name of security and patriotism. It also was a fantastic impetus to start wars underpinned by other agendas in the same of fighting terrorism.
These decisions were borne in our land’s highest office.
Listening to the RNC the other night, the bared-teeth, drill-baby-drill, crazed-eye exuberance and celebration over further hints at warmongering were really, really disturbing to me. It was a lynch mob composed of rich white people who didn’t want to be taxed and evangelican Christians who literally believe we are living in god’s chosen land.
I am very seriously concerned for the first time in my adult life.
You weren’t concerned four years ago, when Bush got re-elected after imposing all of these policies?
I was, but not to this extent. Maybe I’m a late bloomer and have suddenly realized the growing divide in ideologies the parties represent. I was just telling a friend the other day that I simply cannot shake the notion that to be a modern Republican is to side with anti-intellectualism, faux morality as defined by a mythology textbook and to turn a blind eye to progress that NEEDS to be made if we’re to remain leaders of the globe.
That pretty much sums it up for me.
Americans look at other countries and quickly ridicule the “crazy fiends” running them–but don’t seem to consider the odd twists and turns that put people of marginal sanity (if that) in power. And Christians here laugh at notions of martyrs waking to the gift of 72 virgins–without seeing how absurd and dangerous their own views are, which glory in the idea of a time-ending apocalypse, even as they actively seek to gain control of the government that has enough nuclear weaponry to destroy the world several times over. Why does it not make an impression on Americans that around the world we are regarded as the greatest threat to the long-term survival of humanity? When did we lose the ability to see a raving nut case–and understand immediately that such a person would not make a good leader? History is littered with great nations now reduced to rubble. “Look on ye mighty and despair….” The way we are going, the world will be offically proclaimed to be 6,000 years old, and some of us will soon be headed for a better world with Jaaaay-Zus.
this pattern was set in place by nixon and perpetuated by reagan. the spirit of anti-intellectualism and faux morality was his teddy bear. our great American hero was a dipshit who bankrupted the country and embodied the politics we’ve seen all this week. it looks like it is dying. will we resurrect it next time some attractive charismatic dimwit wants to lead us or have we learned our lesson?
As you all have said, we are deep deep trouble and it may be irredeemable. And as far as Palin herself goes, to me she just looks like yet another person who loves herself so much that nobody else needs to. She impresses me as being incredibly smug and pleased with herself.
Cooper, Palin is insulting as all hell to any woman with a functioning brain. It’s amazing what I hear. She patronizing and arrogant, and the fact that she is self-appointing herself as the Alpha Vagina American is just icing on the trite cake.
One more thing: if this really is an election between smart vs. dumb, I fear all is lost. Reference Susan Jacoby’s “Age of American Unreason”.
What amazes me is how utterly and irredeemably biased I am. I’m a fairly intelligent and compassionate fellow. I believe there’s multiple and competing narratives to every question and debate. I’m willing to give all sides equal hearing, and I can respect the differences that invariably crop up as life is lived on a crowded planet.
Except when it comes to politics. I can’t for the life of me understand how anyone could cast their precious vote for this Republican ticket. I think they are insane - bat shit crazy nuts. It’s awful, and runs counter to my professed philosophies, but there it is. I can’t escape it.
As for Ms. Palin - eh. She is what she is - another seemingly smart person who’s been corrupted by The Force. I will say, however, it’s a curious kind of bulldog that nips ass and then runs for dear life.
You gotta stand up and take the punches yourself girl, and maybe once you do, maybe after you’ve been bloodied and bruised, maybe then you can repeat the enduring words of Lt. Jordan O’Neil, and tell all the world - “Suck my dick!”
But until then, you’re just another garden-variety coward to me.
Well said, Amos.