Yes we did.

🙂

 

go america.

 

Sarah Palin? More like Sarah FAILIN! OOOOOHHHH!

I only have one thing to say:

Biden v. Palin is going to be hilarious and awesome and will once and for all show definitely that Palin is an ignorant, glorified PTA mom who knows about as much about the issues as Kitty from Florida who cited her “good character”, and ONLY “good character”, as the sole reason Palin is ready to be Vice President. I could go on. But I did say I only had one thing to say. You don’t want to hear all the other nasty things I could say. It might get ugly.

Also, read this.

 

Social grace is knowing when to get the hell out

It occurs to me that I haven’t really talked politics in a while. Partly because I haven’t really felt compelled to. You might have thought I’d take a crack at the whole Rev. Wright fiasco, but I figured that pretty much everyone else and their unborn children had already mouthed off on that enough. One more voice is just redundant.

But I couldn’t help but throw back on my pseudo-political thinking cap when Jesse directed me towards this article from The New Republic: http://www.tnr.com/environmentenergy/story.html?id=6b3d9c26-7c9e-4814-badd-a124edc68718&p=1

Its title is: No Really, You Should Go. Which pretty much sums up what’s going on in the Democratic campaign right now. Pretty much the entire respected (and disrespected) American press is salivating over the stunning collapse of Hillary Clinton. Now, I am highly aware of all of the sensationalism and hyperbole that goes into so much political writing these days. But everyone has to have their angle, I suppose, and it seems that just about everyone’s angle (except for that one Maureen Dowd piece), is calling for Hillary’s head. Or concession, rather.

Either way it seems that all of us not for Hillary (which is to say, all of us against Hillary) are getting some kind of sick pleasure out of her demise. Mark Penn resigns. Teehee. Superdelegates switching sides. Mua ha ha.

You could point to a lot of different reasons for this venom, but I think it’s pretty simple. It’s the joy of the symbolic destruction of old-school feminism. Yes, the feminist movement of the 60’s and 70’s did wonders for women in America. I am a product of that progress. And I do believe that, yes, in fact, women are equal to men. But one of the huge problems I have with traditional feminism is that there is a denial of and almost repulsion to a woman’s natural power. Her sexual side. Her maternal side. The sexual side clearly has no place in politics, but I think it’s the utilization of the maternal aspect, both nurturing and authoritative, that makes a woman a good authority figure. And Hillary just doesn’t have that.

Or maybe she does. Maybe she’s just a cold hard bitch. With a terrible sense of humor. Old-school feminists really need to take a step back. “I just think it would be great to have a woman president,” you might hear a middle-aged white woman say. I agree with you, lady. But HER?? REALLY?!

I do kind of feel bad for her. She’s really trying SO HARD. It’s hard out here for a chick. Especially a chick with no social grace who PISSES EVERYONE OFF.

I’m reminded of a delightful song by Nellie McKay called “Mother of Pearl”, which speaks to some of what I’ve just talked about. Here are the lyrics. The music makes them even better.

Feminists don’t have a sense of humor
Feminists just want to be alone (boo-hoo)
Feminists spread vicious lies and rumor
They have a tumor on their funny bone

They say child molestation isn’t funny
Rape and degradation’s just a crime (lighten up, ladies)
Rampant prostitution, sex for money (what’s wrong with that)
Can’t these chicks do anything but whine

Dance break
Woo-hoo
(Take it off)

They say cheap objectification isn’t witty, it’s hot
Equal work and wages worth the fight (sing us a new one)
On demand abortion, every city (okay, but no gun control)
Won’t these women ever get a life

Feminists don’t have a sense of humor (poor Hilary)
Feminists and vegetarians
Feminists spread vicious lies and rumor
They’re far too sensitive to ever be a ham
That’s why these feminists just need to find a man

I’m Dennis Kucinich, and I approve this message

Take a note from Nellie, Hillary. Bill’s clearly not cutting it. Get a man on the side. Preferably someone a bit younger. Keep it hush-hush. You’ll be happier.

(I kid, you know. I kind of like feminism. Kind of.)

 

Choo Chooooo!

The Obama train is a-rollin’, folks. I’m tempted to say, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…” But no, this Little Campaign Engine That Could fuckin KNOWS it can. (Si se puede! heh.) BIG wins in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. Oooooh shit. I admit, I found myself groaning a few times during Obama’s speech, thinking “oh no, I’ve heard all this before blah blah blah”, until I realized that the reason I found so much of it to be so redundant is that I’ve listened to that goddamn will.i.am song/”clusterfuck of inspiration” so many times it’s been burned scarily deeply into my brain. Oi.

It’s at a moment like this that I really need to step away for a minute. The Obama skeptics are, at least in one respect, right. Obamaphilia IS kind of a cult. Us Obama fanatics believe in him the way we would believe in a prophet. DON’T press play AGAIN. Please, for the love of GOD, refrain from spontaneously singing “yes we can”. And, oh lord, STOP PUTTING UP PICTURES OF OBAMA IN YOUR ROOM AS IF YOU WERE A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL WITH A BIG FAT CRUSH ON LEONARDO DICAPRIO (*sigh*. I’ve totally been there…)

But wait a minute. Reading over those last few sentences, I can’t help but notice my two deistic references (“oh my god”, “oh lord”). And I think I get it. In our..or at least my…world of rational secular humanism and religion as uninspiring tradition, our propensity to believe and feel something bigger than ourselves, the way people have for CENTURIES before us, has been stifled. We are taught that reason trumps all. That logic and rational thinking rule everything. And we can say things like “oh my god” and “jesus christ” because they have no POWER. So there is a void, and we spend our lives searching for something to fill that void.

This isn’t my explanation for why we SHOULD feel something akin to religious fervor towards Obama. Certainly rationality and skepticism have served us and will continue to serve us well in more ways that I can even count. And yes, reason says that Obama is not experienced enough, that Hillary is a skilled politician, that John McCain would be a strong, decisive, and competent Commander-in-Chief. But I think this spiritual transference does go some way to explaining why this Obamamania is HAPPENING.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is BELIEF, not rationality, that has driven so many major human advancements, both societal and personal. (I mean, really, imagine the conversation between Louis Vuitton and his finance guy. Finance guy: “You want to charge WHAT for these stupid bags???” LV: “Don’t worry. People will pay. I believe it.” And just think, what would the world be like without the absurd economics of designer bags? That, ladies and gentlemen, is NOT a world in which I want to live.) Yes, yes “believe in yourself” is one of the most cliche sayings in the English language, but why do you think it’s a cliche? BECAUSE IT’S TRUE.

So hop on the HOPE TRAIN, people! It’s a pretty sweet ride. (Even if it is going just a bit too fast and, as a result, lifting off the rails slightly.)

It’s Obamatastic! Obamarrific!

He’s not a democrat. He’s an Obamacrat! An Obamalican! Nay, an OBAMACRATICAN! YES!

Down with dope! Up with hope!

This isn’t a campaign, it’s a mothafuckin MOVEMENT.

(I should TOTALLY be his campaign manager.)

 

super DUPER tuesday.

“Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.”

 Whether you like it or not, and whatever the outcome of this election, Barack Obama is touching and will touch the course of history.

Say whatever you want about this video being “manipulative” or “contrived”. Of COURSE it’s manipulative. Of COURSE it’s contrived. It’s fucking MEDIA, that’s the POINT. But words are powerful. Music is powerful. Celebrities, whether we like it or not, are powerful. Stop the cynicism and detachment and LET YOURSELF BELIEVE. I’ve already said so much about this to people around me. And I’m tired. All I know is that I believe in Barack Obama, and I believe in our country with Obama in control. I haven’t been able to say that since I’ve been old and intelligent enough to say that and be able to–reasonably well–back it up.

This video is essentially everything that I’ve wanted to believe, think and feel about our country and Barack Obama in the past year (I’ve been 100% behind Obama since around the turn of the year ’07) condensed into four minutes and thirty seconds of genuine, earnest, unabashed (dare I say it?) HOPE. Whatever your political inclination, you can’t tell me that this clip doesn’t inspire you. That’s just bullshit.