Election 2008 Post Mortem

It's over. And now is the time to expunge any remaining bits of partisanship, so I can rally around the common-cause/system-of-triage intently focused on the trinity of Economy, Energy, and Foreign Affairs. I'm not going to cram my liberal social ideology down anyone's throat right now (which is why I'm not flipping out--in this forum, anyway--about the passage of Proposition 8 in California). I hope those on the evangelical right will do the same on their end. Just pretend for a moment that you're being coached by Phil Jackson, and he's telling you you've got to focus, stay Zen, be a team-player, and get into-the-zone. Now. Or else, we lose. Period. So just set to the side all those hot-button issues like gun control, and abortion, and teaching "intelligent design" instead of evolution to our kids in science class. Just until we've stopped the bleeding and we're out of triage, OK?

But can I just have one last go at Sarah Palin? Just to get it out of my system? Because I've tried sooo hard to keep the gloves on, and be fair to her... just as a matter of principle. But I can't just let all her hoodwinking go unchallenged... because it's dangerous... and I don't want conscientious evangelicals to follow that lipstick-wearing false prophet. OK. Here goes...

Woman, where do I even start with you?! I hope SNL does an alternate-universe spoof on what Washington might have been like with you there (shudder), and they should call it The Wasilla Hillbillies (I got that gem from top McCain advisers, btw). You don't go "rogue" on the Presidential candidate who brought you onto his ticket! That's so... "hillbilly." Take a cue from Ellie-Mae Clampett, who at least gained some sophistication from her days in Beverly Hills--and no, shopping at Neiman Marcus does not count.

It's not all about you, girl. Normally, a VP candidate would not even think of demanding that she be allowed to deliver her own concession speech(!)--didja know that, Ms. I'm-Not-A-Diva? And fer Chrissakes, you don't receive in your hotel room top McCain (male) advisers who are there to brief you on important matters, wearing nothing but a bathtowel! You're not that cute or irresistible, honey. So stop trying to skate by on your looks and charm. Stop trying to justify your willful ignorance by declaring a war on "elitism" and intelligence. Why don't you go and, like, read something. Anything. Though I'd recommend the Constitution of the United States as a starting point, if you're really serious about leading your party in 2012.

Oh... you make me so mad, Sarah Palin, you ditzy high-school beeotch, you. I'd, like, totally catfight you behind the gymnasium... except that I know you'd just whip out your rifle and shoot me down like a moose. Or a polar bear. But I digress...

Go do some homework, Sarah Palin. Stop telling people it's OK to be ignorant and xenophobic, and stop mucking it up for all those smart and truly accomplished women out there who are trying to rise by virtue of their own (non-sexual) merits. Do all that, and I promise you, I will not go postal on you in 2012... if that's really where you're headed.

(Exhale) I'm so glad I got that out of my system. If you've read this far, thanks for letting me rant/vent. I sooo needed it.

AUDIO: Palin Gets Pranked by The Masked Avengers

I don't even know what to say. My mouth is literally hanging open as I listen again to the audio of Sarah Palin getting prank-called today by a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He actually had her going for almost 7 minutes(!), until he informed her that she was being Punk'd.

It's like listening to the ditsiest of cheerleaders trying to have a conversation with, well, the President of France! It's... just... Oh my god, just go listen to it.

And if you're even thinking of voting McPain, this will change your mind in a flash. If it doesn't, I swear I'll throttle you. Because McCain is 72 years old, people! You cannot unleash Sarah Palin on the world. Period.

[And as an aside, can I just say that my parents are actually two years younger than McCain, and trust me, you do not want them answering that "3AM call" on the red Bat-Phone! At that hour, it takes them a good ten minutes before the brain fog even begins to lift. Just think on that...]

http://digg.com/political_opinion/Audio_of_Sarah_Palin_Prank_Call_by_the_Masked_Avengers

VIDEO: The Vet Who Did Not Vet--A Cautionary Tale

It's a retelling of the McCain/Palin saga, told Dr. Seuss style. And as a child who once loved her Schoolhouse Rock, I'd recommend it highly. I've watched it 3x already... that's how much it made me laugh out loud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03fcGelz8Hw

If you love it as much as I did, cast your vote on The Atlantic magazine's site, which is taking a poll on the top campaign videos: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/taking-back-t-8.html

Support the Arts. And the indie talent out there. Because believe me, it's out there...

See what happens when you treat Sarahs like Patsys?

From the Cheat Sheet on the The Daily Beast; the article is entitled Palin Goes Off the Reservation:

"This is guaranteed to give John McCain heartburn. Politico’s Ben Smith reports that Sarah Palin is beginning to ignore her campaign minders. "She's lost confidence in most of the people on the plane,” a source tells Smith, adding, “I think she’d like to go more rogue.” The friction comes from two warring camps inside McCain HQ. One led by Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace is said to be preparing to blame Palin if McCain loses the election. Another faction contends Palin has been misused by the campaign, hidden from the press until it was too late to repair her image. How she’ll go “rogue” remains to be seen; last Sunday, she gave an impromptu interview while a minder desperately tried to cut her off."

She essentially told us all from the get-go that she was a pit-bull with lipstick. And yet, she's been treated like a patsy, and now seems ready to push back... And speaking strictly as a woman, I can't say that I blame her.

But I don't suffer "rogues." Or Executives who seem willing to abuse the powers her electorate entrusted to her.

Read the whole piece here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14929_Page2.html

TrooperGate

You're going to be hearing that term a lot someday soon. That's what my brief years of legal schooling tell me, in my mind and gut. Just wanted to get that on the record here.

Because you know what's reeeeally dangerous? An Executive who makes the argument that the Legislative Branch has no legal authority to investigate the (mis)actions of the Executive Branch(!?) Wow. And that argument was recently and successfully made by none other than... Miss Runner-Up Alaska herself.

So. Dangerously. Wrong.

Perhaps that's why Alaska's largest newspaper, the Anchorage Daily News, is actually endorsing Obama! And here's what they wrote: “[F]ew who have worked closely with the governor would argue [Palin] is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth.”

Picture of the Day: or How We Crossed Party Lines... through Dance!

Look at this priceless gem I found on Flickr, on Photo Giddy's photostream. I believe the photo actually originated, though, from http://www.iphonesavior.com/.