This week's campaign sleazefest brought to mind G. K. Chesterton's remark: "If there is one thing worse than the modern weakening of major morals, it is the modern strengthening of minor morals." So the media burns up hours of airtime arguing about "lipstick on a pig," while spending little or no time discussing suicide bombings in Iraq killing and wounding hundreds, the unemployment rate surpassing six percent for the first time in five years, another Wall Street institution teetering on collapse, the lack of political progress in Iraq reflected in the imminent postponement of the planned provincial elections, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff declaring we're "running out of time" to get the war in Afghanistan right, etc, etc, etc. In this topsy-turvy media world, it's only fitting that the week's hardest-hitting political interview was conducted by the ladies on The View.
All the crap being thrown at Obama -- the fear-mongering, the half-truths, the full lies -- all the character assassination hurling Obama's way, is in fact, his own doing.
"Stop saying that!" my wife says to me. But this is not a high school football game and I'm not a cheerleader with a bad attitude. This is an election and as things stand now, we're gonna frickin' lose this thing.
I hope that in seeking to achieve short term political gain, neither side will engage in degrading the long term American traditions that have sustained and so empowered our nation.
When I think about what Bush has done to this country -- and what McCain wants to keep doing -- I consider outrage the only rational response. The last seven-plus years demand more than a beaming smile. They demand indignation. Outrage. Fury.
He was a colleague and friend. I have no mind to try to pay adequate tribute to him here. Those should soar and will come later. What I want to note instead, just briefly, are a few personal recollections.
When the Republicans had their convention and there were signs held high with the monikers...."G.I. John and Superwoman" I knew we were in trouble. They were selling a fantasy.
The media have an obligation to point out when a politician is lying about a matter of fact, but the right-wing attack machine has so cowed some of them you can almost hear them moo.
I don't like raging at women. I am a feminist and have spent my life trying to help empower women and stop violence against them. But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to feminism.
It's happening again. Regardless of the outcome of this thing, it's clear that half of America is falling for the same superficial trickery that gave us eight years of George W. Bush. You know the routine.
Just like most of those forgotten media-manufactured celebrities who became "famous for being famous," the clock is now ticking, and the real question is whether Palin deserves more than fifteen minutes of America's time.
My change in perspective might shock some people, but leadership requires a willingness to assess evidence and recognize when a strategy is not working.
