We're in Big Trouble

We're talking to ourselves.

And we're not saying anything that's going to help win this election.

Everyone who cares knows that Sara Palin is a born again, right wing Republican. That she's a right-to-life, anti-gay, anti-global-warming, book-banning kind of gal.

No one seems to care.

The package and not the content is what's attracting interest. How cute she is when she says it. How cute she is when she skins a caribou. How cute are those barely grown expectant children of hers.

My first instinct was to scream from the roof tops that no self respecting woman was going to fall for this McCain manipulation. But apparently, plenty have. Plenty share her views and the crowds and the TV ratings are growing. The same way they grow for American Idol and other reality shows. Seems like we would rather watch ourselves, however diminished, on TV and in the public eye than people watch people with actual skills and talents. Watching people just like ourselves eating bugs and falling into vats of peanut butter has become a favorite American past time. And apparently, we would rather have an ill informed, inexperienced leader than one with experience and education. Experience has been denigrated to the level of liberal as a word. It's to be laughed at and ridiculed. And a lot of people are buying it. And we're supposed to slink away, like the nerd in high school being attacked by the football player.

But this isn't high school and we're supposed to know better. We have got to take back these words and what they stand for. Leaders need to be chosen from the most talented among us, not from the bottom of the barrel. And we shouldn't be afraid to say so.

What kind of misplaced chivalry would keep the Democrats from calling Sarah Palin what she is? An ignorant, misinformed, inexperienced, bigoted fraud. And unless we find a way to do it, she will be running the country before we have time to turn around.

This will not be easy. I spent hours on the telephone to Ohio Democrats last presidential election. There was no way I was going to convince these working class Democrats that they were wrong to vote for Bush. Kerry scared them. And no manner of logic would turn it around. They voted against their own economic interests, against college for their kids, against their own medical care, against their first amendment rights. Why, because they had been told that Kerry was going to challenge their belief systems. He was "for abortion", "against the troops."

We're going to have to frame the argument in the same way. Who is Sarah Palin? A woman for sure. The package is nice, but the content is out of date and spoiled. If she gets anywhere near power we can expect global warming, the destruction of the constitution, the end of Choice, and books banned in our libraries. And we've got to make people understand this. And even if we can frame it this way, the question remains, are there many Americans who would care? Enough to sustain the constitution? Life as we know it?

I am terribly afraid that we are counting on good sense, and decency and it has gone the way of the ten cent subway ride. We are not thinking about each other. We are thinking about ourselves. Why else would we even consider a woman who tried to get her brother in law fired from his job for daring to divorce her sister. Who tried to get a local librarian to remove books she disapproved of from the library.

Politeness is not in order. We need to be scared. Terribly scared. We need to pull out all the stops. She's not going to self destruct in front of an audience who likes these things about her. Who abhors the clarity and thoughtfulness of Obama. There is no drama in it. There's drama in teenage pregnancy, political scandal and moose hunting.

McCain seems to have known just what he was doing. Now the question remains, do we?

Comments

[Adebukola]

If this were to get out, that Americans have been choosing leaders for such silly reasons as, He/She wears a flag lapel pin, or he/she was a POW, the rest of the world may not take us serious anymore. Americans need to want a leader who is honest, motivated, is a team player, has the interest of all americans, and yes is intelligent.
Perhaps those who are not intelligent may accuse those of us who desire an intelligent president of being elitist. But what's the alternative, a pit bull with lipstick on?

[Norge]

As has been said many many time before, people deserve the tyrants who rule them. Even when they elect moronic saviors with their swords for their gods, the people deserve them. Awful as it is, in a number of cases it is the dumbest and least humane who rule over the chemical, biological and other mass murder weapons. The earth is to beautiful a planet for the likes of such humans. They do not deserve earth.

[ahsaki80]

CNN finally showing news that is relevant!! Watch now for the Afghan cover up last month and Campbell Brown is on tonight about Palin. The US lied about the deaths of 90 more innocent civilians!!

[parvo63]

Are you truly concerened about 90 innocent deaths, or are you just happy that your own country, the USA, screwed up militarily? I think the latter; and that's what makes the difference between a normal human being and a Lib.

[wdw101]

foreigners......who cares?........were they on a battle field?

[jacq8411]

Wahhhhh we're at war. 25,000 died in car accidents in this country last year. Thats where you libs should focus if you want to save lives

[GayTalkExpress]

You just nailed my growing sense of discomfort with Wasilla the Hun™. The whole nomination is redolent of a schoolyard humiliation where the stupid-but-popular kids win the praise of the gullible adults for a fluffy but patriotic science project over something brilliant and useful that the smart-but-unpopular nerds did. I'm glad to see a sense of anger and fear showing up on the blogs. The left's tendency to think that smart wins over stupid hasn't served us well since 1980. Stupid and pretty wins almost every time in this country. Almost. The Dem's convention was a picture-perfect start, and Obama knows the importance of soaring, noble rhetoric, but we're probably gonna have to stoop to conquer, and it may not be pretty. Stay tuned . . .

[way out left in san francisco]

"Wasilla the Hun" that is great! should be a bumper sticker.

[dogman44]

GayTalk, I read stupid and pretty as stupid and petty. Anyway don't let her get your knickers
in a knot. I doubt she adds anything to the republican base. It seems most of the women's
opinions that I've heard and read on her come across as angry and insulted that she would
be chosen to draw the angry Hillary voters. The repubs really think women are stupid. They
fight women's equality everywhere else and all of a sudden a woman is equal enough to be
president. Trouble is most women are put off by her as a representitive of a successful
american woman. Women tend to be more progressive thinkers then men. The only people
she'll appeal to are the hard core know nothing die hard reichwing. Meanwhile the dems are
signing up voters right and left

[ssk9282]

In a world where everyone is watching American Idol except for me and a select few 'elites' I am worried that this facist will embed herself viruelently into the American Idol culture psyche. This is not a campaign it is a reality show! WORRY!

[noahfuture]

All right, all right, everyone take a deep breath, drink some chamomile and re-read the constitution.... it is not the popular vote that matters, it is the magic of the electoral college! Magic that for the moment, is strongly in favor of Barak Obama! Remember that tingly feeling we all had after the DNC! The lights, the speeches... the balloons??!!!! Well, that is what we call the bounce, which is precisely what McCain is feeling right now. Give things a week to go back to normal and stop sulking.

[skip9631]

I am amazed that a women of my generation could have such views and opinions. No one is
paying attention to ths issues. She wants to set us back decades, very scary!

[ConnieINSoCal]

I think we neew to put the "fear of Palin" into young voters, so ALL of them get out there and save this country from itself!!! It's their future that is at stake, not to mention the legacy of us parents/gr­andparents of how we're leaving this world for our kids! I'm appalled at America's superficiality about such grave matters. Your line, "This is not high school" captures it!

[tappan]

Unfortunately we deserve the governement that we get. Most of the people do not concern themselves with anything of substance. We do not read sufficiently, we are preoccupied mainly by our perceived success. We want to appear, we want to belong to a stereotype, soccer moms....el­itists....­. We put people into ready made boxes. We need to look at the world and not see it through the prism of our habits. Wake-up. Analyze the world as it is and not through a two-dimensional straight jacket and do so with everybody around you. Then we will start to get it.

[wdw101]

one day you will be able to spell government. only then will you be able to judge the government that we deserve

[Sirmatthew]

Funny...everyone thought it was great that an inexperienced guy with a presentable package could gather such a devoted following after giving only one speech four years ago, but those same people can't handle it when a woman manages to accomplish the same thing in a much shorter time frame.

Your complaint about Sarah's supporters are the exact same complaints Republicans have about Obama followers: Surely you aren't buying into his rhetoric, are you?

Quite the contrary to your words about Sarah's stand on the issues, a lot of people seem to care about them. If she and Hillary were to run for President right now Sarah would lose, but she would get 40% of the vote. And she's only been in the national spotlight for two weeks! Think of what another two months will do!

As a Senator, Obama's approval rating is 72%, but four other Illinois Senators are also rated at 71%. I fail to see this as proof he is any better than his peers, but she most definitely is impressive. Her approval ratings (80%+) make her the most popular governor in the nation. He is doing an average job which is no more impressive than that of other Illinois Senators, but she is obviously doing an outstanding job!! I am sure she would continue to do just that if elected. Obama...well...I can fairly presume he'd continue his mediocre performance and leave us unimpressed after four years in office.

[Clavis]

What the hell are you talking about? She's a corrupt and mendacious creationist -- a typical Republican invention ("Look at how perky and authentic she seems! Ignore her actual record or else you're sexist!") -- and you're falling for it!

[anniegirl9]

There are several reasons Palin's ratings are so high - not all of them do to her performance. The biggist comes from the windfall Alaska has seen due to the oil profits generated in her state at the expence to the rest of us. Alaska saw so much extra revenue from oil profits that Palin was able to give some of that back to her constituants. Not a bad deal if your Alaskan - not so much for the rest of us who paid for that profit. Her so-called fights with oil companies were about who got the extra $, not how can we get off of our dependence from it.

In a state like Michigan that has been one of the hardist hit by the problems with the Big 3 and the housing market crisis, such ratings would be uttlery impossible for any governor to maintain no matter how well they performed.

The other is that Alaskans are a different breed. I don't mean that to be insulting. I take it from thier own statements repeated over and over again on shows like "The Deadliest Catch." Their smaller population and remotness form the lower 48 makes them a more unified people in thier values and expieriences. Palin exemplifies the "Alaskan spirit."

But no matter how often they say it, I can't relate to that and neither can a good portion of Americans. She could not hold up her 80% favorability rating in any other state but Alaska.

[max]

People get what they deserve...­.......it'­s like Carlin said " life is a circus and in America you get a front row seat.".....detach and watch the circus

[jmpurser]

That's one of the problems with being the "party with no message". When you stand for nothing you don't have much to talk about. Perhaps if we could come up with an actual progressive/liberal candidate instead of yet another "middle of the wrong damn road" candidate we could get a conversation started.

See you in 2012. I mean, if we're still doing the election thing by then.

[RepugsOut08]

Wow! We give up so easily. Maybe that's the real reason we keep losing.
The Republicans toss a cheerleader on the field, and our team folds.
Hey, I've been there too. I've got some "we're losing" posts to my credit, but this thing is far from over.
Palin cannot change the dynamics of this election unless we give up and leave the field. If we're really the nerds in high school being bullied by the popular kids, then let's make this election "Revenge of the Nerds!"
How do we get that revenge? The same way it happens in real life. By being smarter, and working harder and never giving up on the goals we've set for ourselves. The Repubs are clinging to their high school glory days, but we are about the future. The future always trumps the past in elections.
Palin cannot survive the next several weeks unscathed. When she crumbles, the McCain campaign crumbles with her. McCain bet it all on a weak candidate who only appears strong. She WILL be found out, and it will then be all over for McCain.

[NJFamilyGuy]

Did you ever stop to think whether it's the pompous undertones that's turning off the middle class. Just because I subscribe to some conservative values doesn't mean that I'm the source of all evil and having dubya over for dinner. The venom you spew damages the credibility of any national agenda for the democrats.

Maybe if democrats gave people something FOR vote for instead of AGAINST they would get somewhere. Stop treating people like they are ignorant for voting based on what matters to them. Contrary to what you believe, people ARE intelligent and vote in their best interest. (That means me, my family, my community, my country) We are also acutely aware or when we're being talked down to...

People are not all good or all bad. The president is one cog in the wheel of government and has little direct influence of most of the things pinned on them (good or bad).

That said, I don't know how you are FOR "change" if you back someone who barely knows his way to the senate bathroom, voted with his party 97% of the time and was invented by the system he says he'll take on?

Wake up, the election is not about Bush. It's about the economy, energy policies, taxes and national security. McCain may not be perfect, but I know what I'm getting and I'll take a toned down maverick with a track record over no experience at all.

[jojojo]

We can mock Palin all we want, but she's gonna be a problem.. Very engaging, bright, and quick with the smart-a**, condescending putdown. She's made for current politics.

And to many voters it won't matter whether what she says is true ot not.

[renatam]

Sarah Palin has a history and a record. She should enjoy the honeymoon. We don't have MAFIA STATES. Stay tuned.

[wdw101]

hey you get it...........very good