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Paulina Porizkova

Paulina Porizkova

Posted: November 1, 2010 02:13 PM

I realize the last thing anyone wants to hear from a former supermodel is political commentary. Having been a guest on Parker/Spitzer twice and noting the speed with which my comments sunk, I can't help but understand this is not my element. But likewise, bombarded by political commercials and information, I can't help but to form an opinion, and since HuffPost has given me the license to voice it, here's my current one.

This morning I watched a commercial about a young man who's campaigning on the strength of his fiscal competence; he's an economy expert, hence the right man to fix the financial problems. I entertain the idea of voting for him until the ad ends and the next one begins, since this next one showcases the same man and explains that he failed on Wall Street and now he wants to be a politician. Now I do not want to vote for him. Briefly I consider checking the facts on the Internet. Then I get sidetracked and do nothing. Almost every political candidate on TV right now follows the same template, one commercial for and one against, played, if not back-to-back, then at least in the same time slot. It leaves me confused, overwhelmed and ultimately, uninterested.

I will go out on Tuesday and vote, not so much because I have an individual I want to vote for as much as I have an idea I want to vote for. Also, because I once was a citizen of a country with no votes, I take my right seriously. But mostly because I believe I am so commonplace -- meaning like everyone else, not second rate -- that if I decide to vote, scores of people like me will vote too for the same reason. Together we can change the world, I still believe.

I don't mind admitting I was a Hillary girl when the wave of Obama fervor overwhelmed land and sea. I liked him a lot; I thought him an intelligent man but with little seasoning in politics. An eloquent dreamer; a man I'd like to date. Not someone I wanted to fix my house when it's falling down around my ears, I tried to point out to my husband, who was firmly entrenched in the camp of 'the Messiah-Obama has arrived to change the world.' Now Hillary, she had been around houses for a while, probably even knew where to go to get hold of some spare parts two weeks early.

When, predictably, Obama's messianic powers faded during the early days of office, I was unfazed but my husband was devastated. We both voted for Obama's vision of our house and home. The difference was: I realized it would take some time for this man to get oriented before he could get stuff going, but my husband thought that Obama's mere presence would change the way houses were repaired. Reality -- the promises of a great big bay window over here, a marble bathroom with a heated floor over there, and walk-in closets over there -- had to take a backseat once Obama moved into the wreck he inherited and discovered he might first have to just affix a cheap toilet in the hallway so we can go to the bathroom. And we don't rejoice in the fix, no siree! We were promised a marble bathroom with heated floors! While Obama is dealing with all the contractors and subcontractors and plumbers and electricians, we reluctantly use the toilet in the hallway and mutter about incompetence. But may I remind you folks; it was not competence we voted for.

Now our house is cold and missing windows and plumbing and light and it's a scarce comfort that one day in the future it will have a big bay window. That crazy guy out on the lawn, the one that kept telling us he could have gotten us two marble bathrooms for the price of one, imported, cause he's got connections -- something to do with his cousin's-brother-in-law's- father -- that guy is now starting to look appealing.

As I brave the polls tomorrow, all I can hope is that since I am going out there and voting, so will all those other people I identify with. And that like me, they will vote with an understanding that quick fixes and shortcuts are always destructive in the end. That even in this greatest country in the world, realizing a dream takes time.

 
 
 
 
 
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StevenWells
Objects in the avatar are larger than they appear
07:36 PM on 11/07/2010
My late mother - born during the Coolidge administration - shrugged off the political vicissitudes of the electorate by the late '70's, pointing out that they represented an ever-swinging pendulum. That still seems to be true, but with the shorter memories and attention spans now common, it's apparently swinging much faster these days. I fear the result for the foreseeable future will be nothing but a series of quick fixes sought by voters...at least, until they wise up, pay attention and begin considering active, ongoing engagement and participation between elections simply a routine part of life.
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William50
12:45 PM on 11/07/2010
The Dream, the American dream has many faces. Two faces are what the largest political parties think this dream should be. A fact that is the economic and social problems are the outcome of both of their ideals of what American Dream contains. Their Dram is today, you are living it and both parties have at least a large portion of what they think is the proper America.
The American party has a Real Dream for America. An American Dream that puts the American worker, owner, citizen and people first. A dream that knows we need jobs, from menial to the top with an expanding job market. They know if we expanded buying it would not help new industry in America but only in China.
So, to brass tacks. A single issue. A change from free trade to equal trade. This change would state the wholesale price would be set by the cost to produce in America in a modern, retooled, plant. It would defeat the low labor costs and tax breaks given to move companies because they could not produce it cheaply over seas and under sell it American manufacturers, as they do now.
The American party is the only party willing to change free trade, put controls on banks and financial institutions plus insurance and health care. Up front we will state what needs to be done for America, its people, workers and main street. Your choice in 2013.
11:22 AM on 11/07/2010
Paulina, your dream is a night mare! Normally, the sooner a night mare is over the better.
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llovejim
Truth, Justice and the Milky Way
07:42 AM on 11/04/2010
I was a Hillary backer. I thought it was disgraceful the way the so-called "liberal mainstream media," and MSNBC in particular, treated her. total bias, total lack of respect, total falling all over themselves to throw Hillary under the bus and praise Obama as the next JFK, FDR, Gandhi and MLK all rolled into one, except better. But once she was dismissed, the only other choice was Obama, obviously. Obama has done a lot of things wrong, along with doing a lot of things right, like most presidents, but his promises were seriously overplayed, because at the time he made those promises, I don't think the full extent of how bad the economy really was had been assessed.
02:17 AM on 11/04/2010
Another great post Paulina! Thank you for emphasizing the importance of voting. All citizens who can legally vote should.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
CitizenKane16
10:32 PM on 11/03/2010
The funny thing is that Obama never called himself the Messiah but there are those who did and expected that his presence would, indeed, fix all. He said all along that it would take a lot of work - and there's plenty of work to go around. Our job as citizens, from my point of view, was to provide him with a House and Senate that would support him. On that score, we failed him when we decided to sit out this vote. Despite the fact that the Republicans had significant gains, let's see if they can sit on their hands then complain that nothing is getting done. Of course, they're going to try to take the credit for any progress made but that's expected.
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Citydancer
The New America...center-left and proudly liberal
03:12 PM on 11/02/2010
Nica analogy, but I still support our Prez.
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cityprole
old,sly, crafty,arty, leftie
12:23 PM on 11/02/2010
{aulina-you are impressing me more all the time..and everyone has the right to 'do' political commentary..look where the 'experts' have wound up..
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ethiopianbuzz Mike
09:42 AM on 11/02/2010
Good short article .
09:17 AM on 11/02/2010
Dramatically reduce the size of government and let business work.

I'm always amazed when people fear the party that wants less power, a smaller government (for those who don't understand) which means less power in the hands of the bureaucrats.

FDR like policies didn’t work then and are not working now. If you don’t believe me, you need to start reading.
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An Independent Woman
Honni soit que mal y pense
10:24 AM on 11/02/2010
I know one way to dramatically reduce the size of government. Stop the two wars we're waging in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both the size of the government and the size of the debt have increased exponentially since President Reagan was president. The Republicans have failed to prove that they are the party of smaller government and less power. Why, under President Bush II, has the power of the Executive been expanded?

The Republicans had six years of total control of the federal government. They could have reduced the size of government, they could have reduced the debt... but they didn't.

I don't know what the answer is, but it's certainly not more Republicanism. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, the bank repo'd the t-shirt.
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1worldaddy
family man w/3 daughters
10:55 AM on 11/02/2010
The party that wants less power and smaller government is the party that dismantled all safety checks for oil drilling, food inspection and mine safety. That did not work out so well! We have regular nationwide food poisoning, oil spills mining deaths etc thanks to corporations buying off our legislators.
For all the people who want to claim they are "Constitutionalists"
Let me remind you that the enemy robbing you of your assets is no longer the King of England.
The enemy of American freedom today is the multi-national corporation. Google corporatism or corporatist and take your own advice regarding your instructions to "start reading"
"We will not have to fire a gun to beat the capitalist warmongers of the west, we will defeat them as they immolate themselves on their own greed" Mao Tse Tung, China, 1960
Geuss who we owe our childrens future to? Do you know our current debdt in US treasuries to China?
Do you know this debt increased fourfold under 8 years of republican tax cuts?
How do you pay for 2 wars and cut taxes by the way? Did Rome or Greece ever try that?
09:13 AM on 11/02/2010
Quick fixes like quantitative easing?
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R
Yeah, I never read comments to my comments.
08:32 AM on 11/02/2010
Anyone who bases his or her vote on a TV propaganda ad doesn't deserve to vote.
06:06 AM on 11/02/2010
I agree people had unrealistic expectations of him and when the mess he inherited wasn't miraculously fixed straight away, a lot of people were disappointed. I still think he was and is the best person for the job. Considering the mess he was left with I think he's doing pretty well.
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01:24 AM on 11/02/2010
The author is correct. It is not her element. One must be extremely naive to assert the US is still the greatest nation on the planet. Our beacon died.
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mslindac
12:32 AM on 11/02/2010
Good points, Paulina.