.the problem with palin. April 17, 2009

.authored by something.of.substance.

.the wink heard 'round the world.

Now that the election dust has settled and the campaign smoke has cleared, I feel I can finally fully-address my level of sheer repugnance for Sarah Palin. I’m only doing this because she refuses to pack it in and give it up. I had figured that if she won, I was stuck listening to her whenever she came out of Cheney’s old undisclosed bunker location and that if she lost, she would head back up to Alaska and return her focus to her state’s senatorial blunders and her family’s looming expectation. Instead, I have been treated to more Sarah Palin stories, interviews, news shows, and quotes than the guy I voted for. Less than two weeks after the most historic show of American solidarity since 9/11, we have abandoned our desire for hope and change and other positive symbols long since lost to our constant elitist money-hunger and back-stabbing bitchiness as a nation. Rather than give President-elect Barack Obama* the respect the position of popular vote winner or President used to command, we keep encouraging Sarah Palin and her 15-minutes of famous blunders.

During the entire election, no question bothered me more than: “I don’t understand why you don’t like Sarah Palin! As a woman, isn’t she everything you aspire to be?” The short answer to that question is NO (typically with some expletive or another in front of it and a look of revulsion so immediate it would make small children cry). The long answer, I believe, takes some explanation. When I would critique and criticize Sarah Palin in the past, I attempted to do so by looking only at her politics or of the way her politics and, therefore, image was being marketed. Some of the media did the same by

There are things, surprisingly enough, that I admire about Governor Palin. She is remarkably fierce. No, I don’t mean “fierce” in the Tyra-Banks-finger-snapping –“Work it, girl!” sort-of way. But, she is unrelentingly ferocious in a business that has long ago lost any sense of civility. To be admired and praised as female and not have any aspect of her gendered person hood demarcated by the sheer aggressiveness of her political (and personal) attacks is something Hillary Clinton could, sadly, not achieve.

Another thing Hillary couldn’t achieve that Palin had no problem conveying was her sex appeal.  Why anyone aspiring to the highest and most distinguished job in the nation also needs to be the object of  masturbatory fantasies is beyond me, but there you have it.  And, while the majority of Americans said they agreed with me in polls, the merchandising of Sarah Palin told a different story.   From poorly tarted-up dolls to porn videos done by Palin look-a-likes to companies using her name and likeness to sell the goods that looked similar to the ones she sported.  Of course, all this marketing doesn’t mean that Sarah Palin or her camp authorized nor enabled it.  Yet, it was out there and we bought it (and bought into it).  Looking like Sarah (or looking at her lasciviously) became our new national obsession and her persona, unchanging, played into it.  Knowing our nation collectively thought she was “cute”, she threw us that patented wink and a smile  to keep us wanting more.

.conservative or short-sighted?. February 13, 2009

DISCLAIMER: Those pieces contributed to Something.of.Substance do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or of the community. However, they are Substantial to the contributor, adhere to the guidelines and give everyone Something to think about. -S.o.S

.contributed by Lo.

I was introduced to Southern conservatism at the age of 17, but didn’t quite understand it then.  I was branded “Liberal” for wanting to know the facts post-9/11, before launching into full-scale war with whoever was convenient to blame at the time…”those Muslims!”.  (Which group, what country, where or why…didn’t seem to matter).  I began to understand the difference between liberalism and conservatism.  I am now acutely aware of differences in ideology, and encounter them frequently.  Charles Darwin is often vilified at my [Texas] church for his outrageous suggestion that organisms, and even humans, are the product of evolution.  Some 25% of Texans, pre-election, believed that Obama is actually Muslim.

."he said", not "she said".

The other day I was talking to a work colleague, who was bashing Obama’s stimulus plan, saying that McCain’s was far superior.  I wasn’t terribly concerned, because I don’t claim to be an expert on the stimulus plan, so I didn’t have a strong opinion.  I did, however, e-mail him an article which suggested that FDR’s New Deal was, in fact, responsible for initially lifting us out of the Great Depression.  He didn’t agree.  That’s fine, but he finished his email by saying that his biggest problem was that Obama condones the killing of the “inconvenient unborn” by millions.

It seems so easy for men to sit around and decide what’s best for women, their bodies, and their reproductive health…  Below is my response to my colleague:

“I also don’t agree with your biggest problem with Obama:  I think women should have a choice regarding what happens to their bodies, particularly when it involves health issues.

.warning: voter disenfranchisement-in-progress. October 7, 2008

.authored by something.of.substance.

.silenced by slight-of-hand.

The state of Ohio requires one to apply, by mail, for an absentee ballot. In the electronic age, this process seems cumbersome at best and foolishly liberal with your personal information at worst. An absentee ballot was what I required, however, and I was determined to obtain one. While waiting for the rather slow-moving .PDF file to load and print, I checked out other areas of the Board of Election website. Were I in-state, I could easily find my polling location online as well as any number of telephone numbers to assist me with all my enfranchised needs. Still waiting for the application for an absentee ballot to load on my overloaded computer, I decided to check my “Voter Registration”. Clearly this function was designed for those newly registering; I had been registered since early 2002 (at least). I had voted in both Primary and General Elections for the state of Ohio. I proudly utilized my right to vote. Seeing my name displayed on the webpage was only going to excite me more for this next election!

I searched my name, last name first. Nothing in my county of residence. I searched my name in my old county, last name first. Nothing. I searched for my name in the state of Ohio. Nothing. I searched just my last name and found my family registered at my old address- without me. I didn’t exist as a voter! I had been disenfranchised!

Trying to quell the panic in my voice, I hastily dialed the Board of Elections in my current county of residence, F. County. I was greeted by a kindly sounding woman who attempted to search for my name, but was cut off by a dropped signal on my cell phone. Where is that pervasive Verizon network when you need them? I call back and get a different woman with a harder tone and distinct warble to her aged voice. She roughly informs me that the voter registration deadline in Ohio was yesterday and so I “should have checked sooner”.

.enjoy the silence. September 24, 2008

NOTE: I feel that this is such an important issue, it is cross-posted on Wordy Laundry.

.authored by something.of.substance.

.McCain seems overwhelmed by multi-tasking.

I didn’t realize Republican Presidential candidate John McCain and current Vice President Dick Cheney had so much in common: when there is a crisis in this country, such as the economic meltdown that is currently ravaging the lives of most Americans, they go into hiding. Unlike Cheney, McCain isn’t in some un-disclosed bunker, holed up with all the comforts of the plush life and none of the reporters. Instead, he has decided to suspend his Presidential campaign (with only 41 days until the election) and hunker down in Washington. And, even though the taxpayers of America are looking for reassurance, answers and a detailed outline of where $700 billion is going (three pages just doesn’t cut it), Senator McCain doesn’t want to talk to you right now.

At first, this might appear to be something of a noble effort: McCain is putting partisan issues to the side in favor of national resurgence. However, I suspect this is more of a political gimmick on his part; if he is part of a bail-out that is approved by Congress and the public he can take credit for his participation (however minimal it may be) and hope to recover some of the twelve point loss on economic issues he’s showing in the polls. What he fails to understand is how effectively shutting down his campaign will probably hurt him in the eyes of America.

Part of being President of the United States is being able to address multiple issues simultaneously. Indeed, most of what got our economy into this mess was the current administration’s inability to look ahead and address the future, let alone addresses issues as they arose. By not continuing to campaign for an election that will happen on November 4^th regardless of how the economy looks, McCain is proving that he is only choosing to resume the Bush White House’s mechanism of ignoring the future. By not debating in a timely fashion with Senator Obama, McCain is announcing that he is unable to handle crises as they come. The last time an administration failed to manage a crises as it happened, we were left with the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina. Before that, Bush’s famed seven minute non-response on 9/11 showed us the danger of electing politicians who were only “prepared” under calm, intensive coaching.

.grammar.- why proof-reading is important September 19, 2008

.authored by something.of.substance.

For all those who don’t bother to proofread what they write, don’t care how things are spelled or think that “text speak” is appropriate as a means of communication, here is an example of what could go wrong:

Republican-siding newspaper The Wall Street Journal published this article comparing McCain and Obama’s

.warning: "pubic" discontent ahead.

proposed economic plans. What isn’t apparent about this seemingly well-researched and prescient article is the major editing gaff halfway through that completely changes the tone from serious to seriously funny.

In a paragraph depicting past presidential tax plans, the article states:

“Bill Clinton won that campaign promising tax cuts for the middle class. He ended up pushing tax increases on the rich and his party subsequently lost control of Congress, in part over pubic [sic] discontent on the issue.”

While I haven’t contacted the writer of the article, I’m going to assume he meant to say “public” discontent rather than referring to Congress’ collective groin issues.

.america, the hypocritical. September 17, 2008

…can also be found on Wordy Laundry!

.authored by something.of.substance.

.Celebrities dig Obama.

Have I entered an alternate dimension? I could have sworn that, just a couple of weeks ago, the Republican agenda for President was working militantly to dismiss Barack Obama as the wrong choice because of his, and I quote, “celebrity”. Wasn’t he repeatedly denounced for being so popular? Weren’t multiple ads about the legitimacy of his politics created to attack his well-liked persona? And, yet, I don’t hear anyone in the Republican Party denouncing their own Governor Sarah Palin for her recent surge in notoriety. Ironic, isn’t it, that the Republican should benefit from their own hypocrisy! Why, you ask? Because in our celebrity culture, Americans have forgotten that politics is simply a smoke-and-mirrors act on a national stage and we’re the ones being fooled.

I started writing about Governor Palin and the McCain/Palin ticket the hour it was announced she would run with Senator McCain. I was angry and insulted and frustrated that Republicans believed that, simply because I had a vagina and sometimes wore lipstick, I would relate to this woman. I acknowledged the brilliance of adding her to McCain’s lackluster campaign. But, I also kept the faith that America would see right through this slight-of-hand and get back to the business of voting on the issues rather than the celebrity. I mean, once again, wasn’t that a chief point against Senator Obama?!

.McCain digs Bush.

Rather than dissipating, Palin’s popularity continues to surge ahead. For example, my blog has received no less than 500 hits from “Sarah Palin” searches in the last week. This would not be such a point of contention for me should they be researching her policies or her positions; I can certainly understand and support anyone attempting to learn more about the person one bout of melanoma away from running our country. Instead, the search terms look something like this: “Sarah Palin Vogue”, “Palin Beauty Pic”, “Sarah Palin Bathing Suit”, “Palin Miss Alaska Swimsuit”, “Palin in college bed” (really?!), “Sarah Palin Fashion” (is she debuting a collection at Bryant Park?), and, my personal favorite, “Sarah Palin condom”.

.the republican economics of rape. September 11, 2008

…can also be found on Wordy Laundry!

UPDATE: I’d like to thank CNN for finally doing a story on this!

.authored by something.of.substance.

.they will work to identify YOUR rapist for just 20 easy payments of $99.99.

Sarah Palin wants to lower your taxes- at any cost. Really. Lower taxes. At any cost. In fact, I’m sure the more evangelical base of Republicans may not disagree with this practice at all! The reason Sarah Palin’s politics, in particular, are being featured in this blog are because a) of their novelty and b) they are hypocritical. We already know other politicans are hypocrites because they’ve been around long enough to have acquainted us to their tactics. Being the new kid on the block, so to speak, Governor Palin’s record (which, incidentally, is shorter than a high schooler’s resume), is being uncovered as quickly as it’s not being offered for public consumption. And, the more I read, the more I know why.

As you probably know by now, Mrs. Palin is pro-life. Well, this isn’t exactly true: she is pro-fetus and anti-mother. This is an ironic realization once you find out that Mrs. Palin has five children and her teenage daughter is carrying her first grand-child. Even as she is forcing marriage on the publicly pregnant 17 year-old Bristol, Sarah Palin really feels no remorse over the straight-jacketing she does of her state’s women and girls. Pulling a pregnant teenager out of high school and citing “mono” as the cause to avoid shame does not exactly seem like the best choice for Bristol’s life. Coercing the teenage potential father of her baby into marrying her does not counteract the fact that she will be an uneducated, teenage parent. Essentially, Sarah Palin is pushing Bristol into a life of low-wage living, constant paycheck-to-paycheck struggles and dependency on the father- should he stay around. For someone who is “pro-life”, she certainly doesn’t seem to leave women or girls in Bristol’s situation with much of one.

Religiously-based actions, though they may be, do nothing to account for the life of Bristol or many other pregnant teenagers or low-wage women. It’s not to say that those women who are older or earning more should be stripped of choices, but to consider the life of a fetus in-uteri over the type of life of that child and its mother would experience without options is absurd. Certainly no one is “pro” abortion and advocates for their use at every bend and turn. But, how can we be anti the choice? How can we, as a nation produced, literally, by women, tell women it is their fault they were raped or victims of incest or simply victims of a bad choice and need to live with it? Why don’t we hold men to the same standards of having to re-experience their horrible mistakes over and over? When does pro-life start to mean that we want to give women a CHANCE at a life? Bristol Palin certainly won’t have much of one save for her family’s money.

But, all of the “pro-life”/”pro-choice” debate crumbles when evidence is presented that, rather than simply being pro-life, Sarah Palin is ANTI-WOMAN. If the woman is willing to turn her daughter’s life into a political point, it’s not as shocking to know that as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996 to 2002, Sarah Palin billed the victims of sexual assault for their own rape kits. I’ll let you pause and re-read that last sentence again:

Mayor Palin charged rape victims for their own examinations!

.the mommy factor. August 29, 2008

.authored by something.of.substance.

.oh, mother: a photo-shopped tribute.

I wanted this blog to remain politically neutral because I don’t believe that the concepts of acceptance, tolerance, peace, and love are partisan. In fact, I think politics does more to point out the differences in others rather than unify us as a nation. Nonetheless, the fact remains that politics invades our perceptions of ourselves and others by asking us not to remain neutral. I certainly am not politically neutral, although I don’t choose to segregate and discriminate. Conservatively speaking, I would be a Democratic Socialist. That is about the only conservative thing you can say about me. And, as such, I don’t have much in common with John McCain, his campaign, or the Republican party as a whole. But, needing to give credit where credit is due, I find McCain’s (political advisors) tactic of selecting Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to be nothing less than a stroke of genius.

Mrs. (as I’m certain she would refer to herself) Palin has what I like to call “The Mommy Factor”. In short, “The Mommy Factor” is the American conservative to moderate need to view women as productively (and reproductively) female before anything else. They need to appeal, above all, as women and both embody and ascribe to archetypal “female” roles. Palin, brilliantly, does. And, somehow, she manages to assert some of the strengths of Hillary Clinton’s mold-breaking run while downplaying those characteristics much of American found to be too “masculine”. Genius.

.the opposite of Monopoly. July 27, 2008

.authored by Something.of.Substance.

The economy can no longer be dismissed as a numbers game. Classical and neo-classical economic theory has long centered on a growth-oriented model to describe the flow of funds and resources with endless growth being the assumption. However, without professing to have more than a layman’s understanding of the global economy, the very idea of “endless growth” just doesn’t sit well with me.

I learned in my high school economics class that who controls the resources controls the economy. This makes sense because if you don’t have anything to sell nor have anything to make anything to sell, you cannot buy. If you aren’t buying or selling, you are dependant on someone else. If you are dependant, you have little to no control. And, the materials you are buying, selling, or utilizing are (primarily) natural resources.

Yet, here we stand on the brink of extinguishing the world’s supply of natural resources. Obviously, a growth-based model of economics is flawed if we, as a whole, consume faster than we replenish. Why, then, would we keep pushing a growth-based model of economy theory instead of a sustainable one?