Thursday, September 11, 2008

Look Inside


Is Wassila really middle America? Not according to crime and substance abuse statistics. And although this can be substantiated by the “National Enquirer” it is also part of the Wassila crime records—which are all over the internet and can be verified. Here’s something I don’t understand, all these middle class, middle American women say she is someone to whom they can relate. I am a kid from a small town in New Jersey— and despite my years in Washington – still very middle American. But I (like so many of my middle class sisters) don’t shoot wolves from a helicopter. I don’t speak in tongues. And I don’t want anyone telling my daughter what she can do with her uterus.

This morning I was watching the Today Show. Well, actually I was walking by the TV and it was on and I wanted to see if it was raining in NY. There is always a crowd outside and the hosts often make conversation with them. I don’t remember who it was that spotted a woman in the crowd who looked just like Sarah Palin. And much to everyone’s surprise she was from Wassila, Alaska. They were all amused and discovered that this woman and Sarah have pedicures in the same place (it is Wassila, how many places could there be?) I watched for only another moment and then my heart stopped. “My God”, I thought, “there is more than one Sarah Palin!” I hope this Sarah double is not part of the God’s will she talks about so frequently. Even more frightening is the possibility that maybe Wassila is the place the Stepford wives migrated to when they were driven out of Connecticut. Scary huh?

On another matter that has been discussed even by me, there is a Wall Street Journal article HERE...
that addresses the issue of censorship in the Wassila library. It seems that some people reported that Palin tried to have books with questionable language banned from the library. This did not happen. Palin merely made inquiries about whether or not books could be banned. Whoever started the rumor did not check their “Harry Potter” dates and some of those books were not even published yet when Palin was Mayor. It’s not a crime for elected officials to ask questions about censorship – it’s just dumb. And it’s not a crime for bloggers to make up information – that is also just dumb. So my feeling about the whole incident and the reporting about it was, as my mother always said “smart, smart, stupid” – you figure it out. And I guess, as long as we’re talking about truth in journalism, I should admit that when the Delta Shuttle offered free newspapers and magazines to their customers, I always picked up all the Wall,Street Journals and threw them in the trash. Some blobbers are incredibly opinionated.

Now back to the Stepford wives. Or maybe back to when my heart stopped. I, like so many other people (regardless of party) have been wondering why the Obama campaign is allowing the McCain campaign to ‘swift boat’ them with accusations, innuendo, outunnendo, pigs and lipstick. Even Torie Clark, former Press Secretary to Donald Rumsfeld, who wrote a book called “Lipstick on a Pig”, had the chutzpah to say something like “anyone who was paying attention for the last week knows Sarah Palin owns lipstick”. Oh yeah, then what about Revlon and Mac, and Kiehl’s? Forget Kiehl’s, they make creams. Does she not understand that in order to promote her book she needs to own lipstick? Hey, maybe Torie wrote the speech and used the line in order to promote her book. That would certainly be Republican genius – let’s give credit whether due or not.

The campaign rhetoric needs to move away from animals and make-up and toward the issues. People can’t afford health care for themselves or their families, they can’t afford the mortgages on their homes, they can’t buy gas for their cars, they don’t want to send their children to war. I yearn for the days of “It’s the economy stupid.” I want Barack Obama not ever to mention Sarah Palin, and rather to challenge John McCain to a duel—at sunrise, or maybe at “High Noon”. But instead of using a gun or a sword I want him to say, “sticks and stones can break my bones but I’m not going to let you tell anymore lies about who I am, or who you are. Let’s look at voting records and visions. Let’s ask the voters to look at the future. Let’s ask the people to open their pocketbooks as well as their hearts to see what’s inside and then cast their vote.”

picture of the Pig: http://unplanning.blogspot.com/2005/08/greenwashing.html

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL

America votes for a tribe to lead them, not according to voting records. If that tribe puts lipstick on a pit bull who shoots from an airplane, so be it. This America allowed the Supreme Court to vote for them, you think they'll take one second to look at any fact?

We are all Stepford wives living our lives through test-messaging, not by thinking.

Middle America is like Middle Earth. Fantasy.

W from Westminster Earth

The Calico Quilter said...

When is the Democratic party going to take the gloves off? You can't have manners and fight kind type of crap. Unfortunately, Biden will have the original no-win scenario when he debates Palin. He can either let the Republicans smear him and Obama to kingdom come, or fight back and come off as "mean to the lady". I have actually heard people talking about how Palin is being "picked on". She got off the porch, now she can run with the big dogs. Sheesh.

We're still waiting, though, to see what she does off the leash. Her handlers won't even let her answer questions. What does that say?

I would have given good money to see Hillary as a VP pick tear into this paper tiger! They blew it, they blew it.

The Calico Quilter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Calico Quilter said...

Oh, yeah, as another of the those middle American women, I look at Palin and think "Who the hell is this person?" Some of the stories promulgated to make her seem, I don't know, authentic, maybe, or tough, just make her look stupid. Especially the pregnancy ones. Like flying to Dallas in week 36 of a pregnancy with medical issues? She's 44 freaking years old and carrying a Downs baby, a condition which could have possible cardiac and other complications. Oh, yes, I forget, she had to be at that conference to deliver that speech and start to make herself known for this election. Or, getting on a plane and flying home after her water had broken (risking a delivery in flight of an early term baby and possible infection) when there was a hospital right there in Dallas? Or one within a couple of miles from the airport where she landed in Aalaska. Why did she have to drive for an hour back to that particular hospital and that doctor, when the hospital, smaller and less equipped than any of the others which were available?

Where is her reasoning? She's like someone from Mars. I can't get inside her brain at all.

And, the biggest thing I ever shoot at is a soda can.

I'm ranting again. Sorry. (and sorry about the delete. I can't type worth a flip - or maybe just can't proofread, evidently.)

Anonymous said...

Mom---That picture of the swine there reminds me of that girl you were trying to set me up with at the Vineyard that year.

Iris&David said...

Seth, I think that IS the girl I was trying to set you up with. In retrospect, she look's pretty good. I think she's taken great care of herself. Mom

Anonymous said...

Actually, that is the Boston Red Sox new manager.

Anonymous said...

Sox don't need a new manager, unlike the stinking basement-sitting Yankees, "anonymous."

Anonymous said...

At least my team gets to sleep with Madonna...

Iris&David said...

Oh you baseball fans will sink to any levels to make a point. Madonna, really!

Anonymous said...

yeah, i guess sleeping with Madonna is not that big of a prize. Truth is, if she lives long enough, the whole American League East will all get a crack at her.