Hah. Because I’m slacking on my political work, and I’m about to get back on it with a vengeance.
So Patrick Murphy is adorable (just got done, it’s 8:32). And now we’ve got Madeleine Albright. Nice intro music, Maddy.
“An assault advertised as a strike against terror,” eh?
Posted: August 28th, 2008 under Politics.
Comments: none
So I know everyone stayed up all night waiting by their phones for their Obama text message about which old white guy experienced, vetted foreign policy expert he was going to choose for his VP.
Yep.
Joe Biden.
I was dancing to New Order, Bel Biv Devoe, MIA and Madonna (yes, all by the same DJ) so I missed my text. Well, more accurately, I fell right asleep after dancing for a couple of hours, so I missed my text. But of course my phone had blown up with texts and emails by the time I woke up this morning, so here we go.
Joe Biden. Reasons I think this is a bad idea are legion: he voted for the partial-birth abortion ban and abstinence education, and to loosen restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. He has a tendency to say stupid things. He’s from DELAWARE. He’s yet another old white guy who’s been in the Senate forever, and his campaign was DOA after Iowa. And his whole partitioning-Iraq plan just sounds like colonialism to me–if the Iraqis decide they want to split their country up, great, but the U.S. taking the lead to separate the country into ethnic regions? Um, yeah, fail. Kind of makes me doubt his supposed mountain of foreign policy expertise.
Why it’s a good thing? Well, he was really funny on the campaign trail, and he will call John McCain out on his shit. He is in fact an old white guy, which I guess is what they really need in terms of balancing this ticket. He does have foreign policy ‘experience’ in spades. And maybe this means that Obama’s saving Richardson, Sebelius, Napolitano, etc. for positions in his administration where they’d actually get to do something?
I have no answers this morning, only snark. I think Biden does little for the “change” message, but I think we’re beyond that stage now anyway–especially since Obama’s recent bobbing and weaving has taken him to the center.
I studied boxing (and muay Thai) for a bit, so I know about ducking and slipping punches, and you have to move away from your opponent’s strong side and yet keep ‘em guessing. I don’t know what Biden does to counteract McCain’s supposed strengths, and I wonder when we’ll hear McCain’s own announcement.
Posted: August 23rd, 2008 under Politics.
Comments: none
Yeah, catchy title, eh?
I started to think about this stuff the other day when talking with my mother about Michael Phelps. See, I love to see people excel at things. I like athletic competition of many sorts because I like to see what people can do when they really put themselves to it, and yes, I believe that some of that is innate–I don’t think that everyone could be Michael Phelps. Or Georges St. Pierre. Or Serena Williams.
I tend towards socialism in my personal philosophy not because I want to see everyone exactly the same–the “vanilla world” argument or the Harrison Bergeron one, depending on which angle you come from–but precisely because I think humans are such beautiful, individual things and I think that with the basics provided for, we could all be free to develop in whichever ways we wanted to. I want to see everyone able to reach their potential. And I think that if we didn’t have to worry so much about making a living, we’d be able to.
Octo has an excellent post up at Feministe about being a capitalist. I agree with many of her points, and of course disagree on the basic one–I’m not a capitalist. I’m in graduate school in part because I fled the retail world because I hated working for nothing but money. I made good money for a while. I could be running the entire business by now, and I could own my house and be well on my way to financial security, but I gave it up for a job I love (as a grad assistant) learning about things I love, writing all the time, and living in a city I love (while cheating on my city with THE city, NY).
I beat myself up constantly because I’m 28 and I’m already interviewing people who are younger than I am and already have what I want in life. I wish that I hadn’t made decisions based around money. I wish I’d been able to just hole up somewhere and write until I was good enough at it to make a living at it.
And I’m privileged. Most people wouldn’t have even been able to make the choices I did. Capitalism tends to tell us that if we’re good enough, we’ll get what we deserve. It just takes work, right? Yeah, George W. Bush is a good enough argument for that system being completely broken (though one could say that Barack Obama is a good argument for that system working, but we’ll see how November turns out, eh?).
There’s been plenty of talk about the Chinese athletes and the Chinese system leading up to the Beijing games, and hell, we can even look back at the parable that is the Miracle on Ice (posited of course as the victory of Us over Them in the Cold War, because the Soviet hockey team was supported by the state and the US team was a rag-tag bunch of athletes who hated each other–and a bunch of privileged college kids). Read this mostly-related post about the relative ages of women gymnasts, too.
This post isn’t really anything but me thinking out loud. It doesn’t offer any coherent arguments, so please don’t even try to poke holes in it. I just think…governments would serve us better providing things that we need, rather than trying to control what we do and say, and certainly better than blathering about what other governments shouldn’t do.
Posted: August 15th, 2008 under Politics, Sports.
Comments: none
You ain’t president yet. And after seeing your incredibly shortsighted response to the crisis in Georgia, I hope more than ever that you never will be.
I must confess that McCain has crept into an elite group of assholes who cause me to turn the radio volume down when they are on NPR. Most of this campaign season, I’ve had no problem with listening, but after the third replay of his asinine declaration that “I know I speak for all Americans, when I say we are all Georgians now” or something of that ilk (I know both clauses there came out of his mouth, but I’m not sure which order, so don’t kill me), I can’t take it anymore.
Anyone who supported or supports now the Iraq war has precisely zero moral high ground to discuss the territorial integrity of sovereign nations. Absolutely none. And the fact that McCain’s attempt to look tough (and against Russia, too, to add to his salivating dream of becoming the Second Coming of Reagan) appears, as noted in the linked post, to actually be affecting Bush’s policy…well, let’s hope that Condi has more sense than her bosses, shall we?
Because I mean really, if we’re bound and determined that the “international community” should be doing something to “punish” Russia, well, what should the international community do to us?
And I think I’d rather, if I’m going to be unilaterally assumed by a presidential candidate to be in solidarity with another nation I’ve never been to and that most people couldn’t find on a map, that it be Afghanistan. Or Iraq. Or Sudan. Y’know, places we might actually be able to help.
But, well, they’re WHITE people in Georgia, right? And not Muslims? (Please excuse my sarcasm. It’s early and I have a vicious head cold.)
But can you imagine how McCain would react if Obama perhaps declared his solidarity with Iraqis, or Sudanese?
Oh yeah, and Natalia has more.
Posted: August 14th, 2008 under Bullshit, Politics.
Comments: 1
So you’ll have noticed that I’ve been leaving politics alone for a bit. Other than commenting at other people’s blogs, I’ve been giving myself a break–posted a guest column at KB a couple of weeks ago and had to scrounge for this week’s option.
I feel like we’re in the eye of the hurricane right now and I’m allowing myself to be semi-oblivious (my oblivious being still ten times more informed than most of America, but far less than the blogosphere). Don’t get me wrong, I’m still thinking about it–Napolitano for VP, please!–but just not to the all-consuming level that I was.
I’ve got an addictive personality, not with drugs or drink, but with people, politics, and art. I will go through phases where I see three movies a week and phases where I don’t bother with the movie theater at all. Phases where I drop $30 a week on comics and months at a time where I don’t buy anything. And of course, times where I’m polishing off three thick books on arcane political, feminist, or media theory that no one in their right mind reads for fun, and times when I’m re-reading Francesca Lia Block novels.
A chance opportunity sucked me right back into comics-obsession-land, and I’m actually taking a creative writing course in the fall (along with Communications Law and Journalism and Politics, so never fear), so I’m reading novels again as well. In the past two weeks, I’ve demolished all the issues of Northlanders, the first 24Seven trade, Wanted, Cross Bronx, the first Vinyl Underground trade, the most recent two Fables trades, Preacher: Dixie Fried, and re-read every Garth Ennis Hellblazer trade that I own. Oh, and most recently, Local #12, which is so damn good that it gets its own two sentences. If you ever thought about giving comics a try but weren’t sure where to start, Local would be an excellent place. Mmmm. Comics.
So bloglandia has been treated to lots of my thoughts on sex and sexuality, desire, monsters, and pop culture. And to quote Madonna, “I’m not sorry.”
I realized over dinner and drinks with my friend last night that you know what, I DID help Barack Obama win the nomination, as the Facebook group said, and that feels pretty good. So I’m still working, still thinking, still planning for later in the summer and in the fall when I’ll gear up to put Barack Obama in the White House–and then switch modes to watchdog. Because yeah, I’m a supporter, but I know that there’ll be pressure for him to move right, and all of us who did help put him in that spot have to make sure that we hold him to our ideals. That’s the other half of democracy. It’s not just vote and go home. It’s make sure the guy you voted for does what he said he’d do, and responds to new problems in the way that we want. And if Obama does make it to the White House, he’s going to owe a lot of little people more than a few big people, and that makes me optimistic about his possible administration.
Posted: June 15th, 2008 under Art, Feminism, Media, Politics, Writing, comics.
Comments: none
To have this as our president?
(bracing for the inevitable trolls telling me I’m so young and stupid that I was seduced by a goodlooking man)
Posted: June 14th, 2008 under Hope, Politics.
Comments: 3
You know, some people have been moaning a bit that she took a few days to do it, but let’s just think about how long it took John Edwards to make up his damn mind to endorse.
So, in all seriousness and honesty: Thanks, Hillary Clinton. Thank you for running and for proving that millions of men will indeed vote for a woman. I disagreed with quite a lot about how you ran your campaign, but you fought hard and I can hope that you’ll fight as hard to defeat John McCain as you did to defeat Barack Obama.
I linked to a post the other day that suggested Hillary Clinton for a Supreme Court slot, and I must say that I like that idea. Her biggest weakness has always been her (perceived and actual) political nature–her willingness to pander, if you will. The Supreme Court doesn’t have to pander. It’s a lifetime appointment. Once she was confirmed, she’d be free to rule as she actually feels, and I do believe that underneath the hardened political animal we’d see the person that really does hold progressive beliefs. So that’s my two cents. Hillary for Supreme Court!!
Posted: June 7th, 2008 under Feminism, Hope, Politics.
Comments: none
we can.
Posted: June 4th, 2008 under Hope, Politics.
Comments: 4
So after getting my first official troll (and I’m assuming that this isn’t another incarnation of that girl from SC who still hates me for reasons I just don’t get), I have to think about my own reaction to this primary process.
All of us Obama people have been accused of being “sheep” and just in love with the way the man speaks. Being a white feminist, I’ve also been told that I’m disloyal to women and that I cannot be a feminist if I don’t vote for Hillary Clinton on top of that.
Even one of my friends was arguing with me last weekend that many people voting for Obama are voting for him for stupid reasons (as if millions of people in every election don’t vote for “stupid” reasons like which candidate they’d rather have a beer with). This of course insulted the hell out of me, since I like to think that I’m smarter than that and that my friends know me better than that.
At the beginning of the primary season, I made this chart for one of my other gigs. Did the research on almost every single candidate from each party running for president, and lined them all up next to each other and looked at it. While doing that research, I read the issue positions on each candidate’s website and looked at their voting records.
I was tempted by Bill Richardson, really, I was. But in the end he was an ineffective campaigner and money-raiser, and I’d like a Democrat to win in November, thanks. So I stuck with Barack, whose Dreams From My Father I read and loved and identified with. Whose policy proposals, particularly on foreign policy, were closest to what I myself felt. I don’t want any more saber-rattling. I want negotiation. I want understanding that other countries are not just “with us or against us.” (I want single-payer health care too, but only Kucinich was talking about that, and again, I’d like to win in November.)
But ANY of those Democratic candidates would get my whole support–which doesn’t mean just blogging, it means putting my money and my free time where my big mouth is and donating and volunteering and harassing those nice people who aren’t nearly as partisan as me–in November, because the shit we’re up against is scary. (See last post for reference.)
Hell, I love the idea of a woman president. But the nastiness of this campaign wore on me like it did everyone, and even though I am a white feminist who recoils at sexism like it’s a personal slap in my face, I just didn’t see the sexism as coming from the Obama campaign. Most of the people on the ground for Obama were women, young women of all ethnic backgrounds (and men, too, but I’d have to say that in my personal experience with several different offices, all but one has had a woman in charge).
By contrast, I did see race-baiting coming from the Clinton campaign, so much so that yes, at several points I joined the crowds of people saying they’d vote third party rather than for Clinton.
I think that by November I’d be over it, though.
I was pissed in 2004 when Howard Dean lost in the primaries. Pissed at John Kerry because of stories of push-polls that implied that Dean beat his wife or reminded people that Dean’s wife was Jewish.
But come November, I was on the ground a 12-hour drive from my home, helping Kerry win Pennsylvania (only for him to lose Ohio, and the race, but whatevs).
Because what we were up against was scary. I don’t like voting against things, really, I don’t. I’d much rather vote FOR someone that I believe in. But when it comes down to it, I’d like to keep my reproductive rights and maybe get some help with health care because as a freelance writer, my ass is screwed as soon as I leave my cushy (ha!) grad school. I’d like to get out of Iraq and have my friends home. I’d like to not see any more tax cuts for the rich that screw over broke people like me, and I’d like to go to the wedding of my gay friends.
So I know that some of y’all think us Obama people are sexist and sheep and stupid and mean and taking away the election from Hillary Clinton. I admit to some of the same feelings at times myself.
But I’d vote for her if she won. And I’d campaign for her and work my ass off to get her in office. Because it’s much more important now than it seemed back in 2000 when I voted for Nader, when I could barely see a difference between what George Bush was pretending to be and what Al Gore was pretending to be.
I want a woman president. I’m really hoping that Obama chooses a woman as his VP candidate. I think that could be truly revolutionary for this country. I think it’s amazing that the Democratic primary came down to a woman and a black man, and it surpassed all my hopes (frankly, I thought we’d end up with Edwards as soon as Iowa voted, and they proved me wrong and made me happy).
But we need to turn this country back in the right direction, and I hope that if Obama lost, I’d be able to look past my distaste for the race-baiting I saw and realize that we needed a candidate who believed in my reproductive rights, the rights of the GLBT community, who wants to get us out of Iraq and hopefully prevent future wars, who wants to give immigrants more rights (and maybe some fair pay too?) rather than throwing them out and bolstering xenophobia, who knows the difference between Sunni and Shiite, who wants to fix our broken health care system and invest in our schools. And that I would vote for and work for that candidate. Whomever he or she may be.
Posted: May 27th, 2008 under Feminism, Hope, Politics.
Comments: 3
That this headline is attracting people who consider filling in an email address with “Obamazombie@sheepmail.com” and telling me I’m too young to know any better, followed by accusing me of only being annoyed by things because Obama told me to defending Clinton. Let me rephrase this, please.
Can you please give me a good reason why Clinton couldn’t find a better time period to reference than the assassination of a former candidate? While you’re at it, tell me a good reason why Clinton is a better candidate that doesn’t involve ephemeral references to “experience,” which is just as empty a word as “change.” And please stop with the bogus email that’s couched as an insult to me, because I’m just gonna keep on deleting them.
This is the most fucked-up thing I’ve heard this campaign cycle. And that is saying a hell of a lot, considering what we’ve already heard.
Hillary Clinton uses Bobby Kennedy’s assassination as a reason for staying in the race.
Bobby Kennedy, whose little brother Teddy was an early prominent supporter of Obama, and was just diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
Obama, who had to have Secret Service protection before a single state had voted because of death threats.
Obama, who just last week had to grin and bear it while Mike Huckabee made jokes at an NRA rally about him getting shot at.
Someone, please, try and rationalize this.
Not to mention that if god forbid anything does happen to Obama, the rumors that Clinton had something to do with it will be unbelievable. She better hope nobody so much as breathes on him wrong, now.
*When you put a real email and blog name on there instead of a bullshit one, I’ll print your comments. I put my real name out there for everyone to see–I expect at least an actual pseud outta people.
Posted: May 24th, 2008 under Bullshit, Politics.
Comments: 2