Electile Dysfunction
A coworker forwarded a joke email (with appropriate cautiousness) the other that I adopted as the new tagline on one of my email accounts:
"Currently suffering from Electile Dysfunction - the inability to
become excited by either of the 2008 presidential candidates."
A simple joke that almost perfectly summarizes my feelings at this point in the campaign. I don't consider myself a moderate (that's cop-out on so many fronts). Being fiscally conservative and socially liberal doesn't average out to moderate. Democracy often means picking the less offensive from among several options - this year even more so.
But the last several days have really taken things down a new road. Having trumpeted Obama's lack of experience (which is true), McCain picks a VP who's even less experienced? Odd. First reaction is that he's pandering to female Hillary supporters and hoping that he gets some gender votes. Whatever.
Then we learn that Palin is being investigated for possible abuse of power related to some state trooper brother-in-law. Odd that this didn't come up in vetting, but again whatever. Then we (I) learn that Palin has a new child with Down's Syndrome. Sad. And I wonder why she would accept a VP position knowing how much it will take her away from a child that will need so much help. Her keeping the baby despite knowing it would be disabled seemed to resonate with the right-to-life crowd. I respect both sides of that debate, and have no issue there either.
Then came today's revelation of her daughter's pregnancy. This sort of thing affects many families, and should be a private issue. Except in this case. Ms. Palin supports a ban on gay marriage. Ms Palin opposes giving benefits to same-sex couples. The Republican platform opposes gays being able to adopt children. All to "protect" "traditional marriage". One must assume that Ms. Palin will define the marriage of her 17 year-old, pregant, high-school-attending daughter as traditional and valid. All while preventing other tax-paying, loving, gay couples in America from being able to do the same.
Hypocrisy on her part, and hypocrisy on the part of fundamentalist/ultra-conservatives who may support her. Ironic that McCain's VP selection cemented my decision to vote for Obama (despite my misgivings about him), and it had nothing to do with Palin's lack of experience.
"Currently suffering from Electile Dysfunction - the inability to
become excited by either of the 2008 presidential candidates."
A simple joke that almost perfectly summarizes my feelings at this point in the campaign. I don't consider myself a moderate (that's cop-out on so many fronts). Being fiscally conservative and socially liberal doesn't average out to moderate. Democracy often means picking the less offensive from among several options - this year even more so.
But the last several days have really taken things down a new road. Having trumpeted Obama's lack of experience (which is true), McCain picks a VP who's even less experienced? Odd. First reaction is that he's pandering to female Hillary supporters and hoping that he gets some gender votes. Whatever.
Then we learn that Palin is being investigated for possible abuse of power related to some state trooper brother-in-law. Odd that this didn't come up in vetting, but again whatever. Then we (I) learn that Palin has a new child with Down's Syndrome. Sad. And I wonder why she would accept a VP position knowing how much it will take her away from a child that will need so much help. Her keeping the baby despite knowing it would be disabled seemed to resonate with the right-to-life crowd. I respect both sides of that debate, and have no issue there either.
Then came today's revelation of her daughter's pregnancy. This sort of thing affects many families, and should be a private issue. Except in this case. Ms. Palin supports a ban on gay marriage. Ms Palin opposes giving benefits to same-sex couples. The Republican platform opposes gays being able to adopt children. All to "protect" "traditional marriage". One must assume that Ms. Palin will define the marriage of her 17 year-old, pregant, high-school-attending daughter as traditional and valid. All while preventing other tax-paying, loving, gay couples in America from being able to do the same.
Hypocrisy on her part, and hypocrisy on the part of fundamentalist/ultra-conservatives who may support her. Ironic that McCain's VP selection cemented my decision to vote for Obama (despite my misgivings about him), and it had nothing to do with Palin's lack of experience.
posted by pantherman at 7:49 PM
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