excuse me while I snarl...

[lagilman]

The more I learn about Palin, the less I like/trust her. Setting aside my philosophical disagreements: your kid is going through major stress right now. Male or female parent, your priority should be to take care of your daughter, not use her as a talking point/campaign tool [or marry her off in what sounds to me like a Very Bad Idea]. In this at least, Obama's got the high ground staked out and filed, declaring the kid off-limits to his campaign crew.

Meanwhile, let me share this lovely quote with you:

On Hannity & Colmes, Hannity said, in reference to Internet rumors about Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, "[T]hey tried to make the attack that she has a young daughter, pregnant and engaged. Is that fair that they would attack that? I mean, I don't remember Chelsea Clinton being attacked. I don't remember Al Gore's children being attacked. I thought there was a general rule that children of candidates ought to be left alone."

Let me refresh your memory...

Columnist Molly Ivins reported (Arizona Republic 10/17/93) this incident from Rush Limbaugh's TV show--"Here is a Limbaugh joke: Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" And he puts up a picture of Chelsea Clinton. Chelsea Clinton is 13 years old.

And from The Man McCain himself? "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father". And his cronies laughed.

Yes, kids are exempt from politicking, and sexism and rude jokes are WRONG. Except, apparently, when the GOP's supporters do it to the underage children of Democrats. Then? Oh, that's amusing, and acceptable.

You know, I don't mind disagreeing with political figures -- that's the way the system sorta-works. But this level of two-faced, sanctimonious CRAP of Holier Than Thou while screwing the devil....

I will accept a politician who has an ego, who cats around [of either gender and with either gender, so long as everyone's of age and consenting], who has a reasonable level of low-lying graft because that's the type that gets into politics in the first place, and the rest of us are too sensible to take the job ourselves. But there's a level of mean-spirited nastiness and denial-of-responsibility that infects the GOP all the way from root to roof, and that I refuse to reward, and have no respect for anyone who does.


(oh, and did you hear about the McCain staffer who announced that Palin was, among other things, screened by the FBI? FBI is now saying "did not!" Ooops. We meant to say the CIA did it! yeah, that's what we meant!)

Comments

[kradical.livejournal.com]

What you said. In spades. Yeesh.

[lauriemann.livejournal.com]

In general, I agree politician's kids should be off limits.

However, I have to observe that Bristol is yet another poster child for abstanence-only sex education...

[lagilman]

Seriously.

Also, it's Alaska. The winter nights are long and cold, and the summer days are long and make people crazy with energy. What the hell ELSE is there for teenagers to do? Give 'em condoms and birth control pills, teach them to treat each other well, and let them grow up before they have to be parents.

Gah. In case anyone ever wondered about my stance: sex ed should be taught at home, starting the moment a kidlet asks "where did I come from?" or "why does opposite-gender-parent look different from me?" and should be done in as non-terrifyingly factual a way as possible (although I do have a fondness for that picture book that had a sperm wearing a top hat).

Failing that, health ed in school, with emphasis on the messy parts for both genders, so all the mystery gets taken out of it. Nothing like making sex boring to make kids wait to try it....

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

As exciting as it is to have a female candidate on the ticket, I think McCain made a real blunder in choosing her. The only question is, was her selection such a big mistake that it will be looked back on as the moment McCain lost the race.

[lagilman]

There are times I wonder if, deciding McCain was doomed, those mythical Handlers I keep hearing about decided he should choose Palin so they could prevent another woman from ever being chosen....

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. Between Clinton's success and Palin's, I think we're going to see a lot more viable female candidates in the future, not fewer.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

What the hell ELSE is there for teenagers to do?

Drink.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

The people who are using this as a political ploy are the Republicans. I just saw a YouTube video, released by ???, showing McCain greeting the young future son-in-law at the airport. And then, having flogged this for all its worth, they scream that the Dems are politicizing families.

Not that any of this is a surprise to you or me or anyone with eyes and ears and a moment's reflection.

[lagilman]

If they drink enough, that becomes a birth control device of its own...

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

One word of hope.

Backlash.

There has been a post-Palin bounce in the polls--for Obama.

[lagilman]

"Viable" is the key. Hillary Clinton was viable. hell, Geraldine Ferraro was viable. Libby Dole probably would have been viable. Palin? Not so much. I guess I'm cynical enough to believe she was chosen as a poison pill rather than believe that they thought she'd actually get a pass on the usual media-intense scrutiny (or that the American populace was still passive enough to accept their version of the spin without a raised eyebrow)

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

That's a possibility, I guess, but I suspect she was chosen for three reasons: 1) a somewhat cynical attempt to attract disgruntled Clinton supporters who are on the fence about the Democratic ticket, 2) as the governor of an oil and gas-rich state, she ostensibly brings energy credentials to the ticket during an energy crisis, and 3) is socially conservative enough to attract the Republicans who thought McCain wasn't enough of one.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

::sigh:: It just pisses me off that having an unwed preggy teen is actually helping McCain's camp. That's just crazy. Focus on the Family is all "I wasn't going to vote for McCain, but now that Gov Pailn is on the ticket, sure." Everyone else is like, everyone sins, it's good that she's in a caring family. We should care for our sinners.

Excuse me? EXCUSE ME? What's with the peace and love bs? After years and years of judgmental garbage flying from the open maws of these hypocrites? Can care for a random politically pregnant teen, but not gay people. Not non-Christians. Not people who aren't republican and thus are "anti-American".

:P

And at least Chelsea Clinton kicked it back in their face. She's very pretty. I don't even think she was ugly at 13. She was in the early teen awkwards like 98% of kids out there. We can't all be Brittany Spears and Lindsy Lohan... thank cthulhu.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Early on I heard rumors about Kay Bailey Hutchinson being on the shortlist. I mean they're saying Palin is qualified based on her geographic closeness to Russia for goodness sakes. They're saying that she's qualified because Alaska is big.

Sen. Hutchinson is from Texas, it is big AND people actually live there in large numbers. It is geographically close to mexico, a country that many GOP followers are interested in for many reasons (see drugs and immigration). Sen. Hutchinson is respected by her party, considered powerful and intelligent by those not in her party. She's been in politics for longer than a year. She was Texas State Treasurer in 1990... meaning she's got some decent economic background.

There ARE women out there that are WAAAAY more viable than Gov Palin. I just DON'T get why she was picked!!!

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

You raise another reason Palin was probably chosen. Unlike Hutchinson, Palin brings some much needed youth to the ticket.

[lagilman]

Chelsea was very smart and let herself grow into her face -- then fixed the stuff she still didn't like (I think it was her nose, which hey, I can relate). But she knew enough from her parents to know that perfect lines make you beautiful, but personality and charisma makes you appealing.

And yeah -- if you're white, Christian, heterosexual, and breeding, apparently you're okay. The rest of us, not so much.

[alexkaufmann]

although I do have a fondness for that picture book that had a sperm wearing a top hat).

I think that was "Where Did I Come From?"

I had it too, it was great.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I just DON'T get why she was picked

McCain couldn't have what he wanted, so he voted with the little head instead of the big one? Man is well known for liking his women very, very pretty.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised at how much I sympathize with the daughter, and even moreso, the boyfriend. 72 hours ago, he had a quiet life. Now he's going to be trotted out at the Convention, and probably come across worse than Bubba Clinton.

[dianora2.livejournal.com]

IOKIYAR. Twas ever thus. Sigh.

[lindajdunn.livejournal.com]

Because Rush Limburgh favored her.

[lindajdunn.livejournal.com]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/02/palin_slashed_funding_to_help.html

I note that Gov Palin was so caring that she slashed funding for young moms from her budget. Line item veto.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Or an aphrodisiac, which is more what it seemed in my small home town. Alcohol and sperm in the water, I'm telling you.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Very true, the Republicans were lacking in the "cute kids to parade around" arena. Obama's kids are uber cute as are Biden's two toe-headed grandchildren.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call her very, very pretty. She's moderately attractive, yes, but she's no young Elizabeth Taylor. McCain has been hugging her quite a bit...

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Well, there you go. So did Newt Gingritch or however you spell that man's name. Certainly the opinions we should run our nation on.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Of course she did, not something she or her daughter have to worry about, so it hardly matters does it?

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

I never knew about the nose job. Still though, no big, she's pretty, she's intelligent, and if she decided to put herself in politics (though I certainly wouldn't blame her if she said 'hell no') I'd vote for her.

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

>In case anyone ever wondered about my stance: sex ed should be taught at home,

Unless your home is that of the Mitford sisters: learning about reproduction in the 30s (they lived on a farm, so it was fairly unequivocal), one of them decided that it all sounded much too boring and gave all her schoolfriends a different version, making it so exciting that one of them had nightmares for a week.

Seriously, I share your concerns about Palin. The level of hypocrisy is breath-taking.

Our own government is appalling, but at least we have a chancellor who has just admitted that voters are "pissed off with us." (a direct quote). In an age of spin, this is refreshing. Also true.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

He also hugged Bush, so I'm not sure there's anything to that.

Apparently even she is arguing that less than half a Governor's term is making her "more qualified" to break ties in Congress than most of a Senator's term. All righty then.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Besides, it's a message to the little whores that children aren't the only "punishment" for daring to have premarital sex.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

What if there IS something to that. That's what you need to think about!

And, I can't believe you haven't heard! She has EXECUTIVE experience! She has more EXECUTIVE experience than any of the candidates in the field! The same (actually far less) EXECUTIVE experience that George W Bush had before we elected him! Of course she's qualified! And she's from a big state! And her state is pretty damn close to Russia! That's VERY important!

::shoots self in head::

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Now... we don't want to PUNISH for premarital sex, we all make mistakes, you know. We're all sinners, and we must be willing to move past the sins of the body to embrace the love that god (excuse me) God has for all his... His peoples. Excepting those Hollywood types who get preggers, they're stupid and haven't had proper parenting. Those Spears girls in particular!

[rovanda.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine pointed out http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/ where they're compiling Palin's policy positions as they come to light, and I swear in terms of ego and bible thumping she sounds like George W Bush mark II.

"Palin Believes That The Iraq War Is A Task ‘From God.’ Speaking at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June, Palin said that “our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.” [Huffington Post, 9/2/08]"

"Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as an added incentive to increase their kills,” soon overturned by the Alaska State Court. [Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Anchorage Daily News, 3/31/07]"