Viewpoint

So what does it take to succeed? An interesting take here.

Palin’s popularity has as much to do with class as it does with ideology. In this sense, she really is the perfect foil for Barack Obama. Our president represents the meritocratic ideal — that anyone, from any background, can grow up to attend Columbia and Harvard Law School and become a great American success story. But Sarah Palin represents the democratic ideal — that anyone can grow up to be a great success story without graduating from Columbia and Harvard.

... Sarah Palin is beloved by millions because her rise suggested, however temporarily, that the old American aphorism about how anyone can grow up to be president might actually be true. But her unhappy sojourn on the national stage has had a different moral: Don’t even think about it.

Palin resigns???????

Palin? Resigns???

Thus Spake Sarahthustra - V

"So I'm looking around for somebody to pray with, I just need maybe a little help, maybe a little extra, and the McCain campaign, love 'em, you know, they're a lot of people around me, but nobody I could find that I wanted to hold hands with and pray." - Sarah Palin, the lipsticked pitbull 'speeching' in Anchorage last week.

More of her memorable quotes here, here and here.

Quotable Quotes from the annals of Supremacism

From here: American Cause, a group seeking to speak for the future of the Republican Party declared that its November defeats in Congressional races stemmed not from having been too hard on foreigners, but too soft. The group, released a report arguing that anti-immigration absolutism was still the solution for the party’s deep electoral woes.

“Diversity can be good in moderation — if what is being brought in is desirable. Most Americans don’t mind a little ethnic food, some Asian math whizzes, or a few Mariachi dancers — as long as these trends do not overwhelm the dominant culture.” - the report’s author, Marcus Epstein, urging Republicans to double down on their efforts to run on schemes to seal the border and drive immigrants out.

Thus Spake Sarahthustra - IV

The pitbull's punditry gets better as we go on. Continuing the series that started here... Gov Sarah Palin, seems to be a gift that keeps on giving (especially to purveyors of linguistic gymnastics). She is in her element here in a couple of performances over the past week.

On her plans to get to run for the 2012 presidency.

"I'm like, O.K., God, if there is an open door for me somewhere - this is what I always pray - don't let me miss the open door, show me where the open door is, even if it's cracked open a little bit, maybe I'll plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it."

Recently the media was agog over the fact that she considered that the continent of Africa was one country. Here she is correcting her record:

"My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue as we spoke about Africa and some of the countries there that were kind of the people succumbing to the dictators and the corruption of some collapsed governments on the continent, the relevance was Alaska's investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars."

Whatever Gov. Palin says about Africa, she still cannot beat what the current President had to say about that great continent...

"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." —Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

Echoes of 2000??

Something smells in Alaska and it is definitely not the cod (via The Daily Dish).

Four years ago, 313,592 out of 474,740 registered voters in Alaska participated in the election-a 66% turnout. Taking into account 49,000 outstanding ballots, on Tuesday 272,633 out of 495,731 registered Alaskans showed up at the polls; a turnout of 54.9%. That’s a decrease of more than 11% in voter turnout even though passions ran high for and against Barack Obama, as well as for and against Sarah Palin! This year, early voters set a new record. As of last Thursday, with 4 days left to vote early, 15,000 Alaskans showed up-shattering the old record set in 2004 by 28%! Consider the most popular governor in history-and now the most polarizing-was on the Republican ticket. Consider the historic nature of this race; the first African American presidential candidate EVER! The second woman to ever make a presidential ticket; and she’s one of our own. Despite that, we’re supposed to believe that overall participation DECREASED by 11%. Not only that, but this historic election both nationally and for Alaska HAD THE LOWEST ALASKA TURNOUT FOR A PRESIDENTIAL RACE EVER!!! That makes sense. REALLY??? Something stinks.

William T. Wiley, 'Dr. Faustow and Diablo', 2006, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 59" x 73" image. From an exhibition of his works at The Charles Cowles Gallery

Comment on Palin trashing in vogue

The Republican party and its wingnut appendage Fox News are busy tripping over each other in their enthusiasm to throw Gov. Palin under the Straight Talk express bus. In my humble opinion, the blame should not be directed at Gov. Palin who did a great job arousing the hateful, right wing crowds using the one thing she knows best – using hateful, rabble rousing, preachy speeches. Instead, the blame should lie squarely with Sen. McCain who made the disastrous, unvetted decision to anoint a hitherto unknown lady who was barely equipped to be the Governor of Alaska.

Palin might invoke 'Pallin' around with Kali' surprise

Heidi Klum (the model) was dressed for Halloween as the fearsome Indian goddess Kali (the celestial consort of Lord Shiva). Just a couple of days back, Ms. Klum made news by endorsing Barack Obama for President. Here is why I am little scared with these two otherwise inane developments...

I am concerned that this Halloween costume gag might be used by the spinmeisters at the McCain / Palin camp to now state conclusively that Sen. Obama is now pallin' around with mythological Hindu goddesses who brandish fearsome weapons of mass destruction emanating from multiple upper limb like extremities thus invoking and fortifying all the negative images, ideas and thoughts that the McCain camp has put into middle America about Sen. Obama.

Of course, I am only kidding. Nevertheless, this does highlight the puerile nature of the campaign that the McCain/Palin camp have conducted thus far. As easy as it has been for Heidi to transform herself into this blue skinned goddesses holding a severed head, the McSame camp had tried their best to cast Sen. Obama variously as a closet terrorist, foreign policy newbie, baby killer, gay activist, supporter for introducing porn to preteens, Iran pal, embryo extinguisher, firebrand Muslim, fire breathing preacher's best friend and finally when nothing else seemed to stick, a naive socialist.

It is only in our best interests to go out and vote for whoever you think is going to build this country going forward. My choice is clear. Make yours tomorrow. We must, as a nation, make sure that we just go out and vote tomorrow - even if that is the only one thing that you accomplish tomorrow - even if it means hiring that babysitter - even if it means driving 50 miles to the nearest polling booth - even if it means waiting at the polling booth because they take 2 hours in ascertaining your identity - even if it means you will lose out on a wage earning day - this election is too important for any one to pass up - for our futures, for our children's futures and for the future of the world at large!! Of course, in the end we get what we collectively deserve.

More pictures of the deadly Ms. Klum here.

Comment...

Judging from some of the headlines that cater to Obama trashing, it is unclear to me (from this sample headline below and many others like it) who exactly is running for President from the Republican party. This one from ABC news. Maybe Gov. Palin is indulging in advance preparations for an eventual full throttle run in 2012...

Here is a full SNL video of Sen. McCain all but admitting defeat last Saturday. One wonders how did McCain bring himself to be humiliated by the SNL staff so roundly... Maybe it is because he wanted to humanize himself to the SNL audiences... In my opinion, he looked like a big loser. Of course, who is the real loser - tomorrow will tell us.

Thus spake Sarahthustra

From here: "If the media convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Except that the First Amendment is supportive of free speech. When the press asks questions, it means that they are enjoying the benefits offered by the First Amendment. When Gov. Palin asks questions of Barack Obama on his associations, she is exercising First Amendment rights... The future of the country is bright when the press can call out on negative campaigning and Gov. Palin can call out on 'made up' associations... I am not too sure if she has a fair idea of the implications of what she says when she seems to shoot from the hip impromptu... For an individual who has lived most of his life in a 'third world' country, pronouncements that are part of the First Amendment are synonymous with liberty...

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Socially conservative teenage sex

New Yorker has a helpful piece on the reasons behind the high incidence of unwed teenage evangelical women becoming pregnant and the naive nonchalance that evangelicals display to this phenomenon. Helps also understand why socially conservative Christian families like Bristol Palin's seem to be OK with what seemed like devastating news to others...

Like other American teens, young evangelicals live in a world of Internet porn, celebrity sex scandals, and raunchy reality TV, and they have the same hormonal urges that their peers have. Yet they come from families and communities in which sexual life is supposed to be forestalled until the first night of a transcendent honeymoon. Regnerus writes, “In such an atmosphere, attitudes about sex may formally remain unchanged (and restrictive) while sexual activity becomes increasingly common. This clash of cultures and norms is felt most poignantly in the so-called Bible Belt.” Evangelical Protestant teen-agers are significantly less likely than other groups to use contraception. This could be because evangelicals are also among the most likely to believe that using contraception will send the message that they are looking for sex. It could also be because many evangelicals are steeped in the abstinence movement’s warnings that condoms won’t actually protect them from pregnancy or venereal disease.

Sharon Sprung, 'P in Red', Oil on panel, 40" X 44". A photograph that I had taken while at her exhibition at Gallery Henoch earlier this year.

Socialism reigns... Looks like all four are!

Obama the socialist (from here):

On October of 2008, in conversation with a voter forever to be known as Joe the Plumber, Obama gave one of his fullest summaries of his tax plan. After explaining how Joe could benefit from it, whether or not he achieves his dream of owning his own plumbing business, Obama added casually, “I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

McCain the socialist:

During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked him why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain
replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.”
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of omfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.

Palin the socialist:

A few weeks before she was nominated for Vice-President, she told a visiting journalist—Philip Gourevitch, of the New Yorker — that "we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources.
So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs."

Biden the socialist:

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

Rhyme time

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link.

What we see is not what we are getting

I have not tried applying lipstick on a pit-bull. Or a pig for that matter. For one thing, it is difficult to get these animals to stay still as you try and get the pigment on them and the other problem is that it is a dangerous job. Besides, it is only well known that the resulting gloss that the lipstick radiates is but a transitory phenomenon.

I just read the news that Sarah Palin’s makeup stylist was lucky to be singled out as the highest salary earner in the McCain campaign. Amy Strozzi, identified as Gov. Sarah Palin’s traveling makeup artist, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone.

It is bad behavior to nitpick to this level of detail, but when one starts to see Gov Palin pirouetting as the politically naive hockey mom from a small town out to change Washington, one needs to frame revelations like the above in its right context: Are the election of leaders such as Jonah McPalin really good for our country? What will an individual who tries so hard to project the small town gal image who in reality can be a shoo-in for a high priced supermodel bring in terms of governance to the country?

There is a reason for this blog going political over the last couple of months. THIS ELECTION IS IMPORTANT FOR US AND FOR OUR CHILDREN. It is important that we understand who the real individuals are who are vying to be leaders of this country. I believe in this country and the values it represents very ardently and it is difficult to see it being given away to scheming charlatans. The next time one is assailed by robo calls linking candidates to terrorists and artfully twisted charges that the country will be treading down a socialist path, one will need to think hard and smoke out real liars in this endeavor.

Binge buying

Politico details the gory details of how Gov. Sarah Palin managed to spend $150,000 on fashion accessories and clothes since her nomination six weeks back... I am not sure how one can say 'small town values', spend that much on fashion and still maintain a straight face.

Martin Luther King recalling when he first became painfully aware of prejudice:

When I was 14, I had travelled from Atlanta to Dublin, Georgia, with a dear teacher of mine, Mrs. Bradley; she's dead now. I had participated there in a oratorial contest sponsored by the Negro Elks. It turned out to be a memorable day, for I had succeeded in winning the contest. My subject, I recall, ironically enough, was "The Negro and the Constitution." Anyway, that night Mrs. Bradley and I were on a bus returning to Atlanta, and at a small town along the way some white passengers boarded the bus, and the white driver ordered us to get up and give the whites our seats. We didn't move quickly enough to suit him; so began cursing us, calling us "black sons of bitches." I intended to stay right in the seat, but Mrs. Bradley finally urged me up, saying we had to obey the law. And so we stood up in the aisle for the 90 miles to Atlanta. That night will never leave my memory. It was the angriest I have ever been in my life.

- published in a Jan 65' Playboy interview with Martin Luther King.

An Alaska state investigation concluded yesterday that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor and violated state ethics laws. Full report here (pdf).

This video on communication techniques that one can learn from Gov. Sarah Palin's style is hilarious. It may not be suitable for viewing at work though...

Sorry, could not resist ripping this from the latest New Yorker...

Lighter note

A video library of Gov. Palin's greatest hits that feature a witch doctor blessing her to visions of Putin rearing his head over the US airspace. The potential for this kind of stuff from the wrinkle/wink team is astounding considering that the wrinkle and the wink were anointed as a team just a couple of months ago...