21 September 2008
Wind-up Dolls
Back into
politics... Mark wrote in a comment about the
"heavily edited" Katie Couric interview with Sarah
Palin. This was in a response to my post asking the
McCain campaign (and Palin) when we were going to be
allowed to talk to her. (The article is
here.)
Palin is a little wind-up doll. Ask a question, get an answer (sometimes totally unrelated to the question). Ask the question again, hoping for an answer that actually matches the question, get the same answer.
It's not the first time we've heard that happen.
Or, alternately, you can hear a question asked repeatedly, and hear the McCain pundit just cycle through talking points.
Witness the interview Campbell Brown did with McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds... this is the one that caused the McCain camp to say she "crossed the line" and cancel the Larry King appearance that McCain was supposed to do the next night. The YouTube clip is here. It's about 7 minutes long, and the section to which I'm referring starts at about 3:14.
I'm *still* waiting to hear about one decision Palin has made with regards to the Alaskan National Guard as it relates to foreign policy. NOT McCain's experience. Not Obama's experience. PALIN's.
Now I'm going to move into the other part of the wind-up doll... somebody *PLEASE* update Palin's hair. It's always in the silly updo that looks like she's on her way to a cocktail party... in a business suit. It's stupid. There's been a huge deal made about her glasses, and, yes, they're current... but they are horribly inconsistent with the hair and the outfits.
Hillary had this problem. Hillary has Helmet Head. Hillary's idea of professional wear is the ever-present pantsuit. (Heck, even she has joked about her pantsuits.)
Why is it that women think in order to look professional, they have to dress like men.
Is it the age thing? Well, it shouldn't be. Look at Barbara Walters. She's a snazzy dresser. She knows how to put a blazer with a pair of trousers. She knows how to wear a dress that isn't a shirt dress and doesn't look like a suit. She's got a nice, fluffy, big hair hairdo that actually looks like it's from the 21st century, not mid-20th and not like she's a senior citizen (Walters is 18 years 1 month older than Hillary... exactly. Walters just turned 79... SEVENTY-NINE!). Hillary and Palin both need to talk to Barbara Walters stylists.
Palin is a little wind-up doll. Ask a question, get an answer (sometimes totally unrelated to the question). Ask the question again, hoping for an answer that actually matches the question, get the same answer.
It's not the first time we've heard that happen.
Or, alternately, you can hear a question asked repeatedly, and hear the McCain pundit just cycle through talking points.
Witness the interview Campbell Brown did with McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds... this is the one that caused the McCain camp to say she "crossed the line" and cancel the Larry King appearance that McCain was supposed to do the next night. The YouTube clip is here. It's about 7 minutes long, and the section to which I'm referring starts at about 3:14.
I'm *still* waiting to hear about one decision Palin has made with regards to the Alaskan National Guard as it relates to foreign policy. NOT McCain's experience. Not Obama's experience. PALIN's.
Now I'm going to move into the other part of the wind-up doll... somebody *PLEASE* update Palin's hair. It's always in the silly updo that looks like she's on her way to a cocktail party... in a business suit. It's stupid. There's been a huge deal made about her glasses, and, yes, they're current... but they are horribly inconsistent with the hair and the outfits.
Hillary had this problem. Hillary has Helmet Head. Hillary's idea of professional wear is the ever-present pantsuit. (Heck, even she has joked about her pantsuits.)
Why is it that women think in order to look professional, they have to dress like men.
Is it the age thing? Well, it shouldn't be. Look at Barbara Walters. She's a snazzy dresser. She knows how to put a blazer with a pair of trousers. She knows how to wear a dress that isn't a shirt dress and doesn't look like a suit. She's got a nice, fluffy, big hair hairdo that actually looks like it's from the 21st century, not mid-20th and not like she's a senior citizen (Walters is 18 years 1 month older than Hillary... exactly. Walters just turned 79... SEVENTY-NINE!). Hillary and Palin both need to talk to Barbara Walters stylists.
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This isn't as easy as it looks
You know, it
seems that when I'm talking to someone (or talking to
CNN on my TV), making arguments for or against one
thing or another (or one candidate or another) is
MUCH easier than when I get on here and start typing.
Maybe it's because I'm not as brilliant as I think I am (or once was).
Maybe it's because I find myself doing this at the end of the day (or the middle of the night depending on how you look at it), and my brain has shut down and is in sleep mode.
Maybe it's just because I'm fairly new at blogging. (My previous starts have stopped almost right away).
Maybe it's lack of chocolate.
Yeah. That's it. I'll go get some chocolate.
Maybe it's because I'm not as brilliant as I think I am (or once was).
Maybe it's because I find myself doing this at the end of the day (or the middle of the night depending on how you look at it), and my brain has shut down and is in sleep mode.
Maybe it's just because I'm fairly new at blogging. (My previous starts have stopped almost right away).
Maybe it's lack of chocolate.
Yeah. That's it. I'll go get some chocolate.
I have the hots...
for
Anderson
Cooper.
Maybe it's the grey hair. Maybe it's from his time hosting "The Mole". I don't know. I don't care. All I know is he's hot. (And probably gay, but who cares about that... )
He's smart.
He's got a sense of humor.
He's rich.
He's got a cute giggle.
He's rich.
He's cute.
He dresses well. (Have I mentioned he's rich?)
Oh, and I have a new internist. I kind of have the hots for him, too. He's actually got a sense of humor as well, but not the grey hair. (But my gaydar kind of signaled when I met him, too.) I don't know if he's rich or not, but he's probably not poor.
And he laughed when he asked if I was sexually active, and I told him "No, I usually just lie there."
Maybe it's the grey hair. Maybe it's from his time hosting "The Mole". I don't know. I don't care. All I know is he's hot. (And probably gay, but who cares about that...
)
He's smart.
He's got a sense of humor.
He's rich.
He's got a cute giggle.
He's rich.
He's cute.
He dresses well. (Have I mentioned he's rich?)
Oh, and I have a new internist. I kind of have the hots for him, too. He's actually got a sense of humor as well, but not the grey hair. (But my gaydar kind of signaled when I met him, too.) I don't know if he's rich or not, but he's probably not poor.
And he laughed when he asked if I was sexually active, and I told him "No, I usually just lie there."
I'm taking my ball and going home
Isn't that
just loverly... John McCain is suspending his
campaign to run home to DC to make right all the
wrongs. Here he comes to save the day! John McCain is
on his way.
Can you smell the sarcasm from there?
McCain has stated that he may skip the debate on Friday evening, regardless of whether or not Obama or the Commission on Presidential Debates postpone the debate. The unilateral, and, frankly, something that sounds like an ultimatum, reminds me of the kid who says "Do it my way or I'm going to take my ball and go home."
It would be all well and fine to *suggest* postponing the debate (though I don't think it should be postponed) would be fine and dandy, but this threat (and that's from a report on CNN, not my own statement of thought) to just not show up... stupid. Bad judgement call. (Not the first from McCain.)
The folks in DC are negotiating ways to do a "bailout" of one form or another. If they need McCain's help, they'll phone him. Or is he afraid that they *won't* phone him, and he thinks this is his chance to come across as Underdog? (Or maybe he hasn't figured out the technology of the phone or email yet... ) (Low blow? Yep. So? Nobody said this would be a bi-partisan blog.)
It seems that McCain has made a series of bad judgement calls when it comes to the economy, not the least of which has been the "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" blunder. (I may not remember the exact quote correctly for which I apologize, but you get the idea.) Maybe they're strong if you're bloody rich, but not for the rest of us who don't have the 5 million dollars to be moved into the "rich" class.
It seems to be a pattern dating back to the Keating 5 when McCain was sanctioned for showing "bad judgement" in the Savings & Loan bailout in the 80s... not to mention the removal of regulations that allowed mortgages to be treated like securities and bought and sold.
And did you hear him kind of fly off the handle last Monday when the market tanked and proclaim that this person and that should be fired? Maybe he should stop, think and look at the whole picture before proclaiming steps to fix everything in one fell swoop.
It smells of pure politics. (Kind of like his choice of Palin for the Republican vice-presidential candidate...)
Presidents DO have to handle more than one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is kind of important. Don't you think? Or don't you THINK...?
In case you haven't figured it out, I'm NOT voting for John McCain this election... I've never been one to vote entirely for one party or another. Many times I find myself voting for a 3rd party candidate because I'm disgusted with our main parties. This year? No. Obama all the way.
Can you smell the sarcasm from there?
McCain has stated that he may skip the debate on Friday evening, regardless of whether or not Obama or the Commission on Presidential Debates postpone the debate. The unilateral, and, frankly, something that sounds like an ultimatum, reminds me of the kid who says "Do it my way or I'm going to take my ball and go home."
It would be all well and fine to *suggest* postponing the debate (though I don't think it should be postponed) would be fine and dandy, but this threat (and that's from a report on CNN, not my own statement of thought) to just not show up... stupid. Bad judgement call. (Not the first from McCain.)
The folks in DC are negotiating ways to do a "bailout" of one form or another. If they need McCain's help, they'll phone him. Or is he afraid that they *won't* phone him, and he thinks this is his chance to come across as Underdog? (Or maybe he hasn't figured out the technology of the phone or email yet... ) (Low blow? Yep. So? Nobody said this would be a bi-partisan blog.)
It seems that McCain has made a series of bad judgement calls when it comes to the economy, not the least of which has been the "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" blunder. (I may not remember the exact quote correctly for which I apologize, but you get the idea.) Maybe they're strong if you're bloody rich, but not for the rest of us who don't have the 5 million dollars to be moved into the "rich" class.
It seems to be a pattern dating back to the Keating 5 when McCain was sanctioned for showing "bad judgement" in the Savings & Loan bailout in the 80s... not to mention the removal of regulations that allowed mortgages to be treated like securities and bought and sold.
And did you hear him kind of fly off the handle last Monday when the market tanked and proclaim that this person and that should be fired? Maybe he should stop, think and look at the whole picture before proclaiming steps to fix everything in one fell swoop.
It smells of pure politics. (Kind of like his choice of Palin for the Republican vice-presidential candidate...)
Presidents DO have to handle more than one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is kind of important. Don't you think? Or don't you THINK...?
In case you haven't figured it out, I'm NOT voting for John McCain this election... I've never been one to vote entirely for one party or another. Many times I find myself voting for a 3rd party candidate because I'm disgusted with our main parties. This year? No. Obama all the way.
Wny won't they let Sarah Palin talk to the press?
Did you catch
the frenzy with Sarah Palin's photo op at the UN
recently? It was silly. Totally and completely silly.
The president of Pakistan could hardly keep his eyes off of her. He kept talking about how beautiful she was. He even seemed like he was going to hug her at one point.
The press didn't get to ask questions... well, just one. "How is your day going?" Palin replied that the meetings were helpful. Meetings?? What meetings?? They were photo ops. She didn't meet WITH the dignitaries. She just met them. That's all. Then the Palin Handlers whisk her away quickly with repeated "Thank you"s to the photogs and press.
When do we get to hear from her? When does the press actually get to ASK her questions? How much longer is McCain going to keep her under cover? There are less than 7 weeks until the election.
Supposedly people don't elect based on a vice-presidential candidate. Well, maybe not, but most presidential candidates are 72 with four bouts of cancer in their past. And, frankly, having seen vice-presidents take over the presidency twice in my lifetime already, I want to make sure my vice-president is qualified. Frankly, I don't think being able to see Russia from the front yard qualifies you. I don't think a couple years as commander of the state National Guard (gotta wonder how big that is in Alaska) qualifies much either.
And shall we talk TrooperGate? What happened to the complete cooperation she had promised? How can Obama be involved in a conspiracy with a panel that was set up two months before her nomination as vice-president? And what's with this concept of her hand-picking a new panel? As one old professor of mine was want to say, that's like putting the rapist in the middle of an all-female orchestra.
I want her to stop dragging her feet to postpone that investigation until after the election.
I want to hear the press be able to interview her and ask her *real* questions.
And for pete's sake... I want to hear the same questions asked of her that you would hear asked of any male candidate. Enough with the claims of sexism.
And I want to know... if she's involved in a crisis of country and one of her kids is involved in a serious accident or seriously ill... where is this mother and her "family values" going to be mentally AND emotionally?
Like it or not, mothers (most of them at least) tend to be wired to focus on their kids... hunter/gatherer vs. nurturer.
TALK TO US.
The Republicans must think we're stupid sheep who will just go along and not notice that half their ticket is hiding in the dark.
The president of Pakistan could hardly keep his eyes off of her. He kept talking about how beautiful she was. He even seemed like he was going to hug her at one point.
The press didn't get to ask questions... well, just one. "How is your day going?" Palin replied that the meetings were helpful. Meetings?? What meetings?? They were photo ops. She didn't meet WITH the dignitaries. She just met them. That's all. Then the Palin Handlers whisk her away quickly with repeated "Thank you"s to the photogs and press.
When do we get to hear from her? When does the press actually get to ASK her questions? How much longer is McCain going to keep her under cover? There are less than 7 weeks until the election.
Supposedly people don't elect based on a vice-presidential candidate. Well, maybe not, but most presidential candidates are 72 with four bouts of cancer in their past. And, frankly, having seen vice-presidents take over the presidency twice in my lifetime already, I want to make sure my vice-president is qualified. Frankly, I don't think being able to see Russia from the front yard qualifies you. I don't think a couple years as commander of the state National Guard (gotta wonder how big that is in Alaska) qualifies much either.
And shall we talk TrooperGate? What happened to the complete cooperation she had promised? How can Obama be involved in a conspiracy with a panel that was set up two months before her nomination as vice-president? And what's with this concept of her hand-picking a new panel? As one old professor of mine was want to say, that's like putting the rapist in the middle of an all-female orchestra.
I want her to stop dragging her feet to postpone that investigation until after the election.
I want to hear the press be able to interview her and ask her *real* questions.
And for pete's sake... I want to hear the same questions asked of her that you would hear asked of any male candidate. Enough with the claims of sexism.
And I want to know... if she's involved in a crisis of country and one of her kids is involved in a serious accident or seriously ill... where is this mother and her "family values" going to be mentally AND emotionally?
Like it or not, mothers (most of them at least) tend to be wired to focus on their kids... hunter/gatherer vs. nurturer.
TALK TO US.
The Republicans must think we're stupid sheep who will just go along and not notice that half their ticket is hiding in the dark.
Who needs 13 cars??
13
cars?? THIRTEEN? One-three? Who on earth needs 13
cars???
Well, apparently John ahd Cindy McCain do.( http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091) I guess they have to have a couple for each of his houses.
Not only that, but for a guy who keeps saying that he buys American, you have to wonder where the Honda and the VW are made.
And for a guy who says he's so earth friendly, and wants to stop our reliance on foreign oil, you'd think he could find something a little more energy efficient to drive besides a Cadillac CTS.
So, let's see what Barack Obama has... hm. One home. (He rents an apartment in DC.) One car, a 2008 Ford (*gack*) Escape Hybrid (replacing his Chrysler 300c). That's a mid-size SUV. I know because I drive a mid-size SUV Hybrid as well. I would have looked more closely at the Ford had I not had a HORRIBLE (I mean *HORRIBLE) experience with a Ford (and the Ford Motor Company itself) about 24 years ago, and then a different, but still horrible experience with a Ford dealership when I was looking for a car in 1998 (deciding that I would break down and give Ford another chance).
But I digress... I still don't comprehend AT ALL how a guy with 7 properties and 9 hourses and 13 cars and a sh*tload of money call a guy with one house, one car, and a sum of money that most of the rest of us would love to have "elitist". Is it because he's a black guy who went to an Ivy League school and made good for himself? It makes me feel like McCain thinks that Obama doesn't "know his place".
Yeah... it's the race card. And I, middle-aged white woman, played it. Whatcha gonna do about it?
Well, apparently John ahd Cindy McCain do.( http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091) I guess they have to have a couple for each of his houses.
Not only that, but for a guy who keeps saying that he buys American, you have to wonder where the Honda and the VW are made.
And for a guy who says he's so earth friendly, and wants to stop our reliance on foreign oil, you'd think he could find something a little more energy efficient to drive besides a Cadillac CTS.
So, let's see what Barack Obama has... hm. One home. (He rents an apartment in DC.) One car, a 2008 Ford (*gack*) Escape Hybrid (replacing his Chrysler 300c). That's a mid-size SUV. I know because I drive a mid-size SUV Hybrid as well. I would have looked more closely at the Ford had I not had a HORRIBLE (I mean *HORRIBLE) experience with a Ford (and the Ford Motor Company itself) about 24 years ago, and then a different, but still horrible experience with a Ford dealership when I was looking for a car in 1998 (deciding that I would break down and give Ford another chance).
But I digress... I still don't comprehend AT ALL how a guy with 7 properties and 9 hourses and 13 cars and a sh*tload of money call a guy with one house, one car, and a sum of money that most of the rest of us would love to have "elitist". Is it because he's a black guy who went to an Ivy League school and made good for himself? It makes me feel like McCain thinks that Obama doesn't "know his place".
Yeah... it's the race card. And I, middle-aged white woman, played it. Whatcha gonna do about it?
Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing here?
Welcome to
Allison's Wonderland. I'm Allison. (Noe there's a
surprise, I bet.)
Who am I? I'm a middle-aged woman, living in a suburb of a moderate-sized city in the Midwest. I am college-educated. I am disabled, kidney failure and legally blind (among other issues). Thank goodness I already knew how to touch type.
I was raised in the suburbs of a large city by a very Republican mother (with rather a society-type background and a degree in Political Science) and a pretty darn Republican father (who, in 2004, voted for a Democrat for the first time since Truman). My dad was raised by middle-class parents with a very strong Protestant work ethic. My grandfather, a descendant of a family who came here from England in 1634, built the house he and my grandmother lived in with his own hands from the foundation up. My grandmother's father came here from Norway.
I went to a high school of about 2000 students (a class of 523), and I'm still in touch with many kids (if you can call us that now) from my class. I've known my best friend since she moved to our school in 3rd grade. There was never a question about whether or not my sister and I would go to college. We just went. We never were given the thought of "Oh, you're a girl. You can't do that." thanks to my mother.
In fact, the only time in my life I have ever heard something like that was when I was at the state's unemployment office as I was finishing my degree in Computer Technology (my 3rd of 4 degrees in two different majors). The man who was doing my intake first said something about it not mattering what job I took since I would be getting married and having kids and would quit my job, and that I didn't have to make as much money because of that. And then the real kicker... that my GPA (which was very high) probably came from sleeping with my professors. He didn't say that directly but he said something about "I bet I know how you got your grades" along with a wink. I was stunned. I *should* have filed a complaint and raised a stink, but I was *so* stunned by the whole experience, I just left. Stupid me. It was horrible, demeaning, and, thank heavens, the one and only time I experienced that kind of sexism. That guy needed to be neutered so he couldn't breed.
Before I became disabled, I worked in computing (consulting with university faculty, as an adjunct professor and as a customer service manager for a software company). I'd probably be considered "upper middle class", but in today's economy and on disability... well, it's anyone's guess.
I've lived through and remember things like Sputnik, the Berlin Wall (going up and coming down), Kennedy's assassination, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan (I was at my above-mentioned grandparents' house), Civil Rights legislation, Martin Luther King's time and assassination, Bobby Kennedy's assassination, Vietnam, Woodstock (no, I wasn't there), Women's Lib, Disco, etc, etc... That should give you an idea of from whence I come.
As for the rest of this... well, it's my area to vent. If you don't like what I say, get over it. I'm not doing this for you or to find friends. I'm doing this because I feel like too many people have no common sense anymore. I just want to b*tch slap them to wake them up.
Who am I? I'm a middle-aged woman, living in a suburb of a moderate-sized city in the Midwest. I am college-educated. I am disabled, kidney failure and legally blind (among other issues). Thank goodness I already knew how to touch type.
I was raised in the suburbs of a large city by a very Republican mother (with rather a society-type background and a degree in Political Science) and a pretty darn Republican father (who, in 2004, voted for a Democrat for the first time since Truman). My dad was raised by middle-class parents with a very strong Protestant work ethic. My grandfather, a descendant of a family who came here from England in 1634, built the house he and my grandmother lived in with his own hands from the foundation up. My grandmother's father came here from Norway.
I went to a high school of about 2000 students (a class of 523), and I'm still in touch with many kids (if you can call us that now) from my class. I've known my best friend since she moved to our school in 3rd grade. There was never a question about whether or not my sister and I would go to college. We just went. We never were given the thought of "Oh, you're a girl. You can't do that." thanks to my mother.
In fact, the only time in my life I have ever heard something like that was when I was at the state's unemployment office as I was finishing my degree in Computer Technology (my 3rd of 4 degrees in two different majors). The man who was doing my intake first said something about it not mattering what job I took since I would be getting married and having kids and would quit my job, and that I didn't have to make as much money because of that. And then the real kicker... that my GPA (which was very high) probably came from sleeping with my professors. He didn't say that directly but he said something about "I bet I know how you got your grades" along with a wink. I was stunned. I *should* have filed a complaint and raised a stink, but I was *so* stunned by the whole experience, I just left. Stupid me. It was horrible, demeaning, and, thank heavens, the one and only time I experienced that kind of sexism. That guy needed to be neutered so he couldn't breed.
Before I became disabled, I worked in computing (consulting with university faculty, as an adjunct professor and as a customer service manager for a software company). I'd probably be considered "upper middle class", but in today's economy and on disability... well, it's anyone's guess.
I've lived through and remember things like Sputnik, the Berlin Wall (going up and coming down), Kennedy's assassination, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan (I was at my above-mentioned grandparents' house), Civil Rights legislation, Martin Luther King's time and assassination, Bobby Kennedy's assassination, Vietnam, Woodstock (no, I wasn't there), Women's Lib, Disco, etc, etc... That should give you an idea of from whence I come.
As for the rest of this... well, it's my area to vent. If you don't like what I say, get over it. I'm not doing this for you or to find friends. I'm doing this because I feel like too many people have no common sense anymore. I just want to b*tch slap them to wake them up.