Rotten Little Girls » Presidential Election

End of the Week Links — 11/2/08

Harlequin — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:56:45 +0000

-> Sarah Palin has done it again – she never ceases to be in the center of a not-so-flattering spotlight. Apparently she received a prank phone call from a radio personality posing as the French President. Below is a clip of the 6-minute phone interview.

–> I love Joe Biden – if for anything, simply for the fact that he can be so deadpan with his responses. This interview has been all over the place, but if you haven’t seen it, watch Joe own this reporter.

–> So is voting for McCain anyways? Apparently the GOP is struggling to understand the demise of their party. And after the disaster of the McCain/Palin ticket, they are fighting to keep a foot in the door of the White House.

–> Sick of hearing about the Bradley effect? Well read this article about white Americans who are really voting for Obama.

–> Here is a relatively short video piece by Time Magazine’s Joe Klein on his interview with Barack Obama. This is not only thought-provoking but really worth viewing. Watch the 3 minute video here.

–> As Dollface recently mentioned, an awesome blog that’s developed during this Presidential election is Yes We Can (Hold Babies). It’s a series of photographs of Obama with children or babies (and sometimes Michelle or Biden). Seriously, each picture on this site is cuter than the last. Highly recommended.

–>Hope you all had a great weekend – and please…

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

yours

truly

HARLEQUIN

The 2008 Presidential Election in Pictures

Kelly — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:40:16 +0000

I want to reflect for a moment on this historic Presidential campaign. Instead of commenting, I will just post some pictures that speak to me.

Special thanks to Evil Slutopia, Shakesville, Donklephant, and Yes We Can (Hold Babies) for many of these photographs.

If you’re curious my opinion on John McCain and Sarah Palin…

Do you have any favorite moments of the election? Last minute thoughts on your favorite candidate? Please share.

End of the Week Links — 10/19/08

Kelly — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:17:11 +0000

In a major coup for the Obama campaign, Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama as his candidate for President. Check out his reasoning in this video clip (I really recommend it, he is well-spoken and brings up a lot of good points):

We’ll have to see how this affects the campaign in its final days, as it is being heralded as Obama’s “October Surprise.” Though some say that this will only give Obama a minor boost in ratings, it is making quite a splash in the media.

–> Check out this post on Racialicious entitled, “An Open Letter to White Voters, Or What McCain Really Thinks of You”. The post challenges some of the negative attitudes coming from the McCain campaign and the stereotypes being made about the “typical white voter” (are we really all just xenophobic assholes who drink six-packs every day with our hockey-mom wives?). I urge you all to check this out.

–> A really cute video about President Clinton’s final days in office. I think it’s been around for a while but I hadn’t seen it until recently. It’s pretty hilarious (and I know Harlequin will die when she sees it — she has a bit of a crush on Bill).

Hope you all had a great weekend! I still haven’t received my absentee ballot and I’m getting nervous! They better send it to me sooooon. (Maybe that’s why all these links have been political…I can’t get the election out of my head!)

Who Are You Fooling, John McCain?

Kelly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:51:14 +0000

Amidst terrible Katic Couric interviews and misstatements about Pakistan, I am very excited for the potential Vice Presidents to face off. The debate is scheduled for this Thursday and I will be watching from my living room couch, beer in hand. Biden is an excellent debater, with many years of foreign policy under his belt. Palin is excellent at being vague and her foreign policy experience rests on Alaska’s proximity to Russia. All in all, a fair match-up, wouldn’t you agree?

However, then I read this article over at CNN’s Political Ticker. In it, they mention that the Vice Presidential debates won’t be the same as usual:

The vice presidential debate will resemble the traditional presidential event. However, the New York Times reported last Sunday that the McCain campaign sought to limit the time for freewheeling discussion in the vice presidential debate.

Advisers to Palin were reportedly worried that format could put the Alaska governor — a relatively inexperienced debater — on the defensive most of the evening.

The agreed-upon format for that debate now includes an abbreviated two-minute discussion period during which the candidates can engage each other.

Is anybody else sick of McCain coddling Palin?? If she is so “ready” for the Vice Presidency as McCain claims, why the reduced debate time? Why is McCain’s campaign hiding Sarah Palin from the press? The article mentions that Biden, “has done nearly 100 interviews since being picked as Obama’s VP on August 23. Palin, on the other hand, did her third interview with a national television network last week.”

If this isn’t a reality check for voters, I don’t know what else is. The woman cannot hold her own in an interview, and her own campaign doesn’t trust her to speak freely for 5 minutes with Biden. Palin seems to be more and more a puppet for the McCain campaign…and a crappy one at that.

I am still looking forward to the debate between Biden and Palin, but I am disappointed in the campaign McCain and Palin are running.

Obama/Biden ’08!

An Alaskan Viewpoint

Kelly — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:43:55 +0000

In reference to the Sarah Palin controversy:

I would like to direct you all to some informative posts by Alaskan political blogger, Mudflats:

What is McCain Thinking? One Alaskan’s Perspective

Local Reaction to the Palin Bombshell

Sarah Palin? McCain’s Next Tropy Girl

I am completely confused and shocked by John McCain’s choice. He seems to think Palin will attract the women’s vote. However, as Mudflats puts it, “McCain obviously is looking for the Hillary vote since apparently he thinks women need no other criteria than a set of ovaries to mark their ballot, right? I mean women don’t actually make policy decisions, do they?”

I’m sorry McCain, but this will most definitely NOT get my vote.

And The Crown Goes To…

Harlequin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:53:27 +0000

I am sure there are a trillion posts about John McCain’s pick for VP. But come on, Sarah Palin is just a goldmine for words; I am excited just thinking about the state of our nation’s politics today – black guys with afros, beauty queens, and body builders! The world is a crazy place, and this election perfectly exemplifies the changing nature of our society. I don’t know much about her, but from what I have been reading there is only one thing in my mind: confusion.

Ok McCain, we know Barack Obama had to pick an old white guy to hedge his bets. Apparently you had to hedge yours by choosing a woman – one who is certainly not bad to look at, given her status as a beauty pageant contestant. She looks like a former model dressed up in executive clothes, but much less of a tight-ass than your wife Cindy McCain.

I am frustrated. Frustrated because I would love to hear a woman’s voice in the presidency, but really more frustrated because this is apparently the kind of woman we need to start off with. I admire her tenacity and her success, but then I read about her background and her stance on certain issues and I just want to send her back to Alaska. She may be a financial whiz, but then you look at her opinions on social issues. She was obviously picked because she is a woman who shares many of McCain’s viewpoints. She is a woman who is against abortion, a friend of gay people who is against gay marriage, and a mother of an 18-year-old son in the military who spends her spare time shooting rifles. McCain says she is perfect for the job, but he puts a big hole through his inexperience angle. If Obama is inexperienced, then what the hell would you call Miss Congeniality? She ain’t no Hillary, but sadly she may just have the right genitals to sway a few female voters.

So be sure to check back here for more about Sarah Palin – there is so much more to say about her, so she has won the honor of being the next bitch on the burning block!

The Photo Credits

McCain: Ready to Concede?

Kelly — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:40:25 +0000

As I’ve stated in previous posts, images make a big impact on people. Therefore it is understandable that John McCain’s campaign ads against Barack Obama are a hot topic of debate. Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard about the Obama = Vapid Celebrity commercial. Okay, it doesn’t really make much sense. Barack Obama is a United States Senator, and comparing him with Paris Hilton (who is famous for being rich & sometimes naked) is laughable. So why do so many people have their panties in a twist? Maybe it’s because John McCain is running such a dirty campaign. Sure, a little mudslinging is commonplace in government elections. However, McCain’s ads seem to be personal attacks on Obama’s character rather than the issues he stands for. The main themes of recent ads have been as follows:

- Is Obama Ready To Lead? No!
- Is Obama Just A Vapid Celebrity? Yes!
- Does Obama Think He Is The Shit? Yes!

As you can see, these videos are speculative and don’t really stand up to scrutiny. For a quick exercise in critical thinking, let’s open up our textbooks and analyze these themes. (My English minor is finally coming in handy!!)

1. Is Obama Ready To Lead? There are basically two schools of thought on this issue. A. Obama is a U.S. Senator, he has written 2 books, campaigned extensively in the United States and abroad, leaders of foreign countries are practically endorsing him, and he is eloquent, articulate, and intelligent. If he’s not ready to lead, then who is? B. Obama is 47. McCain is 71. 71 > 47. Don’t you know math!? Obviously McCain has more experience, thus rendering Obama’s 12 or so years in politics null and void.

2. Is Obama Just A Vapid Celebrity? Well, one might argue that Obama gets a lot of face-time in the media. You know, just like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Don’t get me wrong, McCain is all over the media too. But don’t you get what this is really about? SEX APPEAL. Britney and Paris are sexy, nubile young women. Compared to McCain, Obama is pretty goddamn sexy and nubile himself. Now, McCain supporters will tell you that this is a bad thing. Don’t you want a President who is more than a pretty face? However, don’t listen to those idiots. Everyone knows sex sells.

3. Does Obama Think He Is The Shit? Okay, here’s an obvious flaw about Obama. He’s too inspirational. Yeah, you heard me. Who wants to feel goosebumps down their backs when they listen to their President speak? Not me! I’d much prefer to watch paint dry or listen to a McCain speech. Forget inspirational, bring on the ennui! Let’s face it: Obama is too uppity for his own good and if we elect him as President we are just feeding into his enormous ego.

Okay, class is over. Your homework is to watch this hilarious & factual video and write us a comment of no more than 500 words about WHETHER OBAMA IS READY TO LEAD. Bonus points if you use the key phrases “Keating Five,” “Miss Buffalo Chip,” and “Prescription Drug Addiction.” Due November 4^th, 2008.

Photo Credits

McCain’s Armies of Compassion

Kelly — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:12:44 +0000

The first thing you may notice about Obama’s campaign site is that he has dedicated an “issues” page to Women. In this page he highlights a range of women’s issues, from domestic violence to healthcare. Needless to say, his stance on women’s rights is rather comprehensive.

However, on McCain’s website, there is a glaring deficit. There is no mention of women’s rights as an important issue. In fact, the only mention of women is under the category of “Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life” in which McCain’s pro-life (anti-choice) stance is explained.

Armies of Compassion?

Interestingly enough, the McCain site claims that,

“The pro-life movement has done tremendous work in building and reinforcing the infrastructure of civil society by strengthening faith-based, community, and neighborhood organizations that provide critical services to pregnant mothers in need. This work must continue and government must find new ways to empower and strengthen these armies of compassion. “

Armies of compassion? First of all, what is with the military jargon? Is that an allusion to McCain’s stint as a Navy Pilot (he ranked 894 out of 899 in his Naval Class, but never mind that…). Either way, this phrase “armies of compassion” — which in this context is referring to “faith-based, community and neighborhood organizations” such as Family Research Council — makes it seem like other respectable organizations are not compassionate. What about Planned Parenthood, one of the “pro-choice” organizations that has been underfunded and stigmatized by the Bush administration? Are they not “compassionate”?

For those who are unaware of what Planned Parenthood’s mission is, I will direct them to their website. Since many Planned Parenthood facilities are not even equipped to perform abortions, it really seems ridiculous that this organization is persecuted by the pro-life neo-cons. PP provides a much-needed service to those who cannot afford expensive birth control, or who need more information and support. Regardless of whether you support premarital sex or not, it is important to have a place where our teenaged daughters and sons (and anyone else, for that matter) can go to test for STDs, AIDs, and learn crucial methods of contraception. I would argue that PP is more “compassionate” than its “faith-based” pro-life counterparts.*

*I am aware that the McCain campaign is using “armies of compassion” as a euphemism for “pro-life tendencies”. I just think it’s a load of crap.

McCain is not the only one to refer to these organizations as “armies of compassion”. In June 2008, George Bush used the phrase as well at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives National Conference. Now, I’m sure there are many other ways in which Bush and McCain are similar, but this seems to be a rather blatant way in which McCain is perpetuating the Bush administration’s doctrine – even down to the jargon!