The amount of money spent on clothes, hair, and make-up for Sarah Palin in SIX WEEKS would have PAID OFF three home mortgages of people in my family. What else can I do but laugh helplessly when I think about the UPROAR in reaction to John Edwards’ expensive haircut (which wouldn’t have paid even one monthly mortgage payment for any of those three aforementioned houses)?
Tag: politics
Word
Never have a book proposal sitting with your agent and/or publisher during the final weeks of a presidential campaign. The six hundred times a day you check your new e-mail only to get solicitations for your vote, time, or money will make you bitter enough not to vote. Almost. Okay, not even almost. But still…
Political commentary
If you don’t like Barack Obama, you probably won’t like this commentary in The New Yorker, so by all means, don’t read it.
However, if you’re one of those people who intends to vote for Obama after taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, the commentary should make you feel better about your choice.
I, myself, have grown exhausted with being treated like I’m an idiot or some misty-eyed stargazer because of my political opinions. I’m not a socialist or a communist because of what I believe is the best direction for this nation to take in caring for its people and fostering the best in us all. I love my country and its liberties–liberties that come with risks as well as rewards. Also, apparently unlike many people noisier than I am–and this is NOT confined to a particular political party–I don’t hate or hold in contempt my fellow citizens, even when they’re flawed and even when their values and beliefs aren’t the same as mine. I don’t see how any of us can believe we stand on moral high ground when we’re so intolerant and insulting to people who differ from us–and that is just as applicable to political ideology and spiritual beliefs as to those things over which we have no control–skin color, age, gender, national origin, and sexual orientation.
My core beliefs and values haven’t changed from the first election I voted in until now–and I have voted for Republican candidates, including in one presidential election, based on those beliefs and values. As I’ve watched the GOP change over the decades, the gap between the party and my beliefs has turned into a Grand Canyon of difference, while the Democratic party has stayed mostly aligned with my beliefs. So I call myself a Democrat even though I’ll go outside party lines to vote for those I think are the best candidates based on a range of issues.
Not this time, even though Barack Obama was not my first choice. Nor even my second. But when it became clear he was going to be the Democrats’ choice, I listened and watched and read about Obama AND Biden AND McCain AND Palin. I’m not a blind follower, and I’m not a fool. Campaign slogans and promises mean very little to me. The executive branch is only one component of our government, but it’s an essential part of global perception of and confidence in the U.S. Domestically, the White House needs to be able to work with Congress and make wise judicial appointments.
Is Obama the perfect candidate based on my personal priorities? No. I will not get everything I want. But who says I should? We as a people have the power to always work for those things we believe are right and just–not just when we vote for a president.
I feel calm and confident about my decision to vote for Barack Obama, and it helps to read commentators who take his measure and apply their conclusions to his leadership potential. That, ultimately, is what I hope for in a president: one who can lead all of us, not close himself (or herself) off from any of us.
Making it count
Apparently a few Mattel Top Models were concerned to hear that the High Priestess of Plastic, Mattel Top Model Barbie herself, was looking for them backstage at Fashion Week. No worries. She’s joining Tyra Banks, creator and executive producer of America’s Next Top Model, to promote the web site declareyourself.com. On Declare Yourself, you can find your state’s guidelines for early voting; how, when, and where (including online deadlines) you can register to vote; and information about issues.
No matter what your political leanings, it’s important to be part of the process. Voting is one way you use your voice. Fashion is fabulous and dolls are fun–but the Mattel Top Models (plus Alan) agreed to model my design challenge winners and pose with Barbie’s Uncle Sam to remind you that:
ONLY YOU CAN SILENCE YOURSELF!
Thank you, Lynne, for Uncle Sam.
The insanity intensifies
ETA WARNING: There are “Survivor” spoilers in this post’s comments.
No, I’m not talking about politics. I can’t read or discuss the news right now without fighting the compulsion to hyperventilate and stock the shelves with canned goods.
As you so often have heard me boast, I don’t watch much TV. We record our soap each day and watch it during dinner if nothing else is going on, or catch up on the weekends if the week is busy. I watch Project Runway because even though I know squat about fashion, I love to see creative people at work and try to get inside their heads.
On occasion, I have slipped into a glassy-eyed (but fascinated) state when an America’s Next Top Model marathon is on. It’s that damn Tyra Banks, I think. She is (brace yourself for this most overused word) fierce. Aside: Is “fierce” the word that finally knocked out “fabulous?” If we use “fierce” and “hunker down” in the same sentence, do we know we’re finally as on our way out as a Britney Spears husband?
So when Tim asked if I wanted to watch an actual first-run season of America’s Next Top Model, I nodded with enthusiasm. And we’ve missed it twice, so all hail the ability to watch episodes online. It didn’t occur to me that it was SEPTEMBER, and September means Survivor. Which starts tonight. So now I’ll be watching eight hours of television a week. That’s a WORKDAY of television.
Who am I?
Does anyone know?
Dear Anyone or perhaps Fox viewers:
Is this an accurate quote?
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told Fox News that Palin would not subject herself to any tough questions from reporters “until the point in time when she’ll be treated with respect and deference.”
I keep thinking the quote can’t be real. Newspeople are clamoring for an interview with this candidate. It’s her party’s perfect opportunity for free publicity. Is she afraid of their questions? Does she not know how to say “no comment” if an interviewer ventures into territory that she considers private? Her family’s right to privacy doesn’t preclude her from her obligation to make public who she is, what she stands for, what her plans are for her office should she win it, what her vision is for our country and its people. If she wants to dodge questions about foreign affairs, the economy, and other domestic issues, she’s going to have to learn to dodge them and dissemble when the lights and cameras are all pointed directly at her, just like every other candidate.
She’s running on the ticket for the highest offices in our government. Although people seem to have forgotten this little detail, if she wins, she will WORK FOR US. Our tax dollars will pay her salary. We will provide her a home. We will provide security for her and her family. She will travel throughout the country and the world on our behalf and often on her party’s behalf, even if we disagree with her and don’t belong to her party. That makes her accountable to us and answerable to us. Since we don’t all have access to our candidates or our leaders, we depend on the press to ask our questions and get information for us. (Those who may feel inclined to speak to me about media bias need not chime in. Reading critically is my life. I know how to get to the heart and truth of the written word, and I don’t watch wannabe-celebrity pundits or attractive newscasters–on either side–for my information. Thus my original question: Is that quote accurate?)
The simple truth is, when you put yourself in the position Sarah Palin is in, you don’t get to go all Mommie Dearest and demand respect. You don’t get to pick and choose the questions that are asked of you. You have to face even the people who don’t like you, don’t agree with you, insult you, anger you, and hurt your feelings. You have to be tough enough and smart enough to do that.
Then I read that she’s “agreed” to do an interview with ABC. AGREED? She’s not Madonna a monarch in office yet, is she? That nap I took was only fifteen minutes, wasn’t it?
Signed:
Becky Van Winkle
Button Sunday
As I headed back to Houston after my trip to the Southeast, I decided to take the northern route because I wanted to see… BUTTONS!
These are buttons collected by Bill Clinton, forty-second president of the United States, during his presidential campaigns. They’re on display at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, which was my destination and the reason I spent a night in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Playing catch-up–Part 1–Politics
Being away from home for most of ten days has left me trying to get my bearings. I’m having a really hard time reading my friends’ list. I don’t unfriend people for what they post and would never presume to tell people how to post, it’s just that large numbers of entries in one day or long lists not behind a cut make things really hard for someone who’s way behind in reading and/or commenting.
I’ll live. But rather than try to find and comment on posts that I’ve read over the past ten days, I’ll just touch on a few things that have struck me–though I think I’d better divide my posts by topic.
A little like collaborating again
Wednesday night was fun. After getting a ton of stuff done around The Compound during the day, I drove out to Green Acres and watched Project Runway with Tim. That wasn’t why I went; I’d have had fun watching it with Tom, too.
However, Greg Herren recently mentioned a silent auction in Denver to benefit the National Stonewall Democrats. They were looking for donations, including books signed by the authors, or art (paintings or prints)–I mean, come on! Democrats? Signed books? Art? I was ALL OVER THAT.
Tim and I decided to send them a signed hardcover of Three Fortunes in One Cookie. This novel remains so dear to me, and I love donating it to a group I support. Phillip, the protagonist, is an artist, and his character is truly a collaboration between Tim and me. I thought it might be interesting if we sweetened the donation by painting some little canvases (3 x 5 inches) in a way that expressed some facet of Phillip from each of our perspectives.
There’s nothing similar about the art that Tim and I create. Yet without planning it, even though our styles are so different, when we finished our paintings, I see them as a natural progression of Phillip’s style. Mine would have been painted by an adolescent Phillip; Tim’s, by Phillip in his twenties.
Your heart never forgets your favorite characters.
Houston Pride
You may remember this shot from last year’s Parade.
Here’s this year’s version (“Where’s Rex?”):
It was a great day of Pride, starting with my breakfast at Baby Barnaby’s. I wish they were open all day, because I’m rarely out and about early enough to eat breakfast there.
I have three small stickers on the back of my car which are badly faded. I decided it’s time to replace them, so I went to Hollywood Video/Books to see if I could find duplicates. I got a new PFLAG sticker no problem. But when I asked the cashier about a red ribbon, all I got was a blank look. He honestly didn’t know what a red ribbon is for! I’m still trying to get my head around that.
However, their former manager had bought tons of our books for us to sign. After all these years, there’s one lone copy of The Deal remaining. I thought about buying it–it’s out of print and I only have a couple of copies myself. I decided it’s just waiting for the right reader and left it there.
For the rest of my Pride photos, check out my Flickr set. If you do a slide show, you won’t see titles and captions, but if you go through them individually, I’ve tried to identify most of what I shot.