That Americans can actually want to support a candidate who preaches abstinence and no sex education in the schools but will not take on the responsibility of teaching their children sex education in their homes.
That candidates who advocate not teaching sex education in the schools can also advocate cutting funds for teenage mothers.
That people will overwhelmingly support, in private, their right to the private control of their bodies and yet support and vote for a candidate who might very well overturn that right for them and their children and not see the hypocrisy of that.
That a candidate for Vice President of the United States never even owned a passport until last year but has a twenty percent chance of being President of the United States and negotiating life or death foreign policy issues.
That Charles Gibson, who was lambasted by nearly everyone for his ludicrous handling of the Democratic candidates’ debates, in which he wallowed in old gossip, would be chosen by the Republican party for the first sit-down interview with Sarah Palin
That John McCain spent 26 years in Washington but now wants to represent himself as an agent of change who can go there and get things done in the next four years.
That a child of privilege can gain the White House and brag about his C average from an Ivy League uninversity and be beloved for it but that a child of poverty who grew up in a single parent home and gained entry to one of the most prestigious universities in the country on his own merit can be called "elitist" and "uppity" and people don’t find that offensive.
That a man who has lived the quintessential American Dream can be derided for achieving what Americans purport to stand for.
That buzzwords and labels have actual weight.
That people believe the first thing they hear and refuse to be swayed by real information or common sense, and are, for the most part, vastly uninformed.
That people use phrases like “small town values” without being able to tell you what those phrases mean or what those “values” really are.
That people really like being polarized and separated into clashes of culture and We versus Them.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Clavos
Interesting you would use Queen Victoria's arrogant and elitist phrase for your title...
and that Republicans think chants of "Drill, Drill, Drill" are not only amusing but will actually immediately mean something to gas prices, in spite of the fact that we have known about a coming foreign oil crisis for well more than thirty years.
The latter part of that statement is a non sequitur.
That American car manufacturers had their worst sales year ever this year but still can’t build a reasonably priced small car that gets good gas mileage.
American car companies have been stupidly mismanaged for decades; they are clueless in regard to their market, and have been building inferior cars for decades, even when confronted with the vastly superior Japanese rides.
2 - Lisa Solod Warren
Nope. drill drill drill just makes people feel better in the short term, rather than sucking it up and thinking about the long term.
yeh, I agree with you about american care companies. So what? So why can't they do better? That IS my point, Clav. Aren't we as smart as the Japanese? We HAVE the technology. Why are we so greedy and lazy?
3 - Lisa Solod Warren
oops, car companies, not care companies.
The title was meant to be ironic. Republicans don't seem to get irony, I have noticed.
You guys love that elitist word. Anyone with an education beyond 3rd grade (or who chooses to use that education) gets called an elitist, it seems.
4 - Jordan Richardson
My cat is an elitist.
5 - troll
hmmm
republicans don't get irony
irony is often lost on foreigners
alien reptilian invaders are foreigners
republicans are alien reptiles
qed
6 - Clavos
Republicans don't seem to get irony, I have noticed.
Apparently, neither do Independents. In Florida, the fascist government requires one to declare either Rep or Dem (only) in order to be able to vote in primaries, so we outsiders MUST register with one of the two.
You're right, I should have registered as a Democrat; it would have been much more ironic.
I like that...think I'll switch.
7 - Daniel Miller
Lisa, in your article, you complain about an unnamed candidate who "who preaches abstinence and no sex education in the schools." Since the only candidate about whom you are likely talking is Governor Palin (obviously an assumption on my part), I would call to your attention the following excerpt from one of her 2006 debates during the Alaska race for Governor
A video of the entire debate, over an hour long, is available here should you be interested. It might be useful to verify your positions on such matters before deciding, like The Queen, about what we should or should not be amused.Dan(Miller)
8 - Clavos
ALL cats are elitists, Jordan.
It stems from their being the Rulers of The Universe...
9 - Ruvy
Lisa,
The fact of the matter is that the US of A is up shit's creek, and it doesn't matter which fool you choose to be president. There is no earthly power that can get you out of the mess you've gotten yourselves into.
I don't support Obama because i like the Jew-hating SOB. I support him because reservists here need an enemy they can focus on when some dipshit "secretary of state" comes ordering around the American puppets in J-lem, and telling them how they have to slit our throats for the sake of the ruling elite in your country. With an asshole like Obama in the White House, reservists will have no trouble figuring out that they have to kick out and jail America's puppets here.
But aside from that, your run as country is over. You are finished. It is only a matter of time before the Statue of Liberty literally falls to the ground, signifying the end of American significance in the world.
If you are Jewish, Lisa, do the smart thing and stop huffing away for Arianna Huffington and come home. If you are not Jewish, you have my sympathy.
10 - Clavos
Aren't we as smart as the Japanese?
Not in car manufacturing, at least.
And probably, not in a lot of other things, either...
11 - Lisa Solod Warren
Hey Dan, I refer to anyone who takes that position.
And you, Palin still never answers the question. What ARE explicit sexual education programs? Is it okay to talk about condoms but not show how to use them? What does explicit mean? Is it like porno, you know it when you see it? She never ever answered the question. Surely you can see that.
And, ah, Clavos, I think we are. We invented the car. We are just lazy. And greedy and want big cars. And drink gas like cola. No need for that. Very uncreative. I bet we could do it. I
12 - troll
We invented the car.
the French Scotts and Germans might disagree
13 - Clavos
We invented the car.
Actually, we didn't. We (Henry Ford) invented mass production of the automobile.
Les Français (closely followed by the Germans) invented the auto itself:
Sic transit gloria.
14 - Daniel Miller
Lisa,
I am sure that there is someone out there who takes that position, possibly even several; I am equally confident that there are some who believe that the earth is flat and on that basis don't go beyond the horizon as seen from their homes. Contraception is against Roman Catholic doctrine, but most Roman Catholics, at least in the U.S., probably abstain from adherance to that doctrine.
The only candidate now running in the Presidential/Vice Presidential race whom I have seen referred to as opposing contraception as a topic for discussion in school is Governor Palin, and she has been maligned because of it, quite unjustly and inaccurately.
I thought her response to the question was clear and to the point. Perhaps she could have offered a demonstration, or given an illustrated talk on the proper method of ingesting birth control pills. Somehow, I think that Queen Victoria would not have been amused had she done so. Then again, her perceptions may have changed up there in Heaven where she doubtless has a different bunch of courtiers.
As to explaining how to use them (condoms or even birth control pills), I seem to recall that the packages in which they are sold have adequate instructions. Perhaps remedial reading classes would be more beneficial than "explicit" instruction in sex education classes.
Dan(Miller)
15 - Arch Conservative
"That American car manufacturers had their worst sales year ever this year but still can't build a reasonably priced small car that gets good gas mileage."
Correct me if I'm wrong but the major American car comapnies are all located in Michigan where the Dems who have control over the state have manged to run the economy into the ground through high taxes and unions.
I heard that they changed the sign you see as you're leaving Michigan from "Now leaving Michigan please visit us again," to "Will the least person leaving please shut off the lights?"
At the rate they're going that's going to be Jennifer Granholm's last duty as governor.
16 - Cannonshop
Lisa, the first step is recognizing you have a problem. The PROBLEM breaks across party lines.
The Problem is that left or right, neither side's base bothers to read anymore, nor bothers to THINK anymore.
F'rinstance:
"That too many Americans would rather watch television seven hours a day than read to their children but they still want to blame public education for everything.-Lisa Solod Warren"
Why not? We have people of different colours, ethnicities, genders, religions and sexual proclivities blaming each other for everything, why not include Public Educators who are drawn from the bottom of College graduates, hired for their ability to teach football, basketball, or other sports instead of their ability to teach math, science, or reading, and whose administrators belong to the same labour organization that the teachers, bus-drivers, janitor, and all belong to. Washington State was 3rd in education spending in 1991 and 43rd in education results (k-12), that's the year I graduated high-school. Today, it's 43 and 43-the quality didn't go down, just the funding finally matched the product.
"And you, Palin still never answers the question. What ARE explicit sexual education programs? Is it okay to talk about condoms but not show how to use them? What does explicit mean? Is it like porno, you know it when you see it? She never ever answered the question. Surely you can see that."
Well, it's a nice, vague answer, isn't it? I rather expect it's the kind of answer one gives when one's nightmares are inhabited by the idea of the little ones sitting down in class and having Teacher put on "Ron's Anal Adventure: Condom Crisis". Considering in the last decade we've had, what, three, four teachers getting knocked up by eleven, twelve, and fourteen year olds? maybe stating a standard that's vague enough that someone can't ride the edge of it without going over is a Good Idea?
"And, ah, Clavos, I think we are. We invented the car. We are just lazy. And greedy and want big cars. And drink gas like cola. No need for that. Very uncreative. I bet we could do it. I"
Oh...where to begin... Mercedes invented the automobile, Lisa, in Germany. In the 1800's. Austin in England and Ford in the U.S. made it accessably inexpensive. I think we COULD do what you suggest-except that cars with good gas mileage and reliability, and pretty good performance ARE made in the U.S.
Subaru, Honda, Toyota? Sure, Japanese companies, but the factory for many of their flagship models is on U.S. soil, and the workers are largely Americans. Ford's hampered by Mulally (the IMBECILE who designed the 787's production strategy and almost ran Boeing into the ground to manipulate the stocks), GM hampered by moribund management and too much Beaureucracy, Chrysler's dying because of mismanagement. Note where the damage is? Management. Managers conditioned to the eighties era view of fuck the customers, workers, common shareholders, and post a quarterly 'up' even if it costs you more long-term than you've saved, because the Government will subsidize your risk.
This is the product of too many Lawyers, Lisa, it's the product of Business Schools that have rejected 'in the box' thinking and think that moving pieces of paper generates wealth rather than production generating wealth. Oddly enough, that's exactly the kind of thinking Dem backers of Kyoto use...
and why not? that's how most of their leading lights got rich-that is, t he ones that didn't just inherit their money.
As for "Drilling is a fraud" assertions, Lisa...we tried it your way. That is how we got to the point that the U.S. is at right now-by outsourcing energy production and locking off domestic sources. It doesn't help that in eight years of Democrat rule, the number of domestic producers went down to chevron thanks to mergermania during the Clinton years (Where, oh where, was the SEC while Enron was running amok and the oil companies were merging or leaving? oh, yeah, that's right, they were obsessing on Microsoft with the Dept. of Justice... Ken Lay and his cronies were indicted by a REPUBLICAN!!)
and that (in my meandering, blundering way) leads me to another question-
Republicans indict republicans
Democrats indict Republicans.
Democrats do NOT indict Democrats-even when the evidence is obvious, strong, and public. Why is that? Is it because remaining in power is more important than doing one's job?
17 - Arch Conservative
The Problem is that left or right, neither side's base bothers to read anymore, nor bothers to THINK anymore.
That's right cannonshop. Both sides have entered into inane harmful trade agrements on behald of the American peopel and both sides have stood by and watched the jobs fly out the door.
18 - Daniel Miller
Cannonshop,
Is it because remaining in power is more important than doing one's job? I assume this is a rhetorical question. It is possible to respond to most questions ambiguously. This one? Ain't possible. Obviously it is more important to get and retain power, and that's one of our main problems. It may be the root of all evil.
Is there a solution? I have asked each of our horses, dogs and cats (I didn't bother with the chickens or ducks) and their respective answers were similar: bite and kick them, bite them really hard and chase them away, and scratch their faces.
Too bad that we "civilized" beings are not permitted to do these things.
Dan(Miller)
19 - Cannonshop
AND their "base" don't think, only react. eleven years ago, as a newly minted member of my Union,with not quite a year at Boeing, I pointed out something during the monthly second-shift meeting (it was still held at 3AM at that time so that second shifters could actually ATTEND.) When you're a guaranteed vote, you're a sucker. The Labour movement's a joke now-Union Leaders endorse dems that blatantly and obviously want to put their members on unemployment.
I was NOT the most popular guy in the room after that, though I DID get to spend a few hours afterward debating and talking with some of our officials at Dennys over coffee. The end result being that the endorsements for the '98 election weren't the straight, one-party ticket the Union's endorsed forever before, or forever since (the token Republican honoured his pledge and departed office after his second term with his honour intact.)
On the whole, though, people really do NOT like to think. They like to be told by the 'cool kids' what to like, what to wear, who to support, and how to vote. From my own perspective, Democrats as a whole do a great job "Talking" workers issues, but "actually doing something" is not even remotely on the agenda. (ya gotta have a job before you can organize, ya gotta have an industry before you can have unions, and you can't have unions in countries that don't allow them. setting up carrot-and-stick to drive the jobs to countries that don't have labour laws? insanity.)
20 - Daniel Miller
Lisa,
PS to #15: We are amused, actually.
Dan(Miller)
walks away giggling
21 - Clavos
Cannon,
In my first airline job, an Operations (weight and balance) agent, I too was an IAM member; in my case, somewhat unwillingly. I attended a number of meetings when I first became a member, but pissed them off so much with my questions, I finally decided I didn't need the grief I was being given and quit going.
Florida is a Right to Work state, and I tried to drop out on that basis, which was when I learned, to my chagrin, that the airline industry is (or was then) regulated under the Railway Labor Act, which superseded state law. That attempt made me VERY unpopular with the local union types. Shortly after, I applied for, and was selected for my first management job.
A couple of years later, at another company (with the same union), I was named the company management representative for the contract talks then in progress, and was once again facing some of the same people. It was interesting, to say the least.
22 - Cannonshop
For me, Clavos, I kind of thrive on that. As much as my questions piss off the idiots, they've been useful in getting the rest of the guys thinking. (a task akin to lifting the back of a car with your hands to change the tyre.) Also, I'm fortunate in that about thirty percent of our Local aren't reflexive followers who toe the line and eat up the drivel they're served be it by the Union, or Management.
Unfortunately, during the layoff, the Leadership managed to make it nearly impossible for rank-and-file who don't live in Seattle to attend the second-shift meeting, by setting it for ten in the morning in a city with some of the worst traffic in the country, so I haven't attended a monthly meeting since I got back on.
23 - Jordan Richardson
You're both looking rather small, aren't you?
24 - Cannonshop
Yeah, weird. the font looks like it's dropped a couple-three points.
25 - Daniel Miller
Jordan
I must have neglected to close a tab.
Sorry about that.
Dan(Miller)