Part 19 (1/2)

14.

2008.

One of the more amusing comments about my recent ”Baby Mama” rant (or at least amusing to me, anyway), came from over on Daily Kos, when someone there wondered whether if I was on their side, politically speaking. Because, I guess, if I'm not, then it's not okay to enjoy the snark for its own sake. Or whatever.

Well, I don't want my political proclivities to be in doubt, so let me be absolutely crystal clear where I stand: I support the right of same-s.e.x married couples to carry concealed weapons.

I hope this explains everything.

Thank you for reading.

The Thing About ”Rock Stars”

Sep

5.

2008.

For all the Republicans who are exulting that there's now a ”rock star” on the GOP ticket (and all the Democrats who are freaking out about it), there is one minor detail that's worth considering in the days and months ahead. And that is that the ”rock star” on the Democratic ticket is actually the person who is running for president, while the ”rock star” on the GOP ticket...isn't. At the top of the GOP ticket is a 72-year-old man who just gave a mediocre speech that served primarily as an attempt to suggest that a fellow who's spent two and half decades in Was.h.i.+ngton and voted with the extremely unpopular current president 90% of the time somehow represents change. That's the guy going up against the Democratic rock star.

And to the surprise of absolutely no one, the Democratic rock star knows this perfectly well. This is why yesterday when reporters tried to get Obama to react to Palin's attacks on him, his response was to say, more or less, ”whatever,” and to note his presidential opposition was McCain, not Palin. This is also why outside of the hothouse atmosphere of a political convention, Palin's sniping at Obama is likely not to hit the radar screens, because when all is said and done, she's the VP candidate, and the press is covering a presidential election, not a vice-presidential one.

Obama's already signaled he's not going to bother with her; she'll be shopped out to Biden-or even better, Hillary Clinton, who I would expect is privately fuming that the McCain and the GOP think so little of her positions and personality that they expect her supporters to be swayed by someone who holds ant.i.thetical political positions, simply because that person's got fallopian tubes. If the GOP wanted to keep the Clintons on the sidelines this election, this was not the way to do it.

Beyond this we'll see what value being a ”rock star” really brings to the table, which I suspect is rather less than what people suppose. The GOPers ecstatic over their new star might remember that a) Obama's rock star status hasn't kept this election from being reasonably close so far, and b) that Palin's ”rock star” status is not yet two days old, based on a speech written for a generic GOP VP candidate with some personal touches bolted on. Two and a half days ago people were wondering if she would have left the ticket by today. It's fair to say Palin's been up and been down. And starting today she and Joe Biden begin their descent into the shadowy netherworld of VP candidates on the campaign trail, to be largely ignored save for the occasional snipe or screw-up. It's nice to be a ”rock star” politician, but let's just say I'm not 100% convinced the ”rock star” s.h.i.+ne is all that it's cracked up to be, especially when at the end of the day you're the political equivalent of the opening act.

And at the end of the proverbial day, this election is the guys who are the headliners: about McCain and Obama, and their policies and plans, or lack thereof. One of these guys is a rock star, and the other isn't-and to be honest, I hope that doesn't matter, either. What should matter, and what I hope will matter, is the substance of the two candidates. Substance is not what people come to ”rock stars” for. But it should be what we look for in a president.

Things I Don't Have to Think About Today Oct

18.

2010.

Today I don't have to think about those who hear ”terrorist” when I speak my faith.

Today I don't have to think about men who don't believe no means no.

Today I don't have to think about how the world is made for people who move differently than I do.

Today I don't have to think about whether I'm married, depending on what state I'm in.

Today I don't have to think about how I'm going to hail a cab past midnight.

Today I don't have to think about whether store security is tailing me.

Today I don't have to think about the look on the face of the person about to sit next to me on a plane.

Today I don't have to think about eyes going to my chest first.

Today I don't have to think about what people might think if they knew the medicines I took.

Today I don't have to think about getting kicked out of a mall when I kiss my beloved h.e.l.lo.

Today I don't have to think about if it's safe to hold my beloved's hand.

Today I don't have to think about whether I'm being pulled over for anything other than speeding.

Today I don't have to think about being cla.s.sified as one of ”those people.”

Today I don't have to think about making less than someone else for the same job at the same place.

Today I don't have to think about the people who stare, or the people who pretend I don't exist.

Today I don't have to think about managing pain that never goes away.

Today I don't have to think about whether a stranger's opinion of me would change if I showed them a picture of who I love.

Today I don't have to think about the chance a store salesman will ignore me to help someone else.

Today I don't have to think about the people who'd consider torching my house of prayer a patriotic act.

Today I don't have to think about a pharmacist telling me his conscience keeps him from filling my prescription.

Today I don't have to think about being asked if I'm bleeding when I'm just having a bad day.

Today I don't have to think about whether the one drug that lets me live my life will be taken off the market.

Today I don't have to think about the odds of getting jumped at the bar I like to go to.

Today I don't have to think about ”vote fraud” theater showing up at my poll station.

Today I don't have to think about turning on the news to see people planning to burn my holy book.

Today I don't have to think about others demanding I apologize for hateful people who have nothing to do with me.

Today I don't have to think about my child being seen as a detriment to my career.