Thursday, October 21, 2004
Lie down with dogs
This post is in response to Don Wycliff's attempt to justify his paper (the Chicago Tribune) and its endorsement of George W. Bush this year.
Sometimes you have to take a stand & vote with your feet, Don. Wycliff's article was a joke -- especially his selective citing of the paper's Rules of Engagement. A paper that values free speech and personal liberty endorsing George Bush?? The few acts of political courage he cites in the paper's long history actually only serve to underline the fact that they are blind and deaf to the absolute seriousness of this election.
They are out of touch, and for them, this is a game.
The 10 people who reached "consensus" on this decision have made a horrible, hopefully fatal (to their careers) choice: tradition over correctness, lies over truth, exploitation of gays over gays (on National Coming Out Day, Red Eye had an "ex-gay" as their coverboy). The people who sat by and acceeded to this decision, frankly, should have quit. Moreover, Eric Zorn's "I don't give it much weight" excuse seems more like than a pathetic attempt to justify his own complicity in this joke.
Substance matters, EZ. (P.S., Mr. Zorn, I don't think John Kerry has ever used the words "Mary Cheney in public, so please stop with the "Vanessa Kerry" analogy. Have him say "my opponent's daughter" instead.)
This is no normal election. Endorse Keyes, fine. Endorse Hyde, whatever. But to decide that a FAILED PRESIDENT deserves four more years in office is disgraceful. They actually could have made a difference. If Bush wins, their complicity will not save them from the consequences.
Sometimes you have to take a stand & vote with your feet, Don. Wycliff's article was a joke -- especially his selective citing of the paper's Rules of Engagement. A paper that values free speech and personal liberty endorsing George Bush?? The few acts of political courage he cites in the paper's long history actually only serve to underline the fact that they are blind and deaf to the absolute seriousness of this election.
They are out of touch, and for them, this is a game.
The 10 people who reached "consensus" on this decision have made a horrible, hopefully fatal (to their careers) choice: tradition over correctness, lies over truth, exploitation of gays over gays (on National Coming Out Day, Red Eye had an "ex-gay" as their coverboy). The people who sat by and acceeded to this decision, frankly, should have quit. Moreover, Eric Zorn's "I don't give it much weight" excuse seems more like than a pathetic attempt to justify his own complicity in this joke.
Substance matters, EZ. (P.S., Mr. Zorn, I don't think John Kerry has ever used the words "Mary Cheney in public, so please stop with the "Vanessa Kerry" analogy. Have him say "my opponent's daughter" instead.)
This is no normal election. Endorse Keyes, fine. Endorse Hyde, whatever. But to decide that a FAILED PRESIDENT deserves four more years in office is disgraceful. They actually could have made a difference. If Bush wins, their complicity will not save them from the consequences.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Mary Mary Mary Mary Mary
(Note: This blog has been slow to post due to a fun injury which I only talk about under duress.)
The last week has been a whirlwind of conlicting emotions for me, thankd to the patron saint of this blog, Mary of the Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water. Immediately upon seeing John Kerry call Bush & Cheney out on their gay-baiting hypocrisy, I was jazzed. Yes, people under 40 can say jazzed.
Then immediately, mom-of-the-year nominee Lynne busts out with her indignity and moral outrage. Which just pisses me off, because it's TOO BAD! You don't get to be ashamed of your lesbian daughter AND expect Kerry to indulge that shame. It's 2004! My god.
Then, the next morning, I listened to NPR and got nervous, because I heard a woman in Juan Williams' focus group also pick up on how classless it was of Kerry to mention the very, very adult and very, very out daughter and campaign manager to the vice president in response to the lame-ass question posed by the moderator about whether homosexuality was a choice.
Then, by the end of the day, I was freaking out, because it was clear that the media was more than willing to let the salacious trump the substantive and Mary Cheney could very well be THE deciding factor in the election, and allow Bush to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Now I've calmed down again. The issue isn't completely dead, but fortunately, the right & the media can't decide on a way to make this a shorthand way to bash Kerry (e.g. flip-flop; for Gore Invented Internet) that doesn't include ACTUALLY SAYING the L-word. Or as Pat Buchanan would say, the "cold, hard word." Which they actually don't want to do. Especially since Cheney himself already said it in Iowa.
The "controversy" cannot stand much longer, and Kerry's statement about how everyone loves their own daughters EVEN THE LESBIANS so what's the big deal and THERE MIGHT BE A DRAFT! seems to have helped cool the columnists' heels. But we'll see how it plays out over the next couple of days.
Oh, Mary!
The last week has been a whirlwind of conlicting emotions for me, thankd to the patron saint of this blog, Mary of the Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water. Immediately upon seeing John Kerry call Bush & Cheney out on their gay-baiting hypocrisy, I was jazzed. Yes, people under 40 can say jazzed.
Then immediately, mom-of-the-year nominee Lynne busts out with her indignity and moral outrage. Which just pisses me off, because it's TOO BAD! You don't get to be ashamed of your lesbian daughter AND expect Kerry to indulge that shame. It's 2004! My god.
Then, the next morning, I listened to NPR and got nervous, because I heard a woman in Juan Williams' focus group also pick up on how classless it was of Kerry to mention the very, very adult and very, very out daughter and campaign manager to the vice president in response to the lame-ass question posed by the moderator about whether homosexuality was a choice.
Then, by the end of the day, I was freaking out, because it was clear that the media was more than willing to let the salacious trump the substantive and Mary Cheney could very well be THE deciding factor in the election, and allow Bush to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Now I've calmed down again. The issue isn't completely dead, but fortunately, the right & the media can't decide on a way to make this a shorthand way to bash Kerry (e.g. flip-flop; for Gore Invented Internet) that doesn't include ACTUALLY SAYING the L-word. Or as Pat Buchanan would say, the "cold, hard word." Which they actually don't want to do. Especially since Cheney himself already said it in Iowa.
The "controversy" cannot stand much longer, and Kerry's statement about how everyone loves their own daughters EVEN THE LESBIANS so what's the big deal and THERE MIGHT BE A DRAFT! seems to have helped cool the columnists' heels. But we'll see how it plays out over the next couple of days.
Oh, Mary!
