Lipstick on a Pig - An Open Letter to the American People

Lipstick on a Pig...A pretty common euphemism, right? Even benign? You know what it means, I know what it means - most folks know. You can crap in a bag and wrap it up and call it Christmas, but it still stinks, right?

By now you've seen the headlines, heard the talking heads and seen the videos on TV. The McCain camp came out and demanded an apology from Obama, implying that Senator Obama was calling Sarah Palin a pig. Let's put Obama's statement back in context:

"John McCain says he's about change too, and so I guess his whole angle is, 'Watch out George Bush -- except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics -- we're really going to shake things up in Washington,'" he said.

"That's not change. That's just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it's still going to stink after eight years. We've had enough of the same old thing."

I'm sorry, did I miss something? Was my head stuck in a vice for a moment? Did Obama even mention Sarah Palin in that statement? Wasn't he talking about McCain's policies, i.e. the ACTUAL ISSUES??? McCain himself used the line twice during the Primary season when talking about Hillary's policies. Did Hillary feign mock-outrage at the audacity of McCain calling her a pig? I must've missed that one.

Shifting gears temporarily, the McCain camp launched an ad about Obama's vote for sex education for kindergartners. Yep, the US Senator from IL voted for sex education before reading education...if you believe the McCain camp. Except that the bill Obama voted for was for education aimed at preventing sexual predators from victimizing our children. You know the bear that comes in your kids' schools and talks about good touch/bad touch? Did you have that conversation at home with your kids? You did? Good. One more won't hurt.

After viewing the most recent polling (inasmuch as I don't trust them) I guess where I'm going with this is WHAT FRICKING PLANET ARE WE ON??? Are people paying attention AT ALL to what is happening in the world & in American politics?!?! Where the HELL is McCain (and Sarah Palin) on the issues? I'd like to know. But I don't. Because the last time McCain had a press conference was 4 weeks ago, and the last time he had a town hall meeting (unscripted) was 3 weeks ago. Everything that I've seen since his admittedly genuine but vague speech at the RNC has been scripted. Everything I've seen on TV that McCain so enthusiastically approves has been outright lies about Obama (he's responsible for high gas prices, after all). Even Factcheck.org asked McCain to stop distorting their information! And everything McCain has given us has been carefully crafted to elicit a specific response. Brilliant, sure - I mean, George Bush won an election. A real election. People actually went out in the cold weather & drove their cars to the polls and voted for him because they thought he'd make a good President. The same guy that bankrupted an oil business, nearly ran a professional baseball team into the ground, can almost complete a sentence and skipped out completely on Vietnam. I'll be the first to admit - Karl Rove is a fucking genius. I mean that. If he had Obama to work with, he'd have the American voting public salivating at the mention of his name, waiting like a pack of rabid wolves to attack the voting booth in November like it's a scared little fawn. Jesus, people, where are your goddamned heads? When will I wake up from this nightmare?

Get your un-engaged asses off your emotional couch and pay attention! I mean really pay attention - it's your future, too. Quit letting your vote be guided by the cheap headlines on Fox News & CNN and TV commercials.

Let's examine the result of the last 8 years, shall we? Higher unemployment? Check. Eroding wages? Check. Fewer friends & allies in the world? Check (Oh, that's right, we're America. We don't need the French or anyone else). A Middle East much less stable than in recent times? Check. Deficit? Yes, we won that one! Wait... Higher fuel costs? Check. Same, insatiable appetite for oil? Uh huh. Osama on the loose? Yep. Safer borders? Nope - but we're committed to spending billions to keep the Mexicans out. Less division in our politics? Seriously, now. Better education and stronger health care? Not so much. A long-term vision for Iraq, Afghanistan & anything resembling a comprehensive foreign policy? If by long-term you mean the end of this month, then I might concede the point. Upheaval of Habeus Corpus? I didn't say that.

And what do we get from republicans? "Drill, baby! Drill!" In unison - almost like they practiced. But drilling will lower my heating bill this winter. What's that? It won't? And not the year after that, or that or that or that... 12 years! At a minimum, per the Bush administration. They promise to find Bin Laden. They promise to cut taxes, yet keep spending money in Iraq with no end in sight (even in spite of Iraq's gi-normous oil $ surplus), because our economy is "fundamentally strong" according to McCain. How's that worked out for Fannie & Freddie, Bear Stearns & now Lehman, not to mention the lower-middle class? They promise pro-life, even though they are for increased stem-cell research. (Really? So where does life begin? "Conception," if you ask them. What about an IUD, which allows fertilization but not implantation, as well as other birth control? Overturn Rv.W and watch what happens to our mothers' health in the US when it's a crime to take basic birth control.) They promise us cleaner energy - with coal, and responsible drilling (I threw up in my mouth on that one). They promise us better times ahead, to which I say, that's easy - it can't get much worse for some folks.

And the "liberal media" (my ass, liberal) keeps fueling the fire. I've seen more negative Obama articles and headlines taken out of context than I can remember. Did you hear Joe Biden said that Hillary would have been a better VP pick? And Elizabeth Hasselbeck (insert seriously? again) doesn't like Michelle Obama? And Barack did mean Palin when he talked about the pig? Didja hear? And the "liberal media" stood by, even played a part, while Republicans shamefully carried out the Swiftboat campaign. I'm embarrassed by people - really, I am. They stood by and were complicit in the character assassination of John Kerry, who won a Silver & Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts in Vietnam. Imagine if the Democrats had done that? What would the reaction of the public & the media be? But you know what? We'll never know, because Democrats don't do shit like that. Maybe they should. But we won't. - Attack candidates on the issues, attack them for their past, whatever. But let's talk about and carry on conversations that are relevant and ethical. Sarah Palin was against the Bridge to Nowhere. But that was after Congress killed it, and after originally SUPPORTING it - & Alaska still got the money anyway. Yet the McCain campaign is still banging that drum - she's an original maverick, after all. Where is the media on this one? How is that not an outright, blatant lie?

So it boils down to the problem with Democrats. We're too nice. As Stephen Covey (and someone else before that) taught us well, "seek first to understand." "You know, I think I'm really starting to know Newt as a person, and he's not that bad of a guy." Yes, there are the leftover 60's radical hippie punksters, and they're still pretty loud at times, but most folks have tuned them out. Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi don't help our cause much. They may be talented politicians, but like many politicians they're out of touch and removed from the day to day fray.

Democrats are nice. And they want to be liked. And, generally speaking, they are intellectual folks that appreciate an intelligent debate. We get caught up in thinking that if I get to know you better politically, you'll want to know me better - that's how it's supposed to work. I know some Republicans like that, but not many. They're nice people too, giving a chunk of change to the local charities and churches - like Democrats. But they want to win. At all costs. They'll rip your throat out to win. Karl Rove? Dick Cheney? Warm fuzzies? Just win, baby. They're the Oakland Raiders of politics.

Why the rant? Why go on & on? Because I haven't ranted enough! I've been too quiet, and as such, complicit in the current direction of our country. It's time for Democrats to get a little pissed off. Why? Because if you're paying attention, you have no excuse but to be pissed off. If you want to win, if you believe in what Obama can accomplish for America, then raise your voice a little. Talk to your neighbors. Check with your local campaign office and see how you can help. Engage friends and colleagues in discussion. If they don't bend, move on, and get them out to vote! America needs your help, for God's sake (I try not to get emotional about this, but who am I kidding?). Get out there, and speak up, people!