"Game Change" a Page Turner

I haven't finished the book, "Game Change" yet but it is a page turner like no other political tome I've read.  If you were into the 2008 presidential race, this is the book for you.  I began reading it last Wednesday.

It's been criticized on a number of levels as it is without footnotes or references, all stories being delivered from sources the authors deem reliable, those with whom they've worked for years.  The authors' contention is that few, if any, would be forthcoming about behind-the-scenes campaign experiences if they had to be publicity outed.  As such, the caveat emptor here is "grain of salt".  Be that as it may, it reads like a suspense novel.  You cannot put it down.

Not sure why it's been characterized as critical of Hillary.  I think the portrait of her seems balanced and fair.  Who the hell would run for president & not be overwhelmed, exhausted &/or arrogant from time to time?  The remark Harry Reid made about then Sen. Obama's light skin & speaking abilities (lacking a dialect) seems taken out of the context in which he spoke.  I have no love for Harry Reid.  He's a pompous ass.  But I doubt if what he said was much different than what most of the cognoscenti said when considering Obama's chances as a black presidential candidate.  It's all about electability.

The most surprising thing I've learned, thus far,besides the Elizabeth Edwards revelations, is how long the candidates prepare to be candidates.  It is years in the making.  I'm not talking about the youthful yearnings to be POTUS; I'm talking about the years during which potential candidates lay the groundwork themselves in their policy no matter their political standing or office (or no office) at the time.  They assemble their teams years in advance to assess the landscape.  They begin to raise money furtively.  Talk about your well-oiled machine.

A "Game Change" on Fox

I rarely, if ever, run out and buy a book the day it is released.  I wait for my BOMC catalog or the second hand book store to carry it.  "Game Change" elicited a different response.  I saw the authors interviewed on three programs in two days and I had to have it!
I went to my local independent book store to ostensibly buy a birthday card for my husband, which I did, and picked up the book as well.  I approach it with some caution; after all, it's spin about spin.  But, this last campaign was so exciting, so unexpected, had so much drama, the characters couldn't have been better crafted if they'd been authored by Mamet, Wilder or Shakespeare.  So, what's a little over-the-top?

Speaking of  "over the top", Sarah Palin is now a Fox news analyst.  Should be interesting.

Happy New Year from Uncle Jay or Where We Were in 2008

First Do No Harm...you betcha!

The Hippocratic oath charges medical doctors to "First, do no harm." I'd say Sarah Palin achieved that goal for the McCain campaign. She didn't stumble; she survived.

I had approached the Vice Presidential debates feeling somewhat sorry for Gov. Palin.She had been the brunt of so many jokes and such relentless media scrutiny emphasizing her lack of preparedness. I admit it; I felt empathy.

What was I thinking?

My husband and I were amused, amazed and finally annoyed by the quixotic twists and turns of her responses; the dogged persistance to stay on point, regardless of relevance to the questions asked. It was so Karl Rove.

I failed to keep count of how many times she used the words or phrases: "Gosh darn it", "golly": "maverick"; "nuculer" (a bush speech impediment) and "Eye-ran". Where was Amy Poehler/Hillary to say "The less you know, the more adorable you get."

I now look forward to the next Tina Fey send-up. "Expanding the vice presidential powers" is a good for a laugh. We need some humor during this most serious of presidential races. I just hope we aren't humoring ourselves into another Republican administration with Citizen McCain at the helm and Sarah "the Maverick's little sidekick" Palin waiting in the wings for him to expire. Heigh-ho Silver!

Help!

Wow! There are so many things to write about now. Between the direction of the election, the hurricane devastation in Galveston, the free falling stock market and the new television season...I don't know which disaster on which to concentrate. I will say I am pleased with the opening night of SNL. It was all I hoped for...and more. Other than that, the majority of the new season sucks with weird shows like: Lipstick Jungle (??), 90210 (loved the original but a new one with even more sex among impressionable teenagers?), Dirty, Filthy Money (watched 1/2 of 1 show; couldn't stomach it), Privileged (another dirty filthy rich show)...I mean, who makes up this stuff?

The stock market is a killer. I can't even fathom the depth of this disaster. I do feel helpless in the face of finance and trading and short selling I don't understand. I know three of our personal stocks have lost over 30% each. My two largest mutual funds are down 8% & 9% and I feel grateful but should probably sell out before they fall further. As a career woman in her fifties, I no longer have the luxury to wait this thing out.

I think I've addressed the current presidential campaign enough between my two blogs. It's becoming an obsession. Whenever I see the McCain/Palin ads, I wonder the same thing I wonder about the new tv season: "Who makes up this stuff?" Even worse to contemplate, "Who is swallowing it?"

As for Galveston, Texas and the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, my heart goes out to those people and my pocket book is open, once again, to the Red Cross. They give aid with no questions asked and are truly lifesavers when one is down and out. My husband and I know this first hand. But I'll save that for another post.

SNL's 34th Season Opens with Hillary & Sarah side by side

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL Tonight?

Rumor has it that Tina Fey will open the new season tonight as Sarah Palin. Wow! I know I'll be watching, hoping this is "twoo".

Hard Hitting Journalism or Just Another Softball Game?

Charles Gibson has been throwing softballs in interviews for too long. What the heck was the powder puff interview with Sarah Palin he conducted on ABC News last night? For Pete's sake, this woman is one heartbeat away if they are elected and she's basically saying she's "ready to be President"??? She's implying they're on a "mission from God"??? We know all about those missions. "W" has been on one for 8 years.

With Apologies to Pigs & Sarah Palin

Great web site with funny stuff. Double click the 23/6 logo to see their take on ways to apologize to McCain, Palin and, most of all, pigs in general!

We're Gonna Frickin' Lose this Thing

I took this headline off The Huffington Post today. It links to the article, written by Adam McKay, about Obama's vulnerability in the face of Republican tactics. The post title caught my eye because my husband has been saying the exact same thing since the RNC. I respond to him the same way McKay's wife does, "Stop saying that!" But in my heart of hearts, I am really scared.

I thought the country was smart enough not to fall for "four more years" of any Republican candidate. Now, I'm not so sure. As if the war, now five years and counting, isn't enough of a deterrent, the economy is in the toilet, the middle class is disappearing, inflation is escalating, unemployment is at a five year high and the dollar at a low.

The U.S. is the laughingstock of the world and we're gonna elect John McCain???? I can't take it. Neither can this country. Four more years of people like this, people who support war and invading other countries; people who give tax breaks to big oil, big pharmaceuticals & the top 1% of income earners; people who want to spy on their own countrymen through illegal wiretapping; people who believe in waterboarding and torture despite the Geneva convention; people who want to destroy the environment when no reliable scientific study supports further drilling; people who don't believe in global warming despite all evidence to the contrary; people who believe in no abortion at any cost, including rape and incest...these are the people the country is leaning towards?

Instead of "God bless America", we'd better start saying "God help America."

More on Sarah Palin

http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/the-mirrored-ceiling/?em
Judith Warner's "Domestic Disturbances" blog today sums up my feelings about the Republican Convention, vice presidential nominee and the media as well as the constituent reaction. Let's just hope this is not our next President and Vice President. Four more years of Republican ideals and economic pursuits and the middle class will be fleeing the US borders into Canada and Mexico. I guess the top 1% will finally rule the country and they'll have the slave labor of the bottom 10% to rely on. As for the rest of us? We'll be trying to get work permits and long term visas anywhere but here.

I Wish Tina Fey Was the Vice Presidential Pick

Tina Fey & John McCain
cover of Life Magazine September 2004
uploaded from thinkprogress

thinkprogress.org/2008/09/04/mccain-fey-life/

Brave New World or Same Old Same Old?

I'm underwhelmed by the choice of Sarah Palin for running mate to John McCain. She represents pretty much everything I detest: the NRA, anti-abortion for any reason (including rape & incest), drilling in Alaska...and Rush Limbaugh's been talking her up since Feb. 08, according to slate.com.

I'm not all that impressed that she's a working mother of five either. I no longer believe a working mother can really have it all. Something has to give. As the mother of two sons who had to work for most of their growing up, it wasn't easy, it wasn't fun and I had many days of doubt. I retreated from a management position and subsequent offer because it was too time-consuming. I was working way too many hours spending more and more time at the office and less and less with my children. They were being raised by a series of nannies and that, in itself, became a problem. My biggest saving grace was being in sales. I could go home during the day if I wanted to check on them. Most women can't do that. I remember wishing we could start a daycare in our office building. I pushed for job sharing in its infancy. I finally convinced my boss, a bachelor, to let me work part time instead of full time so I could be home with the boys in the afternoons. My sales didn't suffer. In fact, my productivity increased because I was so happy. That ended when his replacement, a woman, wanted me to break up my sales accounts because I "couldn't possibly carry a full list and do it justice." I quit.

At that point, I was lucky enough to stop working for four crucial years. They were 6 & 7 and they needed Mom around to help them with school projects, sports and homework. It was a wonderful time for the family and especially for me.

I understand Gov. Palin has a stay at home husband, to some extent, and he can parent them in her absence. That is a good thing for her children. I'm not a proponent of child bearing to the extent where we do more than duplicate ourselves. The planet is truly overflowing. Many of the problems we face are because there are just so many people competing for the same things and using all our natural resources.

This probably sounds like backward thinking from a woman who believes in the liberation of women. I may be way off base making these statements. Most women do what they can to provide for their families and make their way through the work place. I believe women are equal in the work place and certainly capable of achieving greatness in all things. But I also know we are the nurturers, the caregivers, the housekeepers, the cooks, the laundresses, the nose-wipers and the comforters. Somebody has to be there. Yes kids learn by example but they also need guidance to get the wisdom required to recognize the example. Should it always be the woman who gives in? Of course not. But somebody needs to parent the kids.

I don't really see the Republican party or their nominees as the answer to our diverging class system, our economic problems, our ability to protect and provide for our children. If they were the answer, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today, seven & one half years after the Democrats left office. We should be focused on feeding our chidren, helping the poor, solving our energy crises and providing reliable health care. We should get out of Iraq, bring our soldiers home and concentrate on our citizens, our needs, our challenges.

Peggy Noonan is SUCH a bitch

Right now she's on MSNBC complaining about the"pedestrian" quality of Barack Obama's speech last night. She's saying it's everything we've heard before. Oh really? Being the wonderful speech writer for that over-hyped undeserving of the acclaim president, Ronald Reagan, she isn't about to throw kudos anywhere but in the Republican direction. She gets her points across but they are always framed in that bitchy delivery of hers which, I think, deflates her credibility. If she were measured, she might be more effective. Unfortunately, she has a platform due her to Reagan credentials. BTW, is she counting the number of times McCain has now used his POW experience and will continue to do so?????

Joe Biden/Bob Uecker: Coincidence? I think not.