RubySoho
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Take It From The Bourne Identity: The World Deserves Better Than Sarah Palin
September 14th 2008 13:44
In less than two minutes Matt Damon, aka action hero extraordinaire Jason Bourne, sums up perfectly why the prospect of a Sarah Palin vice-presidency should have the entire world aghast. I have posted a few articles on Sarah Palin and I am aware that many will be wondering why I, as an Australian, am so concerned about the presidential election of another country in which I cannot vote.
This is why: Because, unfortunately, America is the sole superpower at this given time and because the government of America impacts the entire world. And even though I cannot vote, I, like millions of others around the globe will be feeling the repercussions of the choice America makes this November.
Watch:
Okay, I know many people can’t stand it when celebrities weigh in on a political debate. They complain that said celebrities should stick to acting/singing/whatever and leave politics to the political commentators. But I am not one of those people. We all have a right to our opinions and the right to voice those opinions. And I have no problem with listening to the opinions of someone who is famous for doing something else, providing they are genuine and carefully considered.
I believe Damon brings up some important points which I would like to discuss in turn. The fact that he is an actor by trade matters not. It’s what he said that is important, not what he does for a living.
“I think there’s a really good chance that Sarah Palin could be President…”.
The choice of running mate for the McCain ticket was always going to be more crucial than that of Obama’s. Much has been made of McCain’s advanced age, and despite the protestations of some, simply stating that there is a good statistical probability that, should he be elected, he may not survive his first term, is not ageist. It is stating a fact. If, he does not make it through the first four years, that leaves us with Sarah Palin: Leader of the Free World.
“…and I think that’s a really scary thing, because I don’t know anything about her”.
Sarah Palin was chosen by McCain out of relative obscurity, being little known outside of Alsaka, the state of which she is Governor. She has been governor for two years and prior to that, she was Mayor of Wasilla, population 9000. Apparently, McCain did not know much about her either, having met her only once before choosing her as his running mate and has subsequently been accused of not properly ‘vetting’ her. Is this true? McCain claims that she was thoroughly researched and Obama has been accused of tying to “dig up dirt” on Palin because he has sent people to Alaska to try and uncover information on Palin, but is this really digging up dirt, or is it simply trying to work out just who this person is and what she stands for?
What has she done, in terms of governance and experience that make her qualified to be vice president? In the words of McCain and Palin herself, the fact that you can see Russia from a small island in Alaska somehow gives her amazing insight into National Security and how to deal with Russia, but to anyone who has made it past the second grade, such an argument holds about as much water as saying that Palin deserves to be VP because she is mother to five children and she has a child with Down’s Syndrome. I have read, and this is no word of a lie, I have actually read articles that put forward the argument that Palin is more qualified than Hillary Clinton because she has five children and Clinton ‘only’ has one. So Palin is more of a woman. And therefore, apparently, more of a VP. And to a point of view that illogical, all I can say to that is, my mother has seven children…should I pass her details onto the GOP?
“President Palin…it’s like a really bad Disney movie”
Palin herself has often stressed that she is a “just a hockey mom” who “never set out for a life in public affairs”. Whilst this may appeal to small-town folks with small town values who think its pretty neat that a small town person who is just like them is suddenly making decisions on war and foreign policy, this is just too much for the rest of us to take. I’m not dissing small town values pers se here. They work a treat…in small towns! But the world is not a small town. World politicians need to be well versed in world politics. In her interview with Charlie Gibson, Palin made it abundantly clear that she did not know what the ‘Bush Doctrine’ was. She stated that a war with Russia could be a possibility, she hinted that she would be willing to bomb Pakistan in search of terrorists, even without the support of the Pakistani government. And, as I have already stated, she thinks that being able to see Russia from Alaska makes her qualified to be making decisions about foreign policy and meeting with foreign heads of state. This woman, does not represent a change. She is the epitome of neo-conservatism and to those who were concerned that a McCain presidency would simply be a continuation of the Bush administration, she is a confirmation of their worst fears.
Why then? Why did McCain choose her as his running mate?
“I think the pick was made for political purposes”
Aha. Say no more Matt. Political purposes. Here is why I think McCain chose Sarah Palin.
1. She is a (hot) woman. Now as a woman, I like nothing more than to see other women succeeding in traditional male-dominated fields and politics is no exception. But the cynicism of this pick makes me ill. Does McCain really think that Palin will win over Hillary supporters? Are women that interchangeable? What does he think their though processes are? Let me see. I have a vagina…Hillary has a vagina…Sarah has a vagina. Eureka! She has my vote! Obviously McCain thinks that 50% of the voting American population is utterly stupid and incapable of voting on actual issues.
And what of the issues? Does McCain really think that a woman who is anti-choice even in cases of rape and incest speaks for other women? Does he really think that a mayor who would
bill rape victims for the cost of investigating their rapes can govern on women’s issues?
Then there is the fact that McCain is using Palin’s gender as a means to attack Obama. There have been a number of McCain-Palin ads on American TV that have accused the Obama camp of making sexist attacks on Palin which have no substance whatsoever. One of them likens Obama to a wolf that is hunting down Palin and another cries that his running mate Joseph Biden's reference to Palin as "good-looking" is sexist and "disrespectful". After the McCain camp put Obama on a par with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears they have the nerve to accuse Obama of being disrespectful? Seriously?
I can’t help but thinking McCain chose a woman with the express intent to decry all criticism levelled at her as sexist, which in itself is so incredibly sexist it makes my head spin.
Even worse, Palin’s physical appearance has got people talking more about how much they want to have sex with her and less about her policies and what the world would be like if she were in power. Oh boy ladies , look how far we have come huh? Even when running for vice president you are still being judged on your "mating" potential.
2. Palin is somewhat of a blank slate. When not much is known about someone, then we are free to fill in the blanks with whatever makes us feel good. Suddenly, McCain’s campaign is all about “change”. But anyone who does the slightest bit of reading on her time as mayor and governor, will quickly realise that is not the case. She is under investigation for abuse of power. She is accused of nepotism/favoritism and of using her political position to settle personal scores. She wants to Drill! Drill! Drill!. She doesn't think Climate Change is man-made. She wants to bomb her enemies. Please, someone, anyone, please tell me how this differs from the current Bush administration in any way, shape or form.
3. She is an ultra-religious conservative. One of Mccain’s biggest obstacles in this election has been the lack of support he has found in the Religious Right, who think he is “too liberal”. So what better choice than to pick a VP who speaks out against abortion in virtually all cases, favours teaching creationism alongside evolution in the science classroom, advocate abstinence-only sex education and implores high school kids to pray for the American soldiers in Iraq, who are on “a task from God”?
“She’s going to have the nuclear codes. So I wanna know if she thinks dinosaurs were here four thousand years ago…or if she tried to ban books”.
Bingo! The most frightening aspect of Sarah Palin. This is not just a matter of an election in one sovereign nation. This is something that will potentially have far reaching consequences. Does the world really deserve to have someone with their finger on the button, who has no understanding or respect for the scientific and literary advancement of our species? Whose entire grasp of the world is her own small town in her own secluded state? Who asks librarians if they would be willing to ban books that challenge her own small view of the world? That cannot separate personal feelings from her work? That thinks that everything she needs to know can be found in the Bible? That thinks she has a God-given right to rule?
At the end of the day, Sarah Palin is woefully uneducated in matters of world politics and international relations. And that is why the entire world, not just Matt Damon, should find the prospect of Palin in the White House absolutely terrifying. I know I do.
To see what Sarah Palin thinks of Matt Damon's criticism I recommend going to her "blog' and reading this post: Matt Damon? More like Matt Demon! . It's well worth the read and I tip my hat to anyone who can make me laugh in times like these.
-Ruby
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Comment by Cheryl J
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As you said she is not well versed on world politics or international relations and that alone should be enough to make make people think twice. Unfortunately, this won't happen. We need to brace ourselves because I am of the firm belief that McCain and Palin will win and the troubles we had with the Bush Administration will pale in comparison to the world of trouble that awaits.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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She’s going to have the nuclear codes!
sorry but i just really wanted to emphasise that line!
i also really love your analysis:
i dont think she speaks for women at all . . . good on her for getting where she is based on her looks and her conformation to "family values", those are the choices shes made and she has every right to BUT her views if put into policy would restrict the rights of every other woman under her rule
Comment by RubySoho
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Exactly Cheryl. And I'm with you. So far it looks really close which in itself is diablical since the democrats should have had it in the bag considering the disaster of the Bush Administration. And when it's close, the republicans always seem to pull it out of the hat. To be honest, i don't even think it's going to be that close. I don't know if I am being a pessimist or a realist but I think McCain Palin will win it fairly easily. I just don't know what to say to that. It's like how can America not learn from its mistakes when it is still feeling the repercussions of those mistakes?
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by RubySoho
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hey that line about charging rape victims for the rape kits was a link that I forgot to underline....been fixed.
And yes, she has reaped the benefit of her own choices yet somehow sees fit to try and limit the choices of other women. What really annoys me is that she expects praise for herself and her daughter because they both chose to maintain their pregnancies, yet wants to deny other women from being able to make that choice. How does that work?
Comment by RubySoho
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Refuse to choose and Women deserve better than abortion.
Uh too bad if what they really, really want is an abortion huh? too bad if they want to opportunity to CHOOSE what happens to their bodies and their lives.
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Read this article from the NY Times if you want some more reasons to worry:
AAAAAAAIIIIIIGH!!!
Comment by RubySoho
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My favourite part of that article is where it says Palin gave her old school mate the director for Agriculture position after her friend cited her childhood "love of cows" as a qualification. An Australian newspaper referred to it as Palin's "udder favouritism".
I love cows! I can see Russia!
Laugh or cry Winston? You tell me. I'm not sure anymore.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Natalie 2
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Palin is incredibly scary, and I am not surprised that those of you overseas are just as worried as many of us here in the states are.
I am doing my best to post as many blogs as I can about this campaign, and I promise that those of us of sound mind will do everything we can to spread awareness about this dangerous McCain/Palin ticket!
Comment by Johnny Come Lately
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Comment by RubySoho
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Thanks Natalie, I think Damon was bang on the money. More people should be talking about how absurd it it. And I think most people who complain about celebrities talking politics are annoyed that most celebrities lean liberal. But really, the Republicans shouldn't feel too bad. they'll always have Chuck Norris. *snicker*
Johnny, they are totally falling for it. though I guess from over here, it's hard to tell whether she is winning any new voters or just appealing to the party faithful. The worrying thing is the mobilising factor she appears to have. I think she is going to get people to vote that probably would have stayed home otherwise- those conservatives who think McCain is not conservative enough.
But yeah, it's like a movie. A hockey mum who looks out across the ocean to Russia and one day dreams about being President. And makes it. Uggh.
Comment by RubySoho
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Kudo's to the person who edited that piece together. Very well done. The part that gets me the most is her cutting the funding for special needs children by 62%. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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being the gullible idiot i am, i could not believe how many laws and reforms kept appearing on the screen after she said that!
LIAR!
and yes the special needs children spending is typical pro-life insincerity . . . youre evil if youre poor and you choose not to take on the extra burden and responsibility of a disabled child by having and abortion, but we will do everything in our power to make it as difficult as possible for you to raise that special needs child . . . terrible, really terrible
Palin is a person that really needs to be looked into thoroughly!
Comment by RubySoho
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But 62%. Jeez. That's just amazing. And yeah, I didn't know about the law reform lies either. Hey, how uncomfortable does McCain look in that grab at the beginning when she is speaking. And it looks like she has mastered a little "terrorist fist jab" of her own. haha.
Comment by Jeff Musall
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Look for a strong Obama rebound. Yes, with the shenanigans of past elections bound to be repeated Obama needs more than 51 percent to win, but he will get it.
Comment by RubySoho
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But the next year, fiscal 2008, the budget is shown as $3,156,000, leading to the accusation that Palin cut the department's budget.
The difference in funding, however, is because the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy moved to a budget line item of its own. In the fiscal 2009 budget, you can see that the academy alone has a budget of $6,082,100. When you add that to the $3,156,000 that is being spent on all the other projects, it adds up to $9,238,100--an approximately 12 percent INCREASE in spending on all those particular programs, put together, since fiscal 2007.
That's from Education Week
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks for the extra info, its good to know the WHOLE truth!
neither side seems to be able to operate without blowing things out of proportion
it is a credit to you that you check the facts regardless of your personal feelings
Comment by RubySoho
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I think this election is just making everyone batshit crazy. Imagine being in America right now. Jeepers.
Oh well, glad to see she is not quite as monstrous as i thought she was this time yesterday!
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by RubySoho
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Great DebateFlop Of The Year?Comment by online writer
Really Long Link
I think it's hilarious.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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whilst i dont agree with providing financial incentives to persuade a pregnant woman whether she should keep the child of not, i did find the things the organiser said about Palin to be hilarious
hi Ruby,
i should think it was about time you started capitalising that "H" in "he" when referring to our pious and persecuted lord dum dum . . . i think i hear tumbleweeds blowing through the greatest flop of all time post . . .
Comment by RubySoho
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Not sure how I feel about the save Bristol Palin website either, though I agree it has some funny lines.
Comment by Cheryl J
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Is the masturbate...oops I mean massdebate...crap sorry, the mass debate still happening? I've been sick so I'm behind the times.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Cheryl J
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No money shot...and with one so prone to utterances without engaging the brain first, I was at least expecting some premature ejaculation...of the speech of course
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it is a credit to you that you check the facts regardless of your personal feelings
Hear, hear! Consider me a Thought Zone fan.
Imagine being in America right now. Jeepers.
If I were in the States I would have chronic throat problems because I would be campaigning for Obama at every turn. (I'm not joking, there was a period when I lost my voice because I was using it too much.)
Comment by online writer