Monday, September 01, 2008

The GOP has Swift-boated itself

Oh, dear.

Usually it's the opposing party that makes unsubstantiated claims about a Presidential nominee. You know, like John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans.

The idea, I think, is to start some rumors--nothing hard and fast, just rumors--that most people won't bother to investigate. But they'll succeed in tarnishing the reputation of the candidate, and that will turn off enough people to affect election results.

So all right, this sort of thing happens. I expected the Swift Boaties to start after the GOP convention was over.

But this weekend has been a revelation. A soap opera. Why, it seems like only yesterday that rumors were flying all over the internet that Sarah Palin's daughter, and not Sarah Palin, is the mother of four-month-old Trig. Which, let's face it, was bad enough.

But now Palin has announced that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol, is pregnant and is due in December.

So naturally, rumors are spreading that this child will be Bristol's second child.

Now, the problem with rumors like this is that they will continue to spread up to and following the time as the subject of the rumor provides proof that the rumor is false.

I mean, a little thing like Barack showing a certificate proving that he was baptized won't stop people from whispering that he's a Muslim. Would it?

And so, even if Mr. Governor of Alaska's paternity is proven--it won't stop people from making snarky remarks such as "so much for abstinence-only sex education."

And as one commenter over at the Huffington Post puts it "not only is she going for the womens vote, now she is trying to get the White Trash vote." And now another commenter linked to a story that Palin and her husband "had" to get married. Shotgun weddings run in the family? Apparently so.

And the Democrats don't need to do a thing. McCain has done this to himself by selecting an almost-unknown quantity for a running mate.

I feel so sorry for Bristol Palin. The whole world knows about her situation now--or thinks it does. Frankly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

But I do know this. Even if I adored John McCain, I wouldn't vote for him at this point. His choice for Veep is--sorry if this offends the egalitarians out there--just too tacky for words. Is Blair House going to be the site of a shotgun wedding, where the mother of the bride is holding the shotgun? And she one heartbeat from the Presidency?

Not if I can help it.

14 comments:

  1. I am enjoying the drama of this pick for McCain. Like a political reality show.

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  2. The choicest bit is the shotgun wedding at Blair House. Nicely done.

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  3. Wait a second - I don't get it. Really. What's tacky? That her daughter is pregnant and getting married to the father of the baby? You lost me here. The turn of events over the last few days has been almost unbelievable (or, in your words, soap opera-ish), no doubt. But I live in an upper middle class area, and 3 of my friends currently have 20-year-old unmarried daughters with babies. It's not tacky anymore, it's trendy.

    Excuse me, I have to go slide some food to my teen daughter through the crack in her bedroom door...

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  4. Suburban, I think the point is, Palin can TALK all the "family-values" Bush-speak she wants (and I suspect that's a key reason why McCain wanted her as veep - to deal with that touchy, touchy-feely stuff that he doesn't do so well) but the REALITY of her OWN family values is that her teenage daughter is PG.
    I agree, although it's sad, that it's somehow trendy these days to be PG in HS (thanks, Jamie Lynn!) but it's still a bit tacky, dontcha think, to preach, "Do as I say, not as I do" from the Blair House steps?!

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  5. Yeah, and anyway, what's next? Wearing white after Labor Day?

    I mean, where are our standards?

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  6. I plan to wear white after Labor Day. In fact, I am planning my what to wear tomorrow and, yep, white will be involved.

    Wow. I'm sort of sad but not really that I was away from all things computer today and sliding down water slides.

    Yikes. I can't say I'm speechless because have you met me and read the paragraphs above but, wow.

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  7. I've had the same reaction to this whole thing as I do when watching Risky Business:
    THANK FUCKING GOD NONE OF THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME

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  8. Palin is following through with her value system by encouraging her daughter to marry and keep the baby. Not a choice I would pick if my teenager became pregnant, but a consistent one for her.


    My biggest beef with Palin is her terrible taste in children's names(Bristol? Track? Trigg?) The shotgun wedding at Blair House can be followed by a NASCAR race around the Rose Garden.

    Fiddledeedee

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  9. Hi Poppy,
    Found you at midlifbloggers and it seems we have the same issue on our minds these days. I was compelled to launch my midlife mom blog early, thanks to the Palin brouhaha. I hope you'll take a look!

    Looking forward to visiting here again; great comments!

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  10. This is a fabulous post with a magnificent title. In fact, the title was so perfect and funny that I spit coffee all over my laptop. 'Twas worht it.

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  11. Thank you. I found myself not commenting on people's blogs that I usually love because of their other commenters' obvious infatuation with Palin and McCain.

    Obvious political ploy by McCain. Yes. But why do I have this feeling of dread. Oh, yea. Bush '00. Bush '04.

    We can't make the same mistake again, right? RIGHT???

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  12. Young, unmarried mothers having babies isn't tacky but trendy? Oh, puh-leez!!!! Now excuse me while I go encourage my teenager to get knocked-up so she can be all the rage.

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Gentle Readers:

For the time being, I have turned off comment moderation. Please don't spam; it's not nice.

xxx, Poppy.