Outsleaze the Sleazebags

From Andrew Sullivan:

I'm not sure this will work but it's worth a try. During the primaries, it felt as if the voters were often controlling the campaign. Especially with Obama and Ron Paul, the pampered professionals were out-messaged, out-Youtubed and out-organized by legions of amateurs. I know the general election is inevitably more concentrated and remote than the primaries, but it's sad to see this new media democratic moment pass. It's especially sad when so many of us are now forced to sit back and wait for various pros to unveil their latest negative ads and then debate them - giving them oxygen and exposure and power. I really don't want to give Steve Schmidt that kind of satisfaction, do you? I don't want to live through another lame, predictable bout of Britney-mania without some pre-emptive mockery.

So here's a thought. Couldn't we take some of that power away from the pros - especially with negative advertizing - by pre-empting and defusing them? What I'm thinking of is a Dish Youtube contest to come up with the least fair, most effective negative ads for both sides. The technology is widely available for making your own 30-second negative spots, and it's good therapy. So let's flood the zone. I know it sounds cynical, but in fact, it's the opposite. If we can put out the most damning attacks on Obama and McCain we can, it could help dilute the nasty noise from the party establishments, expose the mechanisms of smears and take the wind out of the sails of the pros.

The idea is not to produce crude and ugly smears or lies.

The content must be factually accurate (even if horribly misleading) and the images for real. And if you want to play the race or "elitist" or emasculating card against Obama or the age or temper or war-monger card against McCain, it has to be done so that there's an official "issues-based" defense of the ad, even though it's transparently a smear of sorts. By doing this, we could even help expose the way in which this cynical enterprise is constructed by the pros.

Cut and paste some video and audio and make the ad you would love to run against the candidate you oppose. Put it up on Youtube and send me the link. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll post the best ones and then we can vote on the best, or worst, if you see what I mean. Maybe one of them will be so good it will go viral and shift the debate a little. Or maybe it will be too complicated for many respondents to take art. Who knows?

What I do know is that I'm sick of sitting back and waiting for the big guns to unload. The election doesn't have to be that way any more. So let's take back the narrative by pre-empting the nasties. And we can have some fun at the same time. Deal?

the_daily_dish

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The End of Black Politics?

Here's a link to a fantastic article that will be in this Sunday's NYT Magazine, on the End of Black Politics. It's a truly interesting look at the generational divide among African-American politicians and leaders, and what that means for the future. It's 9 pages, but totally worth the time.

nytimes.com

Amanda Hugandkiss

When you are a parent you try to teach your kid basic fundamentals for safety. Hold the handrail on the stairs, don’t touch the stove, no running near the pool, don’t put things up your nose or in your vagina (you never imagine you will ever have to say those words, but you will), don’t talk to strangers, and tell mommy or daddy or a teacher if a grown up touches you in a way that makes you uncomfortable.

So how do well-meaning grown-ups undo all that work? Well, let me start with The Weird Waitress. Bambina and I went out for lunch to her favorite restaurant (the one with the talking moosehead). Along comes a friendly (although I would say “overly familiar”) waitress who not only says hello and engages Bambina in a conversation independent of me, but then sits next to her in the booth and proceeds to stay and chat for 5 minutes. I was out of my seat, I tell you. Like, what adult thinks its okay to walk over and sit themselves down next to someone’s child they don’t know? Bambina was giving her the hairy eyeball and I was glad. I WANT my kid to find that uncomfortable. So I stood up and got in her space and she finally moved along, but I was dumbfounded by the level of familiarity shown by a total stranger. So I just said it: “that was weird, huh?” And Bambina said, “yes!” So we talked about how that was not normal behavior and not okay for that lady to have just sat down near her without asking mama, blah blah. So at least I acknowledged and affirmed Bambina’s sense of self in that scenario, which is my goal. I want Bambina to trust her instincts, that little voice inside her telling her something doesn’t feel right. I want her to trust that voice. But how unfortunate that we even had to have the conversation.

Same with kisses and hugs, which we’ve talked about before. But it bears repeating. I don’t know many adults who would randomly kiss and hug someone they’ve just met, even if I assured them that the person in question was a really good friend of mine. "Mom, Dad, this is Sal my plumber. Come here and give him a hug and a kiss." It would just feel wrong, wouldn’t it? So--why do we do that to kids? Why do we want them to kiss and hug people who mean something to us but nothing to them, rather than recognize that we are asking the child to circumvent their little voice, their instinct to not want to kiss or hug someone they do not know? I have terrible memories of kissing people I couldn't bear when I was a kid. Smelly people, people with hairy faces, and people who just plain weirded me out (I'm talking about you, JN!). I had to kiss them all because some grown up told me to, as if putting my lips on a stranger's (or worse, a person I knew but who made me feel icky's) face was somehow the definition of "polite." It's just not right, in my opinion, to make your kid do something that you yourself would not do on a bet.

We recently had friends over and the woman did the High Five with Bambina. That is the way to go as far as I’m concerned. Because it gets the kid to meet someone you think is special, to interact with them, but without mandating intimate physical contact with a person who is, to the child, a stranger. Bambina will high-five anyone, as will most kids. But give a hug? Don't hold your breath. She loves getting hugs and kisses, and when she's in the mood she loves giving them--to people she loves. But anyone else is S out of luck. And honestly, that's just fine with me. I like that my kid is standoffish about unfamiliar people. I like that she balks at any command to display affection. I like that she is the kid least likely to wander off with someone who offers her candy.

And I especially like that we now tell and re-tell The Story of The Weird Waitress to anyone who will listen.

In Which E Learns to Love the Podcast

I’ve never been into podcasts. Don’t know why; just haven’t really embraced them. However, in my now-fourth month of recidivous insomnia, I’ve realized getting on my laptop or reading a book simply wakes me up more. Enter the podcast. (For info purposes, these are recorded talks, programs, etc that you can download onto your Ipod for later listening. You can download one item or subscribe to a series). I simply turn on my Ipod, choose the podcast, lie back down and if not sleep, at least enjoy a few hours of quality listening.

At the moment I’m opting for a lot of Chinese-focused stuff. Features like “Ask Amber” from chinesepod.com. This is a show where Amber living in Shanghai answers questions about Chinese culture. The topics range from Roommates to Pollution to Spitting to What Beijingers Think About the Olympics to Why Chinese People Don’t Like Cold Drinks. It’s really interesting and really informative. And Amber sounds so cute and smart that it’s pleasant to hear her voice at 3am.
http://chinesepod.com/lessons/channels/list/Dear+Amber

I’m also listening to a Mandarin language learning podcast with Serge Melnyk, as well as an NPR download on Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet. Washburn is fluent in Mandarin, and her music fuses American bluegrass and folk with Chinese folk music. It’s really pretty amazing to hear her take traditional Chinese songs and put them to banjo and fiddle. It sounds absolutely amazing, like they were always meant to come together. http://www.abigailwashburn.com/music.html

On other topics, I’ve been listening to (gasp!) Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. I’m seriously considering re-starting my public speaking career, only moving it away from nonprofit charitable issues and focusing instead on the whole stem cell transplant process: arrival, survival, revival, and thrival. As such I’m interested in hearing speakers speak, whatever their topic. Whatever your opinions of these two people or their ministries, y’all, they can speak. And again, they are not annoying at 3am. (And for my people worried about me going off the reservation, I also listen to the Weekly Parsha D'var Torah with Ari Goldwag...)

I’m slowly tapering off the prednisone, and if all goes as planned, I should be able to sleep through the night by October. Which is important because I will need all my energy to be a microwave for Halloween. (As you’ll recall Bambina came up with some funky costume ideas for the family). She is going to be a window, I will be a microwave, and BBDD will be an oven. I have NO idea how we’re going to pull this costume design feat off without some Michael Kors/Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn input, but we’ll just try to make it work.

Perhaps there is a podcast for insane Halloween ideas?

Xanax, Please

I haven't been posting on political stuff lately for one primary reason: it's too damn depressing. Depressing to see the dire state of the political process in America. Depressing to watch someone I, a lifelong Democrat, almost voted for once turn from a "straight-talking maverick" into just another candidate acting like the ends justify the means. Depressing to see the shocking quantity of mouth breathing that passes for political discourse these days. Depressing to see America either not care or buy into the lies as if their next meal depended on it.

Much has been made of McCain's consultants brought on board to "right the ship." They are fingered as the Rovian proteges responsible for the recent negative barrage of campaigning. But here's the most depressing thing for me, a former political person myself: in all my graduate studies, in all of my practical experiences, there was never any disagreement on the one fundamental principle of being a political consultant: the candidate is in charge. You offer your expertise, you strongly, strongly advise the candidate on a variety of ways to campaign, fundraise, speak, whatever; some of them less than shiny and happy. But the final ethical responsibility lies with the candidate. As in, "I'm John McCain and I Approved This Message." You can pitch Willie Horton to the candidate, but unless THE CANDIDATE says he won't go there, the campaign goes there. The final, ethical responsibility for the conduct of the campaign always lies with the candidate.

Which is why I grew to despise Hillary during the primaries and why I am well on my way to loathing John McCain in the general. You can blame Howard Wolfson or Karl Rove or Mark Penn all you want. But when a campaign runs an ad that is borderline racist, when a campaign allows its surrogates to hold forth in deeply offensive ways, when a campaign resorts to innuendo and fear to drive voter participation in this democracy down, you don't have a rotten campaign. You have a rotten candidate.

A rotten candidate aided and abetted by none other than the MSM (mainstream media), who need a sideshow, some bread and circuses to keep the public (themselves?) titillated so they don't notice their abdication of professional responsibility and their disturbing coziness to the very people they purport to keep honest.

A rotten candidate aided and abetted, sadly, by us. The public. The ones who apparently can't keep our candidates as straight in our minds as the characters on The Hills. Who apparently missed the high school lesson on caveat emptor: buyer beware; that maybe we should assume someone is trying to sell us something (a product or a belief or an opinion or a candidate), and maybe we should therefore think critically about what we're being told. Or, we could just get back to watching So You Think You Can Dance.

Me, I've been depoliticizing my inner chi by watching "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew." Yes, for the dancing but mostly because simply repeating the title kills a full minute and harmlessly releases a hefty quantity of otherwise inchoate rage in the process. I mean, who besides Donald Trump and Aaron Spelling need their names above the title? There's a reason this is not called "E Presents Star Spangled Haggis's Best Blog Crew." Such magnanimity involves a great deal of humility and integrity and a firm sense of that which is appropriate.

And also because I am certain I'd be laughed at for the mere attempt.

Celebrisenior

Quick. Name the sitting US Senator/Candidate for POTUS who has:




Hosted Saturday Night Live
Appeared eight times on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
Appeared twelve times on the "Late Show with David Letterman"
Appeared ten times on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"
Appeared three times on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
Appeared on the show "24"
Appeared in the movie Wedding Crashers, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.
Scrubbed his campaign website wherein he was referred to as "a political celebrity."

Now, name the one who is accusing someone else of being a "celebrity" as a means of saying "unfit for office."

You already know the answer.


Senator McCain: Next appearing in "Jerk, Lies and Videotape" and "Dumb and Dumber."


*credit to Politico and IMDB for the info.

Staycation

Hard to believe it's already August.

We're off for a day trip to Portsmouth, NH to visit my aunt and to show Bambina around a little. Since I still can't get on airplanes her dream trip to Disneyworld is postponed. So, you know, there's always Portsmouth! And in a couple of weeks, a day or two on the Cape. And then when summer camp ends mid-month, there will be two weeks of Camp Mama before school starts. But that's about it for major summer events. Other than that, we're having what Big Stefan and his Sweet Lady B call a "stay-cation," which is fantastic because Bambina thinks it's a cool word and I can now feel less guilty for impeding her Disney princess dreams. Because we're not missing vacations this summer, sweet girl! No indeed! We're having a stay-cation!

The funny thing is, we actually are having major good times doing really pedestrian things. It's pretty cool what you can make fun if you decide it's going to be fun. Although, having a wide-eyed 4 year-old plays a huge role in that fun, to be honest. We have an early dinner and then go for a family walk around the neighborhood, culminating in a stop at our local park where Bambina has the equipment to herself because everyone else is at dinner. Here we are out "running" on our way to the park. I swear I could have cried at the moment that photo was being taken because it occurred to me that I was actually able to run with my daughter without a) feeling remotely out of breath and/or b) feeling like I was imminently going to collapse. We just ran and ran and I didn't get tired. I felt like...like...like...well, a four year-old!


We also were "having fun!" putting old baby clothes and other clothes in storage. While dealing with the immense garment bag that is my old wedding dress, Bambina decided that she just HAD to wear it. So out it came, veil and all. And on it went. She was absolutely in princess heaven. And she looked damn cute as well. So the dress has gone back into storage just in case she ever wants to wear it when/if she gets married (I know, I know, the odds are so miniscule that she'll a) like it when she's whatever age, and b) it will not be a total fashion relic by that time; but you never know). The veil has gone into her dress-up chest for immediate girly fun.


So as I continue my Mother of the Year campaign, watch for next week's "fun" activities such as "let's mop the kitchen floor!" and "Mommy and Me: Re-upholster the furniture." And don't be surprised if I tell you that going for a plain old walk around the block is "a wild adventure whose ultimate destination we know not."

A staycation indeed.