Steven P. BarrettMONDAY MORNING POLITICAL CATFIGHTS? DOES THIS WOMAN DESERVE THIS? NO! (LINK)
July 21st 2008 14:47
By Steven Barrett
Sometimes I'm not sure what's crazier, the presidential primary "debates" that seemed to gobble up so much time and mental energy so far in time ahead of any votes -- even cast for Super Tuesday primaries -- or the quadrannial summer-months-before-the-conv entions-lull when reporters and pundits are sharpening their pencils and teeth for the "real campaign" that's supposed to start in September. I guess thanks to the Olympics in China being held when our conventions are normally scheduled in late July or August, the big bloviator bread and circuses have to wait until late August and early September.
Let's face it, even the prospect of war with Iran or a scandal, isn't going to beat out this year's Games being played out in an Olympic-sized realm of pollution only a Pittsburger from the bad old days could remember in today's supposedly more enlightened era.
But I'll be damned if I have to wake up to stories in Townhall.com (click above link) and Austrailia's Herald Sun about the New York Times' Maureen Dowd supposedly going along with a plot hatched by David Axelrod, the Big O's chief honcho to make the first African American nominee almost fully tefloned against any stories involving him and race, etc. In the first place, if such stories are hatched, and written solely for "the purpose of stirring doubts about the Big O's suitablility as president," -- not to mention strategically handing off to "reliable" pundits, because of race, let 'em get written up by some far off in the hills white supremacist outfit, not respectable papers, etc. That way the reliable pundit can see what's happening, ignore the trash and move on to substantive things. This ranks below Nixon's worst tricks. We ought to be above all that, seriously. This is playground dirty tricks stuff. High school popularity nonsense. Damned or not, here I am writing about this.
Yes, here I am dealing with a story about Dowd playing favorites with the Obamas. Big deal. Maureen Dowd is influential in two three places: Washington, DC, the northeast's toniest neighborhoods, collegtowns, etc. -- and her head. But it looks like I'll have to add a couple of Austrailan women scribes, The Herald Sun's Jill Singer and Germaine Greer (whom Singer quotes in her column "US First Ladies feisty or fragile." Here's a few excerpts, but the one from Dowd merits the most attention because of the American allegations about the cozy relationship between Dowd and the Obama camp:
Really Long Link
"It's tough marketing the charms of a contemporary ball-breaker. Consider how potential First Lady Michelle Obama is being dealt with."
(Who needs coffee with a lead like that! Whoa, damn few Yank women -- or men -- can get away with writing stuff like that. Well, the late Molly Ivins did.) It gets more interesting. Brother American scribes in the regular press: Don't even go where Greer is quoted by Singer as taking her readers if you want to eat next week.
Besides totally irresponsible, something (though unexpected from an old crab like Greer), it reeks racism and ranks up there with the New Yorker cover. I'm not one for hurling PC accusations like they were thin dimes, but Greer's crack has a real overtone of bitchy racism WRIT LARGE all over it. Nice going Germaine. Since it's not your country, what the hell do or would you give a rip if something happened to Obama, who is also a father of two daughters. A real superb demonstration of crass mentality.
More from Jill Singer:
See, one way or another, the inoculation gets put in there. The sad thing is, it undercuts who Mrs. Obama is and what she's accomplished. Like her or not, she is a formidable speaker. And though she could've expressed her national pride better, and no doubt wishes she had, but I watched that controversial Wisconsin speech where she expressed pride in her country for the first time. Let's not ever forget, that even unlike her husband with no ties to our history with slavery, it's a strong likelihood that Michelle Obama's ancestors were at one time brought over the Middle Passage as chattel slaves. That seldom ever, and I mean ever gets brought up.
If her husband's elected as president, Mrs. Obama's misinterpreted national pride or her speaking style will the least of my concerns.
Sometimes I'm not sure what's crazier, the presidential primary "debates" that seemed to gobble up so much time and mental energy so far in time ahead of any votes -- even cast for Super Tuesday primaries -- or the quadrannial summer-months-before-the-conv entions-lull when reporters and pundits are sharpening their pencils and teeth for the "real campaign" that's supposed to start in September. I guess thanks to the Olympics in China being held when our conventions are normally scheduled in late July or August, the big bloviator bread and circuses have to wait until late August and early September.
Let's face it, even the prospect of war with Iran or a scandal, isn't going to beat out this year's Games being played out in an Olympic-sized realm of pollution only a Pittsburger from the bad old days could remember in today's supposedly more enlightened era.
But I'll be damned if I have to wake up to stories in Townhall.com (click above link) and Austrailia's Herald Sun about the New York Times' Maureen Dowd supposedly going along with a plot hatched by David Axelrod, the Big O's chief honcho to make the first African American nominee almost fully tefloned against any stories involving him and race, etc. In the first place, if such stories are hatched, and written solely for "the purpose of stirring doubts about the Big O's suitablility as president," -- not to mention strategically handing off to "reliable" pundits, because of race, let 'em get written up by some far off in the hills white supremacist outfit, not respectable papers, etc. That way the reliable pundit can see what's happening, ignore the trash and move on to substantive things. This ranks below Nixon's worst tricks. We ought to be above all that, seriously. This is playground dirty tricks stuff. High school popularity nonsense. Damned or not, here I am writing about this.
Yes, here I am dealing with a story about Dowd playing favorites with the Obamas. Big deal. Maureen Dowd is influential in two three places: Washington, DC, the northeast's toniest neighborhoods, collegtowns, etc. -- and her head. But it looks like I'll have to add a couple of Austrailan women scribes, The Herald Sun's Jill Singer and Germaine Greer (whom Singer quotes in her column "US First Ladies feisty or fragile." Here's a few excerpts, but the one from Dowd merits the most attention because of the American allegations about the cozy relationship between Dowd and the Obama camp:
Really Long Link
"It's tough marketing the charms of a contemporary ball-breaker. Consider how potential First Lady Michelle Obama is being dealt with."
(Who needs coffee with a lead like that! Whoa, damn few Yank women -- or men -- can get away with writing stuff like that. Well, the late Molly Ivins did.) It gets more interesting. Brother American scribes in the regular press: Don't even go where Greer is quoted by Singer as taking her readers if you want to eat next week.
Germaine Greer writes that we shouldn't get too excited about the Obamas because Barack could be assassinated soon - and besides, his wife is a six-foot tall, catwalk slim fashionista in "$400 Jimmy Choos''; nothing more than a black wannabe Jackie Kennedy.
Besides totally irresponsible, something (though unexpected from an old crab like Greer), it reeks racism and ranks up there with the New Yorker cover. I'm not one for hurling PC accusations like they were thin dimes, but Greer's crack has a real overtone of bitchy racism WRIT LARGE all over it. Nice going Germaine. Since it's not your country, what the hell do or would you give a rip if something happened to Obama, who is also a father of two daughters. A real superb demonstration of crass mentality.
Michelle Obama
If super-crab and arch-feminist Germaine Greer doesn't have a sick death wish for this woman's husband, then what the hell's she up to?
More from Jill Singer:
US columnist Maureen Dowd, no shrinking violet herself, in April 2007 noted that after hearing Michelle Obama interviewed "many'' people she talked found her "wondrous'' but (the inevitable but) "others'' found her "emasculating''.
Michelle Obama's response was that a 23-year-old might be crushed by Dowd's column, but not her.
She's tough this woman, gloriously so.
Despite efforts to curb her blunt speaking, Michelle Obama retains her no-nonsense street-smart manner.
An article in ES magazine claims Michelle Obama's "outsized personality and race'' has some media fans worried.
"Fans'' such as Maureen Dowd, who now writes in the New York Times that "some'' think it will be harder for America to accept a black First Lady than a black president.
Michelle Obama's response was that a 23-year-old might be crushed by Dowd's column, but not her.
She's tough this woman, gloriously so.
Despite efforts to curb her blunt speaking, Michelle Obama retains her no-nonsense street-smart manner.
An article in ES magazine claims Michelle Obama's "outsized personality and race'' has some media fans worried.
"Fans'' such as Maureen Dowd, who now writes in the New York Times that "some'' think it will be harder for America to accept a black First Lady than a black president.
See, one way or another, the inoculation gets put in there. The sad thing is, it undercuts who Mrs. Obama is and what she's accomplished. Like her or not, she is a formidable speaker. And though she could've expressed her national pride better, and no doubt wishes she had, but I watched that controversial Wisconsin speech where she expressed pride in her country for the first time. Let's not ever forget, that even unlike her husband with no ties to our history with slavery, it's a strong likelihood that Michelle Obama's ancestors were at one time brought over the Middle Passage as chattel slaves. That seldom ever, and I mean ever gets brought up.
If her husband's elected as president, Mrs. Obama's misinterpreted national pride or her speaking style will the least of my concerns.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
You're right, Steven, if Barack gets elected, we'll have plenty more to worry about than what his wife says.