2009
Jul 
9

GOP Superstar?

13:14 — Essay, News, News Commentary  
 

Here’s to your inevitable political downfall!

I read this article about the respective public spectacles over Michael Jackson and Sarah Palin and it got me thinking about the spectacle that became Sarah Palin last autumn during the American presidential elections and her present attention-grabbing efforts. Her untimely resignation from the Alaska gubernatorial seat should be another nail in her political coffin, but apparently she is up in the polls with republicans. This does nothing to inspire confidence in her ability to lead—particularly considering that she has just stepped out of such a position in a fit of overly-self-confident irresponsibility. The GOP has backed some horrifying failures of late and continues in its ability to conflate “conservatism” with bigotry and fiscal liberality.

Perhaps this is the strangled choking death rattle of the GOP at last.

Somehow I doubt it, but it would be nice to think so.

This maneuver on Palin’s part is little more than her present attempt to get herself back in the spotlight of national political fame—and scrutiny. It turns out that the old marketing folk-wisdom approach—that both praise and criticism have equal value, as long as they turn heads—works as a strategy for political advancement in the United States now. Last autumn, Palin was roasted over and over again by critics, political rivals and comedians. Rather than taking any criticism seriously—and, though dismissive, it was serious—she soldiered on bravely, in the eyes of her supporters. The rest of thought that she did so foolishly. I often felt pity for her. She was placed in the public eye by the GOP essentially unprepared and then made a spectacle of. At the time, it seemed as though this was something that was being inflicted upon her. Now, however, her spectacular displays of incompetence and lack of judgment have proven to be self-motivated.

It is unfortunate for conservatives, particularly for women, to have to even give any thought to this rambling, silly woman as a viable candidate for anything, let alone the Presidency. It is also remarkable that the conservatives who support her, just as they supported President Bush, seem to do so uncritically, praising when she says something they agree with, ignoring the malapropisms and blaming her critics for their “meanness.” I say that it is remarkable because it demonstrates precisely the way that the American political machine has come to operate. Substance and form no longer matter, having been replaced by sentimentality and dogged devotion—probably driven by a desire not to be seen as backing a failure, fool, or asshole.

Perhaps this does represent the death rattle of the GOP after all. The Republicans would do well to leave some of their failures and garbage along the side of the road. If they don’t, they are likely looking at a series of very disappointing years before they figure out a way to turn the apathy and indecision of the Democrats against them again. So, here is to you Sarah, may you be taken out with the rest of the political celebrity trash. God help you until then. You’re going to need it.

Update:
10. July 2009 14:48

In case you needed another argument why we should let her go quietly into the night: here it is.

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2009
Jun 
23

Brain dump for 2009-06-23

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • It is Saturday and I have that feeling like I have something that I really need to be doing. I hate that feeling. #
  • I am sleepy after chinese food. I feel heavy. #
  • I guess I won’t be sleeping this evening. #
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2009
Jun 
16

Brain dump for 2009-06-16

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • I just squeezed some lemon into my coffee thinking that it might be good. It is not good. #
  • I couldn’t possibly be less motivated to do anything productive today. It’s not that I have anything to do. I just feel like a lazy bastard. #
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2009
Jun 
9

Brain dump for 2009-06-09

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • 2 AUC students were just diagnosed with H1N1 and I STILL don’t care about swine flu. #
  • The weather is nice and breezy today. This would be great if it weren’t for that unexplained stench of GARBAGE wafting through my windows. #
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2009
May 
26

Brain dump for 2009-05-26

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • I promise that I will begin writing on the blog again soon. I plan to redesign it over the summer. #
  • Next person who says “Sorry” after doing something that they know they were not supposed to gets a punch in the face! #
  • _Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots_ by Ronald Arkin. This is a book I must own when it comes out later this month. #
  • Twitter from the command line! #
  • Cleaning and writing, cleaning and writing, cleaning and writing. #
  • I’m in the dungeon again. Great. #
  • Massages are teh way to a man’s heart. #
  • I am taking a freaking break for an hour. #
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2009
May 
19

Brain dump for 2009-05-19

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • I listened to a man shouting at his wife this morning that she was a sharmoota (whore) but wasn’t worth more than a few quroush (pennies). #
  • My blog will now display the last week of Twitter messages that I have posted each Tuesday afternoon. This is out of pure laziness. I know. #
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2009
May 
12

Brain dump for 2009-05-12

03:18 — General Update  
 
  • I managed to sleep through my flipping alarm this morning. #
  • The Logical Song always reminds me of my position in the world. #
  • Maybe if I close my eyes long enough, the dust that is persistently resettling on the living room floor will disappear. #
  • Jeff just noticed that one of the pizza joints here has a pizza named “sausage festival.” Awesome. #
  • Is it weird that I just walked into my cubicle in the library basement and found a medical lab coat? It is weird, isn’t it? #
  • The loud undergrads are now roundly ignoring all signs to be quiet in the library and to not use the spaces alotted for grads. Ridiculous. #
  • I feel as though time is passing more quickly that it ought to be this evening. #
  • I was up way too late working on things last night. As a result, I have slept through my favorite part of the day. #
  • I can’t wait to eat decent Asian food when I get back to the States this summer. Or Taco Bell. I might have a Taco Bell/Thai night. Gross. #
  • Great. The library basement is like a frakking circus today. The one quiet place in the country is loud. #
  • Another late night. #
  • I just woke up from a 10 hour nap. #
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