Bob Herbert writes this about Sarah Palin in today's today's New York Times:
Here's the deal: Palin is the latest G.O.P. distraction. She's meant to shift attention away from the real issue of this campaign -- the awful state of the nation after eight years of Republican rule. The Republicans are brilliant at distractions. Willie Horton was a distraction. The chatter about gays, guns and God has been a long-running distraction. And we all remember the Swift-boat campaign.
Willie Horton and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, perhaps. But for millions of Americans, "the chatter about gays, guns and God" is not only not a distraction, but an important set of issues in politics and in their broader wordview. The Democrats have realized this recently. Remember that convention they threw last week, with a prime-time address by Catholic pro-life Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., a closing benediction by the former president-elect of Christian Coalition, and a Pentecostal minister as CEO?
Bob Herbert's elitist posture toward cultural conservatives helps explain the national Republican ascent of the last three decades. Barack Obama's pioneering outreach to cultural conservatives is a response to that trend.
Bob Hebert has apparently not gotten the memo.
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Good question, Fiona.
If I may add: Why is Bob Herbert's piece attributed to Barack Obama? That's not God-talk by Barack Obama. That's guns and God talk by Bob Herbert, who isn't a surrogate of the Obama campaign.
Besides, if this is a GOP distraction, it is one that is backfiring. Just look at the latest polls. Perhaps Americans, especially Christians can't live with an America where our daughters would say:
"But Dad, the vice president's daughter did it too. And they're believers like us"
God, guns, gays: a Republican Distraction
More GOP distractions, just like Bush.
I guess it says it all, McCain is another Bush. We need another president like this, WHY?
As far as Gov. Palin's daughter being pregnant, the RR is the ones always screaming of Immorality. I'm curious how they spin this one..."well, she shouldn't have had sex outside of marriage but they still show family values because she didn't have an abortion." RR-0, hypocrisy-1. nothing new to this!
Fiona: "If Sarah Palin had announced a GAY son, would the religious right be as quick to FORGIVE this young man, as they have to forgive her fornicating daughter?"
Well, being Gay is a choice, according to the right, and you know how they feel about choice. ;-D
As for the distraction factor, I like to remind my cosmopolitan friends that we are members of what I call the 5% club. The top 5% of society, that Think, Debate, Listen, Think. Being cosmopolitan, we also may know some of the "social rejects" and "outcasts" of Middle America, like Gays who left their homes for fear of rejection and safety.
So, now, put yourself in the shoes of Middle America (generalization, but hopefully not an over generalization approaching) where life is homogenized (and that's the good homo) and people do what they should and say what they should and people that don't fit the mold are shown their place, or shown the city limit at high noon, where gas is expensive, and jobs are limited to the jobs within 60 miles (or more) and the outside world (more than 100 miles away) is a big scary place over hyped by "smart" men (and a few women) in Washington (those of the same party that is) and be empathetic. The world is scary, but when you only have one view point to share with your neighbor, and they have the same one to share back, fear and simple speak work.
The problem with the Democratic Party, is that they want to explain, and debate and consider.
The problem with the Republican Party, is that they want to decide and sum it up on ONE WORD that the majority of the 95% club can understand and usually fear.
IDIOCRACY - if you haven't seen it, find it, rent it and watch it, then share it. Sadly hysterical.
;-D
Wrong. What Sarah Palin is, is a candidate that a majority of Americans can finally get behind, even more than McCain, whose candidacy has threatened to rupture the party. Palin represents the views of the majority of Americans on the majority of issues. She is personable and relatable. In other words, she's everything that Hillary Clinton, and most politicians of the last few elections cycles, are NOT.
Wait a minute - wasn't Willie Horton a murderer in jail who was allowed weekend furloughs and during one of these furloughs he raped a woman while making the husband watch? And we're supposed to be mad because Dukakis had to answer to the fact that he allowed Willie Horton, a convicted murderer, weekend furloughs???
What does it matter if you've been sentenced to life imprison for deprived another person of their very own life if you get weekends off? Damn, life's good for murderers in Massachusetts.
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