I mean, what can I talk about right now besides the state of the union? I wanna start new book club, but what if no one can afford to buy books! Omg! What about my feelings? Do I have any?
This blog post covers the important issues as we see them. It also contains every single g-ddamn link I've been sent, directed to, or independently stumbled upon this week. Every link you've emailed me, all the ones Haviland shared via email 'cause she uses Google Reader like a weirdo, facebook posted items, youtube links on twitter. ALL OF THEM. Did I miss anything? Is there ANOTHER PALIN VIDEO I could watch? Please let me know, thanks.
I asked three of my greatest resources – my future bridesmaids – to give me input and help me assemble something that you can use when it's time to email your bible-thumping uncle or your clueless younger brother or your dear friend at the office who apparently would like to see America continue spiraling to hell in a hand-basket along with great minds like Elisabeth Hassleback and Ann Coulter. This, my friends, is the source of all your informational needs.
With avatars!
I present, along with Krista, Natalie, and Haviland --
the greatest bestest staggering work of heartbreaking genius
election 2008 coverage on the entire world wide web.
**
The Team:
the greatest bestest staggering work of heartbreaking genius
election 2008 coverage on the entire world wide web.
**
The Team:
Krista: Grew up in Wisconsin, we met at Interlochen Arts Academy as suitemates our junior year and then forevermore. In our Sparlem apartment many years later she'd lecture me on politics atop a stack of folded-up pieces of The New York Times and donate to shit-tons of causes, thus flooding the mailbox with Sierra Club posters and Planned Parenthood alerts. She's studying for her M.A. at Yale and her boyf is a big shot at moveon.org. She can see Russia from her window.
Haviland: You know Haviland Stillwell, rising star, already obvs. and know all about her. I'll just add that she grew up in the deep south of Savannah and then Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of a democratic politician in a Republican district. Her brother works in D.C. I don't know how she became a gay at NYU and then a Broadway star. She gets way more excited about Meet the Press than you'd expect, is really hot for Hillary, and only pals around with people who love America and the first ammendment.
McCain will tax, for the first time in history, health insurance benefits from your employer, and “deregulate," just like he did with the banks, which didn't work. 20 million will lose benefits, one trillion will lose Medicare and Medicaid.
- The return credit of $1500/individual and $5000/family doesn't come close to the $12,000 price tag on the average American family's policy.
- It'll be legal for insurance companies to select their own pools, so those w/preexisting conditions will have trouble getting insured.
- Obama's laws make it illegal for HI companies to discriminate.
- Obama plans to create universal health care but if you already like your policy, you can keep it, obvs! -- never fear.
- We are the only wealthy industrialized nation without some form of universal health care.
Haviland: “What better way to make this country better than to teach everyone from the time that they are born that they don't have to be privileged to see a doctor?”
Krista: “McCain's health care plan is literally catastrophic, and hypocritical. McCain has seven homes and private jets and has been on tax-payer financed health insurance his entire life. Aside from the judges, this is the thing that scares me the most.”
9. We Need to Fix Our Foreign Policy & Our Reputation Abroad
(edited for brevity -- Natalie's complete report here)
We’re marred by the Bush-Cheney foreign relations approach – “you’re either with us or you’re against us, and if you’re against us, we’ll probs drop bombs.” We’re now less safe and our moral standing within the international community has been severely damaged.(edited for brevity -- Natalie's complete report here)
- McCain’s position on Iraq: stay the course.
- Obama’s foreign policy: 1. no more fear, 2. have some dignity. 3. diplomacy first, military action as a last resort.
- Obama and Biden will convene a bipartisan Consultative Group made up of Congress members to foster better executive-legislative relations and bipartisan unity on foreign policy.
- McCain’s website does not have a section coherently detailing his foreign policy approach.
Obama's foreign policy is the best! McCain vs. McCain: He seems to think he can magically unite the two main strands in foreign-policy administration. He can't (newsweek), Foreign Policy Brain Trusts: McCain Advisers (Council on Foreign Relations).
Obama is not a terrorist! Bill Ayers is totes fine, this guy used to work with him (@slate), and Obama sets the record straight on the radio animated Bateman style (@salon), and he predicted this line of reasoning, didn't he? Yes he did (@youtube).
Reproductive Rights/Health Care: Obama supports a woman’s right to choose her reproductive futures. McCain would, given the chance, overthrow Roe v. Wade and terminate the Title X family planning program. He opposes investing in insurance coverage for women's health issues like birth control (and supports abstinence only sex ed w/a running mate who makes rape victims pay for their rape kits)
- More than 19 million women are uninsured in this country.
- Choice is critical to the promotion of democracy. In order to truly have control over one’s life, one must have full control of one’s body.
- Women make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes for the same work.
- A mother can get fired or lose wages for missing work because her child gets sick.
- The Obama economic plan will increase the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011 and will extend Child Care Tax Breaks to 7.5 million working women. Their plan also supports paid paternal leave.
Natalie: “On their website, McCain/Palin claim that “there is only one candidate (John McCain) who has answers to the most basic concerns facing women voters.” Scouring their website, there’s no reference to the particular challenges women face in the work-force, balancing work and family, obstacles owning their own businesses – anything. They do however discuss Cindy McCain’s travels. Take a look for yourself.
Obama and Biden, on the other hand,have a lot to say -and it makes sense."
The election is funny! Like, where are the Republicans gonna threaten to move if Obama wins? (@slate), and what would it be like if
Obama and Bartlett had a meeting, I bet Aaron Sorkin could conjure that (@nytimes), and Roseanne Cash would be a better VP than than Sarah Palin (@the nation) and Sarah Palin's debate can be explained in the Debate Flow Chart (@the daily kos), but she's George Sanders's Gal (@the new yorker) and of course there's John Stewart & Steven Colbert breaking it down, as they do this time of year (@entertainment weekly).
Haviland: "I'm the member of three unions -- Actor's Equity, Screen Actor's Guild, and AFTRA -- I can safely say, listen to the president of the AFL-CIO about the craziness of voting any other way and trust he knows what he's talking about. He brings up great points about racisim within the election. Many 'blue collar workers' can listen to this guy and understand that a vote for McCain/Palin would be a total loss."
Also, McCain is a serious flip-flopper! Here's a clean-cut chart of the double-talk express (@rollingstone), his supporters say the flip-flopping is independence from dogma, but really he's just an opportunistic flip embracer of opposites (@the ny times), the daily show debuts the movie "John McCain is a Reformed Maverick" (@comedy central).
Clearly the Republican "trickle-down" plan has failed -- outsourcing is at an all time high, and gaps between rich and poor continue to expand as big-box retailers and multi-national corporations take over the map. Obama knows change takes time and starts with education and health care. 95% of Americans will benefit from his tax cuts, which focus on the middle class.
Obama will save the economy!: Wall Street, Fall 2009 (@nymag), Obama has found his voice on the economy 'cause he's "Professor and Pastor" (@slate).
Krista: "Our courts hang in dangerous balance with four moderate liberals, four extreme conservatives and one tenuous swing vote. Justice Stevens, one of the moderate liberals, is 88. Our world will change not just for four more years but for our lifetime were he to be replaced by a McCain/Palin appointee.
We could overturn Roe vs. Wade, we’ll likely see torture as a routine and legal interrogation technique, unchecked corporations will pollute our planet for profit, and any power put before the court would likely be ushered into the hands of an ever-privileged few as unions and worker's rights become a distant memory. Our proud history of Civil Rights and Women’s Rights may never have come to be under a court populated by McCain’s favorite justices."
[I did a piece about Alito for nerve a few years ago. He got appointed. Thank you, Bush. Very, very frightening stuff.]
Haviland: "She's a liar. She doesn't answer questions. To be fair, there's no reason someone in her position, prior to her VP nom, would be expected to know foreign policy details, so she's done a good job learning quickly. But do you want someone who's cramming the info instead of someone who already knows it? Aside from experience and personality, there's other issues with Palin:
- Living next door to Russia isn't foreign policy experience.
- Having a gay friend and tolerating her choice is not pro-civl rights
- Believing it's "not important" to discuss the cause of global warming isn't eco friendly.
- Supporting abstinence only education -- which clearly didn't work, 'cause her own daughter couldn't get with the Palin agenda -- doesn't mean she's pro-life.
+
Palin is not necessarily the best idea anyone's ever had: Mad Dog Palin: The scariest thing about John McCain's running mate isn't how unqualified she is -- it's what her candidacy says about America (@ rolling stone), The View From Alaska: Amid Troopergate and other government scandals, including killing wolf pups, an Alaskan writer explains why the Palin phenomenon rings hollow in his home state (@salon), Palin's Alternate Universe: In such a serious moment in American history, it's hard to believe that somebody with Sarh Palin's limited skills could possibly be playing a leadership role. (@nytimes), Sarah Palin is ruining my life, I rant about her, I can't stop looking at her (Q&A @salon), For Palin, some pork is kosher (@politico), Eve Ensler's Drill, Drill Drill (@huffpo), Meet Sarah Palin's radical right-wing friends (@salon), Is Sarah Palin a "Muscular Feminist," or simply a Dumb Jock? (@radar), New footage from inside Sarah Palin's church (@the daily beast).
Palin has done some sketchy shit! She blurred the line between church and state in how she distributed state funds in Alaska (@the assosicated press/juneau via huffpo), alternet's got 12 new stomach-turning revelations about her record (@alternet).
The Candidate that Launched A Thousand Sarah Palin Impressions: Riese & Haviland Vlog: Alice interviews Sarah Palin part one and two, Saturday Night Live parodies @ NBC, Palin/Hilary Open, Couric/Palin Open, VP Debate Open: Palin/Biden, and the original Sarah Palin imitator Sarah Benicasa on her youtube channel (one is still the best) and since getting picked up by the Huff-Po where now all her Sarah Palin Vlogs are on 236.com , also what if Sarah Palin's story was a Disney movie it would be: Head of Skate (@college humor).
The 236.com Sarah Palin Video Library: everything this woman has ever said, including recent interviews with Gibson and Couric as well as oldies-but goodies like Iraq war is "god's task" & getting blessed by a witch hunter.
3. Savage Inequalities in the Education System
Republicans embrace "big government" and Social Darwinsim, but this doesn't work w/r/t education. Survival of the fittest doesn't apply in a school system that doesn't provide the tools of survival equally -- where poor districts go without books and rich districts enjoy Olympic-sized swimming pools and personal computers. Obama will apply a lifetime record of education activism to fix "No Child Left Behind" and improve HeadStart, retain & recruit & reward high-quality teachers and make college affordable. McCain's rhetoric? Make "parents and children" responsible. "Empower" parents to move their kids from a bad school to a good one -- leaving kids with shitty parents alone in shitty schools. Statistics show this usually results in dropping out, low-wage work, prison, or having babies too young and then being shitty parents so the cycle continues. Good plan, McCain, bravo.
Obama supports federal benefits and protections for same-sex couples, fully-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crime legislation, comprehensive sex ed, a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and increased HIV/AIDS funding. He opposes the federal marraige ammendment and bans on GLBT adoptions.
Obama loves the gays! see exactly how his ideas are better than mccain's ideas (@the advocate) and also biden loves the gays (@the advocate) and the hrc endorses barack obama (@the hrc).
Obama attracts all different kinds of voters overlooked or slighted by the GOP! Like the hip-hop generation (@newsweek), the women of wasilla alaska (@the wasilla project), military wives (@youtube), next generation veterans for obama (@youtube). He's battling block by block for the black vote (@nytimes), voters from all over the world if they could vote (@the economist), and the youth (@la times).
Obama is smart! That's a good thing! James Wood thinks Obama's Verbage is top-rate (@thenewyorker) and Maureen Dowd doesn't like Sarah's Pompom Palaver (@the nytimes).
Talk shows and the news love Obama! Look, Michelle Obama on the Daily Show (@comedy central), Elisabeth Hassleback can't seem to defend Sarah Palin on The View (@huffpo), Oblermann's got a Special Comment on Sarah Palin (@huff - po) and Rachel Maddow is such a cutie on the Tonight Show (@afterellen), so also I was just wondering Can Late Night Comedy Sink John McCain? (@the nation) but also, bill clinton - not that helpful (@slate).
LATE ADD: 18. Energy, the Environment, and Climate Change
By Bat-Boy Alexandra Vega
Obama understands (and McCain doesn't) that if we were self-sufficient and energy independent, we could preserve economic stability, stimulate the economy over time and consequently avoid wars, conflicts and foreign policy decisions based solely on the need for oil. Obama, with a long record of initatives designed to fight global warming and client change, intends to limit carbon emissions, invest in altertnative energy, raise fuel-economy standards and require 10 percent of America's energy be generated by renewable sources by 2012.
50% of the U.S Oil Supply is bought straight from foreign countries like Saudi Arabia & other countries who often use our payments to finance terror-loving terrorists. Drilling isn't the only answer; we've only got 3% of the world's oil reserves and even if we started drilling in ANWR today, it would only give us about enough oil to last a month -- at its PEAK, which'll be about a decade from now.
So clean fuel isn't just about energy and the environment, it's about creating millions of new jobs and saving American industry.
Check out: Environmentalists for Obama
1. Because Yes We Can
By Bat-Boy Alexandra Vega
50% of the U.S Oil Supply is bought straight from foreign countries like Saudi Arabia & other countries who often use our payments to finance terror-loving terrorists. Drilling isn't the only answer; we've only got 3% of the world's oil reserves and even if we started drilling in ANWR today, it would only give us about enough oil to last a month -- at its PEAK, which'll be about a decade from now.
So clean fuel isn't just about energy and the environment, it's about creating millions of new jobs and saving American industry.
Check out: Environmentalists for Obama
"Ms. Palin's strategy is frighteningly simplistic: drill for more oil. It is true that nearly every Alaska politician likes to drill for oil; it is the source of much of the state's income. But no other Alaska politician is this close to the presidency. Meanwhile, Ms. Palin continues to express doubts about the human causes of climate change. Her insistence, in the debate, that she didn't "want to argue about the causes" was also alarming."
(The New York Times, "Up and Down the Learning Curve")
(The New York Times, "Up and Down the Learning Curve")
1. Because Yes We Can
We'll do it by voting, this time, out of hope and faith in the American people -- not out of fear.
We will, in short, listen to our better angels.
We'll build and not destroy.
In our cities and in our hearts we'll start again to work For and not Against.
We'll do our own fact checking and not end up finding out far too late that our fears, stoked by mis-truths, led us to give power to an administration that didn't have our best interests at heart.
We'll rebuild the middle class by ensuring that paying for healthcare won't lead to home forclosure.
We'll rebuild our education system so that teachers and students have the support they need not just to survive, but to thrive.
We'll rebuild our economy with the fundamental belief that someone working a full-time job should be able to afford rent, and that CEOs can't walk away from imploding deals w/billions of benefits.
We'll do it by voting to protect the middle class.
That will rehabilitate our image around the world.
That will make America, once again, what it is meant to be: a bastion of freedom, strength, education, innovation, creativity, generosity, and prosperity. And we will get there together.
Bruce Springsteen at a registration drive in Philadelphia said, "that promise was handed down to us by our Founding Fathers with one instruction: do your best to make these things real."
Over the last eight years we've been failing that one simple instruction. Our leadership can work for us, we have the opportunity now to build again after the storm. Our house of dreams still stands, as Springsteen said, "One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down."
Let's take our country back."
++
ok, tinkerbell will write about lilo & samro, all my feelings, books and field trips tomorrow.
xoxo
gossip girl.
28 comments:
OMG OMG OMG, i havent commented on here in aggggeeessss!! Thats what being a uni student does to you. I saw no comment and wanted to be the first!
I havent read this yet as I have a meeting with my tutor in five minutes, he hates me so I have to go. BUT... it looks like a post Im going to love so when i get back i shall read and probs comment again on its awesomeness :D
I will be reading this again tomorrow [later today during regular waking hours] in more depth so I can take in everything without the fog of sleepdeprivation and cold medicine. But from what I've been able to comprehend so far, this post really is the best elecetion 2008 coverage blog I've seen. So very good job with that. Ok the medicine is starting to kick in and I'm about to drop my phone so good night. Love from the land of rain and granola [which I've yet to eat since I got here like 3 weeks ago. I should probs get on that cuz I looove granola].
This is awesome.
Thanks. :)
I'm sending this out to all my friends. I feel like it's easier, since you've done all the work, and I've been torturing them one little link at a time for weeks. It'll probs make their heads explode/raise their blood pressure, but it's important anyway. I feel especially responsible because McCain is gaining in Ohio (heartland, etc.), and I don't want to be a part of a red state.
This blog automatically wins best post ever.
Also, on a personal note, thanks for making all the links open in new windows! You know how to make a girl happy.
This post is awesome. I am so excited about the American election, I just wish I was American and able to vote.
This change NEEDS to happen. I said to my flat mates the other day, "there’s under a month left of G.W Bush" and they all just stared at me blankly. Many of the people in the UK, especially of my age group, don't understand how important this election is for all of us, not just the US. I believe the right thing will happen, surely, it has to.
omg I have lots of reading and re-reading and clicking to do. I've gone more than half-way through it, but I'll need to come back later after some coffee...
In addition to everything you and the girls have said, I'd like to add to your #9: "We need to fix our Foreign Policy..." that Obama's plan to make our nation completely energy-independent will be SO important (among many things) to our foreign policy -- we will no longer make decisions and engage in conflicts (and wars) because we depend on foreign oil.
(We can thank Jay Vega for that one - he's totally come around! and registered!)
I'll come back with more later.
Good job you blogstar - you really topped yourself with this one.
Speaking of topping...
I hope someone's on standby with oxygen.
Logic would dictate that, social implications aside, since we've had two recessions and a stock market crash under a tax-and-spend Republican administration, you don't put them in for another go.
With the bloc of four Bush-appointed Nazis on the Court, who figure to be imposing their ideology for the next 20 years, I would agree that court balance is the biggest reason to vote in a Democrat.
Of course, the election comes down to winning two out of three from PA, OH and FL. While Obama is certainly going to win PA, I'd be more worried about FL flipping.
As for OH, the support there would seem lukewarm and, like FL, Obama hasn't outrun the race tax. But, if McCain can't carry states like WI, NM and IA (he's never been ahead in any polls) and will have to turn tricks to win VA and CO, he's got little chance of carrying OH...too much cheating necessary.
If the Dow is 11000 (far easier to cheat that) by Election Day, it's going to be a bumpier ride.
Back again for more link reading. And, as I could feel my heart rate rising, I tried to think of happy things. Which led to thinking about girls kissing. Which reminded me that South of Nowhere is back. For my health, I hope you're going to do recaps again...they are better than the show.
maaaarie! this is so, so, so wonderful! you did such an amazing job. thank you! haviland and krista--your words are dead on, sharp and oh so necessary. thank you, thank you!
alex, you are absolutely right re: the climate change portion. damn, marie---can you edit something into the post;) hehehe, bc clearly you haven't worked hard enough--and i am sure you are looking for more things to do.
loooooove you.
moooo!
natalie
Thank you so much for this.
ooops! i meant to write the following: Alex, you are right on obama's position on foreign oil (namely to drop our dependence on it) being an excellent step in our countries national security fortification. i slipped and said climate change! But, u know, sort of related.
mooooo!
im gonna have to agree with what Alex said, being completely energy-independent is important so we dont wage war because of our love for foreign oil. i wish she would say something dumb for once, so i can look smart, but instead, i just end up agreeing with her. Curse you A;ex!!!!!
but no really this hits every issue thats matters. my eyes hurt and ive done more clicking than ive ever done before, but it's worth it. and when you really sit down, and look at it, the things mccain campaign is suggesting, will push us back in time. we've accomplished so much, and they want to turn around and change it all. and if your like me, and are kinda dumb, check out this website : http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/
it has all the issues and everyones opinions all dumbed down so stupid people can understand. im just sayin.
Thanks for that! Somehow I have become obsessed with your election. Between yours and mine, I'm in an election vacuum.
We here in Canadia, vote tomorrow. It seems, that the upswing of your "liberal left" will not influence us up here. The man who will likely win as Prime Minister, is just as scary as George Bush. Your economy problems have sent a rush of fear through all the igloos of Canadia, and I think people will vote for the man who has already been in power jut as a safety measure. He and Mrs. Palin are probs BFFs. He even called an election illegally just to ensure that he would win a majority government!
Why am I talking about this on your blog!? You have your own election to worry about!
Anyway--Keep fighting the good fight for you country! I guess that's all we can do... and it's probably more productive than posting random replies with no real point on the blogs of strangers!
Love,
Canada
razia said it. this is in fact, awesome.
overall i really like this. like alot. this is the gay spot for political coverage. you and stillwell could get your own daily show on logo... you should ask carly took hook it up. i feel like it could be real good.
like for serious good.
[segue]
i stopped anonymous comments on my blog today. i'm just sick of mean people. and as i keep thinking on it, it's probs piper.
This post = effing awesome!
You weren't kidding about the education. Nice job champ, I like your passion posts.
I was just questioning today whether Obama would be pro-gun toting. Do you know the answer? I still don't. But I think it's nuts that you can own a gun in the USA, like it's right up there with no free healthcare on the crazy scale.
Anyway, that's my two cents about the USA.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Seriously. Wow.
honestly i dont really know much about energy independence, im just good at pretending to be smart. and no i dont have any liberal allies here. ive even been gettin crap from friends who knew me from my bible bangin days cause i changed my political view on facebook from moderate to liberal. and i told all my friends i would buy there vote cause money is more important to them. and im even goin this week to talk to the g-parents. it sucks ass livin in a red state. i feel like the lone liberal in KS. =(
and everyone i know hates obama cause he is black and they think he should be living in a shack behind the main house and should picking cotton in his free time. and if he disobeys a whitey, he should be lynched. we even have a semi active KKK branch here. everyone i know hates eveyone who isnt white and straight (even my mom is like that). welcome to the sunflower state!!!
Indeed I did write my last comment on my phone. I don't know how I managed to do that though seeing as I was barely able to keep my eyes open or my phone in my hand. It wasn't raining though [it actually hasn't rained here in a while]. I still want granola. And sleep. I *really* want sleep because I hear it's awesome and makes bad things go away.
this is really inspirational. i love you guys. hot avatars!
re: logo, um ... I'll look into it. At the very least you could probs get a vlog on AE.com at this point. I will look into it (again, cause I tried once and that didn't go very far).
no seriously thank youuuu. This post is such a great resource...so many links to click and share! and obvs a big thanks has to go out to Natalie (the women's rights report was great), Krista, Haviland, and Alex too.
I just want to add another sincere expression of gratitude for this post. Well-done!
one of the BEST election composites I've seen, HILARIOUS, to the point, and very informational! well done.
Post a Comment