Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Pooping and Palin


My throat is better now, although I haven’t been exactly steadfast with taking my antibiotics. I take half the prescribed amount half of the time, the full amount the rest of the time. That’s got to be better than nothing, right?

Henry is being a real pain right now. Every time we drive anywhere from mid-morning to lunchtime, he nearly falls asleep in the car. But as soon as I try to get him to sleep in his bed, it is a no go. At least he is pooping regularly again. I guess if I had to choose between regular napping and regular pooping, I would go with the latter.

And with that, on with politics! I don’t think I’ve ever talked politics on my blog. I don’t talk religion much either. I question why I’m shy about these topics, since I ramble on and on about pooping and nursing and other such subjects. Here’s the thing: I am a people pleaser. I hate to make people mad. I’m a mediator. So bringing up clearly controversial topics is hard for me. While poop might be personal, it isn’t exactly divisive.

But I swear there have been close to fifty people who have asked me about Sarah Palin, since I’m from Alaska and all. A few people have stopped by my yard, having noticed our Alaska plates on the Mercedes. I’ve gotten two emails from old friends back in Chicago asking for my special Alaskan viewpoint (hi Dina and Katie!). Really, I probably don’t have much to add to the general knowledge out there, especially since I haven’t lived in Alaska for a long time.

I do feel like being from Alaska gives me a bit more cultural perspective than most people, though, and at the beginning of Palin’s run this made me want to defend her in a few ways. Not politically, because I disagree with her politics. But I didn’t feel like she was so bizarre and extreme as some people had made her out to be—at least for an Alaskan. I know plenty of people who go hunting (many of whom, like my husband, do it purely for the outdoor experience and the free-range, delicious meat), plenty of people who don’t think it would be a bad idea for Alaska to secede from the union as it is purported that Todd Palin did many years ago. Alaskans in general pride themselves on being a bit “maverick” in spirit.

But I am sick of the word maverick. Because, at a certain point, I grew weary of Sarah Palin using this word to defend her bizarre statements. Perhaps it was when, during her interview with Katie Couric, she insisted on maintaining that Alaska’s proximity to Russia (and Canada, she added during the interview, as if to bolster the argument) constitutes foreign policy experience for her. Perhaps it was when, during the debate with Biden, she used her “maverick” spirit as an excuse not to answer the questions, but to “speak to the American people.”

Whatever. I know this has all been done to death by the political analysts. But there it is, the opinion of a former Alaskan (we are now Ohio residents!) and a “maverick” leaning Democrat.

11 comments:

Beck said...
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Beck said...

Oh, for Pete's sake. That was a comment for ANOTHER blog. I am such a goober.
Here is YOUR comment - I'm not American, and I don't get much of American politics, but I've been disconcerted by how odd the press has been making Sarah Palin's lifestyle out to be. Everyone here is like that!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Oh, wow; a lot of deleted comments. I'll still try to make it through, though: why doesn't having extensive experience with Canada constitute 'foreign' experience? I mean, not of the European or Middle Eastern or Chinese variety that people are interested in, but still... (this is coming from a neglected-feeling Canadian)

Ser said...

Beck deleted her own first comment, and the other two I deleted because they were spam. Just so no one thinks I'm deleting divergent political opinions.

Sarita, if Palin had interacted with Canadian officials I would count this as foreign policy experience. But it would take her two days to drive to the Canadian border from where she lives in Alaska. I doubt she has even interacted with many Canadian citizens! But I have nothing against Canada--in fact, I rather like it, and as Beck points out, the Canadian "spirit" seems much like the Alaskan spirit.

Mara said...

I totally thought those comments were dad telling you how much he loves Sarah. Ha... that would have been great.

P.S. Thanks for FINALLY posting. Mom and I were wondering... Well, I was wondering, she was worrying.

Martha-Lynn said...

"One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let’s commit ourselves, just everyday American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again."

*wink*

Anonymous said...

Ha, OK. I heard somewhere that she was really involved with the softwood lumber thing here, though Google doesn't show any signs of it. I was just being silly, and now I'll apologize for my pettiness. Embarrassed apologies are very Canadian. But big guns are, too. I've got some deer steaks out thawing right now. I've never had moose before.

Anonymous said...

Ser, I second your thoughts. When I was in St. Louis right after the announcement, everyone asked me the same question. I gave a very neutral answer because I did think she had some good characteristics-one of which was her honesty and ability to work with others. We all can see how that's working for her.

Although I do question McCain's wisdom in choosing Sarah, I felt like she was thrown into the fray unprepared for national office. But her behavior, including attacks that she must know are lies, her inability to answer even such a simple question as to what she reads to keep up on foreign affairs or national topics, her mocking of Joe Biden in what I thought should be a serious debate on substance-now I'm just embarrassed for her and Alaska too-we elected her governor. I'd love all rational people, including hockey moms and teachers and construction workers (even if they are only a four pack) to band together and say never again to electing someone who knows so little, but has such supreme confidence in their own beliefs (Bush come to mind?). Come to think of it, She's George Bush in a skirt (with lipstick).

Thanks for your honest thoughts as a new Ohio'n (is there such a thing as Ohio'n?)

so yung wilson said...

Yes, there is such a thing as Ohians but Ser, et al might be better classified as Buckeyes (in locality if not in spirit).