Obama "Yo Mama"

Ok. No idea why I wrote that. But Obama does in fact rhyme with Yo Mama.

As of late, I have not spent much time blogging about politics. But it is time to get back to it. Quite frankly besides the entire Republican party, George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the I. Lewis Libby (do we know what the I stands for yet?) trial drama, nothing annoys me quite as much as the media's love affair with Barack Obama.

Why is the media so in love with the man? Honestly, they are pimping him out as some sort of liberal pin-up. It is disturbing that on the basis of one good speech (years ago at the DNC convention) and one state-wide win (a predictable win over Alan Keyes. Anyone, and I mean anyone could beat Keyes), liberals have united around him. Well, liberals minus me that is.

It is my personal belief that Obama lacks the experience needed to be president. His lack of foreign policy experience is most glaring, but he also, in my opinion, lacks national domestic policy experience. Not to mention the fact that Obama has never run a political body. He has no gubernatorial experience, nor does he chair any of the caucuses or committees on the Hill. Obama has little in the way of responsibility. The buck does not stop with him, not even for his Illinois constituents who may turn more frequently to their Governor or their Senior Senator.

George W, as much as I dislike him, was the Governor of Texas before becoming president. He beat a formidable opponent in Ann Richardson. He also ran a state (although arguably not really by himself). While I dislike most of what I hear him say, I do believe that George W theoretically has the training to be president. He has the experience of managing a budget, of dealing with foreign policy issues (well maybe just Mexico... and unsuccessfully with Canda when he applied the death penalty to one of their citizens), and of having the responsibility for final decisions. Obama has none of that.

The general consensus is that Senators cannot win presidential elections because their voting records are long and often contradictory and rife with skeletons. Obama, given his short tenure, does not yet have to face this issue, which may be the impetus behind his candidacy. But it is a trifle disingenuous for him to take advantage of his Democratic competitors' voting records, specifically with regards to the war in Iraq. In fact, on this point, I find Barack to be beyond irritating. Everyone and their mother who was not in the US Congress at the time would now (upon reflection) say, they never would have voted for the war in Iraq. It is an easy statement to make, and there is absolutely no way to test the validity of the statement. The question is now what would you do? And to my knowledge Obama has offered little in the way of ideas and more lip service to a disenchanted, seemingly disenfranchised Democratic base. Bush's surge is likely not the right way to go, but neither is Obama's proposed pull out. Once the US pulls out, Iran will pull in to the Shiite South, the Kurds will break away leading Turkey to join in the tussle, and the Saudis might feel compelled to step in and save their Sunni brethren. If Obama want to talk about how this is a war we should not be in, that's great. But the fact is we are there, so tell me please how do we get out?

I can be unbiased enough to realize that many of you may believe me to be over harsh on Obama. The fact is that most politician are guilty of playing the "Iraq game". However in the case of Obama, it is a particular irritant since he never had any skin in the game. My disillusionment with his candidacy would diminish significantly if the man would just give me some real ideas with some real detail.

And the ruckus the media are making now out of Biden's comments on Obama being a, and I paraphrase, "great African-American candidate" is ridiculous. The media, in paying obeisance to Obama, is indulging in the exact same behavior that in many ways led this country into Iraq. Talk about your blind spots.

Disappointments?

This week has been thoroughly disappointing on a number of fronts.

1. NCAA Basketball - Who are the people who put together these polls? And why is the Big Ten getting like no respect? It is unbelievable. Only three teams in the Top 25. My annoyance knows no bounds!


2. ABC Drama - So I used to be a huge ABC fan: LOST, Desperate Housewives, Grey's etc. But there haven't been new episodes of LOST in months, and watching Kate and Sawyer get their groove on has scarred me for life. Personally I think LOST is going the way of the X-Files with unresolved plot lines and too many random characters. Don't even get me started on Grey's. That show just annoys the beejeezus out of me. George the "sex machine"? WTH? I thought he was gay. What was it Isaiah Washington called him? If by the end of the season every intern hasn't slept with every resident at least once I will be officially shocked. And while Prestina is one of the all time annoying couples of primetime, if Addisex happens, I think I may, to quote Addison, vomit in my mouth.


3. Desperate Housewives - Are we already on reruns? Talk about disappointing. That being said, I do rather like this episode. The Gabby-Carlos battle has just begun escalating to War of the Roses proportions. And the pre-Marcia Cross pregnancy episodes are nice, in that Bree's breasts are not bigger than her head.


4. The Super Bowl - I know it hasn't happened yet, but I am already disappointed and waiting for next year. The Bears bore me. Rex Grossman couldn't throw a football if his life depended on it. And I am so over the Colts. Every year is supposed to be the year of Peyton, but it never is. There is no reason to think this year will be any different.


5. Housing Costs - A 440sq ft apartment for $2900/mo. That's over $6.50/sq ft/month. That's like the cost of a lunch per sq.ft. per month. Talk about intense. At this rate renting a cardboard box in Manhattan will run me upwards of a $100/mo, especially in a chic neighborhood. How on earth did Rachel afford her fabulous Manhattan apartment on a Barrista's salary?


6. Bad Books - I have read too many as of late: The Last Templar, True Lies of a Drama Queen, Love, Rosie. It is time for me to return to good book reading. Next on my list is Elementals. I have faith is A.S. Byatt!


7. Baking - I actually tried to be domestic and failed! Not enough eggs to make cupcakes, so I tried cookies. But they burned. And they were hard. And it was tragic. Thank god for conversation hearts. They take the edge off things.

Musings on the State of the Union

Here is my attempt at a stream of consciousness entry...

Wow. Talk about a pick me up for GWB. His approval ratings are sub-zero, but he gets applause every 20 seconds.

41st month of uninterrupted job growth? Who is he kidding? Jobs at Wal-Mart and McDs maybe.
Wages are rising? are you sure you are talking about real wages?
Yikes, some one in the audience is wearing a pale pink suit. Horrors!

Laura Bush looks like she has got botoxed. Talk about a frozen smile. And what is with the Gwen Stefani lips?

I wonder if Hillary's pearls are real? They are really big and very unpresidental. I doubt GWB would ever wear them.

Why are politicians ugly? Why does Dick Cheney look constipated?

Synchronous water drinking by Cheney and Bush? Coincidence... I think not.

It's so funny, only half the audience is giving Bush a standing ovation. But I suppose that is better than the 35% of the American public who approves of him.

I wonder if GWB has ever considered a brow lift. He should consider it.

"Succeed in Iraq" - what does that really mean? I need a definition. Ooooh. Only the Republicans are standing up. Nancy Pelosi looks like she sucked on a lemon. Or maybe she is trying to make her cheek bones look better.

Ok. So it was good of him to plug Darfur and Burma. It's a shame the Chinese and Russians won't let us do anything there.

This is boring...

A Three Ring Circus?

What are the Democrats up to? No one appears to have a coherent agenda, but everyone seems to be ready, willing, and able to throw their hat in the ring? Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson have all announced their intent to run (or at least start an exploratory committee which really amounts to the same thing), and the party (what a pun!) is only just getting started.

And it isn't even the Democrats who have been caught up in this maelstrom. Even Republicans, who have seen their President get repeatedly bruised in polls, seem to be chomping at the bit. What ever is going around must be contagious because the Republican party is fielding at least three candidates John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Sam Brownback. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone like Chuck Hagel join in as well, especially given the fact that he has been on every possible news show denouncing the President's "new" surge strategy for Iraq.

I suppose Americans should be thankful for all the selection they are being given in the coming election. Although quite frankly, the election is still another two years from now and I would much prefer our elected officials to focus on solving social security, the war in Iraq, and health care than feel out potential, ill-fated runs for the presidency. But then again that's just me...

Even with all this "selection" I do not feel like I have much "choice". Both parties are increasingly controlled by their base. John McCain is a perfect example of this. What happened to the maverick from elections past? He is turning into a patsy for the Christian Coalition and other right wing groups. And besides wanting a withdrawl of some variety, I do not even know what the Democrats stand for anymore. So forgive me for not being too excited about the fact that we could have our female president. Or our first African-American president. Or our first Hispanic president. Or if Joe Liebermann runs, our first Jewish president. Or our oldest president (septuagenarians for McCain). Let's face it, regardless of who wins, it will be a first!

Who will ultimately win the election is a mystery to me. But I am pretty sure on who will not win the election.

1. Hillary Clinton - I think Republicans and even moderate Democrats break out in hives at the mere mention of her name. Although she was the first lady of Arkansas, I doubt she would win the state now. Sure Hillary can win the Democratic primary and get the nod, but there is no way she will ever win a national election.

2. Mitt Romney - First off his name is very unpresidential. Second, he is a Mormon, and while I am for religious tolerance and the Bill of Rights, etc. etc., I am not sure how no caffeine and polygamy will play with the rest of America. Not to mention the fact that he can't seem to make his mind up about gays, and I think the Republican base may think he is bipolar.

3. Barack Obama - Obama to me appears to be a media creation and sensation. He gave one, albeit awesome, speech and the Democratic convention and is now some how ready to be president? He hasn't even completed his first term in the Senate and before that he was just a State Senator. If Tennessee was any sort of referendum on whether America is ready for a black president, then we as a country failed miserably. Harold Ford's loss does not portend well for Obama. To top it of his middle name is Hussein, there are only two worse middle names Saddam and Osama. And Obama rhymes with Osama. Imagine the field day Karl Rove and his lackeys could have with that.

4. All those other senators out there like Sam Brownback - Senators historically crash and burn in elections. Think Bob Dole of Viagra fame and John Kerry of the infamous flip-flops. The last senator who won a presidential election was John F. Kennedy. That was almost 50 years ago and rumor has it that daddy and Al Capone bought the Oval Office for him!

Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth

I certainly never read this kind of fairy tale growing up. Thank god! I would not have been able to sleep at night. This movie bears no resemblance what so ever to the Labyrinth of David Bowie. If anything it might be the type of thing Lewis Carroll would have cooked up if he was high on 'shrooms. In this tale, Alice fell down one seriously twisted rabbit hole.

While Ofelia may think she is living in a fairy world, it seems (for most of the movie) that she is merely exchanging one nightmare for another. In the real world, Ofelia is trapped in a run-down mill which her step-father, Captain Vidal runs as a fiefdom. His only pleasures appear to be the impending birth of his son and the torture of rebels and innocents who in his mind are guilty until proven innocent (which often happens only once they have paid his penalty). With her mother confined to bed rest, Ofelia is left to let her mind wander as she explores the mill grounds with their woods and stone labyrinth. Normal girls create fantasy worlds populated with princesses, fairies, pixies, and the like. However, tucked away in the midst of war, Ofelia's dream world is inhabited by crickets (her fairies), giant vomiting toads, and a strange, decrepit, somewhat evil looking faun.

Despite the fact that this is the darkest movie I have seen of late and that I spent much of the movie freaking out, I actually found it quite gripping and beautiful (you know in that ugly beautiful sort of way). Although the movie is at its core a fairy tale, the violent backdrop creates a thrilling/horrifying unpredictability, something often lacking in traditional, Hollywood horror movies. To me, it is the faun, Pan, that is the movie's scariest character. He appears in the guise of a fairy godmother, guiding Ofelia through the tasks that will allow her to return to her kingdom. Although Pan plays the part of her friend, there is something sinister about him in appearance and manner. His intentions are never clear.

The interplay between Ofelia's two worlds is well handled. Both rather dark and brutal worlds to begin with, they grow increasingly morbid and unfriendly with time. As day to day life within her step-father's compound grows more unbearable so to do the tasks she must complete to regain her throne. The saddest part of the movie is that even in her fantasy world, Ofelia cannot escape the horror of reality. And as her stay at the mill continues, the frequency and vigor with which her fantasy world intrudes on reality increases. The blurring between these two worlds, especially at the end, provides a bittersweet ending.

I am sure when all is said and done there must be a moral to this story, but I am not sure what it is. Figuring it out will probably take another watching (I always have problems with subtitles) and I am not quite sure I am ready for that yet. In fact, I have a feeling I will be having nightmares tonight populated with na-na-na boo boo monsters (see the movie and you'll know what I am talking about).