Department of Food

Hello again after a long break. I got a little overwhelmed with the post-election flurry and took a break from hardcore news consumption and response. Now, I’m back!

To kick things off, how about an article that touches on so many things near and dear to my heart: clean food, animal rights, small farming, environmentalism, and healthy eating/living.

Kristoff correctly asserts that the way Americans grow, raise, produce, pay for, and choose their food is related to more than just our waistlines. It is an integral facet of our environmental and health care problems, along with the economy. I couldn’t agree more. 

I’ll closely follow Obama’s selection of the Dept. of Agriculture leader, and touch on a few related issues in future posts.

Be sure to sign the petition, after you read the article.

Obama’s “Secretary of Food”?–New York Times

 

Newsweek Exposé

If you have four or five hours over the course of the next few days, read this Newsweek series on the backstage happenings of the Clinton, Obama, and McCain campaigns. They imbedded reporters in each camp under the agreement that they wouldn’t talk until after the election.

I came out of it respecting Obama more, not because it revealed any blind ambition for the presidency, but because it revealed his true ambivalence and consideration of the sacrifice and burden he would need to accept in order to acheive greatness; something I think everyone struggles with from time to time, if only on a small scale. To answer so many pundits’ mutterings, it humanized him.

(Also, and you’ll understand this after reading, my condolences to Mark Salter’s wife, if he has one.)

Secrets of the 2008 Campaign—Newsweek

 

It Can’t Be True

Palin has to know that Africa is a continent, right? I mean, I’ve slipped up and said country when I meant continent, or county, for that matter, even though I clearly know (that I know that I know) the difference between the three. Everyone misspeaks sometimes, especially under pressure.

And NAFTA, come on. She lives closer to Canada than she does the rest of the United States. And she doesn’t just live there, she’s the governor there. Alaska trades with Canada. She has to know what North America includes.

I know Sarah Palin is dumb (ignorant? uninformed? unsavvy?), but she isn’t literally retarded. I rarely give her the benefit of the doubt, but this is ridiculous, especially when there appears to be so many “true facts” to throw her under the bus for. I’ll believe “diva” and “whack job,” but seriously not knowing that one of the seven major continents is a continent while being governor and part of a national ticket? Come on. Why don’t McCain’s pissy campaign folks talk about her nutcase religious views, her weird family, her stupid refusal to pronounce “g” at the end of her words, her ridiculous habit of inserting the word “also” at least 40 times in each sentence, her awful SNL performance, her nasty high school cheerleader demeanor, her refusal to be prepped for the Couric interview, her obvious blind political ambition, the obvious distaste she and McCain were displaying for one another at the end. Talk about anything she actually did that was nuts (there’s obviously plenty), but don’t make shit up.

Which McCain people are throwing this crap around? It doesn’t do anything but make Palin the victim, a role she seems to be playing up with relish. It (also) makes your boy McCain look like a senile old fart that chose a second-grader to co-run the country, and chose petulant, immature aides with IQs not much higher than hers to run his campaign. He needs to tell his minions to knock it the hell off, for his sake as well as ours.

Related Republican-Inspired Mind Trip Time!!: Isn’t it ironic that the McCain campaign, which denounced the media as biased for reporting true facts about Palin’s idiocy and hypocrisy, are now using that media (biased or not) to spread scurrilous rumors about Palin’s idiocy and hypocrisy, but that’s suddenly ok because it benefits them personally instead of hindering them politically? And, surprise, no one is calling them on it! Don’t think about these people for too long. Trying to follow the logic will unhinge your brain from your spine.

A snippet and some video of the Nafta and Africa rumor:
Palin Hits Back at “Jerk” Critics—BBC News

 

A Look Back. . .

Now that the election is over, let’s take a stroll through the greatest hits of the past few months. I suppose you can add “trolling the internet searching for behind-the-scenes details or things-they-couldn’t-say-before-the-election-but-are-dying-to-now-that-it’s-over opinions from people whose opinion I care to hear” to the list of things I’m excited about post-November 4.

In doing so today, I found this clip of Bill Maher talking about McCain’s ridiculous air quotes around “health of the mother” during the last debate. I love Bill Maher’s work, despite his tendency to be a bit mean-spirited and mysoginistic at times. But, I can overlook that most of the time, since he’s hilarious and whip-smart and speaks truth to power.

This one sums it all up briefly:

And this pre-election new rules and recap is just brilliant:

 

Yes We Did!

I don’t think the weight of this moment has really come down to rest on me yet. I shed a few tears last night, but not as many as I predicted. I feel a little shell-shocked, as I’m sure many Americans do. Right now, I’m not sure what I’m most happy about. In no particular order, the contestants are:

1. The increased likelihood of the enfranchisement of African Americans in this country, which will in turn lift us all up to greater heights.

2. That we have an intelligent, well-spoken, caring, accomplished, and respected man as our president once again.

3. That Michelle Obama is our First Lady. Accomplished, intelligent, poised, kind, and beautiful, she will serve the role with grace and dignity, and advance the role and standing of women on the national stage. Hillary may not be president, but that doesn’t mean a great woman was not given a great chance to serve last night.

4. That John McCain looked incredibly embarassed, humiliated, and regretful as he delivered his concession speech to a hateful crowd in Pheonix last night. The pain on his face when boos and shouts answered his congratulations for Obama was indicative that the soul he once had–but sold–was still in him somewhere. I hope, for his sake, he is embarassed and ashamed of his campaign. It was hate-filled and ugly, and did nearly as much to divide this country as Bush did. I hope his shame pushes him to work hard at mending the wound he created.

4. That Sarah Palin now gets to fuck right off back to Alaska. I know she’ll be back, but not for a while, and if anything, her crushing loss was a referendum on her vindictive personality. I don’t care what her political philosophies are, she makes my skin crawl with the negativity and close-mindedness that spews from her every pore. I’m proud that America rejected that tonight, and in such a big way.

5. That there is once again hope for science, fair and available health care, world diplomacy, good American jobs, energy independence, transparent and compassionate government, and preservation of women’s rights in America.

6. That I can proudly call myself a liberal in public and know I’m not the minority.

7. That I never have to hear about Joe the Plumber ever again. Now the only Joe in the news will be, as McCain once misspoke, “Joe the Biden.”

8. That today, I am proud of my country once again.

 

FiveThirtyEight

Shameless plug of a website you may have heard of but never checked out:

In a way I’m glad this election will be over in 5 days. I don’t know if my brain can handle the obsessive poll watching and reading for much longer. But, in the remaining days, I will be glued to fivethirtyeight.com. The number crunching they do is incredible. So much better than Real Clear Politics, which I used to read obsessively, before their editorial links started tilting so right-wing I became nauseous (redstate.com is not a reliable source of news, but thanks for trying.). And, although the editorial content on fivethirtyeight is all inhouse, it manages to make statistics understandable and even interesting. Two of their bloggers are also doing a tour of the US, exploring early voting trends and the cultural impact of the election. After reading the post I’ll link below, I was crying at my desk.

Not bad for three bloggers, a camera, and some number-crunching software.

On the Road: Raleigh, North Carolina—fivethirtyeight.com

 

Darn Feminists

McCain is Fighting Obama’s Momentum in Missouri—LA Times

Yeah, John, everyone knows that its those bonerkiller, lesbo feminists that are sinking your campaign faster than the Titantic.

What is it with these people? Stodgy old Repubs (oh forget it, most Repubs) must think feminists are just blind, torch-carrying mobs that will vote for and support anything with a vagina. Yeah, we strive for equality for all women. We rejoice that America has reached the point that it nominates a woman for the second most powerful office in the land. However, that does not mean that we abandon all critical thinking in order to achieve our goals. If a male moron were nominated, a feminist would object to his election. And because equality is the name of the game, the same rule applies to a female moron. Feminists object to her, not because she isn’t the “right” kind of woman, but because she is a vapid twit. These Republicans will never understand this, because it involves thinking, which isn’t a strong suit.

Also, my favorite part of this article is the first paragraph (boldface mine):

Two days after Barack Obama drew 100,000 supporters to a rally in St. Louis, John McCain attracted about 2,500 people to a field in this nearby suburb Monday, a visible symbol of the challenge the Republican nominee faces in this crucial state.

Just keep fighting John. Once you put those silly feminists in their place, I’m sure those hypothetical supporters of yours will come out to support you in droves.

Also:

Carol Wessel, GOP chairman in Lincoln County, insisted McCain would win the state despite losing his lead in polls. She dismissed the low turnout at his morning rally.

“It’s Monday,” she said. “Most people are working.”

Barack Obama drew 21,000 people in red-red-red Indiana on a rainy Wednesday at noon. But, I suppose those were Democrats, who everyone knows never work, so that makes sense.

 

Colin Powell

Well said, sir, in both videos. Thank you.

 

Obama and the Working Class

This is an informative, interesting article about Obama and white working-class men, especially in Virginia. That whole demographic is starting to become a cliché, which makes me wince a bit because obviously not all of them think the same way.  It is possible, and relatively common, to be a hard Democrat and still own firearms and live in the country and yadda yadda. But, whatever.

The article, through the words of Mr. Obama, goes a long way toward answering the question that has plagued many people for years: Why do these people vote against their interests?  I think Obama actually understands, and after reading this, I think of the situation—poor, religious whites voting Republican even though, for the most part, Democrats have their real economic needs closer to heart—from a whole new perspective. The “problem” seems much easier to solve, and, if the poll numbers in states like Virginia are any indication, Obama is actually starting the long trek to solving it.

Working for the Working-Class Vote—New York Times Magazine

 

Think About It, John

Playing With Fire—New Yorker

Isn’t this what everyone is thinking? McCain has already slaughtered whatever “honor” he had. Palin never had any. What if Obama was assassinated? What if it doesn’t stop at “Kill him!” or “Terrorist!” or monkey dolls waved at TV cameras? What if it doesn’t stop at ridiculous, ignorant redneck support of two people (and a whole party) just because the other guy isn’t white? What if a woman loses her husband and two little girls lose their dad because McCain and his thugs lit a match to the tank of gas that is Republican racist hate?

I don’t think asking this question is playing the race card. I think this is a reasonable question to ask in a world filled with wackos who cling more tightly to their right to own firearms than their right to health or education or prosperity. I think this is a question that McCain should sit down at one of his kitchen tables and ask himself, before it’s too late and he has the blood of a very well-loved and very symbolic man on his hands.  

And if you have time for some deeper reading (can the New Yorker run anything under 100 pages? jeez.), George Packer has another very interesting and well-written article about voters in Ohio.

The Hardest Vote—New Yorker