Mid-Week Mix-Up

Interesting discourse on the last post; but I have to say I find myself bristling about the folks that say "I want a woman to be President, but Hillary is not that woman." I also feel the same way about the folks that say, "I'm not going to vote for her because the Republicans hate her." Why is she the wrong woman? Because she is loud? Strong? Smart? Opinionated? Are we waiting for a more rational woman? A calmer woman, less divisive woman? One, perhaps, who knows her place?

The Republicans hate her, I believe, for two reasons: one, because she's a woman. First and foremost, I truly believe they hate her for that above all else. Secondly, they hate her for calling them on their bullshit when her husband was President and saying that there was a "vast Right wing conspiracy" against her husband. WHICH THERE WAS. Because COME ON. If you can get impeached for blowing married men, I'M FUCKED (technically, Charlie was separated. I promise he had moved out.).

Anyway. I guess I might be more of an idealist than I realized--I'll vote for her in the primary, but I'll be perfectly happy with Obama if he gets the nomination.

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Liz posted this link, proving why Huckabee scares the living fuck out of me:

"I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards," Huckabee said.

Holy fucking shit people. HOLY FUCKING SHIT. This man cannot win.  Mitt Romney is scary too, and perhaps I'm naive to say so but Mormons have always struck me as a "Mind you own business while we do crazy shit" kind of religion rather than a "crawl up into my uterus and check out what's going on" kind. Sigh.

Please, for the love of God. The only person on the Republican side that looks like a half-way decent person to me, a total outsider, is McCain. Can anyone tell me anything different?

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Tori is fighting off another bad cold. For the three weeks she was not going to morning care, she wasn't sick. By the second day she was at morning care again, she had another cold.

How long does this go on? A year? Really?

By the way, you were all right. She's much, much happier going three days a week than she was going once a week. Now she runs up the stairs and starts playing before I can even get her coat off. She waves goodbye to me without even looking. It's awesome.

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I am totally obsessed with my 40th birthday, which is happening on April 26th this year. As it happens, that's a Saturday night. I'm going to have to have a party, aren't I?

I do not want to be a woman over 40. My boobs are sagging enough with the number 40 attached to them. It's really bothering me. I know I shouldn't care. I know. I suck. But I do.

I've decided in reaction I'm going to get pink streaks in my hair again. After all, I work from home, I never see my clients in person, there's nothing to stop me. I'll probably get another tattoo as well. So take that, 40, in the ass.

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A couple of links!

First of all, Sarah mentioned this awesome love story that she watched happen through her photography group. They have started their own Cafe Press store as a way to see each other since they live on opposite sides of the country. If you need some Gay Gear, buy it from them, would ya? Help make the dreams of a couple of girls come true.

Also, I happened upon this cool lady while masturgoogling (you know, googling myself). We have the same name! And she makes such cool cards, I couldn't help but share her with you all. Course, I thought when I saw "cecily ink" I was gonna get another highly tattooed gal like myself, but you can't have it all. I'm planning on ordering some of her stuff. Like these. And maybe these.

Also, I can't remember if I mentioned it, but I'm gonna do it again: Sarah put out another book of her photographs! This one includes all of her first year of self portraits. Dudes, you HAVE to get it. It's beautiful. You might have to hide it from your husbands though...she's pretty hot in some of 'em.

Lastly, there's a new post at my work blog. Yee ha.

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That's it from me. Any stray thoughts from you guys?

Comments

[Kathleen]

She made the "vast right wing conspiracy" statement before Bill admited he had been lying to her. She writes about it in her book. I can't imagine being in her situation.

I agree that the right wing was gunning for them with both barrels, but knowing that, it was stupid beyond words for Bill to be getting blow jobs in the Oval office.

In anycase, I'm not voting for Clinton in the primary because I do not believe she can win the general election. She has a very high positive rating but nearly as high a negative rating. I think it's too much to get past.

That said, if she's the canidate, I'll gladly vote for her in November.

[Ariel]

I was sent the link to your blog from my cousin and really enjoy reading it. I feel pretty much the same way about Hillary that you do and don't understand where the venom comes from if it's not her being a woman. I vehemently disagree with Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani but don't hate them. I think Hillary is actually more electable than Barack Obama because he hasn't been attacked yet by the republicans, which he will be if nominated. Maybe he'll come out fine but it's not certain. Hillary has already been attacked and withstood it so I know she knows what she's in for.

[wndl]

yes, the illnesses associated with your child going to anything regularly outside the home could last a year. i figure it's better to get it out of the way now, then when she's in kindy and misses school due to illness.

my daughter was in daycare from 6mos on and the bulk of her daycare-derived illnesses happened between 2.5 and 4 years old. she hardly ever gets sick now, at 8 years old.

[Chickenpig]

All I have to say is Huckabee is SCARY. And not just because of his scary religious shit, which just boggles the mind, but because of his flat tax crap, which should make every American except the richest ppl shit their britches.

I think the Republicans hate Hillary because she scares the crap out of them. Already they are trying to dig up dirt and discredit her. There are things about her I don't like, but she is definitely very bright, competent, and tough as nails. She also has her husband there for advice, and he has been one of our better presidents for a long, long time. If she wins the nomination I won't have any problems voting for her.

[heather]

Yes, the republican hopefuls are terryfying. I don't tend to thik of myself as a liberal,or a conservative for that matter. I have the luck of being stuck right in the middle.. I agree with you on MCCain though. I think a lot of times, his politics get spun much mroe conservative than they actually are. I have been trying to check out all of the major contenders voting records, and I like how he has a tendency to vote against his own party lines. Cracks me up. So, I do think it is funny that he gets labeled as being so conservative when the votes that separate him from his party push him to the liberal side. I also think that if we have to go with a Republican, he has decent leadership qualities. My biggest concern with him( and I'm contemplating these things beacuse, like you, I am not an idealist) is possible racisim. The comments he made about "gooks", now I really think that he did mean them only towards his captors ( at least with a daughter adopted from Asia, you'd hope so), but for a a possible president not to realize how bad that comment is... I mean people can learn though.
AS for Hillary, there are things about her personality that I simply don't think that I would get along with her on a personal level...but that has nothing to do with electing a president, despite what a large chunk of American thinks. I think she could be an excellent president, and while I am still not 1005 sure of how I will vote in the primary, i am def. rooting for her over Obama. Not because I think he is bad, but for as charismatice as he is, for as much leadership qualities as he has, I just don't see him anywhere as experienced as Hillary would be to run the country. I think she has some things under her belt that make her much more realistic and capable about how a country can be run. I am not against obama's idealism, I think we need him in the limelight, i just don't know that such idealism would work in the realities of our country. I'll probably get crucified for that, but there it is.

[sarah]

I will vote for Hillary if she is the nominee. In a heartbeat. My issues isn't with how much the GOPers hate her, or her negative polling or being a woman. At rock bottom, while I believe that she has progressive intentions, I also believe that she will sell herself and her soul to get what she wants, not necessarily what she believes is best.

And Huck is scary. Seriously scary. But I think he is finally getting some investigation and I seriously don't think a man who wants to make vast changes to our constitution can win a national election. How do you take an oath to uphold and protect something you don't believe in?

As for McCain, he has some decent populist ideas. But he has a crazy temper. And he doesn't fully support a woman's right to choose. But I think he has integrity, and honesty (even when it isn't good for him), and his dedication to serving his country before himself can't be questioned.

[Jo-Ann]

I was thinking about your birthday today!!! Thinking about how much fun we all had going to dinner at Vietnam and the Japanese place. I always envied the placement of your birthday nice weather and people all happy to get out and about.

40 sucks plain and simple. 41 believe it or not was a little better. I wanted my whole 40th year to get a new tattoo but never did anything about it. So funny. 40 is like this cross into old lady territory or something. It is awful

Hang in there and I am more than willing to help with cooking and such id you have a party.

[Peach]

My problem with Hillary is that she is so obsessed with politics that she forgets her original message and meaning when she tries to push things through.

She's started so many good things as a senator, but eventually, to get the bills passed, she's "compromised" away the best 40% of her initiatives, so they end up being weaker than ever and the parts that were designed to radically alter things (like education reform and children's healthcare) are so watered down they are practically ineffective - even though they're still in the title.

And what's worse is, when after all those compromises, she claims that it was the bill she "wanted and got." And if that's the case, she's WAY more centrist than I'm happy with - and she claims to be just the opposite.

I just see her becoming a puppet president if she's elected.

[Elizabeth]

I think it is called googlebation LOL.

[sheilah]

It was more the lying to a grand jury rather than the actual blow job that concerned me (though that WAS colossally stupid).

I consider myself an independent. On many things (particularly dealing with civil rights and individual freedoms), I lean very much to the left; on other matters I am very conservative.

I hate stupidity on either side.

[revdrmom]

I admire HRC for many thing, not the least of which are standing up to the Republicans and working through her marriage difficulties on her own terms. And if she's nominated I'll vote for her. But not in the primaries, because honestly, most of her positions are too conservative--I think she's trying too hard to be centrist. But as I said on my blog the other day, I haven't caught the Obama fever yet, either.

And I think you are exactly right about why the Republicans hate her. And yes, all the Republican candidates scare the hell out of me, too. What's worse is that I think Huckabee is electable if the religious right gets behind him. Canada anyone?

As for age, I know 40 feels traumatic, but really....you're still a baby :) The best is yet to come.

[revdrmom]

And as for 40 crossing into "old lady" territory...um, no. It's not old lady territory unless you mentally make it that way.

I'm 55 and I am NOT an old lady. I don't feel like one and I don't act like one.

And don't get me started about ageism...

[Krista]

While I do strongly dislike the Republicans, Bill Clinton was technically impeached for lying under oath (which he did do). Since the media made it completely about his extramarital affair, people tend to forget what the trial was actually about.

[Whitney]

I'm turning 30 this year and dreading it. But it beats the alternative :).

[Melessa]

Mitt scares me and I am Mormon, but Huckabee scares me a lot more. I actually kind of like McCain, but am more excited about either Hilary or Obama. And yeah, definitely a "Right Wing conspiracy" because while what Bill was up to may have been inappropriate we knew he was that kind of guy when we voted him into office (twice!) and did it really interfere with his ability to run the US government? I did feel for Hilary though, because when she said "Right wing conspiracy" I remember thinking "Oh no! After everything he's done she STILL believes him when he claims he's innocent." Make no mistake, I didn't care one way or another whether he had done it, I just felt really bad for her for having to cope with all of it while acting as First Lady. And I got really sick on seeing it on TV. He was the president and there were just things I didn't care to know about him. It's kind of like hearing about your parents. And yeah, it was technically lying under oath, but only because that's all the Republicans could dig up and it was a thin cover at best.

[moira]

Embrace your 40s! My mom has always said that her 40s were the best years of her life.

[Emily]

Yes, Huckabee is scary. But that is exactly why I hope he gets the nomination. McCain has too broad an appeal. He's the most moderate and he's getting the independent voters. Yes, the Christian Right will be pissed if he gets the nomination, but they'll also still vote for him over Hillary, Obama, Edwards or any other Democrat we come up with. Add the independents to that nut case base and he might win. Huckabee, on the other hand, draws only the hard core right wing, and in the current environment, is unelectable.

What I care about is that a Democrat is in the office, I'd be happy with any of the three though I'd love it to be Hillary. Of course, voting from Texas, I always give my uncounted vote to the greeen, because really, they reflect my views the most. And unless, by some miracle, the nomination is still undecided by the time we vote, I will again be voting for Kusinich, because that man, unelectable though he may be, has it all right.

[KelliAmanda]

I still love Hillary, and I'd love to see a woman win the presidency. I'm in NC, though, so, even though we have had a Democrat as governor for most of my life, we'll end up going Republican during the Presidential election. Which is why I hate the electoral college, but that's another discussion. Anyway, ultimately, I just DON'T WANT THE REPUBLICANS TO WIN. Clinton, Obama, whoever - as long as they are the Democrat candidate, they will have my vote. And I have to say, it would be pretty damn cool to have a black man as President too, so I'm good with all of that.

As for the Mormons - half of my family is a member of "The Church," all on my dad's side (he was raised Mormon), and, um...Romney scares me as much as Huckabee easily. I can't imagine a Mormon president, and at least Huckabee tells you how whacked he is regarding religion and politics - Romney actually said that he wouldn't let his religion influence the presidency, but he can't not allow it and still be a devout Mormon - their religion is their life and influences ALL of their decisions.

[JuliaKB]

You are kidding, right? McCain an outsider? You mean the guy whose campaign (until he ran out of money this summer) was staffed through and through by Bush staffers? Who has Bush's fundraising list? The guy who was eating his birthday cake with Bush the day NOLA was drowning, that guy? Actually, if he gets the nomination and the dems don't run the add with the two pictures side by side (drowning NOLA and McCain and Bush embracing over the birthday cake), I will have to scream real loud.
He sold his soul. After what Bush did to him and his family in 2000, including the lies about his wife and his daughter, he has been kissing Bush's ass for 7 years. And after he called Robertson the agent of intolerance, he goes and speaks at Liberty? And check out his flip on abortion, you'll love it. Phe is all I have to say.
Republican field is scary. Every single one of them. We need a dem president, or we are screwed completely.

[rabi]

the "hillary is the wrong woman" thing bothers me too, because I really do admire her and am in awe of how she's been conducting herself, for the most part. but at the same time, I can't vote for her just yet. I wouldn't vote for a republican woman for president, though, and when it comes to her politics, clinton is just too centrist to get my primary vote. I'll vote for her if she gets the party nomination, but not before then. (same for obama.)

also -- I definitely, 100% want a woman to be president. but how freaking fantastic would it be for us to go from president g.w. bush to president barack hussein obama? that's a powerful message to send to the world. so it's not like we'd be missing out on a big opportunity for awesomeness if he won.

[eve]

Random thought: I'm surprised you haven't commented more (at all?) on the tiger attack fiasco that happened on Christmas Day at the San Francisco Zoo. I would be interested in hearing your perspective as someone who knows so much, and cares so much, about animals.

And, I just really enjoy hearing your perspective on things! :)

[Amy]

Not being a resident of the USA I have no idea about any of the candidates, that is all..

Same thing with my kids. One morning away not enough to get into it and get the confidence thing going (must get that from their mother ;)

40 rocks! Don't let it bug you! I will be 42 this year and nothing has changed. Really. A new tat and a funky streaks sound like the perfect gift to yourself.

And yes, a BIG party is in order!

[Laura]

the thing with bill clinton that got to me was not the blow job it was they LYING about it... last thing i want my kids to ever think is that it is ok to lie if you are... one in power ect... sigh
hugs Laura

[Rainboww]

i haven't heard the gook comments from mccain. otoh, i also know that "gook" was a common slang among american (and other) soldiers to describe any vietnamese person who might have been the enemy (and many who weren't). it wouldn't surprise me if he occasionally falls back to it. it also wouldn't especially alarm me -- we all have our, uh, less than polite moments. considering that he can't raise his hands above his shoulders (and so needs help doing things like combing his hair), among other left-over problems from both being a pow and the fire on the uss forrestal (which he survived, the film of the fire shows him ejecting from a plane on deck right before the plane's ordinance explodes), it doesn't surprise me that he still might feel some bitterness.

in my family we don't do big black parties and stuff for turning major milestones. this is because i don't want them, and because i will turn 40 (still a while away) before my wife turns 50 ... so i'll have plenty of time to dream up a payback she knows already she doesn't want. that threat worked well when i turned 30 and she turned 40.

oh, and here's the test with saggy boobs:

1) if you're still breastfeeding, do they still work?

2) is your husband still happy with them?

3) is your theoretical unhappiness with them worth the risk of surgery?

generally i'd guess the answers are, it doesn't matter now, yes, and no, so go with it.

and as for the tattoo, get it somewhere rude, just for the hell of it.

Romney scares me more than Huckabee. He is not respectful to constituents who hold opposing views and does not have the common decency even to respectfully listen. He would run the country the way he ran the Olympics, by being the boss and doing whatever it takes to reach HIS goals; he will not work to reach consensus among those with differing views, and he will not unite the country. He also has no idea what it means to be poor, and his actions towards the poor are much worse than indifference.