Sorry, but this still doesn't work. Actually, the first thing I thought of when I heard the 'lipstick on a pig' quote was Kerry's 'if you get bad grades, then you go to Iraq' flubbed joke. Both were tin-earred, and neither one sounded like the candidate's authentic voice.

We've got to get better at this. The 'Republicans as jocks, Dems as high school nerds metaphor' still sort of works. The jocks are shouting and mocking us to our faces, and the Dems response is to wait two weeks, and then mutter something witty and obscure under our breath: "something something... lipstick... pig..." Huh? What? What'd you say? You callin' me a pig?!

Obama was running a great campaign for a while, but then he fell into play-it-safe mode, and he's sort of losing his own voice. Get some passion, Obama, and talk from the heart, and speak directly to the people. That's what leaders -- and winners do. Then don't come up with vague little bon mots two weeks after the fact. All he did here was set up Palin for her own cheering speech: "My opponent was speaking about lipstick and pigs the other day. Well I have this to say to Senator Obama; and I'm not speaking for myself, but for other American women. Calling a woman a pig has never been a path to victory, and it's not what we're looking for in our leaders. It's not 'change you can believe in'; it's a slap in the face." Or whatever. And it doesn't matter that it's bullshit. It gets massive fucking applause.

And for people, like Glenn -- who I respect and think is a great writer -- who are saying the "Palin is a pig" story is just an example of the dumb 8th grade mentality of the American voter... Well, yeah. It is. But go back and read some of the shit that people said about Lincoln and Jefferson when they were running for president; it was vile, mud-raking, shit-slinging. It has always been thus.

I haven't criticized the Obama campaign before, but I'm criticizing it now. McCain threw a curveball with the Palin pick, and we haven't done a good job with our response. We can either go the Kerry route, or we can start framing the terms of the debate, framing some core images, and start talking more loudly, forcefully, and consistently than our opponents. And it's as simple as that.

That's enough out of me.

Whatever, Sarah Hepola. I liked you better we you wrote for Nerve. So Tina Fey and whatshername making fun of Sarah and Hillary = funny, because they're girls! Let me know when you'd think that a guy comedian making fun of Hillary's 'cankles' would be funny. And let me know when you can think beyond 8th grade philosophical concepts such as "girls good."

Here's me making fun of Hillary. FAT! UGLY! BAD CAMPAIGN! LIAR!

Not as elegently phrased as SNL's jokes, but I bet that sure just pissed everyone off, right?

Let me know when "speaking truth" is permitted to everyone. Hillary is ugly, and she ran a shitty campaign. It's okay to call her ugly when you're a chick, right? A ha ha ha! Funny! Let me know when I'm allowed to say what's on my mind too. Thanking you in advance...

We. Are. Fucked.

I would not just bet that everyone misses the actual philosophical point of my last comment. I would absol-fucking-lutely guarantee it.

cheers,

Me

When good people like D.F.W. kill themselves, it makes me very sad. The sign of being a good person is that you have empathy and respect for others, and a perennial doubt of yourself and your own views. Unfortunate, these thoughts, when amplified, can even lead to suicide, and that makes me very sad.

Really, Salon, you deleted my second comment? Liberal media my ass.

Salon; I'm sorry. You didn't delete my second comment - my browser didn't load it - and therefore I'm a jerk.

Klytus -- shut the f**k up, dude. Your ten thousand rhyming comments are disturbing... and pathetic. And the sad thing is, we agree with each other. But if I met you at a party, I would ... walk away... from... you. I'm a real writer who's been published on the same site as Sarah 'I Can't Think Too Clearly' Hepola has, and you, are... some dude. Go and rhyme something with something else now, dude. I'll be doing real stuff the rest of the day, like hanging out with my girlfriend, and actual friends.

Insanity? Yeah, that's it. I'm crazy. Please. You don't have to post every goddamn thing that comes into your head. I don't.