I know it's an awful, horrible time for feminism right now...reproductive rights hang in the balance by a single supreme court justice, sensibilities are tweaked post impassioned Democratic standoff, and Palin's outrageous claiming of the gender card right along with that glass ceiling with all the cracks in it right from Hillary's unwilling hands is depressing to say the least...but lighten up.

this article made me laugh. If the Democratic party--or women lose our sense of humor--where will we be?

And the writer who mentioned their Republican parents with the dominatrix Hillary and Bill magnets on their refrigerator remind me that if we are going to engage in the culture wars all over again, let's not handicap ourselves. Don't forget Palin's speech was praised for its funny meanness. Meanwhile, McCain is gleefully wielding age, gender and race cards all in his surprisingly vicious Rovian hands, and as a result, I refuse to give up the last card the Democrats still really hold--the humor card...I refuse to give up the right to laugh (hard--preferably after hard drinks)at McCain's campaign strategy, and all of its audaciously unsubtle contempt for the intelligence of voters.

The only offensive thing about this article is how true it is...

you might go blind.

Finally, some sense of hunoir from Salon. Yeah we're alittle concerned by the power of Sarah Palin's hotness.

I said it when I saw her come on the stage during her speech sat the RNC -- Uh, oh, not good. This woman is TOO good looking. This is America. This could actually work.

Kamiya is right -- she is hot and it is does count for something. Wait unitl they relase those photos of her jogging along the Alaska coastline. They don't call her GILF for nothing. People who could not give a hoot about politics are now setting google search image result records for a Repuplican Vice Presidential candidate. Think about that for a second.

And the more that thoughtful, overly concerned liberals howl about how she is portrayed as a sex object, the hotter she'll be to many people. Sad, but true.

It is base. It is manipulative. But the Republicans are clever. It will get our collectve attention.

Are humorous to watch

In the frustrated tantrums

Of their childish

Futility.

Everything the Palin-McCain ticket represents has been thoroughly discredited over the past 8 years. I am pretty sure that most Americans are aware of this by now.

The Bush White House brought us

- a detrimental energy policy dictated by oil companies;

- diplomacy of the undiplomatic;

- defense policy that is offensive to our allies;

- a justice department that is anything but just;

- poor judgment in managing disaster (9/11, Katrina)

- economic policies that are spectacularly uneconomic;

- corruption and poor management in all areas;

- and a huge team of functionaries who believe they are doing God's will and have no need for self-reflection.

McCain has fully supported this government, but would like us to believe he will now do everything differently. Palin personifies everything that is wrong with President Bush, yet offers even less qualification. This should be a no-brainer.

I wish Democrats would stop peeing in their pants and get to work reminding us.

When I saw Palin speak at the RNC, I hated the message, but knew she was going to be a force in the campaign.

Not likely.

Americans don't want an over-the-hill sex object for vice president. McCain's strategists have overestimated the stupidity of the US electorate.

Palin herself would be quick to point out that her real outfits are red, not black.

McCain: "I just know she's gonna get give me a heart attack."

Dominatrix? Puhleez... more like a garden-variety American mean girl.

Get a grip, Gary.

To go with manufactured intellect. I've always been against the practice here of composite images. You know who else does composite images? Weekly World News. Bat Boy.

Pathetic.

Thank you for writing this article specifically to make AKA Smith's head explode! The second I saw this I knew it would have the desired effect. Sure enough, it only took a few minutes for her to go completely batshit. Our beloved moral guardian who has an obsession with destroying our party based on phantom -isms just got knocked down a few fucking pegs. Thank you for that!

Mission Accomplished!! Hahahhahahaaa!!!!

I hope you are right, but I am very concerned by the lack of any clear evidence that it is possible to do this.

Gary, I thought your story was funny as hell. Very insightful. Really nailed it.

Yes, id. An old fat geezer classmate of mine (high school, 1965) sent around an email headed "Sign me UP!" with comments like "Giddy UP, Trigger!" and that yearbook photo, you know the one, head and shoulders and not a scrap of clothing to be seen -- and I thought, "Reason and logic and sobriety are dead. McCain just boxed up the Slavering Geezer vote and took it home."

And then I read the other responses to your piece, and I was reminded of the flash I had (like many folks) a few days after the Second Coming: It's a trap. Sarah Palin is a TRAP. This is, hands down, the most devilish, most Satanic, most Beelzebuboid thing Karl Rove has ever come up with.

There is virtually no way you can win. Everything you can say against Saracuda comes back to bite ya. There's nothing you can criticize without alienating some big bunch of voters. And I fear they're right -- humor just proves to "them" what "we" are.

If Obama/Biden can face this down, they are serious superheroes. I have my doubts.

Though if we could galvanize every "community organizer" into action...

Only to very insecure men...where do you come up with this idiotic idea, Kamiya?

What did Salon do before it had Sarah Palin to obsess about???

McCain/Bush!

-- prytania

Laughable, isn't it?

I do not support Mack, but the attacks on Palin are so out-there and show America is still comfortable with misogynistic cant...can you imagine equally offensive images of Obama touted as explanations for his appeal? INSANE!