The picture of Obama's newly appointed director of speechwriting drunkenly groping a cardboard cutout of Hillary would seem to answer a few questions, wouldn't it?
Makes you wonder how many other photos like this there are floating around. I'm betting there are a ton of them. And I'm betting that every Obama staffer, fellow, and activist who didn't get hired by the Movement is checking their digital camera right now, looking for payback. Heh. Such idealism....
And remember that totally awesome and rigorous vetting process the Obama transition team put into place? Looks like there were some things they didn't bother to put in their questionnaire because... There's no reason to question them.
As I wrote back in February, when I heard the first Obama-ism that really made me say, "Hey, wait a minute, did he really say that?"
AP:
"[OBAMA] I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she's feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal," he told reporters.
'Cause you know how women are....
Driven by feelings.... Worried about their [sex] appeal... Prone to tears... The whole phases of the moon thing...
And did you catch the dogwhistle in "periodically"?
NOTE Apparently, Andrea Mitchell and Nora O'Donnell noticed as well. Even if the boys on the bus didn't -- or approved. Looking for links...
And scrolling past the denialism and excuse-making, I came on this very, very interesting comment from Susie, who wrote:
Today I have been called a racist, "over the top" and "unhinged" because I dared to criticize Obama for his sexist dog whistle.
And I'm even not really criticizing Obama, because he's just another politician. I'm criticizing these people who consider themselves so informed for being so gullible.
Then they attack me for describing their cult-like behavior. They say it's "demeaning." I've been a professional writer for 20+ years and I thought my job was to use the right word - not to keep from hurting their feelings. Oh well.
It might help if I explain that I worked on a high-powered political campaign with the very same communications consulting firm now employed by Obama. Trust me, the comment was no accident and we're not reading something into it - I sat in on meetings with the exact same people.
I will bet a week's pay that he has been coached to use those terms whenever he thinks he can get away with it.
Interesting, eh? Especially given that Obama's director of speechwriting would be in charge of that sort of thing...
NOTE Paul Lukasiak wrote a series on misogny in the 2008 election, here, if you want an analytical perspective.
UPDATE Meanwhile, skintern wannabe BooMan does an excellent job of not noticing, and passes the whole thing off with a joke. Hey, come on, where's your sense of humor?
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T/U for the link above-I followed the link in properties and the
WaPo said it wasn't there.
I was stunned--and when I saw the "grope" I felt really icky. This is guy in charge of the new "words"? Yikes.
What's impressive is that he was so pleased with the photo he put it up on his Facebook site--he liked it, he really, really liked it! Says a lot.
So many others have said things so well about this that I can't add much.
I do wish something would come up which would allow Hillary to Just Say No. On Washington Week tonight, some reporter said that she asked someone why Hillary looked sad at the nomination announcement on Monday and was told that it was bcz she realized her political career is over.
We're sad, too, Sen. Clinton.
susie linkee no workee for me, lb
lemme go and edit it and see if i can fix it.
Fixed, thanks
To be fair, the speech writer is some layers down in the campaign hierarchy... But it's still a very interesting comment, I think.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
But
In a way, though, they are more personally available to, and involved with, the president. Some of the most powerful positions in a government can be those that, legalistically, rank downwards in a policitical hierarchy. I mean, anyone that knows anything about Washington knows that often times it's not even the elected politicians or their appointees, themselves, that are in charge but rather the hired chiefs-of-staff, some of which are notorious on Capitol Hill.
I don't know how close Favreu is to Obama, but speechwriters are very important roles in an administration. Remember, Tweety doesn't have a show on MSNBC for nothing. He was a presidential speech-writer (among many other things including a Capitol police man), an ultimate Washington insider before he got his show.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Clinton's response
Now THAT's a sense of humor.
What a classy lady she is.