Why Are We Shocked?

Eight years ago, we handed a bunch of foxes the keys to the hen house, and now we are shocked to find the birds are dead. My son, who thinks "race" is a factor in this race, says that his friends are "all about JMac," but he can't understand why it's okay to nationalize corporations, but not health care. It's not tough to figure. The crowd that's in charge now is all about taking care of the super-rich, to hell with the rest of us. They have duped cultural conservatives into believing they care about their values, though living few of them, while democrats have effectively shown the same group the door. Now, the republicans are banking that fear of too much change keep the keys in their pockets, and they may be making a good bet. That's the problem with the "change message." We say we want it, but the prospect of real, deep, fundamental change, makes us very anxious, and human beings are wired to act to ease our own anxiety. If it seems to be an option, people will pick change-lite over real change every time. Generally, I have found that to buy in to the sort of change Obama represents, people have to be in tremendous pain or extremely fearful-think choosing to leap from a burning building into the arms of a fireman. Well, the birds are dead and the house is one fire. The question is, will it be enough to overcome the fear of voting for someone who is fundamentally different than any other politician in our lifetime? I hope so, but I think that it depends on whether the crisis on Wall Street trickles down to Main Street before the election.

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"Stop blogging! Stop blogging right now!"

Can you imagine the hell that would rain down if a top aide to Gov. Perdue picked up the phone and called, say, Erick Erickson, and said, "You should be ashamed. Stop blogging. Stop blogging right now!" Yet, that's exactly the call an Alaskan blogger got from an aide to Sarah Palin, and it's far from the scariest thing the New York Times reports in "Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends, Lashed Foes." If you can stand to read one more thing about Palin, believe me, this is that article. (H/T to Jodi)

Whether she was handing out political appointments like candy to high school friends-including the top agriculture spot to a women who actually listed her childhood love of cows as a qualification-or creating a culture of secrecy in the Governor's office, Palin's reign in Alaska looks a whole lot like the Bush White House. If you've like that, you're going to love Palin. Of all the questionable things the Times uncovers, the worst by far is this simple statement at the beginning of the article:

Ms. Palin declined to grant an interview for this article. The McCain-Palin campaign responded to some questions on her behalf and that of her husband, while referring others to the governor’s spokespeople, who did not respond.

It is NOT FINE for John McCain to continue to hide his vice presidential nominee from the American people by picking and choosing just who gets to lift one or two of her many, many veils. McCain is getting a virtually unfathomable pass on his strategy of hiding and scripting Sarah Palin. If any of the other three candidates-Obama, McCain or Biden-were ducking press interviews, they would be absolutely skewered, and rightly so. Why? Because us everyday Americans won't have the chance to sit down and chat with Gov. Palin. We rely on journalists, imperfect though they are, to ask the tough questions of those who would be leaders in this toughest of times. It is both outrageous and inexcusable that John McCain is unwilling to find out-and unwilling for us to know-exactly who this women is once the curtain drops and there is no script. Veils off, Sen. McCain. It's time for Sarah Palin to put on her big girl pants and face the American people.

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Women Wake Up

I have watched with alarm as John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, has roared across the landscape, captivating crowds with her vacuous speeches --excuse me--speech, (she's been making the same one over and over) and witnessed the media's fawning all over her, like a brand new toy. And of course that's what she is. She is the latest hot thing on the airwaves and she'll dominate them for a while--say three weeks? The fact that she is a woman does not mean that she supports women's issues and I do not believe that serious, intelligent, women in this country will identify with her and wish her well in this campaign. Her speech at the Republican convention was nasty, mean-spirited, shallow--delivered in perfect cadence and designed to please her audience. But the larger audience, the millions of Americans who will vote in November, will surely seek answers about her positions on the issues that matter to reasonable people: the economy, the war, health care (or absence of), soaring gas prices, the mortgage crisis, the loss of our stature and credibility throughout the world, our debtor status and pitiful dollar--to name a few. One can only hope that reasonable, thoughtful Americans--men and women--will study the issues, and not be dazzled by a self-described pit bull with lipstick, nor her running mate, John McCain. Remember him? The guy who's supposed to have such good judgment? When they begin talking about the issues that matter and turn their backs on 'swift boat tactics' (do anything to win), perhaps I'll listen to what they have to say. I can't wait.

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It's NOT Demeaning to Women

In his choice for VP, was John McCain first and foremost concerned with whether the person was capable of being President of the United States? Or was he concerned about whether the person could bring him the electoral votes of rural, conservative, female voters in swing states? Just three weeks ago, on Face the Nation, Karl Rove was intensely critical of the possibility that Barack Obama might choose Gov. Tim Kaine for his Vice President. Rove said:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."Rove continued: "So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States? What I'm concerned about is, can he bring me the electoral votes of the state of Virginia, the 13 electoral votes in Virginia?'"

Somehow, posing this same question about a women is now out of bounds. Watching Larry King Live tonight, it's clear that the Republican talking point-anytime someone questions whether or not McCain's choice for VP is qualified for the position-is to claim that such scrutiny is "demeaning to women." Why? Because Democrats blanch whenever they're accused of being unfair, and quickly retreat from allegations of sexism. In this instance, we certainly owe it to the electorate to get over ourselves.

Questioning a VP's readiness to serve is a core issue and is most certainly appropriate for men and women. Attacking family is out of bounds; questioning preparedness to be President is not only appropriate, it's the responsibility of the electorate. One in three Vice Presidents have actually become President, so the question is surely relevant.

Fighting for the equal treatment of women, working to help qualified women get elected and helping knock down barriers so that women can participate in professions that were once off-limits is important work that is diminished anytime a women gets a pass because of her gender. Whenever that happens, it reinforces the myth that, in politics or in business, the bar for women is lower and makes it more difficult to construct the ladder women need to get elected. The perception that a women has been added to a ticket for any reason other than being eminently qualified reflects negatively on every women who seeks any office.

Failing to fully vet Sarah Palin-now that's demeaning to women.

Choosing a Vice President is the first act of any presidential candidate that has the potential to actually impact the course of democracy in our country. In his choice of a person who has limited experience in government, zero experience in foreign affairs and a basic lack of understanding of what a VP is actually supposed to do, John McCain has behaved in a reckless manner that ought to give every American pause. Unlike Presidential candidates who must survive a grueling primary process and endless vetting by the public and the press, Vice Presidential candidates get little scrutiny. We rely on our Presidential candidates to do the vetting for us when it comes to the VP nominee. It is the first moment when the future of the county is in the hands of the Presidential hopeful. It is the first moment when we are able to see whether the candidate will actually put country before political interest. And it was in this moment that John McCain failed not just his Party, but his country.

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A Year Ago, In Iowa With the Edwards'

What a difference a year makes. A year ago this weekend, I got on a plane with a couple of others from Georgia, and headed to Iowa to be part of John Edwards' Fighting for One America Iowa Bus Tour. John Edwards, who had never really stopped running for President since 2004, who never really left Iowa, was ahead in the polls there as we departed. Despite recent revelations, the trip remains one of the single coolest political things I have ever done, in part because of the people I met, from all over the country, who were committed not simply to John and Elizabeth, but to the populist message they carried, a message I hope will not fall victim to the mistakes of the messenger.

We trailed the campaign bus, attended events-large and small, on courthouse lawns, in union halls and at the State Fair. We also heard the other candidates in joint forums, including one of the early debates at Drake University. I met Chris Dodd in the bar of the Hotel Fort Des Moines one night and Hillary Clinton in the lobby the next morning. It was a very cool trip, but the memories now are bittersweet and have an entirely new frame.





At dinner, on the first night of the trip, Elizabeth read to us an excerpt from the new chapter of her book, Saving Graces. (The autographed copy of the paperback she gave us that night is still sitting on my foyer table.) John was there, too. He listened intently, never breaking eye contact with her as she read. She chose to read the section describing that when she was in the hospital, getting the news that there was a recurrence of the cancer, John proposed to her again right there in the hospital room-a real proposal. As a result, a real wedding, a reaffirmation of their vows, happened at their home earlier that summer. There was not a dry eye in the room when she finished reading, and it was then I decided that she must be made of steel. Even so, I had no idea of the pain she was actually carrying, and no idea the context and import of John's proposal-and her response. Now I know she's made of steel, but like all of us, has feet of clay.

I tell that story because the hardest part of this situation for me, and for many others I have spoken to, is reconciling Elizabeth's role. Many of us, not so secretly, like her more than him, supported him because she did and believed in him because she did. I don't know why she supported the campaign continuing, but I suspect it was because she believed in the issues they were putting forward. I do know that none of us can know what it was like to be in her shoes. The bottom line is that Elizabeth Edwards is still who she always was-strong, smart, determined and battle-tested, and we need her voice on the issues she cares so deeply about.

As much as I disagree with their decisions-her's, too-to run and continue to run for President, relying on this story never breaking, and never telling any of us who were the front line foot soldiers in their campaign, I completely get, and respect, Elizabeth's decision to try to heal her marriage, keep her family together and work toward forgiving her husband. I also think that absent the presidential campaign, her choice is none of our business. I work with couples every single day who are surviving affairs. Most people who are having an affair never thought they would do such a thing. So, if you're one of the folks tsking your tongue and pointing a finger, remember-you are not immune.

It's easy, in this 24-7 news, reality television world, to think of people in black and white terms-all good or all bad. The truth is, we're all a mixed bag, and really fine people-really talented, sincere, good people-sometimes make the most awful, tragic decisions, and everyone pays a price. As Edwards' friend Mudcat Saunders said, "He's a good boy. He just made a hell of a mistake." I suspect that's about right. Sometimes, the wounded are the best healers, and Elizabeth Edwards is a powerful messenger, especially regarding health care. Here's hoping that her voice is not a causality of his mistake. We need her in the public square.

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