Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

I know it’s a day old, like eons in internet time, but I can’t stop watching this, because it’s exactly how I feel. If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time. It’s short, but pithy.

I think there’s a really good chance that Sarah Palin could be president, and I think that’s a really scary thing because I don’t know anything about her. I don’t think in eight weeks I’ll know anything about her. I know that she was mayor of a really, really small town and she’s been governor of Alaska for less than two years. I think the pick was made for political purposes but in terms of governance its a disaster. If you do the actuary tables, there’s a 1 out of 3 chance – if not more – that McCain doesn’t survive his first term and it’ll be President Palin. (You know) we were just talking about it earlier. Its like a really bad Disney movie. You know, the hockey mom (saying) “Oh, I’m just a hockey mom from Alaska!” And she’s the president! and its like, she’s facing down Vladimir Putin (using the) folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. Its just absurd. Its totally absurd and I don’t understand why more people aren’t talking about how absurd it is. Its a really terrifying possibility. The fact that we’ve gotten this far…and we’re that close to this becoming a reality…is ….crazy. Crazy. I mean, did she, I mean I really need to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago. That’s an important…I wanna know that, I really do. Because she’s gonna have the nuclear codes. You know, I wanna know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago. Or if she banned books, or tried to ban books. I mean, this is…this is…we can’t have that.”

Jake and I were talking about this last night – about how he was really disappointed that the Democrats were spending so much time focused on Palin, hating on Palin, because what has made the Obama campaign so strong is his ability to talk about issues and not get stuck in the mire of politics – to remain above all that stuff. So I couldn’t have been happier last night when I saw Obama being his regular self last night on Letterman. My Dad felt the same way. He was talking issues, keeping cool, not being reactive.

Mom made another good point this morning: Why are the Republicans always talking about how much Democrats spend, when they are the ones who consistently put us into more debt as a nation?

Graphic from National deby by U.S. presidential terms, with added highlighting for presidencies when our national debt increased and their party affiliation.

I grew up in Atlanta and was raised by VERY liberal parents. We didn’t get outside the perimeter (ring road, beltline, etc.) much. In a way, I was sheltered by my unshelteredness – if that makes any sense.

Somewhere around 1986, my parents had some slightly well-to-do friends visiting from North Carolina. Whenever they came to town, I could always expect to be brought along to a really fancy restaurant (I always enjoyed this about seeing them!). This time, my parents chose a restaurant in Buckhead called Bones. It was a fancy shmancy place that sold a lot of steak and MAN FOOD! Very Old Boy’s Networky. Dark wood. Meat. You get the idea. (I think I ordered all sides or something)

My parents let me bring my boyfriend Tristan along. We sat at the next table and got a romantic dinner for free while they visited with their friends. So somewhere near the end of the entree, my mother stands up from the table abruptly and says LOUDLY “YOU VOTED FOR JESSIE HELMS?!!!!” I remember lots of people staring sternly, and I MORE remember my dad, my boyfriend and I being REALLY tickled by the whole thing.

Jump to December 2007 when I headed out to Oakwood Cemetery here in Raleigh with a few friends to shoot some pictures. When I came across Jessie Helms’ grave, I was a bit surprised because he wasn’t dead yet! I called my mother on my cell phone, and she thought that was funny? Facinating? Something. I just remember her reaction was strong. I shot a picture and posted it on Flickr.

Well, as you probably know, Jessie Helms died on Independence Day. I started getting a few comments on my picture of Helms’ grave. It started as a trickle, then (partially due to me bumping it up in my photostream and Twittering about it), the comments have become an avalanche. It’s pretty fascinating stuff.

Click on the image below to be brought to the conversation:

Win Butler Discusses the Election from abbyladybug on Vimeo.

(For the record, he does vote in the US even though he lives in Canada.)