I had no intention of writing about last night’s debate of Republican presidential hopefuls but how can I not comment on the sight of all of them together? Why does this image of these guys in their dark suit/red tie uniforms make me feel like we’re living in a George Orwell novel? Isn’t there something a little fascistic about their conformity? I guess they’re all going to the same hack consultants and paying for the same expensive focus groups to learn how presidential candidates are supposed to dress. Yuck.
Where are the women? Why are they all white? Is this really 2007? What a travesty. Of course I knew who the candidates were before last night but seeing them standing together like that was a shocking reminder of how far this country still has to go. Not that white men wearing dark suits and red ties shouldn’t be allowed to run for president, but I still can’t believe that’s all the Republicans have to offer. Let’s just hope that when we scratch the surface of Hillary and Obama, we don’t find two white men wearing dark suits and red ties.
Oh yeah, I guess the actual views of these candidates are as important as their ties. But who could know what their views are with all the time they spent fawning over Ronald Reagan? The only fun part was watching them carefully avoid any mention of our wallowing-in-the-polls President. Except for Romney, whose comments about Bush’s passion and character made me want to hurl. Giuliani’s waffling from his firmly pro-choice stand on abortion was pretty pathetic and a harsh slap in the face to those who support him because of his famous refusal to bend with the political winds. And how could any of those bozos rail against stem-cell research with Nancy Reagan staring at them from the front row? I hope she was giving them the patented “gaze of death” she mastered during her husband’s two terms.
The most shocking moment for me was when Brownback, Huckabee, and Tancredo raised their hands to indicate that they did not believe in evolution. Do they also share the Christian fundamentalist belief that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old?
Paging George Orwell…
And one wonders if they are not sure about the world being round, as well!
I looked at all these guys last night and thought...It's a bunch of Old White Men....OY! Help Us!
Like you said, Danny...is this really 2007????
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | May 04, 2007 at 11:20 PM
As usual, Danny, this is brilliant, and I am making a link to this post from my blog. I did not watch this debate (I did not watch the Democrats either - although I should have), too crazed at the moment. In a way, now I am glad that I didn't.
Posted by: Elisabeth | May 05, 2007 at 11:46 AM
What an amazing picture, Danny. Made me shudder. I just saw Hitchens recently on Lou Dobbs talking about his book, "God is not Great." And thought about these "stupid white men" as Michael Moore calls them, not beliving in evolution ... and wondering, wondering, wondering ...
This post is important. It's a wake-up call - a reminder of all things important. Wake up, America!!
Posted by: tamarika | May 05, 2007 at 03:04 PM
Oops - I mean, "believing," oh dear!
Posted by: tamarika | May 05, 2007 at 03:06 PM
Don't. Want. To. Move. Back. To. The. U.S.
Posted by: V-Grrrl | May 06, 2007 at 03:00 AM
I just couldn't stomach the debates. They always make me so sad.
Posted by: Churlita | May 07, 2007 at 10:55 AM
A Catholic from cradle through confirmation and even in college, I now count myself as an atheist. Even in the days when I held what I felt was a deep and profound faith for God, I didn't believe in the Bible literally. I know well the lessons from Aesop's fables, but I doubt that they are the literal truth. That they are fiction makes the morals of the stories neither less powerful, nor less true. I respect that other people may understand my logic and point of view and still disagree. I hope for the same respect from them. That being said, I find it difficult when I hear the President and other elected officials say repeatedly that the students of Virginia Tech, the residents of tornado ravaged Kansas, or our soldiers are in our prayers.
I understand the sentiment and applaud that, but I am not comfortable with government officials speaking on behalf of the faith of the nation. Maybe it is a small point, but it seems very important. I am troubled by the ever diminishing separation between church and state and like the straws on a camel's back, or the raindrop that tipped the balance between the levees holding or breaching.
I recognize that I might be too sensitive on the subject and am genuinely interested in hearing other people's opinions.
Posted by: LOC | May 10, 2007 at 08:22 AM