Ding, Dong, Affirmative Action is Dead!
Posted on: November 5, 2008
The following is a reprise of a thought I weaved into a blog post a couple of months ago. That thought is the following: “Barack Obama and Sarah Palin” is a Jeopardy clue. What is the question?
Here’s what I think the question will be: “Who are the two people credited by history with ending the necessary but distasteful period in American history known as ‘affirmative action’?”
Barack Obama will end affirmative action because everybody is treating him as a Black Guy. Nevermind that he’s actually a Coconut. People (like the New York Times) say he’s a Black Guy, so that’s what he is as far as history is concerned.
Well, I think it’s fair to say that Mr. Obama is the most attractive American politician over the past 40+ years, and maybe even 80 years. What does Jesus need with affirmative action? I mean, the guy already walks on water — what else does he need already?
Well, if Obama shouldn’t receive affirmative action because he don’t need no stinkin’ affirmative action to kick your ass, then no Black Guy should.
The Sarah Palin argument is opposite, but analogous.
Sarah Palin is perhaps the most incompetent American presidential politician over the last century. In recent memory, we have our beloved current president and Mr. Quayle as cohorts. But I think Palin is even dumber. The idea that she will lead the Republican Party from here on out is comical.
If Obama’s campaign has campaign money leftover, I’d highly recommend they use some of it to promote Palin’s role in the opposition party. She’s only 44. She could serve as the quintessential “strawman” for the Democrats to beat up every four years, for decades to come.
She’s so bad, it’s obvious the #1 reason the Republicans put her on the ticket is that she has a vagina, and it seems to be a pretty fresh one (see, e.g., vpilf.com).
Sarah Palin will be remembered as the ultimate blowback of affirmative action. Stick an incompetent person up there for no reason other than some attributes he/she was born with, and you erode the very foundation of your enterprise. This has happened for decades in the private sector.
But here we’ve seen it on the national, and international stage. And the lesson is clear: hire people for their talents, not their demographics.
Ding, dong, affirmative action is dead!
5 Responses to "Ding, Dong, Affirmative Action is Dead!"
November 5, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Check this Sept 2008 article out:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7915118.story
December 10, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I think you are misreading Palin. I worked in Alaska for the state govt for a few years, left just before Palin got elected. I think Palin’s popularity is based on the fact that she is a typical country girl – i.e. she is closer to a Real Person than anyone else was in this campaign. Yeah, she is no rocket scientist, but neither are any of the others. I mean c’mon McCain ? Biden ? – dumb dumber and dumbest (and I wouldn’t take any bets on who is who).
Most of the vitriol I have seen regarding Palin has come from Dems with a less than open mind. I like Palin. I think she has some wacky personal ideas, but as evidenced by the fact that she signed into state law a bill giving gay partners the same status as spouses ni regards to state employment benefits – her professional duties take precedence over personal ones.
You come off as giving Palin a cartoon character treatment. You’re smarter than that.
M
December 10, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Thanks for the on-the-ground reporting Matt. I have to defer to you on that score. My views on Palin are based strictly on watching just about every YouTube video I could find on her. She just doesn’t seem to have grasp of extemporaneous conversation. She gives fine prepared speech. But on her feet, flying with no notes, for all the world, she gives the distinct impression that nobody’s home upstairs.
I’m not the only one who saw that. Seems that almost every “conservative”, normally Republican intellectual pundit (e.g. David Brooks, Kathleen Parker, etc.) saw the same thing.
With your prior knowledge of her, how do explain the Couric interview? When SNL does a parody of that interview by repeating Palin’s own words verbatim, and that gets the biggest laugh, what does that mean to you?
I plead guilty to giving Palin a cartoon treatment. But like I said, she comes off YouTube funnier than any cartoon I’ve recently seen.
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November 5, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Hilarous! I liked the coconut line.