I Know Sarah Palin and I Don't Hate Her

Watching Sarah Palin over the past few weeks, and learning more about her right leaning ways - from her book banning to her church's pray-the-gay-away beliefs - I realize that I've known Sarah for much longer than I thought.

Here's a story for you:

A few days ago someone asked me if homophobia still exists. "Really? Are people really homophobic?" Were it not for the sincerely confounded expression on the person's face I would have thought this was an insane question. But this person (who is obviously straight) just couldn't fathom why anyone in the 21st century would care enough to make an issue out of someone's sexual orientation. Given this person's easy rapport with yours truly, it just seemed right for them to assume that gays always have it rosy with the rest of the world.

This got me to thinking about Sarah Palin and the YouTube video I posted a few days ago from the HRC about her anti-gay ways. And then it donned on me: I can't hate Sarah Palin, I've known her for most of my adult life.

My mom's sister-in-law is pretty fierce. She has a career in finance and is all about the power suits and the Midtown grind. She knows numbers and how to decorate a room and she never raises her voice. When I was a teenager, her house was my favorite place to be - and bless her heart - she loved hosting sleepovers for my brother and me and making us breakfast on Saturday mornings.

Until I came out of the closet.

For all of her Working Girl savvy, my aunt also believes that I can pray the gay away. And until I did, I was told that I was no longer welcome in her home. For sleepovers OR breakfast. Interestingly enough, she was the first person I came out to. That was the kind of rapport we had.

You would think my aunt was some kind of backwoods monster. But no, she's a smart woman of the world with an unflinching faith. She's not going to come and set my house on fire and she's not going to picket at my funeral, but she certainly believes I've made a terrible choice with my life.

I've seen her a few times at family gatherings, and while we keep a respectful distance from each other, she's charming, witty, and hell, she'll wink at you once or twice. Sound like anyone running for VP?

While I can't say I support her political views, I understand where Sarah Palin is coming from, and I don't think it's a place of malice. That said, she's more than entitled to be a lovely, religious zealot in the privacy of her own home and in the confines of her church, just like my aunt. But I wouldn't want either of them, for all their numbers savvy and smart pant suits, a heartbeat away from the Oval Office.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATE: Who Won?

I'd say Tom Brokaw...God, I would KILL for a deep, commanding voice like that.

That aside...

Hands down, this is Barack's moment. But that's not to say this was a rousing debate. At this point, we all know the country can't stand another 8 years of blithe Republican leadership. Barack knows it, and hell, McCain knows it. It's one thing to issue a series of mean (but clever) ads likening your opponent to Paris Hilton and it's another to look at him in the face and say "what do you mean we need change? these have been the best 8 years of our life!"

Country first, John. And for your somnambulent performance tonight we thank you. Thank you for your service to this country, but please exit stage left and let history run it's course.

And while that's something our maverick candidate never set out to do, he's had to run, at full gallop, into the embrace of the Republican Right. With that, all Barack had to do was show up and not come across as some unhinged, anti-industry liberal.

Done.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATE: Pakistan?

McCain wants to talk softly and carry a big stick. Pakistan is a sovereign country and we have to play nice while they harbor terrorists.

Obama calls out McCain for his bomb bomb bomb approach to Iraq, Iran, North Korea.

McCain pleaded for a retort and he just mwah mwah mwahed about seeing the horrors of war.

McCain is on message: Dammit I've been playing this game longer! Elect me!

Poor John, doest he know this didnt work for Hillary?

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATES: When Does America Become a Peace Maker in the World?

McCain says America continues to be a force for good and that only he has the experience to know when the return on investment warrants American military might. He called out Barack for getting it wrong on the surge in Iraq and for being someone who has gotten it wrong on foreign policy.

Barack says he doesn't understand why we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 while Osama Bin Laden continues to train fighters against the U.S. The surge is inching toward a $1 trillion deficit. The war costs us $10 billion a month while Iraq enjoys a $79 billion deficit. The strains on our military resources are going to be the death of America as a force for good.

When to use military might:

Obama Doctrine for the use of force when national issues are not at stake:
- Morality: If we can stop it, we should be there. Case in point: the Holocaust and Rwanda.
- Mobilize the International Community: work with peace keeping forces from allied countries to

McCain Doctrine for the use of force when national issues are not at stake:
- Obama will produce more caskets in Iraq
- Cool and steady: Understanding our limits and the nuances of each situation. Temper decisions with the ability to beneficially effect a situation.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATES: Is Healthcare a Commodity?

Here we go with McCain's $5000 credit talk. But it's nonsense. Along with a bad joke about needing a hair transplant. McCain thinks healthcare is a responsibility. Barack says it's a right. And he threw in a story about his dying mother. Trump that, McCain.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATES: Can Congress Move Quickly on the Environment?

McCain: Extolling the virtue of nuclear (not nuke-u-lar)as a vehicle (my bad pun) for sound environmental policy. And Americans are the best.

Obama: A challenge is an opportunity. Drilling isnt the only solution to the problem. We need to come up with alternatives.

God this is a boring debate.

The best part is watching Tom Brokaw scold the candidates on time.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATE: What Sacrifices Should We Make for America?

McCain advocates a spending freeze with the exception of defense and veterans' care.

Crazy, Barack is the first to mention 9-11 in this debate. Anyway, it's the segue toward comments about nation-building and collaboration. Barack thinks we all need to be more prudent with our energy use...yes, he's for offshore drilling, clean coal and safe nuclear energy. Our efforts should also be focused on doubling the Peace Corps and a volunteer corps within the country.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATES: How Bad is it going to get?

Obama: Totally has faith in American economy, but Washington needs a change and we need to adopt modern financial policy, with more oversight, for modern economic issues.

McCain: Economy could stabilize if we get rid of chronyism in Washington; America's workers are the best in the world. Best, best, best.

Teresa Finch wants to know (I think) why anyone should trust either party when both Dems and Reps have been squandering away tax payers' money?

Me too.

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATES: Who's Up for Treasurer Secretary Post?

McCain is into eBay CEO Meg Whitman.

Obama might nominate gazillionaire philanthropist Warren Buffet.

Tom Brokaw scolds both men - y'all got but one minute to answer a question. S***

LIVE BLOGGING PRES DEBATE: Bail Outs for Everyone?

Obama lunges for McCain's jugular and his support of de-regulation and hoping "prosperity would rain down on all of us." McCain now on an energy kick. We have to stop paying for foreign energy and relive young Americans of a $10 trillion debt. $10 trillion??

Hope that's going toward my credit card.

Why Am I Into Lil Wayne?

Fav line from this song: "Been hated on so much the Passion of Christ need a sequel."

Will definitely be live blogging tonight's debate, in case you thought I forgot about the purpose of this blog.

Curtains for New York?

As the lights come up on Wall Street's party, those of us who observed the fun from the sidelines - in shock, disgust and unabashed envy - realize that with the end of the Almighty finance guy, so too comes the end of New York.

The economy, as you may have heard, has fallen apart. The business of making the world go round, one which you and I thought was being handled by brilliant minds, turned out to be Off Track Betting in Prada suits. In the time it took us to realize this, the Prada suits became New York's smart, type-A answer to Los Angeles' silly starlets. You can have Britney and Lindsay, we laughed. We placed our bets on Gordon Gecko.

And why shouldn't we have?

New York didn't come about by playing it safe. A hunger for risk turned this city the kind of place where a twentysomething could realistically expect to make a couple of million dollars before turning 30. As we saw Wall Street rake in the billions and trillions, we hoped the good luck would rub off on the rest of us. And it did, sort of. Rents skyrocketed and that gritty New York of yesteryear gave way to the sanitized version of the city that saw a Washington Mutual bank under uninspired buildings housing $2 million studio apartments. We grit our teeth in resignation and downed some more martinis - "let it go," we thought. "This is New York." We were all having a good time, even in the post 9-11 era.

But now we're not having a good time and many of us feel as if we're on a slow march to even worse times. The news of Wall Street's collapse is just that: news. We won't really feel the effects of this catastrophe until another six or nine months, or so more learned minds tell us.

What's to become of the $2 million studios as the razzle dazzle of the second Gilded Age fades out is anyone's guess; yours truly believes that New York has taken one giant step toward obsolescence. Enter the new centers of trade and risk: Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Mumbai.

Biden: Slick; Palin: Reinvigorating

Last week Kathy Griffin made an interesting point: how crazy is it that at this point in our nation's history the current Presidential race is stuck in a dead heat? By now we should be wanting to root for McCain the underdog, Obama should be killing him in the polls - but no, McCain still has a good shot at the White House!

And so it goes with tonight's debate. According to some Republicans, Palin reinvigorated the McCain ticket. All I heard was a very nice homophobic woman from the middle of nowhere who sounded like she stumbled into a Presidential debate after making a wrong turn at the check out counter at Chico's. She did much better than I expected her to and while I don't want her in the White House, I can't find it in me to hate her either. She was - argh - cute.

Joe Biden was slick, authoritative and comfortable talking about foreign policy, the war, and the economy. But he copped out on gay marriage and that was a huge let down for me. He also lost me on the numbers he cited about healthcare...so I have some homework to do on that.

I'll say Biden won the debate but gosh darn it, Little Sarah Palin didn't fall apart like we hoped she would so now what??

LIVE BLOGGING VP DEBATE: Gosh, Dog Gon, Her Reward Is In Heaven

...and the mainstream media ruins everything.

Oh Sarah and her rote, right-wing Ronald Reagan quoting self.

Joe Biden kept his ending short and sweet...God Bless America.

LIVE BLOGGING THE VP DEBATES: Darfur?

Biden spearheaded movement for military intervention in Bosnia in the 90s. Iraq would be a mistake. Darfur is another story, we should go because no one likes genocide.

Palin: Americans want straight talk. And they're in a position to help. Legislation needs to be put in place to help Darfur.

LIVE BLOGGING THE VP DEBATES: Huge Blunders, We Want to Talk About Change, Just Not With You, You and the Castro Brothers

Who doesn't love Israel? Palin and Biden sure do.

But Biden called out McCain for eagerly embracing McCain's isolationist, blow-em-up policies. Palin says change is afoot.

And the surge principles of Iraq need to be incorporated in Afghanistan.

LIVE BLOGGING: Gay Hot Button - I'm Hurt

Biden: We do support making sure that committed couples in a same sex have the same rights as heterosexual couples do.

Palin: I have a very diverse family and I'm tolerant. I don't support defining marriage as anything but as something between one man and one woman. I'm being straight up.

BUT NEITHER OF THEM SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE.

I was kinda hurt by Joe Biden.

LIVE BLOGGING THE VP DEBATES: Sarah Palin Sounds Like Ned Flanders Doesn't She?

She doesn't want to ar-diddly-argue about the cause of global warming, she just wants to fix it. If only us evil East Coast elitists would let her.

Bless her re-tar-diddly heart.

LIVE BLOGGING THE VP DEBATES: What's the Windfall Tax?

A windfall profits tax is a higher tax rate on profits that ensue from a sudden windfall gain to a particular company or industry.

LIVE BLOGGING THE VP DEBATES: Healthcare

Sarah Palin: $5,000 credit for everyone instead of Obama's government regulated healthcare plan - no one is happy with the way the Government handles anything.

Joe Biden: That credit is actually the result of higher taxes that ultimately sell out Americans' access to healthcare...it's a bridge to nowhere.