What's the Pig Deal?

Pixsurguy · 09-11-2008, 01:27 PM

What's the Pig Deal?
With a phony flap and a misleading attack ad, the McCain campaign sinks into silliness.

Washington Post, Thursday, September 11, 2008; Page A16

IT'S HARD to think of a presidential campaign with a wider chasm between the seriousness of the issues confronting the country and the triviality, so far anyway, of the political discourse. On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government's rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Sen. John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Sen. Barack Obama for using the phrase "lipstick on a pig" and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read.
Mr. Obama's supposedly offending remark was not only not offensive -- it also was not directed at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "The other side, suddenly, they're saying 'we're for change too,' " Mr. Obama said. "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig." With a woman on the ticket, apparently all references to cosmetics -- or pork of the non-bridge variety, for that matter -- are forbidden. "Sen. Obama owes Gov. Palin an apology," sniffed former Massachusetts governor Jane Swift. "Calling a very prominent female governor of one of our states a pig is not exactly what we want to see." No matter that Mr. McCain used the lipstick-on-a-pig phrase himself, referring to (female) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's health-care plan, or that (female) former McCain aide Torie Clarke wrote a book with that title. In the heat of a campaign, operatives will pounce on any misstep and play to the referees over any arguable foul. We understand that, and certainly the Obama campaign has not been above such tactics. But this cynical use of the gender card is unusually silly.
The kindergarten sex ad, exhuming an argument that Republican Alan Keyes used against Mr. Obama in his 2004 Senate race, was equally ridiculous. "Obama's one accomplishment?" the narrator asks. "Legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' -- to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? Barack Obama: wrong on education. Wrong for your family." As a state senator, Mr. Obama voted for -- though he did not sponsor -- a measure that set out standards for non-mandatory sex and health education. It required that instruction be "age and developmentally appropriate" and allowed parents to have their children opt out. To call this an accomplishment seems a departure for a campaign that was insisting just last week that Mr. Obama had no legislation to his credit, conveniently ignoring his significant work on a lobbying reform bill. Mr. Obama's support for the Illinois measure seems both reasonable and relatively unimportant.
John McCain is a serious man who promised to wage a serious campaign. Win or lose, will he be able to look back on this one with pride? Right now, it's hard to see how.

Itsnotgonnaspankitself... · 09-11-2008, 03:19 PM

hahaha...I use that phrase all the time, though I never thought of it as a sexual thing...I guess that's because I'm not a Republican...

Vinnie · 09-11-2008, 03:50 PM

This is one of the most farsacle arguements I have come across. Silly season once again!

How have both sides managed to skirt around the politising of the 9/11 remeberances? I would not expect either side to "claim" pre-eminence there but it must have been difficult to avoid politics within the ceremonies.

honestpoet · 09-11-2008, 03:59 PM

I Agree With You, Pixs. Why Didn't Just Say; You Can Put Lipstick On Pixs, And Hes Still Pixs? Ha,ha,ha. You're Okay Pixs, Its Just Your Fu**ed Up Politics! You're With Millions That Still Believe There Vote Means Anything!

Pixsurguy · 09-11-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honestpoet

I Agree With You, Pixs. Why Didn't Just Say; You Can Put Lipstick On Pixs, And Hes Still Pixs? Ha,ha,ha. You're Okay Pixs, Its Just Your Fu**ed Up Politics! You're With Millions That Still Believe There Vote Means Anything!

You mean sorta like those of us in the majority who did NOT vote for that rectal aperture in the White House the first time around?

Seriously, I could not disagree with you more. If just a few hundred more FL people (who were smart enough to figure out how not to hang Chad) had voted against the ass wipe in the White House, more than 4,000 American service men and women would be alive and more than 30,000 of them would not have shattered lives because of missing legs, arms, etc.

honestpoet · 09-11-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pixsurguy

You mean sorta like those of us in the majority who did NOT vote for that rectal aperture in the White House the first time around?

Seriously, I could not disagree with you more. If just a few hundred more FL people (who were smart enough to figure out how not to hang Chad) had voted against the ass wipe in the White House, more than 4,000 American service men and women would be alive and more than 30,000 of them would not have shattered lives because of missing legs, arms, etc.

NOW, PIXS, YOU KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THE BUILDERBERG GROUP WANTS! HE IS MERELY THE SCAPE GOAT!

Pixsurguy · 09-11-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honestpoet

NOW, PIXS, YOU KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THE BUILDERBERG GROUP WANTS! HE IS MERELY THE SCAPE GOAT!

That may be how they do things on your planet, but Dubya and his Nazis sure proved how it could be done here.

Dthunder · 09-12-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pixsurguy

[color="RoyalBlue"]
Seriously, I could not disagree with you more. If just a few hundred more FL people (who were smart enough to figure out how not to hang Chad) had voted against the ass wipe in the White House, more than 4,000 American service men and women would be alive and more than 30,000 of them would not have shattered lives because of missing legs, arms, etc.

The second time around Florida was a Kerry state. I know, because ditched school to vote and looked at the results. The first time I wasn't old enough so I can't tell you because I didn't care. Be nice, FL is my home.

Pixsurguy · 09-12-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dthunder

The second time around Florida was a Kerry state. I know, because ditched school to vote and looked at the results. The first time I wasn't old enough so I can't tell you because I didn't care. Be nice, FL is my home.

Sorry sweetie - I should not have dissed your state. In fact, my sister lives there too (Port Lucie) and she'd kick my sorry butt if she thought that I was dumping on FL.

hortysir · 09-12-2008, 04:47 PM

I also don't believe Obama meant the remark toward Palin.
But you could see it on his face once he started it...like, "Uh-oh..I already started this phrase...it's gonna come back"

And you could see the joy on the audience's faces. THEY made the connection right away.
McCain camp should've came out--maybe even Palin herself--and said "We know this was not directed toward me. It's a common phrase".
You gotta figure, too...this was a web-ad. It ain't like John McCain made it himself and posted it.

09-11-2008, 01:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pixsurguy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 14,314	What's the Pig Deal? What's the Pig Deal? With a phony flap and a misleading attack ad, the McCain campaign sinks into silliness. Washington Post, Thursday, September 11, 2008; Page A16 IT'S HARD to think of a presidential campaign with a wider chasm between the seriousness of the issues confronting the country and the triviality, so far anyway, of the political discourse. On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government's rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Sen. John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Sen. Barack Obama for using the phrase "lipstick on a pig" and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read. Mr. Obama's supposedly offending remark was not only not offensive -- it also was not directed at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "The other side, suddenly, they're saying 'we're for change too,' " Mr. Obama said. "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig." With a woman on the ticket, apparently all references to cosmetics -- or pork of the non-bridge variety, for that matter -- are forbidden. "Sen. Obama owes Gov. Palin an apology," sniffed former Massachusetts governor Jane Swift. "Calling a very prominent female governor of one of our states a pig is not exactly what we want to see." No matter that Mr. McCain used the lipstick-on-a-pig phrase himself, referring to (female) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's health-care plan, or that (female) former McCain aide Torie Clarke wrote a book with that title. In the heat of a campaign, operatives will pounce on any misstep and play to the referees over any arguable foul. We understand that, and certainly the Obama campaign has not been above such tactics. But this cynical use of the gender card is unusually silly. The kindergarten sex ad, exhuming an argument that Republican Alan Keyes used against Mr. Obama in his 2004 Senate race, was equally ridiculous. "Obama's one accomplishment?" the narrator asks. "Legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' -- to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? Barack Obama: wrong on education. Wrong for your family." As a state senator, Mr. Obama voted for -- though he did not sponsor -- a measure that set out standards for non-mandatory sex and health education. It required that instruction be "age and developmentally appropriate" and allowed parents to have their children opt out. To call this an accomplishment seems a departure for a campaign that was insisting just last week that Mr. Obama had no legislation to his credit, conveniently ignoring his significant work on a lobbying reform bill. Mr. Obama's support for the Illinois measure seems both reasonable and relatively unimportant. John McCain is a serious man who promised to wage a serious campaign. Win or lose, will he be able to look back on this one with pride? Right now, it's hard to see how. __________________ Thank you Squirtypoo Why am I in this handbasket and where am I going?

09-11-2008, 03:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Itsnotgonnaspankitself... Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 10,514	hahaha...I use that phrase all the time, though I never thought of it as a sexual thing...I guess that's because I'm not a Republican... __________________

09-11-2008, 03:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
honestpoet Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Temple, Texas Posts: 529	I Agree With You, Pixs. Why Didn't Just Say; You Can Put Lipstick On Pixs, And Hes Still Pixs? Ha,ha,ha. You're Okay Pixs, Its Just Your Fu**ed Up Politics! You're With Millions That Still Believe There Vote Means Anything! __________________ LOVE IN GOD, NOT IN RELIGION; TITO

09-12-2008, 04:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
hortysir Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: South...Thank God! Posts: 4,523	I also don't believe Obama meant the remark toward Palin. But you could see it on his face once he started it...like, "Uh-oh..I already started this phrase...it's gonna come back" And you could see the joy on the audience's faces. THEY made the connection right away. McCain camp should've came out--maybe even Palin herself--and said "We know this was not directed toward me. It's a common phrase". You gotta figure, too...this was a web-ad. It ain't like John McCain made it himself and posted it. __________________

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09-11-2008, 03:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
Vinnie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,104	This is one of the most farsacle arguements I have come across. Silly season once again! How have both sides managed to skirt around the politising of the 9/11 remeberances? I would not expect either side to "claim" pre-eminence there but it must have been difficult to avoid politics within the ceremonies.