Proving once again that everybody who is anybody reads -- and heeds -- Roxie's World, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden appeared on Ellen yesterday and declared that if he lived in California, he would be voting against Proposition 8, which is aimed at overturning the right to same-sex marriage in the Golden State. He made the statement the day after Roxie's World called upon the Democratic ticket to stand up and be counted in this crucial civil rights battle! I'm telling you, kids, the steadfast refusal of America's favorite dog blog devoted to politics, pop culture, and basketball to endorse Obama-Biden must be driving them nuts out there in Chicago! Can't you just see Plouffe and Axelrod running around the office screaming, "I don't care if we lead McCain 124-26 in daily newspaper endorsements! What the heck do we have to do to get Roxie to say she approves our message?" Pretty to think so, isn't it, legions?
Anyway, here's Biden with Ellen. The Prop 8 conversation is right at the start of the clip:
Oh, and did you catch Ellen's line about her and bride Portia de Rossi hoping that Prop 8 fails because they don't want to have to return the china and other snazzy wedding gifts they received for their August nuptials? It's as if she, too, has been reading Roxie's World! Keep the Crock-Pot, too, Ellen!
So, Joe, we're so proud and happy that you came out loudly and clearly on national television on the right side of Prop 8 that we are not even going to bother to point out that the Democratic ticket's position on same-sex marriage is now officially and utterly incoherent. I mean, Joe, you did say in the vice presidential debate that you and Senator Obama are opposed to same-sex marriage. (That's on tape, too, unfortunately.) And yet you congratulated Ellen on her marriage and said you were opposed to state and federal efforts to amend constitutions to prevent unions such as Ellen and Portia's. I'm sorry, Senator, but the right can be forgiven for thinking that in fact you are for same-sex marriage, while the pinko, homo left can be forgiven for scratching its head and not knowing or trusting where you stand on the issue. You're not making friends -- or sense! -- the way you're handling the matter right now, so Roxie's World has a simple suggestion for you. The next time somebody asks whether you support same-sex marriage, you look 'em right in the eye and just say, "I do."
(H/T to Geoffrey, the Official Prep School Teacher of Roxie's World for passing the Biden tip along. We don't know how such a hard-working boy has time to watch Ellen, but we are awfully glad he does.)
Yes, H/T to the Offical Prep School Teacher of Roxie's World for calling our attention to this. And there's even more from Biden. On Sunday he said "gird your loins" because a young president Obama will be tested by an international crisis just like young President John Kennedy was; in the debate he asserted incorrectly that the United States "drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon"; and before that he claimed that FDR calmed the nation during the Depression by going on TV. Also on Sunday, Biden said, "I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? . . . Why is this thing so tough? . . . I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point, because you're going to have to reinforce us. There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision.'"
ReplyDeleteWhat in the world is Gaffe Man telling us? Is he saying his running mate is not quite up to the job?
This is sad. All we can do is hope Biden is wrong. But this ticket can't even stand up to Prop 8 in California: so they're gonna catch bin Laden and bring peace to Iraq?
--Goose
This is one of the reasons why Obama isn’t getting my vote. We don’t know what this guy stands for. Out of all the rhetoric coming from the Obama campaign there has been only one word that was spoken in opposition of same-sex marriage and that word was “No” when Biden was asked the direct question of whether or not the ticket supported it. Everything other comment has been heavily supportive. Isn’t that a bit of a flag? Say everything your target constituency wants to hear up to the point of action only to completely undermine your position with none? Or was it say just enough to have the activists keep the faith but not enough to turn off the conservative independents who wouldn’t support such a stance? Classic dems. At least the reps will just flat out lie to you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Rox; I’m sitting this one out, just like all the other ones. If they ever put someone up there that earns my vote I’ll step into the box but so long as they continue to produce candidates that would flunk a high school speech class with their disjointed answers to simple questions and rampant, glaring inconsistency I’ll continue to watch the decline from a hazy distance.
Now, now, Spudz -- Democracy is not a spectator sport. You need to get in on the action! Our non-endorsement doesn't mean that Roxie's World advocates non-participation. It only means we can't come to a consensus and don't feel comfortable urging our readers to do anything other than NOT vote for McCain. Moose and I actually hope that voters in states where the race is close will vote for the Dems, because, on the whole, we think it would be better to have Dems in charge of the economy, foreign policy, and, yes, the Supreme Court. Goose is so disgusted with the party that she may feel otherwise right now, but here in Maryland, where the race is nowhere near close, we don't need to feel that the fate of the republic rests on what a couple of cranky old broads are going to decide to do with their votes.
ReplyDeleteStill, Spudz, don't sit on the sidelines. No party and no candidate is perfect, but elections matter and casting a vote is, as hokey as it sounds, one of the responsibilities that comes along with the privileges of citizenship. Stand up and be counted, dude!
I'm with Roxie on this one, Spudz. If you cast no vote, you cast no shadow. You're just plain not there. If you can't vote for either of the two main parties' candidates, pick a smaller independent party--Libertarian or Green, to pick two that are pretty good on marriage equality--and cast a vote. The chances of either of those actually getting a shot at the Presidency are pretty small, but increasing the power of third parties sends a message to the Big Two--witness the Ross Perot-inspired panic of 1992.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend this in a close race (remember Nader, 2000?), but this year, I'm pretty sure Sen. Obama will manage to put this baby away without your help. So use that vote to say aloud the "None of the above" that you've just murmured on RW. Send everybody a message: stand athwart history and yell, "Stop!"
(Previous paragraph not meant for Obama supporters, of course. For you folks, the Senator does need your help--get out there and do! And of course, for McCain supporters--um, yeah. Get out there, knock on doors, make phone calls (5:00 to 6:30 a.m. is the best window for reaching likely McCain voters--Republican-leaning independents are known early risers, and they'll appreciate the reminder). Help John McCain take back [insert state name here]. And don't forget: due to expected heavy turnout, Dems vote on Nov. 4, and Republicans on Nov. 5.)
I am so glad we have a write in spot on our ballot here in Florida. And yes, I am writing her name in that spot. Chalk one up for personal satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteWe also have the marriage protection amendment on our ballot. I am hetero and I do not believe in marriage for myself, but what the heck if anybody else wants to make that mistake why not let them?
I actually do feel more desperate if McCain wins, but is that any reason to vote for Obama? Here's someone who seems to think so.... http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d
Buster's Mom
Jupiter Florida
Still holding my Hillary light
Buster's Mom--Your comment inspires me to move/copy a comment I put last night on the October 17th discussion here 'cause I realize many folks in RW are probably done with that exchange. There I was responding to a dear friend who can't understand my choice, and I said. . . .
ReplyDeleteGoose here. I feel very comfortable with my choice and am absolutely confident I am doing the right thing. . .right for me (I don't presume to know what's right for others), at this time and in this place (I mean seriously: the Dems will win Maryland by at least 15-20 pts, if not more).
What's important is to push Dems out of fauxprogressivism and into making some clear decisions for real change (my suggestion of disentangling social security from conventional heteronormative family arrangements being one of them--ha! I have a hard time imagining even Chris Van Hollen arguing for that one, but I'd love to be surprised).
What we have seen in this election is the price being paid for structuring rivalry between allies in terms of war. This spring the Dems had two candidates who brought out more voters than ever before. The "loser" (who in the end actually received more individual votes than the "winner") has been working hard for the winner, but how different this whole summer and the whole election cycle would have been had he clearly reached out to her on June 8 (and I'm not even arguing that he would have had to choose her as his VP, though that would have been smart). But he couldn't do that because the primary had been structured in terms of war, with his rival turned into some of a monster, one so horrible that Keith Olbermann fantasized her being offed.
Now, sure, that's all water under the bridge, but there are lessons to be learned, and the Dems must never be that stupid again. . .must never walk away from the opportunity to unify 36 million voters who had voted for different candidates in the primary through strategies other than by barking orders at the losing side. So, I'm in a situation where I can register a protest vote with clear conscience, and it's plain that doing so gets some attention. I want to use that attention to remind the "winners" that there is work to be done, that unity and community are forged, not commanded.
Ole ED wrote "Not to admit weakness is but the artifice of strength," and the bluster that characterized much of the Democratic primary must be put aside for more hardheaded, detailed rhetoric followed by action. I do think we're seeing bits of that hardheaded detail *beginning* to peek through in some ads, but not nearly enough. My protest vote may not do much, but if it does a little, and nudges the winners to be bold and seize the day for real, practical, visionary change, then I'm proud to be part of that nudge.
The real work begins on Nov. 5, and that's where I'm focused.
--Goose