Augean Stables

I have not posted much lately. Classes beginning. Other obligations.

But I have to say some thinga about the Obama lipstick remark.

First, everyone I’ve read has misread it. It’s not about Palin being a pig, but John McCain. McCain’s trying to wrap himself in the image of a reformer (and, hence, changer), and by picking Palin, has tried to make it pretty, but it’s just lipstick. This isn’t a gross sexist remark — Palin’s a pig — but a sly sexist remark: she’s just gussying up the old wreck. So much of the dextrasphere’s loud indignation (now being picked up by some of the media), is as off the mark, as the attempts of the Obama camp to dismiss the topic. Palin Derangement Syndrome can apparently affect friend and foe alike.

[I just noticed that Obama made the same point to Letterman:

“Keep in mind, technically, had I meant it this way, [Palin] would be the lipstick. The failed policies of John McCain would be the pig, just following the logic of this illogical situation,” Obama said.

(See below for further remarks on this.)]

Second, Obama’s response of righteous indignation, does not ring true. His tone, intonations, all seem unnatural. (The indignation comes at the end, around 4:00.)

Some can see veiled anger, others, measured outrage, I see a pretence to indignation. He knows perfectly well what he did. So did his audience. It’s part of the game he plays with his audience (a game, incidentally, that Reverend Wright plays much less subtly with his congregation). As one astute observer noted, his tell is that he touches his face as he delivers his zinger.

With Hillary, the tell was the joke — the body language with his arms, the slight hesitation… wait for it… and the finger motion as he says “uh…”

This might seem like eisogesis (reading into a remark something that isn’t there), but he did this at least one other time, same words, same intonation, same timing.

This is a practiced gesture, not a chance one.

This is classic “honor-shame” activity. Make fun of someone behind their back, or even better, to their faces, and then say, “What? What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.”) Certainly that’s what I hear in the audience response. They know it’s there, they’re waiting for it.

Below is an excellent video analysis of Obama’s giving Hillary the finger that decodes the three women behind him (and who therefore didn’t see the gesture), trying to figure out why everyone’s laughing.

“Do you give me the finger, sir?”
“I touch my face with my third finger, but not at you sir.” (update of Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1).

Obviously the whole incident speaks poorly of Obama, who’s reverting to basketball behavior, playing to the team… making fun of the other side. Okay in sport, but partisan in politics. And just as he’s telling us the Hillary “got her dig in there.” “I understand. that’s how Washington is…” This is cheap thrills. As you chastize your opponent for taking cheap shots, you take a cheap shot.”

So his indignation at how the McCain campaign took this rings hollow: with phony outrage he denounces phony outrage. If he is as serious as he says he is, what’s he cracking that kind of joke for? And clearly the joke is that he’s getting in his dig and twisting the blade even as he’s chastizing Hillary for acting in that “oh so Washington” way.

In pitching to people who go for this kind of private joke at the expense of others, Obama appeals to the worse not the better nature of his audience. I can imagine a number of Obama people who have integrity, feeling really uncomfortable at this. Too bad those foolish girls in the back reacted to the news with giggles rather than dismay. They would also praise the emperor’s new clothes.

Here on the other hand, is an Obama supporter, Frnnk, expressing his dismay.

In the hopes that he’s not paranoid trying to warn people away from anyone in politics ’cause “they”‘re all part of the conspiracy, but an honest man dismayed by the behavior of his chosen representative, I say, we need more integrity like this. A genuine American, a civic hero.

Obama, on the other hand, plays a dishonest hand. He knows what he’s doing, he winking at his audience and they’re delighted. So he has no business presenting himself as innocent and calling McCain a liar for reading his game. That’s lack of integrity. I keep hoping he’s about to grin and say, “Don’t get upset man, I was just messing with your head.” But he doesn’t. He knows all the “right things” to say: “We can’t afford to waste our time on this… the issues need discussion… the public loses.” It just wrings hollow.

As for the MSM, I get the impression that they’re playing this up — obviously Fox, but even the allegedly pro-Obama other stations. Wouldn’t this be a good time to remind both candidates that there are issues to deal with, rather than invoke the “in politics perception is reality” clause as a justification for covering such a silly controversy. (Coming from the people who have an enormous say in our perceptions, I’d say this is pretty cheap.)

So the Obama people know what it’s like to have the press jump on your mistakes. Not fun. So unfair. They should talk to the Israelis about it. Might help them if they ever get their hands on the levers of power.

But still, what’s with the media? In my read — and I have limited access to the daily news these days, so I welcome correction — it’s not that the MSM don’t have “ideological” predispositions (they have plenty), but they are so addicted to attracting attention, that they’d sooner play up an issue stupidly — “he dissed her, man…” “no he di’nt” — than focus on less exciting but more important issues. So given the conjunction of being in danger of losing credibility for their partisanship, and having a “People magazine” moment available, the MSM jump the shark express: feeding frenzy. Don’t need to read boring policy papers and ask serious questions if you can ask, “Well, how’s Obama going to get out of this one?

And, of course, as Obama says, we, the public, lose.

PS: Advice to Obama. Own the game, tell us you were just playing around, and get serious. Spare us “enough is enough.” Act like it.