Good evening, Gentlemen (and around here, I suppose, I disproportionate number of Ladies).
It's been quite a week in the world of American politics. To those so keenly attuned to such things as ourselves, it has no doubt been as exhausting as it has been bizarre. We find ourselves, I think, at an inflection point in this race. The tumult of turning political fortunes and fast-moving poll numbers only throw into relief the critical issues of character that may well decide this election, particularly those surrounding our latest newcomer, Sarah Palin.
It is on this topic I believe a serious discussion must be had.
Now there are those who view things through a strictly political, even moral lens. These people, in their zeal to view all aspects of human interaction in terms of the systematic and categorical, cannot appreciate life on an aesthetic level, I think. Or at least to the extent that they can, they do so in an incomplete, anemic way, drained and rendered colorless by abstract principles and dogmas that have little bearing on most matters in the first place. These people, I submit, cannot properly discuss the topic at hand.
There are those, however, who see the world not in black and white or even in shades of gray, but rather a scintillating array of hue and color unbound by any prejudice or disapproving clucking from the moralizing hens and wizened elders frightened by the lives that passed them by -- but down to the matter at hand:
On the topic of Sarah Palin, there are obvious pros and cons. On one hand, she seems folksy, she's getting on in years, wears glasses, and seems more than a little clueless. On the other hand, she seems to have an active lifestyle, retains much of the appearance of youth, wears glasses, and seems more than a little clueless.
I suppose I could go on, but I don't believe the matter at hand can be settled by any itemized account of pros and cons, however we might decide to weight them. Ultimately the matter can be decided only on a holistic basis, relying on personal aesthetic taste and judgment. Hence: The poll!
Update! Please draw your attention to the following piece of commentary, quoted from some moralizing prig below:
[I d]on't find dim, self-righteous women attractive.
See, I didn't ask if you wanted to get coffee with her or take her to a Radiohead concert. I didn't even ask if you want to go dancing or have a beer with her. This isn't some kind of deep exercise in which we try to match the two of you along twenty-seven dimensions of compatibility.
He seems to think I failed to include an option for him. This is untrue. Option three covers his sentiments. As always, please do not lie via poll, dear reader.