I know that my boyfriend and I have different political leanings. He's a little bent to the right and I to the left. I'm more independent-minded, but I like(d) to think we were both rational and capable of allowing the other person to have a legitimate opinion without having to attack. Apparently, I was wrong.
Sarah Palin rubs me the wrong way. I'm a left-leaning independent who voted for Obama. But I could have gone another way. I liked Guiliani and at one time I liked John McCain.
But when John McCain selected Sarah Palin, I was disappointed and almost infuriated that he would be so reckless with trying to allow a volitile, egomaniacal, nincompoop to be one step away from leading our country at such a time as this.
I gave her the benefit of the doubt at first. She did give a decent speech at the Republican convention. But it was swiftly and straightly a downhill bobsled of Olympic caliber after that. That Katie Couric performance was so appalling that I became permanently disgusted with John McCain for selling out like that.
Her incessant, blatant rabble and idiot-rousing on the campaign trail was personally offensive to me. And yet, somewhere in my heart, I knew she really doesn't know any better, so at least, I felt, she didn't have malice aforethought as she's incapable of having much of an aforethought to begin with.
When she started sparring with public figures over trivial matters over Facebook and in other various media forums, I came to the conclusion that she's a lightweight. When she refused to school herself to an extent that she might, in fact, be considered a serious candidate, while not surprised, my fears about her were confirmed. The only thing worse than a pure idiot is one who's impulsive, has power, and is certain she's a pure genius.
When she did an interview with Greta on FOX insisting on "cooking" while she was giving it, I threw up a little in my mouth. When she gave the incomprehensible statement and quit her governorship, I lost any respect I may have harbored for her. When Shatner did the "beat poetry" version of said speech, I laughed my ass off.
When she insisted on doing her post-governer-quitting-interview in fishing waders I threw up a little more in my mouth.
But when I first saw her wagging her baby Trig around in her $500 suits having obviously undergone the requisite 2-hour hair and makeup routine, ostensibly on her way to an important public appearance, I clenched my teeth. I'm a woman, I've had an infant, and I've been in professional settings. Never once have I geared up for a major event and felt compelled to carry my baby--with his color-coordinated baby bottle in tow--on my hip to said event. I'm sorry, and I respect her for having carried that baby to term and made the decision she did with regard to him. But I feel like she uses him as a prop, and that makes me nauseous.
So, not surprisingly, when I saw her little Tea Party "hopey changey" performance last night, it went beyond throwing up a little in my mouth. Though I knew my boyfriend was generally right-leaning and didn't hate her like I do, I threw out a little rant about her "dopey-changey" routine in his direction when I saw a clip of it this morning. Not gigging him. Just a little harmless (so I thought) venting.
His response? He was "amused" by the "hopey changey" stuff, he knows she's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but "he likes her," and, to cap it off, he said, and I quote, "Don't you wish you looked like her? She is about your age, isn't she?" He also threw in a nasty comment about retardo-gate aimed at me, but I won't even go into that.
I see no choice but to break up with him. And I'm a little bit depressed about that. That's all. Any nice commentary about what a jerk he is would be welcome. Surely I can find some kindred souls here!