Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sickly Sunday

For some reason I got up today feeling "off"--not actually sick, but a little achey and shivery. And my stomach felt a little unhappy. Not unhappy enough that I couldn't eat some bacon and pancakes for breakfast with DH and my father-in-law. But enough that I couldn't finish the third pancake, and haven't had anything else to eat all day (a rare occurrence for me, to be sure).

I forced myself to do some laundry so as not to feel completely indolent and to feel as if I have accomplished something on this wasted day.

I am only now getting around to reading the New York Times and just read the Op Ed piece by Maureen Dowd.

She notes something that I had been feeling lately but hadn't put into words - that Hillary Clinton is getting cheerier and bouncier while Obama is doing the opposite. In Maureen's words,

"Hillary grows more and more glowy as Obama grows more and more wan.

Is she draining him of his precious bodily fluids? Leeching his magic? Siphoning off his aura?

It used to be that he was incandescent and she was merely inveterate. Now she’s bristling with life force, and he looks like he wants to run away somewhere for three months by himself and smoke."


Unfortunately, she has a point. There have been reports of Obama pleading to just be able to be left alone to eat his waffles, and it seems as if this truly endless campaign is getting on his nerves.

Hillary, on the other hand, has taken a page from her husband's book, and seems to actually be reveling in the campaign.

Does it mean she wants the job more than Obama? Or is it that the endless campaign is part of the "politics as usual" that he'd like to get rid of? (I know the rest of us would, at this point). I'm not saying all the voters shouldn't have their chance to vote, but this campaign kicked off at the beginning of 2007. That is just too long to expect anyone to keep kissing babies, shaking hands, speaking, and eating regional junk food.

Maureen Dowd says, "The Nixonian Hillary has a ravenous hunger that Obama lacks."

Maybe she does, and maybe her "fire in the belly" might be necessary to win in November. It does make me think.

But then I remember what happened AFTER Nixon won. Do we really want someone who wants the office so badly they'll do anything to win?

In other news, we keep hearing how McCain is all for reform - He sponsored legislation saying that the candidates should pay to fly on corporate jets. The funny thing is, however, that when it came down to his own campaign, he used his wife's company's corporate jet - thus avoiding the cost.

Let's hope these little stories of hypocrisy continue to make the news. We don't want the Democratic campaign to obscure all the dirt that has already started to pop up on McCain.

Finishing with some haiku...

McCain's for reform
But when it comes to himself
He likes to fly free.

Now he loves tax breaks
But once he criticized them
Deficit will soar.

Mainstream media
Focuses on trivia
Issues are buried.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh,feel better, Mauigirl. I can't read Dowd, so thank you for doing it for me.

Mauigirl said...

Thanks, DCup! I managed to get down about 4 pieces of pizza tonight for dinner so I think I'm on the road to recovery!

I know what you mean, I find Maureen Dowd a bit too cutesy and snarky most of the time but I think she had a point here.

S said...

I read that piece and nodded my head in assent. It DOES seem as if things have shifted, much to my dismay, actually. I think Obama will regroup, but there's no doubt that Indiana is going to be perhaps the most important primary state of all...

enigma4ever said...

feel better...sometimes we all just need more pizza and pancakes ;-)

I read the post...
the thing is I feel like most folks, like Obama, that we are tired and tired of Hillary...and Bill..

I just want to get to the Real thing...the McCain Battle...talk about Real issues- Ending the war, the economy....the Healthcare mess etc etcetc...

sigh...

I too just want to eat a waffle on sunday morning with no Hillary.....

Anonymous said...

Feel better MG!

pissed off patricia said...

It's the pits to feel bad any time but on weekends, it's just not fair.

I saw the clip of Obama and the breakfast. He simply asked that he be allowed to finish his breakfast and made a little joke. Everyone was laughing before it was over. The media and talking heads are trying to create situations so they will have something to talk about and not have to deal with real things like war, economy etc. I've stopped paying any attention to them. And like dcup, Dowd has been off my reading list for a long time.

Cosa Nostradamus said...

.
This is why girls should not be given newspaper columns.

OK, so Billary thrives on evil and Obama does not. That just confirms my determination to vote for the black guy, no matter what foul racist horseshit Billary spews as she enjoys the flavor and aroma thereunto pertaining.

Dos puntos:
(Already made elsewhere. Sorry, but typing is not my forte... ; ) . . . )

Daily Kos: Diaries: Cosa Nostradamus
REALITY: CHECK PLEASE!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/26/19225/3763/367/504083

From The Left: Air Cindy: Comments:
cosanostradamus
http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/air-cindy/#comments
.


FEEL MUCH BETTER
.

Cosa Nostradamus said...

.
hm.

try again.


3763/367/504083


air-cindy/#comments


Wow. This comment-whoring is even more work than my usual blog-whoring! Speaking of which, no extra charge for lotion on my blog now. Check it out.
.

Diane M. Roth said...

hmmm. You are right about Hillary looking perkier. I had heard about Obama that his wife said, this is it. If we don't do it this time, we're not running for president again.

So, maybe he DOESN'T want it as much as she does.

And, once they start going after you, it does turn a person's stomach.

Mauigirl said...

Slouching Mom, yes, I think he will regroup, and I hope it will happen in Indiana. Fingers crossed.

Enigma, I know - I am so SICK of her. I think everyone feels that way, except for her supporters.

Thanks Spartacus - I took the day off and am gradually getting back to normal!

POP, thanks for the description of the actual incident - as you point out, the media make a big deal out of anything that happens and twist it to suit their purposes.

Cosa, mentioning Hillary thriving on evil reminds me of an old Star Trek episode where this disembodied alien/energy creature got stronger when people were fighting and the only thing the Klingons and Federation members could do to get rid of it was to have jolly good humor among them.

Thanks for the links to your other post and comments!

Diane, I heard she said that back at the beginning of the campaign. I'm wondering, though, whether it would be true now. It seems as if once these candidates get the urge to run in their blood it doesn't go away that easily! However, it may be true - and if he doesn't want it as much as she does, maybe that's OK - because those that want it too much become obsessed with the power...

Fran said...

I hope you are doing better now that it is Tuesday.

The whole campaign thing is making me sick!

And I think Obama might well have second thoughts and who can blame him.

Deep sigh.

TomCat said...

Here I think you answered the question I posed in my comment in the post above this one. Obama has been off message of late and it's showing. Your haiku is dead-on.