Recently in Election Category

BEIRUT, Lebanon: The elections here in Lebanon passed rather quietly (a few fisticuffs here, some fireworks there) on Sunday, the results are in, and Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) performed far worse than expected.  While there are many explanations for this (Sunni expat voters airdropped in on free plane tickets by the Future Movement, inept speeches by Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah, unsubtle threats by American diplomats warning Lebanese people not to vote for Hizballah), I would like to think that the FPM’s nauseating “Sois Belle et Vote” (“Be beautiful and vote”) posters had something to do with it.

Given that nearly every single analyst and pollster in and outside of Lebanon predicted an FPM sweep that would push him and his Hizballah allies into the majority, what happened?  Could it be in part because of what one news station calls “the worst campaign flop in Lebanon?” 

The campaign undoubtedly infuriated and enraged a lot of people, but it also represents some sad truths about Lebanon (and elsewhere):

1)    A lot of women want to look like the model featured on the poster, or at least have been convinced they should want to.  This phenomenon is obviously not limited to Lebanon; it’s a feature of the fashion/modeling/beauty myth/advertising culture that is more or less global.  “Buy this soda and as soon as you pop it open, you’ll look just like her!”  When do we figure out that’s not how it works?
2)    Worse, and possibly unique to Lebanon – male politicians here think that vanity is the only platform on which to appeal a female voter.  The response from the rival political party, “Sois egale et vote,” features another gorgeous model, although she looks slightly more Arab than the very European-looking one in the first ad.  Both say the same stupid thing: “Vote for us and you’ll look just like her!”  But as Nadine Mouawad of Lebanon’s Feminist Collective writes in a blog post, “none of you will get my vote until someone presents a progressive gender equality platform.”

If you live in Gainesville, vote NO on Charter Amendment 1 on the March 24th Gainesville municipal ballot. The proposed amendment will reads:

Amendment to City Charter Prohibiting the City from Providing Certain Civil Rights.

SHALL THE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROHIBIT THE ADOPTION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ORDINANCES, REGULATIONS, RULES OR POLICIES THAT PROVIDE PROTECTED STATUS, PREFERENCES OR DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS BASED ON CLASSIFICATIONS, CHARACTERISTICS OR ORIENTATIONS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE FLORIDA CIVIL RIGHTS ACT? THE ACT RECOGNIZES RACE, COLOR, CREED, RELIGION, GENDER, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, HANDICAP, MARITAL AND FAMILIAL STATUS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS AMENDMENT VOIDS EXISTING ORDINANCES CONCERNING SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, AND OTHER ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS AMENDMENT.

The Florida Civil Rights Act (Florida Statute §§ 760.01-760.11, 509.092) prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status. There are no protections in the Florida Civil Rights Act for sexual orientation or gender identity. Charter Amendment 1 would strip away existing civil rights protections from the LGBT community living in Gainesville. It would also prevent the city creating new discrimination policies for any groups other than those mentioned in the Florida Civil Rights Act.

For more information or volunteer opportunities (in and out of Gainesville) check out http://equalitygainesville.com/.

This is Annie Liebovitz's collection of the Obama team. It was so nice to go clicking through the pictures and see such diversity!

I felt I had to give this one a little more exposure, because it is just that bad.   Not just the regular wingnuttery bad, but hit-all-the-buttons bad.  Fucking. Unbelievably. Bad.

Notice the amount of rape references, not to mention the over-the-top racism. So much hate. HATE. And dangerous, thinly veiled seething vitriolic rage disguised as "humor".

See, it's okay to say these things about the First Lady, because it's humorous (oh, yeah, and she's black.  And, she's a woman.)  Oh, and, it is double points okay plus plus, because, ahem, First Lady Bush and her daughters were...savaged.

Savaged?  Really?

Oh, how very much I wish this individual would take his own advice regarding the hot brick from a pizza oven.

Brace yourself for the next eight years, because this is just the beginning.

  Taken from here.

Is it just me, or was anyone reminded of the Hillary Clinton pantsuit "controversy," or the cleavage-showing-shirt "controversy," or the general large amount of attention paid to her appearance rather than her qualifications, today when CNN kept going on and on about the fact that Bill Richardson shaved his beard?  Obviously, lack of facial hair in no way reflects on his ability to be Commerce Secretary.  At first I felt a bit vindicated that finally it was a man's appearance that was getting so much more publicity than his credentials were, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this wasn't a victory against sexism so much as it was sexism targeted at males.  Thoughts?

Okay, so it's almost definitely not my last word on Sarah Palin, because we all know she's not going away any time soon, but I'm trying to think positively. I just had to briefly comment on this quote .

Speaking as she returned to her native Alaska, Mrs. Palin claimed to be baffled by what she claims was sexism on the national stage. "Here in Alaska that double standard isn't applied because these guys know that Alaskan women are pretty tough, on a par with the men in terms of being outdoors, working hard," she said.

"They're commercial fishermen, they're pilots, they're working up on the North slope in the oil fields. You see equality in Alaska. I think that was a bit of a surprise on the national level."

So Sarah Palin just wasn't prepared for how backwards and sexist we all are down here on the mainland because she presides over Alaska: Utopian Land of Gender Equality. Got it. There's just one tiny problem. Here's what the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has to say about this magical place where, under her fine leadership as governor, all men recognize the strength and ability of women and everyone treats each other with respect. [Link via Huffington Post .]

• Alaska's rape rate is 2.5 times the national average.
  
• Alaska has the highest rate per capita of men murdering women.
• Almost 75% of Alaskans have experienced or know someone who has experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.
• Almost 90% of Alaskans would vote to increase funding for victim service programs, and over 90% would support increased penalties for domestic violence and sexual assault perpetrators.
• Child sexual assault in Alaska is almost six times the national average.
• Almost 30% of Alaskans were not able to access victim services or encourage others to do so because there were no services available in their area at the time.

The Huffington Post piece also mentions the unsuccessful attempts of Alaska's Alliance for Reproductive Justice to get Governor Palin to take action on some of the major problems affecting Alaskan women and children. Here is ARJ's explanation of what they asked for and the lack of any meaningful response from the governor:

In 2007, Women's Summit attendees delivered an open letter to Governor Palin asking to work together on five issues of concern for women and children in Alaska. Although we disagree with her anti-choice position and support of abstinence only education and teaching creationism in public schools, we hoped that she would understand that there are issues we could work together on to find solutions.

Governor Palin did not deliver and did not take a leadership role on any of these issues. In fact, this year when there was a 7 billion dollar state surplus she did not step up to the plate for the women and children of Alaska to help increase the income guidelines for health insurance for low income women in Alaska. We were truly disappointed with her lack of action on this critical public health issue.

Our letter asked for her support and leadership to:

Increase funding for Denali Kid Care (Alaska's SCHIP Program, Alaska is one of a minority of states that fails to fund health insurance for families at 200% of the federal poverty level.)

Decrease the incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska (Alaska’s rape rate is 2.5 times the national average, Alaska is #1 in the nation for women murdered by men)

Provide state support for shelters that accept women with children (Many shelters are at capacity and many can not accept women with children.)

Support working mothers by enacting laws that allow for breastfeeding in the workplace (There were bills in the legislature each year that would have required breaks for women.)

Provide medically accurate sex education in public schools (In Alaska, we lead the country in the rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea and have high rates of teen pregnancy.)

This is the place that Sarah Palin looks at and sees a state of equality that is free from double standards. The huge disconnect between "you see equality in Alaska" and the reality about what life is like for Alaskan women gets right to the heart of why so many women across the country opposed her so vehemently - it is not because she's dumb, but because she's willfully and selfishly blind and deaf.

[cross-posted from Evil Slutopia ]

I'm a Republican.

Well...I'm a fairly liberal Republican (no, that's not an oxymoron).

Okay, maybe I'm more of a moderate than a Republican.

Why I, along with many others, feel the need to define myself politically is currently beyond me. In the wake of our historic election, not only am I a bit deflated (it feels like the day after Christmas) from the absence of election coverage, but I'm also wondering why we so zealously align ourselves along party lines. My ponderance is really rhetorical because I know that in our governmental system, we have to make choices and those choices typically place us on one side or the other. But when someone asks me who I voted for, or what party I identify as my own, I feel like someone's asking me what my favorite Metallica album is. If I answer honestly and say its the Black Album, then of course I'm labeled as a poser because that's EVERYone's favorite ('everyone' here meaning those not-die-hard Metallica fans). Should I claim that Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning is my favorite? It's such a defining question! What will people think of me?! What do I think of me!?

As a student and instructor in academia, I often received sympathetic or disgusted looks when I admitted my Republican leanings. Scrambling to clarify, I'd say that growing up in a military family leads to certain opinions about spending on defense. I'd say that local government is better for the people. I'd say a lot of things. Invariably I'd be asked about abortion. Answering that I am and always have been pro-choice, the question would then become gay rights. Well, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is a crock (this coming from a military brat), and I can't fathom how people can claim that a ban on gay marriage or gay adoption does not have some correlation to religion. Two people who love one another have the right to marry and live the American dream, including having children and contributing to the community. Well, what about...? The questions would continue until people were either frustrated enough to stop asking, or tired enough to move on to a new topic.

So why is it that we place so much importance on the big question: Republican or Democrat? Because, like the Metallica question, it IS a defining part of us as individuals. It's an identifier, a mark of commitment or connection. You're either with us or against us. Maybe it's the binary that I have had such trouble with...can't I be a Republican with certain Democratic leanings, or vice versa?

As a feminist who came to consciousness a bit late in life (mid-twenties), I've seen my political tendencies bend and twist. Acknowledging the privilege of growing up as a white, middle class woman has aided in my feminist journey and helped me see the the power of white, male patriarchy. Living in a town full of cultural diversity and influence, and teaching at a diverse university, my view on life, politics, and certainly education have undergone a metamorphosis. That change has been a gradual process, one that will likely (hopefully) not end.

So, I keep coming back to my initial question, one that I've been thinking about intensely since the election, if not before:

What's a Good Republican Girl (Woman) to do?

The answer - she admits that she's a Democrat.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I was inspired by lemur to write about family and politics during the holidays. This is not about persuading parents, siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins about your political views. Honestly the holidays are crazy enough. Add politics, and if people at the Thanksgiving table don't see eye to eye, there is a recipe for disaster.

Lets rewind to Thanksgiving 1990, my first one back from college. The Gulf War was brewing. My uncle, a retired marine, fought during WWII. A family friend's son, my age, was liberal and trying to explain how the Gulf War was wrong. Silently, I agreed with him. Instead of letting it go, my uncle slammed his fist and yelled at him saying he was out of line and how he fought during WW II. It was ugly. I sat there at the table with my jaw dropped. My uncle's wife told him to calm down and if he didn't she would leave. Well, he kept up and his wife ended up leaving after my mother pleaded for her to stay. Well, my sister ended up crying and I was stunned. I remember saying out loud "I am glad I did not bring anyone home from college." It was such a gross display. My mom's friend and her son left shortly after. They refused to come to any more holiday events if my uncle was present. Its sad, but true.

My point is a lot people like my uncle are so set in their ways, they will not listen to reason. We may know if someone is being unreasonable, but people from that generation will not change. My parents too. I have learned over the years to avoid discussing politics with them. Its a no win situation and will add more distress. If people at the table choose to air political views that are opposite of yours, do not respond. Period. Unless you want to have a Jerry Springer episode, I would bite my tongue. If someone tries to bait you, don't engage in the conversation. If that person keeps pushing your buttons, calmy say "I know we have different political views, so I don't want to discuss it.". They should respect that. If all else fails, politely excuse yourself to the bathroom or help with kitchen duty. After all, there are lots of dishes to be washed!

Think of it this way, the most time spent at the table are no longer than two hours. If you are having Thanksgiving locally, leave shortly after dinner. Could always say you have to work early. If you are visiting from out of town, help with kitchen duty or make plans to meet up with friends that evening.

You will have to be subjected once a year. You are doing your public service. You can always escape to the computer and share similar political views on websites such as this one!

The night Barack Obama won will always stand out in my mind, and not simply because he won. It will stand out as the moment where I saw a true distinction between true Republican's and the rightwing. I have written about my father previously, and his irrational and illogical hatred of the Democratic party. But what he did Election night and the days afterward confirmed my belief that we will never be able to have a relationship again.

Election night he decided to blame me for the decision of over 62 million Americans. He decided that party politics were more important than his daughters feelings and education. Because of this, I spent most of election night, the most important night of this millenium, crying and mourning the loss of my relationship with my father.

Now he refuses to speak to me.

That is in sharp contrast to the gracious college Republicans I ran into that night, and it just makes me sadder to know that despite how hard President Obama will try to heal the divide between Democrat and Republican,some people will never be brought into the fold. Some wounds will never heal, and some families will forever be divided.

I know this is kind of late but today I went on Slate and found this collection of political cartoons.

They are about Obama's victory and some of them are very moving.