Lipstick Jungle

In a campaign speech in Lebanon, VA, today, Mr. Hope-n-Change took quite a swipe at the Republican VP nominee, Sara Palin.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.”

I know this saying is a common slang phrase, and is used to describe what happens when you take something negative (a pig) and try to dress it up (add lipstick). According to the Urban Dictionary:

slang for when someone tries to dress something up, but is still that something. usually used on ugly broads, when they put on a skirt and some lipstick and well, they still look like the same disgusting pig.

WOW. Did he really just do what I think he did?? Perhaps. Where was the last time we heard the term "lipstick" during this 2008 campaign? Ah. I remember. It was the punchline to a joke Sarah Palin made about herself at the RNC last week.

What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick.

Hmmm...did Barack really just imply that Ms. Palin as a "pig"??? Naaaaah. I'll give the guy a break. That is a phrase that has been used by countless politicians in the past, so I'm sure the Obama campaign didn't use the "lipstck" comment as a direct referral to Ms. Palin. Or did they?

The Democratic Congressman from Missuori, Russ Carnahan, also used the term "lipstick" in a direct swipe at Sarah Palin.

“For all his tough talk [McCain] buckled to the right wing of his party in his choice. Picked someone with zero experience in national government, zero experience in foreign affairs. There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick."

So, within 24 hours, we have the Democratic nominee for president "possibly" refer to Sarah Palin as a pig with lipstick, and another Democratic Congressman, when introducing Senator Joe Biden at a campaign stop, also play the "lipstick" card.

Way to go, Mr. Hope-n-Change. You are worried about losing a large share of female voters, and you and your campaign pull the gender-card. And if that wasn't bad enough, you yourself use a slang phrase that brings her physical looks into play. In what alternate-reality do you live in where a woman enjoys being called a pig? That's almost as bad as invoking the c-word.

I guess you feel you haven't alienated enough of the female voters, huh?

The best defense is a great offense

When praise comes from the San Francisco Gate, you know it has been earned... especially when that praise is levied on the "right" side of the aisle... According to Willie Brown from the SF Gate:

The Democrats are in trouble. Sarah Palin has totally changed the dynamics of this campaign.

Period.

Palin's speech to the GOP National Convention on Wednesday has set it up so that the Republicans are now on offense and Democrats are on defense. And we don't do well on defense.

Just ask John "Swiftboat" Kerry...

Suddenly, Palin and John McCain are the mavericks and Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the status quo, in a year when you don't want to be seen as defending the status quo.

From taxes to oil drilling, Democrats are now going to have to start explaining their positions.

You mean the Dems might now actually have to explain some of their positions? I'd love to hear some of the actual substance behind their mantra of change. How does a ticket with 2 of the 3 most liberal senators signify change? Senator Biden has even been in Congress longer than Senator McCain.

Her timing was exquisite. She didn't linger with applause, but instead launched into line after line of attack, slipping the knives in with every smile and joke.

And she delivered it like she was just BS-ing on the street with the meter maid.

She didn't have to prove she was "of the people." She really is the people.

She is certainly "of the people", while Obama is certainly "above the people."

It takes more than just a speech, but...

Now, I'm not ready to go all ga-ga over Sarah Palin quite yet, but I do think she gave one heck of a speech last night. Her points sat well with the audience, and I think she probably connected quite well with a lot of Americans. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's a bit of a looker either, but this is not why I think she hit it out of the park last night. She has a story to tell, and she tells it very well. A lot of people see the GOP as the party of all the old people, while the democratic candidate is young and full of energy and idea about "change". Sarah represents this just as well, if not better, than the democratic ticket does.

Case in point - it's been reported that the teleprompter was broken during Sarah's speech. The text of the speech kept scrolling through the breaks for applause, putting Sarah quite a bit behind. However, it didn't phase her one bit. She relied on her memory and her notes and delivered the speech of her lifetime.

Feel free to contrast her performance to Obama's stuttering and stammering fiasco whenever his teleprompter breaks.

Certainly no media bias here

I wonder which lever US Magazine is going to pull in November...

Pics borrowed from The Drudge Report