Lipstick Lines (Sujatha)

Too much lipstick on everybody's brains and the airwaves. (Word origin c. 1880,as per Merriam Webster Collegiate dictionary, history going back 5000 years all the way to ancient Egypt)  Whether it's on a pit bull or a pig or a Vice presidential candidate, it has exploded into the news cycle like nothing else, despite the amazing list of alternative stories to focus on. But I'll give in to this temptation and keep the lipstick on the top of the page, at least for today.

From Juan Cole:

"John McCain announced that he was running for president to confront the "transcendent challenge" of the 21st century, "radical Islamic extremism," contrasting it with "stability, tolerance and democracy." But the values of his handpicked running mate, Sarah Palin, more resemble those of Muslim fundamentalists than they do those of the Founding Fathers. On censorship, the teaching of creationism in schools, reproductive rights, attributing government policy to God's will and climate change, Palin agrees with Hamas and Saudi Arabia rather than supporting tolerance and democratic precepts. What is the difference between Palin and a Muslim fundamentalist? Lipstick."

From the New York Times:

"Last week, Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate, introduced herself to the Republican National Convention by asking a question: What’s the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom, which is how she typically describes herself.

“Lipstick,” she said, in the line of the night.

Here in Lebanon today, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois also made his own lipstick allusion, drawing on a very old aphorism as he belittled attempts by Senator John McCain and Republicans to embrace the change mantle that has been central to his campaign.

“John McCain says he’s about change, too – except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not change. That’s just calling the same thing something different. You can put lipstick on a pig – it’s still a pig.”"

--snip---

"Palin campaign spokesman Maria Comella: “Barack Obama’s comments today are offensive and disgraceful. He owes Governor Palin an apology “

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki: “That expression is older than my grandfather’s grandfather and it means that you can dress something up but it doesn’t change what it is. He was talking pretty clearly about the fact that you can’t just call yourself change when you’ve voted with George Bush 90 percent of time.”"

Seriously, is the McCain campaign insulting Sarah Palin by claiming that Obama compared her, rather than the McCain policies, to a pig? I wonder why they would sabotage the perception of their own VP candidate by doing so. I think Sarah Palin ought to castigate her own campaign for being so foolish as to put lipstick on the McCain campaign pig, and point out that she, if anything, is the lipstick on the campaign, not the other way round. Or the pitbull with the lipstick, if she prefers the other mixed metaphor.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I do not use lipstick and have no pitbulls or pigs in this particular race for metaphors.)

Comments

[Ruchira]

I am just back from a hair cut appointment. My wonderful hair dresser, a gentle woman and a dedicated Republican (because they are pro-business and anti-tax) asked me what I thought of "my candidate" Obama calling Sarah Palin a "pig." I gently explained to her (my hair dresser is Vietnamese born) that "painting lipstick on a pig" is a shop worn expression which is particularly popular with politicians. I don't know if she was convinced.

By now, we have all heard who else has used the expression in putting down the policy position of an opposing candidate. But then Hillary never brought up her "lipstick" -she only referred to the "pantsuit." I don't know for how long the rightwingers will get away with this fake">http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=15843">fake outrage.

[Sujatha]

Try showing her this if you can.