turntables.

This point has been tossed around by me, for instance, as well as my grandpa and last week's episode of Bill Maher:

Can you imagine if, instead of Sarah Palin, it was Barack Obama with a 17-year-old unwed pregnant daughter? With a boyfriend with a Myspace that said "I just like to fuckin chill, mess with me I'll kick your ass."?

Dan Savage further theorized, what if he looked slightly "thuggish"? On stage at the DNC? How would people respond?

Of course the Republicans, Bill O'Reilly and all the others, would not be saying his daughter's pregnancy was a private matter like they have been with Palin. They'd point to Obama's social liberalism, advocating comprehensive sex ed, reproductive rights, and the legality of abortion, as some kind of moral failing that led his daughter to get pregnant. Of COURSE.

But can you also imagine how much racism would play into it? My grandpa is 83, maybe 84, and he's a big ole liberal. He and I were just laughing at how ridiculous the claims would be about Obama and black culture in general. The absent black father stereotype would be confirmed twofold.

I also like the point Dan Savage made that it's hypocritical for Republicans to demand we give Palin some privacy when they've been trying to legislate what goes on in the private realm for the past thirty years. I'm not a huge fan of criticizing politician's private lives, but you have to admit this is hypocritical when Republicans constantly have a field day when it comes to liberals' personal gaffes. What do you think?

Oh, and Biden better "bully" the hell out of Palin in the debates. If she were a man, it'd be "fair game", but her vagina necessitates kid gloves? Now THAT'S sexism.