Ohio's own controversy in portraying President & First Lady as monkeys

Cross posted here since it's related to the previous discussion:

There has been quite a bit of discussion in parts of the blogosphere related to the New York Post cartoon and the racism issue that some have raised. Part of that discussion has hinged on the debate aspect that the cartoonist claims the cartoon was not designed to represent President Barack Obama. Yet here in Ohio, there is a controversy brewing over two scenarios where there is no doubt that the President and the First Lady are being compared to monkeys. This is taking place on a website known as the Whistleblower that is online through the Cincinnatus Standard which states it is, "SW Ohio's Online Home for the Conservative Movement" where in fairness, it should be noted that the Cincinnatus does have a specific disclaimer related to the Whistleblower content.

That said, The Cincinnati Beacon has been out there on this story, trying to raise awareness on what is being written on the Whistleblower beyond the monkey comparisons, there have also been jokes made regarding the assassination of President Obama.

While I do not believe the New York Post cartoon was intended to be racially offensive, I believe the cartoonist was referring to Congress as the "crazed monkey"; I fully realize that former President Bush was often portrayed as a monkey, we could debate that part of the topic endlessly as to the double standard aspect. The reality is there has been and will be a racial connotation attached to comparing any black person to a monkey that does not exist with whites. There's also the reality that many found the lack of respect given President Bush to be an issue, which would be my "if it's wrong it's wrong" theory even without the additional racism aspect. We could also debate the theory of free speech and how we have no real protection from being offended, that if you disagree with this type of cartoon or joke the solution is to just ignore it, that by blogging about it or covering it you give it more attention than it deserves.

We could provide cartoon after cartoon to demonstrate there is not an equal response/reaction even when the political cartoonist target has been a black person. We could point out previous scenarios where Bush assassination jokes have been made with apparently no real accountability beyond apologies. (Hevesi resigned but not related to the joke.) We could point out that some of us so want to believe "the other side is evil" that they'll put out there that John Gibson compared Eric Holder to a monkey with a bright blue scrotum.

That still returns us to the point we are right now. What can or should be done about it and how many more times will we spend hours upon hours debating this topic, selectively demanding resignations or action in relation to racism or sexism? The suggestion when some were offended by sexist cartoons directed at Hillary Clinton was that we just needed to get a better sense of humor...So in that spirit, is that something that we should all do or is it perhaps time to realize that part of the problem is the general lack of respect and perhaps that's what should be worked on...

It is entirely possible to do political cartoons/satire without invoking racism or sexism...I remember a time when it was said the goal was to re-create a "a kinder, and gentler nation" perhaps that never happened because neither side was willing to be the first to practice this towards each other...

Feministing's Top Ten Anti-Feminist Videos!

With a nod to Tennesee Guerilla Women for pointing out the post, Feministing has a list of the Top Ten Anti-Feminist Videos.

Being given the Best. Feminist. Video. Ever...notation is one I found worth sharing:



Though I also think this video could earn a spot on the list:

Avoid spending $20.00 to learn about "blog paycheck"

I just got this email advertising a site called www.easywordpress.com/paidtoblog that tells you if you buy his program now at the low low price of $20.00 compared to $37 he'll tell you how to make money by doing paid blog posts.

Save your money...What he doesn't mention is to get paid $200 a post you have to have a very high google page rank which very few have and that if you do paid blogging for companies like PayPerPost where you have to install an identifiable code on your blog, Google will kill your page rank which means any income is short term for that particular blog. This blog had a google page rank of 6, doing paid posts from companies like PayPerPost is considered a violation of the Google terms of service and I was lucky to have only been dropped to a 3 rather than a zero as some experienced. Thankfully I had been established enough before that...

If you are really interested in the different get paid to blogging programs out there? A year ago I did a series for the Toledo Free Press on this very topic that gives you probably more information that you'd get for the $20.00 for free...

So you want to be a blog mogul

More blogging for dollars.

It goes without saying that this series was written before Google cracked down on the paid blogging industry. However, if you are interested in this? There's no reason to pay anyone for the information...

Obama tells women to "get over it"

As can be expected when it was reported that Barack Obama said this:

"However, I need to make a decision in the next few months as to how I manage that since I'm running against John McCain, which takes a lot of time. If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it."

Was not received well by everyone:

Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., a longtime Clinton supporter, did not like those last three words -- "Get over it." She found them dismissive, off-putting.

"Don't use that terminology," Watson told Obama.

In a "but wait there's more" moment, DONE (Democrats Over Nominating Elitists) has more...

Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) conciliatory tone turned sharp on Thursday when Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) pressed him on how there needs to be healing in the Democratic Party.

“Look, Diane,” Obama said, according to a participant who attended the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) meeting. “John McCain, if he’s elected, is going to pick a Supreme Court that will roll back every gain women have made in the last 50 years.”

Seeming frustrated, Obama started talking more bluntly about why women should be supporting him over Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.), whatever their feelings about the divisive Democratic primary campaign.

The hard feelings are even deeper as it appears Obama feels as if he held his tongue when he felt he was insulted...Which would suggest perhaps someone should tell him to get over that.

After all what's good for the goose is good for the gander...

The Great Seal of Disapproval...

I head over often to read Tenneesse Guerilla Women I haven't jumped in to any of the discussions, but have rather just lurked and read. For some of you like Kurt who likes to diss me anonymousily, if you take issue with some of my opinions...don't vist there, I don't think they'd put up with you the way I do.

I'd heard a little bit about the seal that the Obama campaign had created and the general consensus was it was a display of ego that was totally not necessary. When you read Beyond Narnia: Obama Gets His Own Great Seal of the High King in the comments it points out a link that questions not only is this silly but could it be illegal.

So far it doesn't look like any of the MSM has picked up on the legality question...will that be blog driven? Could be...

UPDATE: Seal thrown under the bus....

While I'll never be famous...

I can't imagine sending out a press release like this:

National blog reporter, journalist and talk radio personality tackles provocative, complex and controversial election-year issues

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Taylor Marsh, a Clinton supporter who maintains the major blog site for Clinton fans, is available for commentary and expert analysis on all election-year topics. She will be in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 6 and 7, 2008 for guest appearances originating in Washington. Thereafter, Marsh is available via satellite or phone interviews from Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Marsh is not afraid to tackle topics others shy away from.

At least Taylor has not crossed the line into Abercromism...

At times I wonder if I'm on the same planet as some of these people...

I watched both speeches, neither one to me was inspiring...Obama's dragged on and on and was fractured, McCain's was not thrilling either but we don't know the end since CNN cut over to Obama (though I doubt it would have picked up). So reading this:

One soared; the other plodded. One caused goose bumps; the other caused eyelids to flutter shut. One felt newly minted; the other could have been given by Herbert Hoover (and maybe was).

Was I watching something different? No goosebumps, no soaring, but I agree there was eye lids fluttering shut and plodding...from both...

This can't be blamed on the fact that I support another candidate since my candidate of choice is out of it, but I have noticed a disturbing similar behavior from Obama fans, it's as if they live in a different plane of reality, where every word no matter how often repeated is treated as if it is like the magical first words of a child. Even when he reached out to those of us who are cynical, for a moment I thought perhaps he was actually going to say something, anything to convince me that he is really this political savior that many seem to believe he is.

I have friends who are what I would call Obama fanatics, they can't answer what any of his real positions are, they can't tell me how a man who claims to be against the status quo can maintain that given he is being supported by the very elite liberal status quo that many of them claim to take issue with, they can't tell me how he will unite when he has a clear history of creating division, they can't tell me why he lied about Selma...all they can tell me is the same platitudes, "He wants change", "He's inspiring", "I believe in him".

I feel like at times I'm like the little boy who keeps pointing out that the emperor has no clothes, that it should take more than knowing how to recite an inspiring speech written by someone else to become president, that actions speak louder than words, charisma should not replace character...Then again, if character really mattered would we be facing the choices on either side of the aisle...

Jason over at Yearning to Breath Free asks some interesting questions when it comes to the conservative side of the aisle, as he ponders what he calls "Conservative Whack A Mole".

Logo design the quick and easy way...

I've successfully used business cards for my local blog, and when I was asked to check out LogoYes with their quick and easy logo design, I put the website through it's paces. It took me just a few minutes to find a logo that fits in with the theme of the new template and motto here and to be able to have it on a sample business card. There were a myriad of images and fonts to select from as well as quite a few different business card designs. It's an easy and inexpensive way to stand out from the crowd...

On being selected one of the newsmakers of 2007...

Those of you who are long time readers on Liberal Common Sense know I also write a local blog, Glass City Jungle and I write a weekly column for the Toledo Free Press called "Blog it! Toledo". I'll be coming up on my 100th weekly column right after the first of the year and thanks to being a part of the Toledo Free Press family I've had some great opportunities to do things like live blog political debates.

I was surprised to learn that I was selected as one of the 2007 Newsmakers with this blog being mentioned as a part of the write up about me as well as my book that I wrote. With that, it seems appropriate to thank all of you who have been with me since the very early days of Liberal Common Sense and to those of you who are newer to the site that read and comment. In January, Liberal Common Sense will be three years old, and I am a much richer person from those of you who I have had the opportunity to come into contact with thanks to this blog.

Billion Dollar President interviews in Ohio online!

As blogged earlier, the episode on the presidential elections that I had a small part in being involved in is now live and online at Billion Dollar President. Stop by and listen as well as read some of the other great material they have...

:-)

Fun with Searchles...

I got an email today telling me about Searchles and how I can take YouTube commercials picking my favorite parts and putting them in a remash to be able to share with readers of my blog. So, I joined and headed over to play with the features to see what I could come up with. It is a little tricky to get the videos to clip exactly where you want them but with practice I'll probably get better at it. However...here is my third try and the one that I felt was okay to share and I recommend checking out Searchles it's fun!

Great informational site on Declared Strategy Voting

I was involved in a radio program today for a brief interview with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji for their series Your Billion Dollar President. I spoke about the Instant Runoff Voting system and why I supported that as a way to change the way we elect presidents. When the audio is up I'll link but in reading the comments at their blogsite, I came across this piece created by Rob Brown, Movie Night (or, "how political parties form and screw everything up....and how to fix it"). It's an excellent explanation of the Declared Strategy Voting system and it's one that I highly recommend you stop by and read.

:-)

According to Glassbooth, the presidential candidate I'm most aligned with is...

I received an email yesterday about a website that provides an online quiz that tells you based on certain questions which presidential candidate you were most aligned with. The website is called Glassbooth, and while I don't believe people who feel inclined towards another candidate will automatically change their support based on the results of a quiz, it does create discussion and gives people an opportunity to think about what is most important to them when it comes to their presidential choice.

As most of you who are regular readers know, initially I've leaned towards John Edwards, though I can't say his campaign has made me feel stronger about that initial support, I haven't made a final decision as to who I'm going to support when the primary does come to Ohio. Who did the quiz say I was most aligned with?



For those of you curious as to where Hillary Clinton was? She scored a 76% similarity rating according to the quiz on Glassbooth. For those of you who want to share your results? Please feel free to share in the comments who your top candidate was and if that was the person you are inclined to support at this time.

Blogworld will go on without me...

While it would be awesome to stay in a place like the Wynn Las Vegas, with the upcoming election and the chance to live blog an event more near and dear to my heart, manufacturing job losses in Ohio, I'm not going to BlogWorld. Being a part of trying to discover what can be done to encourage manufacturing jobs here in NWO given our current economical climate is important.

New look in the works...

I've had this template for quite some time now, longer than I've had any other one and it's time to try something a bit different and to switch over to the full beta version so I can use the widgets.

So if things look a bit funky for the next few hours? It's because construction is taking place and I'll have to re-add all of the links, etc.

Reaching readers and having fun...

One of the best things for me about Blog Advertising is the knowledge I get from learning about different products and the fun I have in writing about them. PayU2blog is one of the companies I have done work for, it's been a great experience where I feel as if they appreciate me as a blogger and for advertisers it's a great way to promote their products or a website. They've had some great contests that I'm happy to report I actually won $100.00 in and I've also had the chance to receive some great products to review.

Tennis anyone?

I used to be an avid tennis player, and while my tennis racket has gathered dust these past few years I still follow two main tennis events. The US Open and Wimbledon, it is US Open time and I really do enjoy the New York Times US Open coverage. They promise through their online blog to cover every serve and volley and so far they've done a pretty good job in keeping that promise.

On my ever growing list of things I'd like to do, being able to watch the US Open in person is one of them.

:-)

Amar and another interesting Global Post...

As I've written before, I've been following the writings and adventures of Amar C. Bakshi in the PostGlobal series on the Washington Post. Yesterday Amar posted another experience that I recommend as a thought provoking look into how others see the United States this time from Pakistan. It's entitled, American Arrogance -- Or Just Self-Awareness?.

It's a question I have asked myself at times as far as how many US Citizens are more self absorbed with their own self importance rather than taking a larger view. We've discussed here more than once the fact that we place a much higher value on American lives than we do of those of other nations, especially those in the Middle East.

What I found especially interesting was that the knowledge that this self-centered behavior exists in other nations, it just appears that we as Americans seem to get quite a bit more focus on that trait. I think it would be hard to argue it is not in part due to our own behaviors as well as how we are portrayed by the media in other countries.

Amar Bakshi looks at hatred directed at America...

I enjoy the perspective that Amar Bakshi brings to his Washington Post articles, and I found this latest one Hate America; Hate Amar Too? to be especially thought provoking. While I recommend reading the whole article by Amar, one part I found especially noteworthy:

In many cases the U.S.’s most vocal “enemies” have never visited America, met an American, or been directly impacted by its policies. However, they do live in social or political circles that bond over a shared animosity toward the U.S. Built up from news clippings, word of mouth, and domestic discontent, professing hatred for Americans can become anything from sport (I saw plenty of this in UK pubs) to a crucial way of demonstrating belonging. Group pressure can also lead individuals to mask their curiosity about the U.S.

Realistically this hatred and fear is not based on personal experiences but based on the fear of the unknown, the fear of the differences in the cultures, the fear that someone will try to force change in a culture has happened before.

Paid blogging without driving you crazy...

In my never ending balance of doing blog postings that will result in me get paid to blog that will be of some value and interest to the readers of Liberal Common Sense, I have signed up with another company that does blog advertising by the name of "Smorty".

They have some interesting things to blog about, as well as opportunities like this one where I you get paid for blogging about joining their company. Life in the getting paid to blog world does not get much easier than that. Their payment policy is faster than some of the other paid blogging companies and thus far they have had a varied amount of topics for me to select from, which I think benefits all of us, since it creates variation. Their sign up process was very easy, the two blogs I decided to enroll were approved within a very short time period and I had opportunities waiting for me to post about. They also email you when new campaigns have been released so that you have a better chance of not missing something that you would really like to share your thoughts on. So, I do recommend that you get "Smorty".

:-)