Irritating candidates: "Up" yours...

If I hear one more woman candidate say, "Man-up," I am going to run from the TV screaming like a girl.

What exactly is the female equivalent to the sexist remark? I know it isn't "grow a pair" as that refers, in a positive or negative way depending upon how it's stated, to comparing the quality of courage to the male anatomy, though women do have some anatomical pairs, too. On the other hand...or both hands...everyone and apes have thumbs. But while "thumbs-up" can mean approval or good movies, it is gender neutral.

But, concerning the question, it can't be "woman-down" as, though it is an opposite to "man-up,"
that's also a descending direction. Or maybe that's the purpose of the remarks anyway: to sting and to insult.

Maybe it is just the equal "woman-up," though I am not sure what that defines. If "man-up" means being more of a man, then I guess "woman-up" would mean being more of a woman. But what does any of that mean, beyond stereotypes and narrow gender notions? For men, they need to throw a football, drive a pickup, and spit? For women, they need to cook, have a baby, and wear a dress? Oh, the old days of Archie Bunker.

As much as I am annoyed by Missouri Democrats who claim in their political ads to be pro-gun, pro-life, and anti-Obama-care, I would be willing to use the term "Democrat-up" if I thought it would actually do any good. Too late for that.

I know there can be "giddy-up" for cowboys, but that usually involves a horse, too. And there's often "spit-up" for babies. There's "leg-up" for achievers...or for dogs.

But where else would it work? "Mature-up" for senior citizens. "Young-up" for young people. "Rich-up" for wealthy people. "Poor-up" (or "poor-down," like "trickle down" from the Reagan years) for the middle and lower classes. "Straighten-up" for straight people. "Gay-up" for gay people. "Black-up" for African Americans. "Hispanic-up" for Hispanics. "Catholic-up" for Catholics and "Protestant-up" for Presbyterians. "Large-up" for big-sizes. "Skinny-up" for beanpoles. I don't think any of it works, except...

..."Shut-up!"

News at 10...

This just in...

A lunatic at an anchor desk is ranting into the TV camera in an effort to move people through anger and fear. No, not the 1976 movie "Network" this time. Just another evening of FOX News.

He called her names. She called him names. They both called each other "liars" and "corrupt" and "lower than whale manure." No, not the latest reality TV show. It is the recent string of campaign attack ads.

Tea Party candidates, many of whom are disguised as Republicans for Halloween, have qualified for the book of world records as the strangest bunch of politicians ever known.

While Republican candidates are running against President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in every state where there's an election, Democratic candidates are running away from the national health care bill.

President Nixon said, "I am not a crook." Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell, wearing black, said, "I am not a witch." A public relations person was recently seen holding his hand over Rush Limbaugh's mouth, trying to prevent radio talk show host from saying, "I am not a big-mouth."

Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell read the First Amendment today. She still doesn't understand it.

Elliott Spitzer's new political talk show on CNN hasn't been doing very well in the ratings. So, CNN is considering a suitable replacement. They have been talking to Larry Craig, Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick, John Ensign, Mel Gibson, Rand Paul's college buddies, and that evangelical pastor at the mega-church in Atlanta.

After the election on Nov. 4, defeated California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman will be selling her used campaign yard signs on eBay.

The politically extreme wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas left a message on Anita Hill's phone machine asking for an apology from Hill for her testimony at the Thomas confirmation hearing years ago. Hill said she had nothing to apologize for. So, then Clarence Thomas called back, asking Hill to at least return the pop can with the pubic hair on it.

It is very unlikely that NFL football player Brett Favre will be used in TV commercials to endorse any brand of camera.

Want to hear a joke about American business? The national Chamber of Commerce. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

A legislator just got awful legislation passed that will force people to wear polyester, walk on their hands, and eat rock salt. His success is contributed to the name he gave the legislation, the "Children, Football, God, Flag, Marriage, Puppies, Beer, and Pizza" bill. Said the legislators from the other side of the aisle, "We had to vote for the darned thing. Or else, next election, there'd be campaign commercials by our opponents saying we voted against beer."

Words born today...yesterday and tomorrow...

This just in for 10/10/10....

There are only two more years to go when a person could write 11/11/11 and 12/12/12 before it will be a long time to the next 1/1/01 (and some of us won't be around to see the next century). But our words have the opportunity of living into cyberspace and time, carrying on the DNA of thought, opinion, humor, and truth.

For that reason, meet my son...or daughter...named "Words," born on 10/10/10 and hoping to be seen, heard, valued, appreciated, enjoyed, and shared for years and decades and vast time to come.

Words Roberts was born on a pleasant day in a free country. He is strong. She is beautiful. They are happy to have a voice.

Easy answer why Obama has problems from progressive side...

Question: Why is President Obama having trouble in keeping his liberal base enthusiastic?
Answer: Because Obama's rhetoric hasn't matched the action.

It would almost be laughable, if it weren't sad, that now Obama is scrambling to encourage the liberal base to stay with him. But there is also a whiff of contempt and snottiness that those White House people seem to have for the progressive base that got them there in the first place. When Vice President Biden tells the left to "stop whning" or when press secretary Robert Gibbs refers to the left in insulting ways, then you can't help but wonder if they really want to represent the progressive view. Maybe it is just too hard to stand tough with progressive ideas and action. Maybe it is just politically easier to compromise with Blue Dogs and Republicans.

Obama and the White House people remind me a bit of "Eddie," the character from the old TV series "Leave It To Beaver." Eddie was always so proper and polite when he was in the presence of the Cleaver parents in that show. In articulation, he was the model young man. But the Cleaver parents were never fooled. They knew the reality that Eddie's actions, often bad-boy, didn't match his words.

Oh, that's President Obama's problem. He is the best speaker, with speeches, that I have ever heard in the current times of America. Martin Luther King Jr. was another eloquent speaker. Of course, King would have never bartered with the South in order to find some common compromise that, in effect, would have resulted in poor-quality law and bad social conditions. He wouldn't have traded for integrated drugstore counters in exchange for allowing segregated drinking fountains. King's words led the way to his actions. Unfortunately, Obama's speeches don't translate well into the action. His rhetoric doesn't seem to match the action, perhaps because the reality of politics won't allow it or perhaps because he doesn't committedly fight for it. As much as like Obama's speeches, I almost dread hearing them now. Am I hearing the ring of truth or the disguise of politics?

Now Obama needs the progressive base...again. Wow, imagine that. What visionary couldn't have seen that need? Only a fool who did care or who took his support for granted would have been so out-of-touch.

There are some good changes (that I can believe in) going on right now. Lawrence Summers, the economic adviser, is leaving the administration. Good riddance. Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, is leaving the administration to run for mayor of Chicago. Good riddance, and good luck to poor Chicago. Those are some changes that might lead to hope for progressive change and improvements.

However, when Obama's rhetoric truly matches the action, then he won't have any problem gaining the support of progressives. It is just too bad that a lot of progress and good candidates, like Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, may well be in danger because the Obama administration chose weak and inadequate compromise over strong principles that could have achieved both progressive action and strong support.