Perspective is a wonderful thing.

[gcomeau]

Let's see if we can't get a little of it back in this forum.

1. "Book Bag" gate

Are you kidding me? THIS is an issue? "Did they have book bags in the 60s?" Who the hell cares... I couldn't care less if she threw a damn book bag across the room 40 years ago or not. This is so NOT the sniper story even if it was completely fabricated... which there is absolutely no evidence of whatsoever. Stop being children and focus your energies on a real issue. It was an anecdote that had zero bearing on her qualifications or suitability for office, let it the hell go.

2. "Sweetie" gate

This is absurd all by itself. When you throw in that I damn well guarantee that most of the people pushing it defended Bill after the Lewinsky incident** but are suddenly outraged at the "disrespect to women" that is shown by using an affectionate bloody nickname in casual conversation it becomes mind bogglingly insane. Downright schizophrenic.

**(I was one of them, so don't even start. That is not a shot.)

3. "Naming" gate

Anyone who actually cares about Hillary saying she was named after Edmund Hillary needs to go stand in the corner and count to a million until they calm the hell down. This is another example of a casual anecdote that hads absolutely nothing to do with her qualifications or suitability as a candidate. None. I find the most likely explanation to be that she was told that herself and never felt particularly motivated to launch a damn research project to find out if it was true. Why should she?

4. "Monkey" gate

Telling children climbing around in trees to stop acting like monkeys is, news flash, not a freaking racial slur. I'm white as the newfallen snow, and I was told that about a dozen times as a kid when I had a habit of tree climbing. And I very sincerely doubt anyone here doesn't grasp that. This is pure stupidity.

5. "To hell with them!" gate

Ok, a lot of this is poking fun at people getting all up in arms about out of context Wright statements, but it's still counterproductive. We all know damn well what the guy really meant whether we agree with it or not... and whatever he meant he's Elton freaking John, he's not running for president. (That is a principle we should be applying far and wide, if anyone isn't picking up on the hint)

6. "Rude to Ebay guy!!!" gate

Just. Shut. Up. For god's sake, I would have knocked the guy unconscious if he'd pulled that crap with me... Obama was perfectly civil under the circumstances and the 'victim' in question was an opportunistic autograph broker that I put on about the same level as tabloid journalists.

7. "Bill makes a living" gate

Oh... my... god... you mean Bill Clinton gets PAID for giving speeches? And he gets paid, like, lots? This is an outrage!!!!

What the hell is wrong with you people pushing this?

I could go on, but let's face it I'd be at this all day and this post would never be finished. Bottom line, are we adults seriously concerned with the issues and the real, relevent details of who will make the best future president of the country, or are we adolescents who are overwhelmingly concerned with the latest juicy gossip that will determine out vote? Speaking directly to my fellow Obama supporters to finish things off:

For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle -- as we did in the O.J. trial -- or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina -- or as fodder for the nightly news.

We can play Rev. Wright's sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words.

We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.

We can do that.

But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.

That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time."

A lot of people on this forum seem not to have gotten the point the first time around. That doesn't just apply to the other side. And "they're doing it to!!" isn't a justification for contributing to it yourself.

(And all those "gates" are placed in mockery, none of those things warrant a "gate". And please, for the love of whatever you find holy, stop calling everything a "gate". It stopped being clever before I was born)

[Symarip]

1. In mockery?

So, are you, maybe, kidding around?

[gcomeau]

3. What I meant...

...was that none of those things actually warrant a "gate". It's like calling me using the wrong salad fork at dinner "Faux Pas gate!!!". It's ridiculous.

[Symarip]

4. But that's the point.

Hey look, I understand some people actually buy into some of the shit that gets passed around here. But at some given point in time, you just have to sit back and laugh. None of the above warranted being called a 'gate' but they end up with that tag so it becomes a hyperbole of sorts. And then it becomes worthy of useless discussion. I mean, if someone is really offended by Elton John or, Reverend Wright for that matter, you have your head up your ass. Sorry, it's laughable and it's comedy. In fact, the last few weeks have been nothing short of a circus (no offense to circus folk here on DU). So why get mad? I respect 99% of anyone who posts here. Even people who may seem to 'not get it', whatever 'it' is. And if something warrants serious discussion, let's have at it. But nothing much has. It's just silliness and I'd rather be silly than bored. So... I'm a woman-hating cult member and _______ (no calling out anyone in particular) is a man-hating feminist. Maybe I just don't take offense if it's in good humor and good nature. It blows off steam and I have a feeling in a few months we'll look back at this time in GD:P and laugh our asses off.

Now if you excuse me, I have a secret Obamaton rally to get to in 40 minutes.

[PylesMalfunction]

2. You missed PickleGate! :-P

K&R