An Obama victory could haunt the Democrats in the long run. I've been supporting Obama this entire election cycle. So it's been hard lately, watching John McCain gleefully hopscotching from one lie to the next, while his "soulmate," Sarah Palin, with chirpy zeal, tackles issues she seems not to understand,..
An Obama victory could haunt the Democrats in the long run.
I've been supporting Obama this entire election cycle. So it's been hard lately, watching John McCain gleefully hopscotching from one lie to the next, while his "soulmate," Sarah Palin, with chirpy zeal, tackles issues she seems not to understand, from energy policy to foreign affairs.Their campaign has become a farce. Nonetheless, they may still succeed-pollsters recently put the odds at 30%, even after an Obama poll bounce.So what if McCain does win? Is this election even worth winning? Before last week, a rack of problems already made the upcoming presidential term seem suited only for the masochistic: A massive debt and deficit, two wars, a sagging economy. But then news arrived of our government's proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial sector. If it does pass, there won't be money left for either Obama or McCain to pursue the agendas they've promised-whether it's Obama's green-jobs plan and tax cuts, or McCain's open-ended commitment in Iraq and renewal of Bush's tax cuts for the rich. Granted, things might change for the better-we're still uncertain whether the full $700 billion will be required, whether or not the markets will recover, or if Iraq's current period of relative peace is durable. But the next four years will probably feel like we're finally being forced to eat our broccoli.I'm not suggesting that things have gotten so bad that we're screwed, no matter who's in the White House. These calamities only highlight the need for a prudent, thoughtful administration. By that standard, McCain's reflexive bellicosity seems downright apocalyptic. (Good news for Palin's evangelical base, I suppose.) The case for Obama, who has always had a technocrat's sensibilities, becomes stronger. And there's the problem.If the best the next president can hope for is an incremental success, then in return, the party in power may ultimately be tarred. Whether fair or not, a Democratic victory could ultimately serve to prematurely discredit its agenda: Universal healthcare, green jobs, energy independence, and a more progressive tax code may come to seem like empty promises, rather than urgent goals. And it will make winning an re-election difficult. Meanwhile, the Republicans would be able to limp along and eventually run again in 2012 as rebels, chastened by Bush's failure but hell bent on getting back to the issues. You don't need a crystal ball to channel the argument: We told you this change thing wasn't going to work. We told you it was empty rhetoric.This dilemma is a little reminiscent of the transitional period between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. It was Carter who ran as a Washington outsider and change agent on the heels of the Nixon/Ford administrations. Though he promised a Washington overhaul, he was shackled by stagflation and soaring energy prices. Never mind that his prescriptions on energy may have been right. The prevailing view-that he was unfocused and ineffectual, so lacking in vision that he wore sweaters indoors, to lower energy costs-primed the nation for Reagan's call to rebuild our national pride. And that turned into 12 years of Republican rule, which were disastrous for the environment. (A big reason why we don't have more fuel-efficient cars now is the standard that Reagan set by rolling back fuel efficiency mandates, which had radically decreased our dependence on foreign oil under Carter.)If the Democrats do win, it will be difficult to hold their coalition together in the face of so many structural problems. That poses a strange dilemma: I'm certain that, on November 4, I have to vote with the better candidate in the short run, but for now, it's not a stretch to imagine that this will ultimately be self defeating, producing Republican successes in 2012 and beyond. History may well show that long-term, a Democratic agenda might be better served by another four years of clueless, Republican governance that burns their party to the ground.Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my vote-too much could change in the next four years for me to be certain of the argument I've just laid out, and our country's economy is wobbling on the brink. But this much I'm sure of: Obama's greatest political challenge in first term probably won't be healthcare or middle class tax cuts. Instead, it will be modulating his grand plans and convincing people to vote for him again, even if his presidency isn't the one he first promised, for reasons he couldn't control. That's a momentous task.
Between the bras, makeup, periods, catcalling, sexism, impossible-to-attain beauty standards, and heels, most men wouldn't survive being a woman for a day without having a complete mental breakdown. So here's a slideshow of some of the funniest Tumblr posts about the everyday struggles that women face that men would never understand.
In some states, women are put through humiliating and dangerous pre-abortion medical consultations and waiting periods before being allowed to undergo the procedure. In four states, women are even forced to bury or cremate the fetal remains after the procedure.
These government-mandated roadblocks and punitive shaming serve no purpose but to make it more difficult, emotionally damaging, and expensive for women to have an abortion.
There are two types of people in this world – those who panic and fill up their cars with gas when the needle hits 25% or so, and people like me who wait until the gas light comes on, then check the odometer so you can drive the entire 30 miles to absolute empty before coasting into a gas station on fumes.
If you ask people what they think the “perfect" body looks like, you're sure to get a range of answers, depending on where the person is from. Last year, Superdrug Online Doctor created a project, “Perceptions of Perfection" that showed what people in 18 countries think the “perfect" woman looks like. The project was a viral hit.
This time, they asked graphic designers—11 women and eight men—in 19 countries to photoshop the same image to highlight the male beauty standards for their country.
It's not revolutionary news that smoking wreaks havoc on your body in different ways. More often than not, however, the focus of anti-smoking campaigns is on your internal health, citing emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer, to name just a few consequences.
While the superficial effects may not be as lethal, appealing to people's sense of vanity can have a powerful effect as this clever gallery below shows. Twins, only one of whom smokes, sit side by side, showing the profound damage smoking can cause to your face, hair, and teeth.
Body autonomy means a person has the right to whatever they want with their own body.
We live in a world where people are constantly telling women what they can or can't do with their bodies. Women get it form all sides — Washington, their churches, family members, and even doctors.