2008 Woodie Awards
More than lipstick politics
student editor
Issue date: 9/22/08 Section: Editorial
In The San Matean office, row of memorable quotes from former staff-members are taped haphazardly to the wall as a sort of memory lane, spanning the last twenty years of the newspaper. Sprinkled among the quotes are gems including, "Our love is like a fountain that has run dry" and "Was I the only one who thought I was going to get laid on prom night?" One particular quote seems to stick out based upon the current political atmosphere. In 2003, then-Editor-in-Chief, John Servatius, said, "Let's put some lipstick on this pig," earning him a spot on the wall and ensuring his use of a cliché would be remembered always.
Perhaps Senator Obama can relate. It was not so long ago, his use of the very same cliché had people of all political persuasions buzzing. People were happy to accuse him of being a rude sexist. Though much of the talk has died down in the weeks since, new non-political issues are constantly being brought up, to help us evaluate political figures.
Another example: Sarah Palin's 17-year old daughter is pregnant. That fact may say volumes about Palin's parenting skills, however, the womb of her daughter has nothing to do with Palin's capacity to act as Vice President of the United State of America. Regardless of your feelings towards her, to base your opinion of a politician on something so superficial is simply disgraceful.
But it seems the focus of much of the media coverage on the presidential and vice presidential candidates has been on their media personalities, more so than on their respective political platforms. We know that Oprah rejected Palin and XXXX, but how much do we know about what truly matters about he candidates: their political platforms and their plans for the future? It is easy to blindly join a bandwagon -Obama, McCain or otherwise - but as students and members of a well educated community, we have a civic duty to learn as much as we can about candidates and to make educated and informed decisions, via our vote, come November. While the latest gossip about the political figures may be worth listening to, it is not enough to be the basis for a vote, and to better ourselves and our nation, we must seek out true information regarding the future leaders of our nation.
Perhaps Senator Obama can relate. It was not so long ago, his use of the very same cliché had people of all political persuasions buzzing. People were happy to accuse him of being a rude sexist. Though much of the talk has died down in the weeks since, new non-political issues are constantly being brought up, to help us evaluate political figures.
Another example: Sarah Palin's 17-year old daughter is pregnant. That fact may say volumes about Palin's parenting skills, however, the womb of her daughter has nothing to do with Palin's capacity to act as Vice President of the United State of America. Regardless of your feelings towards her, to base your opinion of a politician on something so superficial is simply disgraceful.
But it seems the focus of much of the media coverage on the presidential and vice presidential candidates has been on their media personalities, more so than on their respective political platforms. We know that Oprah rejected Palin and XXXX, but how much do we know about what truly matters about he candidates: their political platforms and their plans for the future? It is easy to blindly join a bandwagon -Obama, McCain or otherwise - but as students and members of a well educated community, we have a civic duty to learn as much as we can about candidates and to make educated and informed decisions, via our vote, come November. While the latest gossip about the political figures may be worth listening to, it is not enough to be the basis for a vote, and to better ourselves and our nation, we must seek out true information regarding the future leaders of our nation.
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