NEW POLL SHOWS CLOSE GOVERNOR’S RACE

In an exclusive Indianapolis Star-Channel 13 poll, Governor Mitch Daniels seems to have a race on his hands. According to the poll, 46 percent back Mitch Daniels re-election effort, and 42 percent support Democrat Jill Long Thomspon. The governor’s campaign is quick to dismiss the results and believe their lead in the campaign is bigger than the four points reflected in the Star-13 poll.

Long Thompson’s campaign points to the right direction, wrong track numbers. When asked if Indiana was heading in the right direction, 47 percent said yes, but 44 percent said Indiana is on the wrong track.

“We believe, by and large, that Hoosiers approve of the job Governor Daniels is doing,” said Eric Holcomb of the Daniels campaign.

But I have to wonder if Mr. Holcomb understands the meaning of the phrase “by and large” which today means “generally speaking,” “mostly” or “on the whole.” However, the origin is nautical, and had a very precise meaning. It was an order to the man at the helm of a sailing ship, meaning to sail the ship slightly off the wind. A similar command was “full and by” which meant to “sail as close to the wind as it can go.”

Thus, when a person doesn’t want to “sail” directly into a statement, “by and large” is a hedge, a phrase of circumspection, a way of saying that the statement is an imprecise generality. Holcomb is actually saying that they aren’t quite sure how many Hoosiers approve of the Guv’s policies and actions. Nice choice of words – by and large. Perhaps a better assessment would be “we just don’t know.”

WHERE DID PALIN GET HER GLASSES? WHO CARES?

In the latest round of nonsensical twaddle in this year’s presidential election, voters are more focused on Sarah Palin’s glasses than on answers to real issues. One headline shouts, “Sarah Palin’s Much-in-demand Glasses Bring Sexy Back.” Wow, way to demean women. Palin becomes a talking bobble head with a pair of glasses.

Voters – and I would assume most of the vision-struck are women – seem to be more interested in Palin’s glasses then her anti-choice and anti Roe v. Wade, anti-ANWR, anti-global warming, pro-book banning, pro-creationism in schools positions, just to name a few.

Photo Credit: The Stump

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But, if you want a pair, they come from a Japanese designer. The frame is from Kazuo Kawasaki’s 704 series, in grey, made from titanium and mounted via a screwless tension system. The price starts at $375 for the frame and can go up to $700, depending on the lens. Guess that puts them out of my range. I paid just under a hundred dollars for both lens and frame at J.C. Penney. And, even then, I was looking for something less expensive. I hadn’t needed glasses for over 30 years, so it was quite a shock.

What is it with media and voters? When it comes to women candidates, their accessories trump their intelligence, values, positions, and ability to lead. Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits provided fodder for the media and voters on a daily basis as they tried to guess what color she would wear. She was labeled “dowdy” and “chunky.” Never mind her accomplishments throughout her life and her current position as a well-liked and respected senator. Never mind that she put up one hell of a fight for the opportunity to represent the Democratic party in this November’s election.

When Katie Couric stepped into the CBS nightly news slot as the anchor woman, the media went into a frenzy about what she would wear. Would it be a pantsuit? Would it be a dress? What colors would she wear? How many in the media and viewers care about what Bob Schieffer, Charlie Gibson, or George Stephanopoulus wear when they appear on their programs?

When focus is turned to such meaningless issues as clothing and accessories, the media and male political establishment have effectively diminished the ability of women to be taken seriously. Now, back to Palin’s glasses – they are simply glasses. Are they really so important that voters – in particular Republican women voters – cannot tear themselves away from looking at them? Are they really so mesmerizing that women will ooh and ah and become brain dead on issues?

While I don’t particularly care what Republican women do, I do care how women of all races, parties, and ages are perceived. The fixation on Palin’s glasses does a tremendous disservice to women in both political parties. So now you know where she got them. And, I still say who cares?