Let me admit up front: My Bad ! As a professional political cynic, it is just too hard not to spot an amiable fool with lofty ambitions, and to make some light humor out of what he has said, in the public record, contrasted with the 'spin' that his high-paid advisers want to push, years later.
OK "My-bad" is trendy (or hated) in cultural lingo these days... which will gradually fade away in appeal (like "bad" itself - in the connotation of 'good')... but it is technically a phrase of several nuances, and technically this post is not merely word-phreakishness, nor just a Review of 'My Bad' the book, but comes replete with another stab at geek-oriented, cynical political humor, and with has something to offend everyone of any affiliation. But most of the political commentary today focuses on WHY John McCain has ZERO chance of being elected President ... even if he is running against an opponent with the middle name of Hussein. BTW, I personally like McCain the-person, as opposed to the-politician, but resent that the GOP has in recent days become vocal with this desperation tactic of name-gaming with Obama... as if a family name with Islamic roots is somehow anti-American. McCain's real problem is not just that there are more women voters than men, since some are Republicans, nor that women take special offense at being called unattractive, nor what could be evidence of a touch of misogyny, but relates especially to a mother's resentment for having a child picked-on by a big-shot Senator. All of that is emblematic of an emerging image problem which the other side will jump on; and the GOP should offer the undecided voters of the land, a better choice than this. Even if Hillary, the darling of NOW, will not be the choice to run against McCain (in all likelihood) a female Clinton may nevertheless be a part of this poor bloke's downfall. This all gets back to the same reason that Bill Clinton has become so hated by the right- aka "foot-in-mouth disease" or "The remarks that come back to haunt you" and this is partly thanks to the elephantine memory of the internet ... You know, like "I didn't have sex with that woman." That quote from her husband is/was a part of Hillary's electability problem vis-a-vis Obama, whether she would admit it or not, but Bill C is no match for John M in terms of the "my-bad-remarks" department. BTW there is a nuance in that famous quote in which Bill was careful to say "that woman" and not "that girl"... although his daughter of nearly the same age was never called a woman then. That daughter, Chelsea, will ironically now become the Clinton-payback to old John M, instead of her mom's popularity. The Book behind all of this ranting is called "My Bad" by by Paul Slansky & Arleen Sorkin: subtitled: "25 Years of Public Apologies and the Appalling Behavior That Inspired Them" http://www.amazon.com/My-Bad-Apologies-Appalling-Behavior/dp/158234521X It is quite a hoot, unless you are so-tied-in to one side or the other (politically) that you cannot laugh at how ridiculous American politics and PC in general (political correctness) has become. SIDE NOTE For any vorticians who may be too removed from kid-culture to have heard it: 'My bad' is a modern day version of 'mea culpa' which may derive from black 'gangsta' rap or ghetto slang, or else just somehow hit a popular nerve from kid-talk (especially now that Latin is no longer being taught in most schools- most kids today think 'Latin' only has something to do with Mexico). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_bad_%28expression%29 "My Bad" came into widespread use in the late 1990s following a sound-byte in the 1995 cult movie "Clueless", but in the new Book of the same name, the point comes out that ... Ah - public apologies are never enough, especially when in hindsight- say a decade later, circumstances change drastically. Case in point: John "foot-in-mouth" McCain... man, does this good-old-boy have a closet full of unopened baggage (maybe that's one reason I like the guy) which the Dem-wits are just sitting-on for now, hoping that he gets the nod. He will be lucky to carry his own state if it all comes out. McCain, who himself was a very handsome man years ago, profusely apologized for "harmlessly" quipping to Republican fund-raisers a decade ago that Chelsea Clinton was "so ugly" ... because ... get this: because "she's the child of Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton" Ha-ha-ha, all of which of course was intended to be a stab at Hillary's supposed sexual preference. It was water off a duck's back for Hill, but Chelsea was deeply hurt and cried for weeks. This stuff all happened long before the GOP, in the wake of several high profile homosexual closet-cases like Larry Craig (who also made it into the 'My Bad' top 10) had the tables-turned and has now become known as the "Gay Old Perverts"... making Ann Coulter so uncomfortable that McCain may even lose her vote. http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=215187 Anyway, among the 10 Most Egregiously Necessary Apologies, are several authored by McCain, but the one which came out on top was the "so-ugly" jab ... yet, to his credit and hopefully reflecting a feeling of empathy for hurting the feelings of a young girl instead of her mother, he did apologize. Chelsea back then - let's face it, was no beauty queen, but nevertheless, also was NOT a political figure, nor anyone controversial who should have been singled out for ridicule ... how many of us have had children or relatives who were, well- "late bloomers" shall we say, in terms of looks? ... anyway, McCain did send a note of apology to the Clintons after the press got hold of the remark. The real irony is not that this has come back to haunt him (along with an old admissions of marital infidelity with wife #1, at the same time he is in denial that the episode with a lobbyist took place) ... but the really big irony is that Chelsea has become a fairly attractive woman, while McCain has aged like a fine cheese ... Limberger maybe. Even with layers of makeup, he looks like an escapee from managed-care these days. Yet - it is not the age issue, but the long history of foot-in-mouth disease, which should push GOP bigwigs, if they can pull the strings to do so - into finding a more desirable choice. Or is it too late for that ? KdF, Harry Tuttle --- Pest-exterminator Deluxe
