Hasta La Vista, Sperminator!

Arnold Schwarzenegger TWICE vetoed gay-marriage laws in California in order to protect the sanctity of marriage while simultaneously carrying on a polyamorous relationship! WTH? Gay people only want to marry ONE OTHER GAY PERSON. It's not like the kink-fest Arnold was engaged in at all.

I think we all agree that Arnold is a scumbag. If he had done a better job of "fixing" California, and allowed the legislature to pass the gay marriage law they tried to enact TWICE, he would still be a scumbag, but he would have also been (1) a better governor and (2) less a hypocrite. I can forgive the scumbaggery. It's the hypocrisy I have a problem with.

When will people stop repeating this fantasy about the sanctity of marriage in this country? The only sacred thing about marriage is the relationship between 2 specific people. It is not a "sacred institution" as it applies to our society, and it has never been. There have always been adulterers, abusers, people who abandon their families, people who marry for money, women who trap men by getting pregnant, men who have children with maids. We even have people getting paid to go on TV to choose a spouse. Does that sound sacred to you? Half of marriages in the US end in divorce.

I do think a PERSON can hold something sacred. And if two people together succeed in cherishing their marriage, that marriage can be sacred, IMO.

We know that straight people - or at least half of them - do not take marriage very seriously. My question is: Why do opponents of gay marriage assume that two gay people will be as big a failure at taking their wedding vows seriously as two straight people?

Everything Old is Newt Again

Only a politician would explain his serial infidelity as (paraphrasing) "having received much forgiveness from God." Ladies and gentlemen, for your consideration, Newt Gingrich.

Here are my reasons why he won't be President:

(1) His name is Newt. Come on!

(2) He won't get the GOP nomination because, on TV, he said
a- something nice about the "individual mandate" in the Health Care Reform Act, and

b- Paul Ryan's (R) budget plans for Medicare are "radical."

(3) When you have been a pol as long as Newt, you have changed positions many, many times. Chances are, anyone reading this has disagreed with him and agreed with him about the same issue at different times. This throws people.

(4) Did I mention his name is Newt?

(5) Lots and lots of infidelity. (And forgiveness!!!)

(6) Look at the picture. Does that look like the leader of the free world to you? I know it's shallow, but honestly, don't you think John McCain's age and "dodderiness" hurt his chances of getting elected? Electing this guy would be like electing Junior Sample. (If you're laughing at that reference, you are (1) kinda old and (2) from the south.)

(7) He is NOT smart, despite people continuing to say he is. (Though for some voters, this may be a selling point. "I wanna vote for someone like me!" Why in the hell would you want to do that? I want to elect the smartest MFer we can find a long-form birth certificate for. That ain't Newt!) Here's what he said in his efforts to crawfish back into the election after sticking his foot in it TWICE on TV (see above): "Any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood." (See above link.)

I could list more reasons, but I want to talk about his quote.

"Any ad which quotes what I said is a falsehood." Well, Newt, if it's a quote of what you said, it cannot, by definition, be a falsehood. It may be more true to report that you were "against it before you were for it," or "for it before you were against it," but you did say it. On national TV. So, expect to see it A LOT in the future.

I think some GOP members were hopeful that Newt would be their legit candidate, quashing the Bachmans and Palins and Trumps and Santorums. I don't think that's going to pan out very well.

The problem here is really not with Newt. The problem is that his party does not tolerate any deviation from (1) absolute rejection of anything Obama is in favor of (I think I read somewhere that the GOP has banned basketball.) and (2) unwavering support of everything advocated by another Republican. I suppose this does help the party stay on message, but it is pretty distressing in a time when we have lots of problems, and intelligent discourse about alternative solutions would be beneficial to us all.

Ironically, I agree with Newt on both the individual mandate and the radical-ness of Ryan's budget. Or, I agreed with him on Sunday. I know what I think today, but since his "recantation," I have no idea where Newt stands.