Not enough politcs lately

Now that we don't have Bush to bitch about, there hasn't been a lot of political rambling on the blogs lately. Allow me to correct that.

Sweetiecakes recently came upon this article published in New York magazine, "Saint Elizabeth and the Ego Monster." It's basically about what a douchebag John Edwards is/was, and how Elizabeth isn't all she's cracked up to be, either. It's long, but take the time to read it -- fascinating and entertainning article. I take it with a grain of salt, as there wasn't a lot of insight into how the author got his facts, but even if some of it is true, it paints a scary picture for me -- another example of how risky it is to trust in the honor and integrity of public figures (or anyone?).

The Tiger Woods thing was a big disappointment to me, too, because I am a walking cliche --a naive, rose-colored-glasses kind of gal who wants to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity. Is it so far-fetched that a person who has cameras in his face a lot, or is held up in the public eye to be awesome (whether as a politician, sports hero, movie star, etc.), can also be faithful to the woman he purports to love? That such a person can keep it in his pants when the woman he pledged his life to is pregnant with his child, or spending hours on end in a hospital having radiation treatments so she doesn't die? that such a person -- who lives with cameras in his face -- can recognize that if he can't keep it in his pants, someone will find out about it, and when they do, his betrayal and disrespect and selfishness will humiliate not only his wife, but their friends and family? and that his children will likely spend the better part of their lives, in one way or the other, coming to terms with the fact that their father in, in fact, a douchebag?

And so as not to put this all on men, why is it that there are so many women out there in the public eye who revel in their reputation as loving, compassionate, sensitive people (or simply awesome in their own right, whether as activists or super-gestators) who in reality treat those around them like shit (Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Gosselin, etc.). How is it that we foster this culture of obsession that allows people to perceive themselves as better than the rest of us? Do we, as the viewing, listening public, have such a collective low self-esteem that we allow these people to behave this way? Where is our outrage? Where is our decency? Is there anyone out there asking these people, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" A President of the United States had an intern half his age blow him in the oval office, down the hall from his wife and daughter, then lie about it under oath, to the entire world, but we now still hold him up as one of the best presidents in recent history. And that wife, whom he betrayed and humiliated and lied to (repeatedly), in front of the entire world, in front of her own daughter, stayed with him, at least in part, allegedly, to bolster her own political ambitions. How is that a lying, adulterous, impeached leader can be a political asset? What the fuck is wrong with these people?

Holy crap. I had an acupuncture appointment this morning and it must have freed a lot of pent up energy. I need to go take a nap.