Friday, September 25, 2009

I Am Aware Of All Internet Traditions

One of my favorite blogs, Balloon Juice has added a Balloon Juice Lexicon with the expressed purpose of allowing newbies into the inside language. You need to have experienced both the postings and the commentary to appreciate where this is coming from. I wouldn't call the experience exactly child friendly, but I would also recommend being ready to laugh...pretty heartily. (laugh your ass off)

I have deliberately chosen a pretty mild example for your amusement and as a teaser:
Celebrity, or Obama as a celebrity- One of the weirder chapters in the 2008 McCain campaign occurred in the summer of 2008, when McCain HQ tried to re-brand popularity as a negative. The campaign produced and aired commercials depicting Obama as a celebrity, with the clear implication that widespread popularity at home and abroad should be an electoral liability. Although this reflected a classic Rovian tactic of attacking a candidate’s strong area (see ‘Swift Boat Veterans for Truth’), some took this to mean that strategists in the McCain camp were unaware that the goal of an election is to win more votes. Several weeks later the campaign chose Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate, an act which confirmed those suspicions in the minds of many.

I frequently boost John Cole's Balloon Juice on this site, I find it a repository of smart and witty writing, both front page and comments. I couldn't leave this go without noting one that credits a BJ poster:
“I can see Russia from my house”- Tina Fey’s satirical take on Sarah Palin’s foreign policy credentials. Palin’s actual summation of what qualified her to deal with Russia wasn’t much better: “They’re our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.” Variations are used to mock those (usually but not always Palin herself) who don’t let their ignorance of a given subject stand in the way of offering opinions that they expect others to take seriously. Local commenter Krista, now RedKitten, famously responded, “And when I look out my window I can see the moon. Doesn’t make me a fucking astronaut now, does it?” Krista’s reply became such a popular internet meme that a writer for Leno honored her by ripping it off.

If you're easily offended, leave it alone - if you like smart people being upfront, go for it.

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