xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 Something About Sarah By Kathleen Parker Friday, October 24, 2008 My husband called it first. Then, a brilliant 75-year-old scholar and raconteur confessed to me over wine: "I'm sexually attracted to her. I don't care that she knows nothing." Finally, writer Robert Draper closed the file on the Sarah Palin mystery with a devastating article in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine: "The Making (and Remaking) of McCain." McCain didn't know her. He didn't vet her. His campaign team had barely an impression. In a bar one night, Draper asked one of McCain's senior advisers: "Leaving aside her actual experience, do you know how informed Governor Palin is about the issues of the day?" The adviser thought a moment and replied: "No, I don't know." Blame the sycamore tree. McCain had met Palin only once -- in February, at the governors' convention in Washington -- before the day he selected her as his running mate. The second time was at his Sedona, Ariz., ranch on Aug. 28, just four days before the GOP convention. As Draper tells it, McCain took Palin to his favorite coffee-drinking spot down by a creek and a sycamore tree. They talked for more than an hour, and, as Napoleon whispered to Josephine, "Voilà." One does not have to be a psychoanalyst to reckon that McCain was smitten. By no means am I suggesting anything untoward between McCain and his running mate. Palin is a governor, after all. She does have an executive résumé, if a thin one. And she's a natural politician who connects with people. But there can be no denying that McCain's selection of her over others far more qualified -- and his mind-boggling lack of attention to details that matter -- suggests other factors at work. His judgment may have been clouded by . . . what? Science provides clues. A study in Canada, published by a British journal in 2003, found that pretty women foil men's ability to assess the future. "Discounting the future," as the condition is called, means preferring immediate, lesser rewards to greater rewards in the future. Drug dealers, car salesmen and politicians rely on this affliction and pray feverishly for its persistence. The Canadian psychologists showed pictures of attractive and not-so-attractive men and women to students of the opposite sex. The students were offered a prize -- either a small check for the next day or a larger check at some later date. The men made perfectly rational decisions, opting for the delayed, larger amount after viewing the average-looking women. You know where this is going. (Women, by the way, were rational no matter what.) That men are at a disadvantage when attractive women are present is a fact upon which women have banked for centuries. Ignoring it now profits only fools. McCain spokesmen have said that he was attracted to Palin's maverickness, that she reminded him of himself. Recognizing oneself in a member of the opposite sex (or the same sex, as the case may be) is a powerful invitation to bonding. Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in the river, imagining it to be his deceased and beloved sister's. In McCain's case, it doesn't hurt that his reflection is spiked with feminine approval. As my husband observed early on, McCain the mortal couldn't mind having an attractive woman all but singing arias to his greatness. Cameras frequently capture McCain beaming like a gold-starred schoolboy while Palin tells crowds that he is "exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief." This, notes Draper, "seemed to confer not only valor but virility on a 72-year-old politician who only weeks ago barely registered with the party faithful." It is entirely possible that no one could have beaten the political force known as Barack Obama -- under any circumstances. And though it isn't over yet, it seems clear that McCain made a tragic, if familiar, error under that sycamore tree. Will he join the pantheon of men who, intoxicated by a woman's power, made the wrong call? Had Antony not fallen for Cleopatra, Octavian might not have captured the Roman Empire. Had Bill resisted Monica, Al Gore may have become president, and Hillary might be today's Democratic nominee. If McCain, rightful heir to the presidency, loses to Obama, history undoubtedly will note that he was defeated at least in part by his own besotted impulse to discount the future. If he wins, he must be credited with having correctly calculated nature's power to befuddle. kparker@kparker.com. Read more from Kathleen Parker on washingtonpost.com's political opinion blog, PostPartisan. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted October 24, 2008 Xiinow, Saaxiibkaa A&T ayaad u xiistay baan u qaatay! Peace, Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 @Kathleen I would’ve dismissed this article if I didn’t know Kathleen is one of conservative’s leading intellectuals. It’s not only the liberals who noticed how Sarah attempted to wink her way out to victory the other night when she debated with Joe B! McCain waxbaa alla tusay ! BOB, there's a moratorium on Aw Tusbaxle’s bad stories! A moratorium imposed not other than good Haneefah! I am only guessing… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ducaysane Posted October 24, 2008 I like how Obama condidacy energised somalis of all ages. my aunt asks me gaalkii iyo Obama kee horeeya. Midii sahra bilan (sahara Palin)ahayd obamay caydey baa la yiri. duqihii waa ku qafiifeen Obama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 lol@sahra bilan Obama alamtara soo dhaaf! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted October 24, 2008 Now wait a minute...don't twist my words...I didn't say A&T was a bad storyteller...adeerkey ha igu dirin... in fact I think he's a brilliant when it comes to creation and imagination after all you have to possess these qualities to be an Author and your buddy and my uncle A&T fits the bill perfectly! toloow amaan investment ku sameeyaa ninka oo intaan guri ku xiro dhahaa buugag qor oo faaiidadana inoo kala qeybi. and as for Haneefah...waxaa la ii sheegay iney ila dirirsantahay because of misunderstanding naga dhex dhacay aniga iyo iyada...marka shariifadda waan u baahnaa inaan arko ee u sheeg Suldaanka Waamo ayaa ku soo salaamayay dheh. PS. Are you voting for McCain? Black people who vote for Obama are Racists and Somalis waaba kuwa ugu Racistsan waxa khalqi ifka saaran. Peace, Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 ^^I am voting for Obama the second time. I voted for him in the primaries as well. Haneefah, reer Waamood ka lama tuso! Marka xaalkaaga ma fiicna saaxiib. Ninyahow Aw Tusbaxle wax la heli karo maaha, wuxuuse mashaqo ku dhigay suu u joogo buu aniga igu soo dhaqaajiyyaa Marka qol ku xirtayyaa ama si kale yeeshaaba, ninka nagala hadal ninyahow! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ducaysane Posted October 24, 2008 @CHE you so dirty minded. wax kale lee ka fakartaa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Che -Guevara Posted October 24, 2008 ^LooooooL..look who's talking. Igaaryaho aan kala gadisano Xiin would appreciatate though, and Bob would take peak and look away Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 My ayyeeyo used to say: toddobada naarood waa kala subxaanalaystaan! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted October 24, 2008 Xiinow, Hotrta qofta Haneefah la dhaho meel cidla ah ayey igala dirirtay oo si qaldan bey ii fahamtay, dirirna ma ehee hadalkey igu gubtay kadib Markey hadal aan iri si qaldan u fasiratay marka taasna dee anigaaba ka xaalmarin doono Insha Allah. Niwyahow A&T waa loo xiisay walle…aniga shaqsi ahaan sheekooyinkiisa waan u xiisay oo aad baan ugu riyaaqaa laakiin beryahaan waxaa yimi kuwo waxey doonaan iska soo post gareeya, waxaaba iheysa inaan SOL ka gaabsado sababtoo ah quality ma leh dadka meesha hada isugu soo haray oo waa dad wada sokor iyo dhiig kar qaba oo qof walba dagaal buu diyaar uyahay hadaad wax yar oo joke ah tiraahdo. Peace, Love & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB Posted October 24, 2008 Originally posted by Che -Guevara: Bob would take peak and look away Che naah...I didn't look away to be honest but I was looking straight to eyes of the kid who seems to be infatuated with this woman who's as old as his Mom if not older but I'm told today's kids prefer Mature ladies (it's disrespectful to call them older)... Peace, Loev & Unity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pujah Posted October 24, 2008 Originally posted by xiinfaniin: @Kathleen I would’ve dismissed this article if I didn’t know Kathleen is one of conservative’s leading intellectuals. It’s not only the liberals who noticed how Sarah attempted to wink her way out to victory the other night when she debated with Joe B! She is not considered "conservative" by the party faithfull anymore - it was affectively over the day she asked Gov. Palin to step aside and let someone else take over as VP candidate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted October 24, 2008 BOB, sheekooyinkaagii noogu tuur ninyahow! Meesha Che iyo Ducaysane iyo gabdha ay Che asxaab yihiin oo maalinkasta ragga ka dacwoonayyaa aa qabsaday! A & T hal sheeko oo noogu maqanyahay. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
