A Question for Speaker Pelosi

Netroots Nation, which will be occurring next week in Austin, Texas, has secured Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the Key Note Address on Saturday. My partner in crime, Leslie Bradshaw, and I will be attending as a diva duo at Netroots on Thursday and Friday and then flying off to Blogher in San Francisco for the rest of the weekend. We will unfortunately miss the address by my hometown politica powerhouse, but was asked by executive director of Netroots Nation, Gina Cooper, to at least submit a question that could be posed to the Speaker. I, of course, had to follow up on my high heeled political theories and ask: Can female leaders be elected to office without completely subscribing to male paradigms?

Make sure to vote for my question if you’d like to see it asked to the Speaker next Saturday at NetRoots Nation. If you are going to NetRoots or Blogher and would like to meet up with Leslie or myself, please let me know!

Beware of the Ibogaine Effect

The Ibogaine Effect. That was perhaps the most entertaining piece of information I found out about Hunter S. Thompson’s political coverage last night when I watched Alex Gibney’s latest documentary, “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.”

I have always been a fan of Hunter S. Thompson as a writer, but until I saw the documentary, I failed to realize what a phenomenal mockery of a journalist he turned out to be. His talent, madness and complete lunacy were immeasurable successes in their own right. His truthiness is something that any Colbert fan would be proud of. And the peculiar reverence given to him by many a politician - Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, George McGovern - is down right enviable. Especially for the amount of bullshit he professed, published and got away with. In the documentary, they spoke of his strange and wayward reporting methods as some of the truest political coverage, that was hardly factual.

In addition to running for Sheriff of Aspen, owning at least 22 guns (that were fully loaded at all times) and missing writing deadlines due to alcoholic or drug related benders, Thompson also did one of the most remarkable and hilarious hack reporting jobs ever: he accused Presidential Democratic nominee Senator Edmund Muskie with a supposed addiction to the West African drug Ibogaine.

This, of course, was completely false. But because of Thompson’s cult following, interpretation of reality and relationship with illegal substances - few questioned him. Additionally, no one knew what the hell Ibogaine was. When the truth was finally revealed that the “Ibogaine Effect” was nothing more than an extended metaphor for Muskie’s seemingly delusional political stances, Thompson explained himself with the following paraphrased statement - “Well, it was a rumor I heard in Milwaukee; a rumor I probably started, but nonetheless.”

(Photo: Ralph Steadman)

I could go on and on about Thompson, but if one thing is for sure - this is great documentary that I hope every Gonzo fan will see. I shall strangely admire his mad wisdom he brought to this world living like an inebriated raccoon shot from the barrel of a gun and dragged through a river of whiskey and cocaine. His addiction to chaos resonates not only with my personal experiences of losing my mind and finding my heart, but also many other prolific wanderers who I seem to feel a kindred spirit with.

Additionally, after seeing this film, I have decided to make it a personal mission to accuse at least one person of being under the influence of Ibogaine - at least for a good laugh.

Friends, and foes - you have been warned. A Gonzo blogger is on the loose.

McCain Using the Past to Present the Future

Instead of showing off his seventysomething self, John McCain is glittering the screens of YouTube with images of his twentysomething self. While running political advertisements with photos of him in uniform to accentuate his service record and gain recognition for being a POW makes sense, it also appears a bit superficial. Is he just trying to show off his physical glory days when he was in shape, young and had a bit of pigmentation in his hair color? I think yes. Unfortunately, to me, it appears that this effort actually further accentuates his present condition - that he is…um, well, just plain old.

The ad also sets up the paradigm of change as it existed in the 1960s. And the more that McCain correlates this election with Kennedy’s time period, the more I am going to equate him with Nixon - as the old guy running against the young buck who knows how to use a teleprompter.

Could A Little “Sex” Help Female Political Candidates?

If Hillary Clinton took a few cues from Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, or Charlotte, could she have locked down the Democratic Presidential nomination?

In an election season where the definition of femininity has never been more hotly debated, in addition to the premier of the Sex and the City Movie, the question of whether to add a little “Sex” to political campaigns seems all too timely. Since Barack Obama took the Democratic Presidential Nomination, I have come to wonder: if Hillary had harnessed some of the powerful imagery of SATC, could she have done better among women like me who think she just wasn’t female enough to earn the title of “First Female President?”

This was originally posted at GrandCentralPolitical.com. If you are interested in republishing this piece on your web site, please email me.

The Social Circuit

Well, if it seems that my blogging these days is events based, it’s because in addition to spending a lot of my time online, I also have the semblance of a real life.

Last night I stopped by The She Spot book party and met Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen in person - both of whom are fabulous ladies. The party was a success - with loads of interesting people there from PulitzerCenter.org, Center For American Progress, and the Washington Post. The books flew off the tables, which was not only a good thing for Witter and Chen as they make their way around the country on a book tour, but also because 20% of the book proceeds went to Women for Women International and MomsRising.org.

Tonight, I continue my social carousel with an event at 1223 Connecticut that celebrates all things good in social media: an event with Robert Scoble, Gary Vaynerchuk, put on by Capitol Valley Media, in addition to help from Frank Gruber and the Social Times.

By the time Thursday comes around, I should be sufficiently over-socialized. But that isn’t going to stop me from helping to put on a fund raiser for the New Leaders Council at Capital City Brewery on Capital Hill. The NLC event will honor Mark Walsh, a former AOL executive, who also created Vertical.net, a successful early online advertising company and served as Chief Technology Officer of the Democratic National Committee before becoming a co-owner of national progressive radio network, Air America. Walsh was just selected as Chairman of NLC’s national Board of Directors and currently serves as CEO of GeniusRocket.com.

Hopefully, I’ll still have some energy left for the weekend’s festivities which include a romp through Space with my favorite DJ-duo cutting it up with some “heavy servings of classic and modern hip-hop bangers with sides of vintage reggae and dance hall.” Check out some beats that will be blowing up the Space this weekend, featured on The Wackness Mix Wit.

Have You Found “The She Spot”?

Have you found “The She Spot” yet? If not, well then I feel really sorry for you. And no, I’m not talking about a new female erogenous zone. I’m talking about the new book written by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen.

Tonight, I get the pleasure of attending a book launch party for The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World — And How to Reach Them, which aims to show “politicians, activists and cause organizations what consumer marketers already know — that when it comes to affecting change, women are not a niche audience; they are the audience.”

Witter, one of the co-authors of the book, was introduced to me through a WIPT friend of mine, Morra Aarons-Mele, who noted my recent thought leadership in the arena of politics and female oriented marketing. Morra guessed that “The She Spot” would be right up my alley - and if the reviews are any indicator, when I do get a chance to read the book, it will confirm my current suspicions about what is missing in politics: a targeted political strategy directed for and at women.

The presser for “The She Spot” reports that women are an ideal demographic to target because:

• Women control more than half of all personal wealth in the United States

• Women account for roughly 60% of socially conscious investors

• Women make contributions to twice as many charitable organizations as men

• Since 1980 women have turned out in higher numbers at voting booths for Presidential elections

• Women are online and blog more often than men

Seems like a few good reasons for marketers, politicians, and business to embrace women’s ability to spend, vote and bring in ROI.

I’ll report back tomorrow to let the readers of Absurdities! know how the event went and if Witter and Chen are really onto something. I have a good feeling that I may have already experienced a bit of the “she spot” at the recent CHANEL and Sex and the City events; now if we can just get the men to be able to find the G-spot, err I mean, she spot, then we’ll really be on to something.

Politics, Chanel and Champagne

Well, it was just another Sunday in the Beltway, except that I got to spend it with Polichicks Online who held a lovely Cocktail Caucus hosted by CHANEL and Saks Fifth Avenue in McClean, VA.

The event was a perfect example of my new found love of pop-politicking. It allowed politically oriented ladies to “mix, mingle and have girl talk about campaign ‘08″ in addition to enjoying a CHANEL beauty makeover. I was lucky to get a nighttime look done by Dennis, who covered me in the Winter Nights eyeshadow and taught me a few CHANEL makeup application techniques, which I tweeted about over @HumanFolly.

The event was a great opportunity for all types of women to come together and embrace their beauty, their politics and a glass of champagne in the same room. It is this sort of corroboration between politics and feminine branding that really needs to happen more often. From Sex and the City box-office voter registration to Polichicking at CHANEL - women are willing to leverage their financial and electoral muscles when both are appropriately targeted.

So, once again my question is, why can’t more politicians figure this out?

Probably because most of them are male. Sigh. If only they knew that one way to achieve success with a female constituency can be through stillettos, CHANEL and the acceptance of powerful females in all their forms - politics, fashion and otherwise.

One Million for Obama on Facebook

Well, it seems that Generation Y is flexing their electoral power with the news that there are over one million supporters of Barack Obama on Facebook. The news may not seem terribly startling when you realize there are 80 million users of Facebook. Still, when you compare the 1,002,438 supporters of Obama with McCain’s 146, 808 supporters - the generational gap between the candidates and the voters becomes painfully obvious.

Upon hearing this news a friend of mine joked that when McCain was told about the one million plus supporters of Obama’s Facebook Group he said, “Wait, what is Facebook?”

Sadly, this is sort of improvisational quote could be true.

Sex & Politics: The Dems Get Physical

Well, I seem to be making quite the blogging niche for myself with yet another post about “Sex & Politics.” And while the video, “Blue Balled” by Truthinaction.org may seem to fit into my recent fixation a little too well - I’m not sure this is the most effective combination of sex for political means.

The ad campaign from Truthinaction.org targeting 18-30 year-olds appears to be an American Apparel ad that got in a car accident with the Democratic Party. The site’s branding is almost overzealous in its attempt to prove that not only does sex sell, but it might also garner some votes.

The video, “Blue Balled” demonstrates what happens with Democrats try to get physical with Republicans and vice versa - someone is going to get hurt. Here are my thoughts on this “politically incorrect” marketing:

1. The stereotyping is almost laughable. The Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch Whiskey. The blue underwear versus the red blanket. The signed John McCain photo (hiding in bedside table, but not next to a Bible, sadly). The Dem Girl who finds her next warm bed from a tall dark and handsome non-WASP guy on the street wearing a donkey pin.

2. What is the policy drive behind this video? I get that they are targeting 18-30 year olds - and trying to get them to vote. I really do appreciate the effort. But, what really seems to be going on is showing that indie filmmakers can be political, entertaining and still maintain their off-the-cuff edge. The phrase “I only sleep with Dems” seems like a twisted version of Catholicism: maintain the base and ideological abortion is against the rules.

Overall - I get the idea. With the current division of the Democratic Party post HRC’s fall from grace, the Democrats need make sure that no one defaults and votes for McCain. Especially the brokenhearted young Hillary supporters. However, the idea of asking young Dems for political monogamy seems a little far-fetched and contrary to the idea of Democracy in the first place.

What are your thoughts? Is this an effective marketing strategy or just a vanity project that crosses the line?

McCain VP Pick Is Just a Google Away

According to a Yahoo! news story, the John McCain Presidential Campaign is using the Internet to vet a list of potential GOP Vice Presidential candidates. I’d like to reiterate that it must be the campaign team using the Internet, because we already know here at Absurdities! that McCain is not familiar with computers, let alone the World Wide Web.

This fact is painfully obvious (again) in the interview with McCain about the idea:

“You know, basically it’s a Google,” he said to laughter at a fund-raising luncheon when asked how the selection process was going. “What you can find out now on the Internet — it’s remarkable.”

Yes, it is remarkable what is on the Internet, John McCain. But my question is - have you ever seen what “a Google” looks like? He almost makes it sound as if he is using a four-headed monster to figure out his choice for Vice President.