…but even if yOu dOn’t knOw BLACK fOlk, yOu knOw WOMEN – it’s nOt like yOu chOOse…

…and wOmen knOw men.

                                      differences

Prejudice = proximity X          ---------------

                                      experiences

The closer you are to someone who is “different,” the stronger your prejudices about them, tempered by experiences.

You aren’t constantly exposed to Muslims, Jews or blacks unless you ARE one, but you ARE constantly exposed to the other sex. Your primal feelings toward females (in a man’s case) far precedes and exceeds any feelings or ideas about races, creeds or religions.

The only prejudice that runs even deeper than sexism is that against the aged. In the minds of most of us, anyone in their 60s is riding over the edge of a waterfall and might as well wave goodbye. Few of us even mentioned this bias as it was blatantly focused against John McCain time and time again, sadly with his own casual acceptance.

Yet, even if McCain had served two terms as President and lived as an ex-President for 4 more years, he STILL would NOT be as old as Rupert Murdock, the world’s biggest media boss. And it would be another dozen years until he reached his mother’s age. Still, a huge % of potential voters thought McCain was too old to be President. Too “old.” Better let your God decide that one. It’s never the ones you expect to die who die. McCain might even outlive Obama!

The strange and often odd “reportage” pertaining to the major candidates was all about “point of view” and opinion. Controversy sells, and it’s especially easy when you have a designated hero. That’s kinda sharp, you know, this GQ black guy who sounds white and doesn’t look too black, but still black. Way cool.

Hey he went to Harvard. Yeah. Here’s a good picture of him. He’s got some sex appeal, huh?

Let’s ignore the substantial drag on Hillary’s forward motion anchored by pure sexism. Look at what she’s wearing, why would she wear that? Ooo, her hair looks bad today. Why does she put up with that Bill? Why is her figure so…

Right down to the wording of captions and the choice of pictures, the editorial opinions of all media are blatant. Why they even bother to give “formal” endorsements is the real question. Their editorial choices support their true opinions every day of the year.

Did you know what “Happy” Charles Gibson of ABC News was referring to when he used the term “The Bush Doctrine?” I certainly didn’t, and I know more about politics than the general public and probably as much as most “journalists” who cover politics. Sarah, it turns out, didn’t know what it was any more than we did. But that was unforgivable. See? She can’t be that pretty and smart, too. I mean, she’s only the governor of stupid old Alaska. Hah! What’s the population? Two hundred people and three polar bears?

There are no more attempts at objective journalism. Manipulation of imagery is the power of the little kings and they exercise it fully. They think objectivity is presenting two sides to everything. And always, one is more “right” and “good” while the other is more “wrong” and “evil.”

Damned if we want a real girl for President. Presidents have to make decisions about manly things like war and economics, and girls aren’t good at that, especially when they’re having their Special Visitor. And you know Sarah’s still fertile ;)

HEADLINES: Obama Enjoys Sunshine-Fresh Love-In That Bush-Bored Klatch Of Jaded Ratings Climbers Vomit Joyfully. Who can blame reporters and editors? They were stunned at the sudden appearance of their photogenic leading man from nowhere.

And, What’s With Sarah Palin? Family, Husband, Career, Fame And Beauty? Nobody Can Have It All! How “politician-lite” can you go?

Some of us are way too addicted to mass media. I admit my own dependency, which, from time to time, becomes obsessive – particularly during presidential election cycles.

Who cares what side they wake up on the day a particular endorsement is written? Hillary and Sarah were both magnets for testosterone-heavy opinionists (let’s not call them “journalists,” that wouldn’t be fair to the ancient practitioners of the lost art). McCain received the kind of treatment normally reserved for Sadaam Hussein. Obama, however, gotta love him. Great guy. Like Bill Cosby, And Harry Bellefonte. And that UPS delivery guy. And the guy who works at Ralph’s. And that other black guy I worked with that time. Great smile. Inspirational speech. Been a Senator for a couple of years now, that’s cool. Wouldn’t it actually be hot to see a black family in the White House, tee hee?

As it stands, racism has been bottled, while sexism, well, sexism’s just running wild.

- OO