10.02.2008

You've GOT to be Kidding Me

Warning: Political Non-Art/Craft Related Post Ahead!
I will not be offended if you choose not to read further based on this warning. I am pro-choice, after all. :)


As I listened to the VP debate earlier this evening, I thought I might be mistaken...but wait, was that? did she? I am now quite certain that I heard Sarah Palin say "nucular weapons" at least twice. Yep, even more than that. "You've got to be kidding me!" I said, aloud, even though nobody was with me. I am a little crazy like that.


I was in my car, driving home from a foster home visit where a 5 year old boy explained to me in detail how to take apart a wristwatch and put it back together again. Earlier in the day, I had also stopped by the library on a break and picked up a book-on-tape (A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking) to listen to on my commutes between home visits, and had been listening to it just before switching over to the debate.

A word of advice: do not, under any circumstances, listen to bright kindergarteners or anything by a brilliant scientist immediately before listening to a political debate. If you do, everything in the debate will sound ridiculous, canned, almost laughable. Your head just might explode. Anyway, back to my point.

"Nucular?" I asked. "Nucular?" I chuckled. "Well, that's odd," I thought. Does anyone recall that the current resident of the White House ALSO has difficulty pronouncing this particular word? Now don't get me wrong. I understand that it might seem petty to allow oneself to get bogged down with semantics. The humanist in me even gave her the benefit of the doubt for a moment. "She's probably nervous," I think. "She's not used to vice-presidential debates with people who have so much more experience and verbal ability than she does." "Cut her some slack, Heidi, it's just a mispronunciation."

Okay....but....I couldn't help but think, why THAT word? Why can't the people who we are asked to trust with our lives, the current and potential leaders of what used to be the most respected country in the world, pronounce a word that has so much to do with the possible obliteration of said world?

I'll admit it - I'm a bit of a pronunciation snob. I am. So hate me. There are people who say "fustrated" instead of "frustrated." I have colleagues who say "yesterday I seen this one guy at the store who..." It makes me cringe a little bit, but these folks aren't applying for one of the most important jobs in the country. Maybe I'm a little depressed because we've been numbed by the antics of our current president for 8 unbelievable years....

The bottom line is this. I want my president, and my vice president, to be smarter than me. A LOT smarter than me. I want the person with their finger hovering over the so-called nuclear button to be able to freaking PRONOUNCE nuclear button. Okay, "but Heidi, she's only running for VP, and she ADMITS that she doesn't even know what that job entails! They won't let her anywhere near the red button!" Now don't you go thinking she won't have her shiny beauty-pageant-runner-up manicure near that button. Have you SEEN McCain? One Big Mac too many and....well let's just....not.

Anyway, I heard her say "nucular" too many times tonight, and that was before I knew she has already been taught and coached about this particular word, check it out:


Is the selection really so weak in this country that we can't hope for 2 leaders in a row that can say nuclear?

You've got to be kidding me.

And please don't think I actually believe there is a red button in a room somewhere that says "new-clear button, press in the event of axis-of-evil emergency only."

I know that's not how it works. But still.

Oh, and p.s.: I highly recommend A Brief History of Time. :)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I noticed she said nucular too. I'm not offended, and I'm a Republican who's voting Obama...he is a better choice this time. You sure have a way with words. Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

well said heidi. well said.

Anonymous said...

OMG lol, OMG that is funny and def not a good thing. I watched the debate and that woman is just out of touch with reality. I'm with you.

Anonymous said...

J just sent me a link to your site. Never knew you had a blog but I am SO adding you to my blogreader! Love your ideas and I COULD NOT AGREE MORE - this beeatch isn't fooling anyone.

Anonymous said...

girl! i couldn't agree more with you and she makes me sick. she is way out of touch, helloooooo woman. have you heard her position on women's rights? go back to the stone ages lady. YOU GO HEIDI! more of your opinions please! (and more art, too)

Anonymous said...

you crack me up, and you're right, it's so sad. love the clip, too. hope you had fun in colorado!