Thoughts Inspired By Goddess Rachel Maddow

I have a crush – a serious crush – on Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. In fact, I have considered giving up blogging at Swashzone because of Maddow. I’ve been thinking – all I need to do everyday is post “See Rachel’s broadcast last night” & that pretty much sums up SQUID’s current view of the universe. And this from a woman (me) who complains frequently about the incessant hero-worship of Shakespeare (sorry Dino). So yes – I confess – I worship at the shrine of GODDESS MADDOW.

So tonight – my fav intellectual Rachel – used a football analogy. Simultaneously intelligent & hilarious. I laughed my head off. Feminist Rachel M. using a FOOTBALL metaphor – co-opting Americana’s classic archetypal reference to the Joe-Six-Pack American male (mercifully she did not acknowledge the J-6-pk tie in). What is more MALE than football? – according to media generated American ideology, that is. BUT – my dearest Rachel – brought the football metaphor to a whole new level – surpassing the tired old “Hail Mary” & infusing her metaphor with – well – intelligent campaign/political analysis. An analysis that compares the current campaign to the painful one of 4 years before. Very Clever - & informative. With little blue helmets vs little red helmets lined up on the field - should be a diagram in future American Civics textbooks. Anyone in doubt of the lay of the electoral land take note - Obama is winning the game in McCain’s end zone – state by state. (So much for CNN’s John King’s “magic blue/red computer board”)

Then R.M. interviewed Ed Rendell – quite a political character - gov. of battle-ground Pennsylvania. I’ve spent much of my life living in the now all important PA – I am personally familiar with many corners of the state. Let me tell you from experience – it is a skitso state politically. I lived there most of the time in its bible belt portion - during the days of Specter, Ridge & Santorum. But now Ed Rendell – colorful democrat from Philly – rules. Don’t get me wrong – I like Rendell. Somewhat of a live wire – but that’s precisely what PA needed to shake it up from its Santorum meltdown. Oi!!! I was frankly amazed to learn – when I had moved elsewhere – that he’d managed to win the governorship. PA is geographically a RED state. Oh yes it is. The BLUE hotspots are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh & Harrisburg. The rest? White – oh SO white – working class, small town, Christian-conservative America. And I’m NOT just talking about Amish & Mennonites. Oh - & lets not forget those “fiscally conservative, socially liberal” (i.e. cheap as hell) folks living in the burbs of these cities.

Not to slam PA or small town America – but food for thought - I have only once in my life seen – to my horror – a Klansmen in full white regalia & hood – in PA. A sight I will NEVER forget. AND!!! I saw said Klansmen early on a SUNDAY – hello church!! – morning. Whilst I was living in the BIBLE belt. No – racism is NOT strictly southern grown. My point is not to slur PA - but there are elements in now-all-important PA - like other parts of this country - that are incredibly narrow-minded & behind the times.

(AND - I like PA. Really. It's my second home.)

To get my rambling back on track – unlike CNN - which has been concertedly ignoring the rest of the world for months when it supposedly reports the NEWS – Maddow does – in her “underreported” portion of her show – actually occasionally mention the disintegration of things in Pakistan, Afghanistan & now Syria. (Talk about ego-centric – we Americans are so quick to forget the rest of the world when we have an election – the world we also presume to be leading – the world we are presuming to be electing the next leader of.)

So – Squid – having gushed about her HEROINE worship of R. Maddow – is now going to slither off to her sanctimonious ocean depths . . .