Let Them Eat Cake

I think we all know by now that Marie Antoinette never said those words. (In fact, these words were spoken four years before Marie even married the Dauphin of France, when she was only 10 years old, still living in Austria. But the press dug it up later in 1789 and attributed it to her, and obviously got a lot of people whipped up about it.)

I did not go to see The Hounds last night. (Sorry Hounds! Sorry Ms. Red Shoes!) I feel like I'm on the verge of getting a cold so I thought to play it safe. I got some Nasi Goreng to eat (which is Indonesian fried rice and I don't know what the secret ingredient in it that makes it so addictive, but it's got me hooked) while I sat on the sofa in my jammies, watching something pretty and mindless: Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola.

When the movie got to my favorite scene, I could not help thinking, "Hey, it's the Neiman Marcus of pre-revolutionary France!" (This is undoubtedly the best scene in the movie.)



It occurs to me that Sarah Palin may become the Marie Antoinette of the 2008 election if the Republican ticket loses, and not by her own doing. It occurs to me that as her poll numbers are falling, even among the people who are supposed to like her, that Palin will become the sacrificial lamb of the upper echelons of the Republican party.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't like her (and I don't think that's a secret). I'm not going into the reasons why because if you read this blog, then you already know. However, I feel sorry for her in that she has been put in a position that has spiraled out of control, the flap about the wardrobe from Neiman's just being the latest snafu.

I wonder why it is that someone in the McCain campaign did not evaluate the potential devastation that such expenditures could incite if word got out. I mean, it's not like the press didn't go insane over John Edward's DNC-funded $400 haircut for more than a few days ("It is the haircut that will not die. He can spin it, he can gel it, he can mousse it. But it is not going away").

In fact, they went bonkers and the haircut is credited with helping to bring down his candidacy. Anne Coulter called Edwards a "faggot" and Rush Limbaugh asked if Edwards "would be our first female president."

So given the quite recent history of what happens regarding the press when they find out about expenditures deemed inherently and dangerously mockable, did someone in the McCain campaign stop for a moment to wonder if this Palin wardrobe shopping spree might not be a huge problem? It's not like she came up to them and demanded almost $200K for hair and makeup services. Someone came to her and decided what to do.

Especially when their whole raison d'etre is to ingratiate themselves with the average, everyday hard-working folks of America. It's the hypocrisy of it that keeps fueling the fire. Average everyday Americans know you don't have to spend $150,000 to look put together. Don't they realize that people are truly freaking out over losing their homes and their entire retirement savings and their 401Ks and they're worried that they can't even afford clothes for themselves right now? Just like most people realize that Cindy McCain is not your typical "small business owner." LMAO!

I don't blame Palin for it, I feel sorry for her. But this just highlights the judgment of the people at the top...is anyone up there thinking at all about how they might be perceived? That we're all not really so very stupid? And this is the part I think I've been trying to get to... I want Sarah Palin to be examined, taken to task and made accountable for the things that really matter: her association with the Alaskan Independence Party, her vindictiveness against her enemies in the Alaskan political scene, her fraudlent expenditures and expenses, her extremist religious views. This wardrobe story is a non-story, albeit a fun one and great for making a mockery of, but it's still a smokescreen. We must ask ourselves, why is it that the media will devote so much attention to this, a minor bit of sensationalism, when it should have been addressing the deeper and more serious issues since August? If she's to be sent home in defeat, I want it to be for the real issues, not for a closet full of expensive clothing that might not have had much to do with her.

They're going to throw Sarah and her nice clothes under the bus when the Straight Talk Express finally crashes. And by they, I mean her own party. John and Cindy will go back to their eight homes and live life like normal ("But, look, I've a wonderful life. I have to go back and live in Arizona"), but the little princess that they plucked from the hinterlands will go home in tatters. They'll blame her that she was too new and inexperienced (that's already happening) and that she was too divisive. But they picked her for all of those reasons. They wanted a pit bull.

But they'll write history to show they didn't. And everyone will just remember the clothes. And that's the problem.

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Sometimes it takes history several generations to fess up about what the other side of the story might be. It would be interesting to know how Palin's selection for the VP slot actually came to be, but that probably won't happen till long after you and I are gone.

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"It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness." ~ Marie Antoinette

But looking at the larger picture, if it wasn't for Marie Antoinette and the fall of the Ancien Regime, the Revolution and the Terror, then we wouldn't have the principles and the base of thought that is the foundation of our own democracy (not to mention the resources. We would have never achieved freedom from British rule if not directly aided by French money and troops).

Perhaps in hindsight, Palin might be one of those figures that brings about a new era of history in our country, even as she is thrown to the wolves. Only time will tell.

ps. If you really want to learn more about Marie Antoinette, don't watch that Sofia Coppola movie. It's a chick flick/music video. But you can watch a fantastic documentary and also read Antonia Fraser's book. Both are imminently fascinating and approachable.

pps. What you really don't know is that the BEST thing at Neiman Marcus are the Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies. I kid you not. These are the BEST cookies you will ever eat IN YOUR LIFE. Hear me now. And they only cost $2.50! Which means that if you have $150,000 and can't find any clothes you like at Neiman's, you can buy 60,000 cookies instead.

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This is the other good scene (the sex scene) from the film but it has nothing to do with the Republicans. I just put it in here in case you're tired of history.



Fabulous shoe photo from this blog. Did you know the shoes in the movie were designed by Manolo Blahnik? I didn't!!! No wonder they're so gorgeous!!!

UPDATE 8:11am: I am an effin' prophet: "These people are going to try and shred her after the campaign to divert blame from themselves," said a McCain insider, referring to McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, and to Nicolle Wallace, a former Bush aide who has taken a lead role in Palin's campaign." You can read the rest here.

But I said it first! You saw me do it.