I have been secretly fascinated with Meghan McCain ever since she started her Blogette on the ’08 campaign trail. At first I thought she was some teenager who wrote about the most mundane aspects of her Father’s campaign and I pictured her as a human Smurfette (which, she kind of is, except not blue). Then when I saw her on the Rachel Maddow show I was surprised to find out that she was around my age (quarter-life/mid-twenties) and despite the fact that she wore an unbelievable amount of make-up, had bleached blond hair and giggled like a valley girl, the things she said really resonated with me. Here was this girl with heavy eyeliner who comes from a rich Republican family that I desired so much to despise, but I just couldn’t. She appeared to be incredibly open and honest on the show and in her weekly column on the Daily Beast. I loved that she spoke out on gay rights, something I’d never heard a Republican do. I couldn’t help, but think, ‘is this chick for real?’
Yes. She is. I just met her and sat through her book signing – an event that felt more like a discussion over beers with friends than a book signing even though it was in (BIG ‘C’) Conservative Arizona. Meghan McCain is honestly a ‘tell-it-as-it-is’ girl who is nothing like Sarah (vomit in my mouth) Palin. She cursed, she talked about her Mama who was standing on the sidelines (foxy Cindy) and she got tears in her eyes when an undocumented immigrant stood up and told her how he wanted to enlist in the military, but couldn’t serve this country that doesn’t even want him. She talked about how politicians and well, everyone, needs to be honest and needs to be themselves because people will eventually “see through their shit!” She talked about gay rights and women’s rights and body image (Meghan’s a very shapely young lady who was told that she was hurting her Father’s campaign because she was too fat) and standing up for what you believe in (a woman shouldn’t have to be thin and wear a pantsuit to be successful!) and how her 73 year-old Dad (a.k.a. Old Man Maverick) was awkward about her book because it talked about S-E-X. She said that people should dress the way they want, wear as much or as little make-up as they want and not conform to society!
I don’t know about you, but personally I am sick of everyone’s dramatic bullshit. Watching the news is like watching a soap opera, only less interesting. I tried to stop myself from putting a fork in my eye the other night as all the news stations went on and on about how some Tea Party, abstinent-toting girl beat some old fart experienced Republican in the state of Delaware… Yeah, Delaware. Oh no, clearly the Tea Party is going to take over America because they won a primary in… Delaware? Meanwhile the fact that Fidel Castro had condemned communism and Cuba is possibly in the beginning stages of becoming a democracy was a side-note. Slowly. Put. Down. The. Fork. Stabbing your eye out will not make the news less craptastic.
Thank you God for Meghan McCain. What a revelation, being honest and being yourself are key to living the good life and saving the world! People need to be more accepting and open-minded and politics is NOT black and white. I can’t imagine why both Fox and MSNBC hate her?
She also talked about how she still supports the war(s?) and the controversial immigration bill in AZ even though it was admittedly poorly written. One old lady who had been complaining before the event started about how the Anarchists (excuse me, Tea Partiers) don’t get enough love from the great TV, got up and left sputtering “I’ve had enough of this” while Meghan was talking about how the Republican Party should stop being so extremely right wing and get back to being moderate. Meghan then proceeded to talk about how so many Republicans hate her guts.
Both her Kindergarten and 3rd grade teachers showed up and talked about what a good girl Meghan had been (to which Meghan replied that she was pretty stubborn and naughty, but it was nice of them to say that anyway).
So, that’s it. I’m out. I really like Lady McCain and I highly recommend her book, especially if you are a political junkie like me or conversely are fed up with politics – either way it will inspire you. It’s kind of like the Republican version of the West Wing, except they never made it there. And it’s a book. And Martin Sheen will always be the best President ever… But yeah, Dirty Sexy Politics – it goes great with a beer (oh, and don’t be afraid of the awkward pictures of Meghan and the elephant – just quickly open the book and wash your mind of the outside).
– Sammy Ostrich