Feminists Pols Primed to Use #BringBackOurGirls As Partisan Cudgel

Eleven Democrat Senators jumped on the hashtag diplomacy bandwagon by posing for a #BringBackOurGirls publicity photo.  To follow up, all twenty female Senators signed a letter to President Obama deploring the abduction of 300 Nigerian schoolgirls.  In addition, this letter  urged that the Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad, more widely known as Boko Haram (loosely translated "Western education is sinful"), and offshoot group Ansaru to be considered al Qaeda associates and thereby be put on the terror watch list. Senator Amy Klobachar (D-MN) sought to expand awareness to include human trafficking both domestically and internationally. 

This sense of the Senate is interesting as it comes at a time Democrat vehemently claim that the Republicans are on a partisan witchhunt regarding the House Benghazi Select Committee.  Moreover, as prospective Presidential candidates for the 2016 run, these women are strangely silent about former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's decision to keep Boko Haram off the terror watch list during her tenure at Foggy Bottom.  

Realpolitck critics contend that this social media campaign is just an exercise in self-esteem which will have little sway on the barbarians in the wild of Nigeria.  Rush Limbaugh suggested that the hashtag campaign was a cheaper way of advertising that "you care" instead of investing in a cause ribbon  or organizing a benefit concert.

Unlike the 2012 campaign smear, the Boku Haram abductions exemplify a real "War on Women".  Yet if one does not  throw accolades to the Twitter campaigns are condemned as being "out of touch" and not savvy about how digital soft power can work.  Almost inevitably, skeptics of the efficacy of hashtag diplomacy will be cast as the villains. 

Sandra Fluke, the former Georgetown University Law student whose claim to fame was by offering Congressional testimony that she could not afford her own contraception to bolster  Obamacare's Contraception Mandate, she could not afford contraception, now is a Democrat running for California State Senate seat 26.  A satirical site carried  outrageous opinions concerning sexual oppression in America and elsewhere.

Fortunately, Fluke's attributed observations were a spoof.  But considering Fluke's "Two Futures" speech at the 2012 Democrat National Convention, such rhetoric is not beyond the pale. 

 Some celebutards vow if elections do not go their way that they'll leave the country.  Alas, few have followed up on their promises.. If they were true, Fluke's bold statements have made her a candidate for 4P draft status in the War on Terror.

However, progressive news media are poised to use this atrocity as a cudgel for finding favor for their pet causes.  MSNBC's Chris Matthews mocked the the GOP for their sudden concern about Africa.  Of course, Matthews forgot about how widely praised President George W. Bush had been for efforts in Africa during his two terms. Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC wondered aloud if a mostly male administration would have acted sooner if the abductees weren't girls.

It seems that the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign might have an altruistic origin, but it is showy issue identification which can be refashioned into a cudgel against domestic political "enemies".

{ Editor's Note 5/15 Piece corrected regarding Sandra Fluke}

Using Our Brains When Voting

A couple of days ago, the Obama 2012 Campaign posted a plucky piece on Tumblr urging its youthful users to vote with their “Lady Parts."

After this unorthodox "Lady Parts" appeal for support drew outraged criticism, the post was quickly withdrawn and the campaign maintained that it was not properly vetted. But considering the emphasis that the DNC convention put on protecting “Women’s Health Services” (read abortion on demand), even so far as to give Georgetown Law School graduate Sandra Fluke a prime time speaking spot to tout free contraception in Obamacare.

 This was not an unexpected bundle of joy. The Lady Parts campaign was trying to be hip and capitalize on a wedge issue on social media site. When it became inconvenient, it was aborted. Sound familiar?

 While the Obama “Lady Parts” campaign is gone, it is not forgotten. Social media sharing sites also posted this retort:

 Maybe after Obama’s disastrous debate performance in Denver, it is reasonable to expect the endangered incumbent to come out swinging and try to rally the base by trumpeting these comfortable liberal social policy memes which worked so well in the past.

 But now that Romney and Obama share a stage which gives them equal stature, it is not as easy to demonize an opponent who can not make a timely response. Now that people are paying attention to the Presidential race in earnest, I expect that voters will use their brains when exercising their franchise.

The Grift Generation

Perhaps it's just a Fluke (sic). h/t: The Peoples Cube

Congressional Kabuki Show Returns with a Fluke-y Farce

Karl Marx argued that “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy then as a farce.”  This axiom came to mind when examining the recent Congressional testimony of Georgetown University Law Student and “reproductive rights activist” Sandra  Fluke.  It is remarkable how strikingly similar Fluke’s mien is to then Lieutenant John F. Kerry (he served in the Vietnam War, you know) when he testified before the Senate in April 1971.

 

 Aside from the aesthetics, both Kerry and Fluke allowed themselves to be used to advance their ideological causes. Kerry allowed himself to be used as the poster boy for the Winter Soldier hearings.  Fluke chose to be the cause célèbre for the Sebilius contraceptive mandate.  Kerry made explosive accusations about the Vietnam War to further his anti-war aim.



 While the Winter Soldier testimony jaundiced the nation on America's efforts in Indochina, his colleagues later successfully discredited his testimony through the Swift Boats for Truth campaign in 1984. Sandra Fluke made headlines when the Georgetown Law student and "Reproductive Justice" lobbyist was barred from testifying on a panel about religious liberty in regards to the HHS contraceptive mandate.

When Fluke finally testified before the House Democrat Steering Committee, she made some incredible accusations.



It did not take a generation to debunk Fluke's fantastic policy claims.

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