Wading around in the political muckity-muck

As a magazine editor/media member, it's sort of been ingrained in me to not wear my politics on my sleeve. My role is not one of persuasion--at least not in matters of elections--it's one of information and "equal time", as it were. GO Magazine does not endorse. Yes, GO Magazine tends to poke fun at the conservative mindset and ebrace more liberal tenets, but that is our niche. Not once have we come out for or against a particular candidate in a local or national election, and we're not going to start now.

It's a tough thing for media members to do, separating their personal and professional opinions, and not all succeed. One co-worker from early in my career whom I respected very much was essentially dismissed from her job (or walked away following an ultimatum, I heard the story second-hand), over her vocal political stances during the 2004 presidential race. On the other side of the coin: During that same race I worked at a publication where management allowed one staffer (whose job had nothing to do with politics or even news) to write an 800-word Hannity-inspired rant calling out a reader (a reader!) who wrote in in support of a liberal candidate or issue. I only share this story because both the writer and the manager in question--both of whom are very good people--are no longer working at that publication, and it serves to illustrate the conflict many members of the media deal with in political matters.

It's perhaps even more of a conflict at GO Magazine. As a somewhat off-the-cuff, progressively minded magazine (we do a Sex Issue and were a sponsor for PrideFest last year), I think people expect us to officially back a particular party or agenda, but this we cannot do. Our readers still need a fair shake, both sides of the story, and we will always do our best to give it to them. Making fun of Lee Greenwood, or coming out in favor of gay tolerance or environmental protection, is NOT the same thing as supporting all Democrats, as much as some people would like to think otherwise.

Oh, but I do have personal opinions; thankfully, this isn't GO Magazine's blog, and it's only with a slight degree of professional apprehension that I say a Mike Huckabee presidency might be one of the worst things ever to happen to the Oval Office. Worse than W04. Worse than Billy's blow job. The man is ignorant--if you're still considering voting for him, I urge you to Google "Huckabee+homosexuality" or "Huckabee+AIDS" (there, I just did it for you.) He is simple. The only things going for Huckabee are the fact that he often comes across as affable (which you can't say for any of the other GOP candidates, or most Dems for that matter) and he kinda looks like the offspring of Kevin Spacey and Droopy Dawg.

I'm not going to share my thoughts on other candidates, save one. I'm 95 percent sure I know who I'm going to vote for on February 5, but that decision is my own. I'll just say it won't be Huckabee, and leave it at that.

I will say this: I have thought for several years that this country is in no way, shape or form finished talking about race, or quit of the demons that have haunted us for better than 150 years. The '60s were 40-plus years ago. The Rodney King trial almost a decade and a half ago. Most of us have acquaintances or family who will still drop the N-bomb from time to time (or other various racial slurs). The more confident among us speak up, but what do most of us do? We roll our eyes, or turn away, or pretend we didn't hear their hateful talk.

I think Barack Obama has the potential--whether he's taking the oath of office in 12 months or not--to restart the race conversation in America. When that ignorant acquaintance says something awful, I think more Americans will speak up now that legitimate black candidate is in the collective national consciousness. I wish Obama himself would address the issue more openly. Yes, Hillary Clinton will re-open the conversation about sexism, to a lesser degree. It will be welcome--but in my eyes not nearly as urgent. I thought we were ready to have this race conversation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but when the dramatic pictures--read: dead bodies and flooding--went away, Anderson Cooper and friends left the Big Easy to rot in its own backwater, returning only once every year in late August or--God forbid--the day another storm takes aim at southern Louisiana. Spike Lee, Tab Benoit and others have tried to keep the cry going, but it's falling on mostly deaf ears. We missed that chance, and it's not just George Bush's fault.

I hope we don't miss this chance.

Peace,

ML