(with a little luck, anyway)
Obviously this is political showmanship and an attempted expression of fellowship with a group he seeks votes from (in this case a gathering of hard-partying bikers). What better way for a mousey senior citizen and career Washington politician in $500.00 Italian leather loafers to establish a sense of fraternity with such a group than to offer up his wife as a participant in a mysoginistic “beauty pageant” (when it’s drunk 19 year-olds on spring break they call it a “hot body contest”).
And clearly the notion was in jest. How funny do you really believe Cindy thought it was? Standing up there with the crowd picturing her in a bikini, grinding up against girls half her age or straddling the face of some guy they called up on stage? What would your wife think of that joke if it were her standing next to you on stage in front of (I believe) thousands? To any female readers, what if it were you – or your mom? How would the press react if it were Obama who so offered up Michelle?
I’m sure many McCain supporters see this critcism as uptight, taking a joke too seriously. Similarly, I’d read through dozens of opinions defending FNC’s reference to Michelle as “Obama-baby-mama”. Interesting, coming from the leader and the media arm of the party that supposedly cherishes the values of social conservatism.
