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Palin stylist draws higher pay than policy adviser

An acclaimed celebrity makeup artist for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin collected more money from John McCain's campaign than his foreign policy adviser. Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast, McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500, the report showed.

McCain's campaign said the payment covered a portion of her work in September and a portion of October. An earlier campaign finance report showed Strozzi was paid $13,200 for a portion of September.

Obama, the Democratic nominee, spent more than $105 million during the first two weeks of October, according to campaign finance reports. He reported raising only $36 million for his campaign during that period, about half the fundraising pace he enjoyed in September.

The Illinois senator shattered records and dumbfounded Republicans and Democrats by raising $150 million in September.

Obama had nearly $66 million in the bank at the end of the two-week period and debts of about $2.3 million. The Democratic National Committee and the joint victory fund reported combined cash on hand of $31 million.

McCain and the Republican National Committee reported having a combined $84 million as of last week to spend before Election Day.

The reports illustrated Obama's superior financial position going into October. He spent more than $80 million on media advertising. McCain, using his resources and the Republican National Committee's, spent a combined $38 million on ads.

McCain, who has accepted public financing for his campaign, is restricted in his spending. As of Oct. 15 he had more than $25 million in hand and more than $1 million in debts. The RNC, which has been helping his candidacy, had more than $59 million in the bank.

At McCain's spending rate of $1.5 million a day, the Arizona senator likely has only $12 million to spend in the next 11 days before the Nov. 4 election. He began the fall campaign in September with $84 million in public funds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081024/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_money;_ylt=Ag
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In effect, we still expect women to be sexy and fabulous. We expect men to be sizzlingly handsome. We want our leaders to embody these ideals just as much as we want them to be intelligent, fair, and wise.

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Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello,

I presume the high expenditures of hair care and elite clothing will dry up after the election. Either her ticket will fail, and she'll return to her comparatively spendthrift life in Alaska, or her ticket will succeed, and she will be getting hair and clothes from wherever all Veeps get such things. In my lifetime, I've never seen a Prez or Vice Prez serving in the White House who was wearing a bad suit. I suspect Ron Paul, if elected, would wear comparatively shabby suits in office, but then he isn't going to be elected, and that works to support my point.

I would like to believe that a candidate wearing a potato sack or Wal-Mart clothing could win an election and impress voters. I would like to believe it, but I just can't manage to do so. The elite hair and clothing, and its associated high price tag, says much more about We The People and what we find important, than it does about Palin, the Republicans, or anyone else.

Part of looking Presidential has become looking GREAT! And I must admit that we expect women to do more on the road to looking GREAT than we expect of men. It's sexist, but a woman in a suit and tie with no makeup would probably not exude that 'charm' that we expect from our leaders. In effect, we still expect women to be sexy and fabulous. We expect men to be sizzlingly handsome. We want our leaders to embody these ideals just as much as we want them to be intelligent, fair, and wise.

We the People are shallow. Every bad-tooth, big-ear, and hair-plug comment on these boards is testament to our incredible lack of depth. But we don't want to believe our shallowness, and so we mock and deride those who invest tens of thousands in appearance - even as we refuse to admit our complicity in the act. It's a twisted Rock Star World, where we prop up the pretty golden calf, and stop midway through our worship to throw stones at our idol. God Help Us, we stink.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Originally posted by rue:
I have to ask about this: "but that's not important right now". Has someone recently watched Airplane again ?



Anyway, Lincoln - was unique. Somehow he superseded modern standards. They just don't apply to him. I actually did some research on that and wrote a lengthy essay.

Look at the next $5, and then bring, say, Brian Williams to mind. Brain Williams has regular features, sincerity plastered all over his face, and the mellow easy-on-the ear voice of all broadcasters. Would you trust HIM to run a country ?

But something about Lincoln's face inspires trust in a way mere prettiness doesn't. (Unless of course you're a person who's been taught to revile him.)

If you could bottle THAT and sell it you'd have it made.


But yes, in general, in this image-driven culture many will be attracted to the petty details and phony images that make them feel good.

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Silence is consent.

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