I would love people to stand up on the issues. Pigs, stinky fish, old mares and lipstick are hardly issues that I find important. Why play the victim? Oh poor me, he called me a pig, so what, hammer on the things that are important, stay above the fray. Why lower yourself to their level? In context he was saying that McCain talking about change is like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. I’ve heard the phrase many times in my life. You can only be offended if you let yourself be offended.
I still that that Todd Palin taking a microphone and saying something to Obama about his offense would be more effective than anything.
Who has said "poor me?" (red herring)
I don't think Palin should directly respond on this.
In the late 19th-century our geographic ancestors often labeled Native Americans as "savages." Had you been present back then to "coach" Native Americans one by one, your advice to "stay above the fray" to each would have been fine. "Turn the other ear" is certainly close enough to "turn the other cheek." I think we should all do that whenever possible when directly personally attacked.
But I think when our neighbors are verbally attacked, we aren't "playing the victim" by defending them. We are actually treating them in a neighborhly way -- something Native Americans didn't receive much from their white and Hispanic neighbors back yonder.
If someone called your Jewish neighbor names, by all means, let your neighbors do the noble thing and not directly respond. But then let us do the noble things as neighbors and defend our neighbors from such attacks. (Could you please explain exactly how me defending my Jewish neighbor converts me into a "victim?")
In context he was saying that McCain talking about change is like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. I’ve heard the phrase many times in my life.
You know, you've twisted the context. Because you can't have true context unless you figure in the audience. Dennis Prager covered this on his show this morning -- that he as a speaker is in touch with his audience and if they were laughing in misinterpreting what he was saying, he would correct it right away.
What happened here instead? Obama finished his punchline--after having paused after "it's still a pig."
Why the pause? Because there's raucous audience laughter.
Now why is there raucous audience laughter? Because they knew right away who & what he was saying.
Since you say you've heard this phrase in your life many times, how many of those times did its mere mention provoke raucous laughter & cheering?
...stay above the fray. Why lower yourself to their level?...You can only be offended if you let yourself be offended.
As I've already indicated, this is...
...excellent advice to a person who is under verbal attack....
...but terrible advice to their friends, neighbors and fellow citizens of such people - upon whom all of us rest the necessity of elevating civil discourse in the public square.