The Real Problem With Palin's Press Conference

I have a new piece up on Fox Forum:

"The Real Problem With Palin's Press Conference"

"On HuffPo, that Foucaultian vessel of scholarly badinage, Francesca Biller-Safran has decided Palin is resigning to marry a moose. (Yes, really. 'You’re invited to the wedding.') On CNN, Jack Cafferty found a pointed way to combat the so-called 'lame duck' excuse. 'She was already lame,' he cackled, like an ornery old man who suspects his nurses are secretly trying to poison him."

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/07/07/real-problem-palins-press-conference/

Blaming the Burqa, And...

I have a new piece up in Townhall today:

"Blaming the Burqa"

"Sarkozy’s maudlin plea for 'women’s dignity' is transparent, and obscures the real agenda: promoting a Western, secular, (and, in particular, French) sensibility. It has little to do with women’s rights, and even less to do with religious freedom. And in case there was any doubt, it has absolutely nothing to do with national security."

http://townhall.com/columnists/SECupp/2009/07/02/blaming_the_burqa?page=full&comments=true

And, in honor of the 4th of July, I'd like to direct your attention to a truly blood-curdling NYTimes op-ed, which declares that American flags are, like, totally "in" again...now that Obama's in office. Patriotism, for the left, is apparently partisan:

http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/capture-the-flag/

Happy 4th of July, everyone...let's think about our troops this weekend.

Reader Help

What is it About Palin?




I'm writing a new column, and want your help. I want to know what it is about Sarah Palin that you think her supporters find appealing. (Feel free to weigh in if you are not a supporter yourself, but if your response is nasty it will be totally disregarded.) Here are your choices:


1. She's authentic, believable, and sincere. She is who she purports to be.


2. She's a woman, and we need more of those in politics.


3. She's a pro-life, pro-marriage Christian.


4. She's a good conservative -- she cuts taxes, favors limited government and advocates fiscal responsibility.


5. She's new, young, and a breath of fresh air. Out with the old guard, in with the new.


6. Other: __________________________________________





I won't be using any of your names, but I do want to know how old you are. So please respond with your choice and your age in the comment section. Thank you!



SE

It's Way Too Early to Pick 2012 Contenders

I have a new piece up in Newsmax today:

"It's Way Too Early To Pick 2012 Contenders"

"But the alacrity of the GOP to pinpoint and announce its leaders is making the job of actually coming up with credible ones that much more difficult. Whether it’s real weaknesses in Mark Sanford or John Ensign, or imagined ones in Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin, every time the right decrees someone 'the future of the party' it slaps a bull’s-eye on their back for the left."

http://www.newsmax.com/s.e._cupp/sanford_2012_gop/2009/06/28/229495.html

What is Obama Thinking?

I have a new post up on the Fox Forum:

"What Is Obama Thinking?"

"While it's true the president's job is not to mediate childish playground disputes, he is supposed to show some calculated leadership on all kinds of issues, small and large, especially when they become so publicly divisive. Americans are desperate to know what he thinks, and his lack of leadership on these issues has been conspicuous and chilling."

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/06/23/obamas-silence-speaks-volumes/

Feminism Is Dead (Good Riddance)

I have a new piece up in Newsmax today:

"Feminism is Dead (Good Riddance)"

"When Barbara Boxer had the audacity – and some would argue, questionable mental clarity – to publicly scold a US Army general for calling her 'ma’am' instead of 'senator,' it telegraphed to the rest of the world the sheer inanity of today’s modern feminism, a rusting relic of the 60’s that’s been pushed so far to the extreme borders of relevance that it actually has Boxer hearing things. Yes, in today’s feminism, calling a woman 'ma’am' is a mark of disrespect."

http://www.newsmax.com/s.e._cupp/se_cupp_feminism_dead/2009/06/21/227583.html

Holding Detainees Accountable Isn't Enough

I have a new piece up in Newsmax today:

"Holding Detainees Accountable Isn't Enough"

"Putting someone like Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, or any other al-Qaida loyalist for that matter, in a United States prison is like handing them a cell phone with Osama bin Laden’s telephone number pre-programmed in it."

http://www.newsmax.com/s.e._cupp/terrorists_trials_se_cupp/2009/06/14/225059.html

"I Blame Barack Obama"

In case you missed it, we discussed Letterman's non-apology for calling Sarah Palin a "slutty flight attendant" and suggesting Alex Rodriguez rape her daughter on "Hannity" last night. I put the blame squarely on the president, for allowing that kind of rhetoric to happen around him during the campaign.

By allowing his surrogates in the media and Hollywood to use vile and indefensible language about Sarah Palin (and Cindy McCain, and Hillary Clinton...) he told the country, "Go right ahead." He should have said, "Stop, enough is enough. I have two daughters and and I don't want them to look back on this election and have to hear this kind of rhetoric about a capable, accomplished, smart mother of five." He didn't do it then, but he could do it now. He should issue a statement, condemning this kind of language about an American governor and public servant. His approval ratings would go through the roof, instead of the floor.

Addendum: A number of people have rightly pointed out that Barack Obama said during the campaign that kids should be off limits:

"Let me be as clear as possible, I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president."

Defending Sarah Palin's kids, while admirable, is not defending Sarah Palin. When she was called a woman-hater, a slut, mentally disabled, a devil-worshipper, Caribou Barbie, and "the worst thing to happen to America since 9/11," Barack Obama said nothing. When Sandra Bernhard said Palin would be "gang raped" if she came to New York City, Obama said nothing. Barack Obama, if he truly cares about the world in which his daughters are growing up, should take two minutes out of his day to issue a public statement condemning this kind of language...about a US governor or any woman.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGFGrzWedyA

White Men Can't Jump...Or Judge

I have a new piece in Newsmax today:

"White Men Can't Jump or Judge Well"

"The white male experience is a rich and storied one. Begun anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years ago, thanks largely to a skin-lightening gene mutation, white men have a fascinating and unique history, an inviting and warm culture, and the kinds of quirky customs that make anthropologists giddy."

http://www.newsmax.com/s.e._cupp/white_men_sonia_sotomayor/2009/05/31/219930.html

Can Morocco Save the Middle East?

I have a new piece up on Townhall, fresh on the heels of my trip to Morocco:

"Can Morocco Save the Middle East?"

"When Barack Obama took office, King Mohammed VI wrote him a letter. As of yet, there's been no response. After chiding the US on its poor listening skills, to the dismay of many thoughtful leaders before him, it seems the perfect opportunity to seek the advice of someone better qualified than he is to navigate through the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

http://townhall.com/columnists/SECupp/2009/06/10/can_morocco_save_the_middle_east?page=full&comments=true

Racism + Sexism = Empathy?

I have a new piece up on the Fox Forum on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court:

"Sotomayor -- Obama's Nominee Spouts Biased Views on Race and Gender"

"Sorry, white guys. Ms. Sotomayor is, quite simply, not your gal. But to all the forgotten, pasty, sun-deprived, uterus-less men of America, there’s good news yet. It’s not white guys that a worldview such as hers hurts most –- it’s women and minorities."

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/05/26/cupp_sotomayor_obama/

RNC is Living in the Past

I have a piece up in Newsmax today, about the RNC, including my own version of a "extraordinary special session resolution" the RNC might want to consider.

"Self-important 'extraordinary special sessions' are why Republicans are spoofed as out-of-touch geriatrics from the Cretaceous period. Official-sounding resolutions that begin 'Whereas' are why many people think of Republicans as the monocled mascot from Monopoly. And cheap gimmicks like renaming the Democratic Party are why liberals think we’ve run out of good ideas."

http://www.newsmax.com/s.e._cupp/gop_resolution_fever/2009/05/24/217769.html

Liberals Blame Christians for Adam Lambert Loss

I have a new piece up in Townhall:

"Really Talented Performer Wins American Idol; Liberals Blame Christians"

"Liberals are once again falling back on the only explanation they can ever muster when an anointed protégé or pet cause du jour loses: blame the backwards, hickish, intolerant Christian masses. Yes, the same folks who – inexplicably – put George W. Bush in the White House (twice), fell for Sarah Palin, and voted for Proposition 8 all to the shock and awe of the apoplectic left."

http://townhall.com/columnists/SECupp/2009/05/22/really_talented_performer_wins_american_idol;_liberals_blame_christians?page=full&comments=true

Liberals Are VERY Confused About Gun Provision

I have a new piece up in the Fox Forum, about the gun provision President Obama is expected to sign into law:





"The suggestions that legalizing concealed weapons in national parks will mean increased park violence, death to Smokey the Bear or a rush on machine guns is just sloppy research and a lazy interpretation of what, exactly, this bill will mean for gun owners. Of course it’s also an attempt to caricature gun owners as crazy-eyed nutjobs who’d take aim at a box of puppies if it crossed their field of vision, but that’s become standard operating procedure."

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/05/20/cupp_national_parks_guns/

We Already Know Who's Coming to Dinner

I have a new piece on Townhall today:

"We Already Know Who's Coming To Dinner"

"In fact, Obama talked less – far less – about lifting up black America than Hillary Clinton or John McCain. Or Bill Cosby, for that matter. Indeed Bill Clinton was both a candidate and president who actively tried to tackle race politics in America . Barack Obama is not."

http://townhall.com/columnists/SECupp/2009/05/15/we_already_know_whos_coming_to_dinner?page=full&comments=true

Courage or Subterfuge?

I have a new piece up in the Fox Forum:

"Obama Blinks on Prison Photos: Courage or Subterfuge?"

"The way I see it, there are three likely circumstances that could explain this 147th flip-flop on the interrogation issue and whether or not prosecuting the Bush administration is something Obama wants to do. (It would seem an easy enough question – either he’s for it or he’s against it. But then again, as has become typical, no one seems to know what Barack Obama’s for and against.)"

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/05/13/cupp_obama_photos/

Catholics Are Tongue-Tied About Obama at Notre Dame

I have a new piece up today in Newsmax, about Obama's invitation to Notre Dame.

"Catholics Tongue-Tied Over Obama at Notre Dame."

"I toured the campuses of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s during my visit last week. I attended a Friday evening mass; I lit a candle at the famous grotto; and I checked out Notre Dame’s “touchdown Jesus.” And then I spoke with a group of students from both schools as well as some of the local GOP leadership. Needless to say, they are not looking forward to President Obama’s arrival. But they are in the minority."

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_notre_dame_cupp/2009/05/10/212855.html

Supreme Court as Montessori School?

Check out my latest post in the Fox Forum:

"Obama's Wacky Supreme Court Vision"

"How do we administer an empathy test? Will the Judiciary Committee present potential appointees with a hypothetical empathy stress test? 'Box of Puppies: Good or Bad?'"

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/05/05/cupp_supreme_court/

SE in South Bend

If you're in the South Bend, IN area this weekend, visit with me! Schedule as follows:

Friday, May 1st:

3:30pm South Bend Chocolate Cafe
4pm St Mary's College
5:30pm University of Notre Dame
6:30pm Private reception with College Republicans
8pm LaSalle Grill

Saturday, May 2nd:

1pm Booksigning at Borders Mishawaka

Gays Should Play it Straight When Seeking Support for Marriage Rights

I have a new piece in the New York Daily News today:

"Gays Should Play it Straight When Seeking Support for Marriage Rights"

"If gays want equal treatment, they need to avoid the trap of demanding preferential treatment, which is what the Chicago bars are doing. Any bar owner who banned homosexuals would be rightly accused of discrimination. Banning straight-women-who-may-be-getting-married-soon is just as insipid. And stupid."

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_gays_should_play_it_straight_when_it_comes_.html

Gay Republican for City Council? Get on Board, GOP

I have a piece up on Newsmax today about a 22-year-old gay Republican City Council candidate in Palm Springs named Drew Sweatte:

"Gay Republican for City Council? Get on Board, GOP"

"Drew's platform should give Palm Springs a real reason to unseat former N.O.W. president Ginny Foat. And not because he is running as a 'gay candidate.' He's running as a pro-business candidate in a town (and state) that is feeling the economic crisis harder than others."

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/se_cupp_gay_republicans/2009/04/26/207564.html

Obama's First 100 Days

Here we go...along with everyone else, I weigh in on Obama's first 100 days here, on the Fox Forum. And by all accounts, it's been a (forgiveably?) lackluster start.

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/04/27/cupp_obama_100/

The Revolution That Wasn't?

I have a piece in Newsmax online this morning about the liberal media's reaction to the tea parties:

"The Revolution That Wasn't?"

"Buried under stories about the President's new dog and his many fans overseas is the rumbling of a new and decidedly un-silent minority who will slowly become an un-silent majority while MSNBC is busy laughing and calling them crazy. If there's any doubt that the media is awash in bright blue Obamamania, and that it's thrown objectivity out the window along with reason and dignity, the tea party coverage is undeniable proof."

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/se_cupp_protests/2009/04/19/204741.html

Village Voice Scoffs at NYC Tea Party -- And Admits it Left Early

The Village Voice showed up at the New York City Tea Party just long enough to poke a little fun, it seems. Claiming only 2,000 people showed up when the NYPD reported 12,500 is just one of the transparent digs at everyday Americans who want smaller government and more fiscal responsibility. Job well done, Village Voice...you're a bastion of journalistic integrity.

Full story here:

http://tinyurl.com/dbbmyr

Obama's Judicial Pick and Allah

New piece up on Newsmax:

"Why Republicans Shunned Obama's Judicial Pick"

"Praying in the name of Allah doesn’t advance a particular religion? I’m totally unfamiliar with Allah’s secular identity. Is 'Allah' also a pagan deity? Is 'Allah' also god of NASCAR or the iPod? Why would someone want to silence a majority in favor of the few? Luckily, the ruling was overturned by the very court to which Judge Hamilton stands to be appointed."

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/se_cupp_hamiliton_pick/2009/04/12/202255.html

The Catholic Identity Crisis

Up today on the New York Daily News site: "The Catholic Identity Crisis"

"If it looks like there's an identity crisis within the Catholic contingent, there is - but the divisive episode at Notre Dame was hardly the catalyst. This is a continuation of problems Catholics faced during this presidential campaign and campaigns past, and it's hurting their message and their influence."

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_the_catholic_identity_crisis.html

Gen. Paul Vallely Profile

Profile of Gen. Paul Vallely in Parcbench:

"Paul`s commitment comes with a sense of urgency that is obscured by his welcoming, musical drawl, a made-for-radio voice reminiscent of John Wayne and the spaghetti westerns on which boys in Dubois, Pennsylvania, where he was born, were raised. He tells me that two years ago he was "98% dead" after suffering an aortic ambulism. "I had half an hour to live. That changed me..."

http://parcbench.com/article_details.php?RId=100&topic=front

Recession as the New 9/11?

I have a new piece on Newsmax: "Recession as the New 9/11?"

"As a justification for the continued theft of taxpayer money to help fund various non-emergency pork projects, President Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, prone to crude linguistic spasms and metaphorical mustache-twirling, devilishly admitted way back in November, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." (And an evil cackle was heard all the way to Smurf Village.)"

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/se_cupp_new_9_11/2009/04/05/199948.html

How An American Banker Becomes a Fulham Fan

New piece up on Sports Illustrated online:

"How an American banker becomes a Fulham fan is anyone's guess -- in Lyle's case it was somewhat capricious, if a little embarrassing. "I wanted to follow a team in London so I could travel somewhere good to see them. My idiot friend had a crush on Carlos Bocanegra, so at her urging I went with Fulham." In the interest of full disclosure, I am said "idiot friend."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/se_cupp/04/02/soccer.fulham/index.html

Brits are Unimpressed?

Hardly a rave review from Michael White, Guardian UK political blogger...where's that Obamian charm we've heard so much about? Some excerpts:

"After all the adulation and the hatred, you have to reassure yourself the new president of the United States is just a man struggling to do his best."

"What that means is that he thinks before he feels, unlike George Bush, unlike Bill Clinton, too, I suspect. "

"Obama did not light up the gilded pomp of the Locarno Room at the Foreign Office where the hacks had been waiting two hours, a security-driven feature of dealing with a US president for many years now. He looked tired – not much evidence of his famous cool on this occasion – and did not smile much, though he does do humour and made a couple of decent jokes."

"Whatever family hostility we suspect the half-Kenyan president harbours towards the British Empire – his autobiography contains several sharp passages – he buried it. War and peace, thick and thin, a kinship of ideals as well as interests ... he laid it on with a trowel, though not with discernible warmth."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2009/apr/01/barack-obama-gordon-brown-pre-g20-press-conference