I know I've been quiet. Some might say eerily quiet. It's just that after Palin got picked I think I went into shock. It's not as if I didn't know how much sexism there was in this country. We're not still getting paid around 76 cents on the dollar for nothing (BTW, the reason we get paid that compared to a man is because, you guessed it, we have babies and they don't, gotta love being punished for biological fact). But, the old boys network managed to shock me.
You pick a woman as your running mate Mr. McCain. Way to go, you maverick, you. Aren't you forward thinking? Aren't you the agent of change? Gee, Barack really fell down on this one didn't he by not picking a woman? I bet the old boys club will kick you out now.
Okay, let's get back to reality. The reality is my husband said that I was treating Ms. Palin the way I accuse men of treating women. That would be a no, dear. Here is what I think of Ms. Palin.
She got elected because Alaska is different and the same than the rest of this country. I am sure there are other governors, mayors, etc. out there who got elected in the same folksy way she did. Remember, Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura? Look at Al Franken running for Congress. Yes, there is education behind some of these candidates, but there is also celebrity. A la Ronald Regan, John Glenn, Arnold, you get the idea. She was a beauty queen with what passed for celebrity in Alaska. She is no brain trust and that is why I cannot believe there are men lauding this woman as such a great choice. I'm even more disgusted at the women who are holding her up as a sign I saw in Simsbury said, "Real Leader. Real Woman." As opposed to what?
Listen, I would pick on her a lot less if she seemed at least marginally more intelligent than Dan Quayle, but when you watch those interviews with Katie Couric (who in those interviews seems to be asking easy peasy basic questions), it's almost sad and painful to watch. You Tube has the interviews, all but the one where she couldn't name more than one Supreme Court case. And of course, the one she did mention was Roe V. Wade.
I gave myself that little test and the first one that came to mind for me was Brown v. Board of Ed. Surprisingly Bush v. Gore was third for me, but still, this gets back to a comment I made right after she was chosen. I feel as if I am more qualified to be vice president, and we should all find that to be very scary.
1 comment:
Sarah Palin is the cartoon image of a candidate. She is not ready for primetime and should NEVER have been picked as a VP candidate of a 72 year old man. It is not antifeminist to oppose a candidate who is as unqualified as Palin is. Equality simply means gender is not an issue in getting a job, a political appointment and the like. I have NEVER seen or heard a feminist argue a woman should get a job or political appointment simply because of gender and not based on qualifications. Palin is an embarrisment to women everywhere.
Ninja Knitter
Post a Comment