The antithesis of a feminist candidate.

[icarus]

I break with most feminists on some key issues, but I'm still a feminist.

I've been baffled at the choice of Palin. Her experience consists of being mayor of a town of 9,000 and governor of a state that has fewer residents than many cities (at 670,000 Alaska's entire population is little more than the population of Seattle).

Obviously she's just on the ticket because she's a woman -- but why her?

I looked on Wikipedia and there are certainly female Republican senators. There's Kay Bailey Hutchison who according to Peggy Noonan (former speech writer for Reagan and conservative commentator) was one of the top contenders. There are women Republicans in the House. Palin is certainly a conservative, but as rabidfan mentioned, there are plenty conservative women out there. Yes, true.

They picked Palin for her looks, sure, because she's young. They want to get rid of the "old wrinkly guy" label McCain got saddled with among young voters after Paris Hilton's reply to his campaign ad ("then that old wrinkly guy used me in his campaign ad, so I guess I'm running for president!").

But I've come to the conclusion they picked Palin because of her lack of Washington experience: she's a symbol, a throwaway. After the election, she will be a total newbie, dependent on them for her political contacts.

They won't have to contend with a (Republican) woman with real power, with her own agenda, and her own constituency.

They want a woman they can put away in bubblewrap when the election is over.



ETA: Making Light is taking apart Palin's "community organizers" crack. Yeah, I bet she doesn't like the community organizers since they almost got her recalled by the city council for firing the librarian who refused to ban books as Palin wanted. Community organizers. Because heaven forfend that we have a democracy.

Comments

[titti]

Hutchinson would have been a great choice, but she said weeks ago that she wasn't interested in becoming VP and would not accept the nomination.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

According to Peggy Noonan, the Hutchison camp was disappointed at the choice. I think she probably has the inside scoop since the standard practice is to say, "Oh, no, I don't want it." A few weeks ago would have been about the time Hutchison was told that it wasn't going to be her. Palin also expressed doubt about the whole idea of being the VP nominee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=006axc2aELE).

[titti]

It could possibly be. I won't argue that, because I simply don't know either way. However, I think picking someone from TX would have been a bad tactical choice no matter how much I like her.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

mecurtin points out that Hutchison's pro-choice stance probably nixed her. I buy that.

But there are tons of experienced women in the House with strong pro-life voting records (Jean Schmidt, Marilyn Musgrave, Mary Bono Mack who has ten years of experience), so that alone doesn't explain Palin.

[elfgirl.livejournal.com]

There's also this: http://www.crosscut.com/politics-government/17341

Honestly, this woman scares the shit out of me.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

*nods* I think she's what Bob Altemeyer in "Authorianism" calls a "double-high": a social dominator who's also a right-wing authoritarian. I think McCain has created a monster, and she's young and will be around for decades.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

Kay Bailey Hutchison: pro-choice. Christie Whitman: pro-choice. Olympia Snowe: pro-choice.

Joe Lieberman, who McCain apparently RILLY RILLY WANTED TO TAKE TO THE PROM: pro-choice.

That's it, IMHO.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Ah. It would have cost McCain the conservative voters who are on the fence and teetering?

No, I'm still not buying it. Jean Schmidt is pro-life and she's in the House of Representatives. There's Marilyn Musgrave who's strongly pro-life. Mary Bono Mack is as well, and has served in the House for over ten years....

No, the pro-choice stance may have nixed Hutchison, but there are plenty of more qualified women with strong pro-life voting records.

[bramble-rose.livejournal.com]

KBH is also pretty much a sure thing for Governor here in Texas in the next election says just about everyone.

[blackletter]

Palin was chosen not just because she's a woman, but because she's very very popular with the extreme religious right. (Whereas McCain is too "moderate" for their tastes.) That, I think, is the real point in chosing Palin. The religious right is a major conservative base and they're *very* loud, *very* organized, and *very* active. McCain needs their support to win.

She wasn't chosen over more experienced women so that she could be controlled; they picked her because she's a right-wing fundamentalist Christian ideologue.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/352178

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inzilbeth_/]

Yup, she is scary. I can see how she got her nickname "Sarah Barracuda". I just hope people see through her and do not vote Reb. just because she is a women. She is nothing like Hillary Clinton and those who supported Hillary will be smart enough to see that.

[monniesgirl-65.livejournal.com]

Yes Yes Yes this (They want a woman they can put away in bubblewrap when the election is over)
This is what i want to tell conservatives that are voting for McCain because of Palin, she is not going to be your advocate in the white house, he's not going to go to her for advice or consultation and if they think that they're going to be in for a rude awakening.

[florahart]

at 670,000 Alaska's entire population is little more than the population of Seattle

And that's Seattle proper, isn't it? I mean, as opposed to Issaquah and Bellevue and Renton and and and.

So, yeah, basically brief experience that is not notably different than "Mayor of Seattle" except with less dealing with actual people because the population density of Alaska is "one," so lots of room for people not to stomp on each other. I would frankly consider someone who had been, say, longtime President of the NCAA or Chair of GWLA (association of research libraries all over the western US) to have more relevant experience in terms of having to balance conflicting and complicated needs and budgets and whatnot.

Also, I just sat here and watched McCain, and I think I sprained my brain. I just... fjkahfhlkjahsf! So much with the just not truishness! Wow.

[cheshyre]

One of the other things I've heard is that the more experienced Republican women don't get along with John McCain terribly well.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. John McCain has a reputation for being a hothead.