The antithesis of a feminist candidate.
Sep. 4th, 2008 06:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusI 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-05 02:01 am (UTC)Joe Lieberman, who McCain apparently RILLY RILLY WANTED TO TAKE TO THE PROM: pro-choice.
That's it, IMHO.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-05 02:14 am (UTC)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.