Sarah Puts On Her Cheney Hat (shirt)?
I’ve been a feminist all my political life. I have worked to protect the rights of women and carried legislation to do so at both the state and federal level. I think I know sexism when I see it, I also know red herrings when I see them. Governor Palin was sprung on the nation a week ago after apparently having had her first meeting with John McCain a day or two before being announced. Why McCain chose Governor Palin remains to be explained. Gov. Palin’s record also needs to be vetted just as her “world view” needs to be explored and where she would take the nation if indeed she became President, needs to be understood. Doing this is not sexism, it is our duty.
Gov. Palin’s speech last Wednesday night was the same red meat I would expect from Dick Cheney, so in that regard she fills the traditional role of the Republican ideal of a VP candidate. The Republicans have been “working the refs” with the press, when any questions are raised about her qualifications, background, beliefs and her family. They loudly yell sexism if anyone dares ask question about Gov. Palin. Now this could have been avoided if McCain had done a credible job in the first place in choosing her as his Vice Presidential candidate.
On the last issue of her family, I make this observation: The campaign has declared Palin’s daughter and her pregnancy and unmarried status out of bounds. They declared it as a “private matter” within the family. All right, I agree. Now if only McCain, Palin and other anti-choice politicians would afford that same privacy to all women.
Roe v Wade was decided on the basis of privacy, not abortion. The Supreme Court stated that the government’s role involving a woman’s pregnancy would be limited due the privacy issues involved. McCain and Palin would interject government’s heavy hand into a “private matter” for hundreds of thousands of other women. I hope the irony doesn’t escape American voters.
Thoughtful Analysis of McSame Campaign’s Privacy Request « VirginiaDem.org:
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6 September 2008, 1:58 pmLeslie:
Thanks for the hat tip Shawn. I am in the process of redesigning the site and I’ll have updates more regularly. Regards, Leslie
6 September 2008, 7:39 pmIngrid:
Good. Thanks for posting this, Leslie!
8 September 2008, 3:20 pmDoug Adams:
I think for 30+ years the pro-choice side has made the same error, or more likely the same obfuscation: that the issue of abortion is primarily about the mother. The issue, in public policy terms is not about the woman. The question boils down to, when in a person’s life is he (she) entitled to the protections guaranteed under the Constitution and the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness championed in our Declaration of Independence? I am not sending this to provide the answer. Just that that, simply, is the question that should be debated regarding abortion.
8 September 2008, 3:33 pmleslie:
Doug: I guess you are asking when a woman’s constitutional right ends?
8 September 2008, 3:46 pmAndrew Nelson:
Leslie,
I’ll preface this with , I may just be young and naive. However, in my opinion Sarah Palin was picked for two reasons, first to connect the McCain campaign with people. She comes off as a two pronged stereotype. First she comes off as that popular girl in high school all the guys wanted to ask out, and all the girls wanted to be friends with. Sadly (with regards to the gallup poll of likely voters) it seems that that tactic worked. She also has this seemingly innocent quality about her. I think this will cause Biden to walk a very thin line in the debate, unless he wants to come off as “beating up a poor woman”. Secondly, she was pulled on as an attack dog. saying whatever we want with regards to her policies or lack of true leadership, she is good at making attacks. Once again she will be able to throw tons of punches hoping to get the Obama campaign to retaliate.
W/ regards to her family life, I completely agree that Bristol is a private matter, however her mothers views should not be allowed to get thrown behind that curtain. Sarah’s extremist views of abstinence only sex education need to be heard. However, the hypocrisy of the anti-choice politicians is something we all expected.
As has been said over and over, this isn’t change, this is just more of the same. What I think we need is for good democratic women, like you, to stand up and say what you said. Its not sexism to oppose Sarah Palin. In my opinion its actually sexist (to an extent) to support her.
One last thing w/ regards to the latest Gallup poll. I think one thing we learned this primary season is that the polls aren’t always to be trusted.
-Andrew Nelson
8 September 2008, 4:08 pmleslie:
Andrew: Check out this latest pronouncement from Governor Palin: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gPfdSGL82ufTASVrfgCbKslcCYPgD931R0600
She said about the Bush Administration’s take-over of Freddie MAC and Fannie MAE :” They’ve gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers. The McCain-Palin administration will make them smaller and smarter and more effective for homeowners who need help.” This on the heels of one of the biggest government take-over of private companies in US history, which will cost taxpayers billions (on top of the 30 billion dollar bail-out of Bear Stearns).
It just proves stupid doesn’t have a gender.
Don’t worry about the polls, the more McCain/Palin are exposed to the public, the less attractive they become.
8 September 2008, 6:07 pm