Sarah Palin: Our First Woman President?

I've long harbored a suspicion I dared not speak until now: that the first woman president will be a Republican. Tonight's performance by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin brings that possibility a step closer to reality.

Forget rebuttal on the substance of her acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention for her nomination to the number-two spot on the national ticket: The fact that Palin was for the "bridge to nowhere" before she was against it, the misstatements on Barack Obama's tax plan, the demeaning of his work as a community organizer. None of that will matter.

Palin's speech was not meant to inform or inspire her audience. It was meant to rile, to stir, the vaunted base of the Republican Party: the religious right-wingers who have filled the ranks of Republican party delegates since 1980. It was meant to call down the force that will re-ignite the culture wars of the late 20th century. And so it did.

All week, my friends have licked their chops at the spectacle of Palin's nomination: the revelation of her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy and the rampant speculation about her own recent pregnancy and delivery of Trig, Palin's 5-month old baby with Down Syndrome. Then came the news -- since disproved -- that she belonged to the Alaska affiliate of the hard-right Constitution Party, which calls for a vote on whether Alaska should secede from the union. Then came word that her husband actually did belong to that party. Next up: Palin's attempt to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the Alaska State Troopers force. Now there are rumors of some blockbuster National Enquirer story about to come out. Don't bother. It won't matter. The fact is that, in the culture wars, the righteously religious will stick by their people, claiming to hate the sin and love the sinner. It's fair to say, I think, that they're willing to lose the battle for purity in order to win the election.

The forces behind Palin's sudden ascension to the national stage doubtless see in Barack Obama a very real potential for a new, majority movement rooted in liberal and progressive values -- one that holds appeal even to young people from evangelical homes. There is only one way to stop the momentum built by Obama: make him the "them" that "us" is called by God to fight. And that's a job for a culture warrior.

Palin, it's said, was not John McCain's first choice for the number two spot on his ticket -- but she sure was the pick of the pooh-bahs of the Council for National Policy, the super-secret organization that controls the Republican Party platform. Without the cooperation of the CNP, McCain gets no help on getting out the vote. The ground organization for voter turnout in the GOP lies not in the party proper, but in a network of right-wing churches -- much as the Democratic get-out-the-vote operation depends on the databases and canvassers of the nation's labor unions. Those churches generally take direction from one or another of the high-profile preachers in the CNP.

John McCain is certainly no favorite of the CNP types, especially since he called, in 2000, CNP members Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance", and wrote of Paul Weyrich, Heritage Foundation founder and CNP elder, that the latter was a "a pompous, self-serving son of a bitch." The Palin pick signals a rapprochement between McCain and various sons of bitches and agents of intolerance, who fell all over themselves this week in praise of McCain's running mate, and Mr. Maverick himself. (Canvassers, get cracking!)

In Sarah Palin, the right has found a foil for Obama who seems tailor-made -- someone who can stir the waters of resentment without sacrificing the right's ideals on the nature of womanhood. Unlike the Obamas, she and her husband do not have diplomas from prestigious institutions. The Palins are not urban. They hunt, fish, snow-mobile and have five children -- one of whom is about to deploy to Iraq, on Sept. 11, no less. The Alaska governor is so anti-choice that she does not even believe in exceptions for rape or incest. Sarah Palin -- the same generation as Barack Obama -- earned her spot on the ticket simply by being so different from him while yet representing change by virtue of her gender. And that's no small thing.

Just as it took a woman -- CNP member Phyllis Schlafly -- to stop the Equal Rights Amendment, so, too, will it take a woman to stop Obama. (Which is why I thought McCain would choose a woman all along.) Because her gender is a first for the Republican party on a national ticket, Palin provides cover for the party's retrograde agenda: one in which women's fate is determined by men, and fair treatment for women and people of color enjoys no protection from the state. She is unlikely to be stopped by scandal. The only way to oppose her is on the merits of her greater agenda -- opposition to equal rights and reproductive rights -- and the company she keeps on the far right.

For a woman to be elected president from the outside, as Hillary Clinton tried to do, is an extremely difficult endeavor. To ascend from the vice presidency is a far more likely scenario, I believe. Given the enthusiastic support Palin enjoys from her admirers and the closeness of this presidential contest so far, Sarah Palin could well be our first woman president. Now there's a thought to give one pause.

ASIDES

Must-read: Jay Rosen: The Culture War Option For The Palin Convention

Sarah Palin's Party Loyalty - The Media Consortium

Sarah Palin and Christian Dominionist Theocracy - Chip Berlet

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

Follow Adele Stan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/addiestan

Comments

[piperflyer]

I wouldn't take lightly the "called down the force" statement. That's exactly what happened. The power of God---the God of creation, evolution, and salvation---was called down by Sarah Palin and the world knows it and is reeling because the power is what it is----God. There's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on. The bible says "what can be shaken will be shaken. The Dems were shaken this week. "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God."

[airhunt]

That could be it!. Dems got a chance, but blew it! The Elephant did it again!..

[rdlmorgan]

I happen to like Sara's style, story, and honesty. As a resident of Delaware, I'm embarassed to say Joe Biden is my senator. Today's News Journal has a front page article revealing how he is falsely suggesting that the truck driver who struck and killed his first wife and their daughter back in 1972 was driving drunk. Biden is acting as though this is the fact and is portraying himself as being gracious for not retaliating and harbors no resentment. This is the same man who had to apologize for plagerism a few years back. Sara may not be perfect but I believe her to be honest and that goes a long way with me.

[darkkloud99]

who was in charge when contrina hit ?the republican.

who was in charge when the hightest gas price hit? the rpublican.

who was in charge when recession hit? the republican.

who was in charge when bush declaired war on iraq? the republican.

who was in charge when bush lied to america about weapon of mass destruction?. the republican.

who was in charge when the housing bubble buested? the republican.

who was in charge when russia invaded georgia? the republican.

who was in charge when gas price went sky rocket high? the republican.

who was in charge when north korea fired a nuk missle? the republican.

who was in charge when the iraq war resulted in thousand of innecent lives lost to lies? the republican.

who was in charge in 2008 in america with know health care for it citizens? the republican.

[gevan]

Notes for Joe Biden in prep for the October 2nd date with Gov. Palin: http://mediamattersaction.org/palin_myths/ If it helps to fill in her bio, the media are still catching up on this previously unknown from the Republic of Alaska.

[seeker1of2truth]

Adele - wonderful take on Palin and what's happening. As I told a co-worker this morning that I've know since 1986 - "If I was John McCain, I'd be more worried about someone from his Republican
party b u m p i n g him off so Sarah could be president". She couldn't believe what a visceral
reaction I'd had to the Palin speech even though she's an Obama supporter also. After the speech
I immediately went to MyBarackObama.com and donated another $100.

NO WAY, NO HOW, NO McCAIN / PALIN

[janetG]

God help us if this woman gets a hundred yards from the white house. A pit bull with lipstick ..... as she calls herself. I was waiting to hear "bring it on" Pack your gun and brood and head back to Alaska.

[Mariel]

Hey, that's right, poster whose post I tried to reply to. Jesus WAS a community organizer. But he didn't use political vehicles to organize. Anyway, a good comment. I thought Palin goofed on that one and a lot of other ones. Even though I'll probably vote for her because of her stand on abortion. Some of us, including Jesus perhaps, have a no-compromise stand on that. I really can't say for SURE what Jesus would say about that, but I wouldn't want to take a chance that he'd approve of abortion.

[omahkohkiaayo]

There are all sorts of secret cults, that do exist, and really have some non-transparent and unaccountable power, that need to be outed as they involve members taking oaths that either trump any secular oaths they might be required to take, and/or, involve oaths to actually subvert some of the secular oaths (like to serve, protect and defend the Constitution of the U.S.) they may tactically be forced to take.

Someone running for president of the U.S., is running for an office that includes the power and capabilities to launch devastating wars that could threaten the whole planet. Thus all questions should be fair game and applied without fear or favor: Senator Obama, why does your team refuse to just answer the question, just give a yes or no, did you attend, with Hillary, a Bilderberger meeting in Virginia in June of 2008, if you did, what was discussed? If someone who has attended a Bilderberger meeting cannot discuss what goes on at their meetings, why should any public official belong to such a group? The same applies with the likes of Skull and Bones, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commmission etc where secrecy is sworn that may well be in conflict with the responsibilities and duties of a public servant and the rights of the public he/she is supposed to serve and be accountable to.

There are also plenty of questions for McCaine.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9270

[ibsteve2u]

You know that America is in trouble when the "Noooo, we're not fascists!"-types don't even bother to obfuscate their names so that you cannot discern their mission.

"Council For National Policy" and "Project for the New American Century"?

Pretty blunt, in fact.

And you thought this was YOUR America.

[novadust]

the sex card has been played, the republican hats are back on, and the american hats are off once more.

[rboylern]

I think it's time for the electorate to stop all this crap about gender and race and get down to dealing with the crushingly important issues which face our nation. Enough whining and complaining. Those things are not in the least bit helpful. I cannot recall having heard anything substantial from either Sen McCain or from Gov Palin. I wonder if I ever will. They do seem quick, however, to indulge in lots of "ad hominem" jibes at those who don't agree with them. How useful is that?

[thenextquagmire]

I think having a Republican woman as President, would be as great as having a Democratic woman as President. The problem with Palin, is that she is running with John McCain, and her credibility and foundationally and fundamentally been undermined.

The problem is that when people go into that voting booth,they instictively will not vote for Palin, not because she is a woman, but because she is a threat to their interest.

Second, there is a misunderstanding in some circles as to why Hillary Clinton lost. It was a deep rooted fear of stagnation. The country was not going to move forward but look like the past.

Third, Sarah Palin might have a future in some political circles, and although she is a woman and a fresh face, she represents the past. A political quagmire, that may tug at some hearts but ironically will not move America forward, or even women forward.

[Liberoservative]

The problem with Palin is that she is a radical right wing Evangelical who believes that the United States is a Force of God to impose Democracy across the Universe..­.

We do NOT need a Theocratic government


We will be the authors of our own defeat in doing such and we sill have completely lost the purpose of the United States Constitution

[theone718]

It would be very interesting for O to run against her in '12. She would be a formidable foe.

[fnygy]

We must frame the issues differently. Let's applaud Governor Palin for choosing to have her Down syndrome baby. But, it's easier to make such a choice when you enjoy health coverage - including maternity coverage - courtesy of the state of Alaska. Democrats want to give healthcare to everyone - making it easier for those who aren't as blessed as the governor to make that same choice.

Governor Palin said Bristol "chose" to have her baby. That's an interesting way to put it, since Governor Palin's ideal is to DENY any choice for your daughter. She thinks it's a good idea to force your teenaged daughter to have her baby - even in the case of rape or incest.

Governor Palin paints herself as an anti-tax crusader. She cut property taxes in her small hometown - but RAISED sales taxes - very regressive. Property owners saved money, those who don't own property saw their taxes GO UP.

These are the ways to fight Mrs. Palin. Don't attack the fact that she's "inexperie­nced." Attack the experience itself. She's vulnerable on these and many, many issues.