Is Sarah Palin a "feminist"? Would she stand up for women's issues? Going Rogue provides us with useful clues. And, how can Sarah use her life experiences, as revealed in Going Rogue, to win over women voters?
First a confession. Yes, I am the president and co-founder of a new national women's organization, but I am not a "feminist". My epiphany came earlier this year. A neighbor had volunteered to send out thank you notes for my organization. One day, she apologetically announced: "I have a confession. I'm not a feminist." My immediate, unfiltered response: "Neither am I."
Frankly, the women in my generation -- the PTA and soccer moms -- generally do not consider themselves to be feminists. I was hardly surprised when a Daily Beast poll found that 80% of women don't associate with the word (and yes Tina, we are looking for a replacement term).
It's not that women of my generation do not care about women's issues. We care immensely. The major issues impacting my generation are born from the successes of the women's rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s. While we gained the freedom to enter the workforce, women of my generation struggle with the guilt of working or the guilt of giving up a career. If we work, we face discrimination in some subtle, and some not so subtle ways. We are also faced with a crisis decades after women gained sexual freedoms: the sexualization of our teenage daughters and the escalating rates of teen dating violence.
In Going Rogue, Sarah Palin reveals her own experience with the issues of our generation. So I wonder - could a woman like Sarah, who has shared many of our struggles, help to advance women?
We need to give this question serious consideration, and here is why: women's health -- be it mammograms, pap smears or abortion availability -- is under assault. Not by the Republicans. The assault comes from a Democratic administration and a Democrat controlled House and Senate. Only women, from both parties, are speaking out for us. Even though women delivered President Obama the election, voting largely around the issue of choice - the reward: a major setback to Roe. Perhaps it is time for women to re-examine some of our preconceived notions of who best represents our interests.
Would Sarah Palin fight for us? First, let's clear up a few factual inaccuracies: Sarah does not oppose contraception (p. 238); did not ban library books (p.237); the rape kit story is false (p.237); and Tina Fey's words are Tina's, not Sarah's (p.309).
Here's Sarah in her own words:
1. Work/Life Balance (p. 103)
It irked me that too often women are made to feel guilty for seeking the next open door, no matter what career choices we make.
Quote by Track in 2004 (p. 341)
"I don't want you to run for U.S. Senate, Mom. Who would be our hockey manager?"
2. Surrounding Herself with Women in her Campaigns (p. 70)
I ran a very grassroots campaign, mostly with the help of my girlfriends. We painted pink-and-green signs....
[Two closest aids throughout her political career: Meghan Stapleton, Kris Perry.]
3. Attacks on Her Children (p. 351-2)
Letterman's "joke" about Willow
No, I guess I can't take a joke that suggests it's funny to humiliate a young girl...to the detriment of young women, who are already too often made to feel like sex objects...
4. Sexism
Quote by man in Wasilla (p. 71)
...he said. "But you're not going to win because you have three strikes against you....Track, Bristol, and Willow."
During VP run (p. 318)
Schmidt told Randy he thought I might be suffering from postpartum depression.
5. Women's Issues (p.151)
(while cutting the budget as governor)
We...beefed up funding for public safety officers to handle alcohol abuse and domestic violence...
6. Womens Representation (p. 200)
Quote by Alaska House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula (Democrat)
"I finally get to go to the restroom and talk business with the governor. The guys have been doing this for centuries."
7. Personal Tragedy (first miscarriage) (p. 56-7)
The miscarriage carved a new depth in my heart. I became a little less Pollyanna-ish, a little less naive about being invincible and in control.
8. Title IX and Equal Opportunity (p. 29)
My parents gave us equal opportunity and expectation...I'm a product of Title IX...I was a direct beneficiary of the equal rights...Later, my own daughters would benefit, participating in sports like hockey, wrestling, and football, which had been closed to girls for decades.
But even if Sarah Pain could be an advocate for women issues, will women vote for her? Here's the challenge for Governor Palin: if you want to win the White House, you'll need women voters. Your recent favorability rating among women is 37%, significantly lower than with men.
If you want women's votes, you must speak up on women's issues -- just like you did in Going Rogue. And, since many women vote around the issue of abortion (that's how the DNC corralled a victory for Obama in 2008), you need to be brave and take a stand.
Few reading here likely know that you stood up to your own party on gay rights (p.143). That while you were governor, conservatives passed a bill that would prohibit state benefits to same-sex couples and you vetoed it:
...I would be bound by judiciary's ruling...Therefore, even though legislators passed a law that reflected my personal views, I vetoed it. It wasn't about me; it was - and is - about respecting the Constitution and the separation of powers.
Governor Palin -- you can't get to 1600 Pennsylvania without taking that same stance on another judiciary decision: Roe v. Wade. But if you do, you might just yet break that highest ceiling.
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The above link is in response to "Middle Blue"....w
If any of you had, friends, daughters, mothers, family who had accomplish
However, despite the fact that Governor Palin was a legally-co
Sarah was so scared for her kids, she took them out of school. And she wrote all about it in her book -- how young students in Juneau committed horrific crimes, posting threats on the internet.
So what do you think? Did everyone have a sudden attack of amnesia, and leave your accomplish
Just what excuse or reason could allow such an accusation
I don't think anything you brought up detracts from accomplish
How exactly did she get those opportunit
What trail did she blaze?
Under what conditions could such a shockingly poor public speaker be deemed a political success?
If you quit your elected position to get rich, is that good, or bad?
If you dropped out of a few different colleges, what are you made of?
I think it is a sign of the times that anyone ever took her seriously.
Did you read the link? Sift through the legislatio
Why, really, so vehement against her? There are other elected officials whose lives and records we could spend time dissecting
For a 'shockingl
She is not sterile, polished, dispassion
We have high ranking elected officials now that fail miserably to connect as she does...and what you don't get, it's not only what she has done, but who she is.
But it shouldn't be a surprise that Siskindian
At Ms. Siskind's blog, you will find puff pieces on not only Sarah but Michelle Bachmann, and the few comments are by some of the most sad women that ever hated men and thought that was feminism.
And it was Limbaugh and his ilk who tied the concept of feminism up with the hatred of men. Because the social freedom that feminists practiced -- ignoring the double standard -- made feminists less impressed or guided by bombastic male egotism.
Except Letterman did no such thing. The only error he made was misidentif
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I wish Ms. Suskind would understand this. I'm not familiar with her age or birthday, but I don't think every female of a generation identifies as a "PTA or soccer mom"; there's nothing wrong with calling oneself this, or with being one, but it isn't necessaril
Because feminism is not about some militant campaign for a gynocracy run by vengeful females: it's a recognitio
Clues in Sarah's book? How about clues from Sarah's life. Ask the women who had to pay for their rape kits.... You might ask the Palin children about "Wonder Mom" who hands children to volunteers and a teen daughter but cooly steps off buses for 5 minute photo ops with baby- in the freezing cold - wave and ta da she is June Cleaver and Maverick extraordin
And she writes a book about Going Rogue filled with so many outright lies but what the hey? Because in print she LOOKS like she's a mighty example of womanhood. Appearance
Speaking of which, if all else fails then she just make the skirt a little tighter, maybe some thigh high boots, and wink at the boys. That's always a great way to represent women.
Give it up. This isn't about "feminism"
Feminism is in our DNA, women fought for their rights and the rights of others from the days of Rome and before. Amy claims that the rights she enjoys were achieved in the 1970s -- which neatly removes the suffragett
Feminism's roots are based in the violent years of union rising and mass slavery, not discussed and then DISMISSED over thank-you envelopes! We'd all still be gaining work in factories by kneeling in front of the foreman if Amy had been the template of a feminist.
And just what did she achieve, I'd like to know, in those long years she spent as a token feminist BEFORE she and her pillbox hatted friend shared the epiphany (in shocked whispers) that OMG, they really weren't!
More tea? Your frock is just lovely, dear!
The reason why people dislike calling themselves feminist is because they do not want to be called man haters and other ridiculous generaliza
If you believe women deserve equal rights you are a Feminist.
Feminism is about choice. The choice to be a stay at home mother, the choice to go to work, the choice to have an abortion, the choice not to, the choice to keep your name, the choice to change your name, the choice to do whatever you want regardless of your gender.
Feminism gave you the right to vote. Feminism gave every woman choices. Whether or not you identify as a Feminist you are still benefiting from the movement right now.
Instead of listening to tired old generaliza
I find it so curious, if she is the true feminist she touts herself to be, why she didn't support or promote Cynthia McKinney on the Green Party ticket during the general instead of McCain/Pal
How did you know exactly what I was about to type? Exactly so.
She broke through barriers, glass ceilings, and she did it with chutzpah. Do you have to toe a party line to be admired? I'm conservati
So in Palin's case I don't think she broke through any barriers at all. She was chosen as VP as a desperate stunt and she performed miserably as a candidate, the first VP candidate in modern history to avoid any substantiv
And you are correct. She was chosen as a stunt. John McCain's cynicsm and desperatio
Gov. Palin had highest approval rating of all Governors, 2007 its 89%, 2008 its 82%.
She was the chief executive of a state with 24,400 state employees, 35,500 local government employees, and 3,800 tribal government employees.
She was the only person running with executive experience
Alaska’s revenues doubled to $10 billion in 2008.
She defeated republican governor Murkowski in the primary and former democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election.
Her expenses as Governor were 80% less than former Gov. Murkowski.
Her first legislativ
She implemente
She created Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to oversee and maintain oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastruc
She created a Climate Change Sub-Cabine
Because of her leadership work has begun on a $40 billion natural gas pipeline. It’s the largest private sector infrastruc
She fought the oil company executives and got them to drill on their leases.
She returned the state gasoline taxes back to the people. They receive a check every year.
She returned some of the state’s budget surplus back to the people.
She has reduced state spending by $240 million in 2007 and by $290 million in 2008.
Quitting a state governorsh
To equate the two women is comparing apples to rutabagas.
However, recently released budget documents show that Sarah Palin directly shifted the cost of the rape kits from the police department to the victims in her budget for fiscal year 2000.
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4) Tina Fey's words are Tina's, not Sarah's (p.309): We acknowledg