Are American Women as Stupid as John McCain Thinks?

Many people are more qualified than me to write about politics. However, as an outsider, I think I am qualified to comment on John McCain's selection of a running mate --since his choice seems clearly designed to win over the hearts and minds -- and votes -- not of political pundits -- but of women like me.

I don't need to hear experts on either side spin the conversation. I don't think McCain cares if I hear their words anyway -- given that a picture is worth a thousand words. Because McCain right now is asking American women to look at the picture. And the most important attribute McCain wants us to notice about his running mate is something he won't mention in words: her breasts.

She made this clear herself by trying so transparently to appeal to Hillary's supporters as if they admire Hillary for her estrogen rather than her intellect and experience. Could anything be more insulting? Does McCain really believe American women are that stupid?

Although I don't always think the American people make wise decisions (i.e. 2000 and 2004) I have far more faith in their collective wisdom at this moment than John McCain apparently does.

Does he think we don't notice his unbelievable level of hypocrisy?
Here is McCain, questioning the judgment of a man who has inspired millions to support him in a grassroots campaign for President. And here is McCain, asking us to choose him instead---based on his superior judgment---when he selects Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat away (in McCain's case, less than a heartbeat away) from the presidency.

Despite fortunate near-misses like Dan Quayle and Spiro Agnew, American history is filled with times when a president is unable to serve and the Vice President takes over -- not even including the last 8 years. We have to trust that our president has our best interests at heart when he makes this first, and potentially most important choice of his future presidency.

Today -- in the midst of a war that McCain believes is going to continue maybe forever, at a time when our nation faces some of the greatest problems in our entire history, his first presidential decision is revealed to us -- the person in whose hands he wants to place the future of the war in Iraq, the future of our country, possibly the future of our planet.

I have nothing against Sarah Palin. I'm sure she is a very capable governor of Alaska. And even a really good mom to her 5 children.

But nothing matters except one thing. John McCain is 72 years old, and has battled melanoma several times, and the only real job of the Vice President is to be there, just in case.

You don't need a thousand words. You don't need any words. Just look at the big picture.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

Comments

[moAb]

McCain has made a terrible choice for VP. I will let others argue or describe all the ways that she is a bad and stupid choice. What is scaring the stuffing out of me is that he would make such a choice knowing full well that his age alone raises the odds that Palin might have to take his place. Add to the age factor the history of malignant melanoma, an incredibly aggressive and unpredictable "bad actor" of a cancer and the possibility that she takes his place goes up even more. Add to that his problems with impulse control and possible worsening memory problems and you have a recipe for disaster. How can this choice be considered wise? or good for our country? or be called patriotic? It cannot. Mr McCain's first big "presidential decision" has been a disaster. What makes it even worse is the sad fact, politics aside, that there are a lot of qualified people he could have picked, female or male.

Note: Mr. McCain released medical records and claims a clean bill of health. While I am sure he sees qualified physicians routine physical exams and followup exams short of extensive image testing and blood work as well as possible tissue biopsies are relatively insensitive and can miss all to much.

[DiBaskin]

I am an Obama supporter but would have voted for Hillary had she gotten the nomination. I vote on issues. If Hillary would have won and Blacks would have threatened to vote McCain; if McCain would have picked a Black man who was everything Obama wasn't I would be very insulted. I wouldn't vote for just any Black person nor would I vote for just any woman that runs.
This could have been a good move picking a woman that was qualified. Picking a woman who isn't qualified is an insult and actually sets women's causes back. We want to show that we are qualified to do the same jobs as men and do them as well if not better. We don't want to be tokens. Also picking a women that is young and nice looking goes back to the old way of thinking. In the old days women who were more qualified where overlooked for a younger better looking women. What was McCain thinking?

[TotallyAmazed]

I have been asking myself a version of your question all day: How stupid does John McCain think women are? Pretty darned loopy, obviously.

He seems to think that a woman, ANY woman, will magically make undecided women go ga ga. You're right on target with your 'breasts' statement.

Here's the thing, he misses. If we supported Hillary, which I did, when Hillary lost the primaries, it didn't make us go soft in the gray matter. The same issues continued to be uppermost in our minds, and the majority of us continued to believe the democratic party was still our best option. Most of us easily moved over to support Barack Obama.

What John McCain has managed to do with this choice of Sarah Palin, is to remove any feeling of ease I could hope to have if my presidential choice lost,. If he's this out of touch with reality, I will feel absolutely no safety with him as my president. It's just like Hillary said on Wednesday night - it'll just be anothing 4 years of the last 8 years.

[rock2casbah]

He has insulted many older men and women (his base) who believed he really would put the country first. They, more than anyone are now questioning that belief. I have seen it all over the internet. Not on the right wing nut bluster sites. Other places where young people observe their older males and grandparents who were stuck on partisan rhetoric. Obama experience, McCain POW......blah, blah

Now, although grudgingly, they see the light. Their deeply buried suspicions have been answered. Like Obama said "McCain just doesn't get it." They have just been through 8 years of "he just doesn't get it, and have had enough.

[IslandGyal]

YES!

[YenNguyen]

Clearly, John McCain thinks women are stupid and thinks he can just swap one woman for another. I think the phrase is John McCain is objectifying women.

As a female, I can distinguish between policies and gender.

To John McCain: Thanks, but no thanks.

[MarciL]

"Does McCain really believe American women are that stupid?"

Yes.

[Boikin]

If McCain were forced to leave office, Palin would take over. We'd the have the same qualifications Obama offers today. You just don't like her policies.

[NatteringNabobs]

Same qualifications?

- In the US Senate, Barack Obama has served on the FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE, VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOUR & PENSION COMMITTEE.

- Before getting to the US Senate Obama served 11 years (That's eleven YEARS) in the Illinois State Senate.
- Barack Obama is a graduate TOP of his class at Harvard Law School. Barack Obama also has a degree in Political science specializing in International Relations.
- Barack Obama worked in Chicago, Illinois as a community organizer, Obama, as the director of the Developing Communities Project in Chicago, helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.
- Barack Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for a community organizing institute.
- Barack Obama worked as a Civil Rights lawyer for 9 years.
- Barack Obama was also a University of Chicago Constutitional Law Professor for 12 years.
- In the U.S Senate Obama has served on the FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE, VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOUR & PENSION COMMITTEE.
-- In the US Senate Obama has written 890 pieces of legislation, and co-sponsored 1096 pieces of legislation.

[shipwrecktown]

Vice President Palin? You can smell the desperation in the air. Certainly anyone, for example the 2000 Bush campaign, hoping to suggest that McCain's POW experience may have caused permanent mental trauma has new evidence to support the claim. The notion that she would be ready to assume the office of the Presidency in the event of McCain's demise doen't pass the laugh test.

Her selection by McCain is an insult to the intelligence of women everywhere for assuming they would support the ticket solely because of Palin's gender, regarless of her inexperience and positions on the issues.

It is especially rich to hear Ralph Reed, the cohort of both God and Jack Abramoff, pandering to Hillary supporters in the hope they'll abandon their party and their principles to support McCain/Palin. It is Reed's homies the religious right, who have vilified Hillary at every turn since 1992. They truly have no shame.

Lastly, it's preposterous to view the Palin nomination as a step forward for women. Not when the Republican's party idea of a right to choose refers only to which type of pie a woman might choose to bake.

[natsha55]

I for one woman will indeed support Palin.....just like 92% of all African Americans are supporting Obama....oh yea he's black....

AS A FEMALE DEMOCRAT I AM INSPIRED TO VOTE FOR PALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mpell]

You nailed it except for your next-to-last sentence. The VP has a lot of influence in running the Senate. I don't want this person, estrogen-filled or not, in that role either.

[realpolitic]

I believe women would like another woman to break the glass ceiling of the presidency or vice-presidency. but I think they will conclude Palin is too inexperienced and was nominated because of her gender, which is an insult to women who want to be considered for their experience and expertise. Also, Palin does not support reproductive rights for other women. I think her very conservative agenda will not endear her to most women.