Paint McCain Pink

My first reaction to John McCain's vice presidential pick was: slam dunk.

Why? Because I've been saying for weeks that both candidates have to win over white suburban women -- and not only the women who are Hillary Clinton supporters. Sarah Palin is the kind of woman other women can like -- especially married, socially conservative women with children. Obama doesn't appeal to these women. Nor does his wife Michelle. She's too poised while Palin is pretty and approachable. I don't actually think Hillary appealed to these women either. So McCain, I thought, had seen the need to reach out these women... But as the news sinks in of Palin's overnight rise to vice presidential nominee, I find myself insulted. Insulted and disrespected and angry. I think every woman in America should feel the same way.

McCain's decision reminds me of marketers who think if they put a woman in their ads, paint their products a pretty color, and tell us they were thinking of us, that we will buy whatever they are selling. Many marketers have grown up since then. John McCain, the marketer and politician, still has a lot to learn. Women aren't a single, homogeneous market who will be wowed by the simple choice of a woman being on the ticket. But McCain seems to think that choosing a woman, any woman, is enough. He doesn't realize that choosing this woman -- so inexperienced that it's frightening to think of her as the person a heartbeat away from the presidency -- could be and should be viewed as condescending and patronizing. I hope he learns the same lesson as those marketers who wonder why we don't buy their products. It's because their ads don't work. We don't like the colors they pick. We won't stand for being patted on the head and told, "See, I was thinking of you." I would have applauded McCain for picking a woman -- but out of all the women in the Republican Party -- this was his best choice? I think all women should be asking themselves just what was McCain thinking, but most of all, Republican women should be asking this: Is this the best you could do, Mr. McCain?

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

Comments

[JusAmarketer]

First, to represent this article as anything other than an attack on McCain and in support of Obama is clearly misleading readers. At least admit you're acting as nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Obama camp. You even used the a line from Obama's campaign manager, "He doesn't realize that choosing this woman -- so inexperienced that it's frightening to think of her as the person a heartbeat away from the presidency."

Incidentally, that is a great marketing line. It conveys so many things with such ease. It attacks Palin's experience. It attacks McCain's age and health. It's perfect to help create that sense of doubt about her as a candidate.

Second, to believe that Obama isn't every bit the marketer that McCain wishes he could be is foolish. And to try and paint McCain as just a marketer while almost implying that Obama isn't is just as foolish. The fact is that Obama is just a better marketer. Actually, it's more like Obama has a better marketing team.

It should be clear from this post I'm not a big Obama fan. And to be honest, I don't really like McCain either. I just wish people would be honest about the role of marketing, advertising, and PR in this election and stop trying to hype this election up as some moment of monumental change brought about by the power of the people. It's a textbook case of good marketing and nothing more.

[christianlefty]

Exactly Fara, what was McCain thinking??? Use this link to see what alaskans are thinking

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

[IForgotMyName]

When is the Republican Party going to find candidates which are not so medieval? Come on! She does not believe climate change is man-made and believes that intelligent design should be taught in science classes. How about teaching that the world is flat?

But I guess Palin is a loving mother who wishes to pass a world to her children with rising sea levels, hurricanes, severe droughts, etc.

The Republican party is 24 years behind the democrats of putting a woman on the ticket and about 240 years concerning the issue of reason...

[sdaflm]

What has been insulting through this whole process is the media, pundits and bloggers perception of suburban white women in general. As if these women are uneducated and not capable of making an intellegent decision unless it is spoon feed to them with sugar on it..
These are women who have been impacted by the policies of the last 8 years just like the rest of us. They are struggling to put food on their tables. They have minimal or no medical coverage for themselves and their familiesand are fending off collectors for unpaid medical bills. They are balancing their budgets between high gas and food prices. They worry whether their jobs or their husbands jobs will be down sized or shipped overseas. Suburban white women have been talked down to as if they are unable to understand the issues and how they effect them. White suburban women are part of the middle class who have been disinfranchized by the Bush administration and there is NO DIFFERANCE between them and the rest of middle class America, they will struggle 4 more years under McSame as well.

[PumaAnn]

Palin isn't Hill. Hill is an ardent supporter of women's issues. Palin is about energy. Palin is an unabashed conservative. Hill is an unabashed liberal.

They couldn't be more different.

However, they are both women who care about their families, the community, people. They just completely differ on solutions.

But Palin is authentically a strong conservative woman.

And the left blogs are showing just the same type of dismissive sexism they demonstrated in the primaries which split the party.

I abandon the left gladly.

I find, oddly, I'm more female than Democrat.

I can't stand this sexism.

[cher514]

Why isn't the 'party of family values' questioning the fact that Palin risked
her baby's life when her water broke seven months into her pregnancy? She stayed
at the energy conference in Texas, gave a 30-minute speech, and then flew back
to Alaska. Then three days after giving birth, she was back to work full-time.
Why couldn't she let her Lt Gov take over for six weeks so she could spend some
time bonding with her Downs Syndrome baby? Who is taking care of him? This woman
seems much more interested in bonding with her political career than with her
baby.

[metivo]

Have you heard the not -so-implausible rumors that the baby is her 16 year-old daughters baby? This is dynamite if true. Check it out on the Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

HuffPo readers, what's your take on this? Are we looking at another Edward's-style bombshell here?

[mutron]

It's interesting that you say you feel insulted, disrespected and angry and that you think every woman should feel like you. That's a problem and you'll have to deal with that.Some kind of serious paradigm shift is in order if you really think all women should feel the way you do. But have you considered that McCain's choice is based not on wooing disaffected Hillary supporters but on appealing to the conservative base? That's the true dynamic here that you are missing.

[ready4chg]

Pa - lease! Already the pundits are saying dems have to "be careful" with what they say about Palin. Why? Because she's a woman? Give me a break! Did anyone "be careful" when they went after Hillary? Go after her...then we can see what she's made of!

[robXdion]

Just so we're clear. . . . .blacks wouldn't give ultra-conservative Alan Keyes the time of day during ANY of his attempts at running for President (2) and US Senate. So the theme blacks always vote for the black candidate carries no weight. Clarence Thomas was approved and voted in by Congress. However, now it remains to be seen if women will be so gullible as to fall for this ploy. Are women merely emotional non-thinking reactive gender chauvinists? Or can they see thru this insult to their intelligence?

[neo1]

That's JM's mistake of thinking he can "market" his VP to the public. I don't think so. You cannot sell her to everybody and expect us to buy ourselves a vice president.

[abigail1]

the thing that most horrifies me about the discussion of Palin is that people use her Down Syndrome baby as proof of her being pro life. The implication is that a pro-choice woman would have of course aborted the baby and that implication makes my blood boil.
Being pro CHOICE is just that, believing that women are able to choose what is best for them and their lives with their families and doctors or just by themselves if that's how they make their decisions. It does not mean believing that all babies with disabilities should be aborted. It doesn't mean anything remotely like that and the implication that it does is deeply, deeply offensive.

[sandman23]

This selection was a sham. He could have picked a woman if he wanted to, but a woman with credentials fitting for that office ,by doing that, he would have shown sound judgement. However, he just picked a woman that he thought would gain him votes. To me, is not putting country first. That is putting him-self first. If I was that woman, I would be on the first plane back to Alaska. She does not know his platform,does not know what a vice president's job entails and that is according. She wants someone to tell her what a VP does. She has not thought about Iraq. Just being a woman who has a son going there you would think she would know more about it Just sayin. She liked the idea that O was leading in Alaska. She complained that Hill turned her off by whinning. That takes nerve. I was not for Hill,however I find it offensive to Hillary. I hope she hits back. She was stating she wanted that bridge to nowhere then she changed her mind. Her ratings are not90% it is 67%. Last she is under investigation. Can someone be nominated while under investigation? does anyone know?

[booker52]

This pick of Palin isn't going to work if McCain is trying to get the Hillary voters. She is Pro Life, she is so conservative it isn't funny. Any real thinking woman will not fall for this stunt, an this is just that, a stunt. Sorry John, your last minute pick will back fire. Your pick of Palin got you all day news coverage for one day, but as people check her out they will start to question your judgement and find you lacking.

[marydianeg]

It's clear that John McCain and the Republican party want to use women (at any cost) to try to win this election. Why assist them in doing this by over-simplifying women too - and characterize Michelle Obama as too poised and infer that she is not pretty or approachable? Caution - rhetoric comes in many kinds of packaging!