Make Her Whine
Already the Democratic pundits are worrying about whether to attack Sarah Palin -- will it look like bullying? Will it make voters sympathize with her? Will it make voters identify with her and vote for her? Women are supposed to lay off her because -- she is a woman! The thinking goes that we can't question her choices because women's choices are sacrosanct. Nor can we investigate her life (beauty queen, Christian Dominionist, links to Ted Stevens, childbearing history) because those are private issues. But what Sarah Palin shows is that once again, the right wing is adept at turning the women's movement upside down and offering us a woman who reinforces patriarchal power rather than challenges it. Palin is another Margaret Thatcher or Ann Coulter, a woman who attaches herself to men in power and then does them one better. She uses the freedom that the women's movement has brought her quash the liberation of women with other views than hers. The bitch is in there, as it is with Coulter and Thatcher and Katherine Harris. The Democrats have to bring that bitch out and she has given us the right to do it.
Did she really accuse Hillary Clinton of "whining?" Then she's already told us that she won't mind any challenge -- that she can rise to any question. I want to see her do it. The personal is political, after all. Here are some issues she has to explain: What is her religion and who is her pastor? Is she a Christian Dominionist and how does she feel about the separation of church and state? How does she square her roles as mother and politican? Who is taking care of the kids while she is away, including the baby? If it's the husband, I'm glad. If it's a nanny and always has been, then I want to know how a wealthy woman with a nanny helps women in general -- wealthy women with nannies are nothing new. If she's into "family values," I want to know what they are, and how the nanny views Palin's "family values." If she produced a child at 44, I want to know if she believes in birth control, because birth control is a political issue. I also want to know her views on the government's obligations to the disabled. Do the disabled children of rich people get special treatments that their parents can afford, while the disabled children of poor people get nothing? Who is the boss in her family? If it's her, then I want to know how that squares with Christian notions of patriarchy. If it's the husband, then I want to know his values and beliefs about all the issues that face the nation, and I want to know who will actually be the vice president. I want to see her tax returns. I want to see his tax returns.
About the breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is a political issue because the baby formula companies have promoted baby formula all over the world, much to the detriment of babies. If she's a family values right winger, I would expect her to back those values up by breastfeeding for six months to a year, at least. If she's not breastfeeding, frankly, and she doesn't believe in birth control, then she's a hypocrite. She has to run as a right wing family values soccer mom or she has to run as a woman who has gained freedoms through the efforts of other women. She can't do both.
Is she really a gun-toting moose-killer, or is this a pose? What are her ties to the oil and gas industries -- and I don't mean her beliefs. I want to know who paid her and when and how much. She says she doesn't know what the vice president does, so I want to know what she thinks about Dick Cheney and the unitary executive. I want to know if she understands the Constitution and what the limits of the executive branch are. I want to know if she's ever been abroad, if she has ever written anything about the Iraq war, or if she's just a follower with a pretty smile, who goes along with the big boys in order to get a little something for herself. I want to know how she treats her children, what kind of mom she is, because I want to know about her personal morality. This is a valid issue, because in the last eight years we discovered with George Bush that once a bully, always a bully. I want those kids from her high school to come forward and tell me what she was like back then.
We had years to relate to HIllary Clinton. We saw her through good times and bad. We saw her do things we didn't agree with, and we saw her do things we did agree with. She was an open book in many ways. Sarah Palin accused her of "whining." I didn't agree with Clinton, and I didn't support her, but I never accused her of whining. That "whining" remark is the hallmark of a bitchy and and arrogant point of view -- a characteristic of all conservative women politicians. So, Sarah thinks she can take it. I say we give it to her good.
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Palin is just another Katherine Harris. A woman who thinks that if she does the male dominated Republican partys bidding for them, she will be rewarded on some grand way.
Where is Katherine Harris now???????????????
Jane, I think you need to be a part of the Obama staff. Talk about vetting(which she apparently didn't get from McCain). You just about covered it all. There is one other "little" thing that out there too. She is under investigation concerning an alleged firing I believe. I wonder when all the facts about that will come out. It should be quite interesting.
Thank-you.
The Women's Movement..
Thank you, yet again, Jane, for being the voice of reason. You have identified several key questions that need answering in light of Palin's nomination for the vice presidency. Indeed, I hope we can find members of the media who are gutsy enough to ask these very tough, yet important, questions. My prediction is that Palin will drop out of the race within the next few weeks as more and more skeletons are brought out of her closet. In the end, we may all feel stupid for believing this was a legitimate choice in the first place. I have a feeling McSame and company are up to something much mores sinster.
Good for you for not calling Clinton a whiner so many Obama supporters around you did, Be careful what you wish for though, Palin's religion, paster v pastor, breastfeeding, birth control, having a disabled child, and a part native american house husband, add giving her a chance to reprise her line to Exxon to "not let the door hit them on the way out" , throw in the "scandal" about wanting to get the creep that tasered her 10 year old nephew and threatened to kill her father off the state police force, well, these questions are just the sort of ones I am sure the republicans would LOVE to have her answer, rather than anything pertaining to what a president does. Maybe you should trim your list a little.
I'm offended at the suggestion by people on tv that if Biden is tough during the debates that it'll be perceived as sexist. It's exactly the opposite. Biden should treat Palin exactly as he would any man. Anybody who thinks shooting wolves from a helicopter is a "sport" lost the sensitivity excuse.
Who's starting the website:
What We Want To Know from Palin.
You have started a good first draft. At first you kinda scared me with the crappy title "Make her Whine" that was definitely lame (sooo huffpost) BUT MAKING HER ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ISN'T. Let's get to work people.
I do not want to ever hear some say anything about affirmation action ever again. There are so many other more accomplished more qualified Republican individuals to choose from or than it make the mind boggle. Sarah Paulin was chosen. She did not have to run a campaign she was chosen. She did not have to raise millions of dollars to run. She did not have to campaign across the entire nation to win her party nomination she was chosen. She did not have 19 million people vote for her she was chosen. You can say whatever you want about Barak Obama's lack of experience but he worked his ass off to win the Democratic nomination. Sarah Paulin was chosen not because she was the best VP McCain could find, but because she is a woman who might peel a few Hilary votes away, and she is a social conservative. That is it. Joe Biden, know most foreign leaders on a first name basis. Like him or hate him Joe Biden could easily run the country right now.
One ray of hope here about the Vice Presidential debates. They will be conducted by a woman, Gwen Ifill....I apologize if that 's not spelled correctly.
If anything, Gwen Ifill will go out of her way to appear to be "fair" and thus back off Palin.
As a staunch Evangelical Christian, if she does not believe in birth control then what if she is pregnant during her term of office? This is something that needs to be considered for someone in the highest office of the land. She is so unqualified. You cannot compare Obamas 11 years in state senate, 4 years in National senate and Harvard degree, first black President of the Harvard Law review, Law degree to a PTA mom, hockey mom, beauty queen (2nd runner up) and mayor of a town of 5000. She has 18 months of Governor of Alaska and she is embroiled in ethics issues of abuse of power with Troopergate.
John McCain has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. He has proven himself to be mentally unfit to lead. I don't think the Dems need to do much, just the vetting process of the press will finish her off. John McCain is blessed that the hurricane is diverting attention from the GOP convention because it's going to be a nightmare. I hope they have party elders over throw that ticket and pick a new one!
Apparently, not enough people are questioning her selection, because Zogby's latest -- released mid afternoon today (Sunday) -- puts McCain-Palin up 2 points over Obama-Biden. Read for yourself:
http://www
This isn't good.
Zogby is a discredited poll. He had McCain up by 5 last week. He had Obama up by 13 before the California primary. He uses a sample that all pollsters say is wrong.
Reuters/Zogby is the ONLY poll that shows McCain-Palin ANY points over Obama-Biden. The only poll data I go by is on realclearp
"This isn't good." Nope. This is BRILLIANT. This is GREAT. GAME SET MATCH.
If Barack Obama is the post-racial candidate then certainly it is fair to call Sarah Palin the post-feminist candidate. Sarah Palin is not running as a feminist although she is champion for women. From all appearances her views are based on principle rather than any ideology, feminist or otherwise. She has risen to political power not by bowing to the Republican partie's hierarchy but by standing up against it. Whether one agrees with her convictions or not, certainly her tenacity and competence have to be respected, she is a role model.
Are you serious? Her views are not based on ideology? Check again.
She may be post-feminist, but the world is not. (As Obama may be post-racial, but the world is not.) Nor is she a champion for women: her policies aren't female friendly. And where do you get that she is opposing the party's hierarchy?
A role model she is, or will be. But a model for what? Getting to know her positions will tell us. If we ever do get to know. But I don't think she is chosen solemnly for her positions (christianity, pro-guns, anti-choice, etc, etc). She is chosen to be the campaigns "average american alibi". The "anti-elitist shield". She will be the "I understand how you feel", "I am like you" human face. So if we keep talking about McCain's houses, she'll show us hers. I guess it's more modest than both Obama's and Biden's.
And these are the things that make her a smarter choice for running mate than many of us thought 48 hours ago.
There is no such thing as post feminism. To suggest that society no longer needs feminism is wishful thinking by those people hate feminism to begin with. Wishing feminism away will not make it so. Suggesting that Palin is some kind of role model doesn't make it so either.
There is no such thing as a post racial candidate either. Whatever that is suppose to mean?
Palin is just another conservative female traitor in a long line of conservative female traitors.
" Sarah Palin is not running as a feminist although she is champion for women."
She's a champion for women not having reproductive rights of any kind.
Heh -
Funnier still is reading your contortions on Palin - she stands for herself, and apparently against corruption; you mention her name as associated with Stevens, but didn't remark that she was AGAINST the waste of the Bridge to Nowhere. I think the true basis of your commentary is that you recognize you're certainly a minor-league player next to her, both in matters practical AND intellectual.
What a rant.
Wow - you really need to read more about Gov Palin. Check out the websites for the Alaska newspapers and T V stations if you don't believe what you read here. She was for the bridge before she was against it. She was for earmarks before she turned them down and she's being investigated even as we speak for abuse of office. Please educate yourself before November comes.
She was FOR the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.
She was FOR the Bridge to Nowhere before she (allegedly) was against it. Do your homework - and grow up!
Wilbur
She didn't take care of the corruption, she took over the corruption. And haven't you heard her speak? She's hardly a Hillary Clinton; more like a Kelly Ripa.
We've got a political version of Regis and Kelly!
Is anyone looking into her connections to a local dairy distributor and the farmers who supply it? How much did that cost Alaskans and now the rest of US taxpayers?
Hey idiot. Before making statements why dont you find the facts.
simple little search will find this...
from adn.com
http://www
BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
In September, 2006, Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity.
She said she could feel the town's pain at being derided as a "nowhere" by prominent politicians, noting that her home town, Wasilla, had recently been insulted by the state Senate president, Ben Stevens.
"OK, you've got Valley trash standing here in the middle of nowhere," Palin said, according to an account in the Ketchikan Daily News. "I think we're going to make a good team as we progress that bridge project."
One year later, Ketchikan's Republican leaders said they were blindsided by Palin's decision to pull the plug.
Jane
You have a sexy mind!
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