Well, I don't really know Sarah Palin personally, although, I have been to Alaska twice.
But over the course of my life, I've met plenty of Sarah Palins. I bet you have, too.
When I see Palin, I see the flirty high school cheerleader who had no interest in publishing or photography, but was compelled to beat out everyone else for editor-in-chief of the yearbook, so she cozies up to the adviser.
She reminds me of the girl who got grades and test scores good enough to get into college or grad school, but once there, instead of just putting her nose to the grindstone, used head fakes and games to convince others they didn't have to work so hard, thus changing the shape of the bell curve.
Palin makes me think of the one summer intern who, instead of trying to get along, ensured her queen bee status with whisper campaigns, always sure that no matter what tactic she used to get ahead, her cuteness and perkiness would carry the day, leaving those less savvy and prone to relying on their actual talent in her wake. The one who was just nice enough and just smart enough, that few would ever suspect her true motives.
The uber-Tracy Flick.
Sarah Palin is that girl. Nicolle Wallace of the McCain campaign says Palin is just misunderstood and that we're intimidated by her when we're critical of whether she has the necessary experience and gravitas to handle being Vice President:
"My personal theory is that she's something that [women in cable news] can't grasp... They don't know how to process her. She is beautiful, accomplished, successful, pro-gun and pro-life. They've never seen all those things in one package. She totally disorients many in the liberal media, especially a lot of the women."
I hate to break it to the McCain campaign, but I'm not disoriented by her at all. Palin's winking and so-called "folksy" manner don't fool me or many others I know. We've seen her type all to often in our lives and we know exactly who she is.
Sarah Palin isn't stupid or incompetent, she's just someone who has decided that there's no reason to know too much about sophisticated economic policy, international power dynamics or how past so often becomes prologue, by golly.
Palin isn't misunderstood. We understand her ways perfectly.
Joanne Bamberger is a political analyst who writes about all things political at her blog, PunditMom. Her commentary has appeared this election season on CNN, Fox News, ABC.com, XM Radio POTUS '08, and others.
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so I've got to think for them. Marcia, you just wait and see... I'll be the power behind the president..."
- Lonesome Rhodes, "A Face in The Crowd", 1957, screenplay by Bud Shulberg.
Take Lonesome Rhodes and combine Nicole Kidman's character in "To Die For" and you get a much more frighteningly accurate take on the phenomenon that is Sarah Palin. Tracey Flick is too obvious, and ultimately, too benign. Rent yourselves a double feature this weekend, kids, and be prepared to have your heart sink into your stomach.
Oh my god oh my god oh my god. It's been bugging me for days who it was Palin reminded me of--THAT'S IT--even the same career--TV spokeswoman.
The scene were she comes out of the house and sees the TV cameras? And she's found her calling? So scary.
Thanks for settling that for me.
Obama/Biden '08/'12
Call me a curmudgeon, but you really shouldn't have used the headline. This is credible only from someone who really knows her. That's why I clicked on the headline, because I thought it was legit.
Certainly "what you see is what you get". It's not hard to be somewhere between disgusted with and terrified of this woman. She's superficial enough to evaluate readily.
Palin is not beautiful. She uses sex. How many women do you know who would wear open-toed shoes for giving a major speech at the RNC convention - or an event of similar stature? How many women do you know who would wear a red leather jacket while giving a speech?
I'm not saying women can't wear open-toed shoes or red jackets and still be serious in their jobs/positions.
But, Palin wears certain clothes and acts in such a way as to give off sex. I find it disgusting.
There are lot's of women politicians who I think can be considered attractive and even beautiful. Pelosi. Governor Sebelius. Governor Granholm. Why isn't the public openly salivating over these women? Because they do not give off sex.
I agree completely, and this is where McCain and Steve Schmidt made their big mistake. Women, especially educated ones, ESPECIALLY the Hillary supporters they were hoping to pick up, are NOT impressed with a woman who isn't willing to do the hard work. Hillary knocked herself out, and still does. HIllary could wipe the floor with Sarah Palin without breaking a sweat.
Moreover, that mean, nasty sarcasm of Ms. Palin's hits on every subconscious brain cell that tells us to BE CAREFUL--this woman is ignorat, ambitious and religiously fanatical enough to really do serious damage in this country.
PS--her roll is to "rile up the base" (ps do they really need riling? is this wise right now? they're already calling out death threats to Obama and calling him a terrorist. Dangerous stuff. "Country First" is baloney, and their campaigning shows it.)
Sarah Palin doesn't "disorient" women on the left----those grateful souls who understand the sacrifice of generations of feminists who have gone before. Disorient is the wrong word.
Angers, is more like it. She's the consummate cheat, the one who steps in after everybody else has done all the heavy lifting, and claims credit. Credit for a struggle she doesn't care about or necessarily believe in. At best, she's ambivalent. To paraphrase her own interview, being a woman has never prevented her from achieving any of her own goals. She's never worried about it.
So Palin's no feminist. And it shouldn't shock anyone that there are plenty of anti-feminist women. Being a woman doesn't give you instant membership into the feminist club. It's not a gender-based organization, it's an ideology. There are MALE feminists.
Palin has done absolutely ZERO to advance the cause of women, in fact she's done the opposite. Palin sat back and allowed victims of rape to pay for their own rape kits. And this in a state with the highest incidence of rape and violence against women.
Disoriented. Hardly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L05tnlFn1M