Is It Sexist To Want The Person Flying The Plane To Be A Pilot?

With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification.

Women's progress at work and in government is critically important. We are not, after all, living in the Dark Ages. But, and this is a VERY IMPORTANT BUT, consider the following scenario.

You're about to board a plane and a flight attendant says, "Today as part of our responsiveness to customers program you may choose Mr. Jones here as co-pilot. He will fly the airplane should something go wrong with the pilot, who isn't at his best today. Mr. Jones has been a pilot for twenty years and has an impeccable record. He is, however, a man. Because you support the advancement of women in the workplace, we also have a woman here who is willing to fly your plane. She is not a pilot but she didn't blink when asked to do this and for the past week a team of experts has been talking to her a lot about how to fly."

Who would you choose? If you chose Pilot Jones, would that be sexist? Or would you simply not be a complete idiot?

Apply this to Sarah Palin. She has not spent time in Washington as a senator or a congresswoman. She has spent most of her life in Alaska. From her interview with Charlie Gibson, it is clear that she is proud of not blinking about making decisions that affect millions of lives. And she is uninformed about the workings of the U.S. government.

Personally I'd have nothing against Sarah running for a seat in the House or Senate. It's a reasonable next step. And were she blocked from this path because of her gender, disparaged and demeaned in the press, I'd be miffed for sure. That would be sexist.

But just because I'd like to go to NASA and tell them that by November I want to be an astronaut, doesn't mean they should hand over the space shuttle.

There is far too much at stake to put someone completely inexperienced in the ways of Washington and the world so close to the presidency. There's no excuse for it, really. John McCain should know that. That's not sexist; it's simply common sense.

Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.

Comments

[ErnestineBass]

As far as I'm concerned, Palin's gender and/or experience level are irrelevant.

Her "values" and "core" beliefs, however, are highly relevant.

Bottom line? Do I believe this woman could set aside her own beliefs in order to represent mine?

NO

End of discussion.

[MuchMadness]

Traditional gender roles are routinely disparaged, but they make a good deal of sense if the wellbeing of the family and of society is given some respect and not made entirely subservient to the pursuit of individual happiness or ambition.

Why shouldn't one income be sufficient to support a family? Why shouldn't the wife/mother be able to stay home to raise the kids and be a homemaker while the husband deals with the hassles of paid employment? I wish that our politicians would do more to make it easier for single-income families to survive in the modern economy.

[Ashall]

Why does the GOP consider asking questions of Sarah Palin to be s*xist when the same did not apply to Hillary Clinton? When did s*xism have to be partisan? Shows how little the GOP is in tune with women. Great article, Kathleen!

[lobo1939]

Excellent metaphore.

[AbbieXHoffman]

No it's not sexist to want the person flying the plane to be a pilot, but what is indeed sexist is that the media never gave BO the scrutiny they are giving Palin when he came onto the scene. During the primaries they gave him a free pass period. They are giving Palin an interrogation. I said duing the primary no woman of any color would have been allowed to rise as fast as BO did and we are now seeig that to be true.

There was no serious questionings like the one Charlie Gibson gave of BO during the primary. NONE. There was on sending reporters to IL to dig updirt on him, besides Fox news, not a single journalist vetted BO. It is a complete and total hypocritical joke.

BO should have been vetted like Palin and he wasn't. Maybe if he was, we dems would have had the opportunity to pick a better candidate to run for the dems.

I am voting for BO, but the media bias for him is disgusting and could cost the dems the election.

[janeyu]

And need we get into the difference in The View visits..Th­e woman were acting like giddy school girls went BO visited. McCain walked into hostile territory-the man didnt have a chance.

[EvoMan]

The ladies obviously have good taste. Not to mention they'll take a decent guy over a liar any day.

I mean really, you expected them to treat a guy who called his wife the "c" word and has told sexist jokes about Chelsea Clinton and a woman being raped by a gorilla any differently?

[dantos]

You're forgetting that we were in a position to NOT vote for Sen. Obama if we did not feel he was ready or revealed. The primary process, including the efforts of the other Democratic presidential contenders, did the vetting that you feel the media did not.

Gov. Palin, on the other hand is being thrust upon the ticket very last minute. There is no choice. I would think that Republicans and Democrats, alike, would want to know more about her than just how she was packaged at the RNC.

After all ... she could potentially be one heartbeat away, right?

[EvoMan]

Interesting. Perhaps we need to have a VP primary, but of course it would probably be impractical.

Sarah Palin is obviously not ready for this office and it's highly entertaining watching the Republican faithful try to justify her. Barack Obama obviously is ready. Ms. Palin wouldn't last in a primary.

If Barack had chosen Tim Kaine, the righties would be all over it for the same reason's people are questioning Slippery Sarah. Barack's choice was not a political one. McCain's was. Which one would you trust to do the right thing as president?

[Airmid]

Look at it this way

Would Jesus vote for the community organiser,

or

the Governor who'd used her position to pursue a personal vendetta that a judge had already warned her off?

[janinei]

I don't think that Jesus would be keen on her killing off all kinds of animals or refusing to acknowledge that there are endangered species. Aren't we all god's creatures?

[Obama2008]

Slay a wolf with a scope rifle in the dead of winter, but don't touch an embryonic stem cell which is slated for disposal anyway.

I don't get it.

[Darwinita]

Kathleen Reardon is one wise muppet. It's a shame that there are those who have turned it around and asked the same question with the word "racist" substituted for sexist; the truth of the matter is that with the treatment that Presidential candidates receive, America's best and brightest wouldn't touch politics with a ten-foot pole.

[HarryTichbaum]

To expand on the pilot analogy, the biggest question facing you, the undecided voter, isn't so much whether Sarah Palin knows how to fly a jumbo jet by virtue of having flown a Cessna (Wasilla) and a small commuter plane (Alaska), but whether you approve of the McPalin flight plan. If you want the country to remain in a Bush holding pattern for the next 4 years vote McPalin. If you want to run the risk of having the country flown blindly into another needless war, vote McPalin. If you want to run the risk of the aging pilot with questionable judgment keeling over midflight and leaving the ultra complex jumbo jet to be flown by a novice pilot (who has never heard of the "Bush doctrine" auto-pilot), vote McPalin. If, on the other hand, you want our plane to be piloted by two of the most talented and intelligent men in the senate, who have a real flight plan to move the country forward, vote Obama/Biden. Either way, fasten your seatbelts, because we're in for some real turbulence between now and November 4th.

[Bulbul]

Disaster in the making ! Gibson played soft ball on his second day, why ?
Why not ask, "you think life is precious , we love that part, but then, why you are so cruel to animals, Sarah ?"

[jimbojet]

An almost-perfect analogy. Thank you, Kathleen Reardon!

[caterpol]

Thanks for the clarity.

It's sad that the normal majority is forced to have to argue the obvious over and over and over. Black isn't white, up isn't down, war isn't peace. It's tedious.

In Palin's case, it's not just her resume that's lacking, it's her lack of opinions and knowledge of the issues. Her own team won't let her speak unscripted. And to further your analogy, I wouldn't let someone drive my CAR without the necessary experience.

[MissKaren]

Is it sexist to ask a woman to be competent and prepared for the job she is seeking? Is it sexist to expect intellectual curiosity? It is sexist to expect a woman to care what happens to other women and considering that women who have been the victims of rape or incest be allowed to have abortions? Is it sexist? If so, I'm sexist even though I have the accoutrements of a woman.

[Mas]

This question is about the individuals. If you were flying across the pacific ocean to Hawaii, and the two crews to ensure the proper systems checks were perform were Obama/biden plane (1) and McCain/Palin plane (2). Which plane would you trust with your life and the life (if applcable) of yor children?

[Rockville]

That is not a good choice to offer. None of the candidates for President and VP have been President before. We have to look at characteristics like honesty, integrity, intelligence, strength of character, judgement, experience, temperment, vision, and ability to lead to make our choice for President.

You have offered a choice where one of the candidates, John McCain, has been a pilot. That is not analogous to the Presidential choice at all!

[Mas]

Rockville,

I did not indicate either would be a pilot. The statement is, Obama/Biden would ensure the checks were performed for plane (a) and McCain/Palin would ensure the checks were performed for plane (b). If you had to make the five and half hour flight across half of the pacific ocean, which team would you trust with your life and if applicable the lives of your children?

[Mas]

A follow up: In regards to the POTUS and VPOTUS, you mentioned the person(s) exercise of judgement is a consideration factor. That's the nature of the question, If each team had to read the regulations for themselves and issue a decision, and that decision states the plane is in compliance, which plane would you board?

[simkmer]

:) Good point. I know which one I would choose. Need to ask some Republicans.

[Rockville]

Thank you for the very clear analysis of this issue. No question here, the Vice-President has to know something about the country, the government and how it works, the citizens of all parts of the country, our history, the U.S. Constituti­on........­.....etc.. Look how little President Bush has seemed to know and his father had been President! Imagine what he would have been like with no experience of any kind in Washington and the rest of the country. Let's say all his life had been spent in Texas Help!

[GraceNeeded]

Kathleen Reardon you are absolutely correct on this. We have been so incensed by this foolishness and recklessness that I am now calling for a Constitutional Amendment so we are guaranteed that this will never happen again. Initially, the Constitution called for the Vice President to be an elected official, the person garnering the second most votes for the presidency but that proved impractical. Since it was turned over to political parties to nominate their Vice Presidents, so that the President and Vice wouldn't be at cross purposes, most have taken this selection process seriously. Senator McCain and the Republican Party have obviously failed in their duties entrusted to them, so we have no guarantees that this will not happen again, which is reason enough to do what we can by petitioning our legislative branch for an amendment. This reckless behavior and erratic judgment that Senator McCain is characterizing is of grave concern, but much more so is his obviou faulty reasoning in considering the future of our country.

[georgiaR]

1. For all those that think that Palin is not qualified - I do not think Obama is qualified- as all my friends that were Hillary supporters said.
2. This article is exactly why I am against affirmative action.

[Rockville]

I try very hard not to yell and scream on blogs, but you have made that very difficult. Do you really think that Sen. Clinton would appreciate your comments. Not qualified to be President you say of Obama.?? You are not qualified to be a voter!

[timberdoodle]

If Obama isn't qualified then McCain is less qualified as his 26 years in congress haven't really done anything for America and he has little support because of his irrational behaviour and being a POW in the 60's won't cut it either.

On the other hand McCain has laid out a plan in lock step with Bush and Obama has laid out a plan of hope and change. You can be certain McCain will reach all his goals with Bush's plans although Obama may not accomplish all of his hopes and changes. In the final analysis I would take some hope and some change over a definte path of the last 8 years.

[vsign]

Can you believe the Democratic Party nominated an affirmative action candidate for President. It boggles my mind. I could care less about the VP position other than the President have confidence in them and teach them everything they need to know. O is not qualified to do anything because he hasn't done anything but yak, yak, yak - just like he said about himself.

[Rockville]

I assume you have also been President of the Harvard Law Review, taught Constitutional Law, spent several terms in your state legislature, served nearly 4 years in the US senate and run a campaign for President which is incredibly organized and successful? You are complaining about what can only be considered a great American story, with your own bias and ignorance showing.