Governor Sarah Palin is no Senator Hillary Clinton. A bold choice, yes. No one expected this from the Republicans, and there is some irony in that. I have long suspected that the first female President is more likely to be a conservative Republican than a liberal Democrat. Conservative armor provides protection against the feminist label.
But Sarah Palin has a long way to go before we can consider her a serious contender for Vice President. At first blush, her gender may provide wish fulfillment for some still disappointed Hillary supporters. Her Evangelical credentials may ignite some fervor in the McCain camp.
But there are many risks. With this decision, McCain pushed the delete button on the experience issue. No longer can he use that argument against Barack Obama.
As for voting for a woman because she is a woman, many young women refused to vote for Hillary on that basis. Now, older women will do the same. How could Democratic women, who are pro choice, vote for a candidate who is against abortion, even in the case of rape or incest? She believes in no exceptions.
We don't know much about her beliefs, except that she adds an exclamation point to McCain's rant of "Drill here, drill now!"
The biggest risk is not only for McCain, who chose a woman who was mayor of a town of 7,000 people two years ago; it is for the American people. Does she have the ability to be the most powerful leader in the world? I ask that question being fully cognizant of the fact that women are always held to a higher standard than men. In her case, I have to admit, that had McCain chosen a man with those credentials, I would be asking the same question.
Alaska is far removed from the lower forty-eight, not only by geography, but also from the center of gravity of American politics. A state that gives its citizens a check each year from oil revenues is not about to invest in renewable energy and address global warming. Can this recently elected governor of this frontier-mentality state understand the fear that so many Americans have of losing their homes, their jobs, their health care, and their ability to send their children to college?
The biggest gamble John McCain took in selecting Sarah Palin is that he has underestimated the intelligence of the American people. He believes this obviously bright and attractive mother of five will help him get elected. He did not seem to give much thought to the fundamental question that a President should ask when he names his VP: is she capable of being President? Can this person protect and defend the United States in an increasingly dangerous world, not only on the battlefield, but also in the conference room where diplomacy happens.
It is hard for me to make the leap from her ice float in Alaska to the international arena.
Sure, I would love to vote for a woman. I was an avid Hillary supporter who is now backing Obama. But I'm not gender blind. It's a slight to women to expect us to vote for any woman, no matter what she stands for, and whether or not she can do the job.
On another note--when we were in our taxi riding home from the airport last night coming back from the convention, I breathlessly said to the driver, "We are coming back from Denver."
"Must be a different part of the country," he muttered.
"I was at the convention," I explained further.
"I don't follow politics, I don't vote," he said.
I was more horrified than usual when I heard that answer, being so pumped up by the Denver experience.
"Oh, but in this election, you've got to vote, so much is at stake," I said.
"I have all I can do to keep things together. I don't have time, and besides, nothing will change."
So much for hearing Obama's "Change" message.
I was heartened this morning when the white-aproned man at the fish counter raved about how wonderful the convention was and held up the line as he told me what he thought of Sarah Palin: "It's an insult to women."
Madeleine M. Kunin is the former Governor of Vermont and was the state's first woman governor. She served as Ambassador to Switzerland for President Clinton, and was on the three-person panel that chose Al Gore to be Clinton's VP. She is the author of Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead from Chelsea Green Publishing.
So were supposed to vote for a party that doesn't feel that even though we represent the majority.. We are apparently not good enough to be President or Vice President. Our voices will be heard. You can't keep us down forever.
I will be voting for a woman. I will be voting for a woman for my mother and my grandmother's voice that wasn't heard. I will be voting for a woman for my daughters and granddaughters, so that they may be heard.
If she did possess the credentials for the position, I would of course object to her position on issues that are important to me, as a woman and the mother of a daughter. As a middle class scientist, educator, consumer, and home owner, I will reject completely the Republican theocratic ticket.
Perhaps when the novelty and excitement wears off, people will begin to focus on the issues.
As if that is all it will take, the condescension makes me roil.
But don’t feel sorry for Palin. She is allowing herself to be exploited. Do u really think she would have been the VP pick, had she been a man? What does that say about how McCain thinks of women?
Palin likes to surround herself with yes people, she forces resignations from those that may not capitulate easily. Already she under an ethics investigation for abuse of power, in a messy, personal and perhaps vindictive intrigue. Her hubby has interesting ties with BP and is perhaps not quite “just a fisherman.”
This pairing is not about change, it's really more of the same old politics.
McCain’s choice simply reinforces his recklessness. Not a quality for these complex times that we want in our CIC.
When I first became aware of Sarah Palin several months ago my immediate thought was she would go far in the Republican Party. She may not be ready to be President, but neither is Obama.
A choice between a second in command who will become prepared to lead is far preferable to me than a Commander-In-Chief who is a one term Senator who has spent most of that time campaigning.
But then again, what do I know? I'm just a woman.
How anyone could think that she would be prepared to be president in case something happened to McCain is beyond me, especially considering all the noise about Hillary and Barack's readiness to lead.
She was first elected to a city council post in 1992, four years before Obama held any elective office. She served two terms on the city council, followed by two terms as mayor. As mayor she reduced property taxes by a whopping 40 percent, while at the same time increasing city services, and growing the business community. I'd call that executive leadership.
She has a proven record of rooting out corruption, even amongst her own party.
As Governor she took the money from high oil windfall taxes and instituted a $1200 rebate to every Alaskan. She also arranged the construction of natural gas pipeline using independent contraction, not "big oil companies". She actually is doing something proactively about America's energy shortage.
Sarah Palin has directly impacted and improved the lives of far more people than Barack Obama.
Other than Obama's "purty talk", I can't think of one thing he has accomplished to improve the lives of Americans.
I'd trust Sarah Palin for high office. She has a proven record of ethics, decision making, actual achievements. All Obama has ever offered America is vague promises.
Obama, in Illinois, compiled an impressive record in public health, education, and many other fields. Before that he was a civil rights lawyer and instructor of constitutional law at U. of C. His work in the community, helping laid off steel workers, and his work at U. of C. were so impressive that many of Obama's conservative colleagues are now supporting him. In the U.S. Senate he worked with Republicans Lugar and Coburn to help pass important laws to control nuclear weapons proliferation and reform lobbying.
Palin has absolutely no problem with forcing the survivor of a horrible rape to give birth to the rapists' child. Palin is such an anti-birth control fanatic that she opposes condoms for married couples. She is involved in two scandals . She has zero knowledge of foreign affairs, has no stated positions on most issues, and is the least qualified individual ever offered for the Vice Presidency. Are you really arguing that she is the 2nd most qualified person in AMERICA to be president?
Are you seriously arguing that Obama is the "MOST" qualified person to be president? Obviously Biden has more experience and qualifications than Barack. If Obama stepped aside for Joe I'd have more respect for the democratic ticket.
This is a McCain quote coming out in the next People Mag:
"She's taken on special interests since she ran for the PTA and the city council and mayor. The courage, I guess, is what most impressed me. "
COURAGE in the PTA. Yeah you heard right.