Governor Sarah Palin has been blown off the front pages by the financial crises, which has spread across six columns of almost every newspaper. Wall Street has overtaken Main Street. Her credentials slim to begin with, appear even more flimsy under the blinding light of a financial melt down.
Still, the Palin factor has not disappeared. Polls continue to show that after the Republican convention white women have been swept to her side with the force of a tidal wave. Obama had a strong edge with women before Palin became McCain's running mate. Now women are virtually tied between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden. But "tied" is not good enough. In my recently published book, Pearls, Politics and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead, I note that women supported the Democratic candidate for President by as much as eleven points in the last twenty years, and that has made the difference.
Why aren't women more supportive of the Obama/Biden ticket which speaks to so many women's concerns--equal pay for equal work, health care, education, and of course, choice. What does the Palin factor mean, especially for white married and white working class women who continue to strongly support McCain/Palin?
There is a group of women whose support for Palin does not have much to do with the issues or whether she is qualified to be President. Only 3 percent of likely women voters deemed her most qualified and prepared to be President.
I hate to think that these women are supporting her just because she is a woman and "is like me." But to some extent that is true. Almost all women have experienced--in a wide variety of ways--life-long forms of gender bias, both overt and subtle, in their families, at work, and in society. Most women have not had the opportunity to express their frustration or, their outrage. Turning the other cheek, remaining silent, denial, or smiling sweetly has been the most common rejoinders for many polite, conservative and liberal women.
Now, with Sarah Palin, they have a chance to vent their frustrations in a positive way by cheering her, supporting a woman who is not "like them" in most ways, but is enough "like them" in some ways so they can see themselves in her, and share in her present triumph.
Some of these same women cheered Senator Hillary Clinton--who is in most ways the exact opposite of Sarah Palin. She was prepared to be President, and she was vetted in a 16-month primary campaign. She spoke directly to women's issues and was strongly pro-choice. But for some women these issues did not matter; they cheered her stamina, her grit, and her willingness to be in the political fight. In some odd, inexplicable way, Hillary made them feel stronger, more capable of standing tall at home and on the job. I got that message from a variety of women after I was first elected Governor in 1984. They felt proud to be women. They, to use a now well-worn phrase, felt empowered by my campaign, and my election.
A similar phenomenon is happening with Sarah Palin. Just watching her stand and speak before a huge cheering crowd, giving "them" hell, is rejuvenating. It is as if we are hearing a long exhale from women who have had to suppress their true feelings about being put down all these years. It doesn't make sense in terms of the issues; it is not logical. But it is a reality that whether she is prepared for the job or not, whether she is right on the issues or not, some women simply are enjoying the moment of seeing her there at John McCain's side.
Even I, a former Hillary supporter and now an enthusiastic Obama supporter, occasionally feel a little thrill when I watch her, even though I disagree with almost everything she says and would never vote for her.
What Democrats underestimated was the rumbling sound from women which could only be heard if you put your ear to the ground. Women have been waiting and waiting for their turn ever since Geraldine Ferraro was the vice presidential democratic nominee twenty-four years ago. Yes, she is the wrong woman at the wrong time, and if the McCain/Palin should win the election, it would hold women back, rather than enable them to move forward to further equality. And it is becoming increasingly clear that it is the wrong ticket for the country in these precarious financial times.
The Obama/Biden ticket is right on the women's issues, and the bread and butter money issues that are roiling the economy.
The challenge is to make these issues the focal point of this election--and not the fact that Sarah Palin is "like me."
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.
A gender bias for Gov Palin based solely on her being female is so self-defeating for all those women who have striven to win on equal gender ethic reform.
To deny Palin's suitability to competently fulfill a role as VP is akin to the delusional and once held belief that women were not smart enough to vote.
New Zealand was first in the world to give the vote to women. NZ has had two female prime ministers, one current. For a period of time, all our highest offices were held by women.
When these women were elected, it was back to business the next day.
I have a lack of confidence that Palin is up to the job. My priority is to have the best team in office. Obama chose wisely someone who could be POTUS should the need arise and who can preside over the Senate with independence from experience and with wisdom.
Gov Palin, I suspect will be supervised, and her decision making may be in the hands of unseen controllers. This idea is offensive to me.
From the day she was announced as VP pick. She has been cloistered away, from media and even the public scrutiny. This reinforces for me that she is not her own person. She is a tool for others. I don't like this at all!
Thank you for having the courage to admit that Palin does make you feel pride as a woman even though you don't agree with her policies. You have something so many people these days lack--integrity.
I'm sure you will be wildly criticized for complimenting Palin at all, but you took the risk and I appreciate it so much.
I was a Hillary supporter, now a Mccain/Palin supporter. I do not agree with Palin on all issues but I am voting for who I trust more, who has a proven record of character, judgement, strength. I have never trusted Obama because of his arrogance, thin record and questionable associates in Chicago.
McCain risked his whole campaign to give a woman a chance. Women appreciate that.
Obama wasn't willing to take that chance.
You know, the 5% of AA not voting for Obama because they disagree with his policies--still are proud of him as an AA that did so well.
It's too bad that woman, even if they disagree with Palin, don't have the integrity to at least feel pride in another woman for making history.
Thank-you
Sarah doesn't speak for me and you certainly could not possibility speak about my integrity nor of other women who feel like me....and there are women out there who don't feel pride in someone who's belief system is diametrically opposed to their own.
I am voting for Obama because I feel he will protect my rights....as an American and as a woman.
He is a candidate I can believe and feel pride in.
And I speak as a white woman.
In today's WaPo-ABC poll, they said "Among independent women, the decline was particularly sharp, going from 65 percent to 43 percent. Her favorable rating among whites without college degrees remained largely steady, but among those with college degrees, it dropped nearly 20 percentage points." That's in ONE week. So please, stop giving credence to the right wing claims that Sarah Palin is wildly popular.
And another lovely lovely number from todays poll, among likely voters, Obama has INCREASED his lead to 52-43 and among registered voters 52-42!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092303667.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008092303897&s_pos=
The good news is 'great' she can represent the vote that shares her worldview, the rest of us that don't share her world view are voting for Obama.
We've have 8 years of this type of governance and that is more than enough.
Her selection is truly an affront to women.
Carol
"To blow someone off" is a metaphor. How can you literally do something that is actually metaphorical? How does one "literally" blow anyone off? Is it like what the big bad wolf did to the little pig's house? Do you use a giant fan?
I think you're a troll.
p.s. voting Republican is bad for you if you're a woman.
How can I say this? I read yr profile comments!
You think people don't have phones or computers?
And BTW, being gregarious, outgoing, and shamelessly audacious does not equal STRONG. Sarah Palin is not strong. Would a strong woman hide from the press? Would a strong woman allow herself to be used like this? Would a strong woman abuse her power and fire people that either won't do her bidding or who intimidate her at meetings? No - a strong woman would welcome questions from the media at every opportunity, a strong woman would stand up for herself, a strong woman would work with people with differing views and build consensus for the good of all.
It's your perogative to vote for who you choose - but please don't parade your choice as somehow being supportive to other women - coming here to snipe at us is pathetic, that's all your vote seems to mean anymore.
Worry more about Ohio, Michigan and Florida and the vote suppression and just plain Diebold cheating!
Her stump speeches are regurgitated repeatedly. Inclusive with the distortions of truth she spiels with a total lack of accountability. Even when it is being publicly acknowledged that certain points she makes are not accurate.
This is not representative of change.
Her gender does not make me any less critical of her political record.
Actions do speak louder than words, especially when evaluating a politician.
Some women think Palin is preferable to Biden....and I don't think it's because they feel Palin is more experienced over Biden!
If by some horror, she is the VP, she has made it very clear, bad things will happen. She wants war, she wants to end women's rights, she does not support equal pay, she has no knowledge of the constitution, no knowledge of foreign affairs, is apparently so dishonest that McCain is running Alaska and stopping an investigation that started before the nomination and is so poorly informed that McCain is terrified to let her speak to the press.
Sarah Palin is like Door #3. McCain wants you to choose it without knowing what's behind the curtain. No. Thank. You.
I am Black and was never thrilled by Clarence Thomas, Alan Keyes nor Condoleeza Rice...it cannot be simply any woman or any Black...that is tokenism.
Read about this woman and you'll see that she is "ready to lead" in the manner that we've been led for the last 8 years: above the law, loose with the truth and ready to go to war.
I think many women are smarter than to relate to a woman who is anti-choice, anti-environment, pro-war, pro-guns, would ban books and thinks that living near Russia gives her foreign policy credentials.