Palin: Don't Underestimate the Babe Factor

I would have thought by now that, days after Sarah Palin's star turn at the otherwise flaccid and predictable Republican Convention, people would be reacting the way they do walking out a performance of Cats: "I sat there for three hours, and there was only one good song."

Yet, the polls are up and the buzz continues.

If it is being generated by women who agree that we should have guns in our cars, creationism in our schools, gay discrimination in our laws and government control over our bodies -- then America is becoming a truly scary place.

I think there is something different going on here. And it troubles me -- mainly because it does not seem to be troubling many other women, especially Democratic women.

The Republicans have found themselves an alpha female (the ones who run the high school and date the quarterback) to Hillary's beta female (the ones who run the student council and win the scholarships.) As Rush Limbaugh put it in full hubba hubba voice, "We've got a baaaaaaabe on our ticket."

Palin quickly picked up the fallen standard of those Hillary voters who put "18 million cracks" in the glass ceiling. She didn't crack anything. John McCain helicoptered her to the roof, and they led her down the back stairs.

And why?

Because of her sterling record? Because of the synchronicity of their beliefs? Because months of intense vetting found a background as unblemished as the driven Alaskan snow?

Hardly.

He picked her because a campaign as stiff and tired as a McCain ad lib needed a "baaaabe on the ticket."

Sexist? If the female governor of Alaska had a uni-brow and wore mukluks instead of stilettos -- and had the same skimpy qualifications and apparent ethical baggage as Palin -- would she be on the ticket?

Face it:

Palin's hot, and McCain's not. And all of a sudden, there are steamed up windows at the RNC.

Especially curious to me is the eerie quiet from Democratic women.

Hillary Clinton -- the woman who included the possibility of Obama's assassination as a reason for her to stay in the race and declared herself the choice of hardworking white people -- has limited her attack on Palin to mutterings about policy differences.

It's enough to make one wonder if she doesn't really want Obama to win.

Clintonian ambivalence aside, other Democratic women have also been slow to engage.

Said Karen O'Connor, director of American University's Center for Women and Politics: "The Obama people seem to be handling Sarah Palin with kid gloves, while Sarah Palin has already taken the gloves off."

Good point.

Anita Dunn, senior policy advisor for the Obama campaign recently let loose with this killer line: "Ms. Palin is obviously a skilled performer and a talented politician. But the McCain/Palin ticket doesn't have one policy that is different from George Bush." Brutal.

Democratic women: where are you? This is a woman who is against most of what we believe in and believes in most of what we are against.

McCain has thrown us some raw meat here. Come getcha some.

Comments

[MotoJack]

Maybe Gov. Palin is the second coming of Dan Quayle, an empty suit with a plushly darted blouse. One might recall, however, that DQ was on the winning ticket.

Attractiveness and personality go a long way in our broadband-mediated politics. Pres. Reagan didn't sweep into office on the strength of his wonk brigade, but on soft quips and sharply tailored suits. Pres. Kennedy was a fairly inexperienced junior senator, but a darn handsome fella who could turn a phrase effectively.

As to consistency of position, it might be remembered that our own Dear Arianna also once exploded into political prominence as a fiercely committed conservative.

And she's good lookin', too.

[GinnyB]

As a 68 year old Obama fan, longtime Democrat, I must say all the women I know are in a complete
uproar over the popularity of the Alaskan barracuda. We are shaking our heads - what has happened
to our country that so many people are taken iin by this woman?

[Libran1]

I'm a 70 year old Obama fan, and longtime democrat as well. I think we need to be mindful that Ms. Palin is opportunistic, ambitious and arrogant. She has her eye on the higher prize - the oscar of politics - the presidency itsself. Methinks that if I were McCain, I wouldn't accept any food or drink from her (just kidding - I don't want to get in trouble here). All joking aside I do think she'll stop at nothing to satisfy that overstuffed ego of hers. I hope it trips her up and people will see the real Sarah. Let's hope the electorate wakes up and won't follow this Pied Piper into the abyss again!

[rmwarnick]

Come on, Sarah Palin is The Church Lady!

[sunnybunny]

Yeah, but way better looking.

[copernikus]

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I really don't get all of this "hot babe" talk. She's moderately attractive and gets less so every time she opens her mouth.

[TexasDem0]

Could not possibly agree more.

[TRYKER]

Best quote of the day..."She didn't crack anything. John McCain helicoptered her to the roof, and they led her down the back stairs."

That was priceless! Good job Peggy.

[PersonaNonGrated]

If we elect these two because of a secret librarian fantasy, than we as Americans deserve every bit of negativity we get from ourselves AND the rest of the world. If we really are that stupid, we deserve to be laughed at.

[veeba]

well, i am totally OUTRAGED and INSULTED by mccain's complete CONTEMPT of women, of our system of democracy and the campaign process. and i cant imagine hillary or kay bailey hutchinson being anything but as outraged as i am. i bet their rage is so palpable, they are avoiding the questions and waiting until the dust settles a little. let's hope so, cause women need to see this for what it is: AS CONTEMPTUOUS A BIT OF TOKENISM as we have seen yet by the dirty old white men. makes your skin crawl to see mccain's smiling at her.

by the way, catch palin's face in one of those little 'embraces' they perform at the end of every appearance. what's the body language telling us?

and please someone out there, watch the end of cspan's video of palin's speech at the convention. they pan out to the crowd and voila! there's a middleaged woman mouthing "yes we can"..unbelievable.

[larryluvlife]

The babe factor is in full effect and I hope Hillary supporters don't fall for it.Hot girls who love God and guns are hot and the republicans know it.

[generaldelivery]

All Obama had to do was to put Hillary Rodham Clinton on the ticket and he'd on his way to the Oval Office right now. Instead he slapped her (and her husband) in the face, all because of vanity. Now he's going to lose, just as she predicted. We tried to warn you, HuffPo but you were just too blind to see and too deaf to listen.

[dadw5boys]

Well the BABE factor goes out the window when the public sees that Palin and her husband should have been CHARGED WITH NEGLECT of thier kids !!!!!!!

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/_palin_family_shockers_what_sarahs_really_hiding/celebrity/65407

[parisblues]

Thanks for that link! Now we know why the McCain campaign is making such a big deal about family matters being kept "private." Of course, we have to consider the source here. But they were right about John Edwards, now weren't they?

[dadw5boys]

Too many law suits !!!!

Now they don;t print unless it is verifible!!!!!!!!

[provgrays]

Beauty really is power.

[EFC]

Very insightful-the mindless preoccupation of a large segment of the American public with beauty and celebrity makes it an easy mark for a vacuous shill, like Mrs. Palin. The big question: it possible for this group to recover from its collective thrall in time to prevent another dimwit cabal from wreaking havoc on the country and the world for another four, or more, years?

[shackinballard]

Reminds me of Michael Deaver putting Reagan on 60 minutes. Most people thought he was crazy because, if you listened to the words, they slaughtered Reagan for making cuts in social programs. But Deaver knew the images were the important thing, and they showed Reagan visiting elders, in front of flags, smiling and confident. Feed those images to the sheep. Baaaaah.

[CindyV]

I've been voting democratic all my life. My candidate did not win the primary, although she's been called upon by many here on Huffpo to be Obama's pitbull on Palin. I've been pretty quiet about Palin and McCain. Palin was Obama's gift to the RNC and McCain when he didn't chose Hillary to be his VP. That said, this is Obama's battle now. Let him fight it.

[readytsf]

You're absolutely right. She's everything you fear. A smart, hot, sucessful, conservative Mom. What can you do about it? Nothing...­.........L­OL

[djarvis]

We can point out everything she is NOT... experienced, knowledgeable about the Iraq war, knowledgeable about what a VP does, informed about global warming, informed about evolution, or wise when it comes to teaching young people about birth control.