Sarah Palin is a Big Girl; She Can Handle It

As a marketer, I've got to hand it to the Republican campaign machine. They blame Obama for not having experience, then elect Sarah Palin, a complete neophyte. Now Obama's choice of Biden looks old school and it's McCain who has the fresh ticket. In fact, they now hold the ultimate trump card. They have a woman. And, like Barbara Walters said, anything that anyone in the media says against her will be branded a sexist.

Sound familiar? Charges of sexism flavored much of Hillary Clinton's campaign, only in that case it backfired because it was Clinton herself (along with Bill) who was making the charges. In the case Sarah of Palin she doesn't have to defend the criticisms deemed as a slight to her femininity -- she has the attack dogs to do it for her. It's a cheap and cynical tactic, because they know darn well that she's no damsel in distress. Palin herself has even called Clinton's claims of sexism "whining."

Meanwhile, McCain has taken the phony position of claiming the concern for Palin's lack of leadership skills is unfounded because the press, "Would never do that to a man!" Carly Fiorina makes a legitimate if unintentional point about Palin's lack of executive experience and she gets expunged from the campaign, her interviews on CNN and Fox abruptly canceled. The GOP effectively silenced the woman for speaking her mind.

If the Republicans weren't so busy chivalrously defending their VP candidate's honor they might realize that by not allowing her to be vetted and measured up by the same standards as any other political candidate they are effectively telling the world that she is not up to the job. By not allowing the media to perform its very necessary role, the campaign is saying she needs to be protected because she's in over her head.

The most egregious aspect of this sexual politicking is the McCain camp's belief that putting woman on the ticket will siphon off votes from the pro-Hillary crowd. And it's working! There are those who apparently feel they can, should or must identify with Sarah Palin simply because she's of the same gender. People of all political stripes are crying sexism when her abilities and experience are called into question. But what message does this send to the young women of America?

This entire charade is showing young girls that their role in society is affected by how they play the gender game. Girls naturally grow up to realize that being pretty opens doors. Girls get a free pass by playing the helpless victim. Are today's tweens and teens being groomed to think that's all that matters? As someone who attended an all-female Christian school where we were taught integrity and self-respect, I would like to think this generation of young women knows better. The feminist movement was a call to have women be recognized for who they are, not just their sexuality. In a way, the portrayal of Sarah Palin is a giant step backwards in conveying that message.

There's an irony to all of this in that Sarah Palin herself is as non-feminist as you can get. She not only is against a woman's right to choose, she's opposed to offering day care for single moms, she's hardly a champion of equal pay for women and she's against sex education in schools. And evidently she's against sitting her own daughters down and informing them about birth control.

But for all her anti-feminist, reverse sexism, she's about as tough as you can get. I don't feel sorry for her, and neither should the media. That's just condescending to Sarah Palin, and belittling to women in general. It's time to bring it on. She's a big girl. She can handle it.

Comments

[LiberalDem]

It's time that anyone complaining about the press' alleged tough and/or sexist treatment of Palin shut up. Women have been in elective politics at the local, state and national level for a long time-and all of them are prepared to handle probing questions.

[babyruth]

There is nothing that makes most woman more angry than a woman like Palin. Using her femininity playing up to men and taking away the rights of woman.

She has used her children to promote her policial beliefs.
Trig is her "pro life" baby which was her exact quote at his baptism; Track her "befief in the war" child; Bristol her "anti-abortion" & "no sex ed in school" child;

[Ronju01]

Sarah Palin said that Title 9 made her who she is now. She should thank Sen. Kennedy and Dems for it. GOPs were against it.

[eus]

Growing up, there was a rule in our house; boys don't hit girls. My sister and I would take every chance to bait our brothers and get them in trouble.

Sarah, with her fem-bott style and her inexperience, seems to be baiting just about everyone. I love the down to earth look of Janet Reno and Elizabeth Edwards. Its great to see women who are sincere, can get a job done and are not overly affected by appearance. None of this uber-femme for me please.

I dont know what Sarah wants but she's sure asking for IT...

[sboucher]

When I hear a person say she's voting for Hillary because she's a woman, I tell them I'm voting for Obama because he's left-handed (as am I). Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't.

[sboucher]

Wow, was that a slip! What I meant was when I hear a former Hillary supporter say she's voting for Palin... sorry!

[Cranbot]

Put on your big girl panties and deal with it Sarah. If you are sure you are ready to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency than you are sure you are able to answer all the major questions a President should have to answer.

If you are being paid off to be the patsy in this election because the Republicans would rather lose and harass Obama for the next 4 years, sticking him with all of the pain yet to come then I want to know what it is you are being paid or promised.

My gut feeling however is that your ego is soooo big that you are sure that you deserve this and that you can handle this. Not being able to recognize when you are in waaay over your head is not a great quality, especially in a leader. Just saying.

[CompetenceMatters]

If Obama had presented as his running mate an inexperienced, lying, pretty female, and then not allowed her to say anything but what is scripted for her, how would the media handle that? How about if Obama picked an inexperienced, lying, pretty male? Neither of these were ever in the realm of possibilities of course, but think. And what if McCain had picked an inexperienced, lying, pretty male as his running mate? Would any of those be different?

The story isn't Sarah Palin, it is the fact that we can't interview her, we the people, that is, via our free press (?). The evening news should be full of clips showing how journalists are trying to get close enough to shout questions at her, and her smiling back mutely.

She dipped her big toe in the pool today and screamed: " Eoow, the water's too cold". If it takes her this long to jump in the pool, we're sunk. Don't give her a pass just 'cause she's a girl!

[judi4obama]

Palin is a plastic puppet candidate, and we are getting sooo sick and tired of her speaking from behind the curtain. Get real or go away, Palin.

[JungleRoses]

Rock on! Sarah is using sexism as her key strategy and introductory key speech.

[jeanrenoir]

Just have Tina Fey do her thing every week, and have it go viral weekly on YouTube. That should drive a stake through Palin's tough mean girl heart before long. So, yeah, bring it ALL on, and wipe her out.

[hog]

In what respect, Cherly?

[PepperzMom]

Bringing this over here...from over there http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/17/palin-decries-unfair-atta_n_127197.html (originally posted by StandUpAmerica08)

Slightly reworked to clarify the references). Stand Up was also going to try & find a YouTube showing these statements side by side).

Nice catch Stand Up....

*****

Palin lies needing a pointed look:

Charlie Gibson/ABC interview with Sarah Palin:
When asked about being approached for the VP slot, Palin stated
"I said yes right away Charle!. I didn't blink once, I said, well Senator, if you think I can help well..... yes!"

Tonight's interview with Sean Hannity:
Palin stated
"Well Sean, I didn't say 'Yes' right away. I had to think about it. I went to my family and put it to a family vote. My son didn't vote because he's going of to do his own thing but the girls said, "Yes Mom that's cool"

So which is it? She lied - whether it was to Gibson or Hannity is immaterial. Follow-up on this and bring it up front loudly...

[MadJeffersonian]

What time is it? Time for another answer. He answers are like sand dunes, endless and always changing.

[XME]

Kind of like her running mate...

[boophus]

We need to have a place for everyone to post a list of all the lies and the refutations in one location. Smae with the really bad statements like the Alaska being near Russia for foreign policy or Iraq being involved in 911 or ... No comments, just a relentless sifting of the media and posting it in a easy to navigate to spot. I find it piecemeal everywhere but I think it would be more effective gathered in one place. This is the woman who claims she is ready to be president and she isn't even ready to meet the press and us (not just selected fan clubs). She should get a spine and quit the whine. Being questioned is part of the job she is applying for. ZBreak her out of the cone of silence where we only here pre-planned and pre-positioned pieces of blathering. Can see Alaska indeed.