Sarah Palin: What's Important
Sep. 1st, 2008 08:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desertvixen First, let me list the things which are not important:
1. The fact that she's a beauty queen.
2. The fact that she calls herself a "hockey mom".
3. The fact that she's a mother with a special-needs child. (This would be addressed mainly to the "how-dare-she-have-such-a-demanding-job?"crowd.)
4. The fact that Republican men (led by good ol' Rush) think she's a hottie.
5. The RUMOR that she posed nude or semi-nude. (I haven't seen the pics in question.)
6. The RUMOR that she is actually the grandmother, not the mother, of the special-needs infant.
Especially for number 6. Until there is actual, conclusive proof, and not just "well, she didn't look pregnant" or the fact that her teen daughter was out of school for several months. When there is actual proof, maybe we will talk.
What is important?
Sarah Palin is anti-abortion, unless the life of the mother is in danger. No rape/incest exceptions even.
Sarah Palin is a member of Feminists For Life.
Sarah Palin supports teaching creationism and abstinence-only sex ed in schools. (There appears to have been some waffling on the creationism thing.)
Sarah Palin is not good for the environment. She supported the aerial killing of wolves in Alaska, and is trying to sue on behalf of the state over polar bears being listed as endangered.
Sarah Palin "doesn't know" where she stands on the Iraq War. (And no, it doesn't matter that her son is in the Army, either.)
Sarah Palin believes that marriage is between a man and a woman only - but she did veto a bill that would have banned gay rights.
What do I think is really important? That there's a lot we don't know about this candidate. And that having female plumbing doesn't necessarily make you pro-women's rights.
I also fail to see how having a woman VP candidate helps crack the glass ceiling. Because we've already had one.
Attack her, yes - on the issues. Not the other BS.
DV
1. The fact that she's a beauty queen.
2. The fact that she calls herself a "hockey mom".
3. The fact that she's a mother with a special-needs child. (This would be addressed mainly to the "how-dare-she-have-such-a-demanding-job?"crowd.)
4. The fact that Republican men (led by good ol' Rush) think she's a hottie.
5. The RUMOR that she posed nude or semi-nude. (I haven't seen the pics in question.)
6. The RUMOR that she is actually the grandmother, not the mother, of the special-needs infant.
Especially for number 6. Until there is actual, conclusive proof, and not just "well, she didn't look pregnant" or the fact that her teen daughter was out of school for several months. When there is actual proof, maybe we will talk.
What is important?
Sarah Palin is anti-abortion, unless the life of the mother is in danger. No rape/incest exceptions even.
Sarah Palin is a member of Feminists For Life.
Sarah Palin supports teaching creationism and abstinence-only sex ed in schools. (There appears to have been some waffling on the creationism thing.)
Sarah Palin is not good for the environment. She supported the aerial killing of wolves in Alaska, and is trying to sue on behalf of the state over polar bears being listed as endangered.
Sarah Palin "doesn't know" where she stands on the Iraq War. (And no, it doesn't matter that her son is in the Army, either.)
Sarah Palin believes that marriage is between a man and a woman only - but she did veto a bill that would have banned gay rights.
What do I think is really important? That there's a lot we don't know about this candidate. And that having female plumbing doesn't necessarily make you pro-women's rights.
I also fail to see how having a woman VP candidate helps crack the glass ceiling. Because we've already had one.
Attack her, yes - on the issues. Not the other BS.
DV
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 05:12 am (UTC)I think the point is that she has a good chance of actually becoming Vice President, unlike Ferraro in 1984, who was running under Mondale against Reagan at the height of his popularity.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 03:49 pm (UTC)It's not enough in my book. And I'm really hoping they don't win.
Besides, we're waaaay behind the power curve here in the US as far as female head-of-state. For various reasons.
DV
no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 04:56 pm (UTC)Technically speaking, Margaret Thatcher was never "head-of-state," but de facto that's what the British Prime Minister really is.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-02 05:03 am (UTC)The Iron Lady's hardly the only one.
I'll look up a list tonight at work, since I don't think I have that paper's research on the laptop with me.
DV
Sarah Palin
Date: 2008-09-04 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 06:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 03:52 pm (UTC)Exactly.
And if she was an idea tossed out there by McCain's crew to pull in Hillary supporters, I'm really hoping they see through the BS on that one. From what I'm reading, a lot are seeing it as a really blatant gimmick.
I think it's more likely that she was chosen to appeal to the religious right wing (aka "the Base") because she's very popular with that crowd. If so, might have been a smart move. Might not. But time will tell.
DV
no subject
Date: 2008-09-03 01:03 am (UTC)