Why are feminists so threatened by Sarah Palin?
As a proud feminist, strong woman and informed citizen who has voted on both sides of party lines and considers her spirit truly Independent, it’s been fascinating to see other women react to Sarah Palin. It is one of the great facets not only of the election, but of recent history–Sarah Palin causes an incredible rise in both liberal and conservative women’s blood pressure and emotions, whether they’re rushing to defend her or tripping over themselves to villify her. I’ve had riveting conversations with friends and family around the country about her, and I do think it’s amazing and exciting that people are getting so involved in and passionate about American politics. She’s a true Rorschach test.
While I love debate and discussion, however, I’m unimpressed when contempt for others’ opinions is introduced into the mix, when people or candidates of any political stripe resort to namecalling, and when conclusions about others’ reasons, persuasions, decisions, values or desires are rushed into–it does nobody any good, sets women back and is, frankly, insulting. I’m hoping the collective “we” can all take a deep breath, focus on the issues, and not demean our fellow women or citizens for disagreeing with our own opinions. The world is neither black nor white but a beautiful palette of grey, and we are all smarter and better than to shrink to positions of fear and finger-pointing–in either party.
Tags: politics, Sarah Palin, WOMEN
September 15th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Well said!
September 15th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Bravo! While I do not necessarily agree with everything Governor Palin says or believes, your post captures entirely what I have been feeling as I listen to my female friends and colleagues savagely BASH her. I think what you’ve said is mature, well-balanced, and spot on.
September 15th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I couldn’t have put it better
September 15th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
well written, nadine.
September 15th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
You all may be fascinated, but this person is truly dangerous. This has nothing to do with her gender, it is simply this person’s complete lack of national political experience and frightening world-view. Get real - there were plenty of experienced female Republicans out there - they just wouldn’t satisfy the ultra-right wing of the party. There are plenty of male politicians who also fit the description of Palin - she just happens to be female. People who truly care about the future of this country are extremely concerned about Palin’s cavalier attitude towards Russia (is she too young to remember the threat of mutual nuclear annihilation? I’m not) and her crusader attitude towards the middle east. I cannot trust my childrens’ future to anyone who holds her political beliefs - male or female.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Well said, Nina.
I, too, believe the polarity of opinion in regards to Sarah Palin is more due to her very conservative stances on the issues. Anyone (male or female) nowadays with her opinions (and lack of experience and foreign policy understanding) would be receiving a large amount of criticism (and praise from some) in this very polarizing political climate.
The other issue, though, is the feminist reaction, which I also think is due to the issues because feminists tend to be a pretty liberal bunch. Not only do they not see eye to eye with her, they feel as though it adds insult to injury that a person being put forth by the Republican party who holds such scary positions on the issues (in their view) is also a woman, and therefore someone they are *supposed* to support. Instead they are now in the position where they need to speak out against her, which comes across as tearing down other women - something they don’t really want to do.
I do agree with Nadine, though, that political conversations in general can get really crazy really fast in that people do not often respect other people’s opinions. I like to blame the various TV pundits who have been successful at keeping the level of political discourse in this country at all time lows…
September 15th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Well said Nadine!!
September 15th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Agreed… civility is the cornerstone of meaningful national discourse and this resort to name-calling and bashing undermines our efforts to have rational discussion about FACTS. And the fact that this blight about Palin comes from women is the most disturbing part of all of this. If this garbage was being espoused by men we’d certainly all be outraged. Why do women seem to attack other women so fiercly?
September 15th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Before we go to pointing fingers at Sarah Palin for her lack of experience on international policy, lets take a minute to view her opponent’s experience. Obama, a junior senator, has very little experience as well, and only has approx. 150 more days in office that Sarah Palin (not counting mayoral position). I think I’ll stick with the candidate team that has a member with experience in administration of a government, not simply as a short term senator.
And a well stated blog, Nadine.
September 16th, 2008 at 6:17 am
I don’t think feminists are “threatened” by Palin; I think they are offended by her. Just as so-called “elitists” are offended by the idea that any schmo can lead the most powerful country on earth. (we see how well that is turning out)
Palin engaged in calculated, snarky, anti-intellectual name calling at the GOP convention. I listened eagerly for something of substance in her speech. Did not hear it.
Bottom line: women are not interchangeable units of political currency. Some of them are far better qualified to lead than others. Recognizing that is not anti-feminist, anti-woman, or anti-anything except maybe anti-b.s.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Uh oh, be careful, this post isn’t strictly about makeup…
I agree with A on this one…
September 16th, 2008 at 8:20 am
I agree with Nina… I’m not concerned whether she is a woman or not, her beliefs and actions just plain scare me….
I do think that some feminists would also dislike if she got elected, because if you are going to be the first female to get that far, I think it is reasonable that you would want it to be somebody good. Also, one might say that she is breaking the glass ceiling if she gets elected; if she does, I don’t believe that she will make good decisions and actions in office, which might hinder the chance of another female from making it so far.
September 16th, 2008 at 8:39 am
While I am not going to bash Palin per se, I do think the reason that many women are so stirred up is that it is basically obvious that Palin was chosen because it was thought that to choose a woman would be to stir the female voters who would have voted for Hillary and that is an insult to the intelligence of those women. Palin goes against everything that Hillary and her fellow Democrats stand for. Once more men just don’t get it. Personally I think that it is a good thing that women are getting so fired up about this election!
September 16th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I agree with Nina & A -
man, woman, or space alien - it doesn’t matter to me, SHE’s just plain scary! I think I fear her more that McCain, and that’s really saying something.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:19 am
She’s a predator posing as a house pet. In other words, she ain’t no feminist, but puts on like she is. That’s why real feminists have a serious problem with her. She’s an imposter. She’s like those journalists who invented their stories and won awards for fake news. An insult to the people who are the real deal.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Obama is more of a feminist.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Like a lot of modern women, I’m far more educated and well traveled than Sarah Palin. At the same time, I have no business running for Vice President(neither does she). There’s an Emperor’s New Clothes quality about touting her short experience governing a state with the population of Ft. Worth, TX. Parading her children, including the newborn, was just plain tacky. I felt sorry for her oldest daughter who had to endure the judgment of the entire world. Her success is evidence of the malleability of the American electorate. Whoever was behind this decision is a master of semiotics and the power of symbols. As someone who grew up in small town America, I get it. I know exactly what they’re appealing to. She fits the mold, literally from her big hair to her French pedicure. I’m not saying this to be mean, but pointing out that everything about her appearance is calculated to appeal to a certain demographic. I’m not threatened by her, but I’m scared of the anti-intellectualism and willful ignorance the Republicans are exploiting. I’m aware of how mean women can be to each other, but we have to be objective in this case. I’m disappointed that the Republicans couldn’t find someone better because qualified conservative women are out there.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I agree with Anna above. It actually frightens me how much confidence people have in Obama’s promises and abilities, especially in terms of foreign policy. I think he lacks experience and I think a lot of people are not questioning the real issues when it comes to Obama and it has almost become a “trend” to be pro Obama. Scary!
I may not agree 100% with Palin, but I have not more or less confidence in her than I have in Obama. Sorry.
September 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Love all the debate! Like I said, I think it’s fantastic that women are getting so involved, interested and passionate. I don’t like, however, that the two sides seem to be drifting further apart and are increasingly unable to find common ground even where it might exist were we to put aside emotion, dig deeper and examine ourselves through the lens of others (the main point of my above post). Human nature being what it is, I suppose inflamed passions are inevitable with two tickets that are such polar opposites regarding fundamental issues; people seem to pick a party and wrap themselves in it, unable to look across the divide and see (or try to understand) what, why and how their neighbor is feeling. We tend to believe our own thoughts, feelings and beliefs are nuanced and complex while pigeonholing those with opposing viewpoints as simple-minded and ill-informed. It’s important to recognize that each party has something to teach the other; neither side, in my opinion, deserves to enjoy the bombastic certainty it blindly parades. Although I admire her tenacity, work ethic and the fact that she is a working mother and breadwinner, I personally do not support most of Palin’s policies, as they are not in line with my personal ideologies, and I will not be voting for her. I wouldn’t dream, however, of painting every single one of her supporters with the same brush or accuse somebody who doesn’t share my own views of being a bad woman or less of a feminist (I’m not saying anybody here has done that, simply drawing upon public discussion that is out there).
On a related note, I don’t support the two party system, something Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton all warned against in the early days of our country, and which George Washington famously addressed in his farewell speech: “It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection…And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.”
September 16th, 2008 at 11:27 am
One of the most difficult parts of all of this is that Palin is NOT Obama’s opponent - or not his main opponent. That role should be filled by McCain. What I dislike about this whole discourse so much is that the utter *shock* at having a female candidate has so clouded the election that no one is really talking about any of the issues. I wish I could support her, because I do want to see more women in leadership positions in this country, but she doesn’t speak for me. She doesn’t even speak to me, she speaks AT me. And she belittles me and all of the things I believe in. And I find that extremely insulting. I don’t really care what the “media elite” say about her. I care about what she says about herself and her beliefs and her running mate and from my perspective so far, she and her running mate have said nothing about furthering the lives of the women in this country. Hell, I haven’t heard much from them that would further anyone’s life.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
i think mccain showed his true colors by picking her… and they aren’t pretty. he did it merely as a political move, not keeping in mind that she may indeed have to run the country herself, especially considering how old he is. his blatant attempt to appeal to the feminist hillary supporter is downright insulting. no one who supports hillary would even think of voting for a ticket with her on it, as her “values” and political stances are polar opposite… besides did anyone see her tv interview with Charles on MSN????? she is cocky and empty and merely recites meaningless phrases that have been taken right from bush’s mouth.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Of all the candidates, both presidential AND vice-presidential, Sarah Palin has the most experience actually running something. The presidential office is an excutive branch office, just like the gubernatorial office is. Senators, which all the rest (Obama, McCain, and Biden) are, are part of the legislative branch which is very different from the role of the executive branch.
I admire Sarah Palin personally and professionally. I may not agree with everything she believes; however, I look at her RECORD of success in running her state. I like her no nonsense approach to things and believe that she will get things done that benefit the American people, rather than pandering to the establish, lobbyists, and other self serving entities. I do not care if she is a man or a woman, black or white, democrat or republican. I trust her more than I trust the rest, who at this point have become nothing more than political hacks. It is about time someone was on our side.
The media is hypocritical. It is clear that they are “for Obama” and cannot be objective. One CNN NEWSREPORTER recently made an on-air slip and referred to the Democrats as “we”. Make no mistake. This country has enemies, and not all of them are on the outside. Little by little our freedoms have been taken away. I live in one of the most liberal states in the Union, and I can tell you that things are not good here. High crime, high taxes and more new laws every day to try to keep people in line. When they tell you what you can’t eat and take away your gun and other abilities to defend yourself, guess who still has the guns? That’s right…the people who are CRIMINALS do not follow gun laws and therefore they will still have their guns, but law abiding people won’t. Government is not the solution and in too many cases it is the problem. Sarah Palin wants to REDUCE government and REDUCE spending.
Unfortunately almost all fo this is moot for the next 4 years anyway. Obama is running against McCain, not Sarah Palin. The office of the Vice-President has VERY little power over ANYTHING. They can break a tie vote, bug deal. If you look at McCain’s voting record, you will see that he is a RHINO (Republican in name only). He votes with the democrats more than republicans. He is socially and fiscally liberal in almost everyway imaginable.
Yes is he voted for the war, but John McCain didn’t make the war. The islamo-facist terrorists brouight this war to us, on our own soil, or have you all forgotten? These dangerous enemies need to be eradicated because if you think you can just bury your head in the sand and run away, you are wrong. They are here now, with their mosques preaching hatred of America and its people, demanding use of sharia law, demanding that our way of life be changed to accomodate them - just look up people in Michigan having to put up with loud calls to prayer echoing through their residential areas 5 times a day or people that cannot get a taxi ride because they have a dog or a bottle of wine they purchased. They are here in this country now because of liberal policies and other cancerous bureaucracy than has gotten hold of our country.
As for Obama. He is trying to be too many things to too many people. He doesn’t appear to have any opinions of his own -just things he reads off a teleprompter. The fact that he has a cult like following because he spews words like “change” and “hope” frightens me. I agree that we need change, but show me ONE thing Obama has actually done that made anything better. Name one piece of legislation he has written? The only thing Obama seems to claim credit for are publishing two books, which he did not even author himself (see ghostwriter). Another thing is that Obama chosing Biden as his VP is completely contrary to his message of “change”. Biden has been a senator for longer than some of you have been alive - over 20 years. Another political hack - a career politician towing the party line - just what we need for “change” right?
So to sum up… Drop the race and gender nonsense. Neither of those should have any part in making this decision. It is the history, experience, and actual accomplishments that should be looked at. Everything else is meant to distract you from the real issues. Please don’t fall for it. There is too much at stake here. We need a strong leader who will protect us and NOT compromise and negotiate with terrorist dictatorships like Iran. As much as McCain’s liberal policies leave a sour taste in my mouth, that can all be straightened out later. But we will never be able to fix bad policies if our country is destroyed because we had a weak leader who failed to keep the country secure.
Obama is weak. He’s never changed anything. He’s never fixed anything. And he appointed a career political hack to be his running mate. And honestly after hearing the story about his half-brother living in abject poverty in a hut in Kenya on $12 a month and the fact that Obama has never tried to help him, it really makes me wonder how or why people believe Obama wants to help our poor and needy when he doesn’t even bother to help his own family. By the way… of those 7 houses mcCain “owns”, at least one of them was purchased for an elderly relative to live in. The several of the others are rental properties and not lavish estates or vacation homes like the media tried to make it out to be. Obama also owns several homes, but i don’t see him offering to let his impoverished brother come stay with him.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I agree with Nina! Palin is a joke.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Summer, really? C´mon.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
VOTE THE ISSUES!
Find out what you believe in, and vote that way.
http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com
September 19th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Summer 9/17 at 8:35 am:
There are so many errors and half-truths in your statement, I’m not sure where to begin, other than to say STOP watching Fox News.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Democratics and silly men women are threatened by Sarah Palin because she is truly a good person, who has lived an an honorable life inside of breaking every one of the Ten Commandments and mocking God. why do the Democratic love filth so much, its disgusting and a waste of a lifetime.
Look at Larry Flynt, a perfect example of a filthy worthless life. We who are moderate Americans wish that Fox News were more bold in speaking the truth that really needs to be told.
Fox news needs to report more on the criminal life of Obama, his vote of late term abortion, his palling around with terrorist and criminals, not to mention that lunatic of Jeremiah Writ which on 14% of black people approve of. They are not bold enough as far as I’m concerned, they need to be half as obnoxious as the Democatis. All CNN is in one big Kanagoo court, where six idiots usuallys it around a table agreeing with each other. Obama needs to be vetted out and Fox news needs to stick it to him - for our own good!
Note how Sarah Palin is being vetted out - why. Because her , wholesome goodness she is a threat to Washington crocks and liars — like Obama and his crappy friends. Who would want such people for friends, neighobors let alone in the white house. Believe me I don’t think he’s going to Win, even with Acorn rigging the votes for him. What is terrifying is that he got this far. Obama is one scary guy, but not to the six year old Democratic mindset. You all’ as we say in Texas need to grow up and there is no time like the present to start. Innocence is for children, virtue for grown ups, Any Republican who is like a democratic anda there are many are 100 times worse than and Democratics. We are suppose to know and live better, no one expects the Democratic to play by fair and square rules! Name me one Democratic that is for anyone but himself- really don’t I won’t believe you anyway.