Does John McCain actually believe that women might be attracted to Sarah Palin merely because she is a woman? That we are so desperate for a woman candidate (never mind that the Dems have offered a woman veep before) that we will take anything?
Wouldn't that mean that American women as individuals don’t matter at all, that we’re interchangeable really (and I could get more graphic here but I won’t): that women, stupid cows that we are, will vote for anything that looks vaguely like us — albeit in the case of Palin, a former beauty queen, somewhat better than many of us.
As my fifteen-year-old daughter would say: Eeeewwwwwwwww.
Disaffected Hillary supporters who want to vote for a woman won’t find a kindred spirit in Palin, who is vehemently anti-choice. Five kids, one only seven months old and disabled to boot, must keep her pretty busy, too, and it’s hard to believe that hard core conservatives who are screaming and yelling with joy about her being chosen would really support her working as hard as a veep would have to and leaving that little baby at home with a nanny. Aren’t good Christian Republican ladies supposed to stay at home and raise their own kids?
But be that as it may, Sarah Palin is not good for anyone who cares about the environment as she supports drilling in ANWR; anyone who wishes to keep jobs in this country, as she wants to give those drilling rights to a Canadian company: anyone who values her right to privacy when it comes to her body, as Palin is a fundamentalist Christian who is anti-choice all the way.
In addition, her barely two years as governor show a marked lack of experience should the old man who is vying for Number One suddenly keel over, and she has done very little in the way of anything, other than challenge the establishment of a state with a very small population. Her designation as America’s Hottest Governor, which the Republicans are touting, could easily apply to the fact that she’s a good looking woman. At least that is what the word “hot” has come to mean in the past ten years. Ask anyone under forty.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Arch Conservative
Yeah Sarah Palin is such a horrible human being. She actually chose to bring a down syndrome baby to term, raise it and love it rather than terminate it's life in the womb because she adhered to the leftist talking point on the abortion issue of "some lives aren't worth living and thus must be terminated in the womb."
I see you've trotted out another tired inaccurate liberal talking point about drilling in ANWR and how much it will damage the environemnt Lisa. Palin, unlike you actually lives in Alsaka and has been able to witness first hand the environemental damage that the drilling we have already done there has wrought, which is to say none!
Oh and way to go once again on assuming that all women agree with you because you're a liberal and only liberals care about women Lisa. When BC readers want new, original and objective thought you're the first person that comes ot mind. No really.
I suppose.....no I know that it never occured to you that millions of American women actually hold beliefs that are much closer to Palin's than your own. These women don't need you or Planned Parenthood, or any other leftist feminazi icon to speak for them. They don't need to be told what to think or how to vote.
You claim that McCain only picked Palin to garner the women's vote which is clearly true as anyone can see that is exactly why he picked her. However McCain's insult to women is no gretaer than your own insult to women when you routinely ridicule and demean any women that does not share your political and social views.
2 - Lisa Solod Warren
When the men (and women) who wish to invade my (and other women's) right to privacy and force me (and us) to have children against our will and better judgment, then I want them to 1. pay for prenatal care, including vitamins and doctor visits, 2) pay for a hospital birth 3) take care of all attendant costs including baby equipment 3) help us find appropriate childcare when we go back to work 4) provide us for health care for us and our children 5) provide catastrophic care should the child be born with a serious birth defect 5) provide care should the child develop mental retardation or autism or some other learning disability later in life and 5) provide funds for educating that child through his or her college years. Those who wish to get their hands on our wombs and therefore our lives should be prepared to help us provide for the life that results from forcing us to bear a child that we cannot take care of. Birth control fails for a variety of reasons. Medications interact, rubbers break, young people are sometimes careless in spite of their best intentions. Boys take advantage of girls by slipping roofies in their drinks. Things happen. Women get pregnant. They even, God forbid, are taken advantage of my unscruplous men. But you would have all women bear all children, regardless. So who the hell is going to provide for those kids? You? Come up with a plan, Stan. The Republicans won't even provide basic health care.
3 - Dave Nalle
McCain has his choice of a number of qualified women. What is exciting here is not that he picked a woman, but that he picked this particular woman for the particular views which she holds.
If he had merely wanted to get Hillary votes he would have picked Kay Bailey Hutchison who is much, much closer politically to Clinton.
Dave
4 - Clavos
This is nothing but an emotional sour grapes diatribe, unworthy of both the author and her target.
Palin supports drilling in ANWR. So do two thirds of the country's voters (and 85% of Republican voters).
"...two years as governor show a marked lack of experience..."
Indeed? It's experience as an executive, during which she has launched the most far-reaching investigation and prosecution of the notoriously corrupt Alaska state government in recent times; an investigation which has identified and is prosecuting even members of her own party--clear evidence of her concern for her constituents, her honesty and her probity.
As regards "What Palin did was a pure corruption of power."
Palin has done nothing. By saying she has, you deny her the most basic of our rights, presumed innocence, in your zeal to condemn her and denigrate her. Bear in mind that, by launching her nonpartisan probe of the state government, she has angered a large number of very powerful Alaskan political scoundrels, and the charges of abuse of power may well be nothing more than political retaliation.
The author doth protest too much, methinks.
5 - Glenn Contrarian
Lisa -
Well said. I've been a Foster dad of two medically-fragile children for nine years now. One of them is fetal-drug syndrome and one from before that has since passed away had fetal-alcohol syndrome. They both breathed through trach tubes and were fed through g-tubes...and they both cost the state about a quarter million in tax money each year.
So if, as Palin wants, embryos are so precious that abortion cannot be an option even in case of incest or rape, then, with my Foster children as prime examples, would it would be hypocritical to NOT charge pregnant women who use drugs or alcohol with reckless endangerment of a child?
'Pro-life' is only a tool the Republicans use to gain and keep power, and nothing more. If they were truly THAT serious about it, we'd see them trying to pass laws to prevent Foster children like mine from having to live lives with 24-hour nursing care paid for with taxpayer dollars.
6 - Dave Nalle
Re: #2.
Lisa. All you need to do is give the unwanted child up for adoption to have all the things which you demand without drawing on taxes from other citizens to do so.
I'm pro-choice myself, but there are more issues and more important issues which we have to consider as well. I'm willing to make some compromises to get some progress in important areas. In this particular area Palin is more moderate than many on the right, so in many ways her nomination is a victory even for those who are pro-choice.
Dave
7 - troll
...so you consider a woman's sovereignty over her body to be a relatively unimportant issue - ?
sorry - couldn't resist...not really my business
8 - Dave Nalle
Yes troll, compared to the welfare of every citizen who lives under the oppressive system of taxation we have in this country today.
And the truth is always going to be that the lip service politicians pay to preserving fetuses will always be a weak force against the irresistible forces of human nature which dictate that abortion will remain available one way or another.
Dave
9 - Arch Conservative
Once again Lisa reminds us all that the ONLY issue women care about is abortion.
10 - handyguy
At least he didn't pick Mitt Romney.
In the unlikely but still possible event that John McCain is elected president, the chance that his health could deteriorate by age 76 [and certainly by age 80], in one of the most stressful jobs in the world, is a real concern. So his pick for VP takes on more than average importance. I had a T-shirt during the 1988 campaign that said "President Quayle" under a depiction of Munch's painting "The Scream." It was pretty funny and also represented truth for some of us.
"President Palin" may not be quite so nightmarish - certainly a little better than "President Romney," ye gods. But her apparent lack of interest [much less knowledge, or experience], up to this point, in foreign policy, does give one pause. And a conservative who makes evangelicals happy actually does make some of us feel like taking off down the street in a running "Scream."
Some of us carry considerable residual good will for John McCain based on his standing up to Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, once upon a time, as "agents of intolerance." But now he's running with someone who once supported Pat Buchanan for president. Why shouldn't we be concerned?
11 - Arch Conservative
...so you consider a woman's sovereignty over her body to be a relatively unimportant issue - ?
Yes troll, compared to the welfare of every citizen who lives under the oppressive system of taxation we have in this country today
Dave's right. Taxes touch just about evryone's life while abortion touches very few people's lives.
How do I use italics?
12 - troll
< i >....< / i >
13 - dee
This is crazy... it seems that all republicans think about is values and overturning Roe v. Wade... look at Arch's comments, he immediately brings up the fact that this unqualified VP pick did not abort her down syndrome baby... that's great and all, but aren't there bigger things to worry about? Maybe the economy, war, the national debt, the declining dollar value, declining home value, exodus of American jobs, healthcare, Osama Bin Laden, China, saving social security? Come on people!! Woman can make up there own mind on abortion, I don't like the procedure, but its not about that, its about choice... Its her body, let her decide... men shouldn't even comment on the issue...
Drilling in ANWR or any other place for oil does not solve the energy independence issue... any oil will go on the global market, if you listen to republicans you would think the oil will be directly given to USA citizens to use... right now, there is no shortage of oil on the market, yet you see what's happening with prices... drilling for more oil, especially in unneeded environmentally sensitve areas, is not going to help us move to energy independence... that's why Palin is a fool for supporting drilling in ANWR... a real policy is moving towards alternatives to fill our cars and heat our homes... and I will use Arch's logic here, Arch has it occurred to you that millions of Americans care about the environment and care about the animals living in that environemnt and that they don't want to damage those ecosystems? havn't we as humans encroached enough and done enough damage to the environment already? can we proctect just a few places please?
What can I say about Palin now. She is a laughable pick. She is not qualified. She is inexperienced, she has been governer of Alaska (47th most popular state) for less than two years. Is it just me, but havn't the republicans been attacking Obama for being inexperiened, and then then go and pick someone younger and less inexperienced. Talk about hypocracy. Old man McCain could easily croak in office, and when age is an issue, which it is here, he should have picked someone who can step in at a moment's notice, and this lady has serious questions in that regard. It looks to me that McCain has completly lost his marbles. He is insane. This pick also shows what republicans think about the American people, especially woman, that they are stupid enough to vote for him now that he has picked a woman as VP. Don't base your decision on qualifications, or her stances on the issues, base it on gender. What an insult. No wonder this country is going down fast, we have the 2nd highest position of power in the free world being made solely as a pander to gain woman votes. What a joke.
14 - Clavos
Like this:
< i >your text< / i >
Remove the spaces inside the brackets, which I only put in there so it wouldn't italicize what I am trying to show you. This also works for bold (B), underline (U), strikethrough (S), etc.
Here's a good tutorial, which will also teach you how to format links
15 - Clavos
someone younger and less inexperienced.
Well, you got that much right at least...
16 - troll
take out the spaces between characters and you've got it
17 - troll
...what evidence is there that a McCain/Palin administration would be able to lower our tax rate sufficiently to slow the rate of growth of the federal government - ?
18 - troll
(and with respect to dee - is there not strong evidence that a McCain/Palin administration would stack the SCOTUS toward the end of reducing a woman's control of her body - ?)
19 - Matthew T. Sussman
"What Palin did was a pure corruption of power. If she pulled that kind of stunt less than two years in office, what would she do with the power of the White House behind her?"
My guess? She'd probably murder you and everyone you hold dear.
20 - susan Walter
Right on with your article.
I am pro choice, and not some left wing feminazi either. A registered Republican I feel my party has moved so far to the right I can no longer support it.
According to a newspaper she also believes that creationism should be taught in science classes.
21 - Arch Conservative
it seems that all republicans think about is values and overturning Roe v. Wade... look at Arch's comments, he immediately brings up the fact that this unqualified VP pick did not abort her down syndrome baby.
First...I'm not a Republican. Second I brough tit up because it was the first issue Lisa brought up in her article.
Lisa proceeded to write a lengthy post about how important it is to be pro choice to which I responded, with a healthy dose of sarcasm...
Once again Lisa reminds us all that the ONLY issue women care about is abortion.
So who is the one that is obsessed with abortion to the exclusion of all other issues?
Arch has it occurred to you that millions of Americans care about the environment and care about the animals living in that environemnt and that they don't want to damage those ecosystems?
Of course it has. I care about the environment. The point is that when done properly with the level of technology we have today, drilling does NOT cause catastrophic damage to the environment. people like you dee and Lisa saying that it does over and over again doe snot make it true. As Palin stated in an interview this weekend, she lives in Alaska and has, unlike most people that tell us how drilling destroys the environment, actually seen areas in Alaska that we have been drilling on for years. She knows that the environemnt hasnot been destroyed and personally seen the caribous and other furry creatures flourishing and frolicking post drilling. So don't paint me or others who favor drilling as somehow totally apathetic tot he environement just because we refute your lies.
Lastly..what is laughable is an Obama supporter criticizing Palin for her lack of experience. While it is true that she has very little experience she does have executive experience. Obama has absolutely no executive experience. Also the position of presiden tis infinitely more influential ad important than the position of VP. I'd rather have an inexperienced VP than an inexperienced VP.
I know...Palin would only be a heart beat away from the Presidency but hey inexperience on deck (GOP) is still less scary than inexperience at the plate (Obama.)
Lastly...of course the only reason McCain picked Palin was because she's a woman and he wnats more people to vote for him. But how is that different from Obama abruptly changing his stance on offshore drilling after poll after poll showed the public overwelmingly supports drilling? it's not. They're both politicians and theyy've both been doing whatever they think they have to do or say to get elected.....imagine that!
22 - Arch Conservative
Fucking html
is it like this
text
this
text!
23 - Clavos
According to a newspaper she also believes that creationism should be taught in science classes.
That's absolutely incorrect. She is quoted by the Anchorage Daily News, during her campaign for Governor, as saying:
"Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."
And, when asked for clarification on that point:
"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."
And:
"I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism."
Whatever newspaper you read that in is guilty of not doing its homework.
24 - Lee Richards
1. Creationism is not science. Read the court cases about creationism and intelligent design and the wedge strategy of creationists(Dover, for example.) They want to wedge their religious faith and belief into science teaching.
2. If Obama is a lightweight, Palin is less substantial than a feather and McCain shows confusion, desperation or both in picking her.
3. Conservatives are overjoyed with her selection because it means the end of McCain, and they can forget him and start fresh for 2012.
25 - Ruvy
What a catty article! Talk about getting out the claws, Lisa!
Let's get this clear Lisa. I'm in favor of seeing Obama as your president, for my own reasons and my own benefit. You can look at my blogspot and see why if you don't wish to go to my article on the issue here.
But considering what McCain had to pick from, I'd say he did damned well. First of all, not all women share your values. There are many American women who view abortion with disgust, and who want to see it made illegal, regarding the numerous abortions that take place as a form of genocide. However, I'm not speaking for them in this comment. That is not my concern.
The bottom line is that the candidates whom McCain felt he could have as partners on the tickets were few. One was Pawlenty, a dull, uninspiring man who is at least a Mr. Clean, and who could be an effective executive. Almost all the others who have been mentioned as possible VP picks came with considerable liabilities of one kind or another. On Thursdsay, it appeared that Pawlenty was the man. For one reason or another, Pawlenty was not chosen, and the person chosen was Palin.
Considering your point of view, you should be celebrating instead of being so nasty and catty. How does that saying go? You get more flies with honey than with vinegar....