THAT is the question in the U.S. today.
For those of you who have been living under a rock (come out, come out, wherever you are), John McCain recently picked his Vice-Presidential running mate…and it was NOT any of the heavy Republican favourites. In some respects, it was no one at all.
Her name is Sarah Palin — the two-year Governor of Alaska. Before that, she was a small town mayor. She has no other executive experience. As VP of a man statistically unlikely to survive his first term as President, she would be a heartbeat away from the Oval Office, with so little experience she makes Barack Obama look like the heir to the legacy of Solomon’s wisdom! She is the textbook definition of “neophyte”.
That said, even I can see WHY she is a risky-but-fascinating choice. She is anti-abortion, with a large photogenic family…including a baby with down syndrome. Her oldest son is in the army, and shipping off to Iraq…to a war she supports. She is an NRA member, anti-gay marriage, and in favour of drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. She even opposed the designation of the Polar Bear as an endangered species because it might interfere with oil pipeline construction! In short, she is young, sexy-yet-unthreatening, well spoken, feisty, already photographed firing a gun…she is the Republican’s evangelical, right-wing wet dream candidate.
Hmm…so…what to make of this earth-shattering decision (and since when to REPUBLICANS make earth-shattering decisions???)…
If you think it’s a good idea, read opinion #1.
If you think it’s completely nuts, read opinion #2.
As for me…well…it looks good on film, but scratch the surface, and it’s easily the most cynical political move you could possibly imagine. Trying to take advantage of disgruntled Democrats/Independents/feminists — and pissed-off Hilary Clinton supporters — the Republicans have chosen someone they believe to be the anti-Hilary. Ms. Palin even attempted to invoke the feminist history of Democratic candidates as a means of gaining support during her acceptance/introductory speech, as if SHE was the rightful inheritor of that legacy. But as most of us have realized (and if you haven’t…give me a break!): Sarah Palin is NO Hilary Clinton. Sarah Palin is a pretty-but-paper thing tiger…and Joe Biden will eat her alive during the VP debate.
But I’ll leave the final word to my friend Erin, with a comment/reaction on her husband’s blog to the arrival of Ms. Palin…one that is more than enough for me (at least, for the time being):
I know nothing about Sarah Palin and am willing to give her some time to impress me.
But I’m not willing to give McCain credit just for picking a woman. It seems like a transparently political pick — and an insulting one. Why would a Clinton supporter be attracted to an inexperienced, anti-choice, creationist conservative? The McCain campaigns answer seems to be: because she’s got girl-parts!
As a woman and a feminist, I’m not buying it.
