Palin’s Evolving ‘Pro-Women’ Mantra – How She is Getting it Right
June 22, 2010
by Amy Siskind
|The blogosphere civil war continues unabated: is Sarah Palin worthy of the mantra of “feminist?” How about those other Republican women on the rise? Are they just sullying the f-word for women on the left?
Meanwhile, Sarah Palin, seemingly unfazed by this whole debate, marches forward in her role as a leader of her party. Palin is busy emerging, evolving and redefining.
Maybe it’s my training on Wall Street, but I for one like to see results. Early in my career, a colleague of mine once told me: speak softly and point to the score board. Meaning, while all the cave men were occupying themselves by pounding their chests, I was quietly accomplishing and succeeding (and becoming the cave men’s boss).
So for all these caught up in extolling feminist relativism – here’s Palin who is busy accomplishing. Taking action. Palin is not only supporting women; but doing so in a nuanced fashion.
Last week, Palin endorsed 3 more women candidates: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Star Parker (CA) and Mary Fallin (OK). Here’s the lead in on her Facebook page:
Obviously not waiting for another bear to do the work for them, the mama bears not only foraged for themselves to prepare for winter, but they worked twice as hard to slay salmon for their cubs, too, making sure the future of the population was ready for the season ahead. She would instinctively rear up on hind legs when her cubs were threatened – you don’t mess with her cubs. And most importantly, just as the well known modern proverb expresses, she didn’t just hand over a free fish for the day – she taught young ones how to fish for a lifetime.
Here’s the best part of her endorsement: she left the divisive topic of abortion out! Yes! Finally!
And I know I’ll take a lot of heat for saying this from our fans who are pro-life, but I ask you this: how can you be critical of liberal “feminists” who excluded you all those years over the issue of abortion, then, turn around and do the same right back?
Palin’s message here is spot on. She is supporting these women, in part, because she understands what so many of us have discovered: the fraternity of leadership is a failing proposition. Women’s clean sweep in the June 8th primaries tell us that our country is ready for change of the gender variety.
So while Palin praises the candidates on their backgrounds, accomplishments and views on the issues — she is evolving. She is figuring out that, yes, she can personally be pro-life. But if she truly wants to capture the women’s vote, en masse, she’ll need to nuance her approach.
This is not a trick. This is a realization of a central premise of the “Pro-Women” movement: finding common ground. And if Palin keeps this up, this is a model for getting women into the White House!
P.S.: Good luck today to one of Palin’s Mama Grizzlies – Nikki Haley who is in a run-off in South Carolina to become the Republican candidate and on her way to possibly becoming that state’s first woman governor: run, Nikki, run!
I don’t support “issues” or “topics.” I support WOMEN. ALL WOMEN.
If liberal feminists resent what Palin is doing, then why aren’t they doing it for their side?
I still can’t believe that idiot who said that all those Republican women winning was a particular blow to feminism. As opposed to having a bunch of Republican MEN win? Seriously?
Thank you Amy, excellent observation.
“So for all these caught up in extolling feminist relativism – here’s Palin who is busy accomplishing. Taking action.”
I love it! Don’t tell them what they are doing wrong Sarah, Step right up, break the rules and fix it! Go Palin!
Janis,
Please stop bashing liberal women. I commend Palin for her efforts and I am a liberal feminist. Let’s not forget that there are more democratic women holding office than Republican women. Furthermore, democratic women were first to break many of the bearers for women in politics. The point is that we need women to occupy seats in both parties. This is the only way the realities of women’s experiences will become part of the conversation and included in public policy.
I too was very angry that Democratic women holding office and heading feminist organizations didn’t do enough to defend HRC or Palin during the 2008 misogyny fest. But I don’t remember concervative women running to Clinton’s aid either. Palin, only after Clinton was cheated out of the democratic nomination, stuck-up for Hillary. Before she was the target of the misogyny, she accused Clinton of “whinning”. After having experienced the misogyny herself, to her credit, Palin retracted her remarks and commended Clinton.
What I like about Palin is her ability to grow and admit when she was wrong. I say, go Sarah! I’m glad that she is supporting women of her party and I hope she is successful in that endeaver. But patriarchy is the problem, not liberal women. Let’s not trade one set of victims for another. And for the record, Republican women also have a history of being just as exclusive towards liberal women as is the case in the reverse. Yes, much of the division was over abortion, but it was NOT one-sided.
I am glad to hear that Palin is moving forward beyond the abortion debate and looking for common ground. Here, here to Sarah!!! Whether you are liberal or concervative, as women we all have been victims of discrimination and bigotry. The important thing is that we learn to work together to eliminate gender bias, rather than attaching each other.
kendall, I am also a liberal woman. Trust me, I’m bashing from a sense of deep betrayal and anger at my own kind. I am pro-choice, pro-same-sex-marriage, pro-environment, pro-welfare-state and have been since I could remember.
And if any of those women I’m so angry at want to run for office, I’ll still be behind them, all the way.
BTW, she didn’t accuse Clinton of whining. That’s a common misquote, but it’s not what she said. She said that Hillary was in a bind because whenever she acknowledged sexism, she would be perceived as whining by the press. She definitely didn’t accuse Hillary of whining herself, just observed correctly that she would be seen that way no matter how she approached it.
Until their party nominated a woman for VP, I don’t know if conservative women were going to come off the fence about anyone. And yes, I am also skeptical about whether or not this new conservative women’s movement won’t end up just as exclusive and nasty as the liberal one did. I suspect they will end up just as vicious toward liberal women as libs have ended up toward them. It’s what seems to happen every time. I hope it doesn’t, but I’m not waiting up for it.
Anybody, absolutely anybody, who wants to step forward with a “pro-woman mantra” is okay by me. There’s not a system in this country, not one single enemy of mine, that couldn’t be greatly improved by having a “pro-woman mantra.”
Janis,
I share your sense of DEEP betrayel!!! I hope Sarah continues to look for common ground and I commend Amy for creating The New Agenda, which is a place for all women and where common ground can be found.
That being said, I refuse believe that women will always cut each others throats.
“That being said, I refuse believe that women will always cut each others throats.”
I hope not. At least TNA seems to have a real clue about how to work the levers, which is heartening. I admire Amy for having the steel and presence of mind to create this in an atmosphere that has me still, two years later, seething and repulsed.
I also share your feelings of deep betrayal by Democrats and feminist orgs. But I am moderate in my politics and as a result of the betrayal I now consider myself Republican. Remember Democrats still have not admitted that there was anything misogynist about the 2008 Democrat Primary and they have no problems with images of women in media. Given that I don’t see how women can move forward with Dems.
“I don’t see how women can move forward with Dems.”
Me neither. Women move forward with women. All women, any woman anywhere. If there is a race for Supreme Killer Evil Despot of the Universe, I want a goddamned woman to win it. yttik said it upstairs: no matter what organization we’re talking about, it can only be better if a woman runs it. Good, bad, whatever. I no longer care. Even if a woman wins the presidency of the John Birch Society, that’s better than if a man had won it.
Women move forward when WOMEN move forward.
Doesn’t look like the Dems have any plans for letting a woman in as Pres this go round – read “Quietly revising the 2012 Democratic Nominating Process” if you really want to get upset:
http://www.redstate.com/moe_la.....n-process/
Jesus. This is like a nightmare that you can’t wake up from. NO MATTER WHAT, we get to pick between one corporate shill and another. I said it before the election and got smirked at by liberal ex-friends: at the end of this rigmarole, there will be ONE PARTY.
If that’s the case, then there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER not to vote exclusively based on the fact that my goddamned corporate shill is gonna have tits if it’s the last thing I ever see.
Amy,
I read the article and its sickening. I think I’ll vote republican just out of spite!
Janis,
Diddo!
Great article, glad Palin is supporting the issues of parity
“You have to lift their skirts to find out if they are women. You sure can’t find out by how they vote!” — Rep. Janis Sontany (D-TN)
WTF-moment!! Though anecdotal, be heartened that several women that I know, of differing circumstances and politics, were absolutely incensed. Finished with single-issue feminism, they have adopted the term “femisogyn[y | ist]“, which probably deserves an attribution.
Good article and comments. Best wishes.
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