The Power of Palin
August 3, 2010
by Marla Miller
|The following article is cross-posted from TheLiberalOC.com with the permission of the author. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
When Sarah Palin was introduced as McCain’s running mate less than 24 hours after Barack Obama accepted the nomination, this staunch Obama supporter (who took lots of grief for not joining the 18 million women who supported Hillary) said out loud to my TV, “Oh shit.”
Almost two years later, the phrase still applies.
So what is it about her that’s made other women — smart ones, not so smart ones, old, young, middle-aged, moms and women who aren’t — fall in line behind this woman who abandons jobs, makes up words and calls the press “sick puppies?”
At the time of her nomination, everyone told me I was nuts to be worried. However, no amount of encouraging words would soothe for this reason: we live in a tabloid news-loving culture and Sarah Palin had ‘Tabloid Queen’ written all over her.
Almost two years later we now know that whether she quits jobs or makes stuff up, women love her and not just Right wing zealot women, either. Pro-choice women have climbed aboard the Palin train. All those women ticked off at Hillary’s defeat – many of whom believed Obama stole the nomination back at the Primary Election stage – had no place to put their rage. Even though Hillary Clinton told them she was 100 percent behind Obama’s nomination, and even though our Secretary of State has done nothing but sing his praises since, some of Hill’s supporters have held onto their rage; “some” of 18 million is still quite a lot.
I consider myself a “thinking woman’s” woman. I figured women like me — women who don’t exercise knee-jerk responses every time some guy says something stupid about women –would not, could not, be taken in with Palin’s obvious “playing to crowd” rhetoric.
I was wrong.
They love their Mama Grizzly.
So how dumb is Sarah Palin? Probably not so. She was a Communications major who wanted to anchor the news but had five kids instead. If she has ‘brilliance’ it’s found in her instincts. She spotted something in this culture much like the founder of another women’s movement, The Cougars, spotted something–a whole lot of ticked off women. As polar opposites as these two movements might appear, the Cougars and the Mama Grizzlies share this: they speak directly to women. There are no middle men in these all-girl groups. Palin’s pack include many of Hillary’s 18 million who believe our President is not hearing them. Cougar founder Linda Franklin attracted the ‘Over the Hill’ crowd; aging women told to turn ‘invisible’ by our anti-aging culture. Franklin wasn’t about to fade away just because she reached an age where women are expected to give up their groove. Sexy women don’t want to give grooves up and now they don’t have to. Now they become Cougars; hot gals that make for hot topics in tabloid news. Is it a coincidence that both movements branded dangerous animals to their image? I don’t think so.
There is a group of women in this culture mad as hell. Men, mostly, are the reason why. Palin’s rhetoric speaks to them. Finally, someone is listening. They’re tired of taking what the sexist culture dishes out and now they don’t have to. They’ve got their Mama Grizzly looking out for them in a way that Hillary Clinton could not. As brilliant as our Secretary of State is, she did let a man publicly humiliate her for many years. And in the end, she did concede to a man even though her 18 million supporters begged her not to.
My guess is, the Mama Grizzlies and Cougar movements are here to stay. Women in this culture are hungry for heroes. In this era where tabloid news is now the mainstream, competition for the sexiest headlines is fierce. Like the Cougars, who now have the added status of a TV series, the Mama Grizzlies create provocative headlines because Palin knows how to masterfully manipulate tabloid news. That’s the brilliance of this Communications Major and mom of five.
It bears repeating. “Oh shit.”
Really interesting piece Marla – and for those here that don’t know – you are within the TNA think tank likely the most left (maybe) but definitely the strongest Obama advocate.
I think you summarized her appeal to some women in an interesting way.
You missed citing PUMAs in your anthology. An important evolutionary political stage that was and is populated by many, many like-minded MEN who are every bit as enraged as women are over how the 08 primaries and nomination went down for 18 million Hillary primary voters.
As far as the Hillary v. Palin title match goes: Palin picked up where Hillary left off. Hillary gained ground — in almost every quarter — when she cast herself as a populist out on the trail fighting for the average person. When she capitulated to Obama, she defaulted (all too easily it would seem) to that of apparatchick or her familiar identity as policy wonk.
We liked and indeed loved Fighting Hillary — I, for one, do not like seeing her cowed…Palin was and always will be a fighter. This is an appealing trait in ANY leader. And, this country sorely needs someone with the cojones to speak truth to power which she does in her own unique way.
At the end of day — the spoils go to one left standing. And, Hillary has been defeated, not so Sarah Palin.
For me, about to give a speech to encourage women to run for office and beat back every bugaboo out there, I’m gravely disappointed that, with this appeal Marla describes, Sarah Palin refuses to throw only gender-neutral punches. It really drives me nuts. I just wrote about it today as a result of her comparing the cajones between Obama and Brewer.
http://www.writeslikeshetalks......-politics/
Sexist rhetoric aimed at politicians is wrong – it doesn’t matter who says it or who is the target. We can do better and we should do better when working to make our cases, especially as political figures and hopefully role models. Using that rhetoric is not only lazy, it’s harmful to the very cause of convincing more women to run for office. And let me just say that this is one of those times that I really appreciate TNA’s existence because for me, this is less preaching to the choir than I usually end up doing – so thank you and I’m interested to know how others feel on this topic.
I can only speak for myself, but as long as I have known that the United States had something called a president, and only boys could dream of growing up to be it, I have wanted and worked toward the day a woman would hold that job. I put all of my apples in Hillary Clinton’s cart, and the ease with which she gave up disappointed me. I realized that there were no women in the Democratic Party in positions of real power who will really fight to elect a woman president perhaps because there are so few women with real power there. Sarah Palin and her “Mama Grizzlies” seem to have more fire in their bellies. I’m hoping that one of the candidates she’s promoting will take it all the way to the White House. I hope so ’cause I’m not getting any younger here, and I don’t think the Democrats will make it happen any time soon.
Men are partly the reason why for me … but also watching liberal women abandon women (one in particular named Hillary) who merited and worked for support in order to prove (to whom?) that they wouldn’t vote for a woman “just because she was a woman.”
I’m angry with liberal women as well. Pissed as men get me, we can’t keep coming close to the brass ring, blowing it big time, and blaming someone else for it. It’s been happening for a million years.
I’m angry at liberal women because for all their blah-blah about “sexism is like bad and stuff,” they loved it and gobbled it up like pigs at a trough when it was directed at a woman they hated. They’re like the government claiming to eradicate smallpox while saving a vial or it in a lab to be used against their enemies.
And here’s Palin — with a cadre of women behind her who aren’t so damn timid as to flee squealing when someone accuses them of supporting her “just because she’s a woman.”
Not that this will make a difference. You and other women have made up your minds that I’m all “boyz icky poo-poo,” so no amount of explaining will make a dent. This is also why I’m a Palin supporter and a Hillary supporter. As I get older, I prefer people who DO and not people who SAY.
I consider myself a Republican now and I feel much more comfortable there than I did as a Democrat leaning Independent back in 2008. The Liberal Democrat misogyny fest was aversion therapy for Democrat identification for me. Aversion therapy works. I am also fed up with Liberal Woman. They are a joke but what is sad is they did have some power and they used it to sell the rest of us out.
Also, let’s consider this:
“I consider myself a “thinking woman’s” woman. I figured women like me — women who don’t exercise knee-jerk responses every time some guy says something stupid about women –would not, could not, be taken in with Palin’s obvious “playing to crowd” rhetoric.”
I also figured that women like me would have the self-respect to strike back when anyone “said something stupid about women” instead of playacting blase and tough in an effort to be a “good sport” and “one of the guys.”
I figured women like me would be smarter than to be taken in with Obama’s obvious playing to the crowd rhetoric as well.
To boot, I figured that liberals who had watched in horror for ten years as the media carried out a vicious, completely fabricated campaign of relentless character assassination against Bill Clinton wouldn’t fall for the same thing much less, as I said above, gobble it up like pigs at a trough just because it happened to be directed at someone they hated this time.
I was wrong.
Of course the Democrats are still acting like the hysterical old bitter broads have held on to their irrational racism from 2008 and might vote for the Bush party in 2010. They have not admitted to their misogyny fest, the fact that they told Hillary to sit down and shut up at the primary, the fact that they disqualified primary voters in several key states and the corrupted caucus states that gifted Obama the nomination. Us crazy bitter broads imagined all that. No in their minds the Democrats have done nothing to deserve their loss of women voters.
Interesting article … A great many people are attempting to divine the reasons for the popularity of Sarah Palin , and I think there are many more than the ones you covered .Some of the ones you give are valid , and while I totally disagree with the tabloid queen label, she does present as enough of a paradox to present a mystery , and fascinate people on both sides of the political spectrum . I see her as the American Princess Diana ,in that , the people who love her cannot get enough , and strangely enough , neither can the people who profoundly dislike her . The people who dislike her, cannot stop their own fascination.
Sarah is physically attractive , a very beautiful woman. Appreciation of beauty is an element of her appeal. She is not stupid , she attended Hawaii Pacific College in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1982 for a semester, where she majored in Business Administration, and transferred in 1983 to North Idaho College for the 1983-1984 school year. After winning a scholarship, she transferred to Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska for one term before transferring back to the University of Idaho the following year where she finished out her college education and received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987, where she also minored in political science.
She has experience with dealing with people , in many capacities, and as much as her detractors like to minimize this experience, it serves her well. As an elected official in Alaska , she was accessible by the people , budget conscious, and effective .I would insert a reminder that she had a 90% approval rating before the hit job on her was begun, and Alaska is currently one of the only two states in good shape fiscally , and the new governor is following her policies.
Her great courage and tenacity are unquestionable , despite what anyone says about her being a quitter. I firmly believe she was harassed and forced out of office . If she were a quitter , we really would not hear from her in any capacity. The outpouring of abuse from the left and the media would be more than enough to discourage anyone of fainter heart.
My personal perspective on her is different , because before McCain selected her as VP candidate , I had researched his list of possibles and I liked what I found out about her , months before he made his decision , so my knowledge of her was extensive before any negatives surfaced.
I think she is closer to the earth , and the natural cycles of the planet than a great many modern people . I think also that she is closer to what our pioneer mothers were like , in dealing with wilderness and nature , and this gives her a great strength .
Remember when BO called Hillary Annie Oakley ? He really has her equivalent now in Sarah ; and she takes straight aim at him, and some of his most precious body parts ! Any woman that has ever stood up to a man; wanted to stand up to a man and did not , wished in their secret heart of hearts to stand up to a man , loves her forthrightness in speaking out .This part of her appeal cannot be undone by talking points because her actions are the model ,not mere words. She is able to lead because she does so by deeds not words.She is not perfect , but she is very strong in leadership skills.
I have witnessed that Sarah has the ability to learn very fast, in contrast to the current POTUS, who has demonstrated a diminished ability to learn , even from his worst mistakes.
Her defamers, slanderers and barrackers ( barracker is a synonym for detractor, is that not interesting ? )have left not an inch of her anatomy undefiled, up to and including her uterus . So..now having explored her uterus to the depths of which they could go, the are now delving into her subconscious ,via Arianna Huffglue and her recent psuedo-jungian analysis, on the huffglue post , and her puerile piece on Sarah using the Mama GRIZZLY as a metaphor /symbol.
Having some education and experience with Jungian theory and analysis myself, please let me say ; I have not read a more hashed, invalid and garbled attempt at explaining Archetypes and their use as symbols. What a crude effort of attempting to appear erudite .Ms Huffglue really should not attempt an analysis after a quick read of a few Jungian websites on the internet. She is so far out of her depth , she should go on the View .
Arianna can not plumb the depths of psychology ,trying to besmirch Sarah Palin, and her efforts leave the impression of someone splashing in a mud puddle. She should stay the gossip columns, she fares better there .
Sarah herself; as is Hillary Clinton an archetype … one of the Jungian most notable ones, THE GREAT MOTHER . In our modern patriarchal society , people generally are denied the image and archetype and symbols of the GREAT MOTHER , This deprivation is the reason for the cult like following of the “Blessed Mother” in the Roman Catholic Church . We are inundated with images and symbols of the Sex Goddess, but lacking the great nurturing symbol of the all mother .Many people also attempt to force the idea of Sarah into the limited role of Sex goddess as they do with so many women in this culture but they fail when the mother image arises along side that symbol.
Arianna completely missed this archetype, of the GREAT MOTHER and tried to focus on the MAMA Grizzly , who would be a sub archetype ,and symbol of wildness, which while that alone is appealing , is only a part of the picture. So while so many people are not aware they are “starving ” for this image of nurturing and care , much like a lonely person is not aware they might be touch starved , they instinctively respond To Sarah and Hillary on that level.
And in truth, society would benefit from an increase in balance of male and female . Men and women feel and know it , on that level that ” moms know”
“Any woman that has ever stood up to a man; wanted to stand up to a man and did not , wished in their secret heart of hearts to stand up to a man , loves her forthrightness in speaking out.”
Apparently, the only women who want to stand up to anyone are just not cool and po-mo enough to sit back and take it. Standing up for oneself is a “knee-jerk response” now, and christ knows standing up for another woman sure is.
I find this objectionable on a number of levels. For one thing, the post reeks of elitism, degradation and rationalization.
Palin is deplored as a “Tabloid Queen”? Obama recently appeared on “The View”. How tabloid-esque does one get?
In addition to being a “mom of five”, Palin has a history of working on a fishing boat (one of the most dangerous jobs in the world), running for Mayor and winning, running for Governor and winning, standing up to oil company special interests, etc. Those are exceptional achievements for a woman who is “probably not so…dumb”. According to the post, women are lining up with her mostly in order to spite men, but let’s look at that in a more positive light. Perhaps other “thinking” women have decided to support a woman who is unafraid to speak truth to power, despite the personal cost to her and to her family. Actually, that’s another exceptional achievement.
As for Hillary Clinton being humiliated by her husband, I would say the daily nuts and bolts of holding onto a marriage is difficult, but the two of them together have made it work. She managed to transform “public” humiliation into a lesson on forgiveness. As far as the presidential primary goes, Clinton is privy to information rank and file voters do not have, and, given her level of intelligence, party loyalty, and devotion to public good, I trust she had reasons for making the decision she did.
If Palin were male, she would be deified as the second coming of Reagan; if Clinton were male, she would have been deified as the second coming of FDR. Instead, we are subjected to a continuous dose of snark, innuendo, and a litany of Palin-Clinton “Fails”. By feminists, no less.
Marla’s article clearly explains why the left will never help in electing a woman as president…elitstism, that tingling feeling every time Barry O’s name is mentioned etc, if the glass ceiling is ever to be broken count Marla out, unless of course” it is the right woman”( which of course will never exist for them)
i have said this lots of times , before but it bears ( ha ha ) repeating I <3 Janis
I think you all are thinking and talking foolishly. Politics is a dirty game and not so easily trifled with.
Many years ago, I read a book for a political science course in college that was called “the Power Elite”. The premise was that a powerful group of men run this country behind the scenes unbeknownst to any but themselves. The more I see how Government plays out its hand-whether Democrat/Republican/Liberal or whatever, the more I am inclined to see some kind of truth in that premise.
There are powerful structures in Washington–the lobbyists for
Corporate America–who seem to always get what they want and need. Think about the recent bailouts both under Obama and Bush-all benefitted Corpoate Giants.
As far as women gaining a bigger role in politics–we have come a long way baby, but the road is hard, longer still and full of pitfalls. The women who learn what the “game” is and learn to play it will be the ones to get jobs.
Hillary knows the game, she must have had a very instructive view of what was to be. She is very smart, experienced and sophisticated in politics.
Palin, personally I don’t care for her at all, but as said by others, she got a job done in Alaska. I think she quit because she had other aspirations and didn’t want to be encumbered and restrained by her job.
I would never support a woman just because she is a woman or a Democrat, or a Republican, or a Liberal and nor would I support a man because he is a man or a Democrat, or a Republican, or a Liberal. I always support the issues I believe in and the candidate who seems most likely in accord with my views and who appears will try to legislate along the lines I support. What one promises during campaigning doesn’t always follow through in office!!!
We all have to grow up and realize there is much more to government than meets our eyes!!!
i’m sending this thread to the blog i wrote it for because the editors told me i was nuts: SP was a fad fading fast.
whether you agree or not, appreciate the commentary here–this Dem, who’s lived peacefully & written many stories about Reps for 3 decades, is not so elite that she can’t still learn…even though my hair is sliver…
having said that, i could never vote for anyone who does not believe in choice over what me and my daughters can do with our bodies—
yeah, that makes me a lefty….guilty as charged here…:)
Swannie, go back and look at the list of schools you ran off. Not one Ivy Leaguer among them. How can you call her educated when she went to nothing but a bunch of trashy, po-fo’ks state schools? Buncha kids of blue and pinmk collar nobodies. Lunchbuckets, bubbas, and bunkers, the lot of them — whoops, us.
Shit, I went to two state schools m’sehf. All I did was graduate Phi Beta Kappa/Teas Scholar in physics and astronomy in one and got an MS in physics in the other. I dunno nuttin and neider duz Sarah.
too many typos! sorry
samanthasmom, I beg to differ that Hillary gave up so easily. She stayed in the primary for months after Dem leaders were calling for her to drop out. She stayed in the primary even when she didn’t have a chance. She did this despite INTENSE, relentless pressure from her party and from the media. I think she stuck it out for so long for us. To awaken women to the reality of misogyny in our country and to prove that a woman could get the most primary votes. If it weren’t for her sticking it out so long, we wouldn’t have the “18 million cracks in the ceiling”. We wouldn’t have that trail so blazed for us. If you feel disappointed in Hillary, remember this. Hillary was very strong for us, and for this, all of us and our children should consider her our hero.
i’m not disappointed in what she did-i admire it and did while she was doing it—i was VERY worried she’d take it as a matter of fact—
i am an Obama supporter which doesn’t mean i diminished in my mind what she did.
United States is full of stupid sexist that call themselves intellectuals and yet, they chose to elect a president with no balls and instead, perhaps, a peanut between his legs. This guy till now cannot even produce his certificate of birth, and is the real racist not Palin. By 2012, More Americans will learn the truth about what had happened in 2008 that a manchurian candidate was elected president, and the main reponsible group for such horrible mistake is the lamestream media-CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, Newsweek, etc. In the past, The United States is symbolized by an eagle, now, it is symbolized by a chicken, and radical Muslims like Iran and Syria are now laughing on all Americans, in which their men can proudly say, we can fck their American women, but they cannot touch ours. Bwahahahahahaha!!
“i could never vote for anyone who does not believe in choice over what me and my daughters can do with our bodies”
Marla, for pete’s sake think about this. What did voting for someone who “believes” in choice get you?
His healthcare crapola shoved choice back about 800 years — it engraved the fucking Hyde Amendment in STONE.
If Palin had been veep and McCain prez, what do you think they would have done about choice?
NOTHING. No healthcare clusterfuck, and no legislating on choice AT ALL. They would have completely freaking ignored it. Palin never once legislated on choice in any way while in charge of Alaska. She doesn’t care for abortion herself, but she never once got in the way of its legality.
So let’s go over this:
1) You voted for the guy with the “choice” sticker on his chest, and he set choice back. Hugely.
2) The candidates with the “anti-choice” sticker on their chests wouldn’t have touched it.
We’d be better off on choice had you voted for the second option. Face it — I know, it sounds weird. It’s like trying to explain the Monty Hall problem to people. They just don’t get it.
What it all boils down to is what do you want more — actual results, or just picking the right label, no matter what’s actually inside the box? Which do you think is better for women and your daughters in the long run:
Picking the box with the choice-colored wrapping paper and the Hyde Amendment inside, or picking the box with the anti-choice colored label, and “it’s not my job as governor to legislate against abortion” inside?
Jesus. And to think, liberals break their arms patting themselves on the back about how conservatives can’t think abstractly and can’t connect consequences to antecedents that are more than two steps apart.
Welcome to nuance and complexity, Marla.
Greta,
Were you at the political rally in Unity, New Hampshire where Obama and Hillary came out in their matching outfits, and she asked us to vote for the man who had said that she was ” likable enough” except “periodically” “when her claws came out”? Cause I was, and it made me ill. If being Secretary of State was a good enough consolation prize for her, that’s great for her. But for the rest of us, it showed the Democratic Party that you can insult women, and they’ll still work their tails off for you. How many vacation days has Clinton taken? I respect what Hillary Clinton did for women up to a point. But her final message was that you can do anything you like to me, and I’ll still stick around for more. And more disrespect for women is what we’ve been shown. It doesn’t matter so much to women like Marla because they signed up for the disrespect right from the getgo, but for some us enough was already enough. In the long run I don’t know if Clinton’s run was that much of a net positive, and I worked hard for her.
Samanthasmom, I think Clinton was looking beyond that. She must know that, with all the damage the current crop of fools inflicted on the party by basically telling half of it to take a hike, the only hope the Dem party has is for there to be at least a few relatively untainted, honorable Dems left to pick up the pieces when it all falls apart.
As much as it must have galled her and still does (I can’t imagine she or her husband talk much sweetness and light about them), I am convinced that she thought to herself that she has to stick it out so that there will be a Dem left with a somewhat unblemished reputation to pick up the pieces when the party gets chastened, and that day is coming. Fast. What’s the new catchphrase — “I can see November from my house?” Perhaps she was merely hoping for that to happen, or perhaps she’s been around long enough to see the writing on the wall and knows a good bet when she sees one. She still values what the Dem party could be, so she couldn’t tell it to fuck off. She still has a dog in the race and won’t give up on it.
Palin just took a different approach. I was so angry when they teased her for writing a crib note on her hand when the current POTUS can’t sneeze without a teleprompter, but she has gotten more mileage out of their nasty comment. Every time she makes a joke like, “It’s a poor man’s teleprompter,” and “I have a few longer remarks but I couldn’t fit that much on my hand,” I cheer. That’ll teach those fratboy assholes to shut their mouths about her.
So I’m seeing both women pretty much flipping off the powers that tried to destroy them, each doing it a little differently. Hillary’s flipping off the neo-Dems by simply having a skyrocketing approval rating. Palin is doing it by thumbing her nose at them.
They’re both doing it by being greeted with cheering mobs wherever they go. Either way must make Axelrod and Obama lose sleep, so either way makes me happy.
Marla, I basically have very little problem with your post and I’m a longtime conservative, mostly moderate leaning, who looks favorably upon Palin. The only big thing that I would take issue with is this line:
There is a group of women in this culture mad as hell. Men, mostly, are the reason why. Palin’s rhetoric speaks to them. Finally, someone is listening.
Um, no. I and quite a few of the people around me aren’t mad because of the men in charge. We’re mad at the PEOPLE in charge, male and female, Rs & Ds, and the policies and practices they’re shoving down our throats. Don’t forget that we have a FEMALE who is Speaker of the House.
And, also, no, it’s not simply that Sarah Palin is listening… it’s that’s she is speaking out. Quite loudly. See, when she resigned from being governor and all the pundits were so confused about why, most of us around the country heard her clearly when she said that she wasn’t going to “sit down and shut up”. For anyone.
She’s kept her word.
And then some.
Oh, and one more thing:
Like the Cougars, who now have the added status of a TV series, the Mama Grizzlies create provocative headlines because Palin knows how to masterfully manipulate tabloid news.
If by that you mean that she’s smart enough to know that by now all she has to do is wait for the right moment and say something, anything, and it makes news — then yeah. Absolutely. However, wouldn’t most most politicians almost sell their soul for that kind of, ahem, TABLOID power? Hmmm???
Kind of falls under the category of “if it’s been handed to you on a platter, why not use it?” Or because she’s female and conservative, it’s celebrity and not power? I get confused. o.O
So, yeah, you were absolutely correct in thinking “oh, shit” all those months ago. And that was probably before the crazy MSM dug up all that so-called dirt and basically vetted her more than any politician in our history. Certainly more than they did the one in the White House at the moment.
Samanthasmom: Talking about Hillary taking it and smiling and still coming back for more. There was a big discussion this morning on CNN about how the smart thing to do since Obama’s positive rating is falling and Hillary’s is holding even is dump Biden and put Hillary on the ticket in 2012 as VP which they feel is brilliant because it sets up her run in 2016 for President. Of course this is brilliant on another level which is if Obama loses in 2012 then they have a woman on the ticket to blame it on. You know, they will have lost because of racism and because the backward hicks who don’t live on the elite east coast and send their children to the private elitist schools are so not ready for a woman in power. The Elitists tell us about it all the time when they aren’t telling us we are racists.
I agree on the mad at men comment. I think that is not operational at least in this org.
The sexism was promulgated by women and men. Read journolist. The women like helped to figure how to undermine Hillary and then Sarah. I don’t view this as a gender issue. I view it as a lack of moral compass that makes those that partake or are silent inferior in moral character.
stereotyping under any banner won’t get us anywhere-
samanthasmom, I can understand how you see it that way. I wasn’t at the unity rally and I admire you for sticking it out and attending it. There is another way to look at it. I was hoping Hillary wouldn’t help too much. I wanted her to give a couple of obligatory speeches but keep it to a minimum. However, what she did instead made her even more of a hero in my mind. She took the high road and did what she had to do and gave it her all. She’s always been a pragmatist. She was a Dem senator. She wanted to do some good in the world. She would have a better chance to do it with a Dem president in power. That’s the reality of the situation and what she was facing when she had to decide – do I support this guy or not? Hillary doesn’t do anything halfassed. She gave it her all which is a lot. Now the world has a kick ass SOS who is on a mission to make things better for women and girls around the world – it is a signature effort of her administration. This is a good thing that may not have happened if Hillary had chosen not to support or to halfassedly support Obama. After watching her do what I didn’t want her to do initially, I gained an even greater respect for her. This is actually when she reached hero status for me (and I haven’t called anyone a hero since the age of 5). Hillary is the epitome of moral strength and common sense. She faced her reality with grace and strength like few humans could do. This is what our country and the world needs in leaders. She’s not finished yet either. Maybe she’ll be the next President, maybe not. Hillary Clinton is just getting started. She will make her imprint on the world one way or another. This isn’t meant to be an argument, just a different way of looking at things. Hillary is a strong person in the true sense of the word.
She didn’t want to be away from home, hence she chose not to follow up journalism, she then settled down, to raise a family, but started on the PTA which took her to the city council, defeated the long standing incumbent mayor, slashed municipal expenses, then after two turns, ran for lt. governor with no money, she didn’t win. She ended up the ethics officer of the oil commission yet resigned because she could not in good conscience work with a corrupt commission head. She helped force out the attorney general who was enriching herself, she challenged the insider deal with the oil companies from the preceding governor, adn that fueled her own campaign against Murkowski, and then against Knowles the WASP millionaire oil man Democrat. She did this all with people power, no huge warchest. She rewrote the tax code, pushed for an open bid on the pipeline, and she did push for a very strict ethics code. But all those she had challenged from the party chief, to Knowles and their allies laid in wait, and when she dared challenge the one, they pounced, saddling her with 26 ethics complaints, almost entirely groundless, but that cost her state, thousands of hours, and personally half a million dollars in legal fees, she set up a defense fund to defray these costs and it was challenged. The press turned on her in an instant, abetting the craziest theories, abetted by dishonest personages
Sorry, but I think Hillary Clinton wanted a title and an important position of her own to satisfy a personal need, one which I understand. She spent most of her life working to help her husband succeed, and being Secretary of State is all hers. She most likely could have done as much for the women of the world working from inside the Clinton Foundation without any of the constraints of having to work within Obama’s foreign policy decisions, but once again, it is Bill’s foundation. I know that she is a loyal Democrat, but if her idea is to be around to pick up the pieces of a broken Democratic Party, she’s drinking her own brand of Kool-aid. If Obama is going down in 2012, Hillary Clinton on the ticket isn’t going to save him, and in 2016 she’ll be too old. The combination of sexism and ageism, “the old hag” syndrome, will be played loud and strong.
Regarding Sarah as a quitter. When it became clear that Sarah Palin appealed to voters and that she was a woman with power the Democrats and the corrupt Republicans whom she had challenged did what they do best. They started a bunch of BS procedures, inquires and bureaucracy as well as lies and media attacks to try to neutralize her power. Sarah doesn’t play losing games so she moved on to a challenge that can be won and a cause that can be lead. The twits who are playing politics around Sarah are the losers. They have nothing to offer society. They are like those pre school children who wander the class and kick down the creations of others but never build or imagine anything themselves. Sarah doesn’t play losing games, that is different than being a quitter.
Janis dammit !!! You are right ! I do apologize . I shudda sayd edumacated , even if the point I was making was that at this moment in time there are only approximately 27% of the population of the USA who do possess degrees , college that is , student stars ..etc etc.. Please accept my apology
PS… Janis , You may not be so inclined, but I think Neil deGrasse Tyson is HOT !!!
Yeah, I’m not so hotly impressed with this article. It feels like a backhanded compliment. “Tabloid Queen?” (as in she has no substance). Palin has “instincts?” (as in she functions like an animal not like a thinking, civilized person). “How dumb is Sarah Palin? Probably not so.” (as in she has yet to reach the standard of intelligence set to her and only to her.) She “makes stuff up?” (as in she lies and she is untrustworthy). And on and on it goes with the not so veiled snide.
Someone made a good comment about the old ‘if you stand up to abuse, you suffer from hysterics’ bs. Aren’t we over this argument? Can’t women fight back? And why is standing up for what you believe in a ‘knee-jerk reaction?’ I like Hillary Clinton. I like Sarah Palin. I don’t have conflict with this. I see both of the women as fighters. And no, they don’t fight the menfolk, they fight for their views. I happen to like that. I see both women as strong, opinionated, talented and smart. They have different political views. So what? They are using their political platforms to have a voice. And as a woman I like to see women as leaders, along with men. I don’t think men have to be replaced by women, I just think we human folk are disproportionally represented by men and it is time to try something new. Why not?
I also happen to think it is good for us women to have choice. More importantly I think the more women take leadership positions the merrier. Hence I don’t mind supporting Hillary, Sarah, Nikki, Meg, Barbara, Carly, Jennifer etc etc. You catch my drift? I was shocked when I realized women turning on Hillary. She wasn’t the “right kind of woman”, she was too “polarizing.” What kind of argument was that? Then came Sarah and low and behold the screaming that started! Then the argument was “Who does she think she is? She sure as heck ain’t Hillary Clinton!” I couldn’t believe what I saw and read. It would have been comical if it wasn’t so sad and sexist. Plus, it wasn’t just men churning out this garbage it was women, especially the so called “thinking women.”
And about that “thinking woman”-jibe… I like to think and I like to think for myself. Always have and always will. I might not think the way “the pack” tells me to think, but that does not diminish my thinking. So just because I don’t agree with all of the arguments about Sarah Palin that the media pack is trying to force on me does not make me less of a thinker. Capice?
Enough with the snide!
“I consider myself a “thinking woman’s” woman. I figured women like me — women who don’t exercise knee-jerk responses every time some guy says something stupid about women”
The thing is Progressive men are constantly saying stupid things about women. I am not going to walk around with a shield up the entire time I am around “my” political party just because the power brokers of it are misogynist twits. That is asking too much of me if you want my vote. So my question is, is there anyone who is trying to teach progressive men some manners? I mean fitting them all with shock collars to use with every elitist misogynist utterance would probably be considered extreme by some (people who don’t care about winning elections)but at the very least liberal women should be walking around with spray bottles full of water to spritz them in the face every time they make their stupid remarks regarding the 52% of the population which is female. And keep in mind this question about the poor manners of progressive men is coming from me, a west coast hick who was born in a trailer park and went to public school! even a public college! If I notice you poor manners and don’t want to be around you or listen to you as a result of them, then you’ve got a major problem.
Yeah, I’m not so hotly impressed with this article. It feels like a backhanded compliment. “Tabloid Queen?” (as in she has no substance). Palin has “instincts?” (as in she functions like an animal not like a thinking, civilized person). “How dumb is Sarah Palin? Probably not so.” (as in she has yet to reach the standard of intelligence set to her and only to her.) She “makes stuff up?” (as in she lies and she is untrustworthy). And on and on it goes with the not so veiled snide.
Well, I tried to be, um, diplomatic in my comment and see some good in the post but the tabloid stuff really does bother me. A lot. Has Palin’s life been turned into tabloid fodder? Well, sure.
But has she actively sought it out?
Honestly, people? Get real or get a life outside the Internet and politics.
Or has Palin used what’s been heaped upon her head and turned it into something that’s made her even more powerful? That’s given her a voice that can’t be ignored like anyone with even a smidgen of brains would do?
I mean, I just can’t help thinking that if we were somehow talking about a male politician this would be seen as a good thing. Somehow the most brilliant move ever. And if she was left-leaning, then, oh, wow. People, it would already be “Hillary, who?” to be perfectly frank and all of you know it.
Look, there are days when I honestly don’t know if it’s sexism or classism or whatever at play but I do know that all one has to do is sit back and watch what’s right in front of all our eyes that truly has nothing to do with any real policies. And it’s ugly. It’s been ugly and more importantly right out in the open ever since the 2008 campaign when the Democrats turned on Hillary.
I’ll tell you something else quite candidly. I say all that above as someone who is in no way, shape or form a Hillary Clinton supporter and probably never will be. Primarly because as a longtime conservative I could never stomach seeing Bill back anywhere near the White House again – so until she loses that baggage at least, it’s a no-go for me and a lot of others like me and since she probably never will lose him… well, that’s her problem. However, having said that, I will also say that she earned a lot of respect from me on how she conducted herself during the campaign.
All I can really say is that my jaw was absolutely dropping on how the so-called party of women were treating one of their own. It truly gave identity politics a whole new meaning.
For all of us.
In all ways.
That was all pre-Palin.
Palin’s subsequent treatment has simply lit the fuse and blown the door completely off the closet they’ve all – the people who think they can treat people that way – been hiding in and the American We The People do not like what they see on either side.
One more thing. Anyone who believes that any of that means I want, expect or wish for Palin to become the first female President is missing the point. For many of us who are “supporters” of Palin, it isn’t about whether or not she ever runs for President or anything else. It truly is about the fact that she won’t sit down and shut up, even after all the things that have been tossed at her.
So, answer me this, how many “politicians” do you know that would honestly keep fighting as a private citizen knowing that they might never be elected to another office or hold any other position again in their life because they’re rocking the boat big time?
Bes, apparently the left wing has rebranded weakness as strength. It’s like all those magazines that have turned eating disorders into a health choice by calling it juice-fasting and detox instead of anorexia and purging.
They’ve managed to turn sitting back and taking abuse without a peep and pretending you don’t care, into some sign of tough-chick with-it-ness. Freedom is Slavery, War is Peace, Resignation is Strength.
our news is tabloid-all of it-that’s what we dig-it’s why blogs like this one thrive-we’re all ‘citizen journalists’—translation? we take a fact, wrap our ideology around it and call it news–i’m not distinguishing ‘real’ from tabloid’ cuz ‘real’ is not the norm in news making these days-tabloid is and Palin’s ‘brilliance’ is recognizing that shift in our culture—’give ‘em a headline they can run with…cuz that’s what they like..until i give ‘em my next one…’
re: progressive sexists…pleeease….cuz weknow the GOP has none…
Marla,
Finger pointing at the GOP is a very old argument. Are there scumbag sexist pigs in the Republican Party, both male and female? Yes. The issue here is that the Democratic Party made themselves out to be better because they had the woman’s best interest at hand and that issue was abortion. They leverage abortion at every occasion to make a Democratic woman “believe” that they serve her best interest in all other aspects of her life. That platform turned out to be a pile of cow manure in 2008. The powers that be in the Democratic party don’t care about women, they care about manipulating their votes. The Democratic party is not above the misogynistic fray. More often than not, the Democratic Party stifles female candidates or minimizes them from the GOP or their own. They are more likely to back a man for a public office than a woman. That is a fact that was illuminated in 2008 and is still the backbone of their existence. Abortion is just a buzz word for them to use in their marketing literature. If they have a man with a pro-choice label on his chest they would rather back him than a woman. I would bet that the Democratic party would rather get the first Hispanic, Jewish, Hindu, Asian, etc. male into the Presidency before a woman of any color, race, or religion. They only suggest a woman if it will make the headlines cover up a weak point for the short term. As soon as that woman thinks she has a shot, they tell her that it is not her turn and she better sit down and get back in line later.
A golden halo does not reside over any political party’s logo. And doing the “well the GOP are bad” dance to avoid the shortcomings of the Dems is not working for many of us any longer.
Obama Slogan, “It is what it isn’t”.
Comment on facebook worth repeating
“pleeease….cuz weknow the GOP has none…”
“Hey baby, it’s not so bad, everybody does it. You ain’t gonna find a guy who’ll treat you any better anyhow, so just give it up, okay?”
And riffing off of Optixmom’s post … let me remind EVERYONE that had we voted for the icky-icky trashy bitch Sarah Palin and Old Man McCain, as I stated above, choice would have been in a better position. I notice that certain people are conveniently attempting to ignore that, talking around it, refusing to see it, pretending selective deafness or illiteracy when it comes up, doing everything in their power to not address that issue.
Which do you want, the box with the pretty wrapping and the horse turd inside, or the plain box with some packing tape stuck to it and a diamond inside?
I’m waiting to get this addressed, directly in reference to the comment I made 3 August 2010 at 4:16 pm. I suspect I’ll be waiting for a while.
Frankly, Marla, I don’t give a damn…about your blind obsession with the “Man Who Came In From The Cold”.
I am one of the founders of PUMA and Just Say No Deal. We did our research before any so-called news organization picked up the narrative two years too late. If I put my glasses on, I might be able to locate a few factual statements contained within your opinion piece, but by-and-large, it is filled with conjecture and downright falsehoods.
I am no fluttery fan of Palin but I do decry the deplorable treatment she has received from men and women alike, but mostly from women. We are our own worst enemies, and I’ve been privy to that first-hand.
As for Hillary, leave your Ivory Tower and get off of your elitist, arugula-riddled pedestal. You have a problem with her staying with her husband? Open your bedroom door and let us know how perfect your life is, for I know no one whose life is. Human foibles often help us to become better people, and I assure you, their love, their commitment to Chelsea, their common interests override transgressions.
What an offensive post.
And with that, toot-a-loo! I’m off to my usual stance as a bitter, growling PUMA.
At least Republican men have manners and so they don’t wear their sexism like a badge of manhood, they attempt to make themselves palatable. Also it is dumber than dirt to disrespect a group of people, women, who are the majority and vote in larger percentages than males. So it is a little hard to convince me that a bunch of guys so dumb they don’t know they are a minority and as such shouldn’t be alienating the majority, are smart enough to run anything.
I also believe the Democrats would be more interested in having the first openly gay man, Hispanic man, Jewish man, President than in having the first woman President. Remember all women’s needs can not be addressed until every other need of every other group is tended to in Liberal world.
The democratic party thinks that any and every greavance of any and all men of every persuasion must be met before women should receive any, even the most basic, human rights at all!!!!
But lets not kid ourselves republican suck too!!! That is exactly why we need to get women into office in both parties regardless. We need the critical mass before anything will change.
At least Republican men have manners and so they don’t wear their sexism like a badge of manhood, they attempt to make themselves palatable.
“they attempt to make themselves APPEAR palatable”
I fixed it for you.
Hey, I may be conservative leaning but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to the faults in the Republican political machine and a big one is the good old boy system. And a lot of those “good old boys” from the Repulican ranks haven’t taken the time to come to Palin’s defense at crucial points either.
Which is why her Mama Grizzly movement is so important and significant. It isn’t just about women. It’s about men too. It isn’t only women who are fed up, it’s also fathers and sons and brothers and grandfathers and uncles who are sick and tired of seeing a woman raked over the coals and no one speaking out. She’s not just endorcing women within the ranks. She’s also endorcing men.
Selectively.
Meaning she picks and chooses to a drumbeat all her own. Seems to me that the one crucial qualification Palin is looking for in a Mama Grizzly, female or male, is that they be a fighter, win, lose or draw, as witnessed in this post: http://texas4palin.blogspot.co.....an-up.html
And that is what scares the you-know-what out of both sides because they know that if Palin ever does decide to run for whatever, she isn’t half-hearted about it. She sinks her teeth in and fights for it.
What’s fascinating at the moment is watching her give lessons, intentionally or not, to the American people that they can fight for it themselves, regardless of whether she ever runs or not. And that applies to both sides.
“Which is why her Mama Grizzly movement is so important and significant. It isn’t just about women. It’s about men too.”
And it’s about women standing up to the good-ol’-boy machine within their party. They aren’t just standing up to liberals, they’re standing up to the men on their own side of the fence in the process. I followed that link — what I wouldn’t give to watch a liberal woman drop the “good sport” nonsense and tell a MALE Democrat to knock off the crap! Where did this timid spinelessness come from, anyhow?
And I do have to admit, it’s lovely to see MEN praising these women, and not just for appearances. Men commenters in those blogs saying what mounts to YOU GO GIRL! What do you find from men on liberal blogs? “Gimme dat pussy bitch” is about the best you can expect if it’s not “shut up and wait your turn bitch,” “get me a beer bitch,” or the million and first new take on But Men Are The Victims Here. Handel isn’t standing there calculating how she can appeal to men and make herself look softer, ladylike, and less threatening.
And you know what? Men can not only handle it, but MEN LIKE IT.
I still wonder if this doesn’t have class connotations, too … If you’re from the working class or the working poor, you are used to seeing Mom work hard. It’s not threatening to you. Only upper class and white collar women from similar families could afford to think that standing up for themselves was some sort of selfish luxury. My father’s mother was sold to a farm with her sister by their own father when she was somewhere around eight years old. She drove a team of horses when she was under ten years old. She would have laughed in your face if you’d suggested opening her mouth in her own defense was an unladylike luxury, or a “knee-jerk response.”
One thing men tried to get me to villify and support a man in favor of Sarah Palin, because they were misogynist and afraid of her, was to say how smart you were for not supporting Palin. A lot of women fell for it, and the fleeting comradery it bought them with men.
And another lesson for anyone who thinks D=good and R=bad, or else that you can safely go on what someone (or their appointer) “believes” as opposed to what they actually do:
Prop 8 is gone in California
The judge who handed this one down is a GWB appointee. The argument to take Prop 8 down came from an arch-conservative Ted Olsen. Schwarzenegger praised the decision.
Me, I’d rather choose the people who do stuff I agree with than those that mouth the right platitudes, call themselves by the right label, and then do the exact opposite. Anyone who thinks they can predict someone’s behavior by the label on their lapel is kidding themselves.
Anyone who thinks they can’t predict someone’s behavior at all is similarly delusional.
In truth, you have to look at past behavior to predict future behavior. Palin has ZERO track record of restricting abortion. NONE.
I still wonder if this doesn’t have class connotations, too … If you’re from the working class or the working poor, you are used to seeing Mom work hard. It’s not threatening to you.
And it’s not just the work. It’s the entire picture. What’s amazed me totally watching from the sidelines since Palin came on the scene hasn’t always been how the MSM, the “other side” as well as some on the her own side attempted to crucify her but how messed up many of their preconceptions were regarding conservative, evangelical Christians, or working class females. And sometimes they weren’t even talking about Palin.
Sometimes I’d listen to or read what some of the “knowledgable” pundits would say about those three categories and literally think, “What the heck? What planet do these morons live on?” I’m not talking about ideological divisions related to so-called major policy issues. I’m talking about their basic perceptions related to how they think women and families function in the “real world” on a daily basis, going to work, church or whatever.
One of the biggest cases in point was Bristol’s pregancy. Right from the start, everyone “in the know” saw that as a negative and something that was going to hurt Palin with her base.
Um, why was that exactly?
Because, as someone told me on one not even political forum, conservatives were supposed to have family values and it was hypocritical of Palin to run for anything with that going on in her family. My basic response was that I hadn’t realized that conservatives and in particular evangelical Christians were already have supposed to have achieved perfection, particularly since I hadn’t met any that had or even thought they had. Their lives are what they are.
Mostly messy.
Just like the rest of ours are. Doesn’t mean we stop living them, though.
For some odd reason, most politicians want to pretend they’re one of us while at the same time keeping their distance and showing us how much better they are. They like that illusion of their perfection to be perserved. Otherwise, how could they possibly ccnvince us that they can show us a better way?
Is that classism? Heck if I know, but it’s something.
Part of Palin’s appeal certainly is related to class issues. Many people have grown tired of being spoken down to and being insulted and put down.
Especially when the policies of those Elitists who speak down to us have lead to massive debt, failing education, the military being sent in to witness wars but having their hands tied behind their back when it comes to fighting them, health care insurance that is too expensive to use and yet mandatory, non citizens entering the country whenever the mood strikes and taking unskilled jobs from the illiterate citizens and dropping wages for everyone in the process (this is OK because the ruling class would never work construction, babysit, clean other peoples houses or pick fruit so that means the rest of us don’t want or need those jobs)………..
Part of Palin’s appeal certainly is related to class issues. Many people have grown tired of being spoken down to and being insulted and put down.
Seriously, though, I’m not sure if it’s so much a class issue as an image one, which in turn ties back into the sexism thing. I mean, think about it, men are allowed to age and still be called distinguished.
If this had been a male politician who had a pregnant teenage daughter, would it have mattered? Or if his wife had given birth to their fifth child who had down syndrome just before he’d been selected? Or that five kids were too many for a Vice President to have?
Even if he was conservative. Even if he was of working class origins. Even if he was evangelical Christian.
Yeah, it’s possible the media would’ve focused on those things and gone for the jugular like they did with Palin but I have serious doubts about it.
So, I keep asking myself why everyone was so determined, even some conservatives, to go for the jugular and the thing I keep coming back to is that she broke the mold of their perceptions of the way things should be in a very big way and they didn’t like it.
Still does. Problem is, it’s difficult to go backwards in time.
BTW, still waiting for an answer to the question I posed in the comment on 3 August 2010 at 4:16 pm.
And no, I’m not letting go of this one. EVER.
janis
my guess is you don’t let anything go–no idea what ur question was-i don’t have time to re-read this long post so if you’d like to pose it again, i’m glad to reply if i can. mm
Marla, I found Janis post from august 3rd 4:16 in 30 seconds. no excuse to not answer. her post goes right to the campaign propaganda, which has nothing to do what the candidate will do when elected if he is the typical career politician.
we need to be a lot smarter when evaluating candidates and read between the lines if we want to predict what our our vote might bring.
Anna, she has no answer. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people for whom appearing to support the right cause means more than actually supporting it.
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