I can’t resist. Despite my strong desire to blog about fluffy topics as some of my recent posts have um….backfired, I just can’t steer myself away from Sarah Palin. I find it hard, however, to know where to start. There are so many things I want to say, to discuss, and to expose.
In case you want to know my simplified position and you are too lazy to keep reading, please refer to the below comic.
Sarah (not to be confused with Sara!!) supporters have proven to be fanatics already. They are turning out in droves to rally around her…oh, and that old guy that follows her around. NPR this morning reported that the calm, subdued Republican rallies with McCain brought out people in the hundreds. Those rallies with Palin are now in the thousands. There is no question that people like her.
The McCain camp is even concerned that if they split up to campaign separately to cover more ground, more people will show up to see Sarah. Regular American moms love her because she appears to be just like them. Conservatives love her because she appears to follow the party closely on many key issues. And let’s admit it…some support her just because she’s attractive. Her eyeglass style has become so popular that it is now on back order. Women are buying shoes like her. She has a “real world” appeal with “small town values” and she has become a real force in this campaign. It is ironic that she is rapidly gaining that ‘celebrity status’ that was so casually mocked by McCain when it applied to Obama. It appears that being a celebrity is working out in McCain’s favor…But there are a few issues that I’d like to address….
Hypocrisy runs rampant.
Her experience:
A mere few weeks ago, everyone was questioning Barack Obama’s experience. His experience as a lawyer, community organizer, state legislator, and US senator was deemed insufficient to lead the nation. But now, Palin arrives on the scene having been the mayor of a town of approximately 9,000 people for 6 years. (I’m being generous. I’ve seen numbers as low as 5,000…but really with numbers that small….its all the same.) She is currently the governor of Alaska, the largest state in the union….at least that is what keeps being said. Yes, she is the governor of the largest state, but the 48th largest state by population. Hmmm…..what about education though? Because if someone has the knowledge, that is truly the first step to being a good leader…
Palin spent her first college semester at Hawaii Pacific College, transferring in 1983 to North Idaho College and then to the University of Idaho. She attended Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska for one term, returning to the University of Idaho to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, graduating in 1987. (NOTE: Her wikipedia article was mysteriously edited to get a “glowing make-over” 24 hours before the VP nominee announcement by McCain.)
Wow. It’s a shame that Obama attended of Columbia University and Harvard Law School….those are upppity schools…not for the common man.
I don’t think I would get so fired up about it if the same rules for judgment applied. If it were generally accepted that individuals could have different paths to the White House, that’s fine. But do not ridicule community organizers. That is an insult to all of those who put themselves second to help others. (Also ironic to belittle these organizers at the RNC after their rally theme of “Service” the day before…)
The way that the GOP is spinning her “experience” is deplorable. Please see the below quote from an interview on ABC’s This Week with Cindy McCain…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But she has no national security experience.
McCAIN: You know, the experience that she comes from is what she’s done in government, and remember, Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. It’s not as if she doesn’t understand what’s at stake.
Don’t claim have national security and foreign policy experience if you have none. She has never been to Russia despite her proximity…Did you know that she just got a passport in 2007? How international of her….(To her credit, with this new passport, she visited troops stationed in Kuwait and Germany. She has also visited Ireland.)
To me, if none of the below issues existed, I would not even bring up the issue of experience. It’s what you have DONE with that experience that matters and that is what is truly of concern.
Her (-gasp-) Gender:
No matter what is said about Palin, if it is negative or questioning….then that statement is obviously sexist. Yes, it is a big step or the Republicans to chose a woman running mate, and it most respects, the strategy of it is working. Support from white women is up….and to be perfectly blunt (because it’s my blog and I can say whatever I want! Muaha-ahaha-aha), how dumb are these white women then??? It’s obvious pandering by the McCain camp to get women and on the fence Clinton supporters. They assume that the women will see a woman and flock to her without looking at her policies or history. I find it insulting to my intelligence, because lets face it, she’s no Hillary. So many other women (and MEN!) are more qualified and better suited for this position, yet she is the one McCain wanted. Question that?? You are a sexist….yes you.
And the “lipstick on a pig” comment…please just read this article by the Times. It is a common phrase meant to show that even if you attempt to fancy something ugly, underneath that facade, it is still ugly. It was not sexist. It has nothing to do with lipstick or the women who wear it. It was just twisted to enrage these supporters. McCain camp: 1 High Road: 0
Those pesky earmarks:
It’s the imaginary bridge that just will not go away…mainly because Palin keeps bringing it back up. It has become a stock statement in her rallies….
“I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere…”
But did she really? When running for governor in 2006, she endorsed the project. Then, as the political winds changed, she quickly adapted, and claimed to be an opponent only after Congress killed its funding the next year. But, what did she do with that $223 million the state had received? She kept it and used it for other state ventures. So really, she said, “Thanks congress, but no thanks…and when I say no thanks, I mean yes please, I’ll keep that money. Can I have some more?”
Also, how can McCain/Palin run around shouting about how they will veto pork barrel spending when there are facts like these???
In Palin’s two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in earmarks, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation.
When one of their campaign foundations (their renegade, maverick-like spirit) is based on a lie, what can you believe? How will she act as a leader of the nation when the winds change after she has proven to bow immediately to political pressure?
Her Policies:
Reproductive rights:
I’m sure those of you reading this know she is a staunch Pro-Lifer. She does not support abortion even in the case of rape or incest. Abortion is such a divisive issue for many.
We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. – Obama
I would not even bring up the (ironic) story of her pregnant teenage daughter (How’s that ‘”abstinence only” sex education going??) but she said something that just needed to be addressed. She said that she supports Bristol’s “decision” to have the baby and asked for others respect her privacy in the matter. This right to decide,( A.K.A. to choose,) and the right to privacy is something that Palin wants for her own daughter, but she also wants to deny me, my future daughters, and all of the women across the nation those same rights. That doesn’t quite seem fair.
Another interesting note about Wasilla, Alaska. (Sarah Palin’s town.) They used to charge rape victims (or their insurance companies if they where lucky enough to have insurance) $500 – $1200 for the cost of the rape kit, which included the medical examination to gather evidence. There is a song and dance about whether or not Palin was aware of this policy, but when it got to a national level…
Congress in 2005 passed a law requiring states to provide rape exams free of charge or reimburse victims for the costs, says Knecht, whose group supported the provision.
“The reason we passed the legislation was that we saw it was prevalent enough to be a pretty considerable problem,” Knecht says. “There are no other victims of crime that end up being billed for evidence collection.”
The Senate version of the legislation that included the rape-exam provision was sponsored by Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was one of 58 co-sponsors; Republican presidential nominee John McCain was not.
It just seems shifty….shifty shifty.
Environmental issues:
Her policy: Polar bears are not in danger of becoming extinct. Man is not contributing to the changes of the climate of the earth. Oil independence is as easy as a little off-shore drilling.
Groan……I’m honestly getting tired of finding all the discrepancies in her policies. It has been encouraging to me that people are finally realizing that we need to invest in other energy sources and that we need to realize what we do has an effect on the world around us. And here comes Sarah with her contradictory statements. There she goes again. Change with the wind (or the cue card)…
What does she really believe? And why does it keep changing??
Religion:
Faith has a strong place in an individuals life and can be used as a good moral guide for his/her decisions, but it has no place in the laws that dictate to others how they should act.
- It has no business telling me what to do with my body.
- It should not hinder scientific advancements that could cure so many health problems. ( She also opposes stem cell research calling it “the destruction of life…”)
- It has no business dictating who can or can not love each other. (She opposes same-sex marriage and supported a non-binding referendum for an Alaskan constitutional amendment to deny state health benefits to same-sex couples.)
- Religion has no right to censor information, specifically books in a library. Now granted, the ‘book banning’ issue was blown out of proportion. She never actually banned any books from the Wasilla library. She just inquired if she could…and fired the librarian when she told Palin no. Sure. That’s the best way to use the power given to you by the people……..
Religion also is not a justification for the policies you would like to see implemented. What did she have to say about the building of a new natural gas pipeline?
I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get the gas line built, so pray for that.
But sometimes it takes more than prayer. Sometimes we must follow His plan for the nation…
Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God’s will.
She said the Iraq war is God’s will. GOD’S WILL. Think about that. How does she know that God approves of the pipeline and the war?
Everything else….
What else do we really know? Her fiscal policy is a bit unclear to me, as is her foreign policy, plan for health care…etc. I’m sure her political beliefs will be come clear with time, or once someone tells her what they are (and then they will change to further her career or to maintain her status). It’s all so frustrating to me…
…what is most frustrating, as I said earlier, is that the American people are eating it up! The love it. “Tell me what I want to hear and I’ll be yours forever! I don’t even care if its true.”
I don’t know what to tell you America if you can’t find out the truth for yourself. The GOP campaign is starting to play dirty. There is no surprise there. You find a strategy (create fear, lie to the people about the other candidate) and Blamo, you’ve got a Reeeal winner. It would go something like this…
…Did you hear that Obama is Muslim? Well, I heard he tried to teach sex-education to kindergartners! I heard that he hates his white mother because she is white. I heard that he hates America. Wait, is he even American????
Wake up, people. She could be the President. Sure she could be a wonderful, down-to-earth person that you may want to have a beer with (-ahem-…sound familiar???), but does that make her ready to lead the country? Sure, McCain’s mother is 96, but little Johnny is still OLD. Palin is one-heartbeat away from the oval office. I’ve always dreamed about a woman president, but I also said that the first one would set the stage for the acceptance of the ones to follow her. The stage that is being set by McCain/Palin is more like a nightmare to me. As the above comic said…”Why would an intelligent woman vote for a woman politician opposed to women’s rights?”
Someone wake me…
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/520272.html
“• As governor of Alaska, you have not pushed for laws or regulations that put your personal views on abortion, same-sex marriage and creationism into public policy.”
It points out the problem most people have in reconciling Palin’s positions with the fact she is a woman. She declares her views, her personal views, but she has a history of not imposing those views on others.
That isn’t to say that supporting her wouldn’t run the risk of her changing with power. At the moment though, she seems to understand that there really is a separation between her religious views and what is permissible in government.
1. don’t bash her college-hopping! we all change our minds! (lol, just a joke relating to my own indecisiveness)
2. her push for abstinence-only education is quite disturbing. when will ppl wake up and realize this isn’t 1954 anymore and we have to keep up with the times?
3. hear, hear. get the f away from my religious beliefs, politicians…
4. my mom’s driving me crazy. she’s def one of the fanatics already haha
totally unrelated, but warm and fluffy… I just sent back my RSVP!!! :] excited…
A couple days after Palin was announced as the nominee she was at a rally where I noticed the following two signs being held up at in the crowd.
An older woman held up “We love Sarah Palin”
A young girl held up “Sarah UR my hero”
All this admiration just days after the initial announcement, when we knew nothing about her.
“how dumb are these white women then???” …good stuff Sara, but putting up comments such these on the WWW is going to come back to hurt you when you run for office one day.
Just saying.