If I were eight, McCain's VP choice of Sarah Palin would excite me. As an adult, I should be excited that a woman might be the second-in-command in the White House.
But let's be real: Palin is a weak pick, and it's tokenism in the ugliest way.
I didn't support Hillary in the primaries, but I never questioned her political skill or ability to lead. She was a strong candidate not because of her gender, made stronger to some voters because she did so well despite the sexism that tainted the media coverage. Still, nobody could argue that she was almost the nominee because she's a woman; she won it because she's a ball-buster.
And then we get to Palin, a former Miss Alaska runner-up whose greatest pre-gubernatorial accomplishment was being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 8,500). She has been governor of Alaska for less than two years. Simply put, she doesn't have the chops to have the second most powerful position in the country (if not the world). So for once, I'm sad to say that her choice was more about her gender, about picking a woman — any woman, gotta get those bitter Hillary voters! — than about skills or accomplishments. That's doubly depressing because it shows what the McCain campaign really thinks about women: That we are so dumb that we'll back an inexperienced candidate simply because we have the same chromosomal pattern.
But let's be real: Palin is a weak pick, and it's tokenism in the ugliest way.
I didn't support Hillary in the primaries, but I never questioned her political skill or ability to lead. She was a strong candidate not because of her gender, made stronger to some voters because she did so well despite the sexism that tainted the media coverage. Still, nobody could argue that she was almost the nominee because she's a woman; she won it because she's a ball-buster.
And then we get to Palin, a former Miss Alaska runner-up whose greatest pre-gubernatorial accomplishment was being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 8,500). She has been governor of Alaska for less than two years. Simply put, she doesn't have the chops to have the second most powerful position in the country (if not the world). So for once, I'm sad to say that her choice was more about her gender, about picking a woman — any woman, gotta get those bitter Hillary voters! — than about skills or accomplishments. That's doubly depressing because it shows what the McCain campaign really thinks about women: That we are so dumb that we'll back an inexperienced candidate simply because we have the same chromosomal pattern.
Labels: politics
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