While I agree with a few of Alexander's arguments, I think it misses the main point of why many are so repelled by Palin. Many democrats/liberals/leftists-especially if you include everyone supporting Obama this year-are a far cry from the stereotypical government-loving, elitist, feminist, Hillary-worshippers that this article makes us out to be. Really-If it was McCain vs. Hillary-I would have had to hold my nose as I voted.
I have nothing AT ALL against women who are beautiful like Palin, and I honestly had no idea about her husband’s personality/occupation whatsoever. It’s great what she’s been able to do in her career, without sacrificing her family or her looks in the process. She is a great example of what American women can accomplish. She even has maintained her folksy ways, and has not been corrupted by too much time in Washington. These things are all valid, but they do not make her capable of being our second stringer in the oval office.
I think the real distaste for Palin comes from the fact that she has become the neocon cheerleader that was missing from McCain’s campaign. McCain was worried about low turnout from his base. His moderate views, and hesitance to dive head first into Obama-smearing mode turned off a lot of his supporters. There’s no hot button issue (like gay marriage) on the ballots in key states this time to bring social conservatives to the polls-and there’s no way he’d have a chance without these votes. He needed someone with a down home persona, someone that Joe the Plumber can relate to, he needed someone with an exuberant, youthful personality (given that his age was giving voters pause), and he needed someone who could convince social conservatives that their vote is safe with him.
In Palin he got all of these things-in high heels too! I cannot speak for every Obama supporter out there, but to me-it is not so much Palin herself that I don’t like-but the function she’s served in this campaign. McCain says that he wants to move forward, that he is NOT GW, that he wants bi-partisan cooperation. In Palin we find just a nicer looking George Bush-who uses religion, folksiness, xenophobia, and general fear in order to shore up support for her candidate-who would not use these same tactics himself for fear of losing moderates.
Her inclusion in this campaign is proof that the American public has not learned from the last 8 years that we don’t really need a president who is ‘just like one of us’. Many of us would rather have someone who is not just like one of us. Personally, I’d rather have someone smarter than me, with more experience, and a better grasp of politics and diplomacy running the country. I prefer politicians to be cool, thoughtful, and rational-who will listen when necessary, and not just recklessly exert his/her will. Yet, the fact that people are attracted to Palin proves that there is a large chunk of American voters who prefer personality over experience, who prefer platitudes over thoughtful discussion, and who prefer blind emotion over rational decision making. Add in the fact that she’s a good looking woman-and she’s the perfect example that sex truly sells anything from beer to who will run the free world. The scorn that the public has shown towards her is not because of who she is-but because of what her inclusion in this race says about the qualities we truly value in choosing who leads our nation.
I have nothing AT ALL against women who are beautiful like Palin, and I honestly had no idea about her husband’s personality/occupation whatsoever. It’s great what she’s been able to do in her career, without sacrificing her family or her looks in the process. She is a great example of what American women can accomplish. She even has maintained her folksy ways, and has not been corrupted by too much time in Washington. These things are all valid, but they do not make her capable of being our second stringer in the oval office.
I think the real distaste for Palin comes from the fact that she has become the neocon cheerleader that was missing from McCain’s campaign. McCain was worried about low turnout from his base. His moderate views, and hesitance to dive head first into Obama-smearing mode turned off a lot of his supporters. There’s no hot button issue (like gay marriage) on the ballots in key states this time to bring social conservatives to the polls-and there’s no way he’d have a chance without these votes. He needed someone with a down home persona, someone that Joe the Plumber can relate to, he needed someone with an exuberant, youthful personality (given that his age was giving voters pause), and he needed someone who could convince social conservatives that their vote is safe with him.
In Palin he got all of these things-in high heels too! I cannot speak for every Obama supporter out there, but to me-it is not so much Palin herself that I don’t like-but the function she’s served in this campaign. McCain says that he wants to move forward, that he is NOT GW, that he wants bi-partisan cooperation. In Palin we find just a nicer looking George Bush-who uses religion, folksiness, xenophobia, and general fear in order to shore up support for her candidate-who would not use these same tactics himself for fear of losing moderates.
Her inclusion in this campaign is proof that the American public has not learned from the last 8 years that we don’t really need a president who is ‘just like one of us’. Many of us would rather have someone who is not just like one of us. Personally, I’d rather have someone smarter than me, with more experience, and a better grasp of politics and diplomacy running the country. I prefer politicians to be cool, thoughtful, and rational-who will listen when necessary, and not just recklessly exert his/her will. Yet, the fact that people are attracted to Palin proves that there is a large chunk of American voters who prefer personality over experience, who prefer platitudes over thoughtful discussion, and who prefer blind emotion over rational decision making. Add in the fact that she’s a good looking woman-and she’s the perfect example that sex truly sells anything from beer to who will run the free world. The scorn that the public has shown towards her is not because of who she is-but because of what her inclusion in this race says about the qualities we truly value in choosing who leads our nation.
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