Sarah Palin

I sat in the sixth row of a 200-person lecture when I read the news. Avoiding learning about phonemes, I delved into a much more exciting world of the New York Times political webpage. “McCain Said to Choose Alaska’s Palin”

My jaw dropped. After a week of DNC excitement and Obama-rific hope, McCain’s stiletto strategy crushed my democratic dreams. Based off of Palin’s skirt, I thought McCain would be unstoppable. The unknown governor probably had the poise of Pelosi, the credentials of Clinton, and palpable prettiness (and youth). Before America got to know Sarah Palin, I feared her potential. Today, I cringe at the face Palin’s made of the American woman.

After reading one article on McCain’s VP choice, I knew Palin was not the Republican’s Hillary. She opposes basic civil liberties required by any feminist. Palin opposes abortion even in cases of incest and rape and supports abstinence-only sex education. (With an unwed, teenaged, and pregnant daughter, Palin’s home proves her ideals on educating youth on sex are flawed, to say the least.) Despite her policies, the Republicans believed Palin could sway Hillary-lovers to their side. Palin began praising Hillary as her hero frequently mentioning Hillary’s 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. If the GOP believes “we don’t care about issues or experience; we just want someone with the same reproductive parts as ours (2)” they have another thing coming, doggone it.

Palin’s connects with the Joe Six-Packs of America (3). She’s just one of the folks; your average American hockey mom, don’t cha kno. And while the McCain-Palin ticket capitalizes on her ability to connect with everyday Americans, she isn’t your everyday mom. Palin sits on a six figure salary, a husband with enough job flexibility to be considered a stay at home dad, and a support network of siblings and parents waiting for her call to pick the kids up from practice. The reality of most Americans: 37 percent of the family’s after-tax income on center-based child care with 30 percent of working families headed by single moms (1). Without mention of affordable child care or equal pay for women on the republican ticket, Palin’s against the average American mom.

Palin made a face for herself in this election, redefining the American woman. But am I ashamed and a little repulsed by this rifle holding, bikini flaunting version? You betcha.

(1) Marsh, Katherine. "Whine Not." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 9-11.

(2) Cottle, Michelle. "Shattered." The New Republic 24 SEP 2008: 7-9.

(3) Meacham, Jon. "The Palin Problem." Newsweek 13 OCT 2008: 40-45.

(4) Thornburgh, Nathan. "Call of the Wild." Time 15 SEP 2008: 25-30.