I appreciate your response to my very first blog entry. Perhaps I wasn't clear in stating my observation, although you ended up kind of making my point at the end of your statement by saying "Women are the intellectuals of men":

"This sounds incredibly demeaning to women. Sarah Palin is an idiot. She is an idiot stereotypically, according to her gender, but an idiot nontheless. How she behaved tonight does not make me more or less happy or proud. Women are the intellectual equals of men. There are a lot of stupid men and stupid women. She's way out of her league. But that has nothing to do with her gender..."

I have great disdain for Palin. I am a woman and a child of The Feminine Mystique, too, and her presence in this race is insulting to me. Yes, she seems to be a dunce, and she IS out of her league. My wish simply was that her level (or lack) of intelligence would NOT come across as a stereotype of gender. I don't want her to be the standard for the future of women.

I feared her bad performance would perpetuate the stereotype of woman NOT on equal footing with man. I wanted her, with all her lacking and faults, to still, please, just don't act like a dumb blonde. Yes, in a way she did...but with conviction (that's meant to be a joke). Yes, she danced around the issues and "regurgitated" ideas. But she lasted through 90 minutes and gave the best she had as a communications major -- thankfully, there are differing opinions on what "her best" means. Regardless of her intentions or motivation, she did the best she could, and after watching her with Couric and Gibson last week, the debate WAS an improvement...of sorts.

I will say that she reminds me of the female executives with whom I have worked...always smiling when they talk, especially when being nasty or rude; using body language as tactic, using feminity as a weapon rather than an asset, less than truthful, emulating men (in a bad way) to seem powerful. Wolves in sheep clothing. But that's why they get where they get to, I suppose. They intimidate men AND women. Seems like they would rather be feared than respected, somewhat Machiavellian in their approach. Palin seems capable of this, which at the same time bothers me and intrigues me. With regard to intellectual equals? I find her to be the intellectual equal and soulmate of W. more than McCain. She fancies herself Cheney with more power, possessing the mind of W. I shudder....

But I still think her appearance at the debate is something Feminists would find of value.

Posted at October 3, 2008 10:53 PM in response to Early Snap Polls: Biden Won Handily

The Education of Sarah Palin

Great insights, everyone! I'm enjoying the read.

Sarah Palin came out of the gate right on cue. She took what she learned and used it in a way that made sense to her and, most likely, her handlers/teachers. I was impressed by her ability to remember key points and keep talking without breaking. About 10 minutes in, I acknowledged that she accomplished all she needed to and I was happy that she realized the gravity of the evening, took it seriously, and tackled it according to her capabilities. Women should be proud of just the mere fact that Palin met the task with gusto, stood on the same stage with a savvy, elder statesman, and did her best to show that she has some sense of intelligence....something I was worried (as a woman) that she would never truly pull off, given this week.

She failed to really answer any questions, she was typical in her deliberate diversions and staying "on point" in her own head. She was all style and little substance. After about 40 minutes, she was sucking the life out of me. I wanted her to breathe, I couldn't breathe, it was like she forgot to take her Ritalin. Bouncing around yet somehow saying the same thing, oxymoronic. I wondered when the chip in her head was going to short out.

Biden was superb. He was deferent yet firm with her. I think he paced himself like a seasoned professional, and I think he really hit his stride toward the middle of the evening and showed veracity. He made many dynamic points with eloquence that seemed effortless for him. I really appreciated when he brought his EXPERIENCE to the debate, that's what I was waiting for. And Darfur, I was gratified to hear his insistence to address the need for action. He brought the debate back to Bush, too, when we needed reminding (could have been a little more about Bush through the night, but I know it's a referendum on McCain in this forum.) And I never heard any "gaffes" from him. The solid Biden I have been watching closely and admiring since Anita Hill.

I think he proved to be the adult and the only one of these two qualified to be One Heartbeat Away from the Presidency. Palin's sophomoric approach and "folksiness" and scripted "digs" wore on me readily. And The WINK? TWICE? Jeesh.

She was outclassed by Joe Biden, but I still give her an C for her efforts, with extra credit for remembering the main points and showing up prepared. Oh, and not relying on "tears"... I was really worried she might have to pull that one out for tonight, and who knows HOW that would have resonated. So bonus points for standing "tall". Finally, thank you, Sarah, for scoring one major moment for Women, but the win goes big to Biden/Obama.

Oh, one more thing:
1. If you can't say NUCLEAR correctly, time after time after time like W., you can't have control of them.
2. Can't believe she actually said, "There you go again".
3. She shouted out to third graders... her peeps?

Posted at October 3, 2008 1:37 AM in response to Early Snap Polls: Biden Won Handily

I'm a little bemused by a few heads on Fox inferring that Palin has to go. Gee, they adored her just last week. Guess they are finally admitting a cringe factor, too. So, because McCain didn't look under the hood, kick the tires and get a Carfax report before selecting his V.P., certainly didn't check the warranty or the contract, now a refund seems to be in the making. We all know this is OBVIOUS proof of McCain's lack of wisdom and good judgment, and leadership. I see at Catch-22 all the way around, so he's stuck and we're stuck. However, ultimately, the travesty of this Republican ticket will be addressed with fervor through a NATIONAL VOTE in NOVEMBER of NO to McCAIN/PALIN and YES to Obama/Biden. No refund, no early withdrawal, let's VOTE them away.

Posted at September 28, 2008 3:57 PM in response to Election Central Sunday Roundup