"this is no Hillary Clinton" -- no kidding!!

Palin is an eyesore and I find it humiliating that someone like that makes it to the national political scene based on self-presentation, street fighting skills, bare knuckled beliefs about science and a womans rights over her own body.

As an Independent, the thing that has always disgusted me about the Repubs is their continuous cold storage of thinking and ceding too much authority to the gun toters and the bible pushers and other group-minded hackery; none of which help people but are vainglorious.

Great post, Christopher! Rec'd.

All I can say is, well doh! The notion that mass numbers of women will ignore all the issues of importance and jump to the McCain-Palin ship just because of genital match up is absurd, deeply insulting and deeply sexist.

Really, this pick just reinforces the sexism so often associated with Republicans, that women are just fine so long as they toe the line and look pretty and don't bother the menfolk too much with their brains. (And yes, Sarah Palin may have a very good brain, but it's not what they're pushing - they're pushing her as hockey mom and governmental clean-up service.)

Not buying it. No sir, no thank you.

She is on the ticket primarily as a yet-another-effort by pseudo-maverick McSame to corral the Evangelical/religionut "base".

With the hope that perhaps, somehow, the choice will translate into votes from independents. Like, yeah, Hillary's supporters are going to flock in droves to an anti-choice bigot.

Monty Python is fine for entertainment; but we've already had 8 years too many of its "governance".

"Trophy Running Mate" - thanks for the plug - and you did try to link.

I'll fix that link to make it easier:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/therap/

It's the second blog down the list. You might enjoy the first one as well.

First- I am a woman and resent McCain thinking I can relate to and support Pilan. She will throw away all the years of gains Women have made. She is out only for herself, yet is against other women's issues. Second - The best think all of us can do is to make sure we vote, vote, vote and not for McCain and her.

Enjoyed the irony and sarcasm of the immediately preceding comment.
As for the others, I think there will be a lot of "automatic" reactions to the Palin candidature like the ones in these comments, but there will also be a lot of automatically positive reactions and Obama has proven that there is a "cosmetic" component to successful campaigning. Palin is tailor-made for the campaign. She's physically attractive and very down-to-earth in the way she speaks.
She will no doubt make a killing among Catholic Democrats as well with her pro-life stance.
The fact that she has as Governor appointed a few Democrats doesn't hurt either.
And -- as one commenter mentioned -- she's drawing in the cash, which will help lower the differential of cash outlay in advertising that contibuted to the demise of Hillary Clinton's campaign.
And the cash that is coming in is not being spent on a flashy convention like the displaced extravaganza of the Democratic Convention. It makes me think of Obama eyeing that shiny sports car and brushing the journalist off with his "sweetie" comment. One could also mention that private plane that Obama was flying all round Europe in. Palin got rid of the luxury the previous governor of Alaska enjoyed, unlike Obama's pal Deval Patrick who was severely criticized for using public funds for his personal comfort during the early days of his governorship.
Lastly, Obama like Kennedy to whom he likes being compared is linked to the political machine in Chicago. Palin took on the crooked politicians. She's a serious stateswoman.

She reminds the normal struggling woman of the less qualified for whom they get passed-over for jobs on a day-to-day basis just because men prefer their ilk smiling at the reception desk, waiting at the restaurant table, beaming at meetings, or standing next to them in a presidential ticket so they can catch a peek.

This says it all, and I'm sure it resonates with a lot of women.

Women voters, those of us with brains don't like HRC. HRC MARRIED her way into politics, at least Palin got there on her own.

I think Palin has a lot going for her. More then Clinton ever did. I'll take Palin over Clinton any day.

So some women voter do like Palin.

I've thought that the primary reason for the leakage saga going viral were the aghast reactions of women to that wacky tale.

Yet, for the most part, it's the self-appointed male "defenders" of our fair sex who have been telling us to STFU for our own good and that just because birthin' babies is our business doesn't mean that we know more about it than they do.

These "feminist" male poseurs also claim to know more about how women will react to the vetting of Sarah Palin's motherhood creds than, well, those of us who actually are women (and mothers).

It's the same old misogynistic bullshit hiding under an Alan Alda concern troll mask.

No sale.

lally the femnazi

I am a woman and an intelligent one who thinks things through on a level that some people would call obsessive.

HRC has been in and out of politics since she was a young person. She has, since entering the Congressional body, supported and fought for some human issues that are important to me and she has been consistent in that support. She has earned my respect there even if I have not been happy with her stands on other things, specifically taxation. Barack Obama also supports those human issues similarly. I don't like the taxation platform and I don't like the references to religion.

However, Sarah Palin does not represent those issues that I find important enough to fight for the way that HRC and BO do. She represents the opposite stand on them and if I would fight the concepts, as I have been, then I would fight against the representative of them regardless of gender. McCain falls into that definition as well. As for taxation and fiscal responsibility - the past eight years have not shown restraint there on the Republican side either. And as for Palin and fiscal responsibility -- research is showing some discrepancies in what the party put out.

I do not support the choice of this woman BECAUSE the issues that I find important to myself as a woman are not represented by her. She may be a strong woman and have gained her place on the ladder under her own steam, which is to be admired, but that does not mean that I respect or value her stands on the issues - and if I do not, then supporting her because she's a tough woman is illogical.

Now if she were a strong, self-made woman who supported the policies and values that I support I would be all over it. Unfortunately that is not the case.

She is more like the "Ice Cream Cookie" of the North.
Mac is trying for the Viagra Vote.

Here's how the McCain camp set Palin up to fail:

They spent the week of the DNC cynically saturating cable news with ads that were transparent ploys for disaffected PUMAs, and sent out surrogates like Rudy to do the same thing.

Then at the end of the week, they announce a surprise VP candidate. Who happens to be a woman! And they even had her praise Hillary in the roll-out speech.

Bu framing her this way, they made Palin look like a token and a cynical gimmick. She didn't have to be set up that way. If they were going to go with Palin, they should have soft-peddled the appeal to PUMAs.

They really blew it. She could have been one of their rising stars. I guess it shows that there really is such a thing as being too cynical for your own good.

As a woman I find her impending nomination insulting, and I find the efforts of the RNC to convince America that this ISN'T a completely reckless thoughtless STUPID choice even more insulting.

JadeDragon6002. Somehow that name just doesn't sound like one a woman would pick. If you do have a brain and you are a real woman you will not support John McCain. Go back to your republican side. No woman with an understanding of real issues affecting women would support Palin.

Excellent post Christopher!
At first I was surprised that McCain chose her and now it seems for ALL the wrong reasons and I'm insulted. As a couple days go by, and all the things that are coming out about her (Abuse of Power, family values etc) I'm not only disgusted but actually angry. This woman and her bible thumping values not only set women back 50 years that we've worked so hard to achieve in this world for ourselves and our daughters, but she has possibly made it even harder for women to ever achieve a spot as a VP in the White House.

Somehow, we've got to keep our cool though.. I know there are some woman out there that will start feeling sorry for this 2nd place beauty queen that basically worked her way up and NOT in an honest way.
But it does irk me with her. I have 5 yr old twin boys- one regressed into Autism and needs therapy, but health care will only provide drugs as a solution.
Sara KNOWS her son will need LOTS of attention and therapy yet NOW it's VP over family at all costs!

From an article dated April 22 2008:

"Palin said she won't take maternity leave but will go with Trig to doctor's visits, physical therapy, whatever he needs. She's breast feeding and plans to bring Trig to work with her, just as she did with Piper."
http://www.adn.com/626/story/382864.html

I'll never feel sorry for this woman and will NEVER vote for her just because she is a female.

Let's look at why Sarah Palin was chosen and who supports her:

McCain did not vet Palin. The Council for National Policy "vetted" Sarah Palin according to Sydney Blumenthal's article Ultra-Secretive Right-Wing Group Met In Minn. To Vet Palin. The group consists of Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Grover Norquist, Tim LaHaye and Paul Weyrich. They are the extreme-religious-far-right wing of the Republican Party.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid=352178

Palin & McCain share the same ideology as Bush and Cheney and the far-right-republicans whose values are antithetical to our democracy.

If women believe: creationism should be taught in school, men should have dominion over women's bodies, women should not be given equal pay, abstinence only for birth control, so on and so forth, Palin is your gal.

Palin is not change, she is more of the same!

Actually Palin is to the right of McCain. Look at who vetted her! If she passed muster with those fellows, how likely is it the rest of America will agree?

If they do we are in deep trouble!

Permit me to raise a common-sense objection to your post, Christopher. It's easy to say that only 36% of women support her, but how much of the other 64% simply hasn't heard enough to form an opinion?

We would be wise not to underestimate her. However much I may disagree with her politics, I still see her as smart, tough, ambitious, and charming, which is a useful combination in a politician.

McCain's choice may be shrewder than it looks. Look at the way people reacted to Clinton's campaign. I never much trusted her (or her husband), but when Time magazine devoted a page to her "inability to settle on a hair style," (with plenty of photos) I wanted to cheer her on. So much of the anti-Clinton rhetoric was condescending and superior, and it produced a backlash that generated a lot of support for her, particularly among women. Don't think Sarah Palin can't benefit from the same kind of backlash. Keep in mind also that, just as Hillary tapped a deep reservoir of hope among progressive women who long to see the glass ceiling smashed, Palin may well tap into an as-yet undiscovered reservoir of conservative women with the same unrequited dream.

As I read through this page, I found the following condescending comments:

"...based on self-presentation"
[she doesn't put] "family first"
"Trophy running mate"
"parlaying her well-manicured good-looks into unfair advantage"
"I doubt she could pass the test to become a US Citizen"
"2nd place beauty queen"

Let's all just keep talking like that and watch the sympathy vote grow. Obama and Biden are smart enough not to fall into this trap. Their statement was very respectful of her. But they're not the ones the trap is set for. It's set for us. Just keep condescending to her, keep bringing up her looks, keep suggesting she's not in a woman's proper place, keep questioning her brains, and you'll watch her get sworn in this January.

Or we could stick to the issues. Many posters here did exactly that. Kudos to you. But it doesn't take many condescending comments to really piss people off.

Hey forget about Hillary who happens to be a Democrat, remember? What about Republican stalwarts Hutchinson, Snowe, Whitman, et. al. Far more qualified, they got passed over for the young hottie. McCain did not put country first, he put libido first.

I stay clear of women like Sarah Palin. They think they know better than me. They’re smug, judgmental, condescending, think they know what's best for me and my body, and at the end of the day, nastier than Ann Coulter on steroids.

exerpt from
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=15305

First let s get one thing clear. The maccaian campaign was the first to begin the smears w/ the "experience", you even went so far as to use the voice of HRC. You released an attack ad everyday of the DNC. Now you're calling foul , republicans are such hyprocrites when their tactics are used on them. The Obama camp have not said that palin is inexperienced, the media has. They media have every right to ask all the questions that are revelant to her being in the wjite house. The Obama camp have been more tolerant toward the Maccain camp then they deserve.
As for Obama acheivements, they surpass Sen. Maccains. If you judge Sen Maccain experience from the time he reached the age 47, to the age Sen Obama is now (47), Sen Maccain is left way behind.. As for that comment Sen Maccain likes to say: "my opponent has never gone against his on party"
Sen Obama opposed the when alot of his fellow dem was for it. He co-chair an ethic reform bill that that members of congress couldn't accept gift, dinner,and plane rides from lobbist, that was passed into law 2007. Sen Maccain likes to say he's differnt from bush, he's his own man. But Presiddent Bush own speech writer wrote Gov. nom. speech.Oh! and Bush foreign relation advisor is giving gov palin her her crash course for her debate w/ biden. That change we can believe.I don't understand how u repub. have known someone a week and is already in love, but then you voted for bush twice. I can see you voting for bush a third term. Unfortunately, no matter how African-American have come, there are those that would rather this great nation go to hell then let a black man become President. I called that te "scorched earth paradox"
The repub has spent pass 2yr attacking Obama, his name,religion, faith, sexual history,he smoke cigarettes, patriotism, was he black enough, was he white enough,even his friends. He always kept his composure, and defended those that were caught on hot mics, saying things that I know were killing him inside.
Then here comes Gov Palin who has her own appeal,and was picked on a hunched and a 15 minute meeting. My life was worth 15 min. to J.Mac. A 72yr man who has had cancer 4 times, and he says Obama lacks judgement. Obama had a committee of three people who worked on this for months to find the right person to lead the country in case he die office. That is how a leader is suppose to act. Gov Palin looked in the eye of millions of americans and said"the children w/ special needs would have an advocate w/ her in the white house" but as gov she gut special education 62%, 8 million to 3%. She's a liar. She cut funding on programs for homes where where teenage mother without homes can live w/there baby to get on their feet. Her daughter is lucky, but what about all those other teenagers that don't have family. When she became mayor her home town was debt free, when got finish w/ it it was 22million in debt. Is that the change the american peolpe need.if thats experince you can keep.My personal fav; passed into law, a bounty to collect $150 for wolves you can shoot down from a helicopter. RUN LITTLE WOLFIE RUN