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pssst (between us feminists)
In all of the campaign noise and dreadful news from the world markets this past week, something rather significant fell between the cracks that needs to be noted and possibly discussed. I hesitate to bring this up, as all of us were 'lipsticked' and 'sexismed' beyond the point of nausea just a short while back, but this little event may explain why the McCain campaign got out front so quickly and aggressively with the 'sexism' charge in the first place.
I'm speaking of the off-the-cuff ravelation by Sarah Palin to a FOX news reporter that she read of the campaign's decision to bail out of Michigan in the newspaper. Of course, being a maverick, she "fired off an e-mail" right away voicing her disappointment.
Did anyone else catch that? What does this say about the whole package we've been sold of "two maverick reformers, workin' together to solve these problems?"
As for the decision to bail on what was once viewed a critical state -- and one in which McCain has outspent Obama -- the campaign decided that the number 2 on the ticket needn't worry her pretty little head about it.
If one contemplates this for more than a Palin soundbyte, one realizes a few things that seem to shed some light on the now-forgotten debate on whether picking Sarah was the feted cracking of the glass ceiling, or political pandering at its cynical worst.
Now we've seen over the past few weeks how they cloister her then just wind her up and let her go, ("The heels are on and the gloves are off") and get her to say the nastiest things about Senator Obama -- things that even McCain won't say if last night's debate was any indication. She delivers the poison with a wink and a smile, and all the while they don't ask her or tell her a damn thing about what's going on, even major decisions in what they smirkingly allow her to believe is "her" campaign.
So the answer to the aforementioned debate actually ends up being neither of the aforepostured, and imagine my chagrin at realizing i didn't reach low enough to come up with the actual motive: crass exploitation akin to putting a model in a bikini and a fur and having her drape herself across the hood of the new Caddy at the auto show.
McCain, it turns out, is more of a pig than we thought.
And he was desperately in need of some lipstick.
Comments (10)
You make some good points here, and the Republican party does not have a good track record regarding the feminist movement.
To me, keeping Governor Palin in the dark about campaign decisions, even relatively major ones, does not immediately translate into sexism. There have been some documented cases of Senator Obama's campaign making significant decisions without the foreknowledge of Senator Biden; should that be considered ageism?
Male VP candidates have been surprised by the decisions of "their" campaigns plenty of times throughout history. The simple truth of the matter is that the VP plays second fiddle for a reason - but it is not his/her gender.
October 8, 2008 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you're absolutely right. McCain tries to act like he is proud of her executive experience but admonishes it by also being so proud that she is "just" a hockey mom that participated in the PTA because he stereotypically believes all women do that and can relate to that. Palin does everything she can to verbally conceal the fact that she is a woman but physically let's you know that she is, again, the stereotypical woman who wants to be sexy and smart and have a great looking dude by her side and giggle and wink when she's supposed to be debating or addressing people as her equal. They both succumb to sexism. This would make a great thesis for a poli sci student. Hell, McCain's campaign would make a great thesis.
October 8, 2008 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not surprised they're leaving Palin out of the loop because, at best, she's a token c***. (McCain's term of endearment for his wife.)
What I noticed most was the way Cindy McCain trailed hubby around last night after the debate, always staying a step or two behind, not talking or shaking hands, just smiling and nodding, and most of the time her hands were behind her back, almost like they were tied. And you see her acting the same way at all his campaign rallies and photo ops.
Michelle Obama, on the other hand, was out shaking hands and talking to people. Although she and Barack were clearly working together, they went off in separate directions. Also, I noticed him place his hand on her back when he was introducing her to Brokaw, and the gesture seemed loving and supportive to me.
The difference between the way the two couples interact speaks volumes to me about their true feelings about women's role in society.
October 8, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
I noticed that about Cindy McCain also -- as well as the super-awkward sort of hug that McCain gave her at one point. On her behalf, however, I do recall that her right wrist was badly injured by a rough handshake (or too much handshaking) and was in a cast/bandage for a while. It would have been better, I think, to have continued wearing a bandage to 'explain' why she was holding her hands back and not interacting with the audience. ----
Cindy McCain's largely non-speaking but very continual presence throughout the campaign has just plain been *odd* I can recall candidates wives who got out and campaigned, like Michelle and Jill are doing - a lot or a little -- and some who stayed home -- and some who accompanied their husbands but chatted up and made nice with the local dignitaries, but I can't ever recall one who, well, just *stood there.* ?? Another odd thing in an altogether odd campaign.
October 8, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I forgot about her injury so I can understand keeping her hands back, but that doesn't explain her not speaking to people. Like you said, her behavior is just plain odd. It seems he treats her like a trophy wife, the way he drags her around everywhere but doesn't have her speak.
October 8, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
most of the time her hands were behind her back, almost like they were tied.
____
Not because tied. Because she doesn't want to dirty her hands by shaking hands with a "commoner".
October 8, 2008 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Some good points, but the part I liked the best was your coinage of the term, "ravelation," which seems particularly appropos when applied to Palin and the McCain campaign in general. (It must have been a Freudian typo.)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ravelOctober 8, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
yes!
October 8, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
It isn't about sexism. It is the norm, mixed up with the constant dishonesty that is spelled R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N.
October 8, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let us reflect on the gift that Sarah Palin has given us all:
http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/maybe-i-aint-no-genius-but-is-sure-is-smartern-her/
October 9, 2008 6:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
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