I really want to like Gov. Sarah Palin. I share many of her views, which are views not shared by most of my readers, I'm sure. I can't help liking her. I like her mix of moxie and lipstick.On the other hand, the evidence (so far) of her Christianist behavior and the extent to which it shapes her politics, gives me chills. Creationism in school? Abstinence Only? Jews for Jesus? Abortion as a theme in a small town mayoral race?
WTF.
No wonder the Falwells and their kind are suddenly jazzed about the GOP ticket.
Going pit bull on the Wasilla librarian over banning books? Don't be tempted to laugh off this dust-up as a small town girl fight. Book banning makes my blood boil. How does one claim to be a country-first American, celebrate American freedoms, condemn elitism, and then have the gall to decide for her citizens and restrict what books their library will carry?
Then there is her Clinton-like triangulation on the issue of same-sex couples and their families. That she has gay and lesbian friends and still holds her views on --thus her political positions about-- our unions, is incredible. How does she compartmentalize herself like that?
But dammit, I can't help myself. With Sarah Palin, there is a connection. I connect with her as a mother. But it's a conflicted connection. I like that she's done things her way, using the paths that were available to her to get where she wanted to go (I don't see her having worked for a Stevens' 527 a necessarily bad thing-- I need to know more).
Just the same, I identify with Gov. Palin in a way I've never identified with Sen. Clinton or other women in politics. I've never identified with Hillary Clinton as a mother. Even when I liked the Clintons, I never identified with Hillary Clinton as a mother. I totally identified with Bill Clinton as a father. I was pregnant with Amanda during his first presidential campaign, and I was smitten. I voted for him because of that connection.
But here's the thing. I know I'll be tarred "sexist" for this, but as a mother, looking at what we've been shown of the Palin family by Palin and the McCain campaign, I really have to question whether "Country First" is something we should be asking of John McCain's choice.
Her eldest daughter is young and pregnant; pregnant for the first time. Even when a pregnancy is something you want and you are ready and it has been carefully planned and timed, it's scary. I know. I was 32 when it was my time. Bristol is just 17.
Their eldest son is about to be deployed into a war zone. That can't be easy for the family.
And let's not forget, this is a family that just welcomed a new child into their fold. Babies change everything. Maybe it gets easier when it's the fifth one, but it's still a significant change.
It presents a lot of challenge for this family. I am sure they are up to it. Just the same, should we be asking Sarah Palin to put "Country First" and be our VP?
I'm not suggesting that Palin drop everything for her family. I have no problem with a nursing mother in the governor's office. And I can totally see her pulling it off as VP. But between where she was a week ago and where she hopes to be after election day stands a demanding, very close, nastily fought, national campaign.
I have a child in trouble. I thank my lucky stars every day that I am able to be home with her. It's just so important. I get only one chance to raise Amanda. Sarah Palin has only one chance to raise her kids. Of course my situation is totally different from Palin's in that Todd Palin is a full-time parent. I do not ignore his importance.
Nevertheless, I just don't understand a person who puts political instincts before familial needs. It's just my family values.
Palin ought to completely throttle McCain and his campaign for making a big splash and allowing it to get out of hand. She obviously can handle it, even if he can't. As much as this campaign could be a career maker for Palin, it is potentially a career breaker too. McCain may be taking a big risk by choosing her, but I think she's taking the far greater risk by joining him.
Props to Palin for promising to advocate for special needs children. I want to hear more on that from her. My BFF Tina had a special needs child. Teddie was a beautiful, wonderful girl. She died three years ago, just 13 years old. Rather than fighting the culture war, I hope Palin will make this her issue as she campaigns.
Boos to Palin for dissing community service, which she did when she took a swipe at Obama's service as a community organizer. Isn't the motto, "Country First" all about service? That swipe also dissed the thousands of organizers working to get out the vote for McCain-Palin. Stupid.
Every time Palin's supporters bring up her executive experience as superior to Obama and Biden's experience combined, they are completely making the case against McCain. Dumb stupid.
McCain has forgotten that he got to this point because he was the last one standing in a hapless competition, as seen in the performances of the also-rans at the convention. The bottom line is no one really likes McCain. Obama has to hope that McCain really nails it tonight. That way, McCain will take back the spotlight from his VP. It will make the race about McCain, as it should be. It's really too bad [crocodile tears] the honorable but unlikeable McCain set himself up with a very tough act to follow. REALLY DUMB STUPID.
13 comments:
You seriously have a problem with Creationism being taught in school?
Yes Syd, I seriously do have a problem with teaching Creationism in school.
her new baby has, I believe, Down's Syndrome. I agree with you that at least on the surface, she seems like a normal person, but the more I read about her and all her "experience" I don't like her. I didn't connect with her as you did though. I just got that vibe that she's preaching the repub line of hate and divisivness and the Rove fear factor politics. Can't stand McCain anyway, so, easy choice, I'm still on board for Obama. BTW, there are clips out there from Jon Stewart's show the other night, really quite funny if you can find them. I think I saw it either on Crooksandliars.com or Politico.com
I agree Palin is taking the bigger risk by joining McCain. It was a desperation move on his part to pick her. I'm sure it won't be the last we see of her, she is the darling of the far right and (from what I'm told) she can give a decent speech.
On the other hand- it does make it much more pleasant to watch these things- she is awfully easy on the eyes. One of my friends pointed out that together, it looks like McCain and his mistress. I think even the media made a father-daughter comparison.
"father-daughter comparison"
I know what that feels like.
About the only thing I agree with Palin about is drilling in Alaska. Beyond that, I'm pretty far from her.
RE: Creationism
Why? If it's taught alongside evolution?
Creationism is religion, not science. Do you really want Adam and Eve taught on the same level as empirically supported laws of science? Adam and Eve are not a scientific theory. Do you want kids like TLF taught that the story of Adam and Eve is for real; a story which, whether you want to own it or not, is used to smear you and me every day by Creationists. This is NOT about my gay agenda. Do you really think that Bible stories should be put on the same footing as science?
Would you support Islam being taught in US public schools?
It's religion Syd, and if I want that as part of Amanda's education, I'll send her to a religious school.
As the (step)parent of a someone who was raised Jewish, I wouldn't have wanted her taught creationism in school. There's a decidedly Christian slant to it. Would they stop at just the Old Testament? Who would develop the Standards and Objectives for it? What would the tests evaluate?
What about our Muslim and Hindu kids? Should they only be taught the Bible? Each religion has a different story to tell.
If we want our children to receive a religious education, we send them to the religious classes of our choice, that much our personal beliefs. I want to make that choice, not someone sitting in an office at the state dept. of education who may have different religious beliefs than I do. (The core of my beliefs are Christian, from being raised a Catholic.)
BTW, from the time Jen hit middle school until she left high school she was surrounded by Christianity in schools. She ran into some problems because she would state, when asked, that she was Jewish. There were even times when she would find someone had drawn swastikas in her books and notebooks when she wasn't looking! In high school she was heavily encouraged to join Fellowship of Christian Athletes when she played sports. She went to one meeting to see what it was about, and came home and said it wasn't for her. Later she found it turned out to be where all the off court/off field schmoozing took place. She was left out of a lot of team social activities because she didn't join. There's already enough religion influencing what's going on behind the scenes in schools, I absolutely do not want it taught, nor do I want to have to be the one teaching something I may or may not believe in exactly the way it's presented.
Creationism has no business being taught in a science class. What a joke. Keep it in a Comparative Religion class, if need be.
As to Sarah, I find the choice risky and inspired. It certainly has made the campaign more fun, if not interesting. I vaguely like her personally, but find almost nothing to agree with politically including drilling.
Exactly my point on Creationism, GM.
I am completely baffled that smart people think teaching Creationism is benign and harmless. I am especially stunned at gay people who can't see this, since we are clobbered all the time with the "Adman & Eve" vs "Adam & Steve" assertion.
Besides, which creation story is going to be told? Practically every religion has it's own creation story. From the ancient Greeks, to Hindus, to Hopi Indians. How about using the Hopi Indian creation story?
Or what is the harm in using the Islamic creation story? It has the same cast of characters and pretty much tells the same story. Yet Americans (especially Creationists) would SCREAM if the Islamic creation story were taught in schools. They'd scream because these teachings ARE NOT BENIGN.
It's ridiculous to suggest that Creationism has equivalence to Evolution and ought to be taught to children in public school.
I think that creationism could be taught in schools as long as the kids were taught that the world was created by Aliens. It would make it much more interesting. They could draw pictures of what the Aliens looked like and bring them home to their parents. Much fun.
The bible is a set of STORIES--none of that crap really happened. We may as well use Fairy Tales to teach kids, because the bible is the same thing.
I totally agree with you--as you know from my own posts on the matter.
I also have to agree with yankeegirl--SP isn't bad to look at but I can't stand her voice!
I feel like I'm back in Wisconsin when I hear her speaking.
If I were to guess where Palin is from, just from hearing her talk, I'd wrongly answer "Minnesota" without hesitation.
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