Sunday, August 31, 2008

Ms. Palin is no Ms. Clinton

A few days ago, around the time Joe Biden was selected as the VP candidate, I said to my husband, I think McCain's going to pick a woman as his. I scoured my memory to try and remember if any women had been part of the Rep race. Nada! And then, snap! Here comes McCain with Sarah Palin. Who? Is she related to Michael Palin? Is she as funny as he is?

Nope!No such luck. Instead, she is anti-abortion rights, anti-gay, and, of course, she owns a gun and goes hunting in Alaska. Her international experience...I kid you not...(in the words of a FOX commentator whose name I forget, without irony or attempt at humor)...she is right next door to Russia. That's her interntional experience. Well, I don't know about you I'm gonna vote for her.

Yessirreee! She has a vagina and I too have lady parts (see how bashful I am, such a lady). Obviously this pick is to go after the dems who are so miffed to see Obama as the nominee that they'd rather vote for McCain. Sure...uh..uh..makes total sense.

All I can say is that if Hillary supporters would rather support this woman whose college nickmake was barracudda, over Obama...well, they deserve her. If they fall for the blatant pandering, and the Rep feeling that women (only because Hillary had many female supporters) will vote for just any woman regardless of her stance...they totally deserve Sarah Palin.

I would never vote for someone just because they're a woman or a minority, because frankly I think it's rather disrespectful to think that that's all I can see. I wouldn't vote for a white man because he is white or male nor would I vote for a woman just because she is a woman.

I like Obama, not because he is black. I don't like him more than I do Hillary because she is a woman. I like him because he is the candidate he is. In any other field I would have been a Hillary-lover. But Obama won because he has 'it.' Something rare and ephemeral...something that makes me want to rise to the challenges he sets. He comes across as a visionary. He represents what America wants to be. And Hillary didn't.

Hers was a historic campaign. A woman, a breath away from the presidency is heady stuff. But so is Obama's. And can I say something? Having been a woman and a person of color in the U.S., I can definitely see which identity is harder. There is no question about it. Even though I am not black and don't have the legacy of slavery...being a person of color is much, much harder than it is to be a woman. So, yes, Obama's campaign to me, is much more historic.

But even that is of no importance if the candidate himself/herself is not someone who has a vision and can show you a practical path towards that vision. Though I have little faith that middle America will elect Barack Hussein (gasp! what? he must be a terrorist. i've heard he plans to take the oath of office on a Quran! damn!, he's black, etc. etc.).....if he does become President I will be ecstatic. Because more than anything else, he makes me believe...in myself. And that I believe is his greatest strength.

In any other field Hillary would have rightly dominated. To me this was not a man/woman thing. It was a candidate against candidate thing. And if you believe that Laura Palin, as she herself said, will indeed carry on Hillary Clinton's legacy (really? I didn't know Hillary was a gun-toting, anti-abortion, anti-gay, hunter and all around conservative ass) then...yes...you do deserve Sarah Palin as Veep...and perhaps even as President.

It will be a historic victory...but will you be able to live with it?

2 comments:

Esther said...

Okay - I wish people would stop with the offhanded quotes about Palin becoming president. Too scary to contemplate.

Jawahara said...

Heh heh! What can I say? It is true...especially with Senator McCain not being exactly a spring chicken.