I really wanted to post about this particular topic earlier this morning, but I felt it was more important to have a look at Gov. Palin's speech first. Of course, the entire nation is talking about her and what she brings to the GOP table now and what she can bring in the future. A star was truly born last night and I am proud to one of those who wholeheartedly supports her.
That being said, we should also look at some of the peripheral stories as they speak as much to main story too. One of those is an Internet rumor that Sarah Palin wanted certain books banned from the Wasilla library back in 1996. I'm not going generate any website hits for such a ridiculous claim by posting a link so you'll have to go and search for one on your own. But when you find one, take a look at the list. One of the things that should stand out to you is the listing of the complete Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling hadn't even published The Sorcerer's Stone yet in 1996. That should tell you something about how idiotic such rumors are.
Another story we need to look at is how the woman Sarah Palin has been treated differently than the men who are running for office. Take for example Joe Biden. Biden was a single father who made it a point to rush home every night to be with his children after he tragically lost his wife. But for some reason, no one ever questioned his ability to be a politician while trying to keep up his family responsibilities.
Well, two people from the opposite sides of the political spectrum came together on that one. On the one hand, we have Mayor Rudy Guiliani and on the other, we have Susan Estrich. Both of them agree that the attacks on Sarah Palin's committment to family are nothing short of double-standard sexism.
From Mayor Giuliani's speech last night:
| One final point. And how — how dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president. How dare they do that! (APPLAUSE) When do they ever ask a man that question? When? (APPLAUSE) |
It was a perfectly placed shot, dead on target.
But, as we can see from the following excerpt, women on left are noticing it too. From Susan Estrich:
| No would be asking these questions if she were a man. No one asked whether Arnold Schwarzenegger should run for governor because he has four children. They looked at Maria, his wonderful wife, and said, what a beautiful family. A mother doesn’t get the same treatment. This is how the double standard works. ... Why is that our business? Why is it our business whether Sarah Palin returned to her job as governor three days after her son was born, or three months? Is there a right answer? Maybe for the individual, depending on her responsibilities, whether she has a supportive spouse, family at hand, flexibility to go to work, but also to pump her breasts when she needs to, and get home when she has to. But how she answers it is private, not a basis for judging her qualifications for high office. ... I have no doubt that Barack Obama can count on his fingers the number of times he has been home in the last 19 months to put his two beautiful daughters to bed. In interviews, he says as much, expressing his gratitude to his mother-in-law, who has taken over many parenting responsibilities during the campaign, given that his wife has been away a great deal of the time as well, making appearances and raising money. Does this make him a “bad father"? Should it undercut his claim to the presidency? Of course not. Why should Sarah Palin be different? |
When Rudy Giuliani and Susan Estrich are on the same page, we should take notice. The undercurrents of the selection of Sarah Palin as the GOP Vice Presidential candidate may prove to be politically fatal for some.
You can access Mayor Giuliani's speech and Susan Estrich's column on-line here:
Raw Data: Rudy Giuliani’s Remarks At The GOP Convention
FoxNews.com
September 3, 2008
Sarah Palin And The Double Standard
Susan Estrich
FoxNews.com
September 3, 2008
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