Today a coworker told me that when it comes to pushing my buttons, I walk around with a giant button-shaped backpack. All anyone has to do around here to get a rile out of me is nudge the button backpack, and I’m instantaneously fired up.
All day I’ve been fired up about McCain’s veep choice. But it’s not Sarah Palin herself that I’m particularly fired up about (although she is quite intolerable)—it is this question, which my male coworkers have apparently been asking for the purposes of pushing my buttons:
So, MDIC, are you going to vote for McCain now that he’s picked a woman as his running mate? Don’t you want to support the expanded rights of women everywhere?
Seriously?! Do you really think that I’d throw every single belief out the window to vote for an anti-choice creationist SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE ALSO HAS A VAGINA?!
My coworkers, of course, are joking. But the scary thing is that the McCain camp isn’t. The Palin choice is quite obviously an attempt to woo ex-Hillary supporters and to look vaguely “change-y”—because now, no matter which party gets elected, the next presidency will make the history books.
It would be one thing if McCain’s choice was a middle-of-the-road conservative (not that that would win my vote, but I am so far to the left that nobody but Kucinich really tries to win my vote anyway). But Palin is so far to the right that if a whole swamp of former Hillary-supporting women suddenly jump over to McCain’s camp simply because his veep is female, then I will lose faith in my gender. To believe that Palin is going to do anything to expand the rights of women is to believe that the oil companies really, truly care about saving our planet—which is to say, it’s delusional.
Memo to McCain: it is an insult to women everywhere to assume that one’s gender trumps one’s ideology. Of course I would love to see a woman as president or vice president. But only one whose political opinions at least somewhat-kinda-sorta-maybe-even-just-a-smidgen reflected my own.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Brett // Aug 29, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Here, here!
2 TimsHead // Aug 29, 2008 at 2:42 pm
On the one hand, I have to admit it’s a really cagey move by McCain. That said, after he’s been slamming Obama’s experience, it seems a bit hypocritical to pick as a VP someone who was mayor of a small Alaskan city two years ago.
And since she’s anti-abortion, if former Hillary supporters went for her, they would be among the biggest ninnies on earth.
Now if he had nominated *Michael* Palin as his VP, that would have been something.
3 lizzy // Aug 29, 2008 at 6:13 pm
OMGOMGOMG!
This is EXACTLY what I was saying all day, too! In EXACTLY the same words. Actually, I think I said something like, “do they really think that we believe women are fungible objects?” Then, after I had a beer I said, “it’s not like I’m blindly going to vote for whichever vagina is on the ballot!”
Do they really think we’re that stupid? That easily fooled? That easily led? Is it possible that Hillary supporters actually liked *Hillary*?
Argh. I’ve been venting about this all day. I’m glad I’m in good company.
4 Laura // Aug 29, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Not only did I discover just HOW conservative some of my coworkers are today, I also discovered just how desperately they fear change. This explains much of my difficulty climbing the ladder around B-ing. McCain is far too liberal for most of them. It would be futile to try to explain why choosing a person for her gender, not her competency would be an insult. Oy. I’m really just flabbergasted that this sort of thing goes on anymore.
My goal this election is to examine the issues from an objective viewpoint, rather than glomming on to the blue party because it feels like the good thing to do, because Bush was so awful. In sports I am loyal to my team, in politics, I’ll give any freakishly-1950s governor of the most gorgeous wilderness left in the US a chance… but I know I’ll end up voting Obama in the end.
5 Laura // Aug 29, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Also, I see McCain’s VP choice as a recognition that Obama is winning the race. McCain is copying his appeal of diversity and a fresh approach. He’s more sophisticated than to think only that Hillary supporters on the fence will come to him, now that suddenly he’s a diversity-friendly value-oriented seasoned diplomat, but he does at least show some separation from the 8-years of Bush-Cheney… unless you include Ms. Rice.
Five words: Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, Trig. Would you want these people as your neighbors?
6 jiffer // Aug 30, 2008 at 2:11 am
what she said.
7 fern_forest // Aug 31, 2008 at 10:50 am
i loved the interview between john stewart and samantha bee on this subject. she was hilarous. talking about how she votes for vagina, and even though she opposes palin on every single issue, it’s all about the fun pouch. LOL.
i totally agree with what you’ve said and hope to keep the faith in our gender as well. it’s true that kucinich was the only democrat i really wanted to vote for anyways.
8 michael5000 // Sep 1, 2008 at 2:36 pm
So, is that a “no” then? You never said.
ducks
9 Truly // Sep 2, 2008 at 4:44 am
Palin is INFURIATING. I am horrified about the whole thing. How effing stupid does the republican party think we are?
Also: this new thing that’s come to light about Palin’s 17-year-old daughter having a bun in the oven just breaks my heart. While I think its great when any family rallies around a pregnant person of ANY age and offers their support, I can’t help but feel that that poor girl is being forced into marriage just so mommy dearest can tie this story up in a cute bow.
Laura: I like your button shaped back pack. There is nothing wrong with being passionate. Especially when you walk the walk–and you do. I am always trying not to let politics get between me and other people, but its hard. Some brands of American politics are just so clearly insane…
10 Hugo // Sep 4, 2008 at 2:58 pm
As a politician, Palin panders to the right. As a woman, Palin panders to those very women for whom you’d lose faith. I call it a smart choice.
If you have heard a few of the conversations with everyday Americans on the radio, you would quickly realize a difference in how they chose a candidate over you.