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Aug
31
Palin doing poorly w/women, says Gallup, Rasmussen
Filed Under Gender, John McCain, Politics, Poll, Predictions, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women | 11 Comments
No surprise to me though Editor & Publisher isn’t as sure.
The most striking numbers first:
From Rasmussen: …
And by a 29/44 margin, men and women together, they do not believe that she is ready to be President.
The more complete graphs:
The first national polls on John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin yesterday came out today from Rasmussen and Gallup — and contrary to what the GOP probably hoped, she scored less well with women than men.
Here’s a finding from Gallup: Among Democratic women — including those who may be disappointed that Hillary Clinton did not win the Democratic nomination — 9% say Palin makes them more likely to support McCain, 15% less likely.
From Rasmussen: Some 38% of men said they were more likely to vote for McCain now, but only 32% of women. By a narrow 41% to 35% margin, men said she was not ready to be president — but women soundly rejected her, 48% to 25%.
Only 9% of Obama supporters said they might be more likely to vote for McCain.
Overall, voters expressed a favorable impression of her by a 53/26 margin, but there was a severe gender gap on this: Men embraced her at 58% to 23%, while for women it was 48/30.
And by a 29/44 margin, men and women together, they do not believe that she is ready to be President.
And on Gallup’s numbers:
Gallup is now out with its own initial poll. It also shows women with a slightly less favorable view of Palin. An excerpt from USA Today:
There is wide uncertainty about whether she’s qualified to be president. In the poll, taken Friday, 39% say she is ready to serve as president if needed, 33% say she isn’t and 29% have no opinion.
That’s the lowest vote of confidence in a running mate since the elder George Bush chose then-Indiana senator Dan Quayle to join his ticket in 1988. In comparison, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was seen as qualified by 57%-18% after Democrat Barack Obama chose him as a running mate last week…..
Remember, this is all from the judging a book by its cover and wanting to believe in something and someone, if you’re in the GOP, that would be McCain.
What happens to the numbers as we hear more and learn more about McCain’s running mate?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:46 pm August 31st, 2008 in Gender, John McCain, Politics, Poll, Predictions, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women | 11 Comments
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Aug
31
Sarah Palin: Settling for the face of feminism while trading in its soul
Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, Culture, Debates, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Ohio, Politics, Sarah Palin, Sexism, Social Issues, Vice President, WH2008, Women | 19 Comments
American Princess writes on BlogHer and on her own blog. I’m not that familiar with it, but I spent a few moments there this morning. I like what I found - even though I disagree with it. If I were a conservative woman, particular in her generation (let’s just say I could be her mom - I’m finding I could be the mom of a lot of women who let me befriend them lately though!), I can imagine making very similar arguments in favor of Sarah Palin. Hattip to Denise for linking.
In her posts about Palin, American Princess deploys the debate points I’d make if I thought even for one minute that I could support Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. But Sarah Palin and I differ on pretty much every single issue (i.e., I’m pro-choice, I believe that creationism is a fabricated construct intended to get religion into the public schools, I’m anti-gun, I’m against drilling in ANWR, and I have ideas about what vice presidents do), so this is a no-brainer for me: on the issues alone, I wouldn’t be voting for her, even if I lived in her hometown of Wasilia or her home state of Alaska, let alone as a VP candidate on the GOP ticket.
That said, the danger in accepting as acceptable all the arguments that American Princess makes in favor of Palin as a totally awesome, appropriate and best selection for the USA’s vice president, following in the footsteps of people like Dick Cheney, Al Gore, Walter Mondale and even George Bush the first, exists in what it means from here on out:
Recognizing, allowing and granting women success when they push for what women like myself have always believed was worth pushing for and using as debate points with employers, when looking for work after having children and claiming that being on the PTA and raising kids more than prepares us for leadership in pretty much any sector:
That those experiences do matter.
However, my gut and other evidence suggests that while the Palin Pick may be the face of feminism, it is a face that is completely detached from the soul, which would make and champion this argument of what, in a life experience, matters, and when.
In real life, not the life of John McCain trying to get elected, when women argue the value of the PTA to potential employers, they get “pffft.” I know. I had this happen to me late last fall. It was absolutely demoralizing, insulting and wrong - to have my literally decades of service and accomplishments - in paid and unpaid roles - consider to be nothing - absolutely nothing, because I have not been employed except as a freelancer, since 2000.
So, if I believed that having Sarah Palin on the GOP ticket would mean that from here on out, we will be giving the political party structures, and every other sector that needs leaders, hell every time they pfffft at the PTA and city council experiences mothers (or fathers for that matter) bring to the table, and we could say, “But look what John McCain said was enough!?,” and the employers would crumble and fall and say, “Ah, yes! Of course!” and women would start to succeed over the pfffts, and women like American Princess would continue to help fight this battle for all the parents who serve on PTAs and city council and have to fight to have those experiences recognized as valuable, then hey - I would love this pick too, even though, as I said, I don’t side with Palin on the issues.
Thing is, of course, that the breaking of the ceiling for women with Palin-like experience is not what this choice is about.
This choice is about helping the man, about getting John McCain elected and not about helping parents who juggle and debate and decide to swap board meetings for PTA meetings. Remember that when Palin references Hillary Clinton’s 18 million cracks, Clinton made those cracks because she was going for the top, not because she was asked to help a man get to where he wants to go.
No one but those trying to make sense of the Palin Pick have even tried to argue this angle - that now America must accept what women like myself have always known: serving on the PTA and raising a family absolutely provides you with great leadership skills and experience.
Why isn’t anyone making that argument?
In part because, serving on the PTA and raising a family does not qualify you for being vice president of the United States. In fact, the Palin Pick actually has the potential for knocking women off the ladder and not propelling them through the ceiling because every time a woman now steps forth to say, “But look! I have what she has!” and still doesn’t get the offer, or the raise or the promotion, we are back where we started.
Finally, does anyone honestly believe that the GOP - or anyone else - will now and forever come forward and offer leadership roles to women with the exact same modicum of experience as Palin, and ask them to bring it on and challenge and get support from those ahead of them when they do challenge?
For example:
Bobby Jindal, age 37, newly elected Louisiana governor - which women would the GOP support against him?
Kevin DeWine - would the Ohio GOP support any female Republican with the resume of a Sarah Palin against him?
John Boehner - the Ohio GOP going to support small-town Ohio female GOP mayors against him?
Or Chris Redfern, the Ohio Democratic Party chair - any women being supported right here right now for that job? I know many women who have as much experience as he has, certainly in comparison to the Palin Pick over the other VP potentials.
If Sarah can be selected over numerous individuals like Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, why not other small-town mayors with the same experience as Palin over individuals like those named above, for far less sweeping roles than vice president?
Because Palin is not on the ticket as a prod to move in the direction I just described, and no one is having her tout the fact that PTA members are good enough, experienced enough and doggone it electable or employable enough to be selected for all kinds of leadership roles.
I don’t know as much about feminism as pretty much all the other women on the feminist listservs I follow, but I’d rather that Hillary tried and fell short than Sarah Palin provide nothing more than a face without a soul that gets ahead.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:52 am August 31st, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Culture, Debates, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Ohio, Politics, Sarah Palin, Sexism, Social Issues, Vice President, WH2008, Women | 19 Comments
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Aug
31
Get yer female conservative dissent on Sarah Palin right here; Coulter update
Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, Elections, Gender, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Sexism, WH2008, Women, Writing, leadership | 11 Comments
Beliefnet.com’s Crunchy Con, Rod Dreher (editorial columnist at the Dallas Morning News) points it out, from a female conservative writer Heather Mac Donald, no less (horrors!):
Thanks a lot, John McCain. With his selection of an unknown, two-year female governor as his running mate, he has just ensured that the diversity racket will be an essential component of presidential politics forever more. Had the 44-year-old Sarah Palin, whose greatest political accomplishment before being elected Alaska’s governor in 2006 was serving as mayor of Wasilla (population 9,780), been named Stanley, she would have had exactly zero chance of ending up in the Oval Office in the next four years. But from now on, any presidential ticket that consists solely of white males–no matter their qualifications–will likely be dead in the water. [emphasis mine]
Of course, Democrats have been playing the identity-politics game to the hilt this election cycle; it’s what they do. And it will be amusing to watch them twist themselves into knots to avoid criticizing the Palin pick for what it is: a diversity ploy. As short-term political strategy, the Palin selection has diabolical appeal. Prevented from stating the obvious–Palin was chosen because she was a woman–the Democrats will instead have to seize on her lack of experience. They are right to do so, but then they have to explain why Barack Obama is so much more qualified for the top of the ticket, let alone the number two spot.
Except she’s wrong on that part about being prevented from stating the obvious - damn straight I’m stating the obvious, and I’m not sure why Mac Donald thinks we can’t - that is part of why I’ve written that the Palin Pick is a huge miscalculation. The Palin Pick possesses more enough gender-neutral weaknesses than Annie Lennox owns men’s suits.
[Read all of Mac Donald's column and the comments at Dreher's post - she is not a happy conservative voter. Here's more about her if you're not familiar. Given her Yale undergrad and Stanford law degrees, I'm guessing she's one of many, maybe millions of bright women who happen to hold conservative beliefs and are absolutely bulls**t over the selection of Palin. I actually really thank her for writing what she did because talk about bucking the system, which is something that Palin supposedly has done - that is what MacDonald is doing but calling an affirmative action move due to genitalia, exactly that - by the very idealogues who decry affirmative action in general.]
There also is no need to have to argue that Barack Obama is “so much more qualified” for the top of the ticket - because there is no argument. He is. In comparison to John McCain or Sarah Palin. Given the dangerously low threshold that enthusiastic conservatives are willing to set for the leaders of this country, there is no basis for requiring Obama supporters to “explain” Obama’s better qualifications.
Even though he will, as will the ticket’s supporters.
I’m starting to get more excited about the 57 reasons.
Coulter Update: No word yet that I know of from Ann Coulter on how she feels about the Palin pick. But here’s part of the transcript from when she expressed her belief that George Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers was wrong because she lacks the competence and the experience to be a Supreme Court judge; here’s one of her columns on Miers:
What I’m critical of is — is the White House attacking conservatives, for saying we’re elitist for pointing out that Harriet Miers isn’t qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.
And by the way, I’m starting to feel sort of bad about — about saying that. And I’m annoyed with George Bush for putting us in the position of having to say that.
I mean, I’m sure she’s a very competent woman. She’s probably in the top half of lawyers in America. She’d be competent for many, many jobs out there. But this is the Supreme Court. Why is he nominating someone — forcing us to point out that she is not Supreme Court caliber?
And:
One [straw man argument being made by the Bush Administration against its detractors on the Miers' nomination] is that it’s sexism, that it’s elitist, that we don’t know how she’s going to vote, that she wasn’t a judge. That isn’t the argument we’re making. I mean, this is the strangest world I’ve entered where Republicans are arguing like liberals, coming up with these crazy straw man arguments that no one is making.
…
The argument is she’s not qualified to sit on the Supreme Court. There’s no disputing that. The hearing isn’t going to change anything. And — and the White House is just digging up a hole for itself.
Hmm. Sound familiar? Talk about not learning from history, or from George Bush’s mistakes. Again, reflects very, very poorly on John McCain’s judgement and decision-making processes. That’s the most dangerous issue related to the Palin pick for Americans.
Will Coulter echo Mac Donald? I hope so, I really hope so - because you know what? It would make me respect Coulter. Sincerely respect her. And it would show what bucking the old boys really looks like - compared to what Palin claims to do.
Brief footnote:
Why do I highlight female conservative dissent? Because we know what it was like for women who chose not to vote for Hillary Clinton - they got vilified by those who did for not supporting a woman, sometimes arguing that it was just because she was a woman that she should be supported.
Now, maybe dissent within those who identify as left of center is more common, more out in the open or both. But on the right? Not so much - especially as driven by women - which is why the McCain campaign is trying to trump up Sarah Palin’s image as a maverick against her own party, because it’s so rare in the GOP.
But the other reason why I highlight this is because just yesterday a local conservative male blogger, Daniel Jack Williamson, whom I respect, wanted to change my thinking that there are no conservative husbands and fathers who would support their wife and mother of five children including a newborn with special needs being elevated to the VP nominee slot. I believe Daniel when he suggests that he wouldn’t blink an eye if this was his family, but he is an aberration in the conservative world as far as we knew from what groups like the Family Research Council (with Ken Blackwell as a senior fellow there) and Focus on the Family trotting out the family values concept that seems to go against what Daniel is saying.
I urged Daniel to think about making sure that families like his are the ones that are highlighted - the ones where the men arrange to manage while the women seek and procure and maintain and excel in leadership roles while having young families, because I get regular communications from FRC and I have never seen them argue for or emphasize that the way Daniel says he would support his wife is something they value or cheer. So if I’m generalizing and thinking that men like him don’t exist, it’s in part because no one is highlighting men like him - although also perhaps because on the right of center spectrum, he’s still rare.
Okay - that wasn’t so brief. What’s new.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:10 am August 31st, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Elections, Gender, Joe Biden, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Sexism, WH2008, Women, Writing, leadership | 11 Comments
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Aug
30
Ann Coulter on Sarah Palin
Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats, Gender, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, Writing | 23 Comments
I can’t find anything that indicates what Ann Coulter thinks about John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for the VP slot on the GOP ticket. But here’s that clip where she says that she’d campaign for Hillary Clinton if John McCain becomes the GOP candidate:
Of course, he’s the nominee and Clinton isn’t.
Why do I care what Coulter thinks about Palin? Because I am thinking more about what Coulter would say if Obama had made his selection under the exact same circumstances as McCain and had selected someone with the exact same profile except leftified, as Palin.
I cannot imagine what Coulter is going to say. But yes - I am curious.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:11 am August 30th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Democrats, Gender, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, Writing | 23 Comments
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Aug
30
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Filed Under Cleveland+, Democrats, Ohio, Politics | Leave a Comment
Jeff Coryell has a wonderful post about my congressional representative, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who passed away not yet two weeks ago. Please read it and take a minute for silence sometime today in remembrance of her if the spirit moves you.
And a wonderful clip from Jeff that encapsulates her image and her soul:
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:27 am August 30th, 2008 in Cleveland+, Democrats, Ohio, Politics | Please comment
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Aug
30
[video] Ugliest part of your body? Your mind
Filed Under Flip, Writing | Leave a Comment
Here are the lyrics and Frank Zappa singing, “What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body?”. Frank always knew what to focus on. Warning: there’s a black and white, fuzzy image of Frank at the end that might offend some, but mostly, it’s just plain old Frank.
Hattip to Scott Simon on Weekend Edition.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:53 am August 30th, 2008 in Flip, Writing | Please comment
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Aug
29
Don’t make me start the Sexist Watch
Filed Under Announcements, Sexism | 23 Comments
For the record, I’ve witnessed three instances since 10am in which I believe sexism has played a role in reporting on John McCain’s VP choice. One from the right, one from the left and one from the MSM.I am begging, begging, begging anyone who writes about this election, refuse the easy sexist references and impulses. Say no to the bad juju. Do not do it. Nothing good will come from it. And if you do it, I can only interpret it as misogyny - because after what was done to Hillary Clinton before everyone, we know. We know now, we’ve seen it now. It’s been called out. If you want examples, just type in “sexism clinton.” Then argue with those videos. I’m not here to teach you if you don’t recognize it.
Neither Michelle Obama nor Jill Biden would expect or accept it in the name of their spouses’ victories and since I’m supporting them, I don’t really care what Cindy McCain would sanction (her husband laughed when a woman asked how to beat the bitch - so you know, Cindy, I’m not so interested in her opinion on this).If you are looking for a place to say, “But the racism is so much worse, this is nothing!” go somewhere else. No room at the blog. All full up - with issue and relevant and gender-neutral ammunition, thank you.
And by all means - if I slip up, and I most definitely could, because I know that I’m a class privileged white woman, tell me. Tell me straight. And we’ll see what we can do about that.
This has been a message from the WLST Emergency Warning system and I approved it.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:04 pm August 29th, 2008 in Announcements, Sexism | 23 Comments
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Aug
29
The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin, McCain’s VP pick
Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats, Gender, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Sexism, Social Issues, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, leadership | 29 Comments
That was the title of the post I did on Joe Biden after Barack Obama chose him to be his running mate for the Democratic President/Vice President ticket. I figured, I might as well have a mini-series or two-parter and use the same title for Arizona Senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s VP selection, Alaska Governor and fellow Republican, Sarah Palin.
Let me start with a round-up -because I have been responding to e-mails, tweets, comments and phone calls literally since about 10 am.
Vanity Fair, today, by Dee Dee Myers (this is an excerpt but please read the whole thing, it’s not long):
It’s such a transparently political decision, a double-X Dan Quayle. McCain made the decision to double down on his credentials as a take-no-prisoners reformer. But he did so at the expense of the more important qualifications for a running mate.
It’s not political to say that John McCain turns 72 today. That he’s a cancer survivor. That he spent six years being tortured and abused in a Vietnamese prison camp. Those are the physical realities of his life, and pure and simple, they demanded that he chose a running mate who is ready, really ready. That he put country first. Today, he failed that test.
Worse, when Sarah Palin falls short—and I hope I’m wrong but I think in important ways, such as her debate with Joe Biden, she will—some people will conclude that women can’t cut it. That’s unfair to Sarah Palin—and it’s certainly unfair to the rest of us.
From the Politico, Palin Dissed Job:
Larry Kudlow of CNBC’s “Kudlow & Co.” asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain’s ticket mate.
Palin replied: “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.”
That the VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans? Er, um, that’s not country first, Sarah. But you know, she wasn’t the nominee choice then.
Here’s a phenomenal in the moment BlogHer post with comments (but read this one too) that express emotions and opinions that range from ecstasy to anger. Do not skip it, because 99% of the comments are by women - maybe 100%. In today’s world of social media, there is no excuse for generalizing about how women feel when you can read and/or ask for those firsthand, yourself. And even then, I am sorry to say, a lot of media and bloggers get it way wrong anyway - but I figured I’d try so that there’s no excuse based on me.
A more partisan set of comments can be read at this Rightpundits post (but check out this one for the video of her speech today as well as a transcript of McCain’s comments today, all accompanied by the second gendered remark - “sweet,” that I’ve heard today; the first was on NPR’s special coverage when a guest commentator said, after the speech, that Palin brings vivaciousness to the campaign) (if you are wondering what a gendered comment is, think of it this way: would you say that Mitt Romney brings vivaciousness to a campaign? I didn’t think so) which has many photos of Palin and a couple of videos - one with her and Glenn Beck.)
The quotes in this Ohio Daily Blog post by Jeff Coryell track with the Rightpundits’ video of Palin speaking - having studied linguistics, and having blogged about my concerns for Ted Strickland’s speech patterns, I empathize with this critique:
Jonah Goldberg (discussing pros and cons):
The way she talks. She has something of a native Alaskan’s accent/speaking style. When I heard her speak last month, I was stunned by how parochial she sounds, not substantively, but stylistically.
Eric at Plunderbund does a nice meta of Ohio blogs and the comments have good chat too.
At Huffington Post, my blogging, BlogHer buddy Morra Aarons has a must read item that recalls what happened to the last Gen X female Republican Governor who had babies and mom-duties while serving her state - Massachusett’s Jane Swift (who was eventually defeated by…Mitt Romney). This episode reminds us of the damned if we do, damned if we don’t bind around women: men use their gender all the time to succeed - think McCain and the might of the military for one - security, protection, and because he was a POW, we see his vulnerability, suffering. But if women express parental concerns, which society still so closely aligns with being a woman, we’re viewed as weak and penalized for placing the work above the child, OR the child above the work. Accordingly, in my comments at Plunderbund, I warn against allowing GOP proxies to have their cake and eat it too by suggesting that Dems are hypocritical if they bring up the working mom versus country first bind. There are many women who write about this better than I do but the fact remains: the bind exists and we have to be honest about. I’m not sure how I feel - whether a mother can be president and place country first and children second - for sure, if there is another parent, yes.
But should she have to? Does she want to? Those are even more important and tougher questions - not to many very personal and on a case by case basis. They’re also the emotional ones people ask when they go to the polls, a la Drew Westen.
Lisa Renee is fielding a variety of views on the choice while trying to remain the fount of info and debate that is Glass City Jungle. But like Eric, I would love to hear how she feels, herself - because of who she is. I hope she will share too, but if not, it’s understood that she isn’t.
Here’s one item on the investigation related to her sister, her brother-in-law and allegations that someone in her administration ordered that the BIL be fired in relation to the divorce and when that didn’t happen she fired the commissioner of the office involved.
Last but not least, and there is so much out there, someone sent me actuarial spreadsheets that I’m told indicate the chance that John McCain could die in the next four years. Honestly, I do not know how to read such things, but I imagine this friend who sent this to me isn’t the only one looking. The friend tells me it says McCain has a 15% chance of dying in the next four years, but I’m not sure how you get that.
The Republican Jewish Coalition says standard stuff but includes this:
As governor of Alaska, Palin has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Alaska’s Jewish community. She has demonstrated sensitivity to the concerns of the community and has been accessible and responsive.
FYI, there are 3,425 Jews in Alaska (there are nearly 80,000 on the East Side of Cleveland) or 0.5% (that’s not 50% but rather 1/2 of 1%) of Alaska’s population (there are between 1.5 and 3% Jews in the U.S. general population).
*Edited in: someone in the comments takes issue with me pointing this out. To drive home the comparison, Park Synagogue, the largest shul in NE Ohio, has more congregants (members and their families) than the entire state of Alaska has Jewish residents.
No comment yet from the National Jewish Democratic Council.
So - what do I really think about Sarah Palin? It’s hard to know - I know extremely little and certainly not much if anything beyond what I’ve read or seen. But I thought a flow of my Twitter tweets as I heard them speak and the NPR folks comment on Diane Rehm might give a good idea:
Eleanor Clift [on Diane Rehm] - can she pass threshold test of her being an instant president - McCain can no longer attack Obama on experience
oy Palin has “no stance” on foreign policy - heartbeat away? this is going to be a long 67 days to Nov. 4 http://tinyurl.com/5sus9a
curious to see how The White House Project hails this, will depend on Palin’s record on issues that matter, impact women
ok- I have GOT to say, I am so sorry, but I have to say: for all the terrified of terrorist threat people, Palin must incite EXTREME anxiety
Palin is unknown, internationally & nationally; if military operations are CRITICAL, I don’t see how McCain people can be ok with this pick
at the McCain event right now, they just brought out teen cheerleaders -for real saying Go McCain! total fratboy
apparently MCCain uses cheerleaders a lot before he comes out omg http://www.daylife.com/phot…
catch the fearmongering - McCain knows we live in a dangerous world
do VPs really help shake up DC?
I actually think that Huckabee’s senior advisor Charmaine Yoest had something to do with this pick
here’s what Yoest wrote http://tinyurl.com/5ctnmj McCain was hugely problematic for this contingent
Ha! now he mentions women’s suffrage - he didn’t even have a statement on the actual Women’s Equality Day
what’s this pick do for affirmative action? people standing there watching her go past them, thinking, she got it because she’s a woman UGH
do snow machines use a lot of gas? [she said that her husband races them; no wonder she wants to drill more]
there you go already - sorry @acarvin guest just said, as the first thing Palin does is bringin “vivacity” - would never be used for a man
you know the upside is? as women, we CAN show that we do NOT go for candidates because of gender, ENd OF STORY
she kept her pregnancy a secret for fear of how people might react to her having a Down child?
remmeber when Edwards got flack for running while Eliz had cancer, and two young kids? how does the VP play w/five kids including newborn?
how does the family values thing fit in - that is not a facetious question - she will have to put country first, no?
does she actually reflect conservative women’s values? how will they feel - that is most important, yes?
I will, without question, have oh so much more long-windedness to expend on this topic. But for now, I stick with my assessment earlier today: this choice is an enormous miscalculation of who votes, who votes for whom, and why.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:19 pm August 29th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Democrats, Gender, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Sexism, Social Issues, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, leadership | 29 Comments
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Aug
29
AP confirms Palin but sexism will sting because women don’t just vote for women
Filed Under Gender, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, Republicans, Sexism, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, leadership | 30 Comments
Listen live here to Diane Rehm and her roundtable discuss it.
Dicey choice one guest says say, star quality, youthful, and inexperienced - contrast to how Obama chose Biden - they’ve sought to soften their liabilities.
McCain campaign has confirmed too according to Rehm.
For women’s vote, Eleanor Clift says: Clinton asked are you for me or the issues I stand for? Overturning Roe will now come up. How will she perform - like Dan Quayle and not up to it or dazzle us and make us think she can step in?
I have to say that if voters, independents in particular, couldn’t vote for a woman in Clinton? I don’t know how they can vote for Palin.
Guest: direct play for Clinton voters.
Me: this is a HUGE miscalculation based on thinking that women chose Clinton because she’s a woman. That voter did it because she’s a pro-choice woman, not because she’s female. The campaigns have a lot to learn and accept about how women choose. Sexism is really going to sting them - because we just do not vote that way. As proven by Obama’s win.
Not to mention: can you say foreign policy? Palin?
Rut roh. No stance.
UPDATE! Eleanor Clift says that Obama is at his floor and if one candidate is more likely to take off, it’s Obama. Way to go Eleanor.
Update x2: PhD from outside Alaska but part of early draft Palin movement didnt’ want her addressing the issue of Iraq, because it’s not a state issue.
Hmmm. Republicans. Who push for divestment. From Iran. Against the wishes of the Bush administration. At odds with the whole states should stay out of what’s not in their purview?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:47 am August 29th, 2008 in Gender, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, Republicans, Sexism, Vice President, Voting, WH2008, Women, leadership | 30 Comments
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Aug
28
Photos from inside Invesco Field as prep continues
Filed Under Barack Obama, Politics | Leave a Comment
P1000797, originally uploaded by Ohio Daily Blog.
Thank you Jeff Coryell for these fantastic photos!
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:53 pm August 28th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Politics | Please comment
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Aug
28
More on Jewish vote: Obama invited to keynote NJDC annual convention next month
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Hmm - what am I doing on 9/23 and 9/24? Press credentials, hmm?
National Jewish Democratic Council Washington Conference 2008
September 23, 2008
Repairing the World One Election at a Time
Conference Dates: Tuesday, September 23 - Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Hilton Washington
Jewish Democrats have a unique opportunity to make a real difference in this critical election season.Join NJDC to strategize, engage in dialogue, and make history.
INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Senator Barack ObamaINVITED SPEAKERS:
Governor Howard Dean
Vice President Al Gore
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate Majority Leader Harry ReidPROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
Reaching Jewish Swing Voters
Grassroots Training
Handicapping the Presidential & Congressional Races
Reception with Members of Congress
Panel Discussion on Key Issues: Israel and the Middle
East; Domestic Policy
Request Press Credentials
If you are a member of the press and would like to request press credentials, please send our press secretary, Aaron Keyak, an email at :aaron@njdc.org with your name, title, media outlet, phone number, and email and we’ll will then follow-up with you.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:43 pm August 28th, 2008 in Politics | Please comment
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