Well, I usually try to keep my blog relatively non-political. But this week marks the most passionate I’ve felt about electoral politics for the first time since 1992. Don’t get me wrong, I was really inspired by the Democratic National Convention. What an amazing and historic time to be an American, when the top two people vying for a major party nomination are African-American and female.
I had already made up my mind to vote for Barack Obama long before the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate on the Republican ticket. The fact that his VP candidate is female does not change my mind. You see, while I would love to see a woman in the Oval Office (and I think it could happen in my lifetime), Sarah Palin is not the one.
I’m a little bit puzzled by the tremendous splash that she’s made, considering that we know so little about her. Sure, we know that she’s a hockey mom, her husband’s a snowmobiling champion, and her teenage daughter is pregnant engaged and expecting a baby with her fiancé. But none of those things are relevant, in my opinion. Here are some things that are:
1. As the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she asked the town librarian if it would be possible to have certain books banned from the library (the librarian refused). A few months later, Palin tried to fire the librarian; a groundswell of public support helped save the librarian’s job.
2. Palin is currently under investigation by the Alaska State Legislature for abuse of power with regard to the dismissal of Alaska’s Commissioner of Public Safety. Recently, Palin’s lawyers have pressed for an end to the investigation, saying that the issue falls within the purview of the state Personnel Board. Members of the Alaska Personnel Board are appointed by the Governor.
3. Palin made several misrepresentations in her Vice-Presidential nomination acceptance speech. Among these was her claim that she said “thanks but no thanks” to federal funding for the “Bridge to Nowhere.” While she did eventually decline the funding, a promise to pursue federal funding for the bridge was part of her gubernatorial campaign. More of these “misstatements” and their rebuttals can be found in this article by Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn.
4. In an address at her church in Wasilla, she referred to the Iraq War as part of “God’s plan.” Video here. She said the same thing about the Alaskan Pipeline.
5. In her speech Wednesday, Palin spoke of helping families of children with special needs. I don’t doubt that she now wants to help, especially since she now has a child with Down Syndrome. However, as Governor of Alaska, she has slashed spending for special needs education by 62%.
6. Palin has made no secret of her anti-abortion stance; she is opposed to legal abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. She has also supported “abstinence-only” sex education programs. And if those don’t work, I guess there’s always marriage, right? Unless you’re gay (sorry).
7. Palin is a creationist, and believes creationism should be taught in school science classes alongside evolution (to her credit, she has not tried to push a creationist agenda as Alaska’s governor).
8. Palin and her husband were fundraisers for Pat Buchanan, erstwhile presidential candidate with a storied history of racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, sexism, and general hatefulness.
Still curious? Here are some other great links:
- A very eloquent response to Palin’s snarky mockery of community organizers
- An amusing look at the use of language by the McCain-Palin team
- A Daily Show clip that deftly points out the hypocrisy shown by Republicans in their Hillary-hate and subsequent Palin-philia
- Last but not least: A beautifully-written open letter by Anne Kilkenny, a resident of Wasilla, Alaska, longtime acquaintance of Sarah Palin’s, and my new hero. She has no government job to lose as a consequence for speaking up; however, I can imagine that she has angered many Palin supporters with her candor. Kilkenny had asked that her letter be e-mailed but not posted on the internet (due to wackos). However, since her letter has now been posted all over the blogosphere, I’m linking to it.
One more very important thing: Sarah Palin is UNQUALIFIED to occupy a position that is a 72-year-old’s heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States of America.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to forward this post to anyone if you’re worried that they’re about to drink the Palin Koolaid.
A great post and I agree with you 100%!
Woohoo! Excellent post! You could be on Daily Kos…or maybe you should be!!! Nicely done, well-researched…wealth of info…I’m pointing people to this blog entry!
You go, girl!
Nicely done!
And the other thing you might find hysterical is that I watching “The Colbert Report” yesterday and the “ticker” down at the bottom of the screen had annouced that Ann and Nancy Wilson (from the band Heart) had filed a cease and desist order against the MCCain/Palin party to get them to stop playing their song “Barracuda” without their permission, which they had apparently done during the RNC.
What an awesome post!!! Those people voting for her because she has a vagina are making sick! They made us educated, intelligent females look bad! I will be sure to forward this to all my friends.
I came over from ravelry and your post includes more detail than the blog post I wrote yesterday. What is scary though, is that our first sentences are almost the same.
Well written post!
I with you, sistah. I think McCain made a really poor choice which, to me, is a really good thing. I hope she scares anyone on the fence into running toward Obama.
i heart you! my feelings are the same on this subject, but said it so much better than me. i would have uncontrollable swearing going on.
I agree with everybody that posted on this blog and the one who wrote this blog, did an excellent job, better than me. I have signed many petitions against the governer of Alaska and that was before I knew who she was!!! I have to agree with costumechick because it is very hard not to swear constantly, especially at Mc Cain and Palin!!! Thank God for my remote and living alone, I can scream and holler all I want at these two idiots!!! That mute button is the best invention ever, not only for Mc Cain and Palin but also for the child, Bush!!!!
I wish I could give you the biggest hug ever!! I was so sick when he chose her as the VP candidate. She is a very dangerous woman and she has no feelings for the environment or animals and I truly feel she cares nothing for anyone that doesn’t ride her road in life. Anyone that pushes their weight around like she does and avoids living by the laws of our government or even her state for that matter is certainly not one that should be in any government office. We need to get this around to everyone we know and fast because I truly believe the lust so many had for her is over and the truth is now setting in but we all need to get it out to everyone we know. So many of my friends and family did not know these things about her and about 6 months ago I was reading up about her and I couldn’t stand her then and I can’t stand her even more now. I am wondering if she has ever told the truth about anything.
Well Mr. Lloyd Holloway, I think you need to take a step back and realize that you are a man. You and McLame talk about abortion, something you know nothing of since your body hasn’t and will never go through anything like that. I’ve never had one either but the mere idea of someone like you telling me I can’t have one is absolutely ludicris! Keep the bible out of the government and where it belongs, in the church. Palin had no right to censor who reads what, it’s not her place nor is it yours. You think that anyone left of you is a liberal, maybe because you are so far right you can’t see anyone else but right wing nut bags. Oh, and I didn’t realize that God was voting today. Tell me which polling place he was at because I have a few things to disucss with him. If you don’t like what people are reading and want to censor what’s in our libraries or want to tell Gay people they can’t get married, then stay in your house with your blinds closed and your opinions to yourself because this my dear man, is the real world!!