Comments on: Some Rationality from Feminists? http://www.cosmopolitanconservative.com/2010/01/18/some-rationality-from-feminists/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:53:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: The Truffle http://www.cosmopolitanconservative.com/2010/01/18/some-rationality-from-feminists/comment-page-1/#comment-944 The Truffle Tue, 25 May 2010 01:01:38 +0000 http://www.cosmopolitanconservative.com/?p=1653#comment-944 I wonder why pro-lifers (feminist and otherwise) don't work to promote birth control and responsible attitudes toward sex. Bristol Palin continues to push abstinence-only education, for example, in an obvious example of jokes writing themselves. Bill Clinton said that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare." I suggest changing this to "safe, legal, and mostly unnecessary." Banning abortion altogether simply is not the answer. I suspect there are other reasons women (feminist and otherwise) might dislike Palin. These reasons have nothing to do with feminism. Specifically: Palin was woefully underqualified to be vice president. This became very apparent during the McCain campaign. Very simply, she was way out of her league. Palin's actual interest in anything other than her public image and bank account is negligible. She didn't even finish out her term as governor. Palin plays the victim. She is incredibly thin-skinned when it comes to the press. During the McCain campaign, she was treated like a precious princess and shielded from the media until well after the RNC convention. This is the ultimate victim feminist (if, of course, you accept her claim that she's a feminist). Hillary Clinton has faced much more hostile press than Palin has--and she has endured it since the 1990s. If you accept the "equity feminist" claim that feminism isn't about special favors, then yes, it's clear that Palin shouldn't expect to be treated with kid gloves because of her gender. Palin was brought in as the "Ladies' Home Journal" candidate. She advertises her personal life, not her political ideas or positions. But the tone for this was set at the RNC convention. What did Fred Thompson say about her? "She can field dress a moose!" Not: "She's an amazing governor and a talented politician." Here is a really good analysis, comparing the precious princess to Israeli politician Tzipi Livni: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/columnists/story.html?id=29f90033-1531-4ddd-a1b5-470e060bc276 Basically, nobody makes an issue of Livni's personal life because she doesn't do so. Neither does Angela Merkel. In fact, aside from Palin, no other female politician demands to be treated as a professional celebrity. Two respected GOP women are Olympia Snowe and Kay Bailey Hutchison. Both are respected senators and both are hugely popular. Both would've been better candidates for VP than Palin. Oh, and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm was also a beauty contestant. Nobody faults her for that. Why? It's not because she's a Democrat. It's because she doesn't advertise her private life. Actually, in a way, Palin did benefit from feminism: she is judged on her behavior and qualifications, not her gender. In this case, the people judging her are often other women, and their objections are not necessarily based on her pro-life stance or her conservatism. Quite simply, she is not up to the job of serving in office. I wonder why pro-lifers (feminist and otherwise) don’t work to promote birth control and responsible attitudes toward sex. Bristol Palin continues to push abstinence-only education, for example, in an obvious example of jokes writing themselves. Bill Clinton said that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” I suggest changing this to “safe, legal, and mostly unnecessary.” Banning abortion altogether simply is not the answer.

I suspect there are other reasons women (feminist and otherwise) might dislike Palin. These reasons have nothing to do with feminism. Specifically:

Palin was woefully underqualified to be vice president. This became very apparent during the McCain campaign. Very simply, she was way out of her league.

Palin’s actual interest in anything other than her public image and bank account is negligible. She didn’t even finish out her term as governor.

Palin plays the victim. She is incredibly thin-skinned when it comes to the press. During the McCain campaign, she was treated like a precious princess and shielded from the media until well after the RNC convention. This is the ultimate victim feminist (if, of course, you accept her claim that she’s a feminist). Hillary Clinton has faced much more hostile press than Palin has–and she has endured it since the 1990s. If you accept the “equity feminist” claim that feminism isn’t about special favors, then yes, it’s clear that Palin shouldn’t expect to be treated with kid gloves because of her gender.

Palin was brought in as the “Ladies’ Home Journal” candidate. She advertises her personal life, not her political ideas or positions. But the tone for this was set at the RNC convention. What did Fred Thompson say about her? “She can field dress a moose!” Not: “She’s an amazing governor and a talented politician.” Here is a really good analysis, comparing the precious princess to Israeli politician Tzipi Livni:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/columnists/story.html?id=29f90033-1531-4ddd-a1b5-470e060bc276

Basically, nobody makes an issue of Livni’s personal life because she doesn’t do so. Neither does Angela Merkel. In fact, aside from Palin, no other female politician demands to be treated as a professional celebrity. Two respected GOP women are Olympia Snowe and Kay Bailey Hutchison. Both are respected senators and both are hugely popular. Both would’ve been better candidates for VP than Palin.

Oh, and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm was also a beauty contestant. Nobody faults her for that. Why? It’s not because she’s a Democrat. It’s because she doesn’t advertise her private life.

Actually, in a way, Palin did benefit from feminism: she is judged on her behavior and qualifications, not her gender. In this case, the people judging her are often other women, and their objections are not necessarily based on her pro-life stance or her conservatism. Quite simply, she is not up to the job of serving in office.

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