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What do you think of her as a politician and a person? I'm curious because although she could be America's first female president, she seems to me to be the polar opposite of the "empowered woman" that feminists (admittedly, according to the stereotype I'm familiar with) envision. Does it bother you that she's trying to pass herself off as a "soccer mom who's a runnin' fer president" or do you think the two roles aren't necessarily mutually incompatible?
As a male feminist(a guy who thinks women should be treated equally) I find Sarah Palin to be just about the biggest affront to women since Clarence Thomas.
Well this feminist thinks that a President Palin would be the absolute antithesis of progress.
She does not represent me.
Sarah Palin - Role Model for Anti-Feminists
Just look at her body language--those winks at the camera, the beauty pageant walk, the not-so-subtle seductiveness. When she is in front of the camera, "mother of five" is not the first thought that comes to mind. Here is a woman using classic feminine wiles to woo her audience.
Just because she's a woman with a career doesn't make her a feminist. You actually have to have certain ideas about the way our society works to call yourself that.
I think the thing that's so bothersome to many women and feminists is that she does not disprove the old trope that a woman's value derives from her beauty; instead, she reinforces it. Would she have been such a sensation if she weren't so pretty? Hardly--a woman as unsophisticated and inexperienced as she is would never have been lifted out of the backwaters of Alaska and plopped onto the national stage without the pretty packaging.
Also, aside from her gender, I'm highly opposed to the anti-intellectualist strain in American politics recently. I don't want a president who's just like me, whether she's a soccer mom or a guy I could grab a beer with. I want a president who's a hundred times smarter and more knowledgeable than I am. I wouldn't trust anyone else to get the job done.
Why do I dislike Sarah Palin? Let me count the ways....
First, she was chosen as a V.P. candidate because of her looks, and is popular because of it. She gives right-wingers an erection every time they see her, and that's why they support her. She is a beauty queen, with all the substance thereof. I personally don't mind a woman using her sex appeal to her advantage, but it should reinforce her other qualities, her own personal strength and intelligence and competence should take priority. Palin is all sex-appeal. She depends on her looks and her beauty queen past to maintain her popularity.
Second, she is an idiot. I can deal with lack of knowledge, with someone who isn't as smart as me, as long they are trying to change that, trying to learn and better themselves. Palin is ignorant, and she revels in it. She's PROUD of it. She wallows in her own ignorance and lack of knowledge like a pig in slop. I cannot stomach that. I don't want an idiot in the White House (we had eight years of that, and look how it turned out). I want someone who could a BETTER job than I could, who is smarter and more capable and more competent than myself. The entire anti-intellectual, anti-education, anti-intelligence attitude in the Republican party today sickens me. The U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world in science, and math, and education in general. I don't want a President, or a party, who will accelerate the decline of a America's standing in the world. i want a President who will fix it. make us better, make us smart again.
Third, she couldn't even handle one term as Alaska's governor without quitting. If she couldn't take the pressure of being governor, how can she expect to be taken seriously as a President? Being Governor of Alaska is like being sheriff of Mayberry. It's not exactly the hardest job in the world, when compared to states like New York or California or Florida or Illinois. Quitting certainly doesn't help the perception that women can't cut it, can't handle pressure.
A feminist believes that women are equal to men,, and that they should be judged on the same basis as men, on their own capabilities, on their own drive, intelligence and capability. Palin is the antithesis of feminism, a woman who relies on her looks and her image. She couldn't handle a full term as Governor.She couldn't mention tell you want a Vice-president's job was.
If a man had done what Palin did, had displayed the ignorance at how our government worked, had cut-and-run partway into a single term, they would have been laughed off the national stage. Should we not hold Palin to the same criteria that we would a male politician?
When we do that, we see just how unqualified and ill-suited Palin is for the Presidency.
Oh yeah, she does a heck-of-a lot to show people how intelligent and capable women are.
She bothers me on many levels.
She acts like the woman that all us other women have encountered once or twice in our lives. The one who uses her coquettish ways to flirt her way to the top...or at least a rung up.
The one who puts her greatest stock in the magnetic appeal of her Bermuda Triangle.
The one who expects the rest of us women to applaud her ability to manipulate her way past the glass ceiling as if she had done something noble for the "sisterhood" by setting us back 100 years with her simpering behavior.
shes annoying.
"she could be America's first female president"
Uhhhh... what was the rest of that question? My vision blurred and I started hearing the rush of blood in my ears with just that bit.
If that were to happen, I say it officially: I am moving to Canada (I was born there... I can do that).
Not sure if I am a feminist, but I can say I dislike her very much. I also think she is not as bright as some people see her.
I'm a male feminist. I'm also a masculist (advocate for male rights). I personally think she sets women back, all of us back.
As a politician, she's obviously successful, but she exploits the cheapest tricks in the contemporary political book to achieve that success. She is a puppet of every right wring ideology there is, without an original thought in her head. It would be a tragedy not only for women but for the U.S. if she became our first female American president. I'm not too much of a fan of hers, but I'd prefer to see Hillary Clinton as our first female president. In fact, I'd have preferred her to Obama. Honestly I think sexism is a bigger problem right now than racism, nationally, and it would have been a much bigger show of our progress if we'd had a female president than a black one. In a perfect world neither race nor gender nor sexual preference nor sexual identity would matter, but here we are. Gender matters more than race. We can see this in relative salaries for the same or similar jobs.
As a person, I find Palin to be morally corrupt and disgusting. I wish her nothing but ill will. I could go into the details, but it could take a while. My point is that she has, in my view, no empathy or values, and she clings so strongly to her religion and its strict legalist morality in order to feel like she actually has a conscience, when in fact it's all a fabrication, an affectation. She's a monster and she needs to be put down.
I'm not a feminist. I believe in Richard Marcinko's method regarding the treatment of my fellow man; to treat everyone equally - like crap. That said, I think Sarah Palin in one sweet piece of tail (edited to avoid flagging).
...and oh yeah, and she's a moron.
Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air and many don't like her as they believe everything they hear on MSNBC as well as everything they read on the Huffington Post. Psuedo feminists dislike her and make personal attacks on her. The more attacks made on her by the left the stronger she gets, although clearly not with the left. Why is it the left chooses to disparage conservative women? Do they really believe that liberal women have the corner on intellect and thus calling Sarah Palin foul names, making ad hominem attacks and suggesting she is so stupid makes their weak arguments stronger? It only serves to expose the weakness of their arguments. If you don't like her policies, fine that is clearly your prerogative. Calling her a hick or a tea bagger is what you did in 5th grade, remember? Does being a conservative grant any justification for suggesting she isn't extremely bright and a possible candidate for President. You prove your ignorance with such a suggestion. The left wing put downs handed down by the DNC is transparent. Don't complain when the wacky right suggests the President is a muslim, not a citizen and isn't all that bright, judging by his track record at dividing this country by racial lines as well as pulling the race card on an hourly basis.
I suppose she could make herself unattractive, read the Times and follow Harry Reid around and quote from the President's talking points. But if she is conservative she may be "runnin fer president" or writing on her hand is that a cause for criminal charges. Sure we are polarized, of course the conservatives don't care for Obama and in turn the liberals don't care for Palin. Same old, same old but the "routines" the left employs to attack her, not her policies may feel good but what does it do but expose your ignorance? By that standard the vice president is a complete moron when you judge him by his speeches, continual gaffes and idiotic rants. He wears hair plugs, can't seem to maintain a coherant thought in his skull and lost the debate to who? Sarah Palin. Yet the press treats him like he is a lifetime member of mensa! It won't change but get a better argument than she is stupid and I am not.
She has accomplished more than over 99% of women yet women, of all people delight in trashing her. It sounds like feminists are simply Democrats. They don't recognize empowered women unless they wear birkenstocks, don't shave their legs and wear pant suits. They didn't think Condoleeze Rice was black enough and apparently not enough of a "feminist". Michelle Obama is a great first lady? Or is she simply an out of touch, aristocratic woman who is a Democrat?
Where is this getting us? I don't care what you think and you don't care what I think. Fair enough! I don't live in a trailer, don't drive a truck. I do drink beer, but prefer wine and an occasional margarita! I don't live in Washington or on the left or right coasts. I think Sarah Palin would make a far better President that the oaf in there now. I think she is very bright, articulate and I agree with some but not all she says. I am not a member of the Tea Party and personally the propaganda puked up by the left wingers is par for the course. Every Presidential candidate since Kennedy has been intelligent if he was a Democrat. In truth Kennedy was a philanderer who couldn't keep his pants on, got us deeper in Vietnam and then Johnson took over after JFK's death.
Carter was a failure! Clinton had/has personal issues that diverted his attention and policies. None of them were particularly but yet the Times would have us believe that they were so smart, so competent, so believable and most of all Democrats. I
In truth Palin is the empowered woman, the idea that the self proclaimed feminists who don't represent anyone but a cadre of slow witted, political operatives who are just Democrats makes them suspicious to me. I suppose it is great fun to call the other guy names, I know I enjoy it but I also know it does not get us anywhere. Perhaps that is the point!
I am feminine, but not a feminist....and I can relate.....she is a common sense, down to earth, wife, mom and woman who CARES and was fed up a long time ago with all the crooked politicians and politics!!>>> Go Sarah!!!
I think she has a borderline idiot IQ and she has an amazing ego.
She's a nutcase like many politicians but at least she's not a man-hater like the feminists.
I HATE Sarah Palin!!!! She is an idiot, she gave up the Governor's seat for no good reason and her best selling point is that she had a down syndrome baby!!! I'll die if she gets the nomination for President in 2012!!!! Sarah Palin is the worst and I mean the WORST woman politician out there.
I'm not a feminist, but I'll chime in anyway.
Sarah Palin would be a rock star if she was an avowed liberal rather than a conservative. She would appear on every talk show host out there and be fawned over and loved like an icon. Liberals claim to be all about gender equality and tolerance, but this only applies if you are a liberal like them.
If you are a conservative, you might as well admit to having leprosy.
For example, if you're a conservative who happens to be black, like Clarence Thomas or Condoleeza Rice, well then you're an Uncle Tom or a house slave. You're not truly black. And you're an idiot.
If you're a woman and a conservative, like Sarah Palin, then you're a bimbo who used your good looks and flirtatious nature to climb the ladder. Basically, you got lucky. And if you weren't blessed with good looks, well, then you're a stupid religious nut job who should just stay home because you suffer from psychosis.
If you're a white male and a conservative, well, you're the worst of the bunch. You're full of hatred and bigotry and want to oppress others to enrich yourself and your friends. And you're an idiot.
Now, if you're white or black, rich or poor, male or female, AND a liberal, then you're enlightened, smart, pure as the wind driven snow, full of love and tolerance, and only want what's best for the earth and the poor.
I think it is richly ironic how Sarah Palin is being treated by those on the Left in this country.
If the standard to be a feminist is to not wear lipstick, bras, etc. then it appears to me that feminism is simply the process of making the feminine into the masculine. Which seems decidedly anti-woman to me. There are some brands of feminism that seem to be more of a social clique that says if you're a woman and you look a certain way then there's something wrong with you. I don't know how else to interpret the reaction to Palin. I know some feel she doesn't represent them because she's sort of traditional. But then it's not exactly traditional for a woman to be in a position of power that doesn't rely on her husband. I guess that says feminism is more about politics than gender.
Nice person. . . . . . .irritating sound to her voice. . . . . . .very pretty. . . . . .NOT presidential or vice-presidential material for the president of the UNITED STATES! And I DEFINITELY don't like it that she kills animals. . . . .regardless of whether she EATS them . . . .or not!
I just hate her. she's so stupid, and dumb too. I don't know who else to hate. I mean, I still hate Bush cause everything that Obama seems to do wrong is really Bush's fault, and he dumb and stupid too, but he's not in office anymore. As a feminist, I only like empowered women who tow the line, you know, pro-choice, gay rights, and gun control. If they don't play the game the way we want the game played than her strong woman empowerment doesn't mean squat. Women like Palin shouldn't even have the right to vote.
I think it's great that a woman can succeed in politics the way Sarah Palin has.
As a feminist myself (a person who thinks women should be treated with equal respect to men) I think Sarah Palin is ridiculous because of her political views and not because she's a woman.
I am a man who supports feminist causes. I observed the racist,ignorant behaviour used by this woman during her campaign with Mr Mc Cain. One in particular was her chanting Hussein Hussein etc. Constant references of how People like President Obama "Taking America anway from Americans) He's an American born in Hawaii, Alaska is also a recently admitted state.
I be;ieve the Catie Couric interview showed how vacous and out of toch this woman is. There are THOUSANDS of qualified womwn in America who could run for and claim the highest office in our land. Don't pick a lying uneducated bigot.
LMAO I'm SOOOOOOOOO sure you're going to get real feminists to answer this question.
I'll tell you what you'll get answering this, slobbering Osama bin Barack sycophants that will only come here to bash her.....I'll say 90% BO fans. The usual suspects.
She was picked for VP because John McAmnesty needed the republican base to vote for him because no self respecting conservative would.
You can only be a 'feminist' if you are like Hilary, a phony woman that gained power by putting up with someone she could hang onto until she was well known. feminists are NOT for the average American woman.
isn't she a dude
IF SHE WAS NOT PRETTY NO ONE WOULD EVEN CARE !!!!
She's a Retard
I'm embarassed to be of the same gender.
She's got great legs, and she will become the Republican parties worst nightmare. A Frankenpalin.
big mouth. half-wit. she gives good speeches, non-thinkers will follow, like the rats that followed the pied piper. i predict her marriage will fail.
IDK...I don't watch politics...it gives me a migraine. Plus I'm only 13...I don't really watch that stuff anyway.
NOTE:
A spammer has hijacked this thread with several (four so far) commercial posts. I've reported those I've seen, but it wouldn't hurt if others did the same. At least one of these spam posts has been up 12 hours already. How long does it take AB to respond/
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SARAH PALIN IS THE GREATEST HUMAN ALIVE PALIN 2012!!1
who cares if its female or male, black or white and what religion. Its about fixing your country, isnt that supposed to matter more then what colour the eye should be for the leader?
A leader can be a profisional architic, helping creat better designded buildings for the over crowding of human population.
Or a scientist who has other skills in making salt water into fresh water.
You want a leader who has a skill to make its country better
As a female I am embarrassed that this woman came so close to being vice president of the U.S and now people are talking of her chance to be president....SERIOUSLY??? there are millions of women out there who would be SOOOOOOOOOO much better suited to be president, how could anyone let her be the first female.... PLEASE don't let her Americans......PLEASE!!! She is a dumber, more redneck version of G.W Bush.... she makes him look like a genius.
As a humanist, I find S. Palin, to be a sad testament as to what some would find to be an acceptable candidate for either the post of president or vice president. I understand that she holds a certain appeal to some, as she appears to support their views on how things should be. However this alone is simply not enough to justify her being considered as a viable candidate.
The subject of her looks seem to be a source for many of the comments made about her. As a woman who worked in a primarily male dominant business, electrical engineering, who was considered to be "good looking or attractive" as well as felt no need to de-feminize herself, in order to be taken seriously, I feel compelled to speak about this.
I do not have a problem with Palin's looks, she is a "good looking" woman, which is, in and of itself a none issue. However, the question must be asked, is the way that she utilizes her femininity appropriate and will it serve any of us well were she to be elected into either position?
Imagine if you will, Palin (or any woman for that matter) sitting in a room of primarily, if not exclusively, men and of attempting to get them to come into line with her position or stance on any given subject. Consider that things are not going well and she is not getting the support that she needs to accomplish her goals (essentially what are supposed to be our goals). Now take this situation and move it in to a situation where she is dealing with men who in their culture consider women as being inferior chattel etc. Will Palin somewhere along the line, when the going gets tough, revert to her natural impulse of trying to utilize her femininity in an attempt to try and sway them to her way of thinking?
What would be the results of this in either of these situations? I ask these questions simply because people under pressure tend to revert or fall back on behaviors which have served them well in the past.
So what has served Palin well over the few years that she has been in the larger public view? Primarily it seems to be en large her femininity, upon occasion a dose of "good old boy tough talk" and of course, though I don't really think that it fits well, her soccer mom imagery or whatever it is called that seems to have served her well and gotten her to this point thus far.
In the business and political world, there is nothing wrong with being an attractive woman or man, in fact it is often found to be refreshing when handled correctly. However it becomes problematic when this attractiveness is utilized in an attempt to manipulate situations or at its worst to cover up for a lack of substance and intelligence. Where female beauty or attractiveness is concerned in the realm of either the business or political world there are four words that must be taken into consideration they are: intelligence, substance, class, and eloquence. Palin displays none of these. Utilizing and calling upon ones "sexual appeal" or "good looks" has serious and negative consequences for a woman in both the business and political world, as when it is inappropriately used to get ones way it comes to be known as your primary modus operandi and all else is subverted. Respect if you had it goes right out the window or if you did not have it is never gained. So while it is fine to be good looking or attractive, at the end of the day and push comes to shove, you had better be able to cut the intellectual mustard with your equals and be capable of meeting them toe to toe on every issue factually and logically because frankly showing a bit o leg, or a well heeled foot, or a cute little wink-n-smile is not going to cut it and you will be appropriately labeled as being all looks with no brains by your colleges male and female. Most men and women (not all) are quite capable of discerning when this is the case and they all tend to resent it.
Palin has not shown us that she possesses any of the intelligence, substance, class, or elegance, that is essential for a "good looking" woman to be taken seriously in either arena nor has she shown us that she has the experience or the worldliness to handle herself in tough political situations without falling back on what she has shown to be her natural tendencies of using her looks, talking god old boy tough talk, or acting like everyones soccer mom or whatever it is that she is supposed to be representing. In the political world these hold no value and will not do us any good at all. She is seriously lacking in credibility, skill, and experience. At the end of the day those are the attributes we should be looking for in either a male or a female candidate. Not a pretty photogenic face, not a good time girl, not a tough who can shoot a gun or jaw it on with the good old boys, nor a mommy to put a bandage on our knee.
No if she has to run for a presidency maybe she should run for being the president of the NRA she seems better suited for that position, then she is for being our nations president. Then she could be as flirtatious as she wished, she could act as tough as she wanted, and I am fairly certain that the occasional bandage would be required somewhere along the line and we would not be subjected to reports on her and her daughters traumas and dramas nor of her teabaggin activities ;)
Palin is a bottom feeder. Nothing more needs to be said.
i actually think that she is trying to get power but may not be able to handle it i mean come on her own daughter was how old and got pregnant?she couldn't even control what her daughter does how would she be able to control the wholeUS?i really think that she is just trying to make herself look good.if she ever becomes president im moving to canada cause i dont want to be in the country when it goes down because of her.
I think she's a hellacious opportunist. No one could be that "down home" and be in the political positions that she's held; she's playing the usual political game, being the person the faces in the crowd want to see. I find it disturbing, to say the least, but I guess it's where our country is headed...to listen to a person who spouts the answers we want to hear, true or not, but at least giving us hope when there's not much else to be had. But wait a sec, didn't we just do this with Obama?
Why are we in the U.S. such decidedly slow learners, regardless of left, right, or middle, we seem to be equally gullible.
A smart femenist would not want Pallin to be at office. This is my opinion
As a politician, no thanks. As a personality, it's too late to stop her.
John Cleese is not in the U.S., and I dunno if he's a feminist, but:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMyNk8J1c8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9my7J-GbnU
Being a "soccer mom" doesn't make you incompatible with the office of President. She gets on my nerves because she speaks many words and says nothing of quality or importance. I read that it was she who started the nonsense with "death panels." Fear-mongering is what someone like her does when she hasn't anything substantive to say. I was excited when I learned that Sen. McCain was running with a woman - until I learned more about her. Then she scared me. I think she was a large part of McCain losing to Obama.
she is the ultimate feminist, able to have the best of all choices available to women. She's strong, outspoken, and I admire her. Some feminists don't like her because she won't fall in line with their stances and agendas, not realizing that a woman being able to choose how she lives her life is actually the epitome of feminism.
You hit it right! I think we do need some new political figures that are not all tied into the crookedness that seems to swallow up a lot of the existing ones. I do not personally hunt or fish but that is a real part of nature - that animals are there and we humans get hungry. But I certainly understand your point of view on not eating them also.
Thanks for sharing.
I'm somewhat of a feminist and I don't care for her because she murders native wildlife. I don't want someone who kills for fun to be in charge of our country.
In what respect, RefreshPerspective?
A regular woman who started at the PTA and worked her way up to Governor and VP candidate.
If she were a liberal the media would love her but she is not so she is scum (in their eyes)
Go Sarah!
Like Maragaret Thatcher, she will set the women's movement back 50 years!
Where is Parris Island?
by Answerbag Staff on February 1st, 2011
| 2 people like this
Where can you find the Statue of Liberty?
by Answerbag Staff on January 31st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Is censorship progressive or regressive? Defend your answer.
,.
by einsteinwasright0116 on January 28th, 2012
| 2 people like this
What is the mileage from Scottsdale to Tombstone, Arizona?
by Answerbag Staff on January 31st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Is the reason the US is unable to compete with other countries that the American working poor make too much money?
by MrX on February 2nd, 2012
| 1 person likes this
You're reading A question for the feminists out there in the US...What's your opinion of Palin?
Comments
I think it's great u r a male feminist :)
by LittleWhiteSock on August 28th, 2010
TY.
by ConservativelyLiberal on August 28th, 2010
Yay!
by AB-Katharine on August 29th, 2010
Do you suppose you could elaborate on that assertion?
What has the woman done to make you say that?
Is it that male voters don't find her frightening? I'm not talking about looks either; I'm talking about the fact that she doesn't seem to have an axe to grind where men are concerned. She actually seems to like men, which is more than I can say about Pelosi, Clinton, Boxer.....
by woggy on August 29th, 2010
nonWhite, I've never found Pelosi, Clinton or Boxer to be anti-male. I think you're projecting a mindset onto them that they don't have.
As for why I feel that Sarah Palin is a step backwards for women is relatively simple. She's arrogant, uneducated, inarticulate, divisive, rude, a liar, and quite a few other things to boot. She couldn't even make it one term as a Governor(in Americas most socialist state), without having multiple federal investigations into abuse of authority and corruption.
Her farewell speech should be required viewing in political science classes until the end of time, so that students can see the ultimate example of style over substance and form over content. Viewing this speech should be accompanied by Dan Quayle's "Murphy Brown" speech and Bill Clinton's "I did not have sex with that woman" speech.
by ConservativelyLiberal on August 29th, 2010