Palin's sudden popularity has feminists in a snit
By Bonnie Chernin Rogoff (09/08/08)
“Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.” (Rush Limbaugh’s Undeniable Truths of Life, #24) - Feminists have shown their true colors in response to Gov. Sarah Palin. They demeaned her family and accomplishments. Any insult that would diminish her qualifications for Vice President was fair game.
Though Gov. Palin’s speech was flawlessly delivered and received, a great speech does not guarantee a winning campaign. However, it is significant that when the teleprompter failed, she didn’t miss a beat and came up with the unscripted “Read My Lipstick” line. This shows that our GOP nominee has wit and poise.
Of Gov. Palin’s views on abortion, a National Organization for Women spokeswoman told Politico in an interview: “She’s more a conservative man than she is a woman on women’s issues. Very disappointing.” In a press release, NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy said: “Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women's rights, just like John McCain.” The media zeroed in on the “conservative man” comparison, but what really happened is that the National Organization for Women was exposed for the hypocrites they are. If Gov. Palin did not believe in women’s rights she’d be a housewife instead of running a state. If Gov. Palin were as rabidly “pro-choice” as Kim Gandy, she’d be hailed by feminists as the best V.P. pick in GOP history and they’d all support her.
Palin indicated she’d be a friend to women with special needs children and a foe to party special interests and corruption. She’s an advocate for improving health care and education. She is more in line with NOW’s founding principles than NOW is today, as evidenced by some of the organization’s early achievements. These included equal pay for equal work, eliminating sex as a basis for employment discrimination, support for federally-funded child care centers, advancement of women’s participation in sports, and support for women who seek public office. Does anyone believe Gov. Palin does not believe in these things? It is the National Organization for Women that has changed and gone militant, not America’s women.
Feminist author Gloria Steinem defends Palin’s “right to be wrong,” but she doesn’t explain why she is wrong. Instead, Steinem provides a predictable list of contemporary social issues dividing liberals and conservatives, rebuking what she calls McCain’s appeal to “right-wing patriarchs.” She writes: “Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality.” Since this feminist “majority” seeks to exclude the increasing number of pro-life women in politics, the only way to dismiss them is to align their traditional values with all views patriarchal. It seems credible until Ms. Steinem reverts to her fear about government’s intrusions into the “wombs of women.” Then the issue becomes clear. Militant feminists see an upsurge of pro-life Palin supporters as a threat to 35 years of judicial supremacy regarding Roe v. Wade.
If the media had shown reticence regarding Gov. Palin that would have been enough. However, the vicious attacks continued. Baltimore Sun columnist Susan Reimer penned an outrageous piece slamming Palin three times for her choice to bring her baby to term. “You want to look good to the evangelicals? Choose a running mate with a Down syndrome child.” Later: “I don’t know what I’ll do if she trots out the story of her 5-month-old baby to shore up the Republican base.” Reimer then sketches Palin as “a woman who made the decision to carry to term a baby she knew to be developmentally disabled.”
Reimer’s contempt for Gov. Palin turned to pathetic pre-teen jealousy: “She won’t be able to hold her own against Joe Biden in a vice presidential debate. But wait until the swimsuit portion of the competition.” (Italics added by me.)
In a follow-up article, Susan Reimer admitted she received thousands of angry comments. She never offered any apology to Palin. Instead, Reimer concludes:
“The things that were said about me, my personal appearance and my children - as well as Barack Obama - were beyond the bounds of decency, and many were said in language that might only be seen in a bathroom stall. So much pent-up anger, so much barely concealed hate was released in those e-mails and those postings. I wonder where next they will find a vent.”
As if Reimer’s ‘swimsuit competition’ jab was not personal. As if all those comments about Palin’s infant son Trig were not personal. No pent-up anger there.
For the first time I find myself in agreement with the pro-choicers. Apparently life does not begin at conception. In Susan Reimer’s case, it doesn’t even begin at the ripe old age of menopause.
Copyright 2008 by Bonnie Rogoff. Article may be reprinted with original content and authorship intact.
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