Palin: "Let's Shatter the Glass Ceiling"

Like most of America, I was shocked to hear that McCain had picked Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential nominee. I had pretty much assumed it was going to be Romney. I wondered, as many probably did, if it was just because she was a woman. Then, as I listened to her speech she seemed to me like a good pick. She has a good story rising up in the ranks of politics, fighting curruption on the way. She has a good looking family, with hard-working roots it appears. I was beginning to think maybe she really was the best one for the job. And then she said this:

It was rightly noted in the Denver this week that Hillary left 18,000,000 cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America. But, it turns out that the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.

So it is (at least somewhat) because she is a woman after all. If I were a woman, I'd find that offensive. I didn't like it when Hillary said in the same breath that her supporters were behind her for her policies and experience, but also wouldn't it be great to have a woman as president? And I don't like it now from Governor Palin.

Some people think having a black president once and for all will prove that America is no longer racist. Some people think having a woman president will prove we are not sexist. I disagree. I think that we will show we are not racist or sexist when a black man or a woman can lose without us blaming his race or gender. When we can have women in politics and not talk about the fact that they are women, then we will have shown that we have moved passed sexism.

While I disagree with the motive, politically I think this was a wise move for McCain. I'm a realist, and so I recognize that some portion (not a majority) of Clinton supporters were supporter her at least partially because she was a woman. Call me sexist for saying it, but that's what I think. And some of those women will feel inclined to switch now, because they never were in love with Hillary's policies anyway. It also refutes the argument Hillary made this week that the Democrats are decades ahead of the Republicans on acceptance of blacks and women in politics. But while politically wise, McCain and Palin are wrong to continue the "vote for me--I'm a woman" rhetoric.

Wrong Rating: 1 out of 4 (spin)