Rachel Held Evans

Sarah Palin and Playing the Sexism Card (Because You Asked!)

Every now and then, people actually ask my opinion before I’ve had a chance to give it to them for free, so I thought I’d respond to some questions I’ve received regarding John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin.

As soon as the McCain campaign started running ads that were sympathetic to Hillary Clinton, I thought to myself, “He’s going to pick a woman.” Sure enough, the day after Obama’s big speech in Denver, it was announced that McCain had tapped first-term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

My first response was that McCain was pandering. Obviously, he picked Palin simply because she was a woman. With absolutely zero foreign policy experience and very little executive experience, she was quite obviously not chosen for her qualifications, but for political reasons – perhaps to attract disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters.

However, when I learned about her VERY conservative positions, (most of which Clinton supporters will hate), and when I saw how much she energized the base, I gave McCain credit for picking a candidate who would ease the doubts of the social conservatives. Still pandering, but to a different group of people. In fact, when Palin tried to praise Clinton at a Republican rally, the crowd booed.

But then came the accusations of sexism. In the face of increased scrutiny by the media, McCain/Palin spokespeople are crying “sexism” every opportunity they get. One had the audacity to accuse James Carville (who tirelessly supported Hillary Clinton until the end of the primaries) of being sexist after he joked about the size of the tiny town Palin governed. And then today, another McCain spokeswoman charged that, by raising questions about Palin’s record, “the Obama campaign is clearly being sexist, just like we saw in the primaries against Hillary Clinton.”

Now, I agree that the questions bouncing around about Palin’s capabilities as a mother reflect a certain amount of sexism. But when the media or the Obama campaign raises legitimate questions about her experience or her record, they are entitled to do so! No one thinks that every time McCain challenges Obama on his lack of experience that McCain is being racist.

In April, when Palin was asked about Hillary Clinton’s complaints of sexism, Palin responded, “Oh, she’s just whining.”

Funny what a difference a few months can make.

As a woman, I feel a little patronized by this whole thing. I'm not going to vote for someone simply because she shares my anatomy. When a lady on TV got all riled up and insisted that “the only reason the media is challenging [Palin’s] experience is because she is a woman!” I couldn’t help but wonder, but would John McCain have picked a first-term Alaska governor with no foreign policy experience if he were a man?

Sometimes sexism goes both ways.

Micah Odor

Pandering
Reply #1 on : Wed September 03, 2008, 23:56:55

Everybody panders. It's what politicians do. I'm not sure that an Obama supporter is able to throw any stones on this issue.

Rob

Pandering....
Reply #2 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 09:29:23

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13129.html

not just McCain folks are making the accusation. Also, like Micah said, if you expect a politician not to pander, you will be disappointed. Politics in Washington is all about two things: Getting power, maintaining power. Pandering to whomever can assist those two things is the norm. That's why I'm choosing to not participate anymore. My allegiance is elsewhere.

Rachel H. Evans

Pandering
Reply #3 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 11:44:03

I agree; all politicians pander..including Obama. I guess that, as a woman, I'm just especially irritated by folks who assume that I'm going to vote for someone just because she is a woman and that I'm going to be outraged by charges of sexism, (even if many of them are baseless.)I don't like it when people assume I can't think for myself.

guitar425

Little Experience?
Reply #4 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 11:46:49

It's funny how being the mayor of a city and the Governor of the largest state in the United States is little executive experience. I don't think that Obama nor Biden have ever been in those offices or anything that is equivalent and she isn't running for president.

Jomo

little experience
Reply #5 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 13:41:18

I agree with guitar425. I had some questions about the experience issue, too but when I compare Palin with Obama/Biden combined, it quickly becomes a non issue. As George Will famously said last week in the Washington Post "Obama hasn't managed so much as a Dairy Queen"

Julianne Hale

Motherist
Reply #6 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 14:52:23

I feel like a hypocrit as I write this but, for me, it speaks to Palin's character that she would choose to take on a project like running for VP with the harsh media spotlight that follows when she has a four-month-old child with special needs and a teenage daughter in crisis. That certainly doesn't seem in line with all of the values that the Evangelicals, who so enthusiastically support her, hold dear.

I asked myself this question: Would I feel the same way if Palin were a man? I would in regards to the teenage daughter because of the media attention she would garnish but, try as I may, I wouldn't feel the same way in regards to the 4-month-old baby. This was a tough pill to swallow for someone who devoured every word Gloria Steinem ever wrote and has had a subscription to MS. magazine since she was 21. I guess that makes me a motherist, huh? Just another quality to add to my long list of things to feel guilty about.

I wonder if other mothers with similar political views feel the same way.

guitar425

Mothers
Reply #7 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 15:25:22

I thought about that as well Julianne. Then I thought, she is a governor now. Is being vice president that different. Seriously, i don't know, but I'm sure it wasn't something she just decided over night. The nomination process is very in depth.

Ian

exacto
Reply #8 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 18:23:19

you hit the nail on the head, Rachel. Palin is a cynical choice by McCain.

Jason

Palin
Reply #9 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 21:27:27

The biggest mistake that the Obama campaign could make is to compare experience. Palin is the only candidate that has ever balanced a budget or led as an executive in government. Concerning foreign policy...what experience does Obama have? Comparing Palin to Obama is not apples to apples to begin with...Obama is running against McCain. Let the people compare the resume of McCain and Obama. Obama as a US Senator entered present 160+ times for yes or no votes. Doesn't sound like he has ever been for change...just the same old same old. How can he promote change when given the opportunity to make change he watched and let others make the decisions...is that what he'll do in the white house? let others make the choices for him and he just say "present"?

Rachel H. Evans

Experience
Reply #10 on : Thu September 04, 2008, 23:51:21

I’ve got no problem acknowledging that Barack Obama is a less experienced politician that John McCain. He’s a relative newcomer to the political scene, which I think is both a strength and a weakness. Like McCain, he does not have executive experience as a mayor or governor, as Sarah Palin has.

However, it’s important to at least acknowledge Obama’s experience. He served in the Illinois State Senate and, as a U.S. Senator, served on the Foreign Relations committee, working on those non-proliferation initiatives we’ve heard so much about. He’s also been a part of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, and traveled the world – meeting many of its leaders. Joe Biden, of course, has even more foreign policy experience than Obama.

Sarah Palin has only been to two countries besides the U.S. She has ABSOLUTELY NO experience meeting with foreign leaders or negotiating foreign policy. She seems like a fine person, but I'm not sure yet if she will be a liability or an asset to the McCain campaign.

But, at the end of the day, I don’t think the election will be about experience. I actually think it’s about Obama. The Republican party wants to reinforce the idea that he’s too risky, that he's too different, and that he's an elitist. They want to put the attention on Obama as a person,in order to distract from the fact that things haven’t exactly been rosy over the past eight years. When you can’t run on policy, you run against a person.

It's important to me that the blog not get too political, so let me be sure to say that I don't think any of these folks - McCain, Palin, Obama, Biden - have the power or change the world or bring about better care for the "least of these" (from the unborn to the uninsured to the victims of war).

At the end of the day, we just gotta vote for who we think will do the best job and then go on loving our neighbors and getting the real work done ourselves.

Minnow

Re: Sarah Palin and Playing the Sexism Card (Because You Asked!)
Reply #11 on : Fri September 05, 2008, 05:43:58

We obviously part ways on who we favor in this election. But I must say I have come to my conclusions not based on personalities but based on voting records. This past session, 96% of the time Biden voted with his party. 94% of the time Obama voted with his party. And, another 2% of the time he voted against both the Democrats and the Rebublicans. 86% of the time McCain voted with his party. Who works more with the opposition? McCain has a long history of fighting wasteful government spending. Palin's short history includes fighting corruption and cronyism in government. I think the Iraq War is finally coming to an end. We are already bringing troops home so Obama's pledge to do so is basically moot. Did McCain pander any more than Obama? Personally I don't see it. Have there been sexist remarks/questions. Sadly, yes. Racist ones as well though not as frequently by the media. What surprises me most however is the number of times Obama and his people can claim that the speeches from the Republican convention are void of substance without being challenged. Did anyone listen to what the Democrats said? The "I would like to's" were high on both sides and the "here is how to's" were sadly lacking. Both candidates say they want to bring our dependance on foreign oil to an end. Both want to create new jobs and improve education. Both sides say a lot. Who has actually done more? Does experience at the top of the ticket or the bottom matter more?
In the end you are right--these four people cannot do it alone. Biblically, they are not responsible for the whole world--we are.

guitar425

Re: Sarah Palin and Playing the Sexism Card (Because You Asked!)
Reply #12 on : Fri September 05, 2008, 08:31:07

Rachel said, "At the end of the day, we just gotta vote for who we think will do the best job and then go on loving our neighbors and getting the real work done ourselves."

Yes, I agree with you there. I would also encourage to share the gospel with those we love.

Julianne

Footnote
Reply #13 on : Fri September 05, 2008, 16:26:14

Someone just gave me some perspective on this. My dream is to be a successful writer. I have two kids and one on the way. If a publisher offered me a book deal right now that included a great deal of publicity and a lengthy book tour, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Those who live in glass houses...

David Day

Ah...politics!
Reply #14 on : Sat September 27, 2008, 15:44:15

Rachel - I'm finding it a lot of fun reading your blog - hope you don't mind responses from your flaming conservative brother-in-law.

I read above, "No one thinks that every time McCain challenges Obama on his lack of experience that McCain is being racist." I see (and hear)from you statements like this (e.g. "everyone in my generation...", or "every other follower of Jesus Christ...", and "No one thinks"...). I've read recent surveys (of Blacks) that say that if Obama is elected, the racism issue is "behind us", but if McCain, then it was because of racism. Come again??

If McCain wins, I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that Obama is the most liberal Senator, has no meaningful I-can-be-President accomplishments to point to in his resume, thinks Big Government can solve our problems (hello!...that's why the economy is melting!), is anti-gun, radically pro-abortion, probably won't have the courage to pursue military options (wonder what Iran will do with their nuclear arsonel? oh, right...they aren't pursuing one), will raise taxes, etc., or that McCain is the *real* person for change (i.e. in the right direction), who along with Sarah have a record of not following the party line "just because" and follow their convictions instead. No...not for those reasons...only because he's part Black. (Who are the real racists these days? Hmmm.)

Anyway - many things are said by both sides that are outrageous. I believe it is merely an attempt to get "air time" and take it away from the other guy. I mean...I'll bet nobody in the McCain camp was really upset by the "lipstick" comment - but it sure provided an opportunity to get Obama off his game a little.

Isn't it interesting how "split-down-the-middle" our country is?

Lydia

I've been wanting to ask you...
Reply #15 on : Sun October 26, 2008, 21:25:34

This question is just plain political, so my apologies since you've just stated that "It's important to me that the blog not get too political"!!

But I am curious about your thoughts on some of the other presidential candidates, since you also say "At the end of the day, we just gotta vote for who we think will do the best job" - by absentee ballot, that is exactly what I've already done, and it is certainly not McCain OR Obama. I think the third party candidates are the ones truly offering change - and actually speaking to the issues closest to my heart. And despite a new plethora of potential problems that can arise with more political parties (pointed out to me by an Indian friend - they have 3 parties) I really do wish we had more options, and don't think I'm alone in that sentiment. Discovering the 3rd party candidates and hearing what they say is the first thing to ever get me interested or involved in politics, and that is saying a lot!

Since politics is really not what your blog is about, I am not expecting a full post on this, but if you do have time to respond on this thread, I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

Thanks, as always for your excellent blog!

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living, learning, and re-thinking fundamentalism in the town that gave it its name

Sarah Palin and Playing the Sexism Card (Because You Asked!)

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