Lipstick on a pig

Nothing highlights sexism more than a woman seeking power. Over the years we’ve become accustomed to the media remarking on a woman’s clothing and family regardless of the issue in the news, but this year denigration of women was in hyper-drive. From one end of the political spectrum to the other, from snide remarks to overt insults, our fellow citizens have made it clear that a person will not be judged by the content of their character, but by the configuration of their sex parts.
I’ll leave other examples for later because I would like to concentrate on Sarah Palin first. I was relieved that Obama did not chose a token woman running mate. I wouldn’t have been insulted if John McCain had chose one of the many qualified Republican women, but he was looking to gain money and support from the religious right so he thought that Sarah Palin would get them involved without alarming the country with a man of the same beliefs- because voters take men seriously, and that would cost McCain votes.
So instead, he gave us W in lipstick. Palin and Bush both have the same folksy appeal, both appear harmless and charming.
Sexism has been part of the approved discussion ever since, which is probably a Rovian touch. The media and campaigns try to stay away from it, but the general public and especially the left-wing commentators can’t resist making remarks about the beauty queen persona. And they think they are pointing out significant character flaws by calling her a ‘babe.’ AND they don’t even know why that is a sexist and futile argument.
George Bush hid his extreme and bizarre beliefs while opponents focused on his good ole boy demeanor. Now the same thing is happening with Palin. Once again, this sexist country is in for a big surprise. Hiding behind a kittenish facade is a mean-spirited, powerful, smart, and successful politician. We patronized Bush as being an under-achiever, hardly worth taking seriously. Look where that got us.
Stop. Stop talking about her being a babe, being sexy, being a beauty queen. Conquer your sexism and realize that an extreme, driven, and frightening human being might end up with a nuclear arsenal at the disposal of her twisted vision.
Nancy Sherer