sounds like the last presidential election.

people voted on the basis:  “with which candidate would i rather have a beer?”

You know it’s funny that you mention your sister is into yoga.  One of my co-workers was gaga over Palin after her speech.

She too, is a yoga instructor.  She too is married to a Republican.  I’m not sure if there is a connection, but it weirded me out.

She actually said to me that she thought Palin wasn’t very mean in that speech… because Palin didn’t actually mention any names or some bullshit like that.  I was aghast… and pointed out exactly the spots in the speech where Palin was wrong or mean.

Her only response is that… “I think it’s great there is a woman on the ticket though.  I’ve been waiting all my life for this.”

This woman is nearly 60.  She apparently can’t remember Geraldine Ferarro.  ;)

I am so frustrated with all of those holier than thou liberals who deem it inappropriate to mention anything negative about the Annointed One (Obama), yet see nothing wrong with personal, sexist attacks against Palin. Criticise her professional and political beliefs as much as you like, but leave her family alone! 

The more I hear some liberal women speak, the more I want to distance myself from the feminist movement.  It seems that one is only a feminist when work and radical politics take precedence over family and “traditional” values.  Yet, here is a woman who is choosing to take on one of the most challenging and prestegious roles in the world, and she is demonized for not choosing to stay home with her children!  This is just as hypocritical as those who are against school vouchers, but send their own children to private schools.

umc, there is a difference between “saying something negative” and accusing someone of being a radical muslim or hating America.  It *is* inappropriate to make up lies about someone and keep repeating them as truth, which Obama has had to face for over a year now.

On the other hand, Palin is simply being vetted, which makes sense for someone so completely unknown.  People talk about her daughter being pregnant because it is salacious, like Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant.  That doesn’t make it right, but it doesn’t make it sexist either.

I don’t know of a single elected Democrat who has criticized Palin for having kids at home.  However, she has plenty of legitimate problematic issues, such as being for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it, being under investigation for firing someone for not firing her ex-brother-in-law, for claiming to have foreign policy experience because her state is next to Russia, etc. 

Also, there’s plenty of hypocrisy to spare here. Family values republicans are generally patriarchal and believe women should stay at home with the kids (or at least *someone* should). 

The upshot is that criticism of Palin does not equal sexism.  If it did, then criticism of Obama equals racism.  I don’t think we want to go down that road.

Obama makes bad decisions all the time (FISA *cough cough*), but no one’s perfect. I think it’s fairly obvious to everyone that the person we vote for is most likely not our ideal president but rather the one we like the most. It’s our responsibility to look beyond party lines and educate ourselves about the candidates’ histories and political stances.

As for feminism…it’s the nature of the movement to go against tradition, so I’m not sure what you are expecting from it, umc.

Obama makes bad decisions all the time (FISA *cough cough*), but no one’s perfect. I think it’s fairly obvious to everyone that the person we vote for is most likely not our ideal president but rather the one we like the most. It’s our responsibility to look beyond party lines and educate ourselves about the candidates’ histories and political stances.

As for feminism…it’s the nature of the movement to go against tradition, so I’m not sure what you are expecting from it, umc.

“As for feminism…it’s the nature of the movement to go against tradition.”

Are you kidding me?

You mean, the tradition of women not being criticized for having a career AND a family??!?

Get real.

Those who take this particular approach against Palin aren’t feminists, they’re misogynistic shills. 

For the record, I can’t stand Sarah Palin.  She’s crazy pro-holy-war.  I’m a crazy peace lovin’ Ron Paul supporter. 

That’s an issue I’m responding to.  Not a gender.

Some of these comments are really repugnant.

I am morbidly fascinated by how conservatives like UMC now feel the need and right to cry “sexism” now that Palin is on the scene.  What do they even mean?

“Those liberals are trying to make her talk about issues!” they say. “What a personal attack! What sexists!”

“They are questioning how the abstinence only policies she enforced throughout her state prevented teens (including her own daughter) from having unwanted pregnancies” they say. “What a sexist personal attack!”

Cheney was scrutinized when the anti-gay legislation he backed proved to harm members of his own family.

When the bad social policies you enforce come home to roost, it is political and quite up for discussion. In Palin’s case, the situation is very unfortunate. It is not, however, sexist. It is an example of how her policies as a POLITICIAN have harmed those them impact.

These are almost as good as the story conservatives are concocting about how “liberals” don’t like that Palin is choosing not to stay home with her kids. Nothing like passing the buck on your own thoughts, I guess.

Simply pathetic.

And, rgriscom, feminists have not always just gone “against traditions.” They’ve only gone against those traditions that supported sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.

Ok, here’s the commentary that I wish I could have written. <a href=“http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-ensler/drill-drill-drill_b_124829.html”>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-ensler/drill-drill-drill_b_124829.html</a>.