Sarah Palin under glass
Two things I must confess upfront: 1) this is totally from my gut…no research involved, which is odd for me because I usually don’t write on anything I haven’t researched, and; 2) I am a Sarah Palin fan.
I have been watching the coverage of her announcement to resign as governor of Alaska and am troubled by it. Regardless of what you think of her or her politics, it seems to me that she is taking more heat than the average politician for her decision.
Again, put aside politics and ideology because my purpose for this post is not to champion a point of view but looking through the gender lens. My question is: would a male politician who did the same thing Sarah Palin is doing receive the same scrutiny or criticism, regardless of party? I don’t think so.
Take John McCain, for example. Over the years, he’s positioned himself and been labeled as “a maverick” for making decisions and taking stands that have been seen as risky or against the grain. President Obama has branded himself as being an agent of change, doing things that are not the norm in politics. He is lauded for doing so.
Sarah Palin makes an uncoventional move and she’s lampooned. All the talking heads on the newschannels with their political
experts shake their heads with disdain over Palin’s decision.
For all the talk out there for the advancements we’ve made as a country – such as now having the first black president in American history – it’s still apparent that some people are supposed to know their roles.
And now we are on the road to repairing the cracks in the glass ceiling Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton created during the 2008 presidential campaign.
One step forward, two steps back.
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
July 11, 2009 -
Posted by eshoars |
Uncategorized | Barack Obama, glass ceiling, Sarah Palin
You couldn’t be more wrong. Look, there are lots of successful women in politics from both parties. Sarah Palin is a disaster due to her own failings. Are you forgetting about male politicians like Ensign, Sanford, Blago, and Spitzer?
A couple of thoughts to your post:
1) Palin did not resign or get removed from office due to an affair or misconduct in office like the men to which you referred. She made a calculated political decision, which she is taking heat over. My question is: would male politicians – regardless of party affiliation – be taking the same heat for a calculated political decision? They might face second-guessing, but not to the degree as Palin is. It seems to me that with Palin the criticism is as personal as it is political, for whatever reason.
2) I didn’t state that there aren’t successful women in politics, there are. But that’s not the point. There are a lot of successful women in a lot of sectors – public and private – who face different standards and criticisms that their male counterparts do not. How many women have been serious contenders for the vice-presidency or presidency? Two VP candidates – Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Sarah Palin in 2008. One Presidential – Hillary Clinton in 2008. Nancy Pelosi is the first female Speaker in the House of Representatives. Go look at how many women Senators and Representatives are currently in Congress out of 535 total members. It’s still a man’s world in politics.
I believe the way Sarah Palin is being treated hurts all women in politics, not just her.
Thanks for your post. I appreciate you checking out my blog.
I know you are a Sarah Palin fan, that is why I’m surprised that you are not more disappointed in her inability to be a good politician. Preciously because of the gender bias in media, she needs to be more ready than the males to truly bust through the ceiling. That’s how ceilings are broken. Through smashingly difficult work.
Palin has had more than a year now to study history that she missed in school regarding foreign affairs and even our own country’s history. Yet Glen Beck threw her a softball question: “Who is your favorite founding father?” She resorted to her standard I’m-going-to-attempt-to-deflect technique: “All of them.” What? Even if that is true, show us you can name them in your answer. Then, when he pressed a bit and she did pick a name, it was George Washington, not even someone who had signed the Constitution.
I’m a huge Hillary Clinton fan – no secret to anyone who knows me. But I’m a bigger fan of getting quality women elected to high office. In fact, I was getting ready to vote for Elizabeth Dole years ago, but based on her missteps toward the end of her tenure in the Senate, I’m sorta glad that didn’t happen.
Sarah Palin is a disappointment to me as a politician. Not as a woman. Is she being treated unfairly by the media? Yes. But is a great deal of the criticism regarding her political ineptness warranted? Yes.
The presidential glass ceiling will be broken someday. And I won’t care which party does it as long as the politician who accomplishes it can truly lead our country. In my opinion, Sarah Palin has a long way to go to inspire that sort of confidence.
The way Sarah Palin is being treated isn’t what’s hurting women in politics. Sarah Palin is hurting women in politics. She needs to show up with intellect and political abilities that outclass the entire field. That’s the only way this will happen. It’s the Jackie Robinson barrier breaking way.
Thanks for writing your book.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Governor Palin has flaws, like any public figure, but I believe the media’s coverage of her has been more about her personally than her politics. In politics, there is much that is fair game. My belief,however, is that the type of coverage Palin has gotten is damaging to all women, regardless how qualified the next wave of women candidates are.