I'm really surprised and curious about this. Though she claims she's explained herself, I feel like there is a lot of obfuscation here. What is her real reason? How is she going to "affect change from the outside?" Any guesses?
Every politician who decides they won't run for another term while in office is in the position of maintaining motivation without the muse of pleasing voters for the next go round. It seems disingenious for her to act like the honorable thing is to "pass the ball" so she's not a "lame duck" governor, rather than just, well, not being a lame duck governor. If she's all about what's good for the peeps of Alaska, why can't she finish her term honorably and then move on to other things?
I think there's something fishy going on here, and it's not just she and Todd out on the lake with a couple a reels.
And check out her daughter, Piper, playing with her flip flops. She's the same little firecracker who licked her brother's hair down during the Republican National Convention. I love that girl's irrepressible quirks.
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I don't know much about the guy who's gonna be the next governor, Sean Parnell. I'm checking it out, now.
He has been criticized for being an empty suit and a hair cut. Same lacking grasp of policy without the charisma.
Hmmm...I'm surprised, too. Maybe something happened in her family?
Maybe she has her own scandal brewing and she's trying to get out in front of it.
She hasn't been visiting Argentina lately, has she?
I love that she begins that speech emphasizing "choice." I'm sure the irony is lost on her.
"Irony" is what she tells her dry-cleaner to do to her pleats, beyond that it has no meaning for her.
I'm guessing her talk show on FOX news came through and she wants to get away from all the scandals in AK.
two reasons I can think of 1. another scandal is about to break out. 2. she's been hanging around with those religious nuts for so long they've finally convinced her that her place is in the home, barefoot and pregnant.
Actually, "lame duck" is more about having less political power because the legislature knows you're going to be gone soon. So where they might not be willing to go up against a popular executive who might be reelected indefinitely, they can do stuff like refuse to compromise and wait to see if the next executive will make a better deal.
I don't know why she's resigning, but Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham might have known something when they were on Meet The Press last week. David Gregory asked who the leaders of the GOP are, and Romney and Graham named one another. Then they each talked about themselves for a couple minutes. Then, David Gregory asks if Sarah Palin is a leader. You know, since that's one of the first names that comes out of Republicans' mouths when they're asked who makes up the future of the GOP. Lindsey Graham said "absolutely," but I think it was strange that neither of them mentioned Sarah Palin right away. And David Gregory must have thought it was odd too, or else he wouldn't have asked.
Could it have also been that they don't tend to think of female names when they hear "Republican leader", despite Palin's visibility in the last couple of years?
there's obviously a scandal. you don't announce something big on a friday afternoon before a holiday weekend when you want it to be front-page material for more than 30 seconds. of course, that was the age before the 24-hour news cycle, but palin doesn't seem to grasp the whole "stuff you say on video will be circulated on the internet so if you contradict yourself/say something idiotic or batshit insane you WILL be caught" either, so i hardly think this is strategy for anything other than go out quietly. as quietly as someone so addicted to mugging for the camera can go, of course.
you also don't quit mid-term if you plan to run for pres. if that was the plan, she'd serve out her term, announce her intention not to run for re-election sometime next year coupled with her plan to run for president. this just makes her look like a) she's unreliable--can't even be counted on to serve out a term in office and b) like she can't take the heat. neither of these helps in a presidential run. there's no way her advisors would support such a move.
my guess is it's financial scandal, although who knows, it could be another kind completely.
Placing my bets on a financial scandal too. She's too tenacious to be taken down by any sort of personal drama.
How is this related to feminism?
Shouldn't this be in the post with the Will Smith video?
Breaking news is fair game. Anybody can report on it, and it's something the feministing community would want to discuss.
Because Sarah Palin is one of the most visible women in American politics; she claims she is resigning from the highest post in her state because her family asked her to do so; she's obliterated her chances of becoming president (debatable though those chances were in the first place); and there will surely be a maelstrom of anti-feminist crap from the right regarding her decision.
When Sarah Palin is the subject, anti-feminist crap comes from the left as well as the right.
YES.
You're right, I totally agree. I knew as soon as I posted that comment I shouldn't have been so specific.
I made the mistake earlier of suggesting to some "progressives" insulting Sarah Palin with misogyny wasn't cool, that there were ways to describe her without resorting to sexist language. I was pretty much shouted out of the room.
Then again, I've put up with a decade of "Ann Coulter is a tranny" jokes from people on the progressive left, so my expectations aren't too high.
Agree. It's pretty sad that the "why is this feminist" question had to be asked about a woman's career decision. I strongly disagree with Palin's social policies as I'm sure the asker of this question does as well, but I don't think that my agreeing or disagreeing with Palin means that I have the right to deem her not a woman, or to deem her career and decisions surrounding it not feminist issues. It's disappointing to me that anyone else would, fan or not fan.
Hi Marie,
It feels like a feminist issue to me because she's such a terrifying representation of what a woman is. Robotic, ignorant and proud of it, anti-choice and proud of it, slightly to the right of Genghis Khan.. we've been waiting so long for powerful women to take centre stage in politics, but this isn't what we've been waiting for!
Just my view....
S
I hope I'm wrong but I suspect, based on no information whatsoever (this is pure speculation), that the baby's health condition may be worse than we've been led to believe.
I really dislike her but I hope this isn't the issue as well. No one wants an innocent child to be sick :(
Much as I can't stand her, I hope that's not true. It would be a terrible thing. However, I think that if Palin had to resign because of Trig's illness, she'd shout it from the rooftops, because it would make her look like a good mother (in case she was able to return to politics), instead of a politician making an inexplicable decision.
I think that Governor Palin is trying to get out in front of something before it comes to light. Especially since she isn't even going to complete her term. Also, her so-called press conference was a mess. One would think that as a seasoned politician, she would have been more polished in her remarks. She sounded illiterate and dysfunctional.
Illiterate and dysfunctional? That seems a bit harsh. Even if you consider her not polished, it's quite a jump to say she sounded illiterate.
It would be harsh if were inaccurate, but listen again or read the transcript here: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/exec-column.php
The grammar and cogency of her statement are disconcertingly poor. I know that she isn't known to be an especially eloquent speaker in general, but this seems like either the feigned folksiness has been cranked past 11 or someone's up past their bedtime.
It's uncommon for a public figure, even her, to speak so ineloquently. I think it does bear remarking upon.
I agree. Calling her illiterate is insulting to people who do struggle with certified illiteracy, but her resignation announcement is without a doubt as ineloquent, wandering, nonsensical, and sophomoric in its style as the stuff from which "Bushism" calendars are made.
There have been attempts to diagram her sentences:
http://www.slate.com/id/2201158/
1) Might be some sort of scandal.
2) She wants to run for president and needs to develop some sort of national identity.
3) Is sick of the media firestorm and would feel more comfortable fighting it by having her own tv show where she can earn money while doing that. And since this is the lamest choice, I feel this choice is probably most likely. And it makes me sad because we don't need another tv pundit, we need women in actual political positions not just hot air. And we have enough hot air (or heck, any sort of air).
This does seem hard to understand, but why "fishy?" I'm sure it will become clear in the next few months. I'd rather find out the straight answer when it's ready than be given a bullshit one now, as when a certain political candidate who became Senator in 2004 swore he'd serve out his term and not run for Prez in 08. Don't remember anyone calling that "fishy" at the time... interesting.
Well, Obama decided to run for president in large part because of the massive groundswell of popular support for him and the widespread desire for him to run for president. Due to that, it came across to me (and probably to others) as him legitimately changing his mind.
If you think the "massive groundswell of support" came before and not after he decided to change his mind (aka break his promise), I know of a bridge on sale...
I knew people who were hyping him well before he decided to run.
People hyped him after his 2004 speech, and before he made his promise to serve out his term without campaigning for Prez. He already knew about that. No, like many of his other promises (FOCA, DOMA, etc.) this one was made with fingers crossed.
i placed my bet on that she's pregnant, or there's a health concern for her or one of her kids. which, if true, is pretty sad. i find palin's politics detestable, but i don't wish her or her family personal ill health/harm. if i'm right, there's a beer with my name on it. alaskan amber, natch. ;)
it just doesn't seem right to me that she's running for prez in 2012. this is too early to start actively running. not to mention, the biggest strike against her this go-round was her lack of experience. this would do her no favors, to my mind.
i also considered potential scandal, but then it would seem she'd make her resignation effective immediately. it's possible, though.
the one thing that i think sucks about her leaving office is that i appreciated having woman politicians of the younger generation in positions of national prominence. it seems that for women to rise to those upper echelons of government, they have to be done with their child-rearing or not have children at all (hillary clinton, nancy pelosi, janet napolitano, etc.) i want younger women and women with younger children to enjoy the same success.
To be fair, a lot of men in national politics are older as well. It's just usually a thing where you either have to go to law school, work up from city or state level, or both.
There very well might be women her age who will be in national politics later, but just haven't finished their journey there yet.
The rummor mill in Alaska is that there is a scandal A-bomb that is/was going to be dropped.
One of Alaska's respected bloggers, Dennis Zaki, apparently has the goods. (From one of my favorite bloggers at http://www.andrewhalcro.com/palin_resigns_exit_stage_right).
I have read here and there it may have something to do with her having a house built, with labor and supplies 'donated' at a 100% discount, but that is speculation at this point.
I've heard that as well, with the discount coming from a company she gave a $10+million contract to.
That link's apparently died since you posted it, Steven, is it available anywhere else?
The page is still there (for me, anyway), it's just that clicking on the link doesn't work because it's acquired a couple of extra bits of punctuation. http://www.andrewhalcro.com/palin_resigns_exit_stage_right should work. (Why so much software gets this wrong I don't know.)
That makes so much sense! I always wondered why she had a big, expensive looking house yet the RNC had to buy her and her family clothes for the campaign.
What struck me most about this was how quickly she spoke. She sounded almost as if she was just trying to get through it as fast as possible.
As much as I loathe this woman for what she stands for, and as much as she's brought on much of the attention, she's had to deal with a lot. This just struck me as maybe not something she really wanted to do, but felt like was the only way to stop being the butt of political jokes.
Three scenarios:
1) Sarah Palin resigns because of family issues. If this is the case, the attacks need to stop, and she even gets points for putting her family first. Although if this is the case, we cannot ignore the conversation of why women generally feel the obligations to give up their careers for family. After all, John Edwards ran a presidential campaign AND an affair while his wife was going through cancer treatment.
2) A political tempest is brewing for Gov. Palin. If this were the case, then any hopes of 2012 or 2016 just went out the window. In a day and age where the GOP is just on its knees and reeling, even four years from now, the GOP will as much as possible stay away from any scandals at all. Mark her off as another Sanford.
3) She "resigns" to start exploratory committees for a presidential bit, or to vie for the Senate seat as a stepping stone in 2016. If this were the case, her career should be over, too. The word, in this case, is "quit." As commander of the Alaska National Guard, while troops currently in Iraq, Sarah Palin quit. Soldiers don't get to quit, so why does she as their boss? The spin, if she does run, will be that no Soldier can trust a leader who quit on them, and that a quitter does not deserve to be commander-in-chief.
Unless it's scenario 1, Sarah Palin's career is over. While I feel bad for her family in this case, this is something positive for women in America. Sarah Palin, with all her charisma and following, was the poster child of the Republican Party - and a threat to feminism.
On a completely unrelated note, Happy 4th of July! This is the best of July I've ever had! Joe Biden is here in Iraq, and will speak to us this afternoon! I hope to shake his hand and thank him for VAWA! ;) Joe Biden is my hero!
That's cool, Marc! I hope you get to meet him. He's a true "Mr. Mom"! I love dads like him.
Thank "god" that this will prob. ruin any chances of her running in 2012.
Women who are anti-feminist are the worst kind, in my opinion. I love how she says "choice" (as mentioned above)
In the time since Palin has become a national figure, she has had more then ten lawsuits brought upon her, all of which have been dismissed. Although I do not agree with her, it seems like ever since she was on the McCain ticket, people have been in overdrive trying to dig stuff up on her, and I think that it is shameless and sad. She is reportedly $500,000 in debt from lawyer fees, and maybe realized that she could be payed well for public speaking. She has seemed to speak better infront of GOP'ers anyway.
There could be another "scandal" but I really hope not. If there is, that sucks. I like to think that she is aware of the constant examination of her life enough to realize that she can't get away with much. I know that by being a public figure she let the media in to an extent, but things have gotten kind of ridiculous.
If she is resigning to deal with a family crisis, I wish her and her family all the best.
If she is resigning in the hope that we won't notice she's getting indicted for embezzlement....weeellll... sorry. We have longer memories than that.
Also.
Spelling error there Courtney, it should be "effect" change not "affect".
By the way, if anyone wants to disagree with me I suggest you look up your rules first - lots of blowhards out there who think "effect" can only be a noun.
The only blowhard here is you for. Nothing to better to do and have nothing to contribute to the conversation?
According to the AP Style Guide, used by the majority of news publications and considered the journalist Bible, "affect" was used correctly in this case. While "effect" is also acceptable, it rarely gets used.
If you want to be an ass about it, I'll go copy editor on your ass.
How about you put a comma between "there" and "Courtney," and actually put the period inside the quotation marks after "affect?"
Also, those would have looked better in two sentences. Example: Spelling error there, Courtney. It should be "effect" ...
You also failed by missing another comma after "change."
Also, comma after "me" as well.
Next time you feel like correcting someone, try to learn a thing or two about grammar and writing.
But don't take my word for it, I've only worked for newspapers for eight years.
Wow you really are a blowhard; it was only a light-hearted comment. Clearly I'm not the only loser with too much time on their hands if you're looking this up in the AP style guide!
I don't have access to the guide itself, but the first search that came up on google when I looked up "ap style guide affect effect" goes against what you said:
-----------------
affect, effect
—Each is a verb and a noun. In practice, however, "affect" is used most often as a verb and usually means to influence or change: Many drugs affect the nervous system. "Affect" as a verb can also mean to feign or simulate: He affected poor grades to gain sympathy. When used as a noun, "affect" means a feeling or emotion (as distinguished from thought or action) and is confined to psychology.
"Effect" is used most often as a noun and means a result or outcome: Many drugs have serious effects on the nervous system. His complaints had no effect on the dean. When used as a verb, "effect" means to cause or bring about: To effect change in the patient's condition, physicians had to use drugs.
-----------------
The AP style "study guide" says:
affect, effect: Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the
standings. Affect, as a noun, is best avoided.
Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company.
Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the
effect of his actions.
-----------------
Both of these sources contradict you. I'm interested in what the AP style guide says, but until then I'll have to assume you're not much of a copy editor, even after 8 years...
NB: In Britain we also generally put the full stop (or "period", if you will) outside of quotations, unless the quote is a self-contained sentence. Your other stylistic comments may or may not have merit from a journalistic standpoint.
Well, I was about to post how you could take your silly, grade school grammar argument outside this thread, but then it hit me:
This proves how insignificant Palin is politically. Some of us would rather get riled up over whether to put a period in or out of the quotes than discuss this cipher of an oxygen-consumer.
These comments may have absolutely nothing to do with Palin, but as a Secondary English Education major, I find them fascinating!
What do you do with that degree?
Is there money in it?
ATTN Feministing Crew:
The next time you're hanging out with President Bill Clinton, tell him that if any Dems come up in a race against Sarah Palin, they should use the word "QUITTER" to characterize her the same way that Bush II used "FLIP-FLOPPER" to characterize John Kerry!
Palin is a crook like every other politician.
Or she wanted to be in the news a little bit more because the whole "I could beat obama in a race" stunt didn't work out to her advantage.
she wasn't helping the gop. or anyone... but herself.
Any thoughts on the relation to Sanford and Pawlenty as GOP bids in 2012?
The thing that gripes me about this resignation is the GOPers quoted as saying that this was a bad move for her, since it will leave her with less than three years' experience on her resume if she hopes to make a White House bid in '12.
BUT SHE WAS *MORE* QUALIFIED *NINE MONTHS AGO*, WHEN SHE HAD LESS THAN *TWO* YEARS' EXPERIENCE???
GOP, you mystify me.
Sanford has no chance for 2012 since he was found out about lady o' argentina.
i'm thinking bobby jindal is the most promising candidate for the gop.
right?
After Bobby Jindal's speech where he was channeling Kenneth the Page? Maybe not.
Mitt Romney is probably going to run again, but that's expected.
Also, apparently Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced he's not going to run for re-election in 2010, and he probably is going to run for president.
IDK, but she sure is putting all the emphasis in her speech on "CHOICE" and "WILLING" that perhaps it isn't purely her choice, but she wants it to seem as if it is.
...it's not just she and Todd out on the lake with a couple a reels.
"HER." "...it's not just her and Todd out on the lake..."
And lost_calendar is right about "effect."
Grammar is important in writing.
Actually, "she" is technically right. After the verb "to be," you're supposed to use a predicate nominative, a subject pronoun, not an object pronoun.
Not conversational grammar, but academically correct.
are you serious? wtf is with all the grammar arguing in this thread? quit it. it's classist and offensive. no language or dialect is superior to any other. one-upping someone about their "wrong" language perpetuates the same system that gets people denied housing because they "sounded black/latino/poor" on the phone.
How about some capital letters, or are those symbols of oppression too?
There is nothing classist about using correct grammar and spelling. I get that you are trying to sound egalitarian, but there are plenty of people who grew up in bumfuck and didn't go to college, or who immigrated here, who can speak and write correctly. So your comment actually seems a little racist--and dare I say "classist," to borrow your word--because it suggests that if English isn't your native language, or you didn't have the benefit of higher education, you are by default incapable of communicating well.
Also, I work as an editor (and make very little money doing so), so I take more than a little offense at the suggestion that correct use of language isn't important, especially if you're trying to speak persuasively. I agree that you should not belittle people, but please do not suggest that communicating well is some kind of bourgeois conspiracy. Thank you.
My comment was perhaps accusatory (annoyance at Sarah Palin thread being pointlessly derailed by grammar) so I'm changing my tone. Really, I'm not just making this up to sound inclusive and score points. I didn't say (or clearly intend to imply) that ESOL speakers or low-income speakers can't communicate well. What I said was that no language or dialect is superior to any other. What I meant by that was that all language that comes out of people's mouths is by default grammatical (innate grammar, noam chomsky, yadda yadda, [i'm simplifying don't attack me linguists!]), so therefore it's silly to say that any person's grammar is more or less correct than any other. It's society that gives one person's grammar more cache than another's. We're working under different models of language here. It's the English major (prescriptive grammar) vs. Linguistics major (descriptive grammar) argument.
The prescriptive grammar model typically holds that there's a correct way to speak/write and an incorrect way to speak/write. The descriptive grammar model says that all languages/dialects/accents have complex rules of grammar/phonology/etc, that those rules are innate, and so anything that comes out of a person's mouth is pretty much grammatical -- e.g. there is no correct or incorrect. (I'm simplifying this argument drastically btw in order to try not to derail any further).
The problem is that most of society favors the prescriptive grammar model and therefore favors people who speak "correctly" (e.g. language that connotes upper-class white American English devoid of regional markers). So what I'm actually trying to say is that there is no "correct" or "incorrect" except as asserted by the people who have power in our society and that they typically assert "incorrect" language to be that of people who are marginalized. Maybe classist wasn't the perfect word but the issue is really tied up with race, class and kyriarchy. Nitpicking someone's grammar seems to me to be a way to assert linguistic privilege -- it doesn't contribute productively to the discussion and it feels to me like point-scoring.
I'm not saying that using language/accent/dialect that passes as standard (e.g. using "correct" language) isn't important to people's success. Clearly it is, or else people wouldn't be discriminated against because of it. I'm also sure that no one is intending to be classist/racist/whatever (society's sneaky like that), so sorry to offend. I'm just saying that maybe, in a feminist space, we should examine our linguistic privilege to make sure we're not reinforcing that power structure. It seems like a descriptive grammar model is more congruent with feminist ideas of privilege & power and it makes me sad (and yes irritated) when I see ppl in feminist spaces using a prescriptive model that seems to me to be cross-purposes with the ideology of most feminisms.
Huh...
And all this time I thought attacking someones grammar for the sake of attacking their grammar was passive aggressive.
... 'cause it is so much easier than addressing their argument. A sign of intellectual infertility, if you will.
Focusing on someone's grammatical error is indeed petty and douchey. That doesn't mean (and you're not the one claiming) that all grammar is equal and proper.
Focusing on someone's grammatical error is indeed petty and douchey. That doesn't mean (and you're not the one claiming) that all grammar is equal and proper.
There's a distinction between writing in a different dialect and making errors in one's own dialect, though.
Ok, folks. I get it. I am an imperfect writer, especially when I try to post some news quickly to make sure our readers know before I head out for my weekend fun. It's pretty discouraging that folks are picking my grammar apart when I was just trying to start a conversation in our community about an important issue, FYI.
Don't be discouraged. Most of us here don't give a shit about that and just scroll by these threads.
Sarah Palin is still big. It's the Alaska that's gotten small.
At least I don't have to see or hear about her anymore. That is all. I wish her family well, but jeez, am I tired of her and her nonsense. Happy 4th to me!
Here in Alaska there's been some speculation that she might be gearing up for a Senate run. Lisa Murkowski's term is up next year. Or, she might be trying to get an early start on a war chest for a presidential run. Maybe both.
Something very strange is going on here. She's up to something. I don't know what yet, but that lady always has something up her sleeve.
As a fellow Alaska, I think that is suicide for SP. The Senators numbers are better than Palin's (favorable and disfavorable both) and when you add in the fact she quit ONE job it makes no sense.
I don't think SP is interested in a legislative job, being one of 100 in the senate... she needs to be the center of attention and she would not take being a junior senator from Alaska, and one of the most junior senators in the whole Senate.
I am no fan of Palin, but I have to admit that I'm really excited to see what happens next. Scandal? Senate run? Presidential run? I sense a lot of hubris.
Whatever happens, I just really, really hope that Tina Fey does another Palin skit for SNL.
I want to see who runs against Sean Parnell... I think he is going to get ripped to shreds in the Republican primary.
On the (D) side of the ticket I like state Sen. French.
That was my first thought as I was listening to the speech - she kept going on about how she was going to fight for Alaska but not as governor. It sounded like she was planning to run for national office. I really don't know why I'm trying to read between the lines though. The speech was incomprehensible - she could be planning to build a rocket and launch herself to the moon for all I know.
The moon will come to her.
Of course, anyone who points out the idiocy of polling your children for what to do with your policical career when even the oldest 2 are only 19 and 14 is an old meanie.
I wonder if it was the 14 month old that said, "Hell yes," or the one a little older.
I think this clears it up: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/07/committing-journalism.html
I think that resigning will be a very large target for people to attack. Although, the reasons behind the resination will be interesting to watch develope.
The only scandal behind the Governors resignation is the rumors that are created by her detractors. Has anyone here researched the ethics complaints against her? 13 out of fifteen have been dismissed. The 14th was resolved by her reimbursing the State for travel by her childern...and the 15th Troopergate was what I would consider a draw... one ruling against Todd Palin and one absolving her.
In a feminist blog site, I would expect more discussion about the personal attacks on SP and her family, the insults thrown at her looks and sex corrolating to her intelligence. Such as relating her to a stewardess... isn't that a truly sexist and anti feminist remark. Does anyone here remark on that? Or is it OK because she's a conservative feminist?
I also find it ironic that SP's family size is derided, and that Bristol's single motherhood is brutalized.
On one hand we up lift single mothers, but Bristol is laughed at for being sexually active and having a child... because her parents are pro-life? I'd like to say I don't get it, but I do. Many feminists think she is proof that abstinance doesn't work, or that abortion is the answer. But I see it a little differently. I see a brave young woman who has faced an entire nation with her very personal situation. She seems to be doing well under the circumstances. I would say that it is a notable thing to point out how a strong family, a supportive extended family can make a difference in such a case.
I see SP resignation as a mixed bag of things. The endless personal and professional attacks have limited her ability to govern. The national Democractic party is not going to allow her to be sucessful as Governor, which would utimately hurt Alaska, and she believes she can do more for her state as a private citizen.
I also am aware that my grammer, punctuation and literary style is not up to editorial par, but I would rather engage in a discussion about circumstances and events. I do not aspire to publish anything... although I thought that editors existed be cause most people do not have an extrodinary grasp of formal prose. So, I'll be content to be in the majority.
Hmmm...thought this was interesting.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/06/sarah.palin.fbi/index.html
Call me naive but I take her at her word.
I think analyzing and speculating why she resigns feeds into the gender stereotype that women never mean what they say...
I listened to what she said. It was painful to listen to but I believe her reasons, however convoluted they were.
I'm glad she's gone, of course,(hopefully for good)but I maintain my belief in her statement.
You're naive. Furthermore, you haven't been paying attention since September if you take that person at her word.
That was unnecessary...
Its comments like that that discourage people with differing opinions from posting
I suspect that twenty years from now the Palin hysteria ( and yes I mean that word) will be taught in women's studies courses as the point where ingrained cultural sexism became too blatent for even politicians to ignore.
Yes, she is a Republican. Yes, she is a conservative. Yes, her politics are far from those loved by most of the posters here. Good enough.
NONE of that explains the absolute storm of sexualized hatred from supposed progressives who tell us they not only know better but *do* better.
I can understand the desire to lie about her actual beliefs and to hype any personal or public failings while the campain endures. There is, after all, the chance that voters will be swayed. But the continued waves of mindless offense has been a sickening disgrace to what should be a culture of reasoned thought.
The poster who ( all too recently) wished death to - if I remember the quote "the pig and her piglets". The 'comics' who thought rape jokes were funny. (There have been so many of these that it has almost become bland.) The slut-shaming attacks on Bristol. (Who is not running for any office that I know of.) For that matter - the cries of 'slut' against a married woman who - for all I know - is actually quite loyal to her marriage.(Not that 'slut' is an acceptable term even if she was not. When was a male politician ever called a 'slut'?) The attacks on the way she dresses. The attacks on the numbers of her children. Need I go on?
I will complement the moderators of Feministing. They have spoken out boldly against the wave of hate. That is the prime reason I still think of this as a safe place to be a woman. I thank them for that.
So many other places that passed themselves off as allies have proved otherwise, I think real feminism needs all the sanctuary it can get.
John Edwards and Mark Sanford are sluts. Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich are skankedy-ass chingados whores.
LOL
And as this is in politics, I find it interesting that SP is characterized as "crazy" 4 leaving everyone in wonderment.
She is no longer allowed to do her job. She is harassed and blocked at every angle. Alaska suffers because she is demonized by her pundits.
The point here should be whether her gender is being assaulted.
It is interesting to me when a feminist attacks another woman using sexist comments to ridicule a difference in opinion.
I thought feminisism was meant to incourage and embolden women to speak out and champion thier beliefs and causes?
My mom taught me that feminism wasn't about car doors and last names... but about personal conviction and standing up.