The Palin Problem

Is it just me, or has the U.S. Presidential election become a big chick-fest?

First, it was Hilary and her historical campaign. Next, the media shone the spotlight on Michelle Obama. Cindy McCain got her fifteen minutes too, but now we're barraged with the newest girl on the block, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

As I mentioned in a previous article, I'm not 100% in favor of a woman in the White House, and the election coverage from the past few weeks is a perfect example of why.

All of the above-mentioned women are smart, to say the least. They have Master's Degrees, Doctorates, proven leadership abilities, skills in countless areas, and years of work and life experience.

They have run businesses, organizations, and even towns. They have established charities, relief efforts, and legislation. They have managed finances, employees & families.

Are they any less capable than their male counterparts? Generally speaking, no. But will they ever be taken as seriously? Probably not.

Somewhere between Pat Benetar and Miley Cyrus, the women's movement regressed significantly. The image of power and dominance in the workplace has, in many circumstances, been replaced with an irrelevance of sorts, an embarrassing, demeaning, no-girls-allowed-in-the-boys'-club type of stigma.

Senators Obama & McCain are synonymous with issues, law & policy, while the women, no matter how hard they try to be serious, will always be talked about in the context of frivolity and ''politics lite''. It's as if the pundits & public alike still imagine these accomplished women settling debates by way of pillow fighting, followed by a cup of tea and a good cry.

In the same issue of a prominent newspaper, articles about the Senators talked about their positions on health care reform, while an article about Hilary Clinton contained a detailed breakdown of the cost of the outfit she wore at the Democratic Convention. Similarly, there was an article about Joe Biden's take on Iran, and a story about Gov. Palin's possible affair with her husband's business partner. Why? You don't see, "Obama: Boxers or Briefs?" making headlines.

Now consider the Republican Party for a moment. John McCain, among others, has spent the past year criticizing Obama's lack of experience; as a matter of fact, I would fairly say that is their main point of contention with Obama's candidacy.

Then McCain announces, in a much-anticipated, make-or-break campaign move, out of the dozens of qualified and suitable candidates for Vice President, he's chosen Sarah Palin.

Palin is the Governor of Alaska. Before that she was a sportscaster, city council member, Mayor of her town for two years, and led the State Energy Commission. Not exactly a glowing resume for someone who could potentially, considering John McCain's age and health, be in charge of running one of the largest and most influential nations on Earth.

Without making this a job-by-job comparison, I'll say that Obama's experience is considerably more impressive, especially on a national level.

What a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. The biggest case the GOP has against Obama is inexperience, and McCain chooses someone even greener to be his running mate. Classic.

Maybe he thought she'd attract Democratic defectors, acting as a replacement for Hilary. Perhaps he thought a fresh face would be better for the campaign than a Washington regular. Either way, his choice for V.P. was intentional, and (one would think) well thought out by many a campaign advisor. I'm sure there is some intelligent method to his madness, isn't there?

Or did he just choose her because he needed an attention-grabbing figure? Someone the press could and would talk about, who's wardrobe they could scrutinize, whose marriage they could investigate, who's family they could criticize, and who's life they could pick apart. Someone who's professional relevance they could ignore in favor of concentrating on the more sensational aspects of their life.

Maybe John could sense that he's too boring. That his wife, Stepford personified, isn't terribly exciting either. And that Obama is too far ahead for him to rely on conventional methods to catch up. After all, he'd be doing all the work, who cares what experience the Vice President has? He just needs a star to join his team so the media can usher him into the White House.

The point is, if Sarah Palin was a man, John McCain would have passed over his credentials with a laugh. His motive was to take advantage of the public's appetite for esthetic and style and scandal, while half-heartedly trying to convince us all that he picked "the best candidate for the job". Yeah right.

I hope the day comes when leadership is genderless, but Sarah Palin's nomination isn't bringing us any closer to that day.