Mermaid Musings

Ah, Sarah Palin. The VP debates were disappointing last night, in that Ms. Sarah did not commit any uproarious gaffes. I was let down really. Though I must say that it is telling that the pundits were tripping over themselves to say how much she “exceeded expectations” during the debates.

She is a master, however, at not saying much of anything and in using so many words to do so. I’ve been watching some of the Couric interviews. Gosh, they are painful. That poor woman, having to stifle her own right-wing, fundamentalist beliefs in order to appease those moderate republicans and try to win the ’swing’ voters. Here are a few of her statements that I found fascinating:

On Abortion
Sarah is “unapologetically pro-life,” yet she wouldn’t say that she thinks abortion should be illegal. Only that she would counsel a 15 year old girl who had been raped by a family member to consider other options. I find this interesting. A more moderate pro-lifer - one who doesn’t think women should have abortions, but isn’t willing to take away a woman’s right to make that choice. I must do some research to find the pro-life groups that take this view.

On Emergency Contraception
Revealing her hooplehead ignorance of how EC actually works, Sarah would only say that she believes that life begins at conception and therefore would not choose this form of birth control, and wouldn’t come right out and say that she condemns this (as McCain has done).

On Homosexuality
This one is fascinating. She has a best friend who ‘happens to be gay’ and who made a “choice” that Sarah would not make for herself. First, implying that one’s sexuality is something that one chooses. Second, perhaps this is a stretch here, but inferring that she herself might have ‘chosen’ to be gay, but did not. Methinks the lady might have some closeted bisexuality!

On Feminism
This is the most laughable. Sarah Palin considers herself a feminist. She states her belief that women have every opportunity that men have and have achieved equality. I can’t help but think this is some sick attempt to win over supporters of Hilary Clinton…sick and twisted. As if any self-respecting feminist would say that women have achieved equality? uh hello?

Before I actually watched her on TV, I thought that Sarah Palin was just another ignorant hooplehead pandering to the right-wing fundamentalist masses (or misses? there really aren’t that many of them). But after the debates last night and seeing her in some of these interviews, I don’t think she’s as stupid as she’s pretending to be. I do think she is a dangerous right-wing wingnut who is ill-equipped to hold such a high national office, but I think she’s playing at being stupid to win people over. GW and the whole Joe Six-Pack phenomena has been really successful at convincing Americans that it is a drawback to be smart if you are a politician. That somehow smart people are not to be trusted to find solutions to some of the toughest, most complicated problems ever faced by any society. Some of which will have ramifications for the entire life system of the planet.

I despise Sarah Palin for claiming to be a feminist when she clearly does not believe that women are treated differently than men, for being a consummate politician in her use of language that does not impart any information but mostly for allowing herself to be used by the Republicans in such a sexist way: dumbing herself down and acting cute and adorable to appeal to the average hooplehead who only respects women who are attractive and know their place.

I can’t wait to see Tina Fey on SNL.