Not Every Woman Supports Women's Rights
"August 29, 2008
Statement of NOW PAC Chair Kim Gandy on the Selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's Vice Presidential Pick
Sen. John McCain's choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters and get them to vote, ultimately, against their own self-interest.
Gov. Palin may be the second woman vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, but she is not the right woman. Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women's rights, just like John McCain.
The fact that Palin is a mother of five who has a 4-month-old baby, a woman who is juggling work and family responsibilities, will speak to many women. But will Palin speak FOR women? Based on her record and her stated positions, the answer is clearly No.
In a gubernatorial debate, Palin stated emphatically that her opposition to abortion was so great, so total, that even if her teenage daughter was impregnated by a rapist, she would "choose life" -- meaning apparently that she would not permit her daughter to have an abortion.
Palin also had to withdraw her appointment of a top public safety commissioner who had been reprimanded for sexual harassment, although Palin had been warned about his background through letters by the sexual harassment complainant.
What McCain does not understand is that women supported Hillary Clinton not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues. They will surely not find Sarah Palin to be an advocate for women.
Sen. Joe Biden is the VP candidate who appeals to women, with his authorship and championing of landmark domestic violence legislation, support for pay equity, and advocacy for women around the world.
Finally, as the chair of NOW's Political Action Committee, I am frequently asked whether NOW supports women candidates just because they are women. This gives me an opportunity to once again answer that question with an emphatic 'No.' We recognize the importance of having women's rights supporters at every level but, like Sarah Palin, not every woman supports women's rights."
SOURCE
While I may have had my issues with the National Organization of Women in the past, they certianly got this one right...for all the above reasons.
Palin is a brilliant but *insane* choice for McCain who is SERIOUSLY grasping at straws at this point. There seems to be some disturbingly brilliant people behind the scenes at the McCain camp considering the fact that much of the general voting public *will* just be interested in the fact that there's a woman on the ticket and not where she stands on the issues.
Personally, even though I see the brilliance of this campaign move, I'm rather insulted that McCain and his cronies think that Sarah Palin even shares an electoral reality with Hillary Clinton. The beliefs I hold that have created a deep adoration for Hillary Clinton are the same beliefs that give me the desire to set people like Sarah Palin on fire. I'm really not so much concerned with the fact that she has a vagina...Palin is literally standing on McCain's ancient right-wing shoulders patching Hillary's 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. For Christ's sake, she's even against a woman's right to choose in cases of rape and incest!
No...just no. This insanity needs to end now. There are actually people out there - pissed off Democrats - Hillary supporters that are still seriously considering voting McCain to spite the party. These people need their heads examined. For God's sake, just stay home on election day. Hillary will not be impressed by your vote for McCain/Palin...she'll be oppressed by it...and so will you.