Palin and the Double Standard

[trainedmonkey]

1) People say the family thing is only an issue because she is a woman. Not for me in the slightest. If the VP candidate were a man with five children, one of which is 4 months old with special needs and one is 17 years old and pregnant, I would likewise say that he should not be elected. Sure it can be done. But either family or country will be

Comments

[yattaboe]

1) I don't know. I think if someone, male or female, is to run for office, then it is reasonable and even important to allow for them that they are taking care of and making arrangements for whatever family situation he or she may have. If nothing else, this kind of critique seems to presuppose a rather nuclear family unit as a given and a standard (as opposed to say extended family arrangements/alternate family arrangements in which care may be spread). In any case, I don't think it's my biz, I do think any questioning of the family 'issue' would take us far afield, and I also do think such scrutiny over questions of family and care is placed way more heavily on women than on men.

2) I don't think a double standard of allowing female but not male candidates to blow kisses is as big of an issue as other double standards women face (perhaps another case of gender standards hurting all sorts of people, but not equally). Furthermore, women candidates - especially in the Rep. part, godforbid - are under more pressure to negotiate genderly things - i.e., appearing powerful but caring, capable but not masculine, etc etc, wherein all of the adjectives like powerful and capable and authoritative tend to be associated with masculinity. I imagine doing things like blowing kisses are a strategy to communicate to the Republican constituency that she is not crossing 'the line,' wherever that may be drawn for various Republicans. And I don't know if we can even assume they are 'her' idea.

The thing is, Democrats probably ARE making sexist remarks. I don't know what comments you've heard, of course, and I'm certainly not saying all Palin-oriented comments must be interpreted as sexist, but in a sexist society, sexism would cross political lines. Now, that being said, are any such comments made by Democrats - whether the comments in question are really sexist, not so sexist, not sexist at all - overemphasized? I'll buy that for several dollars. I'm sure the Republicans will try to get everything they can out of this VP selection. The same old crap: gender problems are (at least primarily) a thing of the past, there is no need for feminism, look at the Democrats they whine but then they're like so totally worse than us omg, etc etc.

And the good news is, I'm sure we can come up with lots of reasons to critique Palin and McCain! :)